MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

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

Search results -- 30 results per page

Chicago Apartment: 1956
Here I am in our Chicago apartment at 15 months of age, living with my Mother. Dad was still in ... 
 
Posted by ironacres - 09/15/2011 - 9:08am -

Here I am in our Chicago apartment at 15 months of age, living with my Mother. Dad was still in Korea waiting to come home. We stayed there for a little longer then went to Germany. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Chicago Camera: 1918
... grandfather Edwin Shutan in front of the store he owned: Chicago Camera, circa 1918. He sold many items besides cameras. You can see ... 
 
Posted by Shutan.com - 03/03/2017 - 8:11pm -

My grandfather Edwin Shutan in front of the store he owned: Chicago Camera, circa 1918. He sold many items besides cameras. You can see Kewpie dolls in the window. He also sold pen and pencil sets. A few years later, he changed the name to Shutan Camera. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Goliath & Goliath: 1942
December 1942. "Locomotives in the Chicago and North Western departure yard about to leave for Clinton, Iowa." ... switching duties, as noted by Steamin. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2023 - 2:39pm -

December 1942. "Locomotives in the Chicago and North Western departure yard about to leave for Clinton, Iowa." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Switching dutiesEngine 2519, on left, listed as a road engine, wheel arrangement 2-8-2, C&NW J-A class, builder: Schenectady Locomotive works. Engine 2637, on right, listed as switching type, wheel arrangement 0-8-0, C&NW M-4 class, number two in the (2636 was first). builder: Richmond Locomotive works. Maybe it was pressed into road service at this time. In addition to the wheel arrangement, this engine gives a clue to its switching role as you see the footboard on the front bumper of the engine, (instead of the 'cowcatcher' seen on #2519) where a switchman would stand as the engine moved around the yard and assembled the train cars from the yard into a train for a road engine to haul away. MassiveIf you've never been in the presence of mighty locomotives such as these, you don't realize how massive they are. I went to see the Norfolk & Western 1218 arrive in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1989. I stood at the edge of the ballast of the track along with many other people and had to look almost straight up to see how tall she was. I've ridden behind the 1218 and the Southern 4501 in passenger cars with the windows down and boy did my face get dirty. Good times. Flags and markersNote the flags and marker lamps on the 2519. The flags are dirty, but don't appear to be white which would denote an "extra" train (not shown in the timetable). They are likely green, indicating that another section of this train will be following. The lack of flags or markers on the 2637 suggest that it will not be leaving the yard, and is in fact engaged in switching duties, as noted by Steamin. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Rural Mother: 1936
... to. A second generation child on the South Side of Chicago, she always told stories of a her gang of kids distracting the cart ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 07/05/2009 - 2:29am -

March 1936. "Mother and baby of family of nine living in field on U.S. Route 70 near the Tennessee River." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. SonsRose, And notice that the boy you mention (the one on our right) is the only one wearing shoes. It looks like he's standing on maybe his father's feet--there's somebody else standing off the camera edge. But imagine: The clothes that they're wearing might've been their only clothes! Just to reiterate: there was no choice of what they could wear from day to day. What they have on now was all they (might've) had for possibly months at a time. "How do I get to the Susquehanna Hat Company?" What happened to them?While it's certainly disheartening to see that kind of abject poverty, the family probably fared better over the next decade. The TVA started bringing electricity to that area around the time of this photo and Tennessee had a pretty robust wartime economy. The draft board generally didn't take men with nine children so the father would have been around to find steady work. So however bad it may have been you can at least be confident it got better. And yet the boy is smilingAnd yet the boy is smiling :) Mother of povertyThis photo made cry. What more clear image of poverty in America could there be? A flour sack for a skirt and a safety pin holding a tattered sweater. I ache for her children and wonder what happened to this family. One bright spot is the boy smiling to his sister while holding her toe. Tatters...They may be poor material wise with their tatters and rags on their back, but they are rich in their love for each other. Mother of povertyThis is the worst case of poverty I have ever seen that wasn't from the third world, but look at them they are together, even able to smile, by far this picture is the best example of "the great depression". fakeThe picture is of far higher quality than existed in that era. It's obviously a fake. ["That era," the mid-1930s, when photography was 100 years old, saw some of the best photographs ever made - the work of Ansel Adams, for example. And of course a few minutes of Googling will show this to be a well-known Depression-era image in the Library of Congress archives. Comments like these are a good opportunity to point out that the farther back you go, the better and sharper the pictures get, because the recording media were bigger. Two examples are here (1865) and here (1913). As well as here and here and here. - Dave] Re: No exaggeration"And yeah, glass plate negatives are amazing. But even 35mm film actually carries more information than most digitals: ISO 100 35mm has an effective resolution of 10 megapixels, and when you up the negative size to that of a view camera or the 8x10 glass plates, you're talking resolutions and image quality that today's cameras can't touch." YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT ! No exaggerationIn addition to reading "Let us Now Praise Famous Men," check out the photos of Jacob Riis and read "How the Other Half Lives." Yes, muckrakers, but they were not making up the poverty they found and photographed. When people who were doing *well* had only 2 or 3 sets of clothing, there just wasn't as much "extra" around to give to the poor. Using flour sacks and sugar sacks was incredibly common - so common that it is a trope in literature of the time. Even solidly middle-class families "turned" collars and facings on their clothing when it wore to holes, to use the other side, and every family had a rag bag in which they saved *every* scrap of old clothing for other purposes. I guess in this day of cheap clothes made by slave laborers in poison-filled factories in China, its hard to believe anyone treated clothes as so precious that they were saved and worn until they were in this state, huh? And yeah, glass plate negatives are amazing. But even 35mm film actually carries more information than most digitals: ISO 100 35mm has an effective resolution of 10 megapixels, and when you up the negative size to that of a view camera or the 8x10 glass plates, you're talking resolutions and image quality that today's cameras can't touch. Rural mother 1936Oh how I wish I could take the doubting thomases back with me to the North East of Scotland during the time that this stunning photograph was taken. I am glad that it has been brought up to watchable standard by digital magic or whatever. I can still remember my grandfather filling his boots with straw to keep the cold/wet out before going out to the field to plough or cut corn with a scythe. He also used the very same material to wipe his bottom. Granny had a grain sack for a skirt and wore clogs. My favourite time of day was when she put the 'hen's pot' out to cool. I invariably ate the potatoes and haven't tasted better since. Money-wise it was a very poor time but life had a richness difficult to achieve these days. Re: Fake>> The picture is of far higher quality than existed in that era. It's obviously a fake. We get a lot of comments like this, I guess from younger people, or people who have never been to a museum. They don't realize that the farther back you go, the better and sharper professionally taken photographs get, because the recording media were much, much larger. An 8-by-10 glass plate negative is 80 times as large as a 35mm film frame, or the image sensor in a digital camera. Two examples are here (1865) and here (1913). As well as here and here and here. Also a lot of comments from people who seem to think color photography started around 1960. Poverty exaggerationOk, this photo is an example of early photo-journalism. The family could very well have been homeless and living in a lean-to or a wooden box on top of a truck chassis- during the summer, anyway. But the depiction of poverty is exaggerated- think about it- if someone steered the photographer toward the family, then others in the community knew they were there. There's no way a family can dress like that and not receive donations of used clothes. These rags were put on to evoke sympathy for the plights of many during the depression. Don't get me wrong - shock value was probably needed to raise support for many valuable social programs that came about because of the depression. But how long could a family dress like that and not receive donations from others, no matter how bad off the community was. [Most of these migrants, refugees from the Dust Bowl farms of the Great Plains, were not especially welcome in the communities where they dropped anchor, and people often did whatever they could to get them to leave. You might want to read up a little more on the Great Depression. A good start would be "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee with photos by Walker Evans. Or "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. - Dave] Not an exaggeration"There's no way a family can dress like that and not receive donations of used clothes." My mother was a teenager during those years and remembered how so many people were driven to desperation. Her comment was "there was always someone trying to cheat you." Two or three years into the Depression the do-gooders began to run out of sympathy and "used clothes." And after five more years of no improvement they began to fear things would never turn around and that they would end up in the same circumstances. There were just too many newly poor people and not enough people with excess resources to balance things out. BenIf anyone was ever interested in trying to achieve that kind of detail today, I'd highly suggest buying an old used medium format camera and using some 120 roll film. I have a couple of Yashica TLR's which were considered substandard in the 50's and 60's, but their quality still makes a 35 SLR look like a cheap point and shoot. It's not the camera that makes the pictures better, but the larger negative available in 120 film. Not only do you get more detail, but the color depth is far more realistic. ClothesMy Gramma has saved some clothes that her mother made from flour sacks. She also has some made from linen and wool they spun and wove themselves, when they were more prosperous. She lived in a house with a dirt floor and didn't wear shoes in the summer. The Face of the Great DepressionThank you Mr. Caruso. I echo the response from Dave....We read in history books about the Great Depression and over the years, in our mind it is simply a swirl of facts and figures, of almost dispassionate removal that was the reality. While it has been said that hindsight is 20/20, I think it can also be argued that hindsight, especially from such a distance can be sterile becoming almost become an illusion, an event without a substance. Hopefully this will once again place it into a reality ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSShPnOS15Y Dale Oh My GoshI'm 15 years of age and I had no idea that the Great Depression was that bad. This picture really oppened my eyes to the extreme conditions at that time. Thank you for this reality. Reality CheckI have a picture on my desk showing my mother during the depression. You can see her bones because at 5'7" she weighed 85 pounds...just from the simple lack of food. Each girl in the family had two dresses and each boy had two pairs of overalls - one to wear and one to wash. By "wash", I mean using a metal tub over an open fire. Mostly they went barefoot (in the Arizona desert) because if they had shoes, they were too valuable to wear everyday. In the picture my mother is looking directly at the camera and her expression is almost exactly the same as the look on the face of a shell shocked combat veteran. As I said, I keep this small black and white photo on my desk so that if I ever, ever have even a moment of thinking that I'm having a hard day I can look at my mother's face and get a reality check. Barefoot KidsMy parents grew up in the depression. When I was a kid (in the 60s) going outside barefoot was STRICTLY FORBIDDEN, reason being that in their minds if you weren't wearing shoes it was because you didn't have any, and therefore were poor, which they viewed as something to be ashamed of. Making doThe habits of the depression generation persisted into the better days of the '40s. I remember my mother repairing worn sheets by splitting them down the middle and sewing the good edges together to prolong their life. My dad brought home flour sacks from the restaurant where he worked. My mother made dish cloths and pillow cases from them. Some of the sacks were made from patterned material for dresses. The branding on the others washed out easily. To this day I an reluctant to discard clothing. ClothesMy parents did not allow us to wear jeans (which we didn't own) or sneakers because they weren't real clothing, but only worn if you owned nothing else. Believe me we weren't rich either. Mother of NineThank you so much for sharing this. I was born in 1977, but just hearing these stories helps me to realize that we are so spoiled and really puts things into perspective. Amen! Thanks, dalecaruso!I'm going to show this to my 7th grade students who LOVED the Newbery Medal-winning book "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse! Amazing...moving...thank you. The habits remained - for good or badMy parents grew up in the Depression. Members of their generation, roughly those born 1920-1935, often find it difficult to throw out anything "good". In my parents' case, I was left with stacks of thousands upon thousands of moldering magazines and newspapers, piles of old shingles, 2x4s, chunks of vinyl siding, and old cardboard; hundreds upon hundreds of doilies, knick-knacks, and figurines; and tons of worthless, useless plywood and cheap wood furniture. The cry was, "I might need it someday!" and "It'll be worth GOOD MONEY one day!" and "You're so wicked and wasteful and lazy to want to throw it out!". They were wrong in every single solitary instance, no exceptions. The figurines now go for five to ten cents each on eBay (and don't sell at that price); the shingles melted together into a big unusable pile; the 2x4s and cardboard rotted to dust; the doilies were attacked with mold; the magazines were destroyed by water and age; the furniture was rickety and undesirable in its shoddy construction and unattractive, unmarketable poor style. It all went away to the dump as useless, worthless, unrecyclable (because of the mold) garbage - and it cost over a thousand dollars to have it hauled away. And I'm not the only one. There are internet groups made up of people in their 40s and 50s who are, like me, dealing with the unhealthy hoarding habits of their Depression-era parents who have passed on. But we, the children, are not the ones hurt the most by this sickness. The older generation itself is harmed most of all. The mold and dust gathered by the things they've hoarded endangers their health. The sheer bulk of the hoard can endanger them in case of fire. And since they can't find what they've hoarded, they end up buying the same things over and over again, which reduces their ability to provide for themselves. No North American generation before this one has suffered from this level of hoarding, and I doubt any one after it will. Earlier generations didn't overbuy but also weren't afraid to discard; later generations might overbuy but likewise aren't afraid to recycle or discard. Re: Hoarders I would have to seriously question the sweeping and wide swath of the brush you painted this generation with. My parents lived through the depression and the dust bowl, as did my dads' 12 brothers and sisters. and the 5 siblings of my mothers' family. And not a hoarder among them. I am sure they used things longer and valued what they had more than we do, but I hardly consider this a "disorder". Now I am sure some did, but your statement to me really portrays this generation as unhealthy mentally, and I am just a little offended by it. Oh that we today were as mentally stable as they. And if "There are internet groups made up of people in their 40s and 50s who are, like me, dealing with the unhealthy hoarding habits of their Depression-era parents who have passed on", well then I would say, perhaps it is this weak-kneed generation, who need support groups because, "Oh No, Mamma kept things a Long Long time", are the ones who are unhealthy. You do this unbelievable generation a great disservice. Future Hoarders of America Unite!You know, I don't look at the faces of these little ones and concern myself with the idea that their biggest issue in their senior years is going to be that they held on to too much stuff instead of throwing it out. When your clothes are being held together with twine and your mother is wearing a cotton feed bag as a skirt, it's kind of easy to see how, in the future, when you're an old woman, you're probably going to hang on to every scrap and see its potential usefulness someday. It's amazing how differently our consumerist culture sees items today. How often I've longed to be able to hold onto a toaster that could work just fine if I had someone who could fix it for me. But instead, appliances today aren't meant to last for more than a few years and then off to dump with them. Our landfills are overcrowded with plasticized items that will never, ever decompose - plastic bags, water bottles, take out containers...the list is endless. I hate to politicize a picture but I can honestly see how having nothing more than the holey shirt on your back would make you take stock when one day you had tremendous bounty. We could learn a lot from these people and their troubles and how to see potential treasure in trash. Alive and wellPoverty can be because of chance or personal choices. Back in the times of the Depression it was heaped on people by powers out of their control. I see it today right here in Arkansas where I live and in my own neighborhood. I live in a small town of about 5600 and even in what is supposedly the world's most rich and powerful country people are lining up at the free food banks and food giveaways, receving government commodities and waiting in ine at the free medical clinic that is run by area churches and staffed with Doctors and Nurses who volunteer their time for free. Just walk into Walmart on the 1st of the month, they way some families are dressed would break your heart. But then you have the victims of bad personal choices. There is a single other in my neighborhood that recently lost her job because she failed a drug test. She has 3 children. Everyone in the neighborhood knows she sells her food stamps for alcohol. She would buy just enough (barely) food for them to get by and sell the rest If it were not for the kindness of neighbors her children would not have any decent clothes. She was just kicked out of what is very decent public housing where she was paying $16.00 a month rent because she had her alcoholic boyfriend living there with her. Her poor choices affected not only her children but many people in the neighborhood (who at their own expense would buy extra food so they could feed her children or spend money to buy clothes for them) who have tried to help her for years. In her children I see the NEXT generation of American poverty waiting to happen and it is so sad. HoardersMy parents are children of the Depression, too. And my father most definitely instilled in me the sense that one doesn't waste or discard anything useful. He has 2 barns and a shed filled with stuff, much of which I'll have to deal with after he's gone. But you know what? Virtually everything he has is valuable! His shed is filled with dishes and small appliances and the like, which has supplied many of his grandchildren when they went away to college or got their first apartment. He has one of nearly every tool known to man, and freely loans or gives them away. He paid cash for a brand new truck recently, using the proceeds from sale of scrap copper and iron he's been saving in the plum thicket. (He's never owed money on a car in my lifetime). He loves to give to others (it's nearly impossible to leave a visit empty-handed), and a lifetime of saving and storing means he has no shortage of things to give away. Because of my upbringing, it's very hard for me to discard anything that still has value, just because I don't need it any more. But I've learned from my dad - somebody needs that, so give it away! I understand that some hoarders are truly mentally ill. But to say that all Depression children who refuse to discard things that might be useful are "wrong in every single solitary instance, no exceptions" is absolute hogwash. The DepressionAnyone who says these photos are exaggerated or fake has never talked to someone who lived during that time. My mother lived on a farm during that period, and though she didn't have much that came from a store, they were able to eat and eat well. My father's family were poor tennant farmers on unproductive land and frequently had meals like "grease smeared on bread"....try to imagine that one. With several children, all but one had to quit school at 13 to earn a living. My husband's family has pictures of the children looking just like these - torn overalls and bare feet. Do some real research in your own family's past. Family HistoryMy father's family had a farm in southwest Nebraska during the Depression, so they were able to grow their own food and eat fairly well. My mother's paternal grandfather was a Methodist minister there, which was very rough since he was dependent on what the local community could pay, which wasn't much and people had an odd idea about what made a suitable gift. So instead of eggs and chickens, which Great-Grandpa would have taken in a heartbeat (he had 5 teenage sons!), people gave him things like fancy hankies, which he had no use for, and I found 50 years later still in the gift boxes. I know the Depression had a profound impact on my grandfather; he hated to throw anything away. When my mother cleaned out Grandpa's house in the late 80's she had to throw out dumpsters of metal pie plates, shopping bags, twine, bottles, newspapers, magazines and God knows what else. AgreedMy parents did not allow us to wear jeans (which we didn't own) or sneakers because they weren't real clothing, but only worn if you owned nothing else. Believe me we weren't rich either. I would have said this if you didn't. We had sneakers for gym class and gym class only. The picture, the video, the hoarding.Two things struck me about that picture: the caked on dirt on the mother's feet and the smile on the boy's face. Sure, I had heard the phrase "dressed in flour sacks." But, there's something about an image - seeing it. It hits home. The video, The Face of the Great Depression, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSShPnOS15Y from a previous comment. At first, honestly, I thought, "Can't the pictures move faster?" Then I looked, and listened, and let time stand still for a brief moment. By the end, I was crying. The license plate in the last photo was 1939. My mother would have been 13. NOW IT GET IT. Well, I'm beginning to. A second generation child on the South Side of Chicago, she always told stories of a her gang of kids distracting the cart owner so other kids could run by - stealing whatever vegetables they could grab. They would start little fires at the curb and roast them on a stick or boil them in a pot of water. She said that's why, as an adult, she hated boiled onions or potatoes. But, the stories she told, of washing out her underclothes each night, sleeping 4 to a bed, lard and bread sandwiches...I somehow cleaned up the images and made them all pretty. I left out what it smells like if you haven't had a bath. Or, what it must have felt like to really, really be hungry. Mom hoarded. Born in 1926 she left me the legacy of wall to wall, floor to ceiling piles of National Geographic magazines and "collectors" tins." "These will be worth something someday," she chided...and promised. They weren't. Well, some of it was valuable - more from memories of her than replacement cost. More than anything, I wish she could have culled her stuff so she had more room to live. Sure, it was a burden to empty. But it was easier for me to let go of her junk than it was for her to unload the fear of being "without." I can live with that. Everyday I understand and accept her more. One little photo... Can teach so much. The Great DepressionI've read the comments about this picture and echo the feelings of distress that people have had to exist under these conditions. We only have to look at some of the present day third world countries to see the same thing. Thank God that that level of poverty has never touched me. I was born in 1927 and raised, with my sister, in a single parent home. My Mother took in washing and ironing to make a living for us, and though we didn't have an abundance, we never went to bed hungry. She bought used adult clothes and cut them down to fit us (our sunday school and church clothes). No one told me that times were hard so I didn't know it until I was grown. The hobos (Hoover Tourists) used to get off the trains near our house and come to the door begging food. My Mother always made them a peanut butter sandwich. I spent my days in school or outside playing with my friends, I had a glorious childhood. It pains me to see today's children confined to the house, afraid to go outside alone, with only a TV or computer for a companion. So many children and young adults are overweight and under exercised. The Depression was hard on a lot of people but, as a child, I skated through it and wouldn't trade my childhood memories for being a child today. Where in SW Nebraska?Hello- A friend of mine introduced me to this website. I, too, am from southwest Nebraska. Where in SW Nebraska was your family originally from? MJ The DepressionI really liked reading all the comments. I intend to get the book "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by Agee. I was born in 1921, the seventh child in a family of 10. My father died of TB in October 1929. Our church had a dinner after the service yesterday. I noticed some people not eating all the food they had put on their plates. I told them my clean plate was a reflection of living through the Depression, when at mealtime I would hand my plate to my mother with the words "All I can have. please." Every child in the family, when they were old enough, gave most of the money they earned to our mother. In the early 1930s our school clothes and shoes would be ordered by mail from Sears and sometime they would arrive days after school started. We lived in northwest Detroit and most of the kids had fathers with good jobs. In 1936 my oldest brother started to build a home near Mount Clemens, Michigan. A family pitched a tent in a field across the street from him and lived much like the family in this picture. My brother did not want me to visit them. I served in WW2, which I enjoyed because I had been working since I was 14 and it was nice to be free of responsibility. And seeing Europe was wonderful. I am a tourist at heart. Yes! Not getting killed and living into the Internet age is wonderful. Nebraska! With family now on the West Coast in Oregon and Washington we have been driving across this country about once a year. We like Nebraska and have been driving across that state on old U.S. 30, and find it much more enjoyable than I-80. Please try this some time. For those who don't believeRead "The Worst Hard Time" by Tim Egan. Never had heard of "dust pneumonia" until reading this. Also, a section of diary entries is just heartbreaking. Poverty and desolation on a scale unimaginable today. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Great Depression, Rural America)
Waiting and Reading: 1940
... July 1940. Man waiting for a streetcar under the El in Chicago. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Chicago Is that Marshall Field's across the street? Love the guy's shoes, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:14pm -

July 1940. Man waiting for a streetcar under the El in Chicago. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. ChicagoIs that Marshall Field's across the street? Love the guy's shoes, they look like Stacy Adams. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
The Ryan: 1905
... than 6 floors. Read more here. Short Line to Chicago But only if it's on one of those electric lighted trains. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:32pm -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Ryan Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. First skyscraperThe first building in St. Paul greater than 6 floors. Read more here. Short Line to ChicagoBut only if it's on one of those electric lighted trains. CrosseyedTalk about ornate! Oh and Dave, I'll be sending you a bill for eyeglasses -- my search for milk has left me feeling the computer screen. A magnificent memoryThe Hotel Ryan was demolished in 1962 and the site was a parking lot for the next 19 years. I wished I could have seen it, in person, in its heyday. A popular and opulent placeThere are so many images of this luxury hotel on the web. It lasted from 1882 to 1962, and had many, many postcards made of it. But it makes sense that there must be shots like this of hundreds and hundreds of hotels like the Ryan, all across the country. Every large hotel had to have its postcards available for use. What a fascinating book it would be to see the history of hotels in postcards, from various cities. Dave, if we asked you super-nicely, would you put up images from the cities we request, such as our hometowns? Thank you for this one. It originally gives the impression of faceless, ubiquitous homogeneity. But it delights with its small, sudden discoveries. [I guess you could say it was opular. Or populent. - Dave] Grand ViewI wonder who had access to the sitting area above that entrance. Another wonderful spot to sip a whiskey and enjoy a good cigar while watching the busy world pass you by. And not care one whit. Call boxesOn the corner, you can see a police or fire department call box. These were considered a great innovation at the time, and cities spent a lot of money installing them. Prior to the call boxes, policemen would have to summon help by hollering or using whistles. High maintenanceWhen I look at this I think of maintenance costs. It's fascinating to see something with such ornate detail -- but imagine it today and think of all the work that would be required, especially in a freeze/thaw climate. Look at the slate roof -- when one of those shingles lets go, look out below! Modern architecture is very simple and generally uninteresting by comparison, but it's relatively low maintenance. Had this been preserved you would have to be paying $600 a night! A lot of workI can't imagine sitting down at a drafting board and coming up with something this ornate. Then think of the poor masons who had to build it in Minnesota weather. How much would it cost to reproduce something like that today? (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Feeding Time: 1943
... up by the end of the day? The same thing was true in Chicago When I was a little boy in the 1960s, I got separated from my mother at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Somebody took me to the Lion House (now an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/29/2013 - 9:59am -

Yes, Billy was lost. But he was also plump and juicy! May 1943. "Washington, D.C. A sign at the National Zoological Park." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Support your local parents!That's definitely a swell punchline the zoo management is giving the parents to impress orderly behaviour on their menacing Dennises. "Listen, son, stay close, or else the nice people of this zoo will put you with the lions." Stage two: "And the lions are hungry!" Stage three: "I'm sure they also provide doggybags for the leftovers." Feeding TimeSorta raises the question of what happens to children, uneaten lunches, and misplaced haunches of venison left unclaimed at the Lion House. So many hungry lions, so few foundlings. Unsupervised Children Will be Given a Free PuppyDo you think that the Management of the National Zoo saw the irony? No longer as amusing these days"For items you may have accidentally left at the Zoo, please call the Zoo Police at 202-633-4111, or visit the Police Office off Olmsted Walk just above the Mane Grill." Boo. Very efficientLion house, eh? What if they aren't picked up by the end of the day? The same thing was true in Chicago When I was a little boy in the 1960s, I got separated from my mother at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Somebody took me to the Lion House (now an architectural landmark, still with lions inside it), and a voice went out over the loudspeakers calling for my "lost parents" to come and get me. I guess lions and lost children go together like (insert lyrics from "Grease" here). A much quoted sign Washington Post, June 26, 1955. ‘Little Lost Lambs’ Getting New Haven at Zoo “Lost children will be taken to the Lion House” is the Washington Zoo's most quoted sign. Outraged parents of straying tots protested vigorously until they discovered zoo police headquarters was sandwiched above the lions. Now, at long last, the sign will be changed. Come winter, the Zoo is to have a new building, housing among other facilities, police headquarters and the most up-to-date comfort station. So now Zoo officials are being bombarded with humorous suggestions about wording a new sign! Unintended consequences of meat rationingThere was a war going on and the zoo had to do what it had to do. Beware Feline DyspepsiaThis is a solution not universally applicable to all zoos. Many have been unable to teach their lions to spit out the zippers and buttons, with resulting digestive distress. (The Gallery, D.C., Esther Bubley, Kids)
Pontiac Depot: 1905
... it is the mainline of the Illinois Central RR, connecting Chicago to St. Louis and eventually, New Orleans. 29 years later the famous Route 66 will follow alongside this railroad track from Chicago to St. Louis. My great-grandfather was a station agent for a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:23am -

Circa 1905. "Railway station at Pontiac, Illinois." Next stop: Hooterville. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Claim to fame"Pontiac is home to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. It was previously located at Dixie Truckers Home in McLean, Illinois, but was moved to a new, larger location in Pontiac when Dixie changed ownership." -Wikipedia What got me hooked on shorpyThat's quite a collection of insulators above the door on those crossarms. I just love these old RR pics! Thanks again for all your efforts! Hooterville? Not likely!If this is the same railway I am thinking of, it is the mainline of the Illinois Central RR, connecting Chicago to St. Louis and eventually, New Orleans. 29 years later the famous Route 66 will follow alongside this railroad track from Chicago to St. Louis. My great-grandfatherwas a station agent for a small depot in Oklahoma around this time. He and his wife lived in the depot and my grandmother was born there. Gulp. Too close to home.That looks like the depot in the town I went to school in. That was in the 1960s. Perhaps the similarity indicates the age of the building I knew, and the diligence of its maintenance. Perhaps it indicates a truly long-term trend in depot design. What would a modern small depot look like nowadays? When, and why, did that architectural style disappear? The depot is still thereMy husband grew up in Pontiac and recognized the building from the picture. Signals and stuffThe semaphore in front of the depot is a train order signal. If a train needed to have its running orders changed, the division superintendent would telegraph the new orders to a station with an "operator." Not all stations had an operator, and not all stations with an operator had one on duty 24/7. When the new orders were "copied" by the operator, two sets were made, one for the head end crew, one for the conductor in the caboose. The operator at the depot would set the train order signal to either caution or stop. If caution, the train would slow down and the new orders were "hooped up" to the crew. Certain orders required the crew to sign for them. In this case the train was stopped. Pontiac depot must have been a telegraph agency office. The large number of telegraph lines going into the depot would indicate that it handled the telegraph service of a few independent companies -- Western Union, etc. Telegraph companies had their own wires, the railway provided space on its poles. The twin tanks indicate a busy line with many locomotives needing water. Yet the rail is light and spiked directly into the tie without the steel tie plate that you would expect to find between the tie and rail. Route 66I worked on the Pontiac newspaper in 1952. The town was as quiet as Lake Woebegon. A major source of news was Route 66. Whenever there was an accident, traffic would back up and police often would find a stolen car in the line. Thief would escape into a cornfield. Next morning somebody's car would be missing as the thief found new transportation. Pontiac had a prison for young offenders, often car thieves. Prison's main morale problem was disparity in sentencing. Stealing a car in Chicago was no big deal. Downstate it was a big deal. Downstaters viewed Chicago as a cesspool of corruption and no doubt still do. Semaphore SignalThere were two types of semaphore signals. This one is a "two-position," i.e., it could only display "proceed" (down) or "stop" (horizontal). To display a signal for "19" orders (to be handed up without stopping), the operator would climb the ladder seen leaning against the signal post, and place a yellow flag in a bracket, one of which is visible. The Chicago & Alton RailroadI'm fairly certain this is the Chicago & Alton Railroad depot, the C&A from Chicago to Alton to St. Louis and they had a division that crossed Northern Missouri to Kansas City with a branch line to Jefferson City. The C&A was quite a progressive road, they introduced Pullman cars and had the fastest schedule between Chicago and St. Louis. The line was later controlled by the Baltimore & Ohio after World War I and were bought by the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio in 1947 (the GM&O was a new line itself, it was created in 1940 with the merger of the Gulf, Mobile, & Northern and the Mobile & Ohio, the M&O being a pre-Civil War line that had been allowed to languish by the Southern, the GM&N had very progressive and aggressive management who managed to turn the entire system into a profitable, modern railroad to compete with the Illinois Central despite the GM&O's longer route and less than stellar grade profiles in the Deep South.). The Illinois Central merged with the GM&O in 1972, becoming the Illinois Central Gulf. In 1987 the bankrupt ICG spun off almost all of the GM&O to a handful of short lines. The Chicago & Alton became the Chicago, Missouri & Western, which was then split between the Southern Pacific from Chicago to St. Louis and a Santa Fe holding company between St. Louis and Kansas City. The Kansas City branch is now owned by the Kansas City Southern. Today, the C&A's main line is owned by the Union Pacific and VERY busy, there's even talk of it being upgraded for high speed passenger rail, including electrification. Who in 1905 would have imagined ~40 mile-long freight trains barreling through town at 60 mph? And I must say that I could be completely wrong and this could actually be the Toledo, Peoria, and Western depot in Pontiac. Either way, now you all know a bit more about Pontiac's "main line." More on the signals, etc.It appears there are no roundels (lenses) in the "clear" aspect of the train signals. This was probably near the end of the time when instead of a green light, there was a white light indicating there was no reason to stop for orders. It was also the case on the mainline signals to use white to indicate a clear track. This practice was changed to using green roundels after a number of false clear indications occurred, causing a number of accidents because the red roundel had fallen out, leaving a clear or white indication to the train crew that the track was clear when in deed it was not! I believe green was made the standard by WW I. The little building at the extreme left of the picture was almost certainly either the "outhouse" or a small storage building for the section crew. I vote for the the former use as it has a nice sidewalk to it and it is close enough to the building so that the agent who had to deal with several telegraph companies in addition to his regular duties, would have time to get in, out and back to company business! Please keep these great pictures coming! Not Illinois CentralI worked as Agent and Operator for Illinois Central and worked at Pontiac once or twice in the 1960s. Pontiac was on IC's Otto-Minonk branchline, The Pontiac District only had one telegraph wire when I was there. Also, the train order semaphore is not an IC-style. It is Alton (later Gulf Mobile & Ohio) style and this looks very "mainline." The IC depots on the branch used flags rather than semaphores for train orders. As a side note, I also was sent to fill in at the Flanagan and Greymont stations just up the line from Pontiac. It was a "traveling" agency (mornings one depot, afternoons at the other one) and the town had the last ringer (not dial) phone system in the state. Had to hold down the hanger and rapidly turn the crank to get the operator. It was like stepping back 75 years. Almost none of our country depots had electricity, either. The Bloomington-Pontiac Districts had no railroad telephones. It was Morse code only. Great photo ... thanks! Skip Luke Retired Railroader Different PerspectiveI was a resident of Pontiac for 15 years (1992-2007) and loved living there. I recognized this building right away, but there is a brick addition to it now on either side. It has had several businesses in it as well as the train stop, which is still in use today. I've used it before when taking Amtrak up to Chicago. It's so much fun to see the backgrounds and compare it to what is there now. Thanks for posting this photo! Looks like a new street is in orderI see some large piles of what looks like street pavers in the background. Of course, now we use concrete or asphalt, neither of which holds up a well as brick. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Cayuga Depot: 1901
... Company. View full size. It Winds from Chicago to LA The Old Railway Depot still stands. A new roof and bay window ... care. Depot oddities Cayuga was a place on the Chicago & Alton where an operator/agent passed instructions to train crews ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/16/2020 - 10:48am -

Circa 1901. "Station at Cayuga, Ill's." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. It Winds from Chicago to LAThe Old Railway Depot still stands. A new roof and bay window were added at some point. It's still recognizable, but just barely. Cayuga was decertified in 1977, when I-55 made Route 66 obsolete. An older understandingAn interesting and archaic abbreviation for Illinois, isn't it? Today it would be IL, I suppose. Stuffed chimneyAt first I thought that pole with wires was a little too close for comfort to the chimney, but then I realized the pole is in the background. (I was a bit worried for Santa, too.) Sweeping up?Are those tubular devices outside the station used for keeping debris off the tracks? I can't see a really close-up of the device on the right, but it seems to have wire whisks. What a tidy, anonymous little rural stationSeems remarkable this station bears no sign facing the track that shows the town's name or even the railroad's name. Looking around, there's no litter to be seen. Still, we can see window washing wasn't a priority. Oh well, that coal soot was probably the dickens to get off. What a shame that such a once neat and important part of the town's heritage has deteriorated to what Sewickley's photo shows. Small as it is, restoration probably wouldn't be terribly expensive. Railroads meant so much to America's growth and development. No less so to small rural towns such as Cayuga, Ill., and to area farmers than to people and commerce in big cities. Places like this little station are the stuff of stories for old timers to tell children. Maybe the time a president or candidate made a whistle stop there, or when there was a derailment within sight of the station. Old timers will pass from the scene, but places like the old railroad station and its stories needn't, if enough people care. Depot oddities Cayuga was a place on the Chicago & Alton where an operator/agent passed instructions to train crews from the dispatcher. We can see this by the building being equipped with a train order signal for movements in either direction. Such places were designated in timetables and identified with a name plate - which we do not see here. Oddity one. There is an unusual pipe running from the building along the platform. Oddity two. The rail joints are opposite each other rather than being staggered. This was the standard in Europe, but American railways like joints to be staggered. Oddity three. Those joints have the nuts and bolts all set in the same way rather than the normal every other one being reversed. Well, oiled, but oddity four. I've been waitingfor one of you train buffs to interpret the semaphore signal to us non-train persons. Evening Up the OdditiesNo station sign: I would guess the sign sticking out under the Western Union sign has the station's name on it, facing traffic coming from the right. The pipe has two U-bends which look like plumbing traps. Considering the pipe's low entry/exit into the building, and even lower disappearance on the left, I would guess it is a drain pipe from a sink and/or toilet. Maybe that's why the windows aren't clean on the corner -- for privy privacy. If so, probably the building was originally built without indoor plumbing. [Edited to Add: Excellent analysis Alex! I fell into the trap and stand double-bent-over corrected!!]. The "tubular devices" on the platform could be farm implements, recently delivered or waiting for pickup. Oddity 2 rev.It seems to me that the pipe, mentioned by BeeGuy, is NOT running from the building. It's a loose pipe, the end of it lying on the edge of the platform, the width of seven planks away from the corner. Wrong side of the tracks If you'd Google map it, (easy to find, small town). This building is on a road which crosses the tracks. If facing this building the rails are just to the left, It's not at the tracks, which it would need to be, if it were the old depot. Possibly the office for the old grain silo / whatever it was behind it. it seems the depot is long gone. Trackwork.>>Those joints have the nuts and bolts all set in the same way... Perhaps this is due to the lightweight rail. If the nuts were inside, they might be struck by wheel flanges. Also note that the rails are spiked directly to the ties with no metal tie plates. This was common in that era, even on mainline tracks. Labor was cheap and maintenance was intensive. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Small Towns)
State Street: 1910
Chicago circa 1910. "State Street north from Madison." 8x10 inch dry plate ... View full size. 3/7ths of the "Seven Sisters" of Chicago Retailing - Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. - Mandel Bros - Boston ... a Target. At the far left, on the southwest corner, is the Chicago Savings Bank Building (now known as the Chicago Building), designed by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/31/2023 - 12:59pm -

Chicago circa 1910. "State Street north from Madison." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 3/7thsof the "Seven Sisters" of Chicago Retailing - Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. - Mandel Bros - Boston Store fronted on this, The World's Busiest Corner (The Fair, Rothshild's, and Sigel-Cooper lie behind, while Marshall Field lies a block ahead) Today, while it isn't quite so quiet that "you can a hear a pin drop", the only place you can buy those pins is at Target. SurvivorsIf a building in this photo was going to survive, I'm grateful it was the Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. building, designed by Louis Sullivan, regrettably partially obscured by a transit bus in Street View. [Also the Boston Co. department store building on the left, which looks remarkably contemporary despite being completed in 1905. After various additions, today known as the State Madison Building or 1 North Dearborn. - Dave] Survivors on Three Out of Four CornersActually the buildings shown here on three of the four corners of State and Madison Streets have survived, for the most part. At the far right, the old Carson Pirie Scott Store (originally built for Schlesinger and Mayer, designed by Louis Sullivan and built 1899-1904) still stands on the southeast corner. Today it is called the Sullivan Center and it houses a Target. At the far left, on the southwest corner, is the Chicago Savings Bank Building (now known as the Chicago Building), designed by Holabird & Roche and built 1904-1905. Today it belongs to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which uses it as a dormitory called Jones Hall. The building with signs for the Boston Store, on the northwest corner, has a more complicated history. The building shown here (with four bays on State Street) is the Champlain Building of Holabird & Roche (1894). It was demolished in 1915 and replaced by the present structure to make it uniform with the adjoining buildings built for the Boston Store in 1905. On the northeast corner is the former Mandel Brothers Department Store, shown here in a building built in 1875 which will soon be demolished, according to the sign hanging off the building. The present Mandel Brothers building (also designed by Holabird & Roche) opened in 1912. Since State and Madison is the dead center of the Chicago street numbering system, all these buildings bear addresses of either No. 1 or No. 2 on State or Madison Streets. Although the buildings have happily survived, the retail giants of State Street have all gone. First Day on the JobNote on lower right the confident looking young man in an ill fitting suit is heading to his opening day as an assistant to an assistant bookkeeper while dreaming how long it's going to take him to become Chairman of the Board. In between thoughts of the Board he ponders investing in his brother-in-law's new Black and Decker company or his girlfriend's Grinnell Electric Car Company. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Leading Ladies: 1927
... the stockings are sturdy and serviceable, I'm sure. Chicago Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, front row second from right. H-A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 6:16pm -

"Holton-Arms School." More Holton-Arms girls circa 1927 in Washington. Who'll be the first to put a name to a face? Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. ContrastsThe one in the front row far right looks like Barbara Bush; the one in the front row far left looks like Richard Nixon. Miss RightLike Eric said, second from right first row reminds me of a young Christina Applegate. BlondieBlondie, second from the right in the front row, is a MAJOR cutie! Those are some pretty snazzy stockings she's wearing, too. The Quality of these dead girls is sure improvingDon't know what it is, but it seems like the group photos of young girls from 80 years ago are showing a lot more lookers and almost no mud fence uglies. Contrast that to the past when the more astute Shorpy fans would shield their eyes. Girl next doorShe may have star quality, but the girl in the center is just down and out gorgeous..and you could go camping and she would hold her own!!! (And she wears sensible shoes) Star qualitySecond from the right in the first row is movie-star gorgeous. Nice appearanceShort hair and youthful elegance. Twenty years earlier they all would have had long flowing locks. Years later, fast food will have taken its toll. Staying the same, only niftierAdding to Eric's comment: If by some quirk of the winds, the lovely girl, second from right, were to be lifted up and deposited (decorously) on the front steps of our present-day high school, none would be the wiser. If she had her purse, you'd probably find she carries a cell phone and an Mp3 inside! HoosiersWhy do I keep thinking of Indiana University basketball when looking at the gal at the front left? HoltonI would like Holton them in my arms! 99 Years OldAssuming they were about 17 years old, in the photograph, would mean they were born c. 1910. If that's the case, they would be 99 or so years old, someone or some of them could still be alive. Any way to know? Nancy HamiltonThe girl in the front row at far right appears to be Nancy Hamilton, seen here in a more flattering light with a guitar. DroopageFront row girls right and left. The belt buckles and loose ends are identical in position. Maye this was a "club" thing? School for the Criminally FlatchestedLacko Mammarita, the valedictorian, stands in the center of the front row with her enticing and sensuous smile inviting all the boys' attention. Miss 20th CenturyWhat did these girls see ahead of them? The depression, World War II, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the rise of suburbia, jet air travel, the civil rights movement, the Rolling Stones, microwave ovens, cable television... Who knows, maybe one or two of these gals learned to surf the web. Back rowThe two girls in the back row, 2nd and 3rd in from right almost appear to be sisters, the lips are almost identical. Dead or AliveMr. Mel wrote: Assuming they were about 17 years old, in the photograph, would mean they were born c. 1910. If that's the case, they would be 99 or so years old, someone or some of them could still be alive. Any way to know? Tickle 'em and see if they laugh. Flat-chested and proud of itWouldn't 1927 be the apex of the flapper era, when women actually strived to appear flat-chested? If their breasts weren't with the program they'd fix it by tying them down. I've never read a thorough explanation of the fad but I guess it may have been a reaction to the artificially curvaceous styles of their mothers, who squeezed into whale bone corsets and put false butt boosters under their dresses. Also I think I've read that, for physiological reasons not entirely certain today, girls hit puberty somewhat later in past decades, so these could be fairly normal 17 year-olds of their time. AgreedShe's the ONLY cute one in the bunch. Everything Old Is New AgainMaybe this is where the guys from Nickelback got the idea. Guess with onceWhy I always laught when i see american "beautiful women"? I WinI christen the back row center girl, Donna Fairbanks. It's very unlikely that that is her name, but Dave only challenged us Shorpyites to "put a name to a face" (and so I have, fair & square!). What's my prize, Dave? [A 50 percent discount. - Dave] From formal to informalThe gals in the last row are interesting, Gal #3 with the beautiful sweater & necklace contrasts sharply with the gal #5 two over to the right from her, who is wearing a shirt that looks like one of my husband's! And the buttons! what wonderful buttons. So is Gal #5 in the back, is she a tomboy or just poor? There was a benefit.Robcat2075, from what I understand, much of the flapper era was about rebellion of the previous generation's stuffiness (think Gibson girls...yeesh) as you suggested, but also a devil-may-care, you-only-live-once attitude following WWI. Strapping mammaries down made it much easier to get crazy and dance the Charleston, and became emblematic of free-moving and fashion-forward dames. You left out........That one thing that I guess seems like no big deal people anymore. Men landing on the moon. Several times. And, coming back. I still find this to be man's greatest achievement, and my grandfather lived to see that day. From horse and buggy, to man on the moon. That is quite a leap. It's all about themTranslation of your first few comments: "I deserve to see women I personally think are hot! They better exist everywhere I look! That's the only thing women are good for -- entertaining ME, the Entitled One! It's all about me me me me me!" I'm too old to be bitter. I'm just tired of guys who can't stop trying to shove their bizarre standards down everyone else's throats. JennaTo my eyes the cute girl in the front row with the snazzy stockings looks a bit like Jenna Elfman. All About CharleneSweetie, I think they have hormonal treatments now that help you get over the crankiness. Carolyn JonesSecond from right in the back row. All growed up and not decked out like Morticia: WOWWell, I dunno. As a guy that's into girls I think all of these young women are very attractive. But beyond that superficial level, I really like the people photos here on shorpy. The architecture and all is great but seeing the people and thinking what their lives were like, their personalities etc.... But back to the superficial, the women of the time I think are much more attractive than women of now. At least in the mainstream of our culture. And the third from the right in the back row. I could see being good friends with her... I lust, so sue me! Cankle ConundrumSo, riddle me this: is it the shoes or the stockings that almost always make women of this era appear to have unfortunate cankles? The shoe-vamps ARE very high-cut; and the stockings are sturdy and serviceable, I'm sure. ChicagoRenee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, front row second from right. H-A girlsI suspect that the two on either end of the top row are sisters. I'm surprised they're not dressed more alike. I wonder if we would find more of the girls attractive if they all had fluffy finger-waved hair with little kiss curls. Though she's the apple of my eye, too. Who can spot the faux-bobs? "No, you will NOT have your hair cut off, young lady, and that's final!" "Yes, Papa." The one on the far right, bottom row, could easily have been a model at that time. She looks like she belongs on the cover of Collier's. I bet she golfed. I think the bosom-binding was an attempt at looking rail-thin, in addition to square and boyish. Sorry, ladies. It so often happens that the beauty one is trying to achieve is in the eye of the beholder, who saw it first in Ladies' Home Journal. Later on SeinfeldElaine Benes, ooops, I mean Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a Holton-Arms alumna. Jackie Kennedy was a student in 1942-44. I don't know what tuition was in the 1920s but today young Popsie's parents have to fork out about $31k a year. However, that includes school lunches. Such a deal. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
Elks Lodge: 1906
... I was curious in the first place. Wisconsin, from Chicago to KC This lodge was originally the Wisconsin building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. After the fair it was purchased and moved to Kansas City. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 3:07pm -

Kansas City, Missouri, circa 1906. "Elks Club." Welcome to B.P.O.E. 26. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Elkdom!Makes this Elk proud to see some of our history! Old buildings intrigue me Especially one like this. Interesting sculpture including the on the gable in the center, and how about that eagle atop the flagpole It has to be life sized or better. I bet with a flag raised in a good wind you could hear it vibrating throughout the building. I also like the rounded balconies on the right, complete with spiral stairway. Swift MercurySwearing at pigeons. RumorI hear those Elks can be both benevolent and protective. Thanks for the reminderWhen I was younger I wondered what the B.P.O.E. was all about. Back then I never did find out. However, today this old curiosity was satisfied. Despite my having forgotten I was curious in the first place. Wisconsin, from Chicago to KCThis lodge was originally the Wisconsin building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. After the fair it was purchased and moved to Kansas City. Magnificent BuildingWhat a beautiful building. Does anyone know if it is still standing and if not what happened to it? Also Shorpy Dave could you give us an better enlargement of the Mail box or what ever it is covered with posters, It looks like on one side there is something about German American Dangers (Doctors?). Thanks for reminding us all that once upon a time people could afford a sense of magnificence and beauty to the architecture of common buildings. German American doctors can cure youThe same ad is on a newspaper box across town. https://www.shorpy.com/node/8146 (The Gallery, DPC, Kansas City MO, Streetcars)
Spectators
Chicago, Il, 1960's-ish. This is one of the 30-40,000 6x6 negatives discovered at a local auction here in Chicago by a photographer named Vivian Maier. View full size. Welcome ... the guy on the right seems to be playing Gulliver. Chicago Sun Times to the right I believe that's the Wrigley building behind ... 
 
Posted by johnmaloof - 09/19/2011 - 9:23pm -

Chicago, Il, 1960's-ish. This is one of the 30-40,000 6x6 negatives discovered at a local auction here in Chicago by a photographer named Vivian Maier. View full size. Welcome to Shorpy!I've read about your discovery of her cache of negatives. It's a fabulous body of work, all the more amazing that she made such strong, well-composed photos without the visual feedback of even bothering to develop most of the film! And it's more astounding that the film withstood the years and allowed such good results when it was finally processed. Thank you for rescuing these photos. Thank you for sharing them. Vivian Maier's photos. This is not Lilliput......but the guy on the right seems to be playing Gulliver. Chicago Sun Times to the rightI believe that's the Wrigley building behind and the Chicago Sun Times building immediately to (and mostly out of the frame) to the right, putting this on... Wabash? Narrowing the date down a bit...The picture was taken in late '64 at the earliest - the right-most car is a 1965 Chevy Bel Air or Biscayne (the Impala had three tail lights). I learned to drive on a car just like that one. FordThat's a 1965 Galaxie in the middle. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
West From Wabash: 1910
Chicago circa 1910. "Madison Street west from Wabash Avenue." 8x10 inch dry ... never guess it today, the one-half square mile or so of Chicago’s "skid row" included Madison Street (from about Clark west), into ... evidenced by this excerpt from the online Encyclopedia of Chicago: "The oldest surviving and most visible Chicago rescue mission, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2023 - 3:04pm -

Chicago circa 1910. "Madison Street west from Wabash Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Whiskey RowAlthough one would never guess it today, the one-half square mile or so of Chicago’s "skid row" included Madison Street (from about Clark west), into the early '80s according to one source. That it was into the '60s is for certain, as yours truly used to venture into the neighborhood on occasion then for a haircut at Moler’s Barber School on the south side of Madison. Moler’s was one of the few establishments that didn’t sell cheap wine, beer and whiskey. There were several "hotels" as well that were clearly in the flophouse category. The district dated back into at least the mid/late 1800s, as evidenced by this excerpt from the online Encyclopedia of Chicago: "The oldest surviving and most visible Chicago rescue mission, the Pacific Garden Mission was founded in 1877 by George and Sarah Clarke in order to keep crooked men straight. Located in the South Loop in the middle of Whiskey Row, the mission took its name from a former tenant, the notorious Pacific Beer Garden." I’m not sure how crooked men were kept straight, but that’s a conundrum for another time. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Cool Pink: 1953
... but in '55 I was only 11, so forgive me. "Chicago" star She was also the original Roxie Hart in "Chicago", and she played her as a rather bedraggled floozy, not a glamor girl ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2013 - 9:42am -

May 1953. "Dancer-actress Gwen Verdon in a hammock wearing a ballgown." Color transparency from photos taken for the Look magazine assignment "Midsummer Fantasies: How to Keep Cool in a Heat Wave." View full size. Note to self:Must remember to roll out of bed on the left! High Above Madison AveIt took me awhile to figure out that St.Patricks is on the right and the roof of the Villiere Houses (then used by the Archdiocese of NY) are on the left. LolaI believe at this time she was about to star in "Damn Yankees". She repeated the role for the movies. If you have seen "All That Jazz" she was the real life person depicted as the red red headed former wife of the lead. In real life she had been married to Bob Fosse.. After their marriage broke up they remained close along with Ann Rienking. [She'd just opened in Can-Can, May 7, 1953. Damn Yankees opened May, 1955. -tterrace] I didn't remember correctly. I did see her in "Yankees", but in '55 I was only 11, so forgive me. "Chicago" starShe was also the original Roxie Hart in "Chicago", and she played her as a rather bedraggled floozy, not a glamor girl as in the movie version. A great performer, and a very brave lady to climb into that hammock!! "How to Keep Cool in a Heat Wave"Step 1: Remove elbow-length satin gloves. Not found in natureAs a former natural redhead, I always really wanted hair like that-- a color so unnatural and shocking that you couldn't forget it. The former Mrs. Bob Fosse was certainly one you couldn't forget! (Nor was he.) The location is no coincidenceIt makes sense that this photo was for a Look magazine assignment, as she's on top of the Look building at 488 Madison Avenue. At the time it would have been only a couple of years old. Designed by Emery Roth, the building received official landmark status a couple of years ago. Its rounded corners are reflected in the curve of the railing. Look magazine has been gone since the early 1970s, a year or so prior to the demise of its archrival Life. Today the building houses mostly service businesses such as law and accounting firms with no real "marquee" tenants. (The Gallery, NYC, Pretty Girls)
That Great Street: 1910
... their life -- I saw a man who danced with his wife In Chicago, Chicago my hometown. Chicago circa 1910. "The busy crowd on State ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/31/2023 - 12:35pm -

On State Street, that great street, I just want to say They do things they don't do on Broadway. They have a time, the time of their life -- I saw a man who danced with his wife In Chicago, Chicago my hometown. Chicago circa 1910. "The busy crowd on State Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Such crowded streets!I am amazed at the density of the crowds in images like this. I haven't been in a busy downtown in years, but it seems incredible to see so many people crowding the sidewalks! It is wall to wall people, or storefront to curb anyway. In my lifetime I have only seen crowds like this during parades etc. Was this normal in turn of the century cities? Same question applies for the beach scenes with only inches between quaintly costumed revelers... MotorizedIn answer to loujudson's question, all of those people are now in their cars. The sidewalk is easy to traverse, but the street has bumper-to-bumper traffic. re: Crowded StreetsThe opposite sidewalk is closed for construction, doubling the crowd on the near sidewalk. Still a hell of a lot of people. I FEEL CHEATEDI can't see even ONE person doing things they don't do on Broadway. Do they only do them at night ? ? ? I am not surprised by the crowds ...Remember, folks, for years the corner of State and Madison Streets (shown here) was touted - on post cards and other media - as "the busiest corner in the world!" Good grief!Is that a man dancing with his wife under the Marshall Field clock? Mercer or Stutz?Marshall Fields clock center background at the corner of Sate and Madison. I'm going to guess that is a Stutz or a Mercer parked at the curb. Can anyone identify the building?Just out of architectural curiosity, what is the ornate little building next door to Mandel Bros.? Somebody sure had fun designing that place! (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Götterdämmerung: 1942
December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Repair and overhauling in the Chicago & North Western Railroad locomotive shops." Medium-format negative ... is on here someplace. Great Delano exhibit in Chicago going on now Just visited the Jack Delano "Railroaders" exhibit at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2015 - 12:51pm -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Repair and overhauling in the Chicago & North Western Railroad locomotive shops." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Franklin BoosterLooking in the lower left corner of the photo, the item on the cart is a Franklin Booster. These were mounted usually on the rear truck of larger steam engines and provided extra tractive effort at lower speeds. The SP 4449 has one. Flooring: bricks or wood blocks?The flooring may be wood blocks set on end, rather than bricks or stone blocks. I've seen this in another roundhouse, the reasons for using wood were (a) absorb oil, rather than providing a very slippery surface for oil spills, (b) less chance of damaging a part if it were dropped. GötterdämmerungI see what you did there... :) Twilight of the GodsWhen exactly does the fat lady sing? Wood blocksDuring the late 1920's and early 1930's my father was the engineer who was in charge of the Brooklyn Bridge. He told me that the bridge was paved with wooden blocks set on end very much like the railroad shop in the picture. . When the blocks became worn they were picked up and turned over. Relatively light weight, non-slippery and durable. Wrong TitleAlas, Götterdämmerung is an ending. A better title might be: "Nacht und Nebel" or Night and Fog. [Twilight of the Gods = the fast-approaching final days of the huge steam locomotives which up to this point had ruled the rails unchallenged. -tterrace] Various AppliancesA poster below already pointed out the booster engine on the closest track. Good call; I had no idea what it was. The cylinders on the floor to the right of the booster are interesting. I want to say that they're compressed air reservoirs, but they appear to be way too long, so I have no idea. Lead and trailing trucks are being worked on tracks 2 and 3. There's a 2-wheel pony (leading) truck on track two that is flipped over. To the right of that is a 4-wheel trailing truck off a 2-8-4. The trailing truck on track 3 that the guy is welding inside is off an H Class 4-8-4, pictured many times on Shorpy. Neither locomotive is in the picture. Perhaps if we turned the other way? The picture looking the other direction is on here someplace. Great Delano exhibit in Chicago going on nowJust visited the Jack Delano "Railroaders" exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. The exhibit focuses on the people who insured that America's WWII railroad supply lines ran efficiently and at full capacity. Great photos (black and white AND COLOR!) of dozens of railroaders, from top management down to the gofers. Terrific insights into the dispatching and maintenance of the trains and great stories of the folks and families who depended on railroading as a livelihood. Lots of train photos, too. If you are a fan of Jack Delano's art or a fan of mid-20th century railroading, don't miss this exhibit. It runs through the end of January 2016. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Pet Project: 1920
... clue. Gecko? Hardly. That's a baby alligator. Chicago Technical College That's what the watch fob says. With a large "CTC" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/21/2013 - 11:53am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Harvey and William Peck and pets, E Street N.W." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Nice Hats!Our two protagonists are wearing two of the most bizarre hats I've seen recently. Re: Nice Hats!If these lads are observant Jews, as seems likely (otherwise I'm wrong about the hats), then those are skullcaps: yarmulke in Yiddish, kippah in Hebrew. They're usually worn on the crown of the head, but they could easily have slid forward considering both boys have their hands full with little animals. Anyone have an idea about that badge on the trousers of the guy on the left? [Their caps are the beanies worn by a zillion kids of the era. - Dave] GEICOYou can bet the little guy in his left hand is trying to sell him insurance! They are either beaniesor they are outside a synagogue. Watch fobIt's a watch fob, as in pocket watch. What the logo is I don't have a clue. Gecko? Hardly.That's a baby alligator. Chicago Technical CollegeThat's what the watch fob says. With a large "CTC" in the middle. BuckleGood info on the watch fob. Now let's decipher the belt buckle on the right! I don't have a clue! [It's a monogram W. -tterrace] HeadgearThe boys are wearing beanies, a popular choice of boys headgear in the day, up until the 1940s. The boy on the left is wearing a two-toned example. The variation that was highly popular with college freshmen included a propeller. They were made of four triangular sections with a button at the top. They sometimes came with a visor. Originally, they were worn by mechanics and tradesmen who needed to keep their hair out of their eyes, much like the short brimless caps worn by chefs, today. Note the marmosets, one on the left corner of the cage and one being held be the shifty-eyed boy. Oh mytheir poor mother. Emblem Battery and SupplyWas at 1003 E Street NW in 1920. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Dwarfed: 1941
April 1941. "South Side Chicago. Scene in Negro tavern." The walls adorned with murals from the Disney ... couple are enjoying what in Detroit (and maybe Chicago) we called a "boomba". Man-icured That fellow in the middle has ... to this social faux pas.) Perhaps the dapper folks in Chicago didn't get the memo? [Perhaps you've never been to Chicago. - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/09/2018 - 10:30pm -

April 1941. "South Side Chicago. Scene in Negro tavern." The walls adorned with murals from the Disney version of "Snow White." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Every girl crazy'bout a sharp dressed (and manicured) man. Our front-and-center couple are enjoying what in Detroit (and maybe Chicago) we called a "boomba". Man-icuredThat fellow in the middle has more delicate fingers and nails than the ladies on either side of him. What classGo out for a sandwich and a beer, dressed to the nines. Back then people took pride in their appearance. Just like meThat lady on the right must be watching her carbs. She left her crust. Hat CheckThe men in my family were taught to remove hats before taking a seat. (Quite a few, er ... confrontations with my own son with regard to this social faux pas.) Perhaps the dapper folks in Chicago didn't get the memo? [Perhaps you've never been to Chicago. - Dave] A pickerRegarding the nails on the man in the center with the beer. I bet he was a guitar picker, left handed. Tony's Tavern"Russell Lee took this photograph on April 6, 1941, at Tony's Tavern. Located at Thirty-first and Federal Streets in Chicago, the heart of a neighborhood called Bronzeville, Tony's Tavern opened around 1900. Its owner, Tony Finkelstein, hosted some music legends—Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Estelle and Jimmy Yancey. Menu specialties of the house were gumbo, fried shrimp, and hot dogs. Although big-name jazz and blues performers were often showcased at Tony's Tavern, lesser-known groups were also welcome, such as the one shown here. The painted mural of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was used as an identity backdrop for photograph sessions." From Images of America - Chicago Blues - By Wilbert Jones We visited this place before - Cafe Society: 1941 Low on CamelsLooks like there may only be a one or two left in that pack. Better scare up 12 cents for another. (The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
Soda Stop: 1908
Circa 1908. "Seeing Chicago. Auto at Monroe Street near State." Our second glimpse of these Windy ... for the more expensive Pullman: 1910 Chicago City Directory Here are the first two entries under Confectioners in the 1910 Chicago City Directory. Interesting class contrast. I could not help ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/18/2012 - 12:28pm -

Circa 1908. "Seeing Chicago. Auto at Monroe Street near State." Our second glimpse of these Windy City tourists. Photo by Hans Behm. View full size. Font...Wow, they really went crazy with the drop shadow on the signs above the awning. Oh wait, that's a real drop shadow and I bet it moves as the day progresses too. I scream Can just imagine hot sundaes in here. Bumpy rideSolid rubber tires on cobblestone streets. Hope the old people held their mouths closed , or risk losing their teeth to the rattling. Rapid Model DThis is a circa 1906-08 Rapid Model D 132, 12-Passenger Car, as made by the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan. It cost $1,800 and was less luxurious and passenger friendly than their Model D 170, 12 Passenger Pullman, which cost $700 more. The 132 Car weighed 3,050 pounds and was powered by a 22-24 hp, horizontal two cylinder water-cooled engine mounted in the center of the frame, just under the floor. It had two speeds forward and one reverse, feeding the power through a jackshaft and Brown - Lipe differential, and on to the double side chain drive. The solid rubber tires were 32 by 3 inch and the wheels rode on Timkin bearings front and rear. The wheelbase was 90 inches, and standard equipment included two side lights, a searchlight (the socket for which can be seen at the top of the dash), tail light, horn, and a full set of tools. Other Model D offerings included 16, 20 and 25-passenger vehicles, as well as delivery vans and one-and-a-half ton trucks. Started in 1902 by the Grabowsky brothers, the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company was taken over by General Motors a year after the picture above was taken. They turned Rapid into the GMC Truck division in 1912. Here's an ad from 1908 for the more expensive Pullman: 1910 Chicago City DirectoryHere are the first two entries under Confectioners in the 1910 Chicago City Directory. Interesting class contrast.I could not help noticing the well-fed, well dressed boy sitting in the back of the tourist car while behind him is a boy about the same age working as a messenger. It is a reminder of the extreme contrasts of that age. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, DPC)
Long Branch Park: 1905
... car shows, ethnic festivals, picnics and exhibits. To Chicago on my dime A 1950s American Heritage article, "Goodbye to the ... train for 20 miles, then pay another nickel and ride to Chicago using transfers -- all on interurbans, except for that 20-mile gap. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 10:22am -

Onondaga County, New York, circa 1905. "Streetcar depot, Long Branch Park. Syracuse, Lake Shore and Northern Railroad." An interesting glimpse of the interurban system that served Syracuse and neighboring towns until the 1930s. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Maybe yes, maybe noSomewhere I picked up a story that, at one time, a person could get halfway across the country by hopping from one interurban line to the next. I do not know if this is true, but there sure were a lot them. The decline and fall of rapid transitLittle did they know: since about 1915 it's been all downhill. The park remains - no so the railroadThe last of the interurban lines in Onondaga County's Syracuse NY area were dismantled about 1932. The advent of automobiles had eroded their primary function of connecting local village/town centers. Long Branch Park remains, however, and remains a pleasant wooded gathering spot in the outer Syracuse area for events such as car shows, ethnic festivals, picnics and exhibits. To Chicago on my dimeA 1950s American Heritage article, "Goodbye to the Interurban," recalls how a person could pay a nickel in New York City and ride using transfers to Syracuse, then take a regular train for 20 miles, then pay another nickel and ride to Chicago using transfers -- all on interurbans, except for that 20-mile gap. Sounds like a grueling trip, but cheap. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars, Syracuse)
The Braidwood Bunch: 1904
... Now home to the Braidwood Historical Society. Chicago & Alton Route On the main line 57.3 miles south of Chicago. Also a junction with a spur off of a branch that ran between Joliet ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2016 - 7:04pm -

Circa 1904. "Depot at Braidwood, Illinois." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Another name for BeeGuy's listAs a preteen I rode the GM&O's "Gulf Coast Rebel" from St. Louis, MO to Waynesboro, MS a few summers without parental accompaniment. (No detour to Braidwood.) Still waitingFor the last train to Braidwood: Now home to the Braidwood Historical Society. Chicago & Alton RouteOn the main line 57.3 miles south of Chicago. Also a junction with a spur off of a branch that ran between Joliet and Coal City. Later this road became the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, route of such passenger trains as "The Abraham Lincoln" and "Midnight Special". DepartureThe depot was moved from its original location (the website doesn't say when although the photos of it being moved were uploaded in 2012) 4 Photos Attractive SpiresThis prosaic building had been given a lot of interesting architectural details, such as the roof brackets, the bargeboards, and most of all the wooden spires. Note that the two-spouted wooden water tank in the background has a matching spire. Pretty spiffy ! The tall windows let in plenty of money-saving natural light. The size of the building, the train order signal, the large doors, signage, and the two baggage carts, one standing ready at each end of the platform, suggest that this was a multipurpose building which handled train order operations, passengers, checked baggage, Western Union telegraphy, Railway Express parcels, and perhaps also Less-than-carload freight. It would be interesting to know more about the track served by the far water spout of the water tank. Was this just a siding, or was Braidwood a junction point? LCL freighthouseThe right half of the building was the “freight house.” The large door giving access provided ample room for the freight handlers (with a union craft of their own in later days) to wrestle large pieces of LCL freight (perhaps a piano from the Sears Catalog) into the structure until the consignee could arrange a pick-up. There is probably a door on the back side of the building that an LCL boxcar was spotted at for unloading larger pieces of freight. Large and cumbersome LCL freight required too much time to unload while sitting on the main, so the entire car was simply left to be unloaded at convenience. In railroad parlance, the track would have been called a “house track.” It would have a main line switch at both ends, making it possible for both northward and southward trains to spot and pick up as necessary. The water spout over it is a mystery. Actually Braidwood was not a junction with any branch or carrier. The south switch for the branch to Coal City was at Gardner, and the north switch going back to the main was at Elwood. Braidwood was almost exactly half-way between those two points. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
State Mutual: 1908
... Bundle up! It'll be cold in the car. Chicago School This has elements of the Chicago School of Commercial Architecture, such as the proportioning based on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2013 - 7:37pm -

Circa 1908. "State Mutual Building, Worcester, Massachusetts." An 1897 Renaissance Revival confection seen in one of the surreal diagonal perspectives much loved by Detroit Publishing. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Still thereCorner of Maple & Main http://goo.gl/zu7py The car in the foregroundlooks like a circa 1907 Pierce Great Arrow. These cars sold new for $4,000 to $6,000+, depending on the model. Binders!Next door they had binders, one wonders if even then they were full of women? [They don't have binders, they are binders. - tterrace] Bundle up!It'll be cold in the car. Chicago SchoolThis has elements of the Chicago School of Commercial Architecture, such as the proportioning based on classical columns (base, shaft and capital). It was a way to provide pleasing proportions to the then-new, massive office buildings being built in cities. 'Twas A Fine Time To LiveIt had to be grand to park any variation of transport in any general direction with no need to parallel park. Alas in the future parking regulations were to fetter the unbridled imagination of inventive drivers everywhere. We are less free because of it. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Whistle Stop: 1952
... for Look magazine. View full size. Next Stop, Chicago This is the parking lot for the main office building of Inland Steel in East Chicago, Indiana. The train is westbound to Chicago, Ill., about to cross the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/16/2014 - 8:41pm -

Sept. 17, 1952. "Presidential candidate Dwight Eisenhower speaking to a crowd at a whistle-stop event near a steel mill." Medium format color transparency by Charlotte Brooks for Look magazine. View full size. Next Stop, ChicagoThis is the parking lot for the main office building of Inland Steel in East Chicago, Indiana. The train is westbound to Chicago, Ill., about to cross the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. Signs and PortentsI've been trying to read the sign on the left side of the picture. Can only come up with what appears to be in red letters: "Adlai **** Hiss **Army(?) 1952 **" I'm assuming it refers to Adlai Stevenson, Ike's 1952 presidential challenger and Alger Hiss, a State Department official, accused of having been been a communist and a convicted perjurer. Stevenson had been deposed as a favorable character witness for the Hiss trial. Can anyone read it clearer and make corrections for the sign? [ADLAI LIKES HISS HARRY HORSE MEAT - Dave] (Kodachromes, LOOK, Public Figures, Railroads)
That Toddlin' Town: 1910
Chicago circa 1910. "State Street, south from Randolph." On the left we see the ... pay. The Walnut Room and Frango Mints We lived in Chicago on and off for several years when I was a kid, and then from 1974 until ... Marshall Field at Graceland Cemetery on the north side of Chicago, not far from Wrigleyville. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2023 - 4:10pm -

Chicago circa 1910. "State Street, south from Randolph." On the left we see the Masonic Temple and Marshall Field department store buildings. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Ignoring the bustle(s) around him... the fellow on the cobblestones in front of the big arched entry on left doggedly practices his curling technique for some future Olympics. Or whatever. Skip stopThe derrick atop the Mandel Bros. store allows a rather precise dating (the northern half of the new building opened in Sep 1911, so, given the timing, and the attire shown, this appears to be the middle of that year). A southward gazing visitor today would find something curious: the alternating tall buildings on the left -- Masonic Temple, Columbus Memorial and Republic buildings - had all been replaced. The demolition of the latter two occurred c. 1960, but the former was one of a number that came two decades earlier: subway construction undermining the foundations was the reason given publically, tho some claimed other reasons (below). MemoriesWell, not from 1910, of course, but from my growing-up years loving this street so much, not just Marshall Field's, but certainly mainly Marshall Field's. Masonic Temple Does anyone know when and why the Masonic Temple Building was torn down? It looks pretty well built to me. [It had problems. - Dave] Iconic Marshall Field Clocks According to one source the store placed its first clock on the corner of State and Washington in 1897. (Attached image.) A much fancier clock was placed at State and Randolph in 1902. Then, in 1909 the store replaced the Washington Street timepiece with one matching Randolph Street. Where are the "retro" lampposts?I guess 1910 is too early for those. Edelweiss BeerYou can phone Canal 9 for a case of good judgment! Well, up until 1951 when the last batch was brewed. Financial Problems for the Most PartAlthough the Masonic Temple was an exceptional building in most regards - and the tallest in the world when it opened in 1892 - it was never a financial success. The original scheme, especially the vertical shopping mall located on Floors 4-10, never worked. The elevator service, despite having 14 cars with operators, was insufficient to meet demand. The Masons sold the building at a loss in 1922, and it continued to lose money in the Depression. The construction of the State Street subway from 1936 on damaged the building's foundations, and the new owners couldn't afford to fix them; they couldn't even pay the real estate taxes they owed. In 1939, a young real estate developer named Arthur Rubloff proposed tearing it down and putting up a two-story "taxpayer" building on the site, as a way of salvaging something from the monetary mess until economic conditions improved. More than most skyscrapers, the Masonic Temple exemplifies the adage attributed to the architect Cass Gilbert: "A skyscraper is a machine that makes the land pay." In this case, it just didn't pay. The Walnut Room and Frango MintsWe lived in Chicago on and off for several years when I was a kid, and then from 1974 until 1991 I lived thirty miles away in Northwest Indiana. We used to ride the South Shore Line to Randolph (end of the line) and walk a few blocks to Marshall Field's to spend the day shopping and having lunch. If the weather was nice we might venture outside and walk over to Michigan Avenue, turn and head north towards the river, maybe even going as far as Water Tower Place. But on winter days, it was such fun to stow your coat in a locker at Field's and spend the day roaming the floors, shopping, trying on shoes, sniffing perfumes, maybe coming away with a treat or a treasure in one of those iconic green bags. We'll never see the like of it again. A few years ago I visited the grave of Marshall Field at Graceland Cemetery on the north side of Chicago, not far from Wrigleyville. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Marina City: 1964
Chicago circa 1964. "Marina City." The high-rise apartment towers on the Chicago River, and a compendium of balcony-decorating ideas. View full size. ... now called the Michael Bilandic Building, named after the Chicago mayor best remembered (perhaps unfairly ...) for failing to clean up ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2015 - 4:00pm -

Chicago circa 1964. "Marina City." The high-rise apartment towers on the Chicago River, and a compendium of balcony-decorating ideas. View full size. Orbit CityWhich one is the Jetsons' apartment? I can hear the sound of their Space Car approaching. BBQ GrillsI spot at least two Weber grills on these upper floor balconies, and who knows how many unseen hibachis there are? Something tells me that firing up a grill on the umpteenth floor of a high-rise would be VERY strongly frowned upon in this day and age! Miracle-Gro or --Dupont Plastics might be the source of that consistently lush and suspiciously uniform greenery covering the railing of the balcony on the right since no pots are visible as they are on the other units' balconies. 1964 would have been a prime year for plastic decoratives. CorvairsChevrolet Corvairs, a bargain at any [rental] price. A Balcony with a ViewThe photographer is looking southwest across the river to the north end of the Loop, with Wacker Drive and the Dearborn Street Bridge (with one leaf open) at the lower left. The one significant building visible in the distance, the 21-story building with a deep light court creating a shadowy vertical stripe in the center, is the former State of Illinois Building. Located at the northwest corner of Randolph and La Salle Streets, it was built c. 1920 by the Burnham Brothers architecture firm. To my surprise, I just learned that this is now called the Michael Bilandic Building, named after the Chicago mayor best remembered (perhaps unfairly ...) for failing to clean up the snow following the brutal Blizzard of 1979. Life's a piece of pieFloor plan for apartment. [Well that explains the half-balconies. - Dave] Log Way Up & DownWhile in high school two years after this photo, my best friend and I decided it would be fun to take the stairs all the way to the observation deck, then back down again. Even at 16 years old, that turned out to be grueling exercise as both towers are 65 stories and the tallest residential buildings in the world at the time. This looks familiar.I thought I recognised this place. You might notice this place in the opening sequence of the Bob Newhart show in the 1970s. I remember seeing Bob Newhart walking across a bridge next to this building and thinking that Chicago would be a very exciting and dreamy place to live. I still do. And today -- another craneToday's view and there is still some sort of construction going on. Lower level parking in the buildings apparently - and they are all backed in! Unique place to liveI lived on the 59th floor (I think there are only 60 stories, not 65?) in the west tower for a couple of years in the 1980s (it's a condo building, but of course one can rent from a condo owner). My apartment was a 1-bedroom, identical to what is shown in the floorplan here. My view was to the northwest, and none of the nearby highrises to the north and west had been built yet so one could see a good bit of Chicagoland. I always felt bad for the Marina City residents who had an apartment that faced the other Marina City tower, because their view was more of their neighbors across the abyss than of the city. A studio apartment was one "petal" of the "flower" (elevators and mechanicals were in the "stem"), a 1-bedroom was one and a half petals (as shown in a comment below), and a 2-bedroom was two petals (or one and two halves). The wedge-shaped apartments did present a significant decorating challenge, and I believe that when the building opened developers had to work hard to convince prospective renters (it started out as rental) that their conventional furniture would indeed work in these space-age apartments. The best part about living there was surely the balconies. I know of no other high-rise in the northern US that has such enormous balconies available for such affordable rents; you can judge their size by the floorplan measurements. Another great aspect was that because of the outward-radiating apartments, it never felt like your balcony was pinned between two others. In the early years most of the residents would put holiday lights on their balconies come December as in the National Geographic cover below, for example. The novelty of this gradually became outweighed by the hassle, and most residents don't appear do it anymore. The buildings are having a lot of the maintenance issues common to high-rises built in a hurry in the 1960s, but they'll always be iconic landmarks. The bottom floors are a corkscrew-shaped parking garage; in the color photo in the comments below you can see the cars precariously backed up to the edge on the lower floors (go to YouTube and search for "Marina Towers The Hunter" to watch the car-chase scene filmed in this garage that ends with a car flying off the building). And for an interesting account of the amazing construction process of the towers ("A new floor poured every day!")--produced by the Portland Cement Company--search on YouTube for "This is Marina City." Another oneThey are everywhere. Volkswagen Beetle photobomb again. Mob approvedLast home of notorious gangster Murray Humphreys. Chicago 13Look familiar? Nickey, Nickey, Nickey, Nickey, Nickey Chevrolet!!!Man, that jingle is good and earwormed into my brain now. Could not listen to AM radio in Chicago without hearing it at least a dozen times a day. Besides being a huge volume dealer, Nickey built awesome modified Camaros and Chevelles with big block V8's long before they started coming that way from the factory. Every kid on my block went by their speed shop three or four times a year, just to drool. WilcoAbout the same time period. (construction) Beware of the BalconiesJust this week, balcony access was restricted due to the need for extensive railing repairs at Marina Towers. For the time being, residents can enjoy the view but not the breeze. (The Gallery, Chicago, News Photo Archive)
Hoover Terminal: 1942
... National Airport a short distance south. New York, Chicago, and ... Brownsville? The sign lists ten major or almost-major U.S. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2021 - 6:38pm -

Arlington, Virginia, 1942. "Washington-Hoover Airport terminal and Eastern Air Lines sign prior to demolition for construction of the Pentagon." Nitrate negative by Harold Lang. View full size. Location and nameIn a horrible irony, this unsafe airport was at the exact location where a Boeing 757 was flown into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The airport was named for Herbert Hoover when he was Secretary of Commerce prior to being elected President. It's not surprising that when President Roosevelt announced plans for Washington National Airport in 1938, the Hoover name was not transferred to the new facility two miles away. Fright PlanThis airport had to be one of the worst situated in American aviation history -- between two (burning) landfills, the Potomac River, an amusement park with a tall roller coaster and a busy military road actually cutting through one of its later runways. Oh, and a pair of 600-foot radio towers. Famed pioneer aviator Wiley Post deemed it the worst and most dangerous in the nation during the 1930s. Which was saying something at the time. After decommissioning it gave way to what is now Reagan National Airport a short distance south. New York, Chicago, and ... Brownsville?The sign lists ten major or almost-major U.S. cities, along with Brownsville, which had a population of 22,083 in 1940. Brownsville may have made the cut because it was the main connection for air traffic between and U.S. and Mexico. It was also a hub for pilot training during World War II. After the Airport ClosedThis page says that the building shown is in a configuration from an era after the airport closed and the building was used for the construction of the Pentagon. http://www.airfields-freeman.com/VA/Airfields_VA_Arlington.htm (The Gallery, Aviation, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., WW2)
Northern Lights: 1953
... in Orlando had one with a flamingo! Northwest Side of Chicago - Sauganash The Sauganash neighborhood on the NW Side of Chicago used to be reknown for its Christmas decorations, hence the impetus for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2013 - 12:21pm -

December 1953. "Outdoor Christmas decorations." Color transparency from photos by Jim Hansen and Bob Lerner for Look magazine. View full size. My first Christmas!And who knew the Griswolds went back 60 years? Magic!When I was a kid (early 60's) there was a "Christmas Tree Lane" in out town where everyone on the block went all out to make special decorations, a thing of wonder to a 4 year old, this reminds me of that. All of those surplus B-29s and P-51sTurned up as aluminum storm/screen doors with your initial in a circle, in the middle of that scrollwork. It seems like nearly every house had one. Something you don't see anymoreThe house on the right has the letter "A" in the front door's grillwork, presumably the owners' monogram. I remember seeing such decorations some years ago, a few of my childhood friends lived in houses with them, but they seem very scarce today. Most door monograms available these days are carved in wood. [The Prynnes! - Dave] A Sad MemoryI also noticed the storm door, somewhat wistfully. We had the door, we had the grill, but I could never get Dad to spring for the letter. That empty space mocked me day after day. My humiliation knew no bounds. Meanwhile, my highfalutin aunt in Orlando had one with a flamingo! Northwest Side of Chicago - SauganashThe Sauganash neighborhood on the NW Side of Chicago used to be reknown for its Christmas decorations, hence the impetus for the Look article. Here is that house today, where the homeowners thankfully have removed the aluminum door and left the natural wood intact. View Larger Map Bob LernerVery cool. I got the pleasure of hanging out with Bob a few years ago, and having lunch with him at the restaurant in the Chrysler Museum. I picked his brain about photography, and had a nice time. Hell of a nice guy. Im glad to see an image of his that is different from any ive seen. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Christmas, LOOK)
American Dream: 1960
... each other. [It's not in Oakland. -tterrace] Chicago area. This architecture is characteristic of Chicago, where I grew up. The brick and the stone, the awnings, even the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2015 - 8:21pm -

"Two-car families." Columbus, Georgia, circa 1960. Three Fords, an Oldsmobile and a Pontiac. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Archive. View full size. Day LaborThe two Fords in the foreground don't seem to fit the neighborhood. I suspect they belong to the masons laying the new brick garage behind the two story on the right. But Ward!My Bridge Club is due to arrive at any moment and Wally parked his Jalopy right in front of the house! Country SquireThe wagon may be a 1960 Ford Country Squire, need to see a bit more to be certain. [There's enough showing that we'd be able to see a sliver of the faux-wood side panel if it were, so this is a Ranch Wagon or Country Sedan. -tterrace] Rust BucketThe 1955 Ford seems to have a lot of rust for living five years in the inland south (no road salt, no ocean air). In 1965 I bought a 1955 Ford (Florida car, no radio - no heater) off of the Pentagon bulletin board and it had no rust. (purchased for $25.00.. sold 18 months [and one very cold winter] later for $25.00) Wonder if the '55 could be a transplant from the rust belt?? Chrome memoriesI learned to drive using a 1958 Pontiac Star Chief 4-door (4-speed automatic, 370 cubic inch 4-barrel) that was loads of fun to drive. And the chrome! My, oh my, the chrome! That '55 FordHas seen some hard times in its five years on the earth--looks more like it should in 1965. The Ford center framejudging by the rust, is visiting from Detroit or Buffalo Hey, what's the deal?None of these cars have smashed into each other. [It's not in Oakland. -tterrace] Chicago area.This architecture is characteristic of Chicago, where I grew up. The brick and the stone, the awnings, even the garage door design, makes me believe this photograph was taken, perhaps, in the Sauganash neighborhood. I have a hard time believing it is Georgia. Maybe that explains other comments about the rusted cars. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Swim Meet: 1919
... Ethel Bilson, the "proficient water nymph", traveled from Chicago to be at this swimming meet, so it must have had some importance. Begin ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2023 - 6:56pm -

July 13, 1919. Washington, D.C. "Bathing Beauties -- ladies' swimming meet at Tidal Basin bathing beach." 4x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Looks like a lot of drag to meThose swimsuits are not conducive to winning a swim competition. Neither is long hair tucked under a cloth cap. And for the women wearing boots -- forget it. What a Difference a Century MakesToday if a bathing suit contest is announced all of the contestants will usually be young ladies 18-25 with pretty faces, enhanced bosoms, slim waists and hips to match the bosoms and waist. Blondes will be at least 50%, perfect teeth as well as small noses at 100%. All the ladies who do not meet the criteria mentioned would sit on the sidelines and cheer on the ladies with the perfect bodies. Back last century since there was no body slamming internet spots, no swiping right/left apps and myriad magazines with color photos touting perfect shapes and telling the readers how to attain them. The ladies of that time all seem to have self confidence in their looks and are not put off by any competitor. The picture shows many versions of the ladies and I'm for it since variety is truly the spice of life. [The contest here was more athletic than aesthetic. - Dave] Medal-Some MermaidEthel Bilson, the "proficient water nymph", traveled from Chicago to be at this swimming meet, so it must have had some importance. Begin reading at the first full paragraph: (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
« first‹ prev…4 [5]6…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.