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City Sidewalks: 1940
... Locust and Walnut. Wish it was still like this ... City Sidewalks What always amazes me is that in these vintage street scenes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2007 - 10:47pm -

May 1940. Business district and gas station in Des Moines, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Cake SignI can't seem to get the pictures as large as before, but the cake-shaped sign on the right corner is pretty amazing. I also don't think I've ever seen anything called a "Savery"--had to look twice. Des MoinesThis is looking north up Fourth Street. The building with the Buick sign (on Grand Avenue) and the Hotel Savery (on Locust) are the only structures left of those shown in the photo. There is now a Domino's Pizza where the Buick sign is and the Hills building is now Nolen Plaza, a fountain plaza. To the east of that is the Des Moines Civic Center (also relatively new). The block west of the Hills building is now a business center called Capitol Square. The Shell station would have been on Walnut. There are now high-rise condos there. Fourth street was eliminated between Locust and Walnut. Wish it was still like this ... City SidewalksWhat always amazes me is that in these vintage street scenes the people are so nicely dressed. Quite the opposite of today. Just like a movie setIt's amazing, but it really does not look like it is real. It looks too perfect, right down the couple swinging their children. Contrasting imagesThis is just incredible contrast to some of the other photos that you show of people living in abject poverty in the 40's. This looks so prosperous. Web siteFor me, this is one of the best sites I've ever found. It deals with real and decent subject matter. I, personally, find it very educational. It is very well thought out and executed perfectly. The "comments" section is a very integral and necessary function in this presentation (the educational part). Kind of pulls it all together. I'm 63 yrs. old and enjoy every "time-line" represented. It gives me great comfort knowing that there are still people out there that can put something together like this for us. By us, I mean everyone who views this site and maybe makes a comment now and then. It all seems to have a very "American" slant among all the craziness around us these days. Mike J. Albany, Oregon Odd isn't it......this oasis of normalcy among the gritty ethnic industrial centers and dry starved-out dust farms that today make up the era to us. I'm from central Iowa and know Des Moines well. There really were places like this then, but obviously taking pictures of them didn't educate the public about all the privation out there. You wouldn't recognize downtown Des Moines today. So this pic isn't even history, really. In a way, it is too perfect to ever have been real ... whatever Vachon took pictures of out of his window that day in 1940. PS: The Savery Hotel became a barracks for WAC officers during WW2. It's still there. I spent the night there once. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
City Gas: 1912
... "Foundation for retort house, construction for Detroit City Gas Company." A scene from the days when most big municipalities had an ... coal was heated to make the poisonous product known as "city gas." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Moth Balls If ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2014 - 9:30am -

Circa 1912. "Foundation for retort house, construction for Detroit City Gas Company." A scene from the days when most big municipalities had an illuminating-gas plant where coal was heated to make the poisonous product known as "city gas." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Moth BallsIf you ever used coal gas, it had a smell similar to moth balls. Natural gas has no odour, so an additive (mercaptans) is used so a leak can be detected. I visited New Zealand in the 1980s, and Christchurch, Invercargill and Dunedin were still generating coal gas. When you light the burner on a stove, coal gas ignites with a sharp POP, compared to natural gas. Otherwise, cooking is the same either way. I toured the Dunedin gas works twice before it closed as New Zealand's last gas works in 1987. It is now a museum, one of only three such in the world. You can read about it here. City gas, town gas, coal gas, producer gasWhatever the name, if you read a reference in a novel to sticking one's head into the oven to commit suicide, this is what is referred to, not today's natural gas. Natural gas is mostly methane. Coal-derived gas includes a substantial amount of carbon monoxide. It was the dominant household cooking (and sometimes lighting) fuel until the 1940s-1950s in the US, and somewhat later in Britain. A striking resemblancehowever I don't remember this level of the game? Taking a LeakThe pipes conveying steam from the mixer have sprung a nice leak right next to the workers. Nothing like a little live steam to liven things up! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
This Desirable Corner: 1901
... the frames are still much in evidence around the city. There have been various formal and informal projects to turn them into ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/19/2023 - 12:58pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of E Street N.W., south side, looking west from Seventh Street towards Eighth." 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. This Desirable Corner Take the corner, I want the middle pieceThe tallest building in the 1901 photo, the Busch building, with a current address of 750 E Street NW, is still standing. What is now on the corner has come up to its height. Who stole the call box?Right on the corner, one of the ubiquitous DC call box frames for fire and police--though curiously missing its innards (the actual call box). These were installed starting in 1873; when I moved to the area in the early 1980s, they had just been phased out, though many still had a working light at the top of the frame. Though not quite ubiquitous, the frames are still much in evidence around the city. There have been various formal and informal projects to turn them into information points or street artworks. Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office cornerThe southeast corner of the intersection (at far left) was, and still is, occupied by a Civil War-era three story building where Clara Barton of Red Cross fame established her "Missing Soldiers Office" in 1865. Through 1868, the Missing Soldiers Office 'had received 63,182 inquiries, written 41,855 letters, mailed 58,693 printed circulars, distributed 99,057 copies of her printed rolls, and identified 22,000 men.” The Office was lost to history, then rediscovered around 1996. Restored, the third floor is now a public museum. https://clarabartonmuseum.org/ Sole survivorThe only building remaining that I can see is the tall building halfway down the block. They have replaced the flagpole with two additional stories, but it has the same ornamentation. Reuse and RecycleThe 1890 Busch Building in the photo was acquired by Lansburgh's in 1921 and amalgamated with adjacent buildings as part of their big flagship department store. Now Lansburgh's is long gone and the building is part of the Penn Quarter revitalization. http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/2010/06/lansburgh-brother-washin... (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Stores & Markets)
Picnic Munch: 1942
... refund. The base of each bottle had the name of the city in which the bottle was manufactured. 2 cents worth The glass in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2023 - 2:08pm -

July 1942. "Hayti, Missouri. Cotton Carnival picnic. Boy eating." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. Returnable bottlesI remember when Coke bottles (and others too) were returnable for a deposit refund. The base of each bottle had the name of the city in which the bottle was manufactured. 2 cents worthThe glass in returnable bottles was heavy duty and the bottles were washed and refilled hundreds of times until they were too worn to use. When I was a kid we would collect bottles thrown from cars on the roadside, and pocketed the deposit money for candy. I remember getting 2 cents a bottle. Much later, distributors started using cheaper glass that could be thrown in the trash so the deposit system ended and our garbage multiplied. Coke ColaI didn't come along until 1957 and we lived in Louisiana, but one of the constants of my childhood (and there were not all that many) was the Coke Cola (that's what we always called it, both words, but phonetically it sounded more like ko-kola) in the little glass bottle. It was the ideal serving size. My maternal grandmother and her sister, my mother's Aunt Jenny, both had their fridges crammed full of these. At the festive holidays, everyone got a bottle with their meal. When you went for a visit any time of year, the grown-ups drank Community coffee made in small batches in tiny aluminum coffee pots while the kids were welcome to grab a Coke. Holding your own bottle and sipping it as you pleased without having to share with your sister was pure bliss, and is probably the one thing I most strongly associate with those people in that place at that time. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Small Towns)
City Gas: 1905
Circa 1905. "Gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." A familiar sight from the era of "city gas," when municipalities had their own gas plants in the days before ... Oval Gas Gasometers are still a feature of some British city skylines, one of the most high-profile being in the background of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2019 - 11:14am -

Circa 1905. "Gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." A familiar sight from the era of "city gas," when municipalities had their own gas plants in the days before long-distance transmission of natural gas. The telescoping sections rose or fell as "illuminating gas," which was made by heating coal, was put into or removed from the holder. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Gas Holder Fun FactsAs my 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica states, "A gasworks should be sited with some care as it does not improve the neighborhood." Water was kept between the telescoping sections as a seal -- the internal pressure was not that great. Cincinnati, a town which has creatively repurposed its older infrastructure, has a gasworks park with creative "sculptures" made from the old apparatus. Oval GasGasometers are still a feature of some British city skylines, one of the most high-profile being in the background of the Oval cricket ground in South London. WiredI am mesmerized by those wires coming in from the upper right. I suppose they run behind the container and that it's only their shadow that continues perfectly across the front until diverted by the curve - but, as I study them, they play tricks on my brain jumping from foreground to background amongst the geometric shadows. [The wires run across the photo in front of the tank. - Dave] So THAT's what that thing was!There was a framework that looked like this to the west of I-435 in Kansas City on the river bluffs - I wondered for years what it was. Thanks for clearing up that mystery! Ka-BOOMGot a light. West coast gasWhen I was growing up out here in California these things were a familiar sight in just about any city of a goodly size, even suburban San Rafael just to the north of us in Marin County. There was an enormous one in San Francisco up through the mid-1960s, at the east end of the Marina District. Here it is at the right in a section of a slide I took from across the bay near Sausalito in early 1965. Gas Tank ParkNew York had dozens of these structures. Some of the most famous were the Elmhurst tanks. They were knocked down in the 1980s and now the site of Gas Tank Park. Near most of these structures were the gashouses which produced the illuminating gas -- sites often requiring remediation to remove the contaminant plumes of benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons which dripped into the ground. Got gas?Hi tterrace. That tank is now the site of the upscale Marina Safeway. However, its memory lives on in the name of the sailboat marina right across the street: Gas House Cove. Worried ?Wonder if the people living next door ever worried about an explosion. That being said, I have never heard of one blowing up. Gas lines, yes. The neighbors most likely never had low pressure in their lines, at least. A while back I was looking at some of these in Europe and UK online; some gas holders overseas have been converted to condominiums or apartment buildings! "Gasometers"I live in London, and you will still see these structures all over England and particularly in the large cities. We call them "Gasometers," and they are still part of the national grid for gas distribution. Love em in London!These things seem to inspire the same fond feelings as water towers. So big and matter of fact and useful! The number 8 gasometer down the road from me in King's Cross, London, is being zhuzhed up as part of the regeneration of the area. Hopefully they'll keep it a little bit weird and rusty. http://www.bp-k.com/projects/Gasholder.html An Illuminating Subject.When I was young, not far from our home was a coking plant which had two huge gas holders of the type shown. They would slowly rise as gas was produced and fall as gas consumption exceeded supply. The adjacent gas works would emit an atomic cloud of steam as a coke oven was "pushed" and the glowing coke quenched by water before it was loaded into steel hopper cars. On occasion a wood-sided hopper was used, the coke not completely quenched, and the resulting fire caused by the wind of the train's motion would burn thru the car side and a glowing lava of coke pour out as the train moved down the track. Steel coke cars would sometimes glow in patches at night. I do not know if there are any gas holders of this design left. I would like to ride on top of one and watch it inch up by looking at the framework, and see it pause as the pressure inside had to increase to lift the next section. I tell younger people about them and they do not grasp the idea of the telescoping sections at all, how the pressure inside, although low, was enough to lift the tons of metal the tanks sections were made of. Other gas holders were circular and made with bricks, not rising nor falling. The whole coke plant and the gas holders are long gone, ugly to be sure, being replaced with even UGLIER slumplexes of high-density housing. LandmarksThose Elmurst, NY, Gas Tanks were a staple for many Long Island Expressway Commuters. Traffic reporters would announce, with almost every daily (weekday) morning drive heading to The Queens-Midtown Tunnel, that the major tie-ups would be in the vicinity of the gas tanks. Incidentally, the tanks themselves rose and fell according the volume of gas in them. They could have preserved itby turning it into a park, like we did here in Seattle. Same in St. LouisThere was at least one of these on highway 64/40 in St. Louis that I used to pass daily on my commute. It would rise and fall and I always wondered what it was. I'd heard it was for natural gas but I never really understood, but now I do. Great photo- thanks for posting! http://www.builtstlouis.net/industrial/gasometers.html Roll up the windows! We passed two of these tanks en route to Grand-ma's Brownstone in Brooklyn, NY. But the associated cracking plants and their gas flare towers sent the pervasive stench of rotten eggs drifting over the county for miles around. We all held our noses and made rude noises until shushed by the adults. Wow, popular topic! I just wanted to add that modern tanks act as flow buffers, just like water towers. Instead of just storing locally made gas, they store a 'back-up' quantity of product to handle periods of high demand, but are fed by massive pipelines from distant plants. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
City Point: 1864
Circa 1864. "City Point, Virginia (vicinity). Building used as a stable." Wet-plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size. City Point realty Breezy open-plan ranch with brick fireplace. Lots of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2009 - 10:29am -

Circa 1864. "City Point, Virginia (vicinity). Building used as a stable." Wet-plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size. City Point realtyBreezy open-plan ranch with brick fireplace. Lots of potential. Perfect for the gentleman farmer or even a starter home for the perfect couple. Overlooks the battlefield. Many amenities. Must see. Modern but rusticLooking at the photo shows some interesting items. Someone has figured out how to bale hay; putting it in a compact and controlled form. Most farmers until the thirties would put up hay by stacking it loosely and and putting it in a hay mow for later use. The roof when looked at closely was made from machine made wooden shingles, they appeared to have a number of rounded tabs and don't appear to be single tab shingles. They appear to be multiple tab units and then nailed down similar to how asphalt shingle are today. And of course the lath and plaster interior wall. It was always being told in history class that so many of the homes didn't have plaster in America that I assumed the only rich people had plaster and not a home that appears to be a small unassuming house. (The Gallery, Civil War, Horses)
City Hall: 1907
Lansing, Michigan, circa 1907. "City Hall." Where the time is I:XLIII, or XVII minutes to II. 8x10 inch dry ... I went to get a Google Earth view of the Lansing City Hall today and am including additional information that distracted me. The city hall is labeled in the upper right. It's much larger than was needed in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2022 - 12:45pm -

Lansing, Michigan, circa 1907. "City Hall." Where the time is I:XLIII, or XVII minutes to II. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MCMLVIII: requiescat in paceSpent its life - most of it anyway - in the shadow of the Michigan State Capitol (certainly figuratively and in the evening pehaps literally). Silver Medalist in the Most Impressive Building in Town contest is apparently no guarantee of survival. Unknown growthThe clock is interesting but what is that growth on the building to the left? Intentional? Accidental? [That's ivy, and it's horticultural. - Dave] Distracted informationI went to get a Google Earth view of the Lansing City Hall today and am including additional information that distracted me. The city hall is labeled in the upper right. It's much larger than was needed in 1907, plus it's all new and shiny. Then I got distracted by the construction on the capitol grounds. Looks like something is being built underground. But the front lawn is pristine green. Then I noticed there are five churches on the block just north of the capitol. The four labeled are Methodist, Christ Community, Catholic, and MICHOP. The one not labeled is Episcopal. Where I grew up a big Baptist church would occupy the MICHOP corner. Click to embiggen. Michigan Capitol constructionThey are currently installing geothermal heat to the Capitol, and building a museum/visitor center. The construction has been ongoing for a couple years, slowed by Covid, but fingers crossed it will be complete in about a year. https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2021/04/12/update-geother... (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC)
Wisdom, Montana: 1942
... small would lead. The concept just doesn't make sense to city folk. But it was an amazing carefree life of swimming under the bridge, ... possible to have the kind of lifestyle I have now in the city, I would move back to raise my child there in a heartbeat. Having ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2023 - 1:14pm -

April 1942. "Baker's Garage in Wisdom, Montana. Largest town, population 385, in the Big Hole Basin, a trading center in ranching country." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Superb quality!The quality of this photograph is amazing. It looks like it was taken today. Do you have any more information on it? Wisdom MTGoogle Maps link. WisdomGreat photo. Thanks. The last remaining inhabitants eventually changed the name to "Boredom, Montana." Towns like thisTowns like this are a staple of western North America. In western Canada, their existence was justified by the railway and farmers hauling grain to their local elevators. Later they survived when the highway became the big thing and people stopped for gas or a little food on the road. There's probably a bar that the locals go to. Town's got a school maybe even a high school, and probably more than one church. There's a ball field and, in just about every prairie town in Canada though of course not the USA, a curling rink. In Saskatchewan they used to say that if you lived in a town that lost the school and the curling rink you might as well start looking for a place in Saskatoon or Regina. PennzoilThe Pennzoil logo hasn't changed much: WidsomIt looks like it's on the edge of a river valley? The colors in this shot are indeed amazing. I love the punch of the red gas pumps. [It's west of Butte. - Dave] CalsoWhat does it say on the sign leaning against the wall, underneath "Calso Gasoline"? Is that "Unsurcharged"? No extra fees? ["Unsurpassed." - Dave] Eternal WisdomUnderneath "Unsurpassed" on the Calso sign you have "The California Company" I found a modern picture of this place online: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4494303 Aside from the paved road, this place looks much the same. I don't think they sell Chevron or Mobil at those buildings anymore. Baker's Garage is now Conover's Trading Post. The painted Wisdom has long since faded from the old metal roof. The GarageI was raised and went to school in wisdom and Bakers Garage is not next to Ed Glassey's garage (The building with Wisdom on the top). Baker's Garage was across the street from Glasseys Garage (Looks like maybe they used photoshop to alter the photo) .. I moved to Wisdom in 1959 so if the photo is from 1942 maybe they moved the Building?? [The image, which is part of the Library of Congress photographic archive, has not been altered. It's one of more than 50 pictures of Wisdom taken by John Vachon in April 1942. Things can change a lot in 20 years. - Dave] Baker's Garage in WisdomI am a Wisdom native too. In talking to my dad. Bruce Helming, who is the oldest native still living in Wisdom, it turns out that Anna Lee and Roy Baker did own a shop across the street from the garage that you know as Baker's, which is now the Wisdom Market. It was the Chet Bruns Union 76 Garage back in the old days. Anna Lee was my dad's first cousin. Dad's folks adopted her when her parents died in the 1920s, and she was raised as Anna Lee Helming in Wisdom. My grandparents' (and later Dad's) business, Helming Brothers, bought out Chet Bruns' operation in the 1950s, which is when Anna Lee and Roy moved to the garage that you know now. The buildings shown in the photo were destroyed in the American Legion hall fire. I would guess that was in the early 50s, which is when all of the cemetery records were destroyed. Wisdom had no real fire department until 1961, so when a blaze was raging out of control, it was extinguished by placing dynamite in a loaf of bread and tossing it into the fire. The night the Legion hall and all of these other buildings burned, Dad and his uncle, Clarence Helming, were bringing the fire pumper to the scene. Just as they rounded the corner, "Boom," no more fire (and no more buildings). Gary Helming Helming@juno.com Pictures of Wisdom, MontanaI enjoyed looking at the old pictures of Wisdom and reading the text about them. I grew up near a small town (Gladstone, VA) and have always been kind of partial to them. I love looking at old pictures like these. Thank you for posting them. The Wisdom of YouthThis town holds a place in my heart. I spent most of my youth in Wisdom, from 1975 to 1990. The town hasn't changed a lot since I left, but has gotten smaller. When I started at Wisdom Elementary there were four classrooms. By the time I graduated to high school they were down to three. I hear there is only one class there now. For high school we were bused 65 miles to the Dillon, one of only two high schools in the county. It was an amazing place to grow up. Though everyone knew your business, everyone kept an eye out for you. We had two bars that all the kids hung out in and played pool. There were street dances for the Fourth of July and any other occasion. There were two restaurants, one of which burned down last week. It is hard to describe the life that a kid in a town this small would lead. The concept just doesn't make sense to city folk. But it was an amazing carefree life of swimming under the bridge, ice skating at the pond, nights of kick the can in the Forest Service field, greetings from the town's pet deer and raccoons. If it were possible to have the kind of lifestyle I have now in the city, I would move back to raise my child there in a heartbeat. Having lived near Wisdom for many yearsduring the summer-time, I can almost see the buildings. We haven't lived in Jackson for 20 years but the previous 8 years were spent on the Hairpin Ranch in a line shack about 5 miles past the main ranch, in the middle of nowhere. I loved EVERY minute of it. We traveled to Wisdom for dinner some days or just when the kids wanted to take a ride. It was a short 20 mile drive. Would move back in a New York minute. Early pioneers of the Big HoleI'm looking for any pictures or info of the early Wisdom families prior to 1930. I have an old school picture dated 1914/15 and would love to have someone help identify the children. Both sides of my family, the Elliott's and Scollicks were early settlers there. The old dilapidated log cabin on the south end of the Ruby near Butler Creek is the Scollick homestead and the Elliott log cabin is on Gibbonsville road. I believe my Aunt Eve Scollick might have married a Ferguson in the Wisdom area. There's a picture hanging at the Crossing/Fetties with several people on horses. Anyone that can help identify them as well would be great. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Gas Stations, John Vachon, Rural America, WW2)
City of Angles: 1915
... five "Cincinnati incline" railway elevators serving that city's hillside suburbs. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. ... noteworthy, however, for being the only incline to carry city trolleybuses and motor buses in its waning years (Price Hill did ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2023 - 10:44am -

Circa 1915. "Mount Adams incline, Cincinnati, Ohio." One of five "Cincinnati incline" railway elevators serving that city's hillside suburbs. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Sadly goneAll of Cincinnati's inclines are long gone. The Mount Adams was noteworthy in that it carried streetcars up the incline, and traces of the right-of-way can still be discerned today. But any hopes of reconstructing it are but a dream, since the area at the foot of the incline is now a tangle of limited-access highways. A second coming (and going)in HO scale: maybe only 1/87th the size, but definitely a lot more than 1/87th as exciting! The view todayRookwood Pottery is still visible on the left on the mountain. So InclinedThe Mount Adams Incline wasn't noteworthy for carrying streetcars, since four of Cincinnati's five inclines did that. The exception was Price Hill, which had a separate passenger-only plane and open platform freight plane. Mount Adams was noteworthy, however, for being the only incline to carry city trolleybuses and motor buses in its waning years (Price Hill did occasionally carry private motor buses on its freight plane in the 1920s). https://www.jjakucyk.com/transit/streetcarinfo.html Also at the bottom of the photo is a remnant of the Miami and Erie Canal. Ten locks were required to descend the 3/4 mile distance to the Ohio River now occupied by Eggleston Avenue. Since canal barges can't navigate the river, and the numerous locks made this a tedious section to traverse, it was abandoned in about 1863. After that time the canal terminated on higher ground near today's county courthouse. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Sloss City Furnaces: 1906
Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Sloss City furnaces." Four years later, our site's namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham , ... knew if the people of Birmingham ever referred to their city as such. Fascinating Steam, smoke, water, stacks of ingots, men ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:34pm -

Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Sloss City furnaces." Four years later, our site's namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham, would be working for the Sloss-Sheffield Iron Co. at nearby Bessie Mine, helping to supply coal for the furnaces at this steel mill. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Heavy MetalSloss Furnaces is occasionally used as a concert venue. I saw Rage Against the Machine perform there in the late '90s. No sign of Shorpy's ghost. Ghost of SlossI grew up in Birmingham and went there several times on school tour groups. The guides always pointed out the hidden gravesite of a small dog behind some hedges near one of the side buildings. Apparently the dog was loved by the furnace workers and lived there. I wonder if it's still there! The Pittsburgh of the SouthGrowing up in Texas, I was taught that this was one of Birmingham's nicknames. I never really knew if the people of Birmingham ever referred to their city as such. FascinatingSteam, smoke, water, stacks of ingots, men bending their backs both with work and also hands in pockets as per the older gent standing at the rail carriage. There's a lot going on here all right. Not a day to hang the washing out! Can anyone explain the process going on here? Still thereI took the scenic route back to the airport last summer (in part by "lost by GPS") and it was still there. I did not expect it and was surprised to see the furnace right off the road. Looked it over and U turned to check it out again. Tried to imagine what it was like to see it in production. Wow! Whatta photo! StackedI wonder what's going on in the lower center. Looks like a fair amount of wood stacked up, and possibly being burned in the large shed. They might be making charcoal, but why would they bother if coal was available? [Those are metal ingots. Ore goes in, iron comes out. - Dave] Lazy SusanLove the Southern RR ventilated car, the lazy-susan narrow gauge bridge track, and the link-and-pin couplers on the little engine shoving cars into the plant and the in-house railcars. Very interesting moment in time captured here. A brief [?] explanationThere are a lot of folks who know more about this than I, but I can give you a simple sketch of what's going on. The tower just left of the central shed is the charging stack. Note the elevator running up the left side. This is used to haul the ore, limestone and whatever else is needed to the top. The foreman in charge mixes the ingredients in the correct proportion into the top of the stack. This stuff is heated at high temperature in the blast furnace and when it's all blended and liquefied, the bottom of the stack is opened to allow molten steel to run onto the floor of the large central shed. This molten steel is run down narrow gutters in the floor and turned into molds to cool. These molds full of red hot steel look like little piglets being fed by their mommy. That's where they started calling them "pig iron." Note the small steam locomotive with its rear facing us to the left below the elevator. Both the engine and the cars down there have link and pin couplers that were outlawed for interstate commerce by about 1900, which indicates this engine and cars may belong to the steel company. It appears they are hauling waste, also called slag, away. At the far left edge of the photo is a four wheeled railcar with a large pocket on an elevated track. This looks like a "larry car" which was filled with coal and dumped into a coke oven from the top. The oven was sealed shut and the coal was "baked" to create coke, which burns much hotter than coal, which is needed to make steel. I'd say Mr. Shorpy's coal was turned into coke right here in the steel plant. (A single larry car could run atop any number of ovens, which would be off camera here.) Note in the foreground the narrow gauge plant track on a turntable. This appears to allow the narrow plant track to cross over the wider track at a slight elevation. When the wide tracks are used, the narrow track is turned away as it is here. Worth a visitThis is now one of the most incredible national monuments in our country. The only one I know similar to it is Gas Works Park in Seattle, and you can't actually explore it. You can walk all over Sloss. Just another example of how much incredible potential Birmingham has. Mom and Dad and ShorpyAs I child, I lived about three miles from where Shorpy would've lived, Bessie Mines. I live in West Jefferson. Incredible place. My parents met working on Miller Steam Plant. Iron OnlyOlde Buck basically nailed it. The three ingredients are iron ore, fluxing stone (usually limestone) to draw off impurities, and coke, which adds carbon to the mixture and also burns to superheat the interior. But, blast furnaces only produce iron. As iron contains many impurities, it’s actually a much weaker metal and more susceptible to stress and fracturing. To make steel, the impurities have to be burned off in a separate facility, or "converter." In this era, it could be done in a bessemer converter by blowing air into the molten iron. This started a chemical reaction, igniting manganese, then silicon and finally carbon monoxide; took about 20 minutes to burn it all out. Also coming into their own at this time were open hearth furnaces, basically a regenerative furnace, where scrap and molten iron were mixed to create custom blends of steel. The items in the photo "Stacked" are iron pigs aka "pig iron" – "ingots" are gigantic blocks of partially cooled (just enough so they can be handled) steel that are fed into rolling mills and formed into various shapes such as beams and rail. Ghost AdventuresI watched an episode of Ghost Adventures where they visited Sloss Furnace. This place really caught my attention and some of the stories that went along with it were pretty crazy. The Magic CityI, too, grew up in Birmingham in the late '50s and all of the '60s. We heard about "Pittsburgh of the South" in school, of course. It was printed in them Yankee textbooks from up Nawth. But the C-of-C called Birmingham "The Magic City" while I was growing up. I remember Sloss very, very well, and fondly, too, in a retrospective kind of way. My father worked near Sloss (in a different career field) and we frequently passed Sloss as we travelled over The Viaduct, a raised portion of 1st Avenue North that went right beside Sloss. On some evenings when they would pour out the molten steel huge plumbs of steam would billow forth. These clouds would take on a glow the same bright red-orange color as the molten steel. Traffic would slow briefly along The Viaduct as we would all want to watch the spectacle. There was always an incredible aroma that billowed out along with the steam. It was deep, rich and earthy, somewhere between rotten eggs and burnt coal and wood. When the wind was right, you could smell this aroma even at my parents house in the Roebuck neighborhood, some 8-10 miles from Sloss. I had to move away from Birmingham in 1969 when My father took a new job. I was so glad to hear they have saved Sloss and turned it into a national monument-- and a performance arts center! I was eager to take the tour when I got back there for my first visit in years back in 2004. Attached is a photo I took then of Sloss today. For anyone wishing to explore Sloss online, may I suggest http://www.slossfurnaces.com/ Thanks, Shorpy, for letting me share some memories with you! -DJQ Old FurnacesLooking at the way things are laid out, and given the time frame visible here, these are the OLD Sloss Furnaces. This view of the furnaces changed in 1927 when the furnaces were totally rebuilt with modern equipment. At the time of this photo, these furnaces had only been in operation 1899. This picture was taken around the time the new boilers were installed. Muse of Fire: Shakespeare at Sloss I've enjoyed working with Muse of Fire for the past several spring seasons as we perform Shakespeare under that shed in the center of the Shorpy photo. In the fall we stage select Shakespeare scenes in various spots along the walking trail around the Sloss facilities. There's nothing like having trains running by 100 yards from the stage, blowing their whistles for all they're worth. Having rehearsed late into the night several times, I have to say that it's easy to believe that Sloss is as haunted a place as I've ever been (especially deep in the back near the old brick ovens). Thanks, Dave, for posting this great photo of a cherished landmark in my hometown. I think of Shorpy Higginbotham at every rehearsal and performance, and I wonder if he's watching us and enjoying the show. Sloss Fright FurnaceAround Halloween time, Sloss Furnace is converted into a "haunted house." As you are walked through the place, you are confronted by ghouls, ghosts of angry steel workers, zombies, and psychos. My brother & I went there this past October. (The Gallery, Birmingham, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
NYT Radio Room: 1942
... edition of paper. Operator reports and gives new angles to city editor. Messages are recorded on paper tape in international Morse code." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2023 - 7:57pm -

September 3, 1942. "New York, New York. Radio room of the New York Times newspaper. The Times listening post, between 10 pm and midnight, between first and second editions. The operator is listening to Axis news (propaganda) broadcast. Paper in foreground has been examined to see what has already been covered in last edition of paper. Operator reports and gives new angles to city editor. Messages are recorded on paper tape in international Morse code." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. They're trying to catch me lucky chairYou can bet Mr. Operator got fed up with telling people "I take two days off and you people steal my chair yet again! You have chairs! This MY chair! It's set to MY perfect height, it swivels, it's easy on my back and my boss said it's for MEEEE! (stomps down the hall with chair in tow). Dang temps, do I have to write my name in marker ? Actually I just might!" Some things at work never change. Band select modulesMost shortwave radios have a band select switch. These appear to have plug-in units labeled A through D. And the tuning looks like it's done by reading the graphs placed in the front of the module to convert between the tuning knob setting and the station frequency. Wall mapThe stereographic projection map was critical to radio stations, as their broadcast antenna patterns could be directly matched to listeners' compass directions. Uncle Joe?Walt Duranty here -- That mapNote the great circle map, showing the direction of the shortest path from NYC to the rest of the world. Create your own at https://ns6t.net/azimuth/azimuth.html Ticker TapeOnly three more years before it can all be thrown out the window onto the Victory parade! Dial telephones?This candlestick phone has a dial -- the ones in the other same-day pics don't. Who did you have to be to rate a dialable phone? WorkmanshipLove the detailed craftsmanship of that little wooden box on the table. The upright rack reminds me of early movie theatre sound system racks made by Western Electric. Those had huge valves on the front. (Technology, The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, The Office, WW2)
TRX: 1910
... Mekaniske Versteder for Bergh & Helland of that city. At 666 gross and 398 net tons, it was powered by a triple expansion ... Gaillard-Johnson Coal Company From the 1909 Mobile city directory. When cities had more than one telephone company. Coalyard ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2023 - 3:58pm -

Mobile, Alabama, circa 1910. "Unloading bananas." Tropical Refrigerator Express reefers at the ready. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Open Air Ship's WheelThis is likely an emergency wheel located close to the steering mechanism. The regular-use wheel is forward, in the bridge of this steamship. BananasThis was about a decade into the long march of the United Fruit Company through Latin America, leaving in its wake "banana republics", untold injustices, and the lasting model for multinational corporations. Open door policyI'm guessing that the reefers are in "ventilated car" mode, since bananas, while temperature sensitive, don't require the level of cooling some products do (namely frozen ones). The hatches are in the up position to facilitate air flow, rather than for icing. Where's Harry?I don't see the tally man. Norway?I can’t make out the name of the boat, and regardless it doesn’t appear that there’s a country listed, but the flag looks Norwegian to me. Does that even make sense? Mr TallymanThe tallyman and his buddy are on post, they even arranged a bench to check the unloading in comfort. The banana boat is NorwegianAs evidenced by the flag. It's from Bergen and its name ends in "DØ" The beginning is obscured by the flag Ship's WheelI don't remember seeing a ship's wheel quite so exposed to the elements outside of a pirate movie. Sidewheeler IDJas. A. Carney 1894 according to page 219 of the 1910 Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United Stares WHAT Bananas?I see coal and not bananas! "Yes, we have no bananas?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqkrIDeTeA or if you prefer originals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDd8shcLvHI Where's the Day-O? Yes, we have no ...I'm banana blind -- not one in sight. Yes -- bananas!Look carefully at the conveyor just above the righthand white ventilator. The conveyor consists of a series of slings, each one lifting a bunch of bananas. Hellø BodøHere we see the diminutive 181-foot Norwegian steamer Bodø, launched as the Xenia in 1894 at Bergen by Bergens Mekaniske Versteder for Bergh & Helland of that city. At 666 gross and 398 net tons, it was powered by a triple expansion steam engine supplied by a Scotch boiler. It became the Bodø in 1899 and was chartered to the United Fruit Company to haul fruit, primarily bananas, between Jamaica and the the East Coast. United Fruit chartered many Norwegian vessels around the turn-of-the-last century beginning in 1899. Later named Plentingen, Polar, Samos and Ikaria, it was dismantled in Greece in late 1928. It has appeared before on Shorpy (as has a similar comment of mine!) Gaillard-Johnson Coal CompanyFrom the 1909 Mobile city directory. When cities had more than one telephone company. Coalyard located at foot of St. Anthony. Phone Bell 248 or Home 51. [City directories go back to before people even had telephones. - Dave] Walking the GangplankAs a free-range kid in Mobile, I have personally watched bananas being unloaded from a ship, circa 1950. It was nothing like this photo. There was a slanting gangplank between the ship and the dock, and a continuous line of men descending with stalks of bananas over their shoulders. I recall the gangplank being wooden, but am not sure of this. Nor do I recall how the men got back on board, but obviously they did. “Lighter”I’m interested in the boat off to the right of the ship. It’s actually a barge called a Lighter. These were, and in some cases still are, used to service ships in port. In this case the Lighter is providing coal to fuel the steam boilers. It has never been clear to me where the term came from. Some have suggested it’s from the German “Lichter” as some barges were used to off load (lighten) small deliveries to shore from large ships. Another great photo. Source of photo?The source of this great photo is described as Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress, but I am unable to find this photo at the Library of Congress website. Could someone provide me with a link to the photo? I've tried every search term I can think of. [This was one of a group of hundreds of damaged glass negatives added to the LOC archive in February. They have yet to be captioned, so will not show up in search results. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile, Railroads)
Gotham Underground: 1904
New York circa 1904. "City Hall subway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... New York Transit Museum periodically conducts tours of the City Hall station, which hasn't been used for passenger service since 1945, but ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgaw/2211045640/ City Hall IRT This stop was last used in 1945. A history of it here . ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:36pm -

New York circa 1904. "City Hall subway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 104 years laterThe New York Transit Museum periodically conducts tours of the City Hall station, which hasn't been used for passenger service since 1945, but still survives at the end of the 6 line. Here's a photo from the tour conducted in 2008: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgaw/2211045640/ City Hall IRTThis stop was last used in 1945. A history of it here. There were plans to reopen it as a museum but so far they have not materialized. Below, the abandoned station as it looks now. Click for more info. Seeing the stationIt's not that hard to see the station without waiting for a Transit Museum tour. Trains on the 6 line use the loop through City Hall station to change directions. When downtown 6's stop at Brooklyn Bridge station, the last/first stop on the line, the conductors announce "last stop" but generally don't check to see if anyone's still onboard. If you ride in the last couple of cars you usually won't be bothered and can ride through the loop and see the station. I did this several years ago and quite frankly was underwhelmed with City Hall station. Wow!Anonymous, I have a new desktop picture! Remarkably BeautifulThe station is just remarkably beautiful. The amount of artisanal inspiration, design and impeccable craftsmanship is extraordinary. It looks like a turn-of-the century University Library. I'd like to live in it! "The Darkness"Jackie Estacado, protagonist of the video game "The Darkness" (a demon-possessed mafia hitman, I kid you not), has a major shootout in this tunnel. Very cool, but not as cool as the real thing. Underground EconomyOh, that color picture is gorgeous. If they can't come up with the scratch for a museum, they could lease spots for upscale kiosks. Two good reasons for closing the stationConventional rail car axles have no differential gearing to accommodate the longer distance the wheels on the outside of a curve have to travel compared to the shorter distance on the inside of the curve. Consequently travel on any curve involves a deal of skidding and steel-on-steel screeching. With brakes applied as the train came to a stop in the enclosed station, the effect must have made quite an impression. There would have been wider gaps for passengers to mind as they crossed from the curved platform onto the floor of a straight car. This is only my speculation on a couple of considerations that may have led the IRT to close the station. Their reasons may have differed altogether. It is a beautiful daylight station. City Hall Before the Start of ServiceI think the top photo was taken in early 1904, before the IRT line went into service, which occurred on October 27, 1904. The exquisite tilework for the station had been completed but the electric light fixtures had not yet been installed (although the wiring was in), the third power rail had not been installed yet and there was obviously more cosmetic work to be done, as suggested by the ladder and other work materials on the platform. The bottom photo is a beautiful shot. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
City Sidewalks: 1938
... featured in an earlier post . Today's City Sidewalks View Larger Map My Grandmother My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:25pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Street scene, U.S. Treasury, Fifteenth Street." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Phaeton in the snowNice to see a touring car (the '35 Ford Phaeton behind the taxi) in adverse weather. These cars had no side glass, so they were inexpensive, lightweight and stylish, but breezy! The side curtains were so cumbersome that I imagine sometimes they weren't worth the trouble, even in a car that could hit 80 mph. I also love that '37 Ford flatback sedan. Ford built some of the industry's greatest body shapes in the 1930s. Driver ArmsI really like the "slow/Stop" arm positions of the drivers of the delivery van and taxi cab while waiting for the '37 Ford to pull away and the lady to cross the street. Most young drivers today most likely not know the meaning of this signal! Common signal then as were the arm positions for left and right turns, too. That's not a PCCThe streetcar looks like a PCC car, but it's actually a pre-PCC built in the mid 1930s before the PCC design was finalized. Switch HittersThat's a cool looking bus. It looks like it goes both ways, like the streetcar, but the seats are all facing the front, and a bidirectional bus would be silly. Back of the Ten-Dollar BillUntil late 1990s, the reverse of the U.S. $10 bill featured a streetscape very similar to this image. The buildings haven't changed much, but the traffic patterns have. That's Pennsylvania Avenue in the upper right corner, a portion which has since been closed to vehicular traffic in our post 9-11 world [Actually closed since 1996 - Dave]. The "streamlined" streetcar is one of the first of its kind anywhere, built in Philadelphia in 1935 by the J.G. Brill Company and is part of a batch serialed somewhere between 1001 and 1010. This is a close forerunner to the PCC streetcar featured in an earlier post. Today's City SidewalksView Larger Map My GrandmotherMy grandmother might very well be in this photo. She worked at the treasury dept for several years, including 1938. I wish there were some way to zoom in on this in a clear way to make out more details. It would be incredible to see! [You can download a much larger version here. (Right-click link, choose "save file/target/link as.") - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Streetcars)
Broad Street: 1905
... streets is one of those great transitional moments. City Hall Broad street leads to City Hall which is the tallest and largest masonry building in the world, using ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:22pm -

Philadelphia circa 1905. "Broad Street north from Spruce." Detroit Publishing Company, 8x10 glass negative. Library of Congress. View full size. Early AutoI consider myself a "car buff" but these very early autos elude identification for me. Any guesses? Even if we don't know the make, the sight of a lone automobile on the dung-strewn streets is one of those great transitional moments. City HallBroad street leads to City Hall which is the tallest and largest masonry building in the world, using no steel. The walls of the first floor are over 20 feet thick to support the weight of the building. I have seen this building just about every day of my life and I still stop to look at its beauty. EmissionsBack when you really had to worry about your carbon footprint. Seven-O-Five or 12:35?Trying to determine the time of day is not too easy for old eyes, but it seems like there are LOTS of parking spaces available. Also, imagine wearing a long dress and then trying to avoid all the horse poop in the street. People seemed very civilized 108 years ago. The architecture was quite elaborate as well. Nice photo. [In answer to your question: Look at the shadows. - Dave] Horse droppingswere a major problem in big cities in the equine era. The streets had to be scooped up frequently, which required a large force of street cleaners. According to this article, "at the turn of the nineteenth century, New York City's infrastructure relied upon disease-creating entities such as the horse. Between 100,000 and 200,000 horses lived in the city at any given time. Each one of those horses gave off 24 pounds of manure and several quarts of urine a day." Rooftop signsOn the left of the picture is a rooftop sign that reads "THE NORTH...." and the building in front of it seems to have the same type of sign. Anyone know what they said? Also I think the theatre on the right is still in use today. (Maybe Ron can verify.) I lived in Philly for six years and was always amazed at the buildings. It's so wild to see what it looked like back in the day. This is why I love this site. [There is no rooftop sign on the building to the left but there is a flag -- it says Bellevue, for the Bellevue Stratford Hotel. The "North" sign is on the tower to the right, atop the North American Building. - Dave] Old photographyPeople often comment on the sharpness of these old large format photos, but they're superior in another way as well. See how the vertical lines in the modern picture all lean in toward the center because the camera is looking up, while the old view camera could be adjusted to eliminate this distortion and keep the vertical lines vertical. [There are plenty of modern film and digital cameras that will accommodate shift lenses, which are widely used in architectural photography. - Dave] Today's BroadView Larger Map Philly Soul?Way to go, man! Great shot. I live right outside Philly. I love seeing old pics of places I know well. Shorpy is showing some love for the Two-One-Five, representin' old school style! Keep up the fantastic work, my friend! I visit your page daily for stuff just like this. Cheers! The TheaterJimsShip, the theater is still standing. It's the Academy of Music, it opened in 1857. Academy of MusicThe Academy of Music is the building on the left. The theater on the right was the Broad Street Theatre, torn down in 1937. http://libwww.library.phila.gov/HIP/HIPSearchItem.cfm?ItemID=pdcl00176 No GenericaThis picture has such amazing details. I really love the different styles of the buildings. There are places in CA where you can get lost so easy because every house looks exactly the same. I can look at this picture for hours. Seven Lamps"These building look far better than what replaced them." They usually do. Modern architecture seems to be created by people who never progressed further than stacking blocks on top of each other. But that's just my opinion. Used to be betterI went to UArts in Philly and the building on the right with the turrets was replaced by the Terra building (where I took some of my classes). This picture was definitely taken on Locust Street (I lived around the corner). These building look far better than what replaced them). Philadelphia city planningPhiladelphia was laid out by its founder, William Penn. His plan from 1683 called for Broad and High (Market) Streets to be extra-wide. Penn didn't want narrow, crowded streets like ones in European cities at the time. Better BuildingsFor every Mies Van Der Rohe there's a thousand hacks thinking it's easy and that's why we have the canyons of today. Sad. I'm amazed at the proportions of the aptly named Broad St. It looks like it could handle 10 or 12 carriages wide! Any idea why they went that wide and was that the norm? Certainly made it easy to convert into the car age. Wide streetsThe wider the street the easier to turn a team of horses, mules, or oxen. InspiredWhat is the tall building on the right with the spires, it appears to have been torn down judging by the google map, what a shame. That was a beautiful building. Spruce and BroadNo this was taken from Spruce. (Check google maps) I also went to UArts when it was Philadelphia College of Art. I lived on the corner of Broad and Spruce. Where the first building you see on the left is used to be the Schubert Theater now the Merriam Theater owned by UArts. The next building on the left would be the Academy of Music. [The Broad Street Theatre, on the right, was at Spruce and Broad. Below: Street View from the same location. - Dave] Missing Mansard StoriesHas anyone noticed that the top three or four stories of the building on the left at the corner of Spruce & Broad have been demolished. The building now extends only up to the grand cornice level. All of the articulations of the French-styled mansards, chimneys and other elements of the upper stories are gone. They probably created maintenance problems for the owner and were a source of leaks over time. The building today looks far better in my opinion than it does in this photograph; the awkward and unbalanced details of its former crown are out of sync with the aesthetic of the lower block, which has the grand cornice for an appropriate and typical termination. [The mansard-roofed building is gone. You're confusing it with the building behind it. - Dave] RE: Tall Building w/ SpiresThe Hotel Walton. Photos of the lobby are also tremendous. +108Below is the same view from October of 2013. Early autoThe car rushing through the photo is a 1904 Covert runabout. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Philadelphia)
Superstack: 1942
... for a while and also used to own a "meat market" in the city. I used to tell people he owned a disco (you had to be there). The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2023 - 3:09pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda Smelter of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The smokestack is the largest in the world: 585 feet in height with a diameter at base of seventy-five feet and at top of sixty feet. Flue gases are discharged at the rate of three to four million cubic feet per minute. The arsenic plant and flue gas cleaning apparatus are seen at the base of the stack." Photo by Russell Lee, Office of War Information. View full size. AnacondaTimely posting for me, because I’m currently reading a book titled Anaconda about the whole copper mining business there. Found it in my parents’ house while cleaning it out. My uncle lived there, and we visited the Butte Hole once. I still have some hunks of copper ore and cast copper from then. Third Rail PowerBeside a number of the approach tracks to the smelter you can see covered third rails for electric power, similar to many subway systems. Electric trains using overhead wires hauled ore cars between Butte and the Anaconda smelter from 1916 until the 1960s. This photo from the Montana State Library shows the third rail locomotives used only at the smelter. Re: AnacondaOne must be careful when spelling and pronouncing "Butte Hole." Great-Granddad smelt that smelterHe worked there for a while and also used to own a "meat market" in the city. I used to tell people he owned a disco (you had to be there). The stack stands aloneThe smelter and train tracks and hustle and bustle are gone. The impressive smokestack is left as a reference point. The world's tallest freestanding masonry structure.From this angle, it's not hard to believe. Mind your step.
Little Falls: 1941
... roofed building on the right. I googled "little falls" "city cigar", and got back a book on Little falls. It said they cleared the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2023 - 3:42pm -

October 1941. "Looking toward the Mohawk River. Little Falls, New York." Which is at least a two-stoplight town. Medium format negative by John Collier. View full size. The Bank is still there?But either I'm wrong or they got bombed during the War because almost nothing else still stands. It's not near that badWhat got razed was the east side of that one block of South Ann Street. While the cigar store and the ... train station? ... are gone, along with everything between, Little Falls National (Berkshire Bank) is still in place, as is the Herkimer County Trust building (Adirondack Bank) and the former Hotel Snyder and tavern (Happen Inn). Looks good to me.No, you have the right corner. If you go to N. Ann street & Albany street and look back up Ann, you can see the same triangular roofed building on the right. I googled "little falls" "city cigar", and got back a book on Little falls. It said they cleared the buildings in the 1970s for urban renewal. (The Gallery, John Collier, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Atlantic City Boardwalk: 1908
Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1908. "Chalfonte Hotel and the Boardwalk." With some ... rental circa 1908 was 50 cents an hour. In 1913 the A.C. city commission, in a move to cut "chair congestion," passed an ordinance ... clothes. Double Chairs From a WPA guide to Atlantic City: The next milestone in the history of the resort was the invention ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:14pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1908. "Chalfonte Hotel and the Boardwalk." With some sort of spillage splotch in the middle, "double chair" rental on the right and a 45-star flag topping it all off. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Chair rental50 cents for the double chair rental seems like a lot in 1908. Unless that included one of the many men standing around to push you? Kind of like a rickshaw. [Chair rental circa 1908 was 50 cents an hour. In 1913 the A.C. city commission, in a move to cut "chair congestion," passed an ordinance raising mercantile taxes on the chairs by $5 a year -- to $10 on single chairs, and $20 for double chairs. The commission's goal was a doubling of the rental rate to a dollar an hour. - Dave] Sandy ClothesWow. I can't imagine how long it must have taken to get the sand out of those heavy wool clothes. Double ChairsFrom a WPA guide to Atlantic City: The next milestone in the history of the resort was the invention of the rolling chair in 1884. M.D. Shill, a Philadelphia manufacturer of invalid chairs, go-carts and perambulators, came to Atlantic City and opened a store to rent out baby carriages to summer families. He also rented out invalid chairs for convalescents and cripples. Within a few years these invalid chairs evolved into the double chair with a pusher. Triple chairs followed, completing the fleet of comfortable sightseeing chairs of today. Tim-bers!Wow, those are some beautiful timbers stacked on the beach. Timbers like those would cost a fortune today. TransitionsAtlantic City transitioned from this sedate scene to a bustling family-oriented seaside resort by the 1940s. I remember the Steel Pier and the Diving Horse. By the early '70s, A.C. hit rock bottom...then gambling was legalized. The rest (along with visitors' money) is history. Tanning and HorsesLooking at all the clothes these people are wearing makes me realize that being tan probably wasn't as common, at least for city folk. There is hardly any skin showing on anyone. Also, note the horses bottom left. I guess someone had the job of cleaning up after them on the beach/boardwalk. Neat picture, btw. And I agree about the time machine, though I'd like a ticket back in case things didn't work out. Wow...Can I go back in time please... One way is OK... Sign me up and get me outta here! 45 StarsIf the flag has 45 stars and the date is 1908, the hotel owner should have bought a new flag. Utah was the 45th state, admitted in 1896. Oklahoma was 46th, admitted in 1907. [The 46-star flag was adopted July 4, 1908. If the photo was taken in 1908, it was probably before the Fourth of July. - Dave] Ah yes, the old ChalfonteIn the early 1940's, while the tires were still mileage-viable on my dad's 1937 Chevy 2-door, we traveled to AC from Newburgh, NY, several times as a family. We usually bunked at the Chalfonte or its sister hotel down the block, Haddon Hall. As a kid my favorite place on the AC boardwalk was the James Salt Water Taffy shop. They sold pressed paper cartons of those filling-yankers in really neat-looking wire barrel shapes. For many years, I used one of these as a piggy bank. Hotel lobbiesCirca 1926 Ethel Waters made a record called "Jersey Walk," about a girl who dances in the hotel lobbies "just to hear those bellhops yell... 'Shake 'em up kid, shake 'em up kid, shake 'em up lady...'" Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys recorded it much more recently. Postal PhotosI see that Palace Postal Photos are best. I assume that is a place you could go to get a souvenier photo made to mail to the folks back home. Got any of those in your bag Dave? [Afraid not. - Dave] The Chalfonte and The Haddon Hall down the blockThose were family favorites for mini-vacations from upstate New York, so long as the tires on my dad's '37 Chevvy two-door had viable treads. Best shop on the AC Boardwalk for me was the James' Salt Water Taffy shop a few blocks west of the Chalfonte. They packaged their product in a molded papier-mache carton in the shape and color of a white barrel. I used one of these for years as a kid for my spare pocket change. Nap time!I like the man on the beach taking a siesta. What strikes me most about this picture is how lazy we've become in regard to architecture. Maybe a glass brick is easier to heat and cool as well as construct but dang, look at that beautiful building! Shill Rolling ChairI recently purchased a Shill Rolling Chair that seats three people. The brass plate mounted on the front of the white wicker frame says the charge was 75 cents an hour for one person or $1 an hour for two or more. I am curious about the age of the rolling chair. Based on the price per hour, would you know the age of my chair? (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Sports)
Gotham City: 1908
... Agency, Co., 503 Fifth ave. at 42nd st., New York City. Great When I opened up this picture I was practically drooling - ... plan for these vaults in most of their most pretentious city and country houses. These vaults are small rooms fitted up much like the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/15/2016 - 2:49pm -

"Fifth Avenue and Forty-Second Street, New York." Circa 1908, horses and motorcars shared the streets. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. 42nd Street Come and meet those dancing feet On the avenue I'm taking you to - 42nd Street Hear the beat of dancing feet It's the song I love the melody of - 42nd Street Little nifties from the fifties, innocent and sweet Sexy ladies from the eighties who are indiscreet! Oh, there side by side, they're glorified Where the underworld can meet the élite - 42nd Street Come and meet those dancing feet On the avenue I'm taking you to - 42nd Street Hear the beat of dancing feet It's the song I love the melody of - 42nd Street Little nifties from the fifties, innocent and sweet Sexy ladies from the eighties who are indiscreet! There side by side, they're glorified Where the underworld can meet the élite Naughty, gawdy, bawdy, sporty, 42nd Street The big parade goes on for years It's a rhapsody of laughter and tears Naughty, bawdy, gawdy, sporty, 42nd Street Hat PinsLadies in those days kept their hats in place by pinning them to their hair with large steel pins often decorated with elaborate ends. Still sold to this day http://www.pennypins.co.uk/ They Do WindowsWow, window cleaners, top floor building on the left. No safety equipment. Don't think that would happen today. Occult BooksIn the third window from the left, top of picture... Does the sign say "Occult Books"? Bet that's an interesting store. Busy streetI love these old pictures of NYC, especially since I work on Madison Avenue and take a daily lunch stroll down Fifth Ave. I was wondering how the ladies on the upper deck of the bus kept their hats on but I guess the bus didn't go too fast anyway. Talk about Hollywood advertisingI know Hollywood likes to tease us a year or so before a big movie comes out, but really, "Bull Durham" being advertised in 1910? (yeah, yeah, I know, but I couldn't resist) Which Direction? Clues...In trying to figure out which direction they were looking, I first tried google maps and street view. Since construction on the New York Public Library building started in 1902, then the photograph must be looking up 5th or east on 42nd. You can see the banner on the right hand side says Apollinaris. Since they were located on 5th, then this photo must be looking up 5th Avenue. 1930 Blue Book Apollinaris "The Queen of Table Waters." Apollinaris Agency, Co., 503 Fifth ave. at 42nd st., New York City. GreatWhen I opened up this picture I was practically drooling - so much to look at!!! Love these busy street scenes. Thanks again for all the great pics. Armored Horse & Buggy?There is a horse and wagon turning which has Silver Vaults 37 and what is probably the firm's address on its side. The number 37 can also be seen in the shadow under the footrest of the driver and passenger. Any idea what the name refers to? How do the Ladiesget to the upper deck of the bus? He ain't doin' windowsIt looks like he's hiding from a jealous husband or he levitated up from the occult book store. HATS!When was the exact moment that going out in public without a hat became legal in this country? I'm guessing it was sometime in the 1950's, but it could have been in the late 1940's. Perhaps it resulted from the residue of WWII. All I know is that every picture of Americans dressed for the public in a downtown or urban setting between 1900 and 19XX shows each man and woman with a hat. Virtually this is without exception! What I don't know is when "XX" took place. There were holdouts. You might see some crotchety old gent with a derby or Homburg in the 1960's, but he was a quaint relic. What happened, and when did it happen? It just seems that the American Hat Industry went to heck in a handbasket on a given day for no apparent reason. [The reason was JFK. - Dave] Time TravelEach of these street scene pictures is a window into a "lost" world--like peering back in time. And each one is just stuffed with interesting things to see and think about. The small details, things the photographer probably didn't even notice, are riveting now. The "Occult Books" is an excellent example. If I recall correctly, Spiritualism and the Fox sisters had kicked off in the late 1800s and of course as soon as photographs were possible, "ghost" and "spirit" photography became the rage. Thanks, Shorpy. I hope you realize how much we appreciate this site and what a revelation it is. Every history class in high school should have it as required reading! TrafficWhat amazes me is the amount of traffic in the streets. Somehow I equated this much traffic with the LA freeways of today, and not the horse carriages of lore. It makes sense, but just not something you think about. Kids These DaysI was just reading in our local paper today some things from 100 years ago, and a socialite wanted to know how long this fad of young ladies going outside with short sleeves and no hats would last! Silver VaultsNew York Times, December 11, 1898 SAFES FOR SILVERWARE They are Coming More Into Use in Modern Houses SOME ARE VERY EXPENSIVE . . . Where safes are not used for table silver, the silver vault is built into the house, opening from the butler's pantry. A family well known in New York society, which figured not long ago in a noted burglary case, has recently had larger silver vaults put into the house. The most prominent architects now plan for these vaults in most of their most pretentious city and country houses. These vaults are small rooms fitted up much like the silver safes, though possibly with less velvet and more woodwork, as the vault is used frequently to hold fine china as well as silver. . . . The vault is built exactly on the principle of the most modern bank vaults in regard to security and outside finish. There are massive doors of the metal finished on the inside with a brass plate which shows through the heavy plate glass covering it. There is the day gate of open metal work, with a simple fastening exactly as in the banks, and used also for convenience. The woman of to-day not only has more valuables than she had a few years ago, but she uses them more frequently, and the bank is useful only for very valuable and seldom-used plate or while she is away in the Summer. Freeze FrameNotice something unusual about this picture? The action of moving objects is nearly frozen by the shutter speed. Most street scenes of the early 20th century have very blurred action due to the slow lenses and the even slower film emulsions. But why? I have in my hand a Seneca folding 4x5 camera from about 1910 and the fastest shutter speed is 1/200th. Why would a camera manufacturer offer such a fast shutter speed if the available films could not keep up? Maybe photographers did not choose the fastest speeds for some other reason. A clue might be in the very out of focus pedestrians in the foreground of this image. In order for the photographer to stop action using a film rated at ASA 25 or slower the lens aperture would have to be wide open resulting a blurry foreground and a blurry background. My guess is that most photographers were captured by the majesty of the scene – the beautiful new buildings or the sweeping landscape – and were less interested in the comings and goings of their fellow citizens. So faced with a decision between fast shutter speeds and long depths of field they chose to stop the lens down. Of course there were photographers that focused on people from the very beginning but it seems the street scene as a social document had yet to mature. [Regarding "available films," this photograph, like almost all photos of the era, was made without film. It's a glass plate negative. Just about any glass plate exposed outdoors would have had a short exposure time. Stop-action street photography was nothing new or unusual, as the hundreds of similar photos here will attest. - Dave] HorsesIt seems so incongruous to see horses in the middle of a big city. Where did they eat? Where did they poop? Where did they stay at night? [There were hundreds of livery stables and carriage houses in New York. Many were multi-story stables with elevator hoists. The horses went on the street, and the Department of Sanitation cleaned up after them. - Dave] Hansom CabNote the hansom cab in front of the double-decker bus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansom_cab The driver sat behind and above the passenger compartment, and controlled the door latch by a lever from his seat. That way he was sure that he'd get his fare! Both of my Irish grandfathers drove hansoms in New York in the 1880's and 90's, and their experiences made their way into family lore: SWELL DUDE: You DO know the way to the Lamb's Club, my good Man? GRANDPA: Do you take me for a greenhorn? Why it's in the sheep, isn't it? Now, where are yez going? Re: Hat pinsAnother nearly forgotten use for hat pins was self defense, a purposeful jab with a sturdy and ready-to-hand hat pin was frequently enough to discourage the attentions of less polite elements. Double-DeckersI can just barely remember double-deckers in NYC in the early '50s in regular revenue service. This is not to be confused with tourist buses of recent decades. Now one is being tested for transit duty. HorsepiesI remember seeing an editorial, from the dawn of the motor vehicle age, to the effect that all the pollution in the streets would be going away with advancing prevalence of the motor car. MTA Double-DeckersIn the mid to late 70's there were double-deckers in service for the MTA on Avenue of the Americas. I think they were M6s. If you know the City, I went to "Little Red School House," on Bleeker, and took that bus every day. That would be cool if they made a return. [From the NY Times: Double-decker buses "returned in 1976 when the eight British-made double decker buses went into service again on Fifth Avenue as part of a test program. But the buses did not hold up well, said Charles F. Seaton, a spokesman for New York City Transit, and were taken off the road after about two years." - Dave] Everything is oldI wonder what it was like to live at a time when everything in existence was old: the buildings, the vehicles, your clothes? I even asked my aunt, who was born in 1887, and she said, "Well, they didn't seem old at the time." But they look so old. Men without hatsF. Scott Fitzgerald made the comment when he was in college that he saw a group of young men going out without their hats and he dared to do the same. So at least around WWI, a few people risked societal disapproval by going outside bare-headed. Up the rampTo Anonymous Tipster and Dave (whatever happened to Dave?) -- nearly all the livery stables were multi-storied, and many had elevators, but the elevators were for hay and grain. The horses ascended to their stalls on the upper floors by ramp. There are still four carriage horse stables in NYC, and all are of this design: 37th and 38th Streets between 10th & 11th, and 48th and 52nd Streets between 11th and 12th. The ramps can be seen from the sidewalk in all except the one on 37th, which faces the back of the building. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, NYC)
Little Rock Garbage: 1910
Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "City Hall." With a sampler of interesting signage, and an elaborately rigged ... The doomed dome From a 2008 press release of the City of Little Rock, relating to the 100th anniversary of the City Hall building: By 1955, the Dome which sat on top of City Hall ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/15/2023 - 9:38am -

Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "City Hall." With a sampler of interesting signage, and an elaborately rigged street light. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Das HundAnd man's best friend keeping an eye on the photographer. Does anyone know why the dome was removed? Storm damage? Structural? Hair?Ark. Brick and Mfg. Co. Brick, Lime, Cement. Hair, Plaster, Sewer-tile, Sand. Hair? [Horse hair was used for insulation, and also mixed with plaster as a strengthening agent. - Dave] PlasteredSome things don't change -- the mailbox and garbage companies, but what in the world would you do with the hair? I guess mix it with the plaster for that new wave look. (Pun intended) [Horsehair was mixed with plaster to reinforce the matrix. - Dave] The doomed domeFrom a 2008 press release of the City of Little Rock, relating to the 100th anniversary of the City Hall building: By 1955, the Dome which sat on top of City Hall needed severe repairs. The wooden supports and the copper cladding were both in dire shape. Mayor Pratt Remmel set aside money for the dome to be repaired. After defeating Remmel in his bid for a third term, Mayor Woodrow Mann scrapped plans for the repair and, indeed, scrapped the dome. Following the lead of County Judge Arch Campbell who had removed the tower at the County Courthouse, Mann proposed removal of the dome. He had an informal survey which had three options: repair the dome, replace the dome with an aluminum one, or remove it. This was open to anyone to respond – voting eligibility or Little Rock residency did not matter. By a slim margin, remove the dome won – so the dome was removed. Horse HairHaving lived in an old home that had walls plastered in the early 1900's, I became aware of the use of horse hair to reinforce the plaster. We had removed the build up of old paint and paper from the walls. When it would rain or the weather was damp, the walls would emit an odor of wet animal hair. This persisted until we sealed the walls with an stain sealing undercoat and then painted the walls. Still City HallThe mayor of Little Rock has had an office for 103 years in this building. The garbage sign pictured was on the east side of the building and across the street from what now is the Robinson Auditorium. I watched Jerry Seinfeld's show in that venue two years ago. My wife and I and 2500 other folks had a great time. No ParkingI'm curious. Was it against the law for horses to be parked within 15 feet of a fire hydrant? Horsehair-was also very handy for keeping horses warm. 100 year old mailboxI'm amazed that the barrel-top US Mail collection box was around 100+ years ago. [They were in use as early as 1906.] How Green Was My Lumber?Several of those light poles/power poles are pretty warped--wonder if they used green lumber and are now paying the price? And the horizontal marks on the bottom of the pole at the corner--from years of people lashing horses to the pole, as on the next pole down? (The Gallery, DPC, Little Rock)
On the Waterfront: 1905
... the schooner parked next to the Trafalgar ? City of Camden Appears to be the wreckage of the City of Camden (built 1893), a Ouachita River steamboat, on the far shore. To ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 2:41pm -

Mobile, Alabama, circa 1905. "Southern Railway terminals." The freighters Trafalgar and, far right, a sliver of the Marie Suzanne. View full size. Don't Look DownI'm not particularly acrophobic but the two guys and cart on the sagging gangplank give me the heebie jeebies. Munson Sailing ScheduleNotice the SS Trafalgar at the bottom 12 letters, starts with DWho wants to take a stab at identifying the schooner parked next to the Trafalgar? City of CamdenAppears to be the wreckage of the City of Camden (built 1893), a Ouachita River steamboat, on the far shore. To get to Mobile Bay, she would have gone down the Ouachita, the Tensas and Black Rivers, the Mississippi, and then east along the Gulf Coast to Mobile. Regular Sailings to Cuba Blue Book of American Shipping: 1911. From Mobile, Ala. To Cuba. Regular sailings of Munson Steamship Line to Havana, Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua, Caibarien, Cienfugos, Guantanamo, Manzanillo, Santiago and other ports. James Gibboney & Co., agents, Mobile, Ala. This service is operated on a traffic agreement with the Southern Ry. and Mobile & Ohio R. R. (J.S. Taylor, F.F.A., Mobile, Ala.); also with the Louisville & Nashville R. R. (J.A. Bywater, F.F.A., Louisville, Ky.) Regular sailings of Munson Steamship Line to Colon-Panama. Main office: 82-02 Beaver st., New York. More City of CamdenA stern-wheel packet with wood hull (175 ft. x 35 ft. x 5 ft.), City Of Camden was built at Howard Shipyards and Dock Company (Jeffersonville , Indianna) on the Ohio River in 1893. Owned by Captain LaVerrier Cooley in New Orleans, City Of Camden operated on the lower Mississippi River between New Orleans and the Ouachita and Red Rivers. She was sold to Captain Frank Lumsden of Mobile, Alabama in 1904 and was blown onto a mud flat during a hurricane Dismantled in 1910. (This was almost certainly the hurricane of September 1906. There was not a notable storm at Mobile in 1905. So, I am of the opinion that the main photo “On the Waterfront: 1905” which is tagged “circa 1905” is actually from late 1906 or later.) (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile, Railroads)
Boats Leave Daily: 1905
... the river, home to Howard's Shipyards, where the Tell City was built in 1889. Samuel Clemens Where is Huck Finn? I can ... red! What could those huge barrels contain? Tell City Lives On According to the Historic Harrison County website, the "Tell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2012 - 5:04pm -

The Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky, circa 1905. "The levee at Louisville." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tote that barge, lift that bale.Nice shot of a working wharfboat. That is Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the river, home to Howard's Shipyards, where the Tell City was built in 1889. Samuel ClemensWhere is Huck Finn? I can imagine that this would have been a familiar sight for him. I Looked It UpWharf boats were used in places where the water level could change dramatically. I was really curious about that thing. HitchedThat's a "unicorn hitch" with three draft animals, two on the wheel and one out front. It's a rare variation, however, with a horse and two mules. A Crime on the LeveeNotice Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson combing the levee for clues. Or maybe they're just merchants! ColorI can imagine the lettering on the wharfboat to be a bright red! What could those huge barrels contain? Tell City Lives OnAccording to the Historic Harrison County website, the "Tell City" sank in 1917 at Little Hocking, Ohio. The pilot house was taken off the boat and placed on a lawn and used as a summer house. It was given to the Steamboat Museum at Marietta College in Ohio some years later. http://digital.evpl.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/evaphotos&CISOPTR... Mystery FreightWonder what might be in those casks on the wagon. Some sort of dry goods, I'd imagine. ColgateThe wharfboat appears to be a retired sternwheeler. If you look closely you can see the hog chains and the cutouts for the paddlewheel pitman arm. Also across the river is perhaps the old prison which later became Colgate Toothpaste Company. Colgate closed its doors forever early 2009 I believe. Tell City TodayThe Tell City wheelhouse at the Ohio River Museum in Marietta. RetellingMr. & Mrs. Clarence Bent saved the pilot house after the 1917 sinking. The Ohio Historical Society obtained title and in 1976 and moved it to the grounds of the Ohio River Museum in Marietta. The Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen funded restoration in 1977. HogsheadsI don't know about that wagon specifically, but tobacco is still shipped in hogsheads like that, and given the location I'd say its likely that's what in those. http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/ill407.html (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Horses, Louisville)
Greetings From Atlantic City: 1904
Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1904. "Boardwalk from the beach." 8x10 inch dry plate ... were Philadelphia residents and an excursion to Atlantic City by ferry and train was a typical summertime activity. Imagine my ... Any time I'm down at the shore, especially Atlantic City, I try to avoid going under the boardwalk, imagining that there's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:43pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1904. "Boardwalk from the beach." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Phillips for Your Photo in ACMy paternal gradmother, Emma, and her kids had their postcard format photo taken at the Phillips studio, 1619 Boardwalk, about a dozen years after the "Greetings" photo. My father, Bill, is in front with the shovel, while older brother and sister Sam and Hazel are behind. They were Philadelphia residents and an excursion to Atlantic City by ferry and train was a typical summertime activity. Imagine my surprise when I saw the Phillips photo studio included in the Shorpy scene. There he is!I found Waldo. He's right behind the dude from Village People adjusting his wedgie. That lifeguardHe looks very familiar. Japanese goodsA google search shows an Emanary business in NY specialized in Japanese goods. We can indeed (barely) read "Japanese" on that S.Emanery shop window. http://www.14to42.net/16street2.html Hey you with the camera I think this less-than Shorpy photo is a continuation of the one posted; the "ry & co." to the left seems to be a part of the S. Emanary sign. Anyways, that ACB Patrol gentleman looks awfully wary of the camera. The LifeguardAlthough they look fairly similar, I don;t believe they are the same. The Handsome Rake (on Brighton Beach) from the other photo looks a few years younger and this photo was taken the year before the other photo. https://www.shorpy.com/node/6901?size=_original Scandalous!The young man in the middle-ground right side is about to touch the big-toe of the woman next to him with the tip of his index finger. He was probably forced to marry her after that. 3 Men...where's the baby?Is that Tom Selleck's Grandfather scratching his leg? Under the boardwalkI'm always surprised to see that people used to use the place under the boardwalk for shade. Any time I'm down at the shore, especially Atlantic City, I try to avoid going under the boardwalk, imagining that there's unpleasantness of various sorts under there. And too, the beach there at Atlantic City is so deep, you'd never touch the sea if you stayed under the boardwalk. The girl in the sailor swim suit is so pretty. What cheekbones! 100 year old wedgieIs that the lifeguard from a previous post adjusting his trousers? Form factorNot an overweight person in the crowd. My how times have changed. Under itWell, now I understand the song, "Under the Boardwalk." Those chairs would appear to be comfortable perches from which to watch the peopled world go by. The white canopies above the chairs are apparently to catch sand and trash that fall through the cracks. Sandy bottomsI wonder when some unsung genius thought up the idea of sitting on a towel while at the beach. All of these old seashore images show everyone's bathing costume caked with scratchy sand, but they look as if they are happy as pigs in the mud. "Types"So many in this century-old scene! Jocks, the Pretty Girl, the Clueless Dork, the Twins, Dude Checkin' Out the Ladies. Plus of course lots of Old People. Re: Form FactorI now amuse myself when pictures of crowds and kids' classes come up by counting the comments before someone declares, "And nobody in the picture is fat!" Getting to be quite a theme! Re: TypesClueless dork? Can't think which one you mean! That's too funny. Bathing Suit lawsThis was back in the day when male chests had to be covered in public by local ordinances and laws. [In addition to swimsuits! - Dave] And I thought it was only in the cartoonsLook at the two little tots standing on the boardwalk upper left. I had no clue children really dressed like this. I remember watching Bugs Bunny cartoons with kids dressed like this holding a lollipop but I never really thought it was the norm. I itch just looking at this photoIt apparently predates the invention of the giant-size beach towel. Just imagining the combination of damp sand and salty-wet woolen swimwear makes me squirm in my seat. (And is it just me, or is something odd going on in the front of Mr. A.C.B.'s trunks?) (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
Great-Grandpa was a PA coal miner
... was Lithuanian, lived on Bellman Street in Throop (Dickson City) in 1917 .. and then a couple of other places in Dickson City. I vaguely remember him saying something about being born around Wyoming ... 
 
Posted by gmr2048 - 02/01/2008 - 1:18pm -

Miners from near Hazleton, PA. Exact year unknown (probably early 1900s). My great-grandfather is the bottom-left miner. View full size. Great photo! Where isGreat photo! Where is Hazleton?? My Gr. Granpa and Granpa were from "Six Mile Run". Also miners. don't think they are in your photo, but really looked. Gayle [The caption says Hazleton is in Pennsylvania (as opposed to Hazelton, in West Virginia). Google Maps shows it near Scranton. - Dave] PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather (a Lithuanian immigrant) was also a coal miner in the Hazleton area right around dthis same time frame. I'd love to know more about the people in the picture, or at least your great-grandfather. PA CoalminersI just happened to stumble onto this site and boy, the memories are flooding! My grandfather and greatgrandfather were both minors from Hazleton. Both are long gone but I still travel from Connecticut to Hazleton on a regular basis to visit family there. We have 5 generations going there. PA CoalminersI too had a grandfather and greatgrandfather from Hazleton who were coalminers. They came from Czechoslovakia around 1910. I still make trips from CT to PA to visit family there. PA Coal MinersMy grandfather came from Poland and also worked in the mines in Hazleton, PA. I seem to remember the family saying it was the highest point in Pennsylvania. I had relatives who lived both in Freeland and Highland not far from Hazleton. - Chris PA coal minersHazleton, PA is in the "hard coal" or anthracite region of PA mining country. I grew up in Windber, in southwestern PA, in the "soft coal", or bituminous region. My uncle worked in the mine. I remember the "strike breakers" going to work, and more than that, I remember the BIG men with BIG guns who prevented anyone from interfering. I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. I still have a dear friend who lives there. (We are octogenarians). Has anyone else noticed the 3 or 4 very young men, boys really, in the picture? My great grandfathers tooMy great-grandfathers both worked as coal miners in northeast PA, not sure if it was Hazleton or another town though. One was from Poland and the other was from Romania. Pa. CoalminersMy great grandfather. grandfather, and great uncles were all coalminers in western Pa. One great uncle was killed in a cave in in 1927. Back then mining was done with picks and shovels and work was sporadic at best. Mines in BelgiumI had too a grandfather and others in my great grandfamily who were miners here in Frameries - Borinage - Belgium. Some of them and many other coworkers and friends died in the many coal mines installed in Borinage in the 19th and half part of the 20th century. They worked hard and live wasn't very pleasant everyday. A link to the last mine in Borinage closed in 1961, now a museum. http://www.pass.be/index.jsp Other links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frameries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage http://www.google.be/search?hl=fr&q=borinage+mines&btnG=Rechercher&meta= PA CoalminersMy grandfather and great grandfather were coal miners in NE Pa (Plymouth, near Wilkes-Barre, which is of course near Hazleton). They were of Irish descent, and lived very hard lives. My great-grandfather lived in a home owned by the coal company, as did most of his time, and died in a mine collapse in 1895. His son lived into his late forties, and succumbed to 'black lung'. Fortunately, the family line continued and are all living much healthier and longer lives, some of them still in the NE Pa region. coal dust in our veinsAlthough no one in my family was a miner, I am from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvcania and grew up with the consciousness of coal. I recall vivdly being a very small girl in the early 50s and hearing every morning on the radio the announcements of which mines wouild be working, and which, idle. Presumably, if the mine didn't work, you didn't get paid. Mining was the only economy of the area, and when the mines finally closed, the Wyoming Valley -- probably never ever a real boomtown, certainly never for the miners--sank into depression from which it has never recovered. Our house was heated with coal; the truck would come periodically and empty its load into the chute. I would take the dark, hard crystals that had spilled in the driveway and try to draw on the sidewalk with them. As the 60s and 70s wore on, obituaries in the paper were filled with notices of old, and not so old, men who had succombed to anthracosis--black lung--the miner's scourge. The men in the mines were taken ruthless adventage of by mine owners, who exploited them and offered them shacks to live in which, even into the 60s, had no indoor plumbing. I would like to recognize all of the souls who worked so hard for so little, many of whom met their deaths deep underground. Benetah those smudged faces were proud and hardy men. Plymouth PA CoalminersMy Mother was born and raised in Plymouth, moving away in 1936-37. Her Father, and other relatives were miners. I'd like to hear from others with similiar backgrounds from the area. I still drive thru Plymouth a couple times a year. bb1300@aol.com coal miner's granddaughterGreetings from another NE PA native. My great-grandfather, great-uncles and grandfather all worked in the coal mines of northern Schuylkill County. Other relatives worked in the factories, foundries and mills in the area. This part of the country was also the birthplace of the American labor movement and I am proud to say I'm a union member. Does Anyone Have?My mother told me that we had an ancestor who was killed at one of the Southwestern PA coal mines in the early 20th century. Where might I find a list of those who lost their lives in the PA coal mines long ago? Please contact me at pje6431@hotmail.com. Thanks. PA CoalminersMy step-grandfather was also a miner in Western PA in the period 1910-1920?? I don't know if it was Hazelton. His name was Dominick Demark or Demarco. He and my grandmother and my father came from Canada, but my father and grandmother were originally from Chaleroi, Belgium. Hazleton, PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather and great-uncle worked as coal miners in Hazleton, PA. Both were born in Kohanovce, Slovakia. Great-grandfather, George Remeta, immigrated around 1892. How would I find which mine he might have worked in? I keep thinking I might be looking at a picture of him and never know it! Also, does anyone know if payroll records or employee records exist? Mine near HazeltonThe Eckley Mining Village is located near Hazelton and Freeland PA. It is an interesting village and informative as well. Some of the homes are still lived in but when the occupants die the homes belong to the village. Well worth a visit. There are some names available and the museum and churches are very good. Dot Great-grandpa was a PA coal minerGreat photo...my grandfather was too a Lithuanian immigrant and worked in the mines in Scranton Pa. I cherish the stories my mom told me of her father during that time. I once took a tour of the Lackawanna Mines..it was an experience I will never forget. My hats off to our forefathers! grandpa worked in the mines.My grandfather worked in the mines in the Hazleton area also, he kept journals, the year 1946 he speaks about working in tunnel 26 and such....hard life. HazletonHazleton is in east central PA, near Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Wilkes Barre and Scranton. Upstate, as my grandparents called it. They were from Welsh coal miner stock and were born near/in Hazleton. These are hard, anthracite coal mines that had been worked heavily since the first railroads went through in the 1840s. mining accidentMy great grandfather was killed in a mining accident at Highland #2 colliery in Luzerne Co. PA on 2/13/1888. Would anyone know how I could get a newspaper article/obit/any info available on this accident???? Anthracite mining recordsI don't think they are available online, but the Pennsylvania Archives has microfilm of old PA mine accident records http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/Coal%20Resources.htm I'm pretty sure the coal region county historical society libraries have them too. Re: Mining accidentTry newspaperarchive.com. What was your great-grandfather's name? anthracite mining recordsFound some online. They even have 1888. Try here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paluzern/mines.htm Throop Coal Mine Disaster of 1911I see you are from Scranton. I am from Pittston. I put together a booklet on the Throop (Pancoast) mine disaster. I included a few Scranton Mine accidents. If interested the booklet sells for $12. I will pay postage. Jim Bussacco 1124 Main St. Pittston Pa email bing1124.1@netzero.com Anthracite coal miningI always like logging onto your site. My father and three brothers were coal miners in the Pittston region. I worked as an outside laborer in the tipple of a mine. In 1943, I left the mine to go into the US Navy. When I returned after the war. I worked in strippings. Pittston was the greatest town in anthracite mining and had plenty of accidents. The last being the Knox mine disaster in 1959. I wrote a book about coal mining in Pittston, including most of the major disasters. I also have a great collection of coal mine pictures, including the Knox Mine Disaster. I hope more people with coal mine connections log in your site, Thank you Jim Bussacco bing1124.1@netzero.com PrepselsLooking for info on Prepsels, late 1800s early 1900's. My grandfather Raymond Prepsel (spelled Prepsal on some papers) came from Austria/Hungary to work the mines in the Hazelton area. On his certificate of competency issued by the Miners' Examining Board of the Fifth District of Luz. Co., Pa. dated July 16, 1898, his name is spelled Bribsel. He resided in Deringer in Luzerine [Luzerne?] County. My great-grandfather Paul was also living in the area and in Lost Creek, Pennsylvania. I'm doing my family tree and hope someone who reads this can help me. I only know that Elizabeth Prepsel (Raymond's sister ) married a Leo Witkowski and lived in Lost Creek. I'll keep checking back on this site. This is the names of the people who signed his competency certificate are Anthony Reilly, Isaac Williams and William Dinko. My Great Grandfather is in the photo too!John Yuhasz, the tall gent in the back row, fifth from the right (including the boy) is my great grandfather. He migrated from Hungary to work in the mines. He built a home on Goodman Street in Throop by the ball field just before he was killed in the accident. His wife never remarried, but his son, my grandfather Louis, worked in the mines until he was in his early 30's, then moved to Detroit, where he worked for Packard Motor Cars. My mother has this photo too. Louis passed away in 1994 at the age of 87, but he still had his carbide lamp. My Great-Grandfather was a Coal Miner too!He lived near the Hazleton area and actually died in a mine collapse in 1928. I have tried to find records of this mine explosion, but all I can find is a list of mine explosions, and there was one where 10 men died in Parsons, Pa. There was no article attached. I'm thinking that might have been the one where he died. According to family stories, he died during a rescue attempt. Anyway, on the upper right hand corner of this picture is a young man standing in the background who has a strong resemblance to some of the pictures I have of my Great-Grandfather. I would love to be able to find out if that was him. Looking for CoalAnyone know where I can order/buy a sample of anthracite? Mine AccidentGo to www.nytimes.com, and do an archive search for the 1851 to 1980 archives. Put WILKES BARRE MINE in the search box, and confine your search to May 25, 1928 to May 31, 1928. You will come up with three articles about the Parsons mine disaster. However, you will only be able to see the headlines. If you can find a public or college library that has ProQuest, which gives you free online access to the NY Times, you can read and print these articles. Good luck! Joe Manning, Lewis Hine Project. Johnny DeVeraMy dear father passed away one week ago. he and my mother are both from Pittston. PA. while going through his things, we came upon a story about a coal miner who never wanted his 11 year old son to follow in his footsteps, but rather wanted him to find a new life. Unfortunately, as the story goes, he found a new life, only to return to the old and meet his death. it is a two page story. beautifully written. my grandfather was a great writer. the story has no author. we are trying to locate the author. could be my father too. we wonder if this is a true story, regarding the outlaw, Johnny DeVera, the son of a coal miner in PA Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton is near where the Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill County lines meet. It is about 28 miles South or Southeast of Wilkes-Barre. PA Lithuanian Coal MinersMy grandfather was a Lithuanian miner sometime before 1960. He lived in Pittston. I'd like to find out more about the Lithuanian miners and their families. Pancoast mine disasterMy grandfather (Joseph Urbanowich) and perhaps his father worked the Pancoast mine .. I was wondering if your information includes the names of the 72 people who perished in the disaster. My grandfather was only 12 at the time, and I cannot find any information about his father. My grandfather was Lithuanian, lived on Bellman Street in Throop (Dickson City) in 1917 .. and then a couple of other places in Dickson City. I vaguely remember him saying something about being born around Wyoming Pa as well .. In any case, I'm interested in your booklet .. do you take paypal ?? Belgian minersDoes anyone have information on Max Romaine or Alex Small from Primrose Pa.? Alex was my grandfather and Max my great uncle. We are trying to build a family tree and don't have much information on the Romaine part of the family. I know for sure Alex worked in the mine for 50 years and helped get benefits for black lung. I believe Max was also a miner. Throop PAI was just reading your reply regarding your greatgrandfather being in the photo. i was born and raised in Throop and both of my grandfathers worked at the pancoast mine and also my wifes grandfather. Do you have any other names of people in the photo? I hae a lot of info regading Throop and can be contacted at sandsroad1@hotmail.com. thanks Anthracite coalYou're asking about a chunk of anthracite coal. I can sell you a 5 or 6 pound piece for $5 plus postage. I live in Pittston. Jim Bussacco bing1124.1@netzero.com River ferries & PA coal minesMy grandfather ran a river ferry at Frank, Pennsylvania, also called Scott Haven (name of the post office). The name of the coal mine was different and I have forgotten what it is. I would like to know if anyone knows where this place is today. I have pictures of the ferry and the school. Granddad moved the family in about 1920 to Crooksville, Ohio to a dairy farm. The mine either closed or was a strike and he had a family to keep. Any help is appreciated. Judy Langsford PAI am also interested in confirming a Lithuanian miner of No. 9 mine in Langsford, PA. Any help would be appreciated. Michael Lucas or Lukas or Lukasewicz. Thanks! Lance Lucas Amherst, MA Scott HavenScott Haven is on the Youghigheny River south of McKeesport.Coal mines in this area were Shaner,Guffy and Banning.Many other small independent mines.There is not much left in Scott Haven now.I'm not sure there is even a post office left. Knox mine disasterMy grandfather was the last one pulled out. Next Jan 22 is there any talk of a get together? Hazleton MinesMy great grandparents Stephen and Mary Dusick came to this country in 1888 from Spisska Nova Ves in Slovakia. They knew the place as Iglo Spisska Austria. They had a one year old son also named Stephen. My great grandfather and my grandfather worked in the mines. On the 1900 census I learned that my father, a 13 year old boy, was working as a slate picker. Perhaps George Remeta or his children knew my family. :)My grandfathers 1917 draft registration gives the name of the mine but I find it hard to read. Looks like Pzeda Bros. & Co Lattisonee Mines PA. I know I'm not close but maybe someone will recognize a few letters. correction: Lattimer Mines is place where my grandfather workedAfter doing more research I now know the place was Lattimer Mines but I still cannot read _____ Bros. & Co ____ Lattimer Mines and Mine RecordsPardee Brothers and Co. Ario (Ariovistus) Pardee was patriach of one of the three prominent families (Markle and Coxe Families are the others)who first developed the mines in the Hazleton Area also known as The Eastern Middle Anthracite Field. Pardee operated the Lattimer Mines where my great grandfather worked and where my grandmother was born. For those looking for mining records, look for the Annual Report of the Inspector of Mines. These reports cover PA's anthracite and bituminous mining districts from 1870 to present. The reports from 1870 to 1920 or so are particularly detailed. If you had an ancestor who was killed or injured in an accident, his name, age, and a description of the incident will be included. You can find some years for some districts online at rootsweb. Otherwise if you know the area where they worked, the local library may have copies. If not the State Library and PA Geologic Survey Library in Harrisburg have the complete set. Lansford PAIt's Lansford, not Langsford. The No. 9 mine is now a tourist attraction. It also has a museum which has lots of history and photos. WOW!Wow! I haven't been back to Shorpy for a while now, and it's cool to see that this photo has sparked such a discussion! I'll take a look at my original scan when I get home tonight and see if there is any other info on the back of the image. I scanned both front and back. (The original photois in the possession of my Uncle). As I remember it, tho, the only person identified is my great-great grandfather. I'll post back if I find anything else interesting. Your grandfather John YuhaszDo you know the names of the other miners in the photo? I'm still looking for information on my great grandfather, George Remetta and his son, also George, who were coal miners in Hazleton or Freeland during that time. Also, what was the name of the mine? Stephen and Mary DusickIf you could let us know the exact name of the mine it would help! Not sure if my great grandfather, George Remetta, knew your relatives. If there were Slovak Lutherans, there is a great chance they knew each other. My great grandparents attended Sts. Peter and Paul Slovak Lutheran church in Freeland. Church records are available through LDS Family centers and are complete although they are written in Slovak! Let me know...I'll be checking back with this site from time to time! Deb Remetta DusickThe 1900 census just says that my great grandfather worked in a local mine. Doesn't help. They were Roman Catholic as far as I know. My grandfather's 1917 draft registration form gives more clues. He worked in the Lattimer mines and lived on 992 Peace Street Hazleton. When my great grandfather was 60 in the 1920 census he said he worked with a timber gang. Does anyone know what that was? My grandfather worked as a slate picker when he was 13. Those poor young boys. John McGarveyMy grandfather died in a cave-in in 1887, before my father was born in late November 1887. Name John McGarvey. wmcgarvey@tampabay.rr.com Great-GranddadMy great-grandfather John Davies was a coal miner from Milnesville. I believe he's in this photo, bottom right hand corner, second from the right. He came to the U.S. from Wales between 1880 & 1895. Hello from WindberHello from Windber, Pa. I am writing stories at the present for our new quarterly historical newsletter for the Windber Area Musuem, it is being mailed out to museum members as a thank you for their support, membership is only $5 per yr, if interested in receiving it. Your story of remembering the guns, etc. is one of the few I have heard from someone who actually still remembers that period of time in Windber's coal strikes., etc. If you have any photos, or a story of interest, small or big, memories, etc. that I could put in our newsletter I would be happy to receive it. Also if you happen to have served in the military service we are planning to honor the men and woman from this area by having their photos and service records displayed during the month of July in the museum. thank you for your interest in our endeavor. Patricia M. Shaffer, dstubbles5@aol.com No. 9 MineMike Lukas was my grandfather from Lansford, Pa., and worked in the No. 9 mine until it closed in 1972. - Mike Futchko badkarmahunter@yahoo.com No 6 mine LansfordI am looking for any info on # 6 mine in Lansford. My grandfather was a miner there and suffered a massive stroke in the mine. PLEASE if you have any info or pictures of this mine, PLEASE contact me papasgirl@verizon.net. Thank you very much. Lithuanian Miner George NeceskasMy grandfather George Neceskas was a miner in Scranton PA at the Marvin Mine. (His Army discharge papers list his name as George Netetsky). Some of his relatives still live in Scranton, although I am not personally acquainted with any of them. None of us ever went down in the mines after he did. He had 4 children. 3 of those 4 had a total of 6 children (including my brother and I) and those 6 children had a total of 8 children. 2 of those 8 children have 2 children each. None of those 4 bear his last name anymore, although there are still some Neceskases living in New England now. Only his children spoke Lithuanian. None of his other descendants were taught the language. Pa. MinersHi! My family (from Plymouth) were all coal miners. They were McCues, Burnses and Keefes, from Carver Street and Vine Street and Shawnee Avenue. My Uncle Fritz (Francis Keefe) was blown up in a mining accident in the 1950's, and nearly killed, but left with a green freckled face on the left side. The early relatives were Hugh McCue and Peter Burns from Ireland. County Cork and County Downs. Do you know anything of that? My mother's father, Patrick McCue, born in the 1870's, worked as a breaker boy starting when he was 9. He was orphaned that year. Please respond to Turkeyfether@aol.com Thanks, Kathy My great great grandfather My great great grandfather worked in the PA coal mines. He died in 1906 in Scranton when he failed to heed his helper's warnings to not go back and relight the fuse. He was 46. I have his obituary and death certificate. He suffered a crushed hand, fractured skull and a fractured radius and died from shock. There were reports that his eyeball fell out but I'm not sure. His wife had a ride to the hospital but did not have a ride back so she had to walk 15 miles back home to tell my great grandfather and his siblings that their dad had died. So, my great grandfather and his younger brother started working in the mines when they were 11 and 10, respectively. He was born in Switzerland and only spoke German at home. He's buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Taylor. I think my great grandfather started working Pyne Breaker in Taylor and my aunts at the Economy Silk mill in Taylor. Coal miners in the 1920 CensusI'm researching family in VA and WV. I found in a 1920 census in column 13 (normally for year of immigration) the letters BWF and sometimes MH and these men were coal miners. Can anyone tell me what the initials stand for? I'm aware of the UMWA, a union. Could they be the initials of the company name of the mine? Also the birth state has USW above the state name. Am I on the right track? Thanks for any help. Carol Caf1b2h@cox.net [Googling those initials gives this answer: The census abbreviation BwF means boy living with father; MH means a miner is the head of the household. - Dave] Two Lithuanian GGF's were Coal MinersOne was naturalized in 1892. He lived in Scranton, Nanticoke or Sheatown at various times. I suspect he was brought over as "Contract Labor". That was the story from Grandfather, supposedly it was a German firm. Anyone know the names of the companies that did this sort of thing, in those days? Does anyone understand what the immigration process was at that time? I'm trying to work backwards from the Naturalization to establish the year he came over. His last name was Lastauskas (which morphed into Lastowski). Underwood CollieryI am looking for pictures, information, families that have relatives that lived in Underwood Village near Scranton that are interested in sharing photos, etc. My grandfather was a mine superintendent there until they tore the village down. Thanks. [How are people supposed to get in touch with you? - Dave] Underwood Connection?I recently found a photo of breaker boys on a site called "100 Photographs that Changed the World" by LIFE. My grandfather and G. Grandfather worked in the mines in PA and W.V. The 4th boy from the left, in the front row I believe is my grandfather. If you took my nephew, put him in those clothes, and smeared coal dust on his face, you would not be able to tell them apart. Even the way he stands to the look on his face (we call that the Underwood scowl, my dad had it, my son has it, and my granddaughter has it. In researching the picture, it was breaker boys from South Pittson, PA. If any one has any information on Clyde or Fred Underwood, I would be excited to hear from you at: kenginlaz@comcast.net. Thanks! Mining disaster 1911I live in the uk and have two family members with a date of death/ burial 13/5/1911. Can you tell me where I could find a list of miners killed in Throop disaster in 1911. My email is caroleh1@hotmail.com Mining disaster infoI would recommend contacting the following for starters: http://www.pioneertunnel.com/home.shtml After that, try the Pennsylvania Archives at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=2887&&leve... One other area is the Luzerne County website. http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county These people are an excellent resource at the Osterhout Library: http://www.osterhout.lib.pa.us/ Last but not least. Go here first: http://www.luzernecounty.com/links2.htm I do not think you will be too successful in your quest. I hope I have been somewhat helpful to you and not caused too much confusion. Good luck. Williams Coal MinerMy great-grandfather and great-uncle both died in a coal mining explosion near Scranton. I am not sure where though. My dad says it was before he was born, prior to 1928. He thinks it was in Taylor, PA. Anyone have any info on Williams? rcanfield4@yahoo.com Davis miners of Schuylkill Co. PAMy David ancestors were all coal miners from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Davis, my great-great-great grandfather, came from Wales as a small child. He married Ann Hanna and died in 1902. One of their sons, David David Davis [??] (my great-great grandfather), and Charles Garfield Davis (great grandfather) were miners. I don't know if at any point they spelled or changed their name from Davies to Davis. But there were so many Davis and Davies miners during that time. This was such a huge family with so many children from each generation and I know there were other John Davis'/Davies in the family. Do you have any further info about the family I could research and maybe help? Please email me, froggy3538@msn.com Lithuanians in the PA minesMy great grandfather and great-grandmother worked in the Scranton mines during the early 1990s [1890s? - Dave]. My grandmother was born in Scranton in 1915.I am interested in finding more info especially documentation of their existence. Their names were August and Anna Palukis. Have you found any similar info? My email address in barthra@utrc.utc.com Thanks Bob Barth from CT. Taylor Borough Mine Disaster 1907I now have more information regarding when and where my Great GF and Great Uncle were killed. It was the Holden Mine in Taylor Borough, PA. Any information would be great! rcanfield4@yahoo.com dot2lee@yahoo.com Hazelton MinesMy mother's father, Conrad Sandrock, worked the mines around Hazelton most of his life. They lived in a small town just out side of Hazelton called Hollywood. There were strip mines across the road when I was young (1950s and '60s). I always love looking at the pictures on this site and wondering if my grandfather worked with any of these men. I know I have never worked a day in my life that would compare to one day in these mines. I take my hat off to all the men who fed their families do this kind of work. Would love to see the average kid nowadays try that. G-Grandfather Lithuanian coal miner in Hazleton.Apparently my Lithuanian G-Grandfather was a coal miner in Hazleton, PA around 1900-1915. Haven't been able to find out much more information than that. Anyone know where I can find census records, by chance? Information pleaseMy great-grandfather immigrated from Hungary to work the coal mines at Derringer and Tomhicken circa 1887. I welcome any information you may have about how they were recruited, how they were transported from the port of entry to Tomhicken. The Pennsylvania Historical society record of Lucerne County said miners paid for a plot of land to bury their loved ones. My great-grandparents lost three of their children and I would like to locate where they are buried. Also I am interested in knowing if their deaths were recorded by the State of Pennsylvania or some other agency (Town, County) that existed at the time. Finally, I want to know of any stories that were written about the life that they and their families endured during this time. Please contact me at mtkotsay@gmail.com Thank you very much. [Your great-grandparents -- what were their names? - Dave] Taylor, PA, Coal Miner RelativesMy mother's family is from Taylor where her father, George Zigmont was a coal miner. They lived in a neighborhood called "The Patch." The houses were built on top of the mineshafts while they were digging the coal out underneath. Years later the abandoned shafts started caving in and the houses became unstable. The entire community was condemned and the homeowners forced to move. My grandfather, his daughter, my great-aunt (who owned Rudy's Bar at the top of 4th Street) and her daughter were among those who had to give up their homes and got virtually nothing for their property or houses. I believe this was in the 1960s or possibly early '70s. George's father, Anthony Zigmont, immigrated from Austria/Poland in 1893 and settled in Taylor. How did these immigrants wind up in Taylor from Ellis Island? Did someone direct them there? Did they already have relatives in the area? Was there a group who immigrated from the motherland and settled together in Taylor? If so, does anyone know where in Austria/Poland they came from? Slovakia, miners fromOne looks like my grandfather. Second row down on left in white shirt and tie. Mikula is last name. He came to PA mines after death of his father in mine accident. Also Mikula. GF left mines to work in auto plant in Detroit. Greenwood Colliery & drifts behind Birney Plaza, Pa.Information received. Immigrant coal minersMy grandfather immigrated from Slovakia and worked the coal mines in Coaldale, Pennsylvania. Does anyone know what year this might have been? My great-grandfatherMy great-grandfather was also a coal miner for Moffat Mines. His place of employment was near Taylor in Lackawanna County. I recently retraced his steps and wrote about it here. What a challenging life they led. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Mining)
The Great Reporter: 1942
... door is eulogy of news camera. At left are maps of the city and region for photographers' reference." Acetate negative by Marjory ... Since the NYT was a larger paper, located in the largest city in Country, I find it hard to believe that their "staff" only consisted of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/27/2023 - 12:42pm -

September 1942. "New York, New York. Photographic department of the New York Times newspaper. One of eight staff photographers returns to staff room after assignment. Over door is eulogy of news camera. At left are maps of the city and region for photographers' reference." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Eight Is Enough?I would have thought the NYT at that time would have had more then than eight staff photographers. [Photos in the Times came from staffers, freelancers and wire services. - Dave] Dave, while I agree that photos also came from, freelancers, UPI and AP wire services for all metropolitan newspapers, my father, Joe Kordick, at that time was one of over 25 staff photographers for the newly founded Chicago Sun. Since the NYT was a larger paper, located in the largest city in Country, I find it hard to believe that their "staff" only consisted of eight. [The Sun was a "picture newspaper." The "Gray Lady," as the name implies, was anything but. The NYT in-house newsletters from the 1940s list from seven to nine staff photographers. - Dave] A Wonderful LifeLooks like he's gonna count Zuzu's petals. Photo, far rightIs that Neville Chamberlain? Also, my dad, who flew torpedo bombers in WWII, said they had something like "The Great Reporter" over the door of the ready room on the aircraft carrier. But it said "I am the best damn aviator that ever flew." (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC)
Saturday in Florence: 1942
... Street View image is sadly not as interesting, though the City Cafe building and the building just to its left are both still standing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2023 - 8:49pm -

June 1942. "Florence, Alabama, Saturday afternoon." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. This pic is great!I love all the detail. It makes me wonder where everybody in the pic is today? Wonder where they were going? Love the contrast! Stop and GoTraffic lights sure have become more elaborate since then. You would have trouble getting such a clear shot at a big intersection like that these days without a bunch of poles and signals getting in your way. Majestic TheaterFrom Movie Theater Information: The Majestic opened Saturday, August 30, 1919, at 204 North Court Street next to the new First National Bank. It's not clear what was shown on opening day, but the primary advertisements announced a Paramount Artcraft Special -- a motion picture style show with living models called "That Well Dressed Look" for September 1 and 2. The theater seated 400. The last night of business seems to have been June 9, 1951. 1945/ 46 HudsonThe Hudson in the center of the photo is a 1945 or 1946. [Nope. It's a 1942 Hudson. - Dave] AwesomeWonderful scan . . .Bravo! Foy Isn't this great?Isn't this great? Women wore skirts, and you could drive a car called Hudson. 1942 HudsonIt seems to me that a 1942 Hudson would be a relatively rare beast. I realize that production and sales on the 1942s started in September 1941, but they'd still have a shortened production run once the government ordered a halt to new automotive production because of the war. [Total Hudson production for the 1942 model year was 40,661 cars. - Dave] Florence, AlabamaMy grandmother gave me a cast iron skillet (that had been her mother’s) that was made in Florence. Some of her family had moved from that area in the 1850s, and I’ve always wondered if that skillet is that old or not. Whatever the case, I made some cornbread in it the other night, so it's still working fine, however old it is. A Super pictureEven though WW II was raging, the picture show a gentle perhaps kinder time. People socializing, cars washed, traffic rules obeyed, clean streets, just great. Where did it all go? Bruce Saturday afternoon, Florence, AlabamaA much simpler time, what a fantastic picture. It could be a Norman Rockwell painting. Florence, Alabama This is my hometown and the hometown of my parents and grandparents. This picture had to have been taken from the old courthouse, which is long gone, but the buildings in the picture still exist! I wishI wish it looked that good today! I live less than a mile from where this was taken. I would love to see that many people walking and socializing on the sidewalks again. Looking for somethingI'm looking for an old pic of THIS area right here, only its older (I'd say late 1800's) it's b/w and shows horse troughs on the ground below where traffic lights now hang. Tennessee / Court street. Anyone know about it? if so: patrickseth81@yahoo.com Court & MobileThis is the corner of Court and Mobile in downtown Florence. The camera seems to be perched in the old Rogers Department Store building. The modern Street View image is sadly not as interesting, though the City Cafe building and the building just to its left are both still standing today. I was born and raised in Florence. It's a great place to live, and downtown has fared a lot better than many cities its size. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
Street View: 1908
... of friends and acquaintences who actually lived in the city as a child, had both sets of grandparents that lived there and until the ... frequently visited from the suburbs, and still go to the city for a variety of reasons (DIA, main library branch, Science Center, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:32pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1908. "Gratiot Avenue from Woodward." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My MotownI've lived in Detroit and Metro Detroit all but nine of my 48 years and have traveled extensively throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe and what continues to confound me about Detroit is that there is a fascination with newness and that anything old is of no use whatsoever. I am an exception in my wide group of friends and acquaintences who actually lived in the city as a child, had both sets of grandparents that lived there and until the early 70s when they all fled, frequently visited from the suburbs, and still go to the city for a variety of reasons (DIA, main library branch, Science Center, fireworks, etc.). Too many live in the outlying areas in their new homes and the furthest they drive is to their local Costco. I continue to remain optimistic about my great city. Man at WorkAll the rest of it is window dressing, this is actually a portrait of Sherm Podsnecker - Detroit Streets and Sewers Department. Chief Shoveler and Assistant Dirt Manager. Crack problemEvery time Detroit is featured, my heart breaks a little more. AnesthesiaInteresting how that arm and hammer is situated between the two "Painless Dentistry" parlors. City of Big Shoulders... on the ladies. I love the hat on the girl on the sidewalk on the left, with the two chip wings. Huge Original!What's amazing here is that the original full-size TIFF file is 157.3 MB -- even for the LOC, that's unusually big! The reason why is not obvious, and might be interesting. [Not that unusual. 157mb is the standard file size for full-res 16-bit tiffs of 8x10 negatives in the Detroit Publishing and Harris & Ewing Collections, where there are many thousands more. - Dave] Tunnel KingI believe that's Charles Bronson at lower center, emerging from one of the tunnels he dug during "The Great Escape." LooneyI look at the guy in the hole and can hear Bugs Bunny -- "I knew I shoulda made that left toin at Albuquerque!" The disappeared worldThis is an early portrait of Detroit's three great department stores. Kern's, here mysteriously missing the K on its sign. Crowley Milner, still under its original name of Pardridge & Blackwell at this time. And Hudson's, which would eventually come to take over its entire block and grow into the second largest department store in the country. All are now gone, along with every single building in this photo. Even the streetcars are long gone. HUO8OX8Finally worked it out: It reads HUDSONS from both sides when the lights are on. After that effort I needa lie down. Not even one brick left today.A former Detroiter, I was just downtown two weeks ago and I am continuously amazed at how things are changing. View Larger Map City LightsAll the details ... ah. The metal arm on the wall. The lady in the window. The huge hats. ... ah. The safety cone had yet to be inventedWhat they won't think of next! Chief ShovelerNotice that there are no safety cones, no nothing except the dirt he is digging out of the hole. If he doesn't get through by the end of the day, he will just put a "cannonball" torch on the top of the pile of dirt, pick up his tools and go home. The job will get finished tomorrow. Ah, for the simpler times! Their fine townIf these people who built Detroit into what it used to be could see it now they would roll over in their graves. I was down there just last month, and all I seen was the current local inhabitants standing around the smoldering ruins of what is left of the city and wondering who was going to feed them. Mighty Fine AlliterationAt the Detroit Dental Depot. Not so fastWhat a great shot, I cross near that (no longer existing?) intersection every Friday when we go to breakfast in Cadillac Square. The Compuware building is full, by the way, and downtown is actually busy these days. I work up on Broadway, and game days pack 'em in, but by Compuware there are sometimes maybe a thousand people (of the 4,000 workers in the building) wandering around there and down Woodward. Summer has finally arrived and Detroit (CBD, anyway) is bustling. No missing K here!The store is Ernst Kern Dry goods. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Manhattan: 102 Years Ago
... gives a nice overview of the kinds of facilities in the city including a map that shows an overall picture of where they were. ... - and I don't mean Superman's version! Steampunk City This image excellently represents the zenith of Steampunk USA -- look ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:55pm -

Manhattan circa 1908. "New York skyline." Part of an eleven-section panorama. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. White FlierFrom the pre-aviation era when "flier" meant fast ship. The Bunker Hill is an example of first quality American shipbuilding circa 1908. While "modern" in terms of amenities, ships of this time were not required to carry sufficient numbers of lifeboats for all people aboard. The Bunker Hill appears to be carrying four. Scheduled "White Flier" time for one-way passage between New York and Boston was 15 hours. ABC Pathfinder Railway Guide, 1912 Eastern Steamship Corporation All-the-Way-by-Water The Great Express White Steel Fliers Massachusetts and Bunker Hill. Splendid Steel Freight steamships are operated by the Metropolitan Line between Boston, Mass. and New York. The Massachusetts and Bunker Hill are notable examples of Modern Marine Architecture. Many of their staterooms are en suite, with connecting bath and toilet facilities. All staterooms are most attractively furnished, and equipped with the most modern sanitary fixtures. Inside staterooms are provided with electric fans. They are provided with a most attractive outside dining-room on the Main Deck, a Hurricane Deck Cafe; are equipped for the burning of oil as fuel, with Automatic Sprinkling Appliances, Wireless Telegraphy, Submarine Signal Service, and all other modern facilities to insures the Security and Comfort of passengers. All outside two-berth rooms, $2.00; Inside, $1.00. Electric Fans in inside room. More of the NYC navyIf you look to the left side of the picture, those boxy barges lettered for the New York Central are lighters used to service ships in other parts of the harbor besides at the railroad's own dock facilities. This page gives a nice overview of the kinds of facilities in the city including a map that shows an overall picture of where they were. Containerization finally killed this kind of transloading off in the early sixties when someone finally figured out that giving the stevedores two passes on the goods wasn't exactly labor-saving. Manhattan, 1908 on ShorpyAre you going to put up the other 10 sections of the panorama - they would be of great interest to Rail Marine modellers along with many others. [It's on Shorpy's to-do list! - Dave] The Flatiron's diminutive brotherwas the German-American Insurance Building, on Liberty Street. It is now Louise Nevelson Plaza. Read all about it. Re: Steampunk?Steampunk is fairly reasonable, but I see it more as "Metropolis" - and I don't mean Superman's version! Steampunk CityThis image excellently represents the zenith of Steampunk USA -- look at all the plumes rising from the soaring skyscrapers, and the stalwarts of steam power on the mighty river. A nation is coming into its own -- work is getting done. Regard with awe the rising Manhattan silhouette –- all correct angles forming the canyons that will forever define the island, with just the right amount of added artistic flair that decorum & modesty would allow. This is at the very moment prior to the time when noxious internal-combustion engine -- fueled by the devil's excrement -- began its century of degradation & domination. [It was filthy, sooty coal that made the steam. The air over New York is a lot cleaner now. - Dave] DazzlingThe former Bunker Hill in 1918. City Investing BuildingStanding shoulder to shoulder with the Singer Tower is the picturesque City Investing Building, designed by Francis H. Kimball and built 1906-1908. This view, which I've never seen before, shows how close together they really were. Sadly both were demolished together in 1968 to make way for the US Steel Building (now known as 1 Liberty Plaza). Had to happenThe day has finally arrived. I have been shorpyized, One look at this photo and I recognized the Singer building right away. Mother said there would be days like this. NYC TugboatsThe New York Central boats are tugboats. The NYC along with Jersey Central and I believe the B&0, all operated tugboats which were used to move their RR barges to and from New York City. South Street SeaportPier 16, along with the unseen Pier 17 out of the photo on the right, is now part of the South Street Seaport, so it's likely that many of the smaller buildings on the extreme right-hand side of the photo still survive! Pier 15 bit the dust at some point, though. All Too HumanYes. So many wonderful buildings, of which few we see here survive. This, however, to me, seems to be a view of humanity of a past time. A photo taken from the same spot today probably wouldn't give you the same feel. "Bizarre camouflage" on former Bunker HillThat type of ship camouflage was called a "dazzle pattern." It was widely used in WW I and also in WW II. Dazzle camouflage was meant to confuse attackers as to the ship's course and speed. It also confounded early range finders. OK I wanna see the whole panoramaCan someone stitch it together? [Have at it. - Dave] Camo aheadSteamship Bunker Hill apparently became USS Aroostook, a mine laying ship, in WWI. The naval historical center has an interesting series of photos of her. Some of the photos show a pretty bizarre camouflage pattern, too. S.S. Bunker HillNew England Steamship Co. was the New Haven Railroad's dominant marine operator and served the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from New Bedford. The Bunker Hill and others were overnight steamers to New England from New York. More Singer!Thanks for yet another great photo of the old Manhattan skyline with the Singer Building in it. What's that building?What's that Flatiron-looking building just to the left of Rogers & Pyatt Shellac? I wonder if it's still standing. 50 storiesThat Singer building dominated the skyline back in the day. Many buildings in NYC are 50 stories and over now, but it would be still be a very interesting landmark structure if it survived today. 1908 ShellackingFor best quality shellacking … Stubbs Buyers Directory for the Wholesale Drug, Chemical, and Allied Trades, 1918 Rogers & Pyatt Shellac Co. 79 Water St., New York. [Suppliers of:] Gum Copal Gum Kauei Gum Sandarac Horizontal vs verticalThe long white boat and its wake make a pleasing and flourishing contrast with all the vertical lines. Where would those "New York Central" boats have been going to/coming from? Do they connect with the railroad? Were they taking passengers across the river? Steampunk? Really?Hey I know the internet has to reuse the same old boring subculture buzzwords over and over again but stop misusing the term "steampunk." The Industrial Revolution wasn't about form over function. [So I suppose we could call you Anti Meme. - Dave] For Tim DavidOk, it's not quite perfect, but HERE is the full panorama. Aroostook ConversionBelow is a before/after image of the Bunker Hill/Aroostook refit. (Stitched from the above Shorpy post and the image at Wikipedia, flipped left-right.) Old NYCI love drawing old NYC and I love Shorpy. Check out my site for more. www.erosner.com ManhattaI bet Manahatta was given the nickname The Big Apple because of all the road apples on the streets. Come for the stunning architecture, run away gagging from the smell. What I'm learning from this phenomenal site are the minimal changes from Civil War customs and architecture up through the 1910s. Regardless of incredible inventions, social norms hardly shifted at all till WW1. Yes!I would also like to see the entire panorama. Even if bit by bit. Someone say Panorama?Sorry for a bit of a screw-up where the Harbor starts on the left side because Photoshop has a bit of a malfunction, but here's the full panorama. Enjoy! 9528x960 (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Nashua: 1908
... but WalletHub just named Nashua, New Hampshire, the safest city in America. The other nine in the top ten are Columbia, Maryland; South ... same study, South Burlington, Vermont (the third safest city), "also tied with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Salem, Oregon, Washington, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2023 - 3:43pm -

1908. "Main Street -- Nashua, New Hampshire." At right, offices of the Nashua Telegraph and Fletcher's Optical Parlors. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 1908 and 2017 PigeonsJust try to tell me pigeons aren't trash birds! Safe spaceMaybe you heard this already but WalletHub just named Nashua, New Hampshire, the safest city in America. The other nine in the top ten are Columbia, Maryland; South Burlington, Vermont; Gilbert, Arizona; Warwick, Rhode Island; Portland, Maine; Casper, Wyoming; Yonkers, New York; Burlington, Vermont; and Scottsdale, Arizona. According to the same study, South Burlington, Vermont (the third safest city), "also tied with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Salem, Oregon, Washington, D.C. and Seattle for the most hate crimes per capita." Uh oh. Maybe move to Burlington, Vermont -- less than three miles away and coming in at ninth on the safest city list. Or just stay put and take your chances. CLOUDS!I don't know if it was luck or some type of different exposure process, but it's rare to see a sky with clouds in these old photos. The cameras couldn't pick up the subtle shades and usually the skies appear completely white even though at the time they may have been overcast or partly cloudy. Because now you can bank onlineWorking left-to-right: JennyPennifer's comment caused me to pay special attention to the police officer walking his beat, just to the left of the wagon parked at the curb. He's dressed like a London Bobby. The four-story building with the curved front is, regrettably, gone. This likely happened when Main Street was straightened, and a newer bridge was built across the Nashua River. The Romanesque church at the end of the street is on the other side of the river. The building at right, which became a bank in jrpollo's update, is now luxury condos, called The Mint. Not to criticize too much, but my first efficiency apartment had more kitchen space. I guess the residents are expected to eat out. A number of nearby restaurants have expanded their al fresco option to include both the sidewalk and the parallel parking spaces in front of their restaurant. Straight and trueI lived in Nashua for 12 wonderful years and lived in the North End right off of Concord. This image did raise a question about the curved building a block from the river crossing. Any straightening alluded to earlier would have taken place much earlier in the 19th century... The Sanborn Insurance maps of 1912 indicate that Main Street and the bridge were already where they are today. But the curved building, identified as the Howard Block gracefully curved to widen the main street from the width of the bridge (I am guessing). Main Street really is three lanes wide in each direction... feels like an avenue in Manhattan. I am also grateful that the Library of Congress has these Sanborn maps...! Terrific detail about buildings and their particular use. Here is the link to that image: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3744nm.g3744nm_g053631912/?sp=32&r=0.517,0... Different process = CLOUDS!Eary photographic processes were primarily sensitive to only blue light. Numerous newer processes throughout the late 19th century added increases sensitivity into the greens and yellows resulting in what we now call orthochromatic materials. It wasn't until around 1906 that a truly panchromatic emulsion with full sensitivity to red was developed. This took several decades to become dominant. It wasn't until the panchromatic films and plates became available that we begin to see photos that can render skies anything other than nearly blank white. Orthochromatic materials remained in use for quite a while largely because you could develop them under a red safelight. Panchromatic materials required total darkness. [Here and here, some clouds from 1864! - Dave] Light grey/white clouds against a blue sky require a panchromatic emulsion, otherwise the clouds and sky reproduce nearly the same light grey. Only when the clouds are all grey and dark grey (think: storm clouds) will they reproduce on earlier orthchromatic or pure blue sensitive emulsions. Tea TimeThe Grand Union Tea Company delivery wagon in the Nashua photo made me curious. My local New Hampshire grocery store used to be a Grand Union. I found a brief history of the company here: https://oldmainartifacts.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/grand-union-tea-compan... (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Amex: 1910
... away from the Aseptic Barber Shop. Who can tell us what city we're in? View full size. Pacific Electric Building, Los Angeles ... It's Sixth Street, not State, but I have no idea what city. On state street that great street, I just want to say, they do ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:23pm -

Circa 1910. "American Express Co., Main and Sixth." Just steps away from the Aseptic Barber Shop. Who can tell us what city we're in? View full size. Pacific Electric Building, Los AngelesThis is the Pacific Electric Building (or Huntington Building) at 6th and Main in Los Angeles, California. You can see intertwined Ps and Es in the column capitals at the cornice. And, amazingly enough, still there! Main & SixthIt's Sixth Street, not State, but I have no idea what city. On state streetthat great street, I just want to say, they do things they don't do on Broadway. Chicago? [I goofed in typing "State." Should have been "Sixth." - Dave] It's the Huntington BuildingIt's the Huntington Building in Los Angeles. "W.M.Garland & Company" was the clue." Pacific Power and LightPortland? Amex 1910 locationThe lampposts ("5-Globe Llewelin") indicate downtown L.A., unless the design was used elsewhere. But I don't believe so. West CoastI would guess Los Angeles as there is a Pacific Light and Power sign on one of the windows in the building. Dual gauge in L.A.It's Los Angeles. The tipoff (for me at least) is the dual-gauge streetcar track -- 3'6" for the city streetcars of the Los Angeles Railway; standard gauge for the interurbans of the Pacific Electric. I'm going to guess Los AngelesWe're on S. Main Street. Pacific Light and Power Company in one of the windows is a clue we're on the west coast. The real clue are the offices of W. M. Garland Company Real Estate. Mr. Garland was a commercial developer in Los Angeles. He was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to Los Angeles in 1932. That's my final answer. Los AngelesI believe this is the old Pacific Electric building on Sixth and Main. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Electric_Building In Los AngelesThis is the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles. Lazy AnswerMy limited research leads me to guess that the city we're looking for is Kingston, New York. Still There Too!Here it is today. City Of AngelsDowntown Los Angeles. The actual building was called the Pacific Electric Building. AlohaI'm going to guess Honolulu based on the "Pacific Power and Light" sign in an upper window. That Toddling TownI gotta say it's Chicago. InterurbanPacific Electric Building in Los Angeles, CA American ExpressThat building, I believe, is the one on Broadway in NYC. Los AngelesI think this is L.A. Could it besunny Los Angeles? The Magic 8 Ball saysLos Angeles. My bet is on San FranciscoThis is obviously just a local branch office, and a window on an upper floor says "Pacific". And, the number of streetcars. Los AngelesCorner of W. Sixth and S. Main, Los Angeles. All three buildings still there. We are in Los AngelesSixth and Main, Los Angeles. That is the Edendale streetcar line. Los AngelesThe building is the Pacific Electric headquarters at 6th and Main, in Los Angeles. More here. Sitting downBet there isn't a bloke sitting on a stool in the intersection now. More importantWhy is there a man who appears to be holding a newspaper sitting on a chair in the middle of the street? Perhaps the officer is telling him to "move along now, nothing to see here." Trolleys left their markThe attachments where the various wires and cable were are still visible on the building. View Larger Map Follow the trolley toEdendale. AlwaysWonderful to know where you are! But who is that sitting on a stool, in the middle of the interesection, next to the policeman? And why? Pacific Electric Railway Terminal The National Magazine, 1908 The Huntington Interests The lines operated by the Los Angeles Railway Company, the Pacific Electric, the Los Angeles Inter-Urban Railway Company, the Los Angeles & Redondo Railway Company, The San Bernardino Valley Traction Company and the Riverside & Arlington Railway Company, which comprise the Huntington system, is undoubtedly the greatest system of street and inter-urban railways in the world. It consists of over 500 miles of standard gauge line, reaching from Alpine (Mount Lowe), a mile above the sea, to the south coast ocean resorts, and penetrates all the valleys in the beautiful country adjacent to Los Angeles. … The Pacific Electric Railway was the name adopted by the corporation managing the suburban electric lines of the Huntington system, Mr. Huntington having acquired the line to Pasadena and outlining the plan for an extensive system of suburban railways reaching out from Los Angeles in every direction. Since then there have been completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern California and to the thriving beach resorts tributary to Los Angeles as a center. … One of the most enduring monuments to his public spirit and enterprise is the mammoth Pacific Electric Building of Los Angeles, a building of nine stories, with eleven acres of floor space and which is the terminal station for the wonderfully perfect inter-urban system. This is the largest structure of its kind west of Chicago, and was completed in December, 1904. The American Architect and Building News, 1908 The Pacific Electric Building, and the Jonathan Club Roof Garden, Los Angles, Cal. The rooms and roof garden of the Jonathan Club, on the upper stories of the Pacific Electric Building, at Los Angeles, were an afterthought. At the time the external character of the building was determined by Mr. Thornton Fitzhugh, the architect, the contracts let and the construction work well advanced, no thought had been given to the adaptation of the upper floors for club purposes. This problem was therefore a most difficult one, not only because the changes involved were many and complicated, but owing to official dictation and limitations imposed, the result is one in many respects quite at variance with what would have been accomplished had the architect been allowed freer rein in his work. None the less the Pacific Electric Building presents characteristics that would entitle it to some measure of recognition if built in the largest cities. Its proportions for a city the size of Los Angeles are unusual and its equipment such as will meet every condition of a first-class office building. The building stands on a plot 285x211 feet, and is nine stories high. The total floor space is more than twelve acres, and exceeds in area the Broad Exchange Building in New York, which is 21 stories high. The structure was erected for the Pacific Electric Railway Co. The basement has a clear floor space of 58,000 feet and is designed for use as a freight depot. The main floor ceiling is thirty feet high, supported by cement columns. Through an opening sixty feet high, spanned by a cement girder eight feet deep, the cars enter the building. The upper stories from the second to the sixth inclusive are devoted to offices. There are ninety-nine offices on each floor, or a total of 594 in all. No office is less than twenty by fifteen feet, and they range in size to a maximum of sixty by thirty feet. All three still there!the building on the right looked very modern in 1910, all simple and light. Another vote for LAThe streetcar on the left side of the image says, "Edendale," which was a neighborhood in old Los Angeles. Imagine an LA with ..."completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern California and to the thriving beach resorts." I'll think of that during my commute. Familiar!It looks very much the same today, though I doubt the chap on the stool in the middle of Main Street would find his perch as comfortable today. Before the credit cardWhat was American Express' main line of business? [Express is short for "express mail." Express companies like Adams Express and American Express were businesses similar to UPS or FedEx, relying mostly on the railroads for speedy delivery. American Express specialized in services to travelers -- travelers checks and money orders. The window gives some clues. - Dave] The loneliest man in the worldI love it when a shot of an old building includes a person looking out a window. This one's a classic. You should see insideI worked on a couple of movies in the late '90s inside the abandoned Pacific Electric building. What an amazing space. I wandered all through the building and stumbled into what I was told was Huntington's private office -- awesome, massive, with unbelievable marble stairways. In "Gang Related" worked on one scene right around where the streetcar is shown here coming out of the garage. In the scene was Tupac Shakur, who appeared to be somewhat inebriated. It wasn't too much longer after that that he was murdered in Las Vegas. Yay LAIt's great to see a photograph of Los Angeles on Shorpy. I will have to take a look at this spot this weekend and stand at this corner. There's a great restaurant down the street on 4th and Main called Pete's with great Mac and Cheese. No Traffic ControlWow, no stop sign or anything. I also like the seat on the front of the trolley on Sixth. Does one pay extra to be out in front? 610 South MainIt is indeed the PE Building, later the Southern Pacific’s general offices in Los Angeles. I worked there in the late 1970's and early 1980's when the Red Cars were long gone and the street-level station was turned into a parking lot. Our disptaching office controlled traffic betweeb Yuma, AZ and Fresno /San Luis Obispo, CA. Downstairs it was interesting to park one's car next to marble-covered columns. Working rotating shifts I sometimes had to step over a local citizen or two sleeping on the sidewalk. The building closest to the viewer on the left was the Santa Fe's offices and across the street out of view to the right was the Continental Trailways bus depot. The top floors of the PE building housed a handsome two-storey atrium - perhaps Mr Huntingdon's offices. We had a “Watch Inspector” (a man who sold and serviced approved railroad timepieces) in the building and I bought a Ball Trainmaster wristwatch from him for about $120. Years later it cost that much just to have it cleaned. Understand the neighborhood is much nicer now and this building is a condominium. StillWanna know what's up with the seated person in the middle of the intersection! (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles, Streetcars)
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