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Fish Story: 1950
I once caught a fish almost as long as I was tall. Year -- probably 1950. I'm not sure of the ... 
 
Posted by mpcdsp - 10/11/2013 - 7:13pm -

I once caught a fish almost as long as I was tall. Year -- probably 1950. I'm not sure of the lake, except that it was one of Minnesota's 10,000. I can't explain the pants I am wearing. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Fish Harbor: 1933
Los Angeles, October 1933. "Boat repair ship at Fish Harbor." View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 01/15/2016 - 7:26pm -

Los Angeles, October 1933. "Boat repair ship at Fish Harbor." View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Stuyvesant Dock Terminal: 1900
... Freighters Total Tonnage: 239,720 Honoring Mr. Fish The Stuyvesant Dock Terminal was named for Stuyvesant Fish (1851-1923), President of the Illinois Central Railroad, presumably ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:01pm -

Louisiana circa 1900. "Stuyvesant elevators, docks, R.R. terminal at New Orleans." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Harrison Line, LiverpoolAccording to a German/Weimar Cigarette card book "Lloyd Reederei-Flaggen der Welt-Handelsflotte" published by the Martin Brinkmann AG Zigarettenfabrik circa 1933, the flag represents the Harrison Line, Liverpool (Charente Steamship Co., Ltd.) The flag is a red Maltese cross on a white background. Working in: England to the West Indies, Gulf ports and Mexico, Brazil, and Africa Operating: 42 Cargo boats with small cabins 2 Passenger Freighters Total Tonnage: 239,720 Honoring Mr. FishThe Stuyvesant Dock Terminal was named for Stuyvesant Fish (1851-1923), President of the Illinois Central Railroad, presumably because not even he was happy with the idea of calling it the Fish Dock Terminal. The opening of the terminal was a great leap forward for the New Orleans and Louisiana economies, and it was dedicated with "imposing ceremonies" conducted by Governor Murphy J. Foster and Mayor Walter C. Flower, on November 4, 1896, and with remarks by Mr. Fish on behalf of the railroad company. According to the New York Times (10-26-1896), "The construction of these docks is the beginning of a great effort that the railroad will make to bring European shipments via [New Orleans] for Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and all Western cities. The wharfage will be absolutely free to all steamers landing at the docks with interior freight for shipment by the Illinois Central Railroad, and such a saving in port charges, it is believed, will bring a great body of traffic this way." Pristine tracks and locomotiveWhat really stands out to me in this photograph is the pristine condition of the yard tracks and the 0-6-0 that is hard at work. In 1900, stub switches were still in vogue in the South and West, as was unballasted track. The frog switches show that the Illinois Central was dedicated to being a truly modern railroad, as willc's research shows. I'm fascinated by the shiny boiler jacket and controls in the locomotive's cab, I suppose the same crew ran this locomotive daily or the engine terminal really spent some time on cleaning every night. I can assure that my local Canadian National/Illinois Central yard is being switched by a diesel that is no where as clean as this little teakettle! And in 1905Disaster strikes. History repeatingThe Stuyvesant Docks were on the Mississippi between Louisiana and Napoleon Avenues, stretching for twelve blocks before they burned in 1905. If you google that area today, you can still see the footprint of the massive railyard and the skeletal remains of the docks which burned again just a few years ago. Backward CompatibillityThe slot and hole in the knuckle of the switcher's coupler are there to accommodate a link and pin, if a car with the just recently obsoleted (and dangerous) link and pin coupler needs to be moved. You can still see these coupler modifications on a few museum engines. Dead or AliveThere isn't a man dead or alive who wouldn't jump up and sit on that tender next to the sign "Keep Off" because that's the way we are wired. Gotta love us… Where in the world?Can anyone identify the flag atop the ship mast? It looks like a Maltese cross, but a quick search turned up no such flag. Shipping Company House FlagsMost commercial shipping companies had house flags that were flown from the highest mast, at least in port. There were hundreds of designs, only a portion of which were recorded in registers. I didn't find a plausible match online for the flag seen here, but found several similar designs in the 1912 edition of "Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels," a sample from which is seen here to illustrate the idea. Colorized versionI colorized a major portion of this photo. Please look here and list any comments you may have. Thanks.. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Something Fishy: 1906
Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Drying fish." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lots of salt I expect that the fish is heavily salted which should keep the sea gulls and bugs away. They ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 4:23pm -

Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Drying fish." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lots of saltI expect that the fish is heavily salted which should keep the sea gulls and bugs away. They should dry quickly so as to miss the rain. Salt CodThink they are drying cod which we see as salt cod around New York, for some reason. Never had it and probably never will. During the 1930's depressionMaritimers sent dried cod to the people on the Canadian prairies and there were reports that they used them as shingles on their outbuildings and tried to cook the salt cod without soaking out the salt. Cod of Our FathersI presume that these were codfish. They were very plentiful off New England in the early part of the 20th century. They were heavily salted first in brine and then liberally sprinkled with rock salt to aid in the drying process. The brine and salt combination tended embalm the fish. Even today you can get salt cod. You need to soak it overnight with multiple changes of water to get the salt out. Lord of the FliesWhat keeps the flies and other bugs from infesting these fish? I'm surprisedNo sea gulls. Would have expected there would be massive problems with birds with the fish laid out like that. Check those barometersThey must have a contingency plan in case of rain, right? Please tell me they have a plan or else I may not sleep tonight. ProcessingDid they salt the fish before putting it out to dry? As someone else posted, how did they keep the flies off the drying fish? The process worked but how did they adjust for humid days? I just never did consider the process of drying fish. Too many questions but not enough answers. I'm lost. A Simple SolutionThe seagulls are all off to one side, on their own drying racks. Nuoc MamWhen I took my all expenses paid "vacation" to Vietnam in the Sixties, this was a common sight near the villages and much of the overripe fish was used to make a very pungent fermented fish sauce known as "nuoc mam". The odor was extremely unpleasant, at least to my "western" nose, and so strong that you could tell you were nearing a village just by the smell. The Vietnamese used it for a dipping sauce, or like ketchup. I still shudder at the thought of it. Perfect Sunny DayFlies and seagulls? Are we not Gloucestermen? Gloucester Flake Yard Preparation of the cod and other salt fish for the market, 1911 Drying The fish are dried on flakes and the drying yard is known as the flake yard. The flake consists of a lattice bed about 8 feet wide, 30 inches high, and as long as the requirements may demand. The lattice used on this bed is made of triangular strips 1 inch on the base, and these are placed about 3 inches apart. The fish therefore rest upon a sharp edge about every 4 inches. This is for the purpose of giving the maximum circulation of air about the fish. … The flake yards are located near the fish factory. Formerly they were all placed on the ground, sometimes near a street, but the practice has changed, and they are now found above the butt sheds or other buildings, thus avoiding the dirt and dust which might be distributed by passing vehicles. Some of the flake yards are built over the water. At regular intervals along the flakes, crosspieces are provided over which to stretch a canvas to protect the fish from sunburn during hot weather. Boxes or coops are also provided to cover the fish during rains and at night, the tops of the boxes being pitched to shed the water. These flake boxes are about 38 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 14 inches high, and will cover from 20 to 40 fish; during the day they are pushed under the flakes. Salt CodMy guess is salting would stop the bugs/fly larvae infesting them before they'd dried, but I'm not sure whether that'd prevent birds - do birds eat salted fish, or would they learn to stay away? Salt BankersGloucester fishing schooners (and "sloop-boats") -- you can see both types in the background of the picture -- are called salt bankers for good reason. After the dorymen caught the fish with longlines, they were filleted and salted the same day and stowed in the hold with layers of salt separating layers of fish for the run back to harbor. A schooner would stay out for several days or weeks; a sloop-boat usually did not stay out overnight. There's a dory tied up to the schooner in the left background. With all that salt in it, gulls and bugs may not have shown much interest in the drying fish. On a recent trip to St. John's, Newfoundland, I found drying racks set up in residential areas and on part of the waterfront. Plastic bags were tied to clotheslines stretched above the racks and I think their fluttering in the wind was enough to deter gulls who hadn't tasted the salt fish yet. The drying fish had no detectable smell at a reasonable distance. Oooh, That SmellI can smell it from here, in distance and time. DelicacySalt cod goes for up to $25 a pound and is considered to be quite the yummy treat by many. Others, however, say it's stinky and impossible to debone. Mental pictureI recently finished reading "The Hearth and the Eagle" by Anya Seton. It takes place in Marbleheadand describes the early days of the fishing trade there. Now I see what the fish flakes look like. They sleep with the fishesThis is truly one photo where you can honestly say, "They're all dead now." Bacalhau -- yummySun-dried salted codfish is the Portuguese national fish, it's called there "bacalhau". Portugal has, by far, the highest yearly consumption of sun-dried salted codfish per capita, worldwide. However, the most of it nowadays comes from Norway. As a matter of fact, Portugal consumes 20 percent of the worldwide codfish catch every year. Portugal has a population of just 10.5 million! There are more than 1,300 different bacalhau recipes known. Even the typical Christmas eve food, is, you guessed it, bacalhau. If you want want to surprise yourself, go and visit the next Portuguese restaurant near you and ask for bacalhau. I am sure you won't ever forget the delicious taste of a well-made bacalhau. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Telephone Rockfish: 1928
... gift cards for exceptional performance. We stopped giving fish back in the '60s. It's no mystery It's the first "Take your ... done. "Pass the bass" Recognized that fish as a striped bass and learned from Shorpy that it indeed falls under the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:10am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1928. "Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. cafeteria showing presentation of rockfish." A caption that raises more questions than it answers. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. How Things Have ChangedInstead of rockfish, my company gives gift cards for exceptional performance. We stopped giving fish back in the '60s. It's no mysteryIt's the first "Take your pet to work" day. Double Image of LightsCan anyone explain why the light fixtures on the ceilings appear to have a double image? [The camera moved before or after the flash was ignited. - Dave] Paging Mr. CleeseThere is something distinctly Pythonesque about this scenario. Dialogue, anyone? Cook ThisAnd bring it to my table when it's done. "Pass the bass" Recognized that fish as a striped bass and learned from Shorpy that it indeed falls under the larger category of rockfish. By the way, that is a small one as they can reach up to 100 pounds and commonly are caught in the 40-50 pound range. This fish has expiredIt has ceased to be. It is no more. I'll have this oneOn whole wheat, please. With some mayo and lettuce. Thanks. Take it back.I distinctly remember ordering a raw steak! Does this look like steak? P.S. If this photo says anything, it says Fark me. Something completely differentNarrator: Myron P. Heggles, representing the Ministry of Silly Woks, presents the Punctual Cafeteria Lady of the Year award to Clarice Munt of Beldesfere honoring her perfect record of leaving work on time. Rockfish: What time is dinner? I'm starving. Stop me if you've heard this oneMan goes into a cafeteria with a rockfish under his arm. "Do you sell fish cakes here?" No, says the waitress. "That's a shame, it's his birthday." A new Shorpy servicePre-Farked for your viewing amusement. Rimshot pleaseIs that a 32-inch rockfish in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
Country Store: 1940
... [Or could it be a light bulb? - Dave] Going to Fish Creek There are some misspellings on the sign showing locations in ... a copper mining town near Globe. The most interesting is Fish Creek, along Arizona Route 88 (called the Apache Trail) from Apache ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2020 - 3:26pm -

June 1940. "Mr. Keele, merchant and president of the Farm Bureau, in front of the general store. Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Where the sidewalk endsIn a more litigious time, the boards constituting a walkway outside the store would be an ambulance chaser's dream. Have a nice trip! See you next fall. Now lawyer up. Amarrilla by morningup from Pie Town. I hope somewhere in the world there are places still this simple and quaint. TobaccoThis sure makes me glad I stopped smoking. Lowering the Boom"Dammit Jenkins, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: keep that boom mic OUT of the frame!" While this is probably just a furtive finial, it's important to keep Jenkins on his toes! [Or could it be a light bulb? - Dave] Going to Fish CreekThere are some misspellings on the sign showing locations in Arizona. McNarry should be McNary, and Miama should be Miami, a copper mining town near Globe. The most interesting is Fish Creek, along Arizona Route 88 (called the Apache Trail) from Apache Junction to the Roosevelt Dam. It's mostly known for the white knuckle drive on a precipitously narrow dirt road down Fish Creek Hill. When I moved to the area 40 years ago, driving down Fish Creek Hill was considered a rite of passage for greenhorns! Here's a nice picture of the road in the area of Fish Creek: Daniel Fahrenheit's InventionMercury reads around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Long pants and long sleeves optional. Hat required. Open 24 hours?Where is the door?? [The doors are open. - Dave] Country Store colorizedClick here to watch Jordan J. Lloyd colorize the photograph taken a few moments earlier (?), from start to finish. In the past I did some colorizing of Shorpy pictures myself, e.g. this or this, but having seen this pro at work, I think I better quit, or learn it myself of course, I would like to, I admit. Pie Town is still a great placeIt's well worth the drive off I-25 in Socorro, past the VLA telescopes, thru Datil (great general store/restaurant), to the Pie-O-Neer cafe, which opens at 11:30 am. Fabulous pie, terrific people! A few old buildings are still standing; don't know if any of them have been shown in this series. Las Vagas?That's 281 miles to New Mexico's Las Vegas. Nevada's is 500 miles. But neither is spelled "Vagas," and the longer the drive, the more numb one's vagus. Seventeen ads for tobacco productsBut only two are for “tailor mades.” Folks round those parts chaw plug or leaf, puff a pipe, or roll their own. (The Gallery, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Big Fish: 1949
My mother, Helen Freeman, and my cousin Bob in 1949 at the family cottage, Gloucester Pool, Ontario near Port Severn. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by pammydale - 02/08/2013 - 8:48pm -

My mother, Helen Freeman, and my cousin Bob in 1949 at the family cottage, Gloucester Pool, Ontario near Port Severn. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Cereal Shiller: 1952
... actor, often played a snooty yet kindly butler. He had a fish and chips business for a while. Fish & Chips! Looks like Arthur Treacher to me. Arthur Treacher ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2013 - 12:23pm -

        UPDATE: The Shorpy commentariat lost no time in identifying the butler as actor-restaurateur Arthur Treacher. New York, 1952. "Martha Raye rehearsing skits for her television show; in dress rehearsal; includes shots of cameras, sound equipment and sets." The All-Star Revue host with her cigarette and sponsor's cereals. Photo by Charlotte Brooks for the Look magazine article "Perpetual Commotion." View full size. The ManArthur Treacher. The Big MouthI remember her from Polident commercials, and an occasional variety show cameo when I was growing up. "Take it from the big mouth". Mart & ArtI remember seeing Arthur Treacher as a frequent guest on Merv Griffin's show. Guest spottedLooks like the man may have been Arthur Treacher. Great character actor, often played a snooty yet kindly butler. He had a fish and chips business for a while. Fish & Chips!Looks like Arthur Treacher to me. Arthur TreacherProbably best remembered as the policeman on the telephone at the end of Mary Poppins when Mr Banks returns home after being fired. No CalArthur Treacher was the Ed McMahon sidekick to Merv Griffin on his late night TV show. He was with Griffin from 1965 to 1970. When the show was moved to Los Angeles, Treacher declined to go, saying he was too old to live any place that shakes. John Wayne?Looks like John Wayne. [It's Arthur Treacher in a sketch called "The Butler," broadcast May 24, 1952. - Dave] Arthur TreacherMr. Treacher was not a "frequent guest" on the Merv Griffin show -- he was the announcer. I never knewI did nto know that Martha Raye had such nice-looking legs. Hubba, hubba! WHO CARES?JUST WANT TO LODGE MY PROTEST THAT THE 1950S 1ND 1960S ARE NOT 100 YEARS AGO YET! TV and Look Mag. are less and less interesting the more I see of them. (especially LOOK with its staged faked shots of celebrities of the time.Not a glorious time in media. OLD towns, cities, countrysides, and people get more interesting the more I see of them. Lou. RIP to a PatriotMartha Raye's exemplary service to the Army - including trips to Vietnam to entertain the Green Berets - earned her a funeral with military honors. Raye, who died in Los Angeles at age 78, requested several years [earlier] to be buried at Fort Bragg, home of the Green Berets. [S]he was to get her wish after a ceremony with a flag-draped casket and military pallbearers. Raye entertained troops in Vietnam for nine straight years, four months a year, spending much of the time with isolated Special Forces detachments in camps all over the country. Normally, only active duty and retired Army personnel are buried on post, but the Defense Department granted an exception for Raye, who was made an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Special Forces in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. http://www.vietnamexp.com/morestories/MarthaRaye.htm Learn something new every day!I grew up eating Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips in the '70s and to this day had no idea it was started by an actor. I've always assumed Arthur Treacher was a pirate (fictional or otherwise), like his competition at Long John Silver's. I remember being very disappointed when the local Arthur Treacher's closed down, and I had to start eating fish that was actually good for me. I'm pretty sure a lot of us care.That would include a substantial number of regular Shorpy viewers and the people who continue to provide us with interesting and varied images day after day, absolutely free of charge. When I encounter a picture that doesn't necessarily interest me, I move on to the next one. I guess an ALL-CAPS DIATRIBE would be another option. Count me as oneNot only do I remember watching Martha Raye on TV when I was a little guy in the 1950s, but I had the pleasure of meeting her while flying aboard a C-130 during one of her many trips to Vietnam. Weird thing to go CAPSLOCK aboutI was 16 months old when the '60s ended, and I'm not a kid. I'll be 45 in August. My first memory of what year it was is when my dad put on the '71 license plates (back then, you got a new set every year in many states, including Texas). I remember the '70s in fits and starts, and the '80s pretty well, and I am interested in looking at any well-crafted photo, but particularly any before the digital age, when we all began to snap with wild abandon, knowing we weren't paying for film and processing. I'm with TimG on Arthur Treacher. I had no idea he was a real person, and actually did think he was a fictional pirate. I see an analogy to Chuck Taylor, whose eponymous footwear became a cult item to punk rockers and other misfits in the '80s and '90s, including yours truly. We assumed he must have been a famous athlete, back in the days before the Converse All-Star was obsolesced in professional basketball, but to us he could just as easily have been invented by some marketing department. But now, in the Age of Google and Wikipedia, we know. (LOOK, TV)
The Swingers: 1909
April 2, 1909. "Playground at Hamilton Fish Park." New York, New York -- it's a toddler town. 5x7 inch glass negative, ... a swing like that, or plans for making them! Famous Fish Folks Hamilton Fish (1808 - 1893) had a long political career as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2014 - 2:33pm -

April 2, 1909. "Playground at Hamilton Fish Park." New York, New York -- it's a toddler town. 5x7 inch glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. What great swings!I'd give a lot to be able to buy a swing like that, or plans for making them! Famous Fish FolksHamilton Fish (1808 - 1893) had a long political career as governor of New York, senator, and most notably as U.S. Secretary of State during the Grant administration. His descendants remained active in politics for generations, with his great-grandson Hamilton IV serving in Congress until shortly before his death in 1996 and his great-great-grandson Hamilton V being the current publisher of the influential political magazine The Washington Spectator. One of Hamilton's ancestors was a prominent New York businessman who had one of the best names ever: Preserved Fish. Alas, the moniker had nothing to do with keeping seafood fresh, instead referring to being preserved from sin. On his mother's side, Hamilton Fish also was descended from Peter Stuyvesant, which is pretty much as far back in New York history as you could go. Hamilton Fish Park is still going strong on the formerly skanky but now trendy Lower East Side. None of the buildings seen in the background remain today. Based on the shadows the view is in a generally northern direction, and the buildings would have been demolished when the city widened Houston Street in the 1930's for the IND subway. Photography CSIFirst-hand evidence that there were photographic emulsions sensitive enough for motion-freezing exposure times in existence in 1909. Baby swings!When I was a kid (1950s), there were two kinds of swings on all the playgrounds - "baby swings" like these that had the wooden arms and back and "big kid" swings, which were just a board on chains. Looks like mamas and big sister doing the pushing. Great photo! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Kids, NYC)
What's Going On Here?
... baskets. Maybe off the Georgia coast?? Circa 1890's?? Fish Net They're weaving a huge fish net starting from right and going towards left - having water making it ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2011 - 11:10pm -

A Shorpy tip of the hat to the first person who can tell us what's going on in this circa 1900 photo. (UPDATE: Click here for the answer.) View full size. Building dykesFor me here in the Netherlands it is obvious what is going on in this photo: The man are weaving the branches of young trees to make a protective structure that is used to enhance the strength of a dyke to keep the high water out. My GuessSeems we're somewhere way down south, bundling sugar cane and loading it on a barge to send to market. Do I have a winner? What they're doingIt appears that the work crew is weaving a shore-protection mat to prevent erosion on a levee. Probably along the Mississippi somewhere. Harvesting sea grass??I would guess they are harvesting some sort of sea grass to use for weaving baskets. Maybe off the Georgia coast?? Circa 1890's?? Fish NetThey're weaving a huge fish net starting from right and going towards left - having water making it stronger in the long run as well? Who knows. Willow WeaversThey're building a willow mat to control the Mississipi river. More pictures of the process here: http://wiki.cincinnatilibrary.org/index.php/River_Construction The photo at the very bottom shows a completed mat that looks a lot like the one being constructed here. RevetmentThey're weaving a mat or "revetment" to stabilize the bottom or shoreline of a lake or river. Dikes were often built on top of revetments like this. Example: http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/eng/ci/concrete.asp DingdingdingWe have a winner! It took only 29 minutes for Dirck the Noorman to come up with the magic word, "revetment." And only 10 minutes for Tom in Denver to hit on the general idea. Original caption for this Detroit Publishing image: "Cambridge, Missouri. Revetment work on the Missouri River. Weaving the mat." After the mat is woven and sunk, it's paved with stones. Someone call Mike Rowe!!Amazing! I know what it is because an episode of Dirty Jobs featured people STILL doing this very thing to rivers today. Other possibilitiesNah, I still think it's a really large placemat. God, I love this siteAnd its commenters as well! Thanks, guys. I had never heard of "revetment." Mr de Kam. are trees and branches still used this way in the Netherlands, or have the Dutch moved on to other materials? (The Gallery, DPC)
Lake of the Woods: 1952
... diagonally. His mom must love him. Teach a man to fish He looks like a guide who knew more than where to find fish. Wonderful keepsake this is of a time and place, and a kind of ... 
 
Posted by SynapticCleft - 09/19/2011 - 8:34pm -

My grandfather took this with his Speed Graphic 4x5. This was his and my dad's fishing guide eating his lunch on the shores of Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada, circa 1952. View full size. No FrillsLunch is six slices of bread and a cup of coffee, and as for dinner, you have to catch it. LunchThat stack of bread appears more to be three sandwiches. Notice that there is just enough space between some of them to indicate a filling AND the sandwiches are cut diagonally. His mom must love him. Teach a man to fishHe looks like a guide who knew more than where to find fish. Wonderful keepsake this is of a time and place, and a kind of independence that is pretty rare. Incredible PhotoThis is the type of photo that large format and fine-grain black and white film is made for. The detail and clarity is fantastic. It is almost as if being there looking live at the scene would not have seemed more lifelike. And I didn't know Abraham Lincoln lived into the 1950's. Packable Wonder BreadI knew an old outfitter in the Quetico wilderness preserve in western Ontario who always loved to pack Wonder Bread for his clients. He would mash it into flat little slabs about two inches thick and then told the intrepid canoeists to give it some time to expand again before eating. Delicious, light weight, and nutrition free! Cut-RiteFor me, waxed paper usually meant egg salad sandwiches. When is the last time you had a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper? Native CanadianMississauga (Ojibwe) native guide. OnigamingMost First Nations folks in the Lake of the Woods Area belong to one of several Anishinaabe (Saulteaux-Ojibwe) nations, the largest being the Onigaming. The GuideSomething tells me they caught lots of fish. This man's wifemust go through a LOT of bread. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Portraits)
Police Raid: 1925
... Couldn't even do that in a movie house. Saturday nite fish fry When I look at this picture, I can't help but hear Louis Jordan and his orchestra singing about the fish fry getting raided! Old D. C. I've always heard that Washington was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:19pm -

January 31, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Police raid on gamblers' den. E Street between 12 and 13th." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Where are the newshounds?Nobody tipped off the press? You'd think there'd be a few Speed Graphics popping away at that Jazz Age perp walk. [Who do you think took this photo? - Dave] Call my lawyerLooks like the Kingfish, Andy and other members of the Knights of the Mystic Sea are in big trouble. How convenientYou could launder your winnings next door. ShowtimeThe onlookers seem to be enjoying this immensely. Probably thinking "There but for the grace of God or throw of the dice go I." Delco-Light?Strange to see a "Sales Branch" in a major city, since the Delco 32-volt battery-charging generator catered to a rural market. The New Deal's REA finally put an end to that business in the late '40s. [The store sold refrigerators, not generators. Frigidaire was a subsidiary of Delco-Light. - Dave] There'll be standing room onlyin that paddy wagon. You Missed Me!Looks like the guy in the second floor window is taking one more look before his getaway. Thoroughly integratedShoulder to shoulder, blacks and whites enjoying the spectacle together. Couldn't even do that in a movie house. Saturday nite fish fryWhen I look at this picture, I can't help but hear Louis Jordan and his orchestra singing about the fish fry getting raided! Old D. C.I've always heard that Washington was thoroughly Southern and segregated, but the folks in this scene seem to be mixing without much regard to race, and everyone appears to be equally well-off, as far as clothes are concerned. Frozen assetsGeneral Motors entered the refrigerator business at the start of WWI, anticipating that the government might ban the private ownership of automobiles as an austerity measure during the war. There is an interesting discussion of this in Alfred P. Sloan's classic "My Years with General Motors." Quick Lunch PlusWith your lunch, just deserts are served. The other showDespite the big show on the sidewalk, several people in the crowd are obviously focused on the photographer. Makes you wonder if he was hanging out of a window too. More Fugitives?It looks like there may be even more culprits that escaped the dragnet. Look behind the door of the Delco building, the second story window of the Delco building and possibly peeking around the column of the Cohen Hughes building. Luck be a lady!Nicely-Nicely and good old reliable Nathan, 20 years earlier: "If the size of your bundle you want to increase, he'll arrange that you'll go broke in quiet and peace." And, most appropriate since it's in a lunchroom: "There's and awful lot of lettuce for the fellow who can get us there." Jail His A*sThere's one guy in the picture without a hat, arrest him, he's the culprit. LurkersIt's really hilarious, the four guys hiding out to the left. There a shady character in the door, someone in the window above, the somewhat obvious guy standing on the ledge and then the guy hiding behind the column. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
The Wallflowers: 1943
... boys in the armed forces, six children altogether. He is a fish skinner in the Gorton-Pew fishery." Photo by Gordon Parks, Office of War ... with her in front of a farmhouse? Please, no more fish Writing as one who has "skinned" few to no fish and based on appearance ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2014 - 4:40pm -

June 1943. "Gloucester, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lopez. They have two boys in the armed forces, six children altogether. He is a fish skinner in the Gorton-Pew fishery." Photo by Gordon Parks, Office of War Information. View full size. Grant WoodPlease call the office! Pitchfork?Shouldn't he be holding a pitchfork and standing with her in front of a farmhouse? Please, no more fishWriting as one who has "skinned" few to no fish and based on appearance alone; It would appear the good Mr. Lopez has skinned enough fish for one lifetime. Perfect married coupleAs equals facing life together. As it was always meant to be. Yep. Grant Wood.I see I'm not the only guy that immediately thought of Grant Wood's American Gothic. I'm from the GovernmentAnd I'm here to take your picture. Below, photographer Gordon Parks. Floral ambienceThat's the sort of wallpaper that killed Oscar Wilde (The Gallery, Gordon Parks, Portraits)
Super Giant: 1964
... counter. One Dill, one Half-Sour. Good pickles, and great fish. The fish department has always been a source of pride for Giant. Of course this was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2008 - 6:35am -

1964. The Super Giant supermarket in Rockville, Maryland. Color transparency by John Dominis, Life magazine photo archive. View full size. Twins?Look at the two ladies above checkout #7 and #8. They could be twins .. at least sisters. I love this photo ... there is so much to see! Funny how the Clorox label has not changed. That's good branding! Plaid ElephantDidn't that fellow come from the Island of Misfit Toys? Nice to see him or her gainfully employed. Credit cards?Are them Credit Card Imprinters on the registers? I didn't think grocery stores took credit cards until the late 80's. [The imprinters would be for charge cards, which for gas stations, grocery stores and other retailers go back at least to the 1950s and the era of the Charga-Plate. Charge accounts go back even farther, to the early days of retailing. Below: Artwork from a 1966 newspaper ad. What goes back to the late 80s is using bank-issued credit cards as an everyday substitute for cash, as opposed to merchant charge accounts, which generally had to be paid in full at the end of the month. - Dave] How little has changedIt's funny how things haven't changed. some of the equipment looks antiquated, but the whole checkout process is still the same. Little detailsLook closely at the rack at the checkout. One thing that stands out for me is razor blades. Lots and lots of razor blades. Now you're lucky if you even find them buried in among the 3-, 5-, 19-blade razors. (Don't even look for a safety razor today. I've tried 10 different stores here, no luck.) Next, just above the Lane 5 sign is a Brach's candy bin. Looks like the good folks at Time-Life have photoshopped the LIFE logo onto the bin. Anyone back me up on this? [That's not "photoshopped." It says "As advertised in LIFE." Often seen on product displays back in the Olden Days. - Dave] GeeSure were a lot of Caucasians back in 1964. Paper or plastic?It was at a Giant supermarket in suburban Washington in 1983 that I was first asked by the cashier "paper or plastic?" At first I was confused, thinking that she was asking me whether I wanted to pay with paper money or a credit card.... Keep GoingOh my great good God. I've never wanted a picture to "keep going" more than this one! I wish they had invented 360 degree viewing back then. AMAZING!! The good old daysI worked in a grocery store similar to this. Same cash registers. Brings back a lot of memories. Life Sure Got CasualComparing the turn-of-the-century pictures with this one shows the remarkable change in American public attire. The fellow writing the check in the right foreground might have been arrested for public indecency in earlier Shorpy Land. Didn't see too many men in short pants in 1905 stores. Deja VuI'm amazed at the number of products which are still instantly recognizable today. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for those prices! Check out the checkoutI can only imagine how long it took to get through the checkout line in the days before bar code scanners. It looks like the cashiers had to consult that notepad they all have propped up against their registers. Random musingsThose elephants are, like, crazy! People were thinner back then. The Clorox label hasn't changed a bit. Curious that the checkout ladies visible are all men. It's too bad we can't see the tabloid racks at the checkout stands. I just know there's a juicy headline on the Enquirer. Wow!I work about two miles from Rockville. Does anyone know the address of this store? Is it still there. This site is unbelievable... The ViewWhat strikes me about this is no one in view is morbidly obese. Look at the kid...... eyeballing that open Brach's candy display. Those are almost unchanged from than till now. I wonder if he copped a "sample"? CheckersThe checkers, the ones shown at least, are all male. This was once a well paid and somewhat skilled job if only for the sharp memory and hand-eye coordination. The gaudy merchandising hasn't changed much in 44 years but the checkout experience? Well, what do you all think , better or worse? Convenient beer & wineAt least in the late 70s, Marylanders learned to spot Super Giants, because through some complicated shift of definition (like SUVs = trucks), these stores were not subject to the prohibition that grocery stores and convenience stores can't sell alcohol. Today Giant Food remains but Super Giants are gone, and it's no longer possible to buy wine with your packaged ground beef. Pre-UPCOne of the more striking things here is the checkout registers where the clerk actually had to read a stamped-on price and key it in manually (after consulting a list of what might have been on discounted sale that day). Within ten years many registers would have their displays as bright glowing fluorescent digits (later LED/LCD) vs these mechanical pop-up number tags. UPC scanning lasers wouldn't be common for another 10 years or so. Look at all the Men!I am not accustomed to seeing so much testosterone in a grocery store! Everything looks supersized, even the hairdos. It's kinda funny how high they stacked the displays, you'd need a ladder to get at some of it. LinesThe lines are still as long after the "wonderful" invention of Bar Codes, Scanners and Chip & PIN credit/debit cards. One step forward, two steps back. So much to see!Dave, would you mind enlarging this to about six feet high? I can't make out all the details! What is Loon?On one of the ends.... [The sign says LOOK. - Dave] Supermarket "Where's Waldo?"Not one of these people have bottled water in their cart and there's no gum or candy visible on the registers... Now, find the: box of Life cereal, the Cracker Jacks, the Domino sugar, the Raisin Bran, the grape jelly, the grape juice, the box of Cheer detergent, and the anxious store manager. Brach's CandiesThe display of the bulk candy bin appears to read "Advertised in Life." I wonder how many Life readers caught the subtle product placement. A refreshing lack of "expression"Nary a tattoo nor a facial piercing in sight. Where's Waldo?I think he's in Aisle 6. Very interesting photo! Brach's CandiesScary how 21 years later, I could have been the kid looking into the Brach's Bulk Candies bin... I totally forgot about those bins until this picture. People were slimmer back thenOther than the antiquated cash registers and the male cashiers, what has changed the most is that we are more obese now. I love this pictureSo rich. So much to keep the eye busy. Almost like a Where's Waldo cartoon. From the Plaid Elephants advertising "Top Value" something-or other, all the way down to the Quaker logo on a box of Rice Chex. And who's that woman in line in front of the chip rack? She has a BIG BUTT! (If anyone tells me that's my mother, then she's YOUR mother.) Charge-a-platesThey go back to at least the 40's -- I remember them well. It was metal and specially notched for each of the stores which accepted them and where you had a charge account. Current plastic models, good for almost anything, are great but far less secure. Modern LifeThe Life cereal box behind the Rice Chex is virtually unchanged! Not so inexpensiveMedian income of all families in 1964 was about $6600. For female full-time workers, the median income was $3700. Median income of nonwhite males was $2800. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-047.pdf I'll bet they didn't think these prices were all that cheap. I do wonder what day of the week this photo was taken - I'll bet it was a Saturday. Get your slob on!I imagine that this was taken on a very hot day. No matter what the weather, though, imagine this same scene in 1934 or 1904 - you wouldn't see people out in public wearing undershirts and shorts. I wonder if there's a particular moment in time or series of events when it became OK to look "slobby" in public? No sagging pants or backwards baseball caps, anyway. I second the vote For blown up sections of this photograph, a lot of shelves I would like to explore. [Click "view full size." That's as blown up as it gets. - Dave] Checking outWhen I worked in grocery in the mid 1970's, with only slightly newer registers, the checkout time would be about the same as now. Good checkers could check and bag at about the same rate as now - the difference being that the checker had to pay attention and couldn't have conversations with their coworkers while checking. The notepads have the produce prices on them. Typically, you would remember those after the first few checkouts of the same produce item per day and not need to refer back very often. Remember that the range of produce available was less than today, both because of improved distribution and widening of tastes. The preferred checking technique is to pull the item off with the left hand, check the price, and enter the price into the register with the right hand. The register we had had plastic covers to cover the keys for anything past $9.99, since items of that price were pretty rare, since grocery stores sold groceries and not other items. In general, we had fewer stoppages for price checks than a modern system will because of missing items in their database. The grocery stocked fewer items back then. The flip side is that inventory management was a pain - we would manually order based on what was on the shelves and did a periodic total inventory to find the correct wastage values from spoilage and shoplifting. I much prefer the wider range of food and produce available today. And just think...This could be one of the few larger group Shorpy pictures where most of the folks are still alive. The cute girl in the cart would be my sister's age; the adults are mostly in the mid-late 20s to early 40s range, giving them ages from the high 60s to the mid 80s. The older kids would still only be in their fifties. Anyone from Rockville know these folks? Fantastic Photo!Even though it's far "younger" that most of the great photos that Shorpy features, it's one of the most fascinating you've ever put up here. I can't take my eyes off it. Do we know the address?My partner and I -- en route to Bob's Noodle House -- have wondered about the origins of a now-empty grocery store in Rockville, near "downtown." Perhaps this Super Giant? Certainly of this era. You can just make it out in the middle of this view -- between the bus shelter and the tree -- through the parking lots. [The Super Giant was at 12051 Rockville Pike and Randolph Road, where Montrose Crossing is today. See the next comment up. - Dave] View Larger Map Rockville Super GiantThe 25,000-square-foot Super Giant that's the subject of this post opened November 12, 1962, at 12051 Rockville Pike at Randolph Road, anchoring a 205,000-square-foot discount shopping center with 3,000-car parking lot (and a "Jolly Trolley" to get you from car to store). Today it's a "lifestyle center" called Montrose Crossing. Below: A long time ago, in a shopping center far, far away ... Wow. Just wow.I, too, worked in a grocery store in the late-70s when I was in high school. As earlier commented, apparently not a whole lot changed from when this picture was taken to then (well, except the hairstyles and clothes -- which changed a *lot*). I remember the registers well -- the columns of keys were dedicated to 10's, 1's, 10 cents, 1 cent. The large palm-contoured key to the right would "enter" in the decimal digits. Lots of noise and moving parts. A good cashier could move the goods along the conveyor belt as quickly as the scanners of today. The rapid spinning of numbers on the register display was mesmerizing. The one big holdup was the dreaded "price check" if a stocker had to be summoned -- but more often the checker already had the price memorized (good thing too, since price label "swapping" was a problem). I stocked shelves using the incredibly complicated but efficient label gun used to print and affix the prices to the products. As a stocker you had a large holster that held this amazing device. The more I think about it, things have not changed that much. We still have lines, conveyor belts, "separators," shopping carts, impulse displays, checkers, baggers, stockers, butchers, and produce guys (the latter two being union jobs). At least until the self checkout and then later RFID based systems (you just walk out of the store with the goods and the store will automatically figure this out and bill your card). Top Value StampsMy mother collected those, they were also used at Kroger's in the Middle South. What surprises me is that there are no cigarette racks at the checkouts. When I was a kid, every grocery store had the cigarette packs in racks right at the checkouts, with a sign screaming "Buy A Pack Today!" Maybe it was a Maryland thing. I also remember drugstores and groceries where cigarettes were sold only in the pharmacies. Go figure. More of these pleaseI add my request for more photos like this of just ordinary life from the '50s & '60s. Sure brings back memories of simpler and I think happier times. When I was a kid I used to imagine how marvelous life would be fifty years hence in the 21st century. Well I'm there now -- and I'd like to go back to the 1950s please. [And you can, thanks to the magic of the Inter-nets! I wonder when we'll have those TVs you can hang on the wall like a painting. And Picture-Phones. Can't wait. - Dave] Mama can I have a penny?You know what would be right next to the electric doors (and that big rubber mat you had to step on to make them open) -- a row of gumball machines! Whatever happened to those? I loved just looking at them. Those glass globes, all those colorful gumballs. Sigh. RealityThats a highly posed photo. Everyone in the photo would have had to sign a model release for this to be published in Life. It is "possible" that the people where chosen for their looks. [I've worked in publishing for over 20 years. You wouldn't need a release for any picture taken in a public place, and certainly not for a crowd or group shot. Actually you don't need releases at all. Some publishers may have looked at them as insurance against lawsuits for invasion of privacy. Probably most didn't bother. As for "posed," I doubt it. - Dave] Blue StampsWhile I miss the concept of Blue Stamps or trading stamps, I get points from my store and they send me a check each quarter to use in the store. I have one premium my parents redeemed from a trading stamp program - a really hideous waterfront print which they had in their home until they divorced. I claimed it from my father and it's hung in the laundry room of every house I've ever lived in since I moved on my own. I remember the old way grocery stores were laid out, and I was always fascinated by the registers. Link: Whatever Happened to Green Stamps? [Down where I come from we had S&H Green Stamps -- Sperry and Hutchinson. And "redemption centers" chock-full of cheesy merchandise. Or you could get cash. When I was in college I chose cash. My fingers would be all green (and minty) from sticking wet stamps in the redemption books. - Dave] Lived next to one just like it in VirginiaThis is just like the Super Giant on South Glebe Road in Arlington, close by where my family was living in 1964. It's where my mother shopped and I loved to accompany her and browse around. You could buy anything from a live lobster to a coat, and just like the Rockville store, it was 20 minutes from downtown Washington. Deja vuMy supermarket experience goes back about 10 years before this one . . . but what a photo! We had women cashiers, and man, were they fast. I was a stock clerk and bagger, and had to move fast to get the groceries in those brown paper bags (no plastic). I also had to wear a white shirt and bow tie. Naturally, we took the groceries to the car for customers and put them in the car or trunk, wherever asked. That was known as customer service. We, too, gave S & H green stamps, although Top Value stamps were available a number of places. Price checkerMy father was a lifelong grocery man, making a cycle from clerk to manager to owner and finally back to clerking in the 1950s until he retired in 1966. He took pride in doing his job well, whatever it was. Each night, sitting in his green leather chair, he'd read our two newspapers, one local and one city, end to end. One night I noticed that he'd paused for quite some time at the full-page weekly ad for the market he worked at and I asked him why. He was memorizing the prices of the specials starting the next day. Brach's candy displayThe shot of the boy near the candy display reminds me of a time back in the very early 1960s where I did help myself to a piece or two. I looked up, saw an employee looking at me and boy, I was scared to death he would tell my parents. Also, with the evolution in scanning and so forth, it brought to an end, more or less, of checking the receipt tape against the stamped prices for mistakes the checker made. Checking ReceiptsI worked in a store just like this while in high school in the early '70s. The main difference I've noticed is that Sunday is a major shopping day now. Our store was open on Sunday, because the crosstown rival was open. We (and they) didn't do enough business to pay for the lights being on. Two people ran the store on Sundays - a checker and a stocker/bagboy. And we didn't have much to do. All we ever saw was people picking up a single item or picnic supplies. How times have changed. Now we check the receipt for mistakes made in shelf pricing. Did I get charged the sale price or not? [So after your groceries are rung up, you go back down the aisles checking the receipt against the shelf prices? Or you make note of the shelf prices while you're shopping? That's what I call diligent. - Dave] Stamp dispensersWhen I was a kid back in the late sixties, there were stamp dispenser next to each cash register, with a dial a lot like a telephone dial that would spew stamps as the cashier turned it. I'm surprised they don't have a similar thing in this store. [The grocery store we went to had an electric thingy that spit them out. Which looked a lot like the brown boxes shown in the photo. - Dave] Checking ReceiptsWe don't check every price - just the sale prices which are listed in the weekly ad, available at the front of the store. Sometimes the ad price doesn't get properly entered into the computer, so I pay attention, especially if it's a significant savings. Relative CostsMy mother kept note of her grocery bills for 40 years -- and in 1962 complained that it cost $12 a week to feed a family of four. Considering that my dad's salary was $75 a week, that was indeed a lot of money. We used to save Green Stamps, Plaid Stamps, and cigar bands for giveaways in the store. [That's a good point. I had to chuckle when I noticed that the most these registers could ring up is $99.99. - Dave] Amazing how pictures take you backThis is what grocery stores looked like when I was a wee lass in the '70's. This could have been our local A&P, except the freezer cases would have been brown instead of white. And I bet if you checked the ingredients on the packages those thin people are buying, you wouldn't see corn syrup as a top-ten ingredient of non-dessert items. A & PSee the short story by John Updike for the perfect literary pairing to this photo. Well, in my opinion anyways; it's the first thing that came to mind upon seeing it. I Remember Those Elephants!My great-grandma lived in Rockville at that time and I remember those elephants!! What a floodgate of memories just opened up! Thanks again, Dave! [Now we know why memory and elephants go together. - Dave] Making ChangeAs those cash registers (most likely) didn't display the change due, the cashiers actually had to know how to make change. [Cash registers waaay back in 1964 (and before) did indeed show change due. And sometimes were even connected to a change-maker that spit your coins into a little tray. - Dave] Brown paper packages tied up with stringThis is such an amazing photo -- I love it! As someone who was still 12 years away from being born when this photo was taken, I'm not familiar with the old customs. What kind of items would have been wrapped up in brown paper like the woman in line at register 7 has? It looks like a big box, so that ruled out meats or feminine products in my mind ...any ideas? [It's probably her laundry. - Dave] White MarketsIn Knoxville we had groceries called White Stores that looked like most any other grocery of the late 70's, early 80's: Dimly lit with greenish fluorescent tubes, bare-bones interior decoration, and indeed a Brach's candy bin. My mom used Green Stamps for years. It took eons to fill a book. At the White Stores you could "buy" various pieces of merchandise. She got a floor lamp one year and a set of Corning Ware the next. It seems like over the last 5-10 years, they've made grocery stores all upscale looking. Almost makes you feel like you're getting ripped off. Warehouse LookSay goodbye to this timeless shot and hello to the warehouse stylings of the local Costco. Grocery stores have been jazzing up their interiors hoping to attract and keep customers. It's not working. When I go to one, they are far less busy than even in the recent past. They have cut the payrolls down significantly here in San Diego due to losing profit to the warehouses. Consequently, the help is far less competent, far younger, far less helpful, and far below the wage scales of the wonderful veterans they cannot really replace. We need some grocery stores for certain smallish items that the warehouse giants will never carry. But they will dwindle down to a very precious few, and do it soon. Of course, this grandiose Super Giant displaced their mom-and-pop competitors. Same tune, different singers. Multi-tasking fingers>> the columns of keys were dedicated to 10's, 1's, 10 cents, 1 cent. And a really good clerk would be pressing at least two keys at a time, which modern keypads can't do. Pure gold.What could lure me from my busy, lurk-only status? Only this amazing photo! Wow. Just wow. And not a cell phone in sight... Pre-Obesity EpidemicAnd look. No great big fat people. Sure, there a couple of middle-agers spreading out here & there, but you know the ones I mean. Smaller aisles and carts!Because people are much bigger these days, everything else is too! I remember shopping with my mom and for the big holidays and having to use more than one cart. Super GiantThe Super Giant was in the shopping center that now has a Sports Authority, Old Navy and a much smaller Giant. Super Giant was similar to what you would find at WalMart now -- part department store, part grocery store. I grew up in Rockville and we used to shop there all the time, until they closed that is. Guess the world wasn't ready for that combination. I could be in that picture, but I'd be too young to walk. GurskyesqueThis reminds me of Andreas Gursky's photo "99 Cent" -- it could almost have been taken in the same place. Fiberglass tubs on conveyor belts.Great picture & website. I remember them bagging your groceries, putting them in fiberglass tubs, and giving you a placard with a 3 digit number on it. The tub would go on a conveyor belt to the outside of the store, you'd drive up, and they'd take your placard and load your groceries. Wonder if there are any pictures of those... Proto-WalmartThis store was huge and it was quite unique in the same model as today's Walmart with groceries, clothing, etc. It is odd that the concept did not survive in that era considering the success of Walmart today. Personally, as a kid, I didn't like it when my mom got clothes for me from there. They were the off-brands. I also remember the GEM membership store which was in the current Mid-Pike Plaza on the opposing SW corner, which was a precursor to Price Club except that it didn't have groceries. I Remember It WellI grew up in Rockville, MD and was in this store many times. It was a full "one stop" department store with a grocery store attached. I loved going there with my mother because while she was grocery shopping I could make my way to the toy department. Kid nirvana! I might have been there!Oh do I remember that! My family lived in Rockville until 1965, and my mother usually took me along. After moving, we'd go to the Rockville Super Giant only if we needed to stop at the department store side. The beige boxes that you see at Checkouts 6 and 7 were the Top Value Stamp dispensers. (The man in the T-shirt is signing a check on top of one.) They automatically spit out the right amount of those yellow stamps. We bought quite a few things with Top Value Stamps, including a well-built Westinghouse room dehumidifier. The Giant Food at Friendship Heights had a conveyor belt but this store did not. This one had so much land, there was a huge sidewalk area out front where you could bring your carts -- but not to the car. Instead there were pairs of plastic cards, one with a hook for the cart, one with a hole. They had a three digit number, and the note "NO TIPPING". Took me a while to understand that wasn't about tipping over the carts. When you pulled up, an employee (probably young) put the bags in your car for you. Speaking of brand names, I can see the stacks of Mueller's spaghetti in Aisle 6. It's the brand we ate then. (Now I know Farina flour has no business in pasta!) The meat department is along the wall at the left. Deli and seafood were at the far back corner. There were a pair of "Pick a Pickle" barrels in front of the deli counter. One Dill, one Half-Sour. Good pickles, and great fish. The fish department has always been a source of pride for Giant. Of course this was back when a flounder was over a foot long, not these six-inch midgets we get today. All the fish were whole on ice, only gutted, and they scraped the scales, and cut or filleted the fish to your order. The produce department starts behind the Brach's counter, and extends out the photo to the left. There were one or two manned scales there, where they would weigh your brown paper bag of produce, mark the price with a grease pencil, and staple it shut. If it was something tender like cherries, they would put "XX" on it, so that it would be correctly bagged. So the checkers only needed to know the prices of "piece" produce. There was a "post mix" soda machine at the end of Aisle 12, 13, or 14, which would mix syrup and soda water into a cup. I'd often get a Coke. Probably 5 cents. I remember getting Mercury dimes as change from that machine -- this photo is from the last year of silver dimes and quarters. (Serious inflation was kicking in to pay for the Vietnam War.) Cigarettes? Where were they? I should know, my mom smoked then. They were only in cartons, they were so dirt-cheap that nobody bought them by the pack, except in vending machines. They certainly didn't need to be kept "out of the reach of children" then. They were in a six-foot set of shelves somewhere. I suppose I had no taste in clothing at the time, as most of my clothes came from there. Well, let's be honest -- they were much nicer and more stylish than clothes at Sears. (Oh, those horrible Sears Toughskin jeans with the rubber inside the knees!) The department store side, which started to the right of the checkouts, was easily twice the size of what you see here. It had a lot of selection, and lots of good specialty counters. There was a photo counter at the front of the store (pretty much under the photographer, who was up in the balcony where the restrooms were). They sold things at fair prices, and gave good and honest sales help. There was a hobby counter in the far back right corner. Speaking of the restrooms, they had seats that automatically flipped up into the back of the toilet, with UV lights to "sanitize" them. Spooky. The current Giant Food store at that site, which my friends call the "Gucci Giant," is on the former department store side. When they first shut down the three Super Giant department stores, they left the grocery store were it was. I think about the time that White Flint Mall started "upscaling" Rockville Pike, they built a much fancier store on the old department store side. Compared to now, Rockville Pike was very working class, very blue collar. Congressional Plaza (on the site of the former Congressional Airport) had a JC Penney as the anchor, and a Giant Food. Near the Super Giant was an EJ Korvettes, now the site of G Street Decorator Fabrics. A little off Rockville Pike was GEM -- Government Employees Membership. These were the days when "Fair Trade" pricing (price fixing) was still legal, and enforceable everywhere but the District of Columbia. But GEM, being a "membership" store, could discount, so that's where you bought Fair Trade products like Farberware at a discount. Of course, GEM had to compete with discount stores in the District, which Congress had conveniently exempted from the Fair Trade Act, so they could shop cheaply. Scan itI enjoyed coming back to this photo for new comments -- I had one before, but long before the new post. I live not far from Troy, Ohio, where the local newspaper just had an article about the bar code scanner. The very first item scanned -- anywhere -- was at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, in 1974. Troy is less then 30 miles north of Dayton, where NCR developed the scanner. The Marsh store is still there, but NCR is leaving. King Soopers, 1960I work for a division of Kroger called King Soopers in Colorado. My store, which opened in February 1960, has a lot in common with this one. They have tried to modernize it but you can still see the old store showing through in places. Great photo. Bagger NostalgiaRegrettably, the baggers are out of view to the right. My greatest nostalgia for supermarkets past concerns the bag boys, practitioners of a high art. They took pride in how compactly they could pack your groceries with attention to putting the fragile items on top -- not to mention that they all tried to outdo each other in speed. Bagger Nostalgia...Part DeuxWhen I was a kid (1950s) I used to go with my father to the grocery (Kroger's) on Saturday morning. I always helped bag the groceries, especially if they were short handed, and he would always remind me of his bagging rule: "Don't even think about putting the meat next to the soap or even in the same bag." In the 50s as I remember it the majority of the cashiers were women and that was their only job at the store. I notice that even as early as the 60s they had the security screens next to the cash register to keep unwanted fingers out of the till form the adjacent aisle. I also remember making the family excursion to the Top Value redemption store to select the "FREE" gift that the household needed when we had sufficient stamp books filled. The other Super GiantThe third Super Giant is in White Oak. They took the "Super" off ages ago, but it is all still there. Mostly we went to the one in Laurel, which still retains its huge circa-1960 sign in the parking lot. Around 1980 it ate the old Kresge store next door, but by that time the department store features of the biggest stores were mostly gone. It's kind of funny -- the mall they built just south of the shopping center almost killed the latter, but now the shopping center is very busy and the mall may well be torn down. Memories from the early '60sMy mom worked at Chestnut Lodge and would often stop by the Super Giant on Rockville Pike on her way home to shop for groceries -- and clothes for me! I was much too young to be brand- or fashion-conscious and I remember loving the little cotton A-line dresses that Mom would bring home. We lived in the District and a big thrill for me would be to drive up to Rockville with my parents on the weekends and shop at the Super Giant and Korvettes! Crossing the PotomacThe hype of Super Giant was enough to entice these Northern Virginians into crossing The Potomac River into Maryland. The commute is commonplace today but not so much in 1964. We had not seen anything like it. Racks & racks of mass produced clothing and groceries, too! Grandmother bought the same suit in 3 different sizes. She and my mother got their money's worth. I was 13. It never left my closet. The NoiseThe old registers were so noisy. No screens to check what was going on, just quick eye movement to try and keep track. Ahh...back in the day when every item had a price on it. Ohhhh yeah and is that Blake Shelton?I spent many weekends at this gigantic store on Rockville Pike. I think I even bought a prom dress here....is that possible? I very clearly remember going up to the glassed in observation balcony on the second floor, which gave an overall view of the store (as this photo shows). That way I could scan the aisles in order to see where my Dad was at any given moment. I love this photo, and HEY isn't that a time-traveling Blake Shelton a little left of the center wearing a white short-sleeved shirt?? (LIFE, Stores & Markets)
Bombs Away: 1929
... mounted above the inside door handles A lead fish Tobacconist has nailed it. This is not the C.F. Jenkins invention ... suspend a wire under the plane with a lead weight, 'a lead fish' attached to the free end thereof to hold it steady, and as nearly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/10/2014 - 6:46am -

1929. Washington, D.C., or vicinity. "NO CAPTION [Man in airplane]." Next-door neighbor to this image in the Harris & Ewing negative series. View full size. The doorsAnother great-detail shot from Shorpy. I like the strap window risers (similar to Model T trucks) and the little inside door latches/locks mounted above the inside door handles A lead fishTobacconist has nailed it. This is not the C.F. Jenkins invention described in the 1929 newspaper clipping; it is however, an earlier system described exactly in patent US1893287 which Jenkins filed Aug. 23, 1929. The second paragraph begins "Heretofore it has been customary in airplane-radio equipment to suspend a wire under the plane with a lead weight, 'a lead fish' attached to the free end thereof to hold it steady, and as nearly vertical as possible." It is possible that the fellow pictured is an associate of Jenkins' conducting experiments with this "prior art" system. Jenkins invention was the subject of an earlier picture here at Shorpy. Aircraft identityThe aircraft in the photo is a Fairchild FC-2. Production began in 1927. Can You Hear Me Now???While Jenkins was working on this contraption, the Packard Motor Car Company had already solved the problem with radio static in an airplane – they designed, built and flew a diesel radial engine for an airplane. Because diesel engines do not have spark plugs, wires and other electrical interference items, The pilot can now communicate static free. It was done on June 3, 1929 over the skies of the Packard Proving Grounds in Utica (now Shelby Township) Michigan. You can read the detailed explanation (published in 1930 by Charles H. Vincent, VP and Director of the Packard Proving Grounds. You can see the report here. On June 1, 2014 the PPG Amateur Radio Club held a special event to commemorate the 85th anniversary of this special event. On 28 May 1931, a Bellanca CH-300 fitted with a DR-980 diesel engine, piloted by Walter Edwin Lees and Frederic Brossy, set a record for staying aloft for 84 hours and 32 minutes without being refueled. This record was not broken until 55 years (1986) later by the Rutan Voyager. See this. Ask the Man Who Owns One Advanced technologyA nice look at the engine control levers in the cockpit -- throttle, ignition timing, and mixture. In for a pennyAround this time experiments were being conducted with receive-only radios in patrol cars. The Detroit Police Department had a system in place since April 1928. They used higher frequencies than did commercial broadcast radio. So why not radio receivers in airplanes? That little bomb-shaped device could very well be a streamlined weight for lowering an antenna wire. Or perhaps this from the September 28, 1929 issue of the Appleton, Wisconsin Post-Crescent: BoomerWhat a darling baby bomb! InstrumentsIt's a shame we can't quite see what the rear seat instruments indicate or any labels on knob and panel... But there is a clinometer visible, one with a very small range, I think 10 degrees either way. Whatever was happening, the instrument guy wanted the plane to be level. $.02The aluminum reel located on the floor of the plane, I going to say, is connected to that weight that looks like a miniature bomb under the fuselage. The gentleman looks to be seated in front of receiving equipment. This equipment possibly could've been used to receive a signal from the equipment in the earlier photo. We may be looking at an early attempt at an direction finding experiment. Or, again referring to the earlier picture, that metal framing in front of the operator may have been a shortwave, for the time, frequency director dish and they had been doing radio glide slope experiments. With all those batteries, much more than would ever be needed for a battery radio receiver, it looks more like a transmitter with a fairly high B+ voltage. But what's not present are the transmitter tubes of the era. Now Try Not To MoveThis looks like one of those early 20th Century photo ops. Sort of like those an itinerate photographer would take of a child on a pony. Magnetometer?Suspended from a retractable wire, with associated electronics in the plane, the small bomb-like instrument on the wire under the airplane is very similar to the larger object in the background of the "Bright Star" photo. Perhaps the strange sheet metal assembly in the "Bright Star" photo could be some kind of magnetic field director, possibly part of an experiment in secure non-radio battlefield communications methods. A large electromagnet would need a lot of DC power and the big battery bank could supply that, while the other equipment on the table could be a means of modulating the magnetic field to transmit information. Who knows? A lot of ideas were tried out in the early days of electronics. Trailing aerialswere still in use in the Viet Nam conflict, C-130's had massive trailing aerials many kilometers long, they flew in circles so the aerial would be almost vertical. (Technology, The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Networking: 1905
... Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mr. Fish Sticks He looks like the guy on the package. Trust him It's the ... imagine this photo being used on a label for "Fisherman's Fish Oil" or colorized and hung in many fish n' chips restaurants. Having grown ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:36pm -

Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1905. "Fisherman getting ready for a trip." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mr. Fish SticksHe looks like the guy on the package. Trust himIt's the Gorton's Fisherman! Old Man and the SeaHow perfectly this picture embodies the fishing lifestyle of New England and in particular "Glossta" (with my best Massachusetts accent). I could imagine this photo being used on a label for "Fisherman's Fish Oil" or colorized and hung in many fish n' chips restaurants. Having grown up mostly in New England this is a typical scene. The small sailboats dotting the ocean, the wooden summer houses right by the beach, and the weather-beaten, solitary old fisherman mending his equipment is still something you can see around coastal towns today. Perhaps the equipment and clothing styles have changed but this picture brings me right back home. I can almostsmell it from here. Classic.What's so great about Shorpy is that so many timeless images strike a chord in different people in different ways. To me, this one is simply iconic in its representation of a classic, old East Coast fisherman doing it "the hard way." Must have been some great stories locked up under that slicker. We're gonna' need a bigger boat!**cue Jaws music** (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Armless Orphan: 1922
... glass negative. View full size. You never saw a fish with arms, did you? Found a cropped version of the photo Jenniearcheo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:39pm -

July 28, 1922. "John Uslie, armless orphan." I just know there must be more to the story. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. You never saw a fish with arms, did you?Found a cropped version of the photo Jenniearcheo posted. It's from the "New York Evening Call" 9 August 1922 pg. 8 "Armless Youth is Arrested"According to the Altoona Mirror, August 11, 1926, on page 1, John is arrested for panhandling and asked to leave the city. John's obit, Osceola, FLObituaries as appeared in July 1996 Osceola News-Gazette USLIE - John Uslie, 94, of 1755 Druliner Road, St. Cloud, died June 25. Born in Romania, he moved to St. Cloud in 1981. He was a self-employed realtor. He was Catholic. Survivors include his daughters, Veronica Hood, St. Cloud, Irene Ahart, Imlaystown, N.J., Anna Anthony, Middletown, Del., Lillian Davis, Macon, Ga.; nine grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Mass of Christian burial was held July 2 from St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, St. Cloud, with Father Fabian Gimeno officiating. Interment was in Mount Peace Cemetery, St. Cloud. Fisk Funeral Home, St. Cloud, was in charge of arrangements. The rest of the storyApparently there is more to the story. He dives. Tell me moreNow we need to know what happened to Theodore Phillips, the lowlife morally-bankrupt thief who betrayed and robbed John Uslie and could have been the inspiration for the Grinch. The plot thickens with each additional comment. Wow -- that's courageThe look in his eyes, I read as a mix of determination and concern. The people behind him appear to be laughing, but that could simply be the moment, nothing to do with him. -- Above all I am struck by in his face I don't see the terror I would feel alone on a diving board about to dive in with only the angle of my head to cut down into the water, and my legs to lift me out. Where did this man find the courage? God bless him, out there on the edge! Writing With His TeethWashington Post, June 9, 1922. LOSES $5,000 HE SAVED WRITING WITH HIS TEETH Armless Orphan, 20, Charges Partner Stole Money He Laid By to Start Business.         "My life savings are gone," John Uslie, 20-year-old orphan who lost both his arms in a railroad accident, told the police last night, as he reported that he had been robbed of $5,000. Uslie was taken before Clerk Robert B. Gott, and by placing a pen between his teeth signed a warrant charging Theodore Phillips, who conducts a business at 331 H street northeast, with taking his money. Detectives Bradley, Cox and O'Brien arrested Phillips on charges of larceny after trust. He was released on $2,500 bond.         Uslie said he lost his parents when he was 15 years old, and the following year suffered the loss of both arms, but taught himself to write by holding a pen in his mouth and a year later started out in the world, traveling about the country making a living by writing cards and selling drawings.         During his travels, he said, he met Phillips and the two became friends, traveling together, Phillips at night taking the money from his pockets, counting it and caring for it.         "My earnings averaged about $25 a day," said Uslie, "but some days I would make as high as $50. Phillips and I came to Washington in March, and since then I have made more than $900.         "We went into business at 331 H street northeast. Last week I learned that Phillips was going to turn the business over to a relative, and when I asked for an accounting I was turned out of the house and my clothes thrown after me." John Uslie 1901-1996I can find information on only one John Uslie, born in Delaware, December 18, 1901. He died June 25, 1996, at the age of 94! He was married to Mary Uslie, 1902-1982. One source says he died in Florida, but another says his last known residence was Townsend, New Castle County, Delaware. It appears to be a very uncommon surname, so I think he is our man! The fact that he lived to be 94 makes him even more interesting, but the two sources I found didn't give any details about his life, except the dates and places. I'm hoping others will come up with more information, but I may also ask my elderly father, the genealogist, if he wants to see what he can find. This was obviously an exceptional man and I think his story should be told! P.S. OTY is right! Stealing that much money from anyone is awful, but someone who would steal from a young man who had lost his family and his arms would take an especially disgusting scumbag! More; How heartless would one have to be to arrest an armless man whose hard-earned income had been stolen for panhandling? The obituary information is quite amazing, so wonderful that, after having no family at all in his youth, he had 40 descendants when he passed away. I'd still like to know more about how he dealt with the tremendous challenges he was faced with. That WP story is horrifyingPerhaps that is what inspired the National Photo Company to take his photo 2 weeks later. Whatever happened to Theodore Phillips? Did he actually serve a sentence? Did he pay Uslie back the money? Or did he just skip the bail he probably paid with his ill-gotten gains? Uslie's life would make a great inspirational biography. So many of the people featured in these photos have stories that would! I suppose a good juxtaposition would be the child coal miners who died in their late 20s or 30s, near the towns where they worked. Strange parallel storyIn the early 1970s, while working at American University in Washington, DC, I noticed a young student. She appeared to be missing both arms, but had artificial arms attached so she didn't stand out as much. One day I was talking with a teacher in his office when she came in. The teacher dropped some papers she need to sign on the floor: she slid out of her shoes, opened her purse with her toes; picked out a pencil between her toes and signed the papers on the floor. Absolutely amazing. Never knew her name. Have sometimes wondered how she's doing now. The Triangular Wheels of JusticeMaybe there was limit at the time, but $2500 bail for being accused of and charged with stealing $5000? "Will you take cash, Your Honor?" Regardless, it probably devolved into Uslie's word against Phillips's. Bad news for Perry Mason fans and Uslie, most likely. The later panhandling charge might imply that Uslie lost, but it also may have meant that he was always selling his cards and drawings on the street. (The Gallery, Bizarre, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
Eatmore Oleo: 1940
... the Fridays of Lent. Of course, I try to eat as much fish as I can, and 2 tall cans of fancy pink salmon for just over a quarter? I'm there! Love the Folger's coffee tins. Fish sticks on Friday Growing up in the 60s, I always tried to memorize the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 10:32am -

February 1940. A grocery store window in Salem, Illinois. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Lenten specialThat is something you don't see anymore, for those that don't know Catholics for years were not allowed to eat meat on Fridays. Lent, 1940It was a very early Lent that year, Ash Wednesday being February 7th. And we've all heard stories of the orgiastic bacchanal that is Mardi Gras in Salem, Illinois! Kroger'sJudging by the soap flakes and the corn flakes, it must be a Kroger's grocery store. That kind of broom was aThat kind of broom was a good product. IMHO the newer designs have not improved on it. LentWe still are "encouraged" not to eat meat during the Fridays of Lent. Of course, I try to eat as much fish as I can, and 2 tall cans of fancy pink salmon for just over a quarter? I'm there! Love the Folger's coffee tins. Fish sticks on FridayGrowing up in the 60s, I always tried to memorize the school lunch menus for the week. Monday through Thursday were the challenging ones. Friday was always the same; fish sticks, no matter where we lived! I wonder if the oleo they were selling was white, in a pouch with a little food coloring capsule that was squeezed, to break it, and then mixed through the oleo. They used to think that oleomargarine was fewer calories and much healthier, overall, than butter. Like many things, that didn't turn out to be the case. I always wonder what we are eating right now, thinking that it is healthy, that we are going to learn wasn't as good as we thought it was. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Stores & Markets)
Old-School Barbecue: Planked Shad
... which were more flavorful and less bony. Smoked Fish Depoe Bay Oregon has a BBQ like this one every year. September I ... 1908 ... The shad is very prolific. Single fish have been known to yield from 60,000 to 156,000 eggs, though the usual ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 7:42pm -

Barbecue at Marshall Hall, Maryland, in 1893. View full size. Photograph by William Cruikshank. Marshall Hall, an estate on the Potomac opposite Mount Vernon, had a boat landing and was popular with day-trippers from Washington. Old-School Barbecue: 1893What you have there is a good old-fashioned Maryland Eastern Shore "shad planking." Shad are cooked as shown, smoked on standing oak boards and basted with the cook's special sauce, served with "beaten biscuits." There are two schools of thought about the menu: some think it exquisite, others think it inexcusable. The whole ritual sparked an annual Virginia political picnic every April, where pols and their supporters gather to plank some shad and speechify. [Thanks muchly. I knew someone out there would enlighten me. - Dave] Followup: Old-School BarbecueThis started down in Texas in the late 1800's. But I noticed those silly Yankees, unlike us Texans, threw the shad aside and ate the planks, which were more flavorful and less bony. Smoked FishDepoe Bay Oregon has a BBQ like this one every year. September I believe. It's called the Salmon Bake and has been going on for 60 years or so. BBQ pit looks the same though. The Acme of Success American Food and Game Fishes David Starr Jordan, Barton Warren Evermann 1908 ... The shad is very prolific. Single fish have been known to yield from 60,000 to 156,000 eggs, though the usual number does not exceed 30,000. The eggs are very small, semi-buoyant, and usually require 6 to 10 days for hatching, the time varying with the temperature of the water. Unlike most other fishes shad roe is considered a great delicacy when fried; and ever since the days of George Washington and John Marshall "planked shad" has been regarded as the acme of success in the preparation of a delicious fish for the table. And a planked shad dinner at Marshall Hall, near Mount Vernon, is quite sure to constitute a feature in the spring programme of many Washington societies. ... (The Gallery, William Cruikshank)
Fulton Street: 1943
June 1943. Vendor at the Fulton Fish Market in New York City. View full size. Photograph by the legendary ... Parks, back when he was just starting out. Fulton Fish Market..... What a great shot, hard to believe there's a war on..... ... in 47, and on occasion, my dad would take me to the Fulton Fish market. To buy fresh seafood, no doubt, but all I can remember is the God ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 8:33pm -

June 1943. Vendor at the Fulton Fish Market in New York City. View full size. Photograph by the legendary Gordon Parks, back when he was just starting out. Fulton Fish Market.....What a great shot, hard to believe there's a war on..... Ah, the smell.. I was born in Brooklyn in 47, and on occasion, my dad would take me to the Fulton Fish market. To buy fresh seafood, no doubt, but all I can remember is the God awful stink. I suppose, now I would relish the chance to purchase such fresh produce, but then, it just smelled like poop to me. (The Gallery, Gordon Parks, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Crystal Motors: 1950
... photos of the "Crystal Motors" car dealership. Stuffed fish and tricky lighting I see someone's collection of large trophy fish hanging on the wall of the far showroom. There's a light stand or ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2013 - 3:31pm -

Feb. 15, 1950. "Crystal Motors, business at 5901 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, New York. Exterior I." The Oldsmobile emporium last glimpsed here. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Old HorizonThe worst car I ever owned came from here. A Plymouth Horizon. I know this eraIt was in the days before whitewalls. A combined look Here is the combination of the two photos of the "Crystal Motors" car dealership. Stuffed fish and tricky lightingI see someone's collection of large trophy fish hanging on the wall of the far showroom. There's a light stand or tripod next to the tree on the right edge of the photo. Did it hold the light that might have made the odd reflection of the front door onto the brick wall? Or was that lighting effect more direct, coming as a result of a light placed at floor level inside the showroom, behind the foliage and column in the near showroom? [The latter; it's the shadows of the door handles and door frame on the bricks. -tterrace] A very striking building design to be a showroom for "Rocket-Action" Oldsmobiles. Very "mid-century moderne" and I'm sure an inspiration for other architects' ideas. WhitewallsWhitewall tires had been available for cars since the 1930s; postwar America (II and Korean) suffered a shortage. Across the street?Must be a Chevy dealership across the street -- I see the backwards reflection of "Chevrolet" in one of the windows? --RJ-- (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Gulf Service: 1939
... Love to see how it is engineered. Wheelan's Fish Grill is Gone That entire block is now vacant. In 1935 Wheelan's was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2019 - 6:45pm -

April 1939. "Miami Beach, Florida. Even the gas stations are on an elaborate scale, often modern in design, resembling hotels." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Star brightWhen they fire up all that neon, I bet they could guide ships in off the ocean. Minivan precursorThat's a 1938 American Bantam Boulevard Delivery on the right parked by the rearmost pumps. Cantilever canopyShows very little fear of heavy snows in Miami. Love to see how it is engineered. Wheelan's Fish Grill is GoneThat entire block is now vacant. In 1935 Wheelan's was located at 518 Alton Road and advertised "Out of the Ocean, into the pan" seafood dining in the "Marine Room". Can't quite place the Gulf Station with the address 1315 something street. SnowbirdNotice the OHIO plate on the car to the left. The little Bantamappears to have white sidewalls on both sides of the tires. Gas InflationI remember my father complaining to the gas attendant when it hit 23.9 cents a gallon -- all in fun because he went there all the time. (The Gallery, Florida, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Miami)
Abraham Lincoln: 1865
... consultants, plasticizing of any kind. He had bigger fish to fry, his life was never a day at the spa. But look at the CHARACTER in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 6:52pm -

February 5, 1865. "Abraham Lincoln, seated, holding spectacles and a pencil." Glass transparency; photograph by Alexander Gardner. View full size. Last Studio PortraitI believe this is the last studio portrait of Lincoln to have survived whole and intact. Another photo was taken after this one, but the glass negative cracked and was discarded. Late LincolnMan, he doesn't look long for this world. I wonder how long he would have lived if Booth hadn't intervened. Poor Mr. LincolnHe looks old and haunted. I mean, look at his eyes. The unidealized LincolnThis detailed photo shows me how idealized the familiar paintings and sculptures of Lincoln are. It's not surprising that his contemporaries regarded him as unattractive. He wouldn't have been looking to retirement at this time since he had just been re-elected and was yet to even be sworn in for his second term. He was already looking ahead to his plans for Reconstruction. Amazing shot.What an amazing photo! The Hi-Def version really captures the hard lines from a tough life on President Lincoln's face. Hard to believe he was only 56 years old. Thanks for the great post. So care wornIn this day and age we idolize Mr. Lincoln for many obvious reasons. Perhaps, in 1865, he was merely a very tired, very care worn man who had somehow held the Union together, ended slavery and survived many tragedies, both personal and professional. It is merciful that he didn't know what was next for him. He was hoping for retirement with Mary. ProofThis exquisite photo proves that one picture can be worth a thousand words. I can sense Lincoln's personality. StressA look at recent presidents before and after office is plenty proof of the stress of the job but there is probably no better example than President Lincoln, in my opinion. I appreciate what he did for our country and can only imagine the sleepless nights and internal struggles this man went through. It's evident in his face. He looks exhausted. Last photosThe cracked Gardner photo of Lincoln is part of the National Portrait Gallery's Mask of Lincoln exhibit. While the 1865 Gardner images are indeed the last studio portraits, the last photos of Lincoln were taken at the White House by Henry Warren on March 6, 1865. Haunting PhotoHow I would have liked to talk to this man, if only for five minutes. The wisdom that endures in his speeches, the sadness in his eyes, the love that he must have had for our country. It is all too overwhelming and yet haunting at the same time. CrookedI'm curious about the crooked tie. Was Lincoln careless? Debonair? Showing his frontier cred? I Googled some contemporaries. Salmon Chase - more symmetrical. Frederick Douglass - pretty neat. Edwinn Stanton...indeterminate. The Best...This is the best portrait photo you've ever run on this site. Thank you. Haunted, indeed600,000 dead Americans -- from a nation of around 20 million. Who could bear such a burden? And a question: Going into the summer of 1864, he was certain that he would lose re-election, and lose big (draft/race riots, Copperheads, bad press, etc.). If Sherman doesn't capture Atlanta in September, does Lincoln lose? If he is voted out after one term, does history view him as the guy who sacrificed half a million men to an abstraction? This is the face of a man who asked himself that question. Amazing photograph; thanks for this. The Bedhead Is DeadMakeup! Hint of a smileThat's more of a smile than I'm used to seeing on pictures of Mr. Lincoln. Tired, haunted eyes, yes, but also humor and affability. UnretouchedI've heard that many times. The eyes are the mirrors of the soul and poor Abe shows the toughness of all the sorrows he endured in the wizened eyes and beaten-down optimism that once may have lived there. He gave his all and yet this original heartbreak kid could not attain peace of any kind. Not to mention that in 1865 real men did not submit to "coifs", makeup, manicures, personal fashion consultants, plasticizing of any kind. He had bigger fish to fry, his life was never a day at the spa. But look at the CHARACTER in the biography written in that face. Tell me that isn't beautiful. WillieThe war was one thing, but he also never recovered from the loss of his beloved son, Willie, at age 11. He was aging in dog years from both factors. The real A.L.He's such an interesting looking guy, and you're so used to thinking of him as a picture, it's hard to imagine sometimes this guy actually walking down the street. I can't really think of anyone who looks much like him today. Abe's HealthI have heard for years that, mainly based on his appearance, Lincoln could have had Marfan's Syndrome and would have surely died from that. Today I ran across a website drzebra.com ("zebra is fake doctor is real"), who has written a book on the subject. He believes that Lincoln was dying from multiple endocrine neoplasia. That diagnosis is based in part on the deaths, before age 20 of three of his sons and a lot of other things. Interesting stuff, but he IS trying to sell books. What's he holding?Any idea what he's holding? At first, I thought it was a couple of pens in the one hand, but I don't believe there were ink pens back then. [Read the caption. - Dave] Good-humored manWhen a woman once accused Lincoln of being two-faced, he replied: "My dear lady, if I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" He was a good man with a sense of humor Lincoln's watchI wonder if he's wearing the watch that's been in the news lately? Living and EverywhereFinally, an image of the President that doesn't look as if it was carved out of granite. And now I recognize him - or his many likenesses. They are everywhere - the worn, darkened, gaunt homeless men as portrayed in countless media images are the people today who bear a striking resemblance to President Lincoln. I never saw that until now. Aging Presidents.This I know from experience - virtually anyone would prematurely age if they have lost their most beloved child. For Lincoln, that was Willie. If you are an honest parent, you have a favorite. If you are a good one, you will never disclose who it is; each should think they were "it". The war was too much for Lincoln to bear. Losing Willie was too much for him to bear. Through both he endured. For him to bear it all and still plan on kind and generous terms for the vanquished South was the best measure of his greatness. The country would have been completely different had he lived. Kennedy too. History was changed, and for the far worse, by the transfer of power to hands not remotely as up to the task. I'd Imagine SoYes his eyes appear haunted, I'm sure he witnessed some real tragedies in his time. Lincoln made choices that few men have ever had to make, or ever dreamed of having to face. He was, and is a great man. You are wrong..JULIE ROSS BIRMINGHAM I really like this picture. This picture reveals to me what I was taught in school. Honest Abe, Abraham Lincoln walking miles for a book. Mind you I was about 7 or 8 years old when I was taught this. I am now 66. My grandmother rented her home to a gentleman named Mr. Bellamy. On one of the stays he told me the President was of all things not the man I had been taught. He (Mr. Bellamy) did not like him. Mr. Bellamy said his familey had lost all because of Civl War. I was devasted. I think in my child mind I tried to defend the President. I still think about that incident when I see anything to do with Honest Abe. I still think he is a noble man. I know now the cost of the War on both sides. I know if he had not been shot by Booth the South would have had a much different future. Thanks your patience. I know this was a long diatribe. Abe's InkerPresident Lincoln wrote with a Parker Fountain Pen. I've seen it. Parker PenAccording to Wikipedia the Parker Pen Company was founded in 1891, hence Lincoln did not use a Parker Pen. Only in AmericaThe adulation that Americans show for their presidents is both laughable and very unhealthy. [In the case of Abraham Lincoln, I'd have to disagree. He was an exceptionally able and intelligent chief executive. - Dave] How heart-wrenchingthis photo just tears at my heart. Secular SaintIt is not for nothing that "Lincoln" (as his friends called him) is the secular equivalent of a saint. No irony intended. Lincoln rose from absolutely nothing to the highest power and influence. Yet each year, he became a better person. (Compare and contrast out political hacks of this day.) Mary A. Livermorewrote of Mr. Lincoln (whom she met personally on a number of occasions in her work with the Sanitary Commission). No painter has ever put into the sad face of the President any hint of the beauty that could radiate and completely metamorphose his homely features, when his great soul shone out through them. 'No sculptor has ever liberated from the imprisoning marble the face that shone like an angel's when the depths of his large heart were reached. "No artist is successful," said Healy, - one of the most successful painters of portraits, - "who does not bring out on the canvas, or in the marble, the best there is in his subject, the loftiest ideal of Nature when she designed the man." If this be true, then neither painter nor sculptor has ever been successful with Mr. Lincoln's face. Personally, I see in his face deep compassion and wish I had known him myself. Colored LincolnColored Linkoln (The Gallery, Alexander Gardner, D.C., Portraits, Public Figures)
Zero Tolerance: 1920
... today, I've been feeling kind of dopey lately". Dopey fish What was the ultimate disposal? Dumped in the Potomac? Can't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Bureau of Internal Revenue -- destroying narcotics." Continuing today's "three guys" theme. View full size. Well-stocked shelvesCan't make out many of the labels on the shelves, but I do see a tin of powdered opium and a couple of boxes of what looks like morphine sulphate. Wish I knew what he was pouring out. Laudanum? Oh, boyThe guy on the left looks like he just consumed the contents of that bottle. All his thoughts are escaping from his head and migrating into the electrical system. The guy in the middle hasn't moved for two hours. The guy on the right is reading the first sentence over and over. Sick daysJust thinking - with the amount of drugs that these guys breathe in and absorb through the skin in a day, they must go home higher than a kite. "Hello Jim? Hey, mark me off sick today, I've been feeling kind of dopey lately". Dopey fishWhat was the ultimate disposal? Dumped in the Potomac? Can't wait for Christmas...when the office party kicks off. The guy on the leftI too think the guy on the left just sampled the bottle in his hand. The look on his face is that of someone who just did a tequila shooter! When my grandmother died in 1975, there was a bottle of Parapectolin in her medicine cabinet. To give you an idea of the age of the bottle, here's what I remember reading on the label:"8% tincture of opium, shake well". (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Substation K: 1921
... know he designed tires for Firestone ! Best smoked fish in town Henry's grocery store (on the right) survived into the 50s. My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 7:01pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Willard service station front, 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Sign of the timesA Ford size Willard All-Rubber battery? Wouldn't a little lead and acid work better than rubber for starting a car? Of course if you only want to rent it for a day ... The signs on this business are great. But I bet the place did not smell so great. Vulcanizing rubber stinks. Embajada de MexicoNow the Embassy of Mexico. The drug store is now a Starbucks. Usually I wish that you include the quadrant, not necessary to-day. View Larger Map View Larger Map WhitesidesI'm more interested in the store to the left. They supply schools with cigars ... and drugs? You couldhave your Willard serviced there. Willard Storage Battery Co.A thumbnail history here: http://ech.cwru.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=WSBC Barney Oldfield!When I was in my early twenties an older fellow I worked for once accused me of driving like Barney Oldfield. I blankly said "Who?" and the boss said, "Oh, I have dated myself haven't I?" Apparently he had! I also didn't know he designed tires for Firestone! Best smoked fish in townHenry's grocery store (on the right) survived into the 50s. My mother took me there many times when we lived two blocks away. (I especially liked the extension claw tool that the proprietor used to get merchandise down from the high shelves.) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Lifting the Nets: 1910
... you not click on the link in the caption? "All manner of fish plucked from the deep spilled onto the deck, as the crowd leaned on the ... of being in the middle of a giant aquarium with schools of fish dancing in front of me. All I saw were a few unknown fish swimming in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2023 - 2:59pm -

The Jersey Shore circa 1910. "Lifting the nets -- Young's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That's entertainment?Large crowd out in their Sunday best. To watch as some conspicuously empty nets are raised from the Atlantic. Better than watching grass grow, no doubt, but still ... There's something missing here: context, to put it in the 21st-century way. This is an oddly interesting photograph in need of a 1910-ish caption that explains what the attraction was. My best guess is that it was a chance to get some ocean-breeze relief from the muggy heat of a cloudy-bright summer day. [Did you not click on the link in the caption? "All manner of fish plucked from the deep spilled onto the deck, as the crowd leaned on the wooden railing and gawked." - Dave] What the?What the heck is going on here? All those lines, and all those people? Looks chaotic! A Magical DayAtlantic City was the go-to destination in the mid 1950s for my family and the Million Dollar Pier was another must-go-to attraction. I saw Pat Boone in person. He was a little bland for my taste (Little Richard rocked the songs Boone covered much better) but Mom and Dad enjoyed him. After Pat Boone we saw a first run of an all-time classic Western, "High Noon". Dad and I loved it and Mom and older sister thought Grace Kelly was nice. I took a dive to the bottom of the ocean in a diving bell. This disappointed me for I had expectations of being in the middle of a giant aquarium with schools of fish dancing in front of me. All I saw were a few unknown fish swimming in muddy water. There was a smaller scale fishing-net raising then shown on the pic but still neat. Being an avid fisherman I never understood why the just lowered the nets and let all those fish go. Pier Day ended with trip to the end of the pier to see a very good comic vaudeville skit with expert divers doing zany acrobatic ocean diving somewhat akin to a Marx Brothers At Sea movie. After that came the famous diving horses. I was impressed by both the horses and the ladies riding the horses. (I was a teen with raging hormones.) That was almost 70 years ago but it remains seared in my memory so that it seems I can taste the frozen custard and saltwater taffy I had that day. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Shack Chefs: 1936
... right is the accountant for the gang. Teach a man to fish Teach a kid to cook and he'll always have a livelihood. Beats the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/08/2013 - 6:17pm -

Winter 1936-37. "Scott's Run, West Virginia. Typical scene of activity at the Shack Community Center. These boys represent a group who made up a gang that came to the Shack to interfere with its activities; in the end they joined a Chefs group and are here shown at work." Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size. Yo broJudging by his shirt and necktie, I think the young fella on the right is the accountant for the gang. Teach a man to fishTeach a kid to cook and he'll always have a livelihood. Beats the alternative. Lemme Outta Here!The young man on the right appears to be getting into the spirit of things: he is smiling, he has his apron on "girlie" style, over his neck and tied at the waist. The young man on the left has his apron just wrapped around his waist, and his scowling face seems to say: let's just get this over with and lemme outta here! I wish I could take her cooking classThe love in this young lady's eyes for what she is doing just radiates from the picture! I truly think she should be tagged as one of Shorpy's "pretty girls". I'd take her out for a soda any old time. What does that mean?I wonder what "interfere with its activities" actually means? More on the sinister side, like a gang of spoilers? Or rather kids bored out of their heads and therefore aiming for practical so-called jokes? Well, idle hands are the devil's best tools - shanghaing them still is a good antidote. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Lewis Hine)
Rockaway Bungalows: 1910
... Mrs. Herman, would let my Dad come before the season to fish. The last time I was there was about 36 years ago. It was so sad to see ... closed for the summer. We would stop at Weiss's for fish and chips, then drive over the old Cross Bay Boulevard bridge and see the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 3:56am -

Vacation bungalow colony at Rockaway, Queens, c. 1910. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. Note "front yards" of sand decorated with seashells. Sand in QueensI wonder if any of the buildings are still standing. Since they are tract of small bungalows, I wonder what company supplied that lot for workers to live in. Sand in...Queens?! Wow. [Never heard of Rockaway Beach? - Dave] BungalowsWere these for living or vacation rentals? They sure are cute. Does anyone know how far from the water they were? Rockaway[Never heard of Rockaway Beach? - Dave] Well I've heard of Rockaway Beach here in Oregon. :) Re: BungalowsThe were seasonal at first. More info at the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association: By the 1920s, Rockaway Beach was the poor man's Riviera. It had a six-mile long boardwalk lined with amusements, and thousands flocked to the beach every summer weekend. Many families rented tents for the entire season, while those a little more affluent rented small bungalows. The concept of the bungalow in America was well established by this time as they were built for summer communities on both coasts. The plans could be purchased from catalogues and were designed in numerous styles. This last remaining bungalow colony was built by Richard Bainbridge in the 1920s. The one and a half story houses all have front porches and pitched roofs. The design and style vary from street to street. Some of the bungalows are in a Spanish Revival style of stucco with wood trim and green the roofs, and others are in an English Tudor of brick. Lacking heat, they were closed for the winter months. The lanes leading to the beach have permanent easements for common access. As development pressures change the Rockaways, this small district has become endangered. But it would be appropriate to preserve and restore this remnant of past summer amusements. The yards are super.The yards are super. Send the kids down to the beach to bring back sea shells to decorate with! Talk about a family project. Rockaway BungalowsI'm pretty sure these are not there anymore. In fact Rockaway Beach today is quite run-down. If you take the A Train out there, these must have been between the tracks and the water, where there are now streets with no houses. Only weeds. Sadly, most of theseSadly, most of these bungalows are gone, as Doug points out above. There are only a few left, and they face demolition by developers who want to turn the Rockaways into yet another bland housing development. These were vacation homes for folks in Manhattan and the other boros, not company houses for factory workers. How close were they to the beach? How does less than a city block sound? In the Rockaways, as at Coney, Manhattan, Brighton, and other New York City beaches, the streets are set up perpendicular to the beach and are only a few blocks long. The last block actually ends at the boardwalk. Across the boardwalk is the beach. The Ramones were from the Rockaways. Beach 29th streetMy family rented a bungalow on Beach 29th street until I was around 12 years old. As soon as school was over, my parents would pack up a van and off we went until Labor Day. It was the most amazing summers of my life. No locks on doors, showers in the backyard, fireworks Wednesday nights. My parents belonged to a group called FROGS- Far Rockaway Ocean Goers. The Bungalow owners, Mr. and Mrs. Herman, would let my Dad come before the season to fish. The last time I was there was about 36 years ago. It was so sad to see the destruction of these amazing bungalows. Ours was white and green, and all the furniture inside was painted a sticky tacky gray. My Grandma and Nana lived a few blocks up in a rooming house. It was very sad to watch as these homes burned to the ground. Such a day-gone-by era. Beach 29th StreetHi! I am very curious exactly where on 29th Street the bungalow was. I lived on 29th just off Seagirt Blvd. It was a year 'round dwelling. The area was VERY crowded during the summer and VERY empty from after Labor Day until Memorial Day. Do you have any pictures from there? I would love to see them! Thanks, Marc Far Rockaway refugee now living in Bayside, NY Rockaway BungalowsThere was nothing better than spending the summer in Rockaway. Most of your family members rented bungalows in the court. Everyone was out every night. The beach was just a few steps away. Fathers came out only for the weekends, even if you lived in Queens... Beach 107 StreetMy aunts, grandmother and uncle would whisk us away to Rockaway the minute school closed for the summer. We would stop at Weiss's for fish and chips, then drive over the old Cross Bay Boulevard bridge and see the top of the roller coaster and the ocean beyond. In a few minutes we would be at our bungelow in Highland Court, the second one in. We thought we had arrived since we had a hot water heater. It was a great place for kids to grow up. Every day my sister and I would open the window with the sun shining down on us. We would get into our bathing suits and run to the beach, riding the waves until we were dragged out by our relatives. Beach 106 StreetBetween 1951 and 1958 or so I stayed with my good friend Donald Sullivan and his family in bungalows on Beach 106 Street. I don't remember the court name - if it had one. I do seem to remember Highland Court but this was centuries ago and memory may play tricks. Sand in QueensA similar group of bungalows still exists in the Breezy Point Coop and Roxbury in Queens. Many have been expanded and converted to year round use now, though some are still used only for the season. They refer to Breezy Point and Roxbury as the "Irish Riviera" due to the strong Irish presence. B. 29th bungalowsI know EXACTLY where you were. My grandmother too had a bungalow, about 5-6 before the boardwalk ramp. They were on the left side, because on the right side was a parking lot or a building (I can't remember it exactly). But up the block was two hotels - the Regency and another one. They were both owned by the same people - Mr. and Mrs. Hecht, german/lithuanian-jewish folks. If you remember, there was a wooden bridge that connected the two buildings, and the courtyard was shared by the two. The showers were both underneath the front of the buildings behind the, lattice and then common showers/bathrooms in the hallways. There was one public phone on each floor and a television on each floor. When my grandmother could no longer stay in the bungalow (either they were sold, torn down or condemned), she went into the Regency Hotel. She was in the basement which was very cool in the summer. They dodn't need air conditioning. The last party of the season was Mardi Gras. My grandmother, being on the heavy side, loved to wear blackface makeup and put her hair up with a tied kerchief - she was "Aunt Jemima." I only wish I had a place like 29th street to bring up my children in the summers. We ended up renting cabanas in Atlantic Beach from when they were little, then moved to Atlantic Beach, but retained memberships at the beach club. We can't get the sand out of our shoes! Belle Harbor's Bungalows I was searching for a picture of Weiss's Restaurant and stumbled across this site. I found one taken before the war, but was hoping to find one more recently, like late 1950s or early 60s. Looking at the group of bungalows, there were similar ones along the beach 2 rows deep at B129th Street in Belle Harbor, Rockaway. They looked very similar to the ones in the pics if memory serves. I was there last year and although they still occupy the same footprint, most have either been completely reconstructed or torn down and replaced with more modern ones. I recall every summer going to the beach and seeking out the "city" kids here for a few weeks. We made lots of new friends every summer. Then there were the bungalows out on RockyPoint/BreezyPoint. My mother spent her childhood summers, probably right there in that picture. Her parents owned their own bungalow. I have a picture of it from around 1941. Mom's 83 and I'll have to print this off and show it to her. Maple Court, Beach 28th st.I've been searching for info on Far Rockaway. I've been strolling down memory lane thinking about my wonderful summers there. My family rented, and we stayed for a total of five summers. The last two were in Maple Court, which, I believe, was on beach 26th or 28th Street. Before that we were in B Court and A Court on 28th. I agree with the posters who spoke of these summers as paradise! I felt truly free there. And yes, nothing was locked up. There was no schedule to keep. Just pure fun. My last summer there was in 1969. I remember this because of the moon landing. We returned home from the fireworks display on the beach and watched it on TV. My grandparents owned a fruit store on the main street, and they stayed at a wonderful hotel called the Manor. My happiest memories from my childhood are from Far Rockaway. Maple Court bungalowMy family purchased a bungalow at 29 Maple Court in 1969 when I was 9 years old. I too had the greatest memories there. We took so much for granted thinking everyone lived as we did. Now I realize how lucky we were back then. Being able to stroll down the street to the boardwalk, watching the fireworks Wednesday nights, and winning prizes at the arcade games are fond memories. Do you remember the pizza shop on the corner? Because the bungalows were so small and cozy, to this day I prefer smaller spaces. Thanks for letting me relive those memories for just a short time. The EmbassyWe stayed in the Embassy on 29th Street (right next to the ramp to the beach). Many of my friends were in the bungalow courts between 28th and 29th. We stopped going in 1967 but those were the best times -- those summers were magical. My husband and I went back in 1998. There is a school where the Embassy used to be and nothing much else. I went down to the beach and I cried. Who were your grandparents?Carolyn, my parents owned the Manor at 2400 Seagirt Blvd (beach 24st). My last summer on Rockaway Beach was 1967 just before I entered the Army. My parents and I moved to South Florida shortly there after. I was 6 miles from the DMZ in Vietnam when we landed on the moon. Fruit storeCarolyn, if memory serves (pretty fuzzy by now), your grandparents were the Lebowitzes. The fruit store was on Edgemere Avenue just off Beach 24 next to Willy's Market. If I am right, I am amazed. The EmbassyMy family had a bungalow on B29th Street on "the ramp" from the 1950s until around 1970. I got thrown out of the Embassy by the owner because we didn't live there. I bought ice cream at the candy store under the porch of the hotel. I saw the school, it was a bummer. I remember Lenny's, skee ball, Jerry's knishes, Sally & Larry's pizza, movies on the boardwalk, Dugan the baker, softball games, basketball in the parking lot. I used to sell lemonade to the ball players on hot days. Memories ... I remember a girl named Cherie or Sherry. She had a boyfriend, Arnie. I used to hang out with Arnie's brother Marvin. lmc2222@aol.com Far RockawayI also have childhood reminiscences of Far Rockaway. My family lived in a small bungalow rented for a group of Russians in 1970s (yep, I am Russian, living in Moscow now). I was 3 or 4 years old at that time, so I do not remember much. What I know is that these are one of the brightest memories of my early childhood. My pa said the house was really small. I do not know what street it was on, or if it still exists. What matters are the snapshots of my memory: me sitting on a porch on a rocking chair, and the arches of the porches, of the same form and shape, go all the way down to the ocean. Me playing in sand, building garages for toy trucks, with other children running from waves that seemed - wow - so really huge. And above all and around all, the salty smell of Atlantic, which is different from any other seaside smell. Great pity the place is devastated today. Hope that everyone who has ever had good times in Far Rock keeps his own memory snapshots of the place, where it looks as it really should. Fruit StorePeter, you have an incredible memory! My grandparents were the Leibowitzes. That's such a specific memory. Did you know them personally? I would love to hear about any memories you have of them or the store. Were you a child at the time? The EmbassyCheri, I can understand your crying. I went back many years ago and was also upset to see the area so demolished. At that time, it seemed the only bungalow left standing belonged to a lady we were all so afraid of on Maple court. She seemed to hate kids (probably we just annoyed her mercilessly!). But going back as an adult, I saw her situation quite differently. The bungalow was all she had, and so she stayed there while everything around her seemed to be destroyed. Maple Court BungalowLillian, we must have known each other since we were there at the same time, and we were around the same age. I was in the first bungalow on the right, facing the main street. You might remember the pile of junk in front of the house (left by the owner, which we were waiting for them to take away!) Where in the court were you? I remember a girl named Elena, and a boy everybody had a crush on named Eddie. The ManorWow... your parents owned the Manor! What an interesting and exciting experience that must have been. If I recall correctly, there were an eccentric bunch of characters staying there. Carolyn! What a great happening!Hi Carolyn, Glad you found me on Facebook. Your ability to put me together with my earlier Shorpy post was remarkable, so I am posting this for the benefit of "Shorpy page readers." Your recollections and mine from the 1960's certainly attest to how great having the internet and pages like Shorpy's are. (Shorpy..thank you!) The fact that I remembered your grandparents is somewhat unique cause I can't remember anyone else's grandparents from way back then, other then mine. I must have really liked them and was destined to cross your path again. I remember sitting and talking with them on porch of the Manor in one of those green rocking chairs. They were "grandparent" types, had a European accent like most grandparents back then, and easy to be comfortable with. Just to put things into focus, I am now 63. That was back when I was 16 or 17 and younger, but your grandparents returned to the Manor for quite a few summers in the 1960s. How could I have remembered your grandparents' name? I too am amazed and flabbergasted. Memories of Far RockawayYes, this website is truly wonderful for allowing us to stroll down memory lane and recall the sights, smells and feel of Far Rockaway... and what an extra treat for me to find someone who actually knew my grandparents. Thank you Shorpy's for allowing us this exchange of information and memories... and thank you Peter for your kindness and your very sharp memory! Far RockawayMy sister directed me to this site. We stayed in the Jefferson Hotel, right between Beach 29th and 30th, next to the Frontenac. My good friend Faye's grandparents, the Kratkas, owned the Embassy and both Faye and I worked the concession stand which her parents ran. The memories of the boardwalk are still strong. Not only did we have the luxury of a fantastic beach at our doorstep, we also had nighttime fun. Cruising up and down the boardwalk -- eating pizza at Sally & Larry's, or Takee Cup (originally called Tuckee Cup until the owners got disgusted of painting out the alternate name it always received over the winter months) and listening to Eddie, with his ever-present songbook, sing requests. All added up to good, clean fun. I left in 1968, went back from time to time, but haven't been back in years. Unfortunately, you can see enough from Google Earth. My two auntsMy father's two aunts had a bungalow in Rockaway Beach in the late 50's early 60's. It had flowered wallpaper and a musty smell, but it was the most interesting home I have ever been in. I was allowed to leave and explore without my mother's glare. I cannot tell you what food we ate there. I have no memory of meals which is odd. I do remember being bitten by my aunt's dog, which scared me for a long time. I think their names were Bernice and Ruth Cohan. If you have any thing to share please do. thanks, Mary Donaldson neversynvr@aol.com Twin HousesThe houses with the bridge were known as "the twin houses", possibly the Claremore & Edgewater, both owned by the Hechts. I spent the happiest summers of my life there! Like Cheri, I've wanted to return, but haven't as I know how sad it would be. Better to revisit in memory, sometimes in dreams. I probably know Cheri (from Arnie & the Joey days) and Les rings a bell, as does singing Eddie... Marcy Sand in my shoes on Beach 107thMy mother's family went to Beach 107th in the summers of 1917 through 1929. After the Depression hit they couldn't afford it. I still have photos of that period. In 1951 our family went down to the Rockaways and rented a bungalow for the season. The courts I remember were Almeida and Holmenhurst. My dad came only for the weekends, arriving Friday evening. The first thing he did was put on his trunks and head for the beach with me. When he hit the ocean you could see all his cares and worries leave. At night the parents would gather on the porches and play cards, drink a Tom Collins or have a beer and just have a good time. As a 10-year-old I wondered what was so much fun doing this every weekend. It occurred to me many years ago that boy, did they have it made. Sitting on a porch with a nice summer drink, a cool ocean breeze along with good friends to talk with and play cards with. Life was so laid-back and simple then. Does anyone remember the doughnut shop Brindle's or the bakery Dudie's? What about Nat's Ice cream shop, where you could get a walk-away sundae. Bill's Deli had the best salads and cold cuts. Wonderful summers that will always keep me warm in the winters of my aging mind. Beach 28th Street & A B and C CourtsI too remember the pizzaria on the corner of Beach 28th street. I remember my friends Randy, Shmealy, Risa, Brenda and Jody. I don't remember Shmealy's given name, but I remember he was hyperactive and a lot of fun. Made up a song from the commercials of the time for Halo Shampoo. "Halo Sham-poo poo, Ha-a-lo! Jodi's mom didn't want me hanging around Jody because I blinked my eyes too much. Oh well. HEY: Jody from Beach 29th street who wrote a post here on 11/12/2007 - I wonder if you're the Jody I remember!? I hung around with Risa a lot. I still have a photo of us and my dog Suzie on the porch of my Bungalow. I once disappeared into the Courts of Beach 28th street while walking my dog. I ended up talking to a boy for 2 hours, not knowing my parents had called the police and had an all-out search for me. My father finally found me. I was the talk of the town that day! I hope someone remembers these people or IS one of these people, or remembers the lost girl incident and would like to contact me at orangechickens2@aol.com. It would be wonderful to hear from you!! Anyone remember dogball?My dad wrote about playing dogball on the beach at 110th Street on his blog at willhoppe.com. I'm going to show him all of your comments later tonight. The BungalowsI was born in Far Rockaway in 1942. I lived there for 16 summers. My dad owned a small grocery on B 28th street. It was the best time of my life. Maple Court faced 28th. To me it was a very exotic place. The renters/owners vacationed there, my dad was a workman. We lived in roominghouses with a bath on the floor. One year I begged my dad to live in Maple Court and we got a small apartment in the back of a bungalow there. The bungalows were the BEST. Rockaway native from HammelsBorn in Rockaway in 1941 at Rockway Beach Hospital. Went to PS 44, JHS 198, Class of '59 from Far Rock. Worked as a locker boy at Roche's Beach Club in Far Rockaway. For two summers I worked in Rockaway Playland. I lived on 90th, where my parents rented out the bungalow in the back of our house every summer. My father at the end of his years as a waiter worked in Weiss's dining room, and the Breakers restaurant on 116th Street. I met my wife in 1965 at McNulty's on 108th Street. She was from Woodhaven and Breezy Point. We got married in '68. I am writing this on the back deck as we are still enjoying the summer weather here at Breezy. We both still have sand in our shoes. Our 1940s summersA group of Bronx families spent the summers of the early '40s in a few bungalows. Sundays the working fathers would appear for a community breakfast. We celebrated V-J Day with a parade on the boardwalk. Takee Cup was a part of our diet. A noodle cup to be eaten after the chow mein was devoured. The ultimate hand held food treat. Beach 25th StreetI grew up in Far Rockaway in the 1960s and 70s. We lived in the Bronx and rented every summer on Beach 32nd Street (now two big apartment buildings -- Seaview Towers). When I was 9 or 10, we moved to Beach 25th year-round. The summers were great -- we didn't wear shoes most of the time. Every Friday night, "Bingo Al" held a game in the court behind the bungalows, between 25th and 26th. One summmer he had a "Chinese auction" and dressed up in an oriental robe and Fu Manchu mustache and beard. Many of the residents got seltzer water delivered in bottles at their back porch. They would gather in the evenings out in front of the bungalows and talk and joke. I would lie in my bed, with my ear pressed against the window screen, trying to listen, and also trying to stay cool -- no air conditioning. Sol "The Cantor" Gerb would play his little electric organ as people sipped their drinks, chatted or played cards. It was like a different world from the rest of New York. I read where one commenter talked about the bungalows rented for the Russians. This was on Beach 24th Street. They worked at the United Nations and rented a block of bungalows. Every Monday morning passenger vans would show up to take them to work at the UN. We played with the Russian kids. They were a good bunch. I stayed over at one of their bungalows and we had crepes for breakfast. I had no idea what crepes were! I learned to play chess, as the Russians were crazy about it. I recall one time when members of the Jewish Defense League blew up a small BMW belonging to one of the Russians. The news came out and I was in the background, behind the reporter. A sad time for Far Rockaway. One of the amazing things was the backgrounds of the bungalow residents -- former concentration camp prisoners, Russians, Irish, Jews, some Italians and Greeks, but we all got along so well. A great place to grow up! At the FrontenacMy family spent summers at the Frontenac from the late 40s until 1957. When I describe it to my daughter, I have to confess it was really more like a boardinghouse. My mother, father and I shared a room that was also the kitchen. Bathroom on the floor, showers were out back for when you came back from the beach. It was great community. Juke box for dancing, card room for gin and mah jongg and the television on the porch. I loved Jerry's cherry cheese knishes. I remember the movie theater on the boardwalk in the 30's (it could barely be called indoors) I bought the News and Mirror off the delivery trucks for 2 or 3 cents and sold them for a nickel. My parents would pay the guy who ran the first aid station under the boardwalk to hold our beach chairs overnight so we wouldn't have to "schlep" them back and forth. We played softball on the blacktop parking lot on 29th street right off the boardwalk. My wife, who I did not know then, stayed with a friend's family in a bungalow on 29th street. I think her best memory was playing Fascination. Best summers everI used to stay at my grandmother's bungalow on B 28th st. in the mid to late 60s. Those were the very best summers ever! Walking just a few yards to the boardwalk and beach, pizza from the store on the corner, hanging with Howie and the crowd there. Playing Fascination for a dime, huge french fries in those cone cups. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Howie Young I'd love to get in touch with him. My email is belongtoyou@hotmail.com Hugh McNulty Hotel, Rockaway BeachI am trying to learn about Hugh McNulty's Hotel. I am not sure what street it was on, but there was also a bar in it. Hugh was my mum's uncle and her father came to stay with him and work for him. The time period may have been 1924-1930. I know the hotel was still in operation in 1953, as my grandmother visited him at that time. Any help is appreciated. libtech50@comcast.net Edgemere memoriesMy family lived many places in the Edgemere section of Far Rockaway (I don't know the exact boundaries of Edgemere, if there were any), but my memories centered on Beach 48th Way and Beach 48th Street. Fantastic place to spend the summers and escape the hell of the South Bronx. I had wonderful Jewish friends and I worried that they would go to hell because they weren't Catholic. Now I laugh as such perverted theology, but back then it was serious stuff. I loved the beach, the ocean, the starts, the jetties, playing every group game known to humans, going over the the "bay side" to play softball with the "project people" -- those who lived beyond the marshes and spent the winter there. No doubt about it, the best part of my childhood was Rockaway. Too bad it was taken away from us and to my knowledge, still is just a bunch of sand with no houses where we used to live, right near the boardwalk. Beach 48th Way, RockawayIn the early 1960s there were two brothers that were lifeguards when my family was there, Dennis and Tom Fulton. Anyone remember them? Also there was a man named Warren who would feed pigeons at the end of the block every day. My parents would rent a bungalow in the summer months to get us out of Brooklyn for awhile. Great memories. Rockaway, a kid's dreamI remember growing up in Rockaway. We had two boarding houses on Beach 114th Street. When my mom was a kid, Carroll O'Connor, his mom and brother Frank stayed with them. He returned to see my parents back in the mid-eighties and I received one of his last e-mails before he died. I worked my way bartending at Fitzgerald's on Beach 108th and Sullivan's on Beach 116th (1967-1970). You could leave the house at 7 years old, walk to the beach without crossing the street and never had to worry one bit. The neighbors looked out for everone's children. Great memories and thanks to Shorpy for an incredible site. Brilliant job! Cohen's CourtThe picture above is very much how I remember the bungalow court where my parents rented in the summers of the early 1950s. I think my mom said it was Cohen's Court. Ours was at the end of the court on the left. I don't remember too much, I was really little. But I think there was a center row of garden where parents hid treats for us to hunt. I remember a corner candy store we kids could walk to and my mom confiscating a tube of plastic bubbles I bought. I guess she thought the fumes would get me high or something. There was a little girl across the court who would stand on her porch in a towel and flash us once in a while. And I have a memory of being on the beach with my parents, I in the sand and my mom in a beach chair, and my dad taking me into the water. I went back with my parents in the early 60s because they were thinking about renting it again. But it was so musty and dirty and ramshackle that they decided against it. I had a girl friend with me and I have to say I was embarrassed about the way the place looked and smelled. Too bad, that bungalow was a great summer getaway for a working class family from Brooklyn. Elisa on B 29thWas your grandma named Bessie? I lived in the Claremar, one of the twin houses, and I remember her. Did you have a brother too? My sister, parents, grandmother and baby brother and I all lived in two rooms in the basement. I remember Crazy Eddie and his huge black book of songs. Tina and Elise ... Elliot ... Donna ... Jackie ... smiling in memory! Palace HotelThe last place my family stayed at for quite a few years was the Palace Hotel on Beach 30th Street right near the boardwalk. Those were the days my friend. All the arcades and food places on the boardwalk, Cinderella Playland for the little kiddies, the Good Humor man , Ralph was his name. Life was simple. No internet, cell phones or video games yet we had great times and wonderful memories. We played board games and cards and rode our bikes. The guys played baseball in the parking lot adjacent to the Palace Hotel. The team was a mix of every race and ethnicity and everyone managed to get along and looked forward to playing together the next Summer. The beach was the best. Dads could go to work and come back every day rather than only on weekends as they do in the Catskills. Such a shame that this no longer exists. The last summer I went there for a few weekends was in 1976. The JeffersonMy grandparents rented a place in the Jefferson for many years. I have great memories of the place, the back stair cases, the porch, and the beach just a short walk away. Does anyone have relatives who stayed there? Rockaway summersI spent virtually every summer till the age of 22 in Rockaway. We stayed on Beach 49th till they knocked them down, then kept moving to the 20's. Best time of my life. My family was unique -- Italians in the Jewish neighborhood and we came in from Jersey! My mom grew up in Brooklyn and her family started coming in the '40s! Wish I could connect with friends from back then. If I sound familiar please let me know. You would be in your mid to late 50s now. Rockaway Beach Bungalows on PBSI received a message, last night, from my girlfriend who stated that "The Bungalows of Rockaway" was on PBS @ 8PM. I started watching at 8:30 and to my surprise I could not stop watching. I was born at Rockaway Beach Hospital and I am a lifer. I never lived in a Bungalow but I have always wanted to purchase one. I was taken aback by the fact that there were at least 6,000 bungalows and now there are approximately 300 (big difference). I also found out in this documentary that there is hope that the bungalows can be landmarked and I hope that it happens. The bungalows are a unique attraction to this area and I hope that the 300 remaining can be preserved. Elisa on B. 29th Street - the hotelsTo Anonymous Tipster on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 3:15am - YES! My grandmother was Bessie. I do remember your family - your grandmother, parents and the little ones. Your mom wore glasses and had blonde hair. She always wore her hair pulled back and up on her head, curlers in the evening. Also, Harry and Dottie lived in a large room in the corner of the basement of the hotel. I have 3 brothers and one sister. My Aunt Rose and Uncle Leo used to come to the hotel as well to visit with Grandma Bessie. Please e-mail me @ medmalnursing@msn.com Sally's Pizza and the Lemon & Orange Ice StandI spent the best summers of my life on Beach 28th Street. Coming from a Bronx apartment, it felt like our own private house. Our own family doctor came out to Rockaway every summer and stayed on Beach 24th Street. I now wonder what happened to his patients during July and August. How come nobody has mentioned Sally's pizza, on the boardwalk around 32nd Street? You couldn't forget Sally-- with her bleached blond hair, tight pants, and backless highheels. Near Sally's was the fresh lemon and orange ice stand with the fruit stacked against the wall. The ices even contained pits. No artificial coloring or corn syrup in those ices. Grandmother's bungalowsMy grandmother owned 10 bungalows on the beach on 35th Street from the 1930s thru the 1950s. They were the ones nearest the water. I loved going to help her get them ready each spring and clean them up each fall. Playing on that wonderful empty beach at those times of year with no one else in sight. We lived in Far Rockaway at 856 Central Ave., so going to the bungalows was not a long trip. Great memories. Mom's RivieraMy mother loved Rockaway so much that we called it "Mother's Riviera." She couldn't have cared less about the beautiful beaches across the ocean in France or Italy, for Rockaway Beach was her greatest joy. We spent many summers in a bungalow court on 109th Street and my grandmother and her sisters also spent their youthful summer days in Rockaway Beach. So our family goes back generations loving Rockaway. Every Memorial Day the court always had a party to celebrate the beginning of summer and the courtyard inhabitants were usually Irish. The courtyard came alive with Irish songs and jigs and reels. Of course, the people of the courtyard always chipped in for a big keg of beer. It was repeated on Labor Day as we all said our goodbyes to our neighbors and to our beloved Rockaway Beach. Saturday nights in Rockaway were spent at the closest Irish bar and some nights the local boys slept under the boardwalk after having a wild time. They always managed to get themselves together for Sunday Mass or otherwise they would get holy hell from their families. Sands of TimeI spent every summer in the Rockaway bungalows from the fifties until the mid eighties when we were forced to leave because of the deteriorating situation. I was a child on Beach 49th and remember George's candy store where you could get a walkaway sundae for 50 cents. Sue, I remember the Fulton brothers, who were lifeguards. Handsome devils, had a crush on Tom when I was 14. Times were safe. There were a thousand kids to play with. We went from 49th, 40th 39th, 38th, 26th and finally 25th Street with my own kids trying to hold on to that wonderful way of life. Unfortunately it disappeared. Some of the best days of our liveswere spent on Beach 25th. When I was 12 (1936) until I was 17, we stayed every summer at my grandmother's at Beach 66th Street. Those were glorious days on the beach. The boardwalk at night was wonderful, too. We played pinball, and games of skill for 5 cents to collect prizes. Bottled soda and ice cream were 5 cents then, too. We used to run up to the boardwalk to eat the delicious knishes. My summers at Far Rockaway were the most unforgettable of my growing up. Tuna fish and bologna sandwiches on a roll never tasted as good as it did at the waterfront. In 1961, when I was married with children, we rented a bungalow on Beach 25th and loved it! It was a rainy summer and we spent a lot of time in Far Rockaway shopping, eating and going to the movies. Every sunny day, however, we quickly rushed to the beach to enjoy it with family and friends. The Jefferson, Beach 30thI stayed with Grandma and Grandpa every summer for years in a small room at ground level. Grandpa would take me to the beach in the morning, then off to the stores on 24th Street. The back patio was for dancing on Saturday night and the concession inside had bingo. The porch! As I grew up to teenager, I met Ronnie Schenkman and family on the second or third floor (used the back staircase). I don't remember where Eleanor stayed. Crazy Eddie and his songs. Hal and his girl of the night. Warm nights and days. Very sexy! As a working girl I still took the RR to Far Rockaway, then the bus to Edgemere. Took my children to visit Grandma when it was becoming sad looking. Then went to the area years later and found a burnt shell with a wicked fence surrounding it. Took pics and had a good cry. We are all lucky that we were able to experience the wonderful warm sun and sultry nights. Belle Harbor BungalowsI think the two rows of Belle Harbor bungalows on Beach 129th to which another person referred were probably the Ocean Promenade Apartments. I have very happy memories of living there in the mid-i950s in the winter. Beach at 37th streetWhat a trip to see all of the these comments. I grew up and lived year round on Beach 37th until 1950, when we moved to Bayside. Takee Cup was a treat as well as the movie theater on the boardwalk, Italian ices and of course the arcade. For a penny you could get great photos of famous cowboys and movie stars. Rockaway in 1958My family spent the summer in Rockaway in 1958. Most of our friends were in the court, but we were outside it on the main street. I don't remember the street, but I suspect it was around Beach 45th, as the El was right on the corner. We had a bungalow with a porch. I was climbing on the outside of it, fell when I saw a neighbor's dog that I wanted to play with, and broke my wrist on broken concrete. Today, one would sue the owner. Back then, we just made do. Later that same summer, I ran across the street to get Italian ices from the local candy store, but looked the wrong way crossing the one-way street and almost got hit by a car. I didn't think that much of it, but the woman driving was hysterical. I also remember a movie theatre on the Boardwalk. In those days, an 8-year-old (me) could feel safe walking the boardwalk without an adult present. The back of the theater opened up at night so you could sit outside. I saw "The Colossus of New York" there, an incredibly bad "monster" movie. Most of the bungalows in the Rockaways were destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1960. So-called "urban renewal" took care of the rest. Now some sections of the Rockaways, especially those facing the ocean, are filled with expensive new condos. The Jefferson 1950s I stayed at the Jefferson in the 1950s. It was far far away from the Bronx. Our father worked two, sometimes three jobs, so my brother and I could escape the Bronx and spend each summer --the whole summer-- in Rockaway. Dad took the train to work every day. We turned brown by July 4th; skinny brown kids always running, scheming, cunningly evading the watchful eyes of Jewish mothers. We played softball in the parking lot by the beach in the early mornings before the cars showed up. We played kick the can in the street, ring-o-lerio (sp?), off the stoop. And then there were the long long days on the beach, hopping on hot sand from blanket to shore, waiting the magic 45 minutes to go in the water after eating lim and sandy salami sandwiches, early versions of body-surfing, acting like we couldn't hear our mothers calling that it was time to come in from the water. Crawling into the cool dark sand under the boardwalk. Some kid named Howie always had a piece of fruit in hand, juice dribbling down his chin. And then there was a kid whose own family called him "Fat Jackie" -- at least that's how I remember it. Once in a while we were treated to Takee cups or lemon Italian ices, and chocolate egg creams. Always sneaking off with so much watermelon that your belly ached, and sand -- always sand -- in your bed. Jumping off the wooden steps to the beach, higher and higher, until you dared to jump from the railings along the boardwalk. I think it was Friday nights we would go to the boardwalk to watch the fireworks display from Playland. Flying kites over the surf when the weather cooled, and sneaking out to the Boardwalk to watch, awestruck, huge summer storms -- was it hurricane Carol? Evenings with men playing pinochle, women playing mah jongg. Ping Pong, hide & seek around the Jefferson. Costume parties with fat hairy men wearing grass skirts and coconut shell brassieres, and mothers with painted mustaches and sideburns, wearing huge hipster hats, chewing cold cigars. Then, dreaded September, back to school and insanely diving under your desk to practice for the upcoming atomic war, or wondering whether you were one of the kids who got the fake Polio vaccine. But somehow, during those summers at the Jefferson, there was nothing to fear. Nothing at all. Beach 45thDoes anyone remember Scott Whitehill or Laird Whitehill? If so, please e-mail me at scott@scottwhitehill.com Moe's Grocery Store on Beach 28thBarbara posted a comment earlier about her dad owning a grocery store on Beach 28th Street. The name of the grocery store was Moe's, and they carried lots of things for a small store. I lived in bungalows on Beach 28th and Beach 29th Street. These were the most memorable times of my life. I only wish that I could go back and see and relive these wonderful times. Beach 49thMy family and many of my relatives owned bungalows on Beach 49th and Beach 48th Street. We spent every summer there until the city condemned the properties. My father brought one of the first surfboards there in the early 60s. I have many fond memories of the beach and the friends I made. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Travel & Vacation)
Come Fly With Me: 1952
... Airport, Jamaica 20, N.Y." View full size. Fish got to swim, birds got to fly Ava is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2019 - 6:12pm -

September 12, 1952. "A bit of the husbandly touch is applied by Frankie Sinatra as he greets the missus, sultry Ava Gardner, on her arrival at Idlewild from Hollywood aboard Trans World Airlines' king-sized 'Ambassador' Constellation. Miss Gardner is visiting New York for the premier of her latest production, The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Aviation photo by Enell, Inc., N.Y. International Airport, Jamaica 20, N.Y." View full size. Fish got to swim, birds got to flyAva is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Smithfield, North Carolina. We'll be driving through there early next week on our way to points north. I may stop and pay my respects. I enjoyed her performance in Showboat. For a momentI thought she had a pirate hook on her right arm. Those rings are no jokeThat really is a sweet moment captured well. Obviously they knew that many pictures were being taken, but it still appears to be a genuine moment in time. Wife 2, Husband 3He seems so much older than her, even relatively toady compared with her youthful freshness, but there’s only a seven year difference (he’s 36, she’s 29). And while he’d been married once before, she’d been wed twice already (Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw). (Aviation, Movies, News Photo Archive, NYC)
Sea Water Baths: 1904
... left side -- very stressful. "Do you know what fish do in that stuff?" Despite W.C. Fields' ostensible dislike of good ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2018 - 11:40am -

The Jersey Shore in 1904. "Boardwalk at Green's Hotel, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Such Civility!My mom, born in 1920, instructed me at a very early age to always walk to the right-hand side be it a staircase, a sidewalk or a hallway. Everyone stays out of each other’s way and can enjoy the view without worry. No Mexican standoffs! Nowadays you’d think most young people were British the way they hog the left side -- very stressful. "Do you know what fish do in that stuff?"Despite W.C. Fields' ostensible dislike of good old H2O, very early in his career he had a summer job as a "drowner" for various Jersey Shore hotels. He'd swim out beyond the surf line when there was a decent crowd on the boardwalk and very histrionically thrash about like a drowning man. With commensurate drama, a lifeguard or two would perform an exciting rescue, to the "ooohs" and applause of the tourists. [Another version of that story can be found here. And yet another here. Both involving concession sales. - Dave] Someone who claimed to have known Fields once told me that after one such performance, as the future comedian was being borne on a stretcher off the beach, he heard a woman remark, "My God, Mabel! That man must be a hopeless drunkard. It's the third time they've had to rescue him today." Reflecting on W.C.'s distinctive features, it's clear that he was a poor choice to play a succession of non-descript victims. But he survived to conquer vaudeville, then talking pictures, and leave a legacy that persists until this day, so in a small way we have publicity-hungry Jersey hoteliers to thank for that. Six years laterFrom a slightly different perspective, here's a view of the beach and the "Richard's Baths" in 1910, from a postcard in the New Jersey Almanac records. Sun Baths at The PierAtlantic City "Sun Baths" Look closely for the sign. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
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