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The Metropole: 1915
... plug fuses feeding four 15 amp branches! We still have two interior walls we never opened, with k&t intact, tied into Romex in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2018 - 8:20pm -

Avalon, Calif., circa 1915. "Bathers at Hotel Metropole, Catalina Island." And yet another popcorn stand. 5x7 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. C'mon BillyLet's go over to that big sewer outfall and play! Surprise! It burned down.The Metropole continued to thrive during the early years of the 20th century, right up until the disastrous early morning hours of Nov. 29, 1915. Between 3:30 and 4 a.m., a fire started mysteriously near the rear of the hotel. Avalon’s small fire department quickly was overwhelmed by the blaze, which spread until it had destroyed fully half of the town’s hotels and buildings. Many residents were left homeless. The 1915 Catalina fire destroyed half of the resort town. The Hotel Metropole was a total loss, as were five other Avalon hotels: the Central, Bay View, Rose, Grandview and Pacific. Though no definitive cause was found, the unofficial word was that a man who lived in a small apartment at the rear of the Metropole was about to be foreclosed upon, so he set the blaze in order to get insurance money. A 52-room Hotel Metropole now stands on the site of the original structure in Avalon at the center of the Metropole Market Place development. LaddersCatalina Island: Home of the Unobtrusive Fire Escape. Clean(ish) water for me, thanks.Upon noticing the sewer pipe leading directly into the ocean water, I think I'll put up my parasol and head over to the Hotel Central for some fresh roasted peanuts. Vive le popcorn standThe list of better things to have around is far shorter than the list of worse ones. The Black Hole of CatalinaI suspect there might be a mean, vile, hideous clown waiting for some unsuspecting sunbather to come curiously walking into that drain. That's a hard nope for me! I just want to know-Is that kid on the fence coming or going? Plus 103Here’s the waterfront today. It looks pretty modern, but a visit reveals a time capsule of the 1950s. RemnantsMy wife and I visited Avalon in 2013, and, seeing the age and original condition of many of the houses, I rented a bicycle and rode up and down the back alleys in search of antiquated electrical wiring. I was not disappointed. This service switch and knob-and-tube wiring very likely dates back to 1915, and wasn't exactly best practice even then. The meter is a later replacement, from the 1940s. Catalina MemoriesI remember going to Catalina Island in the 1950s with my brother and friends in a speedboat. We swam out a way from the beach in front of the hotel, pulled ourselves down to the bottom using kelp and saw many beautiful fish. 120V VestigesMy house in California, built in 1954, was completely knob & tube when we bought it in 1969. It did have a (somewhat) more modern service entrance - two 30A main plug fuses feeding four 15 amp branches! We still have two interior walls we never opened, with k&t intact, tied into Romex in the attic. 240V actually, even as-built. Très moderne! (The Gallery, DPC, Swimming)
Loves Olives: 1956
... everywhere at the time: car paint, fiberglass boats, interior décor, furniture, home exteriors, advertising layouts, product ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2012 - 4:59pm -

Southern California circa 1956. One of a dozen Kodachrome slides that I recently found on eBay. If the clothes here were any sharper we'd need to call 911. No T- shirts and jeans for these folks. More to come over the weekend. View full size. Pink Golden AgeIf this photo was shot in 2012, the young woman's clothing would be far different. The Pink Top would be gone and the Dress would be daringly unbuttoned. It's been interesting watching Shorpy Photos and seeing the progression of women wearing less and less clothing through the years since the camera was invented. Seems the 1950s was the happy medium. What were we thinking?I’m guessing the guy on the left is wearing suede shoes. 1955/56 were the years of pink and charcoal attire for men of the world, as were blue suede wingtip shoes. What we can see of him measures up to the standard, so I’m assuming his footwear does also---including the obligatory pink argyle socks. Pastel colors abounded everywhere at the time: car paint, fiberglass boats, interior décor, furniture, home exteriors, advertising layouts, product packages, etc. Thankfully, providence spared us the simultaneous affliction of women’s sack dresses during the same period, as they were still a couple of years off. "Mad Men," eat your hearts out!Why does the song "Sharp Dressed Man" come to mind? Seriously, the clothes are wonderful! Green olive loverThat's a really cute girl! I'm wondering what the story is about the b&w photo of the white couple. Maybe Olive Girl is biracial and those are her grandparents. I'm speaking this as a mother with two biracial kids and three biracial grandkids, as of yesterday (baby boy, 7lbs 6oz)! UnforgettableHaving been a fan of Nat King Cole, I attended some of his concerts in the early '60s. He dressed so very similar to these two men, very elegant, slender, meticulously groomed and a very smoooooth operator. As soon as I saw this picture, I was reminded of his demeanor. He was especially graceful and attentive to his fans and yet was so humble and congenial to all and his voice was one in a trillion, never to be duplicated. Even though these two do not really look alike, they both interpreted his sophisticated "style" beautifully. What my sons would say"If you could get ALL those olives in the dish into your mouth at the same time, I'll give you a quarter." This was the kind of stunts they'd pull in their teen years and beyond. Their youngest brother at age 5 had a near tragedy trying to fit a whole wedge of cantaloupe in his mouth at once. Thank goodness Mom intervened. Great Photo findThere are still many of us around from that age and that time. Dave, I hope you can get some names to attach to the pictures. I'm looking forward to the next of the set. [Alas, the only name on these slides is "Kodachrome." -Dave] B&W PhotoI don't think the couple in the photo are white noelani. I think the woman is just lighter skinned. (SoCal 1956 Kodachromes)
Make Yourself Comfortable
... uncomfortable feel to it IMO - two thumbs down for the interior designer. Early Guest Upon spotting the odd collection of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920. "National Photo Company, front room." View full size. Glass negative: National Photo Company Collection. Styling: Morticia Addams. BackdropIs that a camera on the far right? I bet a lot of portraits were taken in front of that wall of sharp implements. Now that is some seriouslyNow that is some seriously weird-looking furniture. The whole room has a very uncomfortable feel to it IMO - two thumbs down for the interior designer. Early GuestUpon spotting the odd collection of weapons hanging on the wall the early guest began to wonder who has invited him to dinner. Or if it was him who is the dinner... My voteIs two thumbs up!!! I just love the oddity of it all and I cannot believe it is the waiting room of a business office!! I don't think I would leave for hours - just looking at all of the photos and weaponry and antlers, OH MY! My thought...is that the photographer put all the photographic staging pieces in the front room. I also think it's a good idea to display some curiosities for people to look at whilst waiting. I wish more businesses would do that today. Love The Title!I laughed out loud at the title of this photo! Comfy, indeed! In that room, I imagine that the furniture is made out of human bones! Although bamboo might be closer to the truth. Does anyone want to guess what the subject matter is in the photo next to the antlers? It appears to possibly be a close-up of some sort of animal dung? But, I'm sure I am wrong about that, too. I hope... Kathleen Charming photoMy guess about the photo next to the antlers is that it's a coiled snake. I get a whole King Kong/Skull Island vibe from the furniture motif; I wonder if Merian C. Cooper had visited the National Photo Company 13 years before? I would definitely make room in my place for that vanity/lamp combo, although I'd be real careful getting up from it. Mighty Hunter?This is an odd juxtaposition of styles. That desk looks painful. It actually looks more like a vanity table. Maybe this is a young couple with the usual starting out mixture of his manly trophies and her teenage girl bedroom furniture. [This is the reception area of a business office. And that may well be Herbert E. French himself on the couch. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Slush Hour: 1916
... feet. The plans call for two electric elevators and an interior arrangement of offices, single and in suites, of from two to six ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:00pm -

Washington, D.C., in a circa 1916 time exposure. "Corner of 7th and F northwest." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, 8x10 inches. View full size. Police SwordsI find it fascinating that the policeman is carrying what appears to be a sword. [That's a nightstick. - Dave] Unassailable SupremacyHorn the Tailor was a bit like the Crazy Eddie of his time: insane deals, high volume, lots of advertisement. F and Seventh TodayWent from a White Barber to the Verizon Center.. View Larger Map Still ThereIt appears the Barrister Building is still standing, albeit with a set of large bay windows installed on the lower floors. The buildings on the far right also appear largely intact. [This is looking down Seventh, not F. Welcome to Shorpy! - Dave] View Larger Map High Style on a Narrow LotThe Barrister Building is packing a lot of Renaissance style grandeur as well as height onto a single narrow lot. If I'm scaling this correctly as I look at it, it appears that the lot is an urban standard width of 25 front feet. Is that the case in Washington? Two of the upper floors also appear to be vacant, with For Rent or For Lease signs, causing me to wonder if this is a construction completion record photo. Is the date of this building known? [It was built around 1910. - Dave] Barrister BuildingI love the juxtaposition of architectural styles here: Colonial, Second Empire, Victorian and Romanesque. Dave seems to be having quite a fixation with Mansard rooflines this week. Office Structure Begun Foundations are Laid for the Barrister Building Foundations for another nine-story office building for Washington are being laid at 635 F street northwest, and within the next week or two the public will be able to obtain a general idea as to how large the structure will be when it is completed. the building will be called the Barrister building, and will be a modern, fireproof structure, with a 29 foot frontage and depth of 120 feet. The plans call for two electric elevators and an interior arrangement of offices, single and in suites, of from two to six rooms. The furnishings will be in cherry and mahogany, with all the other appointments in keeping, and such as will constitute this an up-to-date structure in every respect. the front of this first story will be of marble. a light brick, with terra cotta trimmings, will be used above the marble. Appleton P. Clark, jr., the architect, has incorporated in them all the features which the modern office building must contain. The structure will be erected by Charles J. Cassidy Company, and A.C. Houghton, of 623 F street northwest, will the the rental agency. The Barrister building will be ready for occupancy in July. Washington Post, Feb 13, 1910 Barrister Building photographed in October 1970 as part of HABS project (Historical American Building Survey) Oops!That should serve as a helpful reminder to double check street names. And thank you for the welcome despite my mistake. I've posted here before but for some reason I never created an account. Dirty SnowI'm deriving a certain amount of comfort in the realization that the dirty, slushy snow pushed to the curb is the same throughout the centuries. It's nice to know that some things never change. I'm also appreciating that handsome shoeshine stand at the corner, too. It was thoughtful of its attendant to stand aside when the photo was taken so that we'd get a clearer look at it. Those cornucopias hanging from the top of the Barrister Building are a nice touch as well. The fleetingness of lifeEvery time I look at this picture I never fail to be reminded of that famous passage in The Tempest:-- Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Asleep at the Wheel: 1942
... new Roadmaster (whose rearmost porthole accessed the car's interior) into which several of his young scholars saw fit to urinate through ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/20/2019 - 7:13pm -

July 1942. Washington, D.C. "Sunday in Rock Creek Park. Girl sleeping in a car." Medium format acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. I'm not an expert on 1940s Buicksbut I can tell that it is a Roadmaster model, since you can read "master" just in front of the vents. Her chinI really like this photo for several reasons. It's full of real life and there's a pretty girl, which is always a plus for me, but I've got to wonder what's going on with her chin. I thought at first it was just shadow or flaw in the negative, but I don't think so. A burn maybe from working in the factory? Convertible HairJust like my wife had when we owned our Sebring Convertible. This young one should have worn a hat at least The car is a ?Who knows the year and model of the car ? Pop up air ventMy dad`s '53 Ford pickup had one of those air vents. Who needs air conditioning? No name plate necessaryThose vent louvers identify a 1941 Buick. I believe they were also a product of the ingenuity of "A car for every purse and purpose" Alfred P. Sloan, long time president, chairman and CEO of General Motors, who understood the power of small visual cues in differentiating brands which were using the same body across lines. Those vents would evolve into actual air ducts for one year only in 1949, four for the Roadmaster and three for the Super--the '49 Special used the '41 style body. Then for the rest of the 50's Buicks would be instantly associated with their application. Same for the Olds Rocket, Cadillac tailfins and Pontiac's silver streak. 1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible CoupeIt is certainly a Buick but the year and model are guesses on my part. It may have been painted Sequoia Cream Sleeping Beauty!I never even noticed the car! '40s Style StreamingAs noted previously, the Buick side vents seen here morphed in 1949 into the famous chrome Buick portholes (or "Ventiports" -- four for the Roadmaster vs. only three for the lesser models) -- a glitzy touch that brought numerous howls of protest from generally conservative Buick buyers. Presumably, none howled louder than a certain high school principal, owner of a new Roadmaster (whose rearmost porthole accessed the car's interior) into which several of his young scholars saw fit to urinate through its coveted fourth hole. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Marjory Collins)
Emergency Hospital: 1920
Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Emergency Hospital, interior." The latest in lab facilities. Harris & Ewing Collection glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 5:05pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Emergency Hospital, interior." The latest in lab facilities. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Hazardous DutyI hope they have an EMT standing by whenever the custodian clambers atop the autoclave to wind the clock! NakedLove the bare lightbulb! Photographer's instructions"Alright, everybody, look busy!" What's that?What is the thing on the wall over the guy with the microscope? Also, check out the switch box on the wall behind the lady. SpeculationIt appears the technician at the table ordered the Kung Pao Chicken for lunch again. At least I hope so! Speed RegulatorThe switch box over the woman's shoulder is a speed regulator for the drum-shaped centrifuge right behind her at her feet. The actual spinner head is inside; the drum is meant to contain the infectious glass shrapnel if the test tubes shatter at high speed. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Medicine)
Strangers on a Train: 1928
"Southern Railway, interior of car," circa 1928 in or near Washington, D.C. National Photo Company ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 12:03pm -

"Southern Railway, interior of car," circa 1928 in or near Washington, D.C. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. GenerationsInteresting to think the elderly gentleman on the left might be a Civil War vet--and the Navy man might serve in WWII. Next stop....Next stop, Willoughby.... Human TransitThe good old days - enough room to stretch out, windows you could open, ample storage space. This is what we lost to the airlines. Private momentsThose seats weren't all that comfortable, and there was no AC in the summer, but you didn't have idiots babbling on cellphones. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Railroads)
The Palace: 1920
... to enjoy this grande dame hotel on a recent visit, and the interior spaces are as beautiful the streetscape. The Garden Court is an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/03/2016 - 1:05pm -

"Market Street, San Francisco, 1920." Starring the Palace Hotel and, rising behind, the Call Building. 8x10 glass negative. photographer unknown. View full size. What is writtenon the sidewalk at the bottom right. [CROCKER SAFE DEPOSIT VAULTS. Camouflaged as manholes. - Dave] What's up?Those are the tallest street lights/lamps I have ever seen. Can't imagine the purpose of putting them that high up, and maintenance must have been fun. [They're still in use on Market Street, including at this very corner. -tterrace] Street Lights.The reason the street lights are so high is they served dual purpose. If you look closely you can see where the catenary (trolley wire) is actually attached to them. This actually wasn't all that uncommon at one time, since it allowed the city to have its public transit system, and to hide the (usually) unsightly support poles. What's more, it also meant that you didn't have to clutter things up with a second set of poles for the lights themselves. Gorgeous Inside and Out!My husband and I were able to enjoy this grande dame hotel on a recent visit, and the interior spaces are as beautiful the streetscape. The Garden Court is an amazing space, I only wish we'd been there during the day to see the stained glass skylights. "The Roar of the Four"The title is in reference to the constant stream of streetcars during the era of competition between the Municipal Railway and the Market Street Railway. Today the Muni has two surface tracks as well as two subterranean tracks at this location. Below them BART has its too tracks. Roar of the Six? Let There Be LightsThose extra-tall streetlights are actually historic landmarks, specifically "San Francisco Landmark #200 Path of Gold Light Standards." They're part of the City Beautiful movement of the early 1900s, meant to illuminate San Francisco's then-primary artery Market Street. Initially installed in 1916, the poles' bases were designed by famed West Coast architect WIllis Polk and feature bas relief images of covered wagons, mountain lions, and alternating prospectors and Native Americans. For more info on Path of Gold check out this page. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, Streetcars)
Cascade: 1941
... 1935, and ultimately an appeal by the US Department of the Interior to the Supreme Court, which Arizona won. The ensuing settlement ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/08/2011 - 2:14pm -

June 1941. "Parker Dam power project. View from California side into Arizona." Gelatin silver print by Ben Glaha, Bureau of Reclamation. View full size. Conflicted historyThis dam, which straddles the border of California and Arizona, has long been contentious for both states. Its construction involved Arizona sending National Guard troops to halt work in 1935, and ultimately an appeal by the US Department of the Interior to the Supreme Court, which Arizona won. The ensuing settlement allowed the dam to be completed in 1938, but it has continued to be a source of friction with regard to water rights, recreation, and electrical power. Its reservoir forms Lake Havasu. A Water TempleSorry to hear about the controversy, as the structure itself is a magnificent tribute to the art of 1930's design. Modernism on the march! Ol' Parker DamStill looks like this even today, I used this dam as a crossing point back and forth as a short cut to get from I-40 to the I-10 instead of going down the 17 through Phoenix back in the mid 90's. Much nicer scenery and traffic wise. I was surprised to see so many properties along the CA side of the Colorado, reminded me a bit of the East Coast. Still an Imposing EdificeHasn't changed much over the years. Here is a Polaroid Type-107 print I snapped of it in the 1980s on one of my trips through the area. ChinatownToo bad Jack "Jake" Nicholson wasn't around to (re)solve the case. Point of InterestI wonder what the structure in the middle sluice opening is. Probably not somebody's laundry out to dry. (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works)
Kodak Moment: 1926
... with the Eastman House? I found some pix of the interior, but none of the room I have in mind. [This was taken at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 12:59pm -

1926. "Jimmie Jr., Jane, Joan, Jean Davis (Lee Hart job)." Dad James Davis was Secretary of Labor in the Harding, Coolidge and Hoover administrations before being elected to the Senate. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Great pictureImagine if the picture that Jimmie Jr. took could be matched up with this one. The expressions on all four children are priceless. The doll less so. BTW this was the year my mom was born .. about same age as Jewell and still going strong! [Jimmie Jr. is holding a movie camera. - Dave] What every house with kids needsA sun porch a mile long! Location = Eastman House?Ya know.... I'm still trying to find a picture, but that "sun porch" actually reminds me a LOT of a long glassed hallway at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. It kind of a long glassed sunroom that connects portions of the mansion and looks out onto the gardens. Maybe it REALLY was a Kodak moment! Does anyone know where this was really taken or have better familiarity with the Eastman House? I found some pix of the interior, but none of the room I have in mind. [This was taken at the family's home in Washington. - Dave] Jimmie, Jane, Joan et alJimmie, Jane, Joan & Jean. I hope the children grew up duly resentful. [There was also baby sister Jewell, not pictured. - Dave] The J's have it!My parents did the same thing to us and it continues through the generations: JoAnn, Judi, Jackie -- then Jennifer and Justin -- then Joey, Jonathan, Julian (the newest). And one sister, Carol, born just after Christmas. (Why not Joy??) What a DollLittle girl on the right is holding a Kathe Kruse doll. (The Gallery, Kids, Natl Photo)
Retail White House: 1910
... looking for elsewhere, but always enjoyed the beautiful interior of Maison Blanch. The upper floors were offices, including dentists. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2016 - 3:33pm -

New Orleans circa 1910. "Maison Blanche, Canal Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. New Orleans - Signs of Light? Just wondering: what is that grid above the Ferd. Kaufman building? Is it a lighted sign? I love photos like this from the first few years of the last century, that show horse power and automobile power overlapping. Shorpy has really "illuminated" that era for me. Circa?Why "Circa 1910"? The sign says "Wednesday, March 16" and March 16 was a Wednesday in 1910. So it's definitely 1910. Remember MB wellBack when Canal Street was still a major shopping area, I often found better deals on what I was looking for elsewhere, but always enjoyed the beautiful interior of Maison Blanch. The upper floors were offices, including dentists. They had some of the last direct-current run elevators with elevator operators in the city, into the early 1990s. -- Infrogmation of New Orleans This is the 2nd Home of Maison BlancheThis is the second building that housed Maison Blanche. On the same corner, housed the Mercier Building, that wasn't considered big enough by the Maison Blanche owners. They went on a building project, from 1906 to 1909, thus, this picture was taken not long after completion. Photo and article here. Sweet tooth, dentistNo accident to have a dentist upstairs from the confectioner's! Lovely shot of Southern City Life! Interesting info here. Department Store Turned HotelThe ritzy anchor store of the Maison Blanche chain is now the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Crank It: 1939
... May Avenue, Oklahoma City. Photographs show exterior and interior of shacks, tents, other makeshift shelter in May Avenue camp which is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2019 - 12:05pm -

July 1939. "Boy living in camp near May Avenue, Oklahoma City. Photographs show exterior and interior of shacks, tents, other makeshift shelter in May Avenue camp which is partially under bridge and adjacent to city dump and hog wallow. Squalor, filth, vermin in which poverty-stricken inhabitants dwell. Water supplied by shallow wells and water peddler. Piles of rubbish and debris in which children and adults have injured feet. Privies. Families eating food from vegetable dumps, packing houses and discarded from hospital. Children clothed in gunny sacks. Malnourished babies. Sick people. Cooking, washing, ironing, patching. Improvised chicken coop. Corn patch." Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. BuzzfeedLooks like the flies were healthy. On the other handThey didn't have to worry about earthquakes from fracking. A two-talking manOK, so he's playing an unidentified portable talking machine (perhaps a Sonora?), but it's sitting atop yet another talking machine, a later production (1917-1921) Victor Victrola model VV-XIV, which has had its top doors removed at some point. The necessity of musicIt's pretty amazing that, living in those conditions of such squalor, that this poor kid still happens to have a record player (apparently sitting on top of yet another record player!). Music must have been one of the few things these people had to help lighten their lives. No Comment??Seems odd that no one had any comments on this startling image. When it showed up on Facebook, lots of folks responded with curiosity about the boy. Did the photographer publish this print for effect or did the poor lad actually look like this? At any rate, it illustrates the horrid reality of extreme poverty in the late stages of the Great Depression. TiredThat young man's picture should be by the word "tired" in the dictionary. At least he has a phonograph to help take the edge off the evening, and his eyes aren't sunk, which indicates he's at least getting something to eat. One tired ladHe must have had one grueling day. So tired he probably doesn't realize he put the dinner leftovers in the Victrola, not the icebox. (The Gallery, Great Depression, OKC, Russell Lee)
Rules of the Sale: 1920
... Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Conbro clothing store, interior." Happy shopping, everyone. National Photo Company glass negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2018 - 9:39pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Conbro clothing store, interior." Happy shopping, everyone. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. And free alterations too!A couple of the salesmen have tape measures around their necks so they can make the clothes fit perfectly. This looks like the wedding gown sale at Filene's except they are all men and it may be a summer clearance since they are wearing straw hats. Imagine, not a single domineering wife or girlfriend is visible in there to tell her guy what to wear. [It's spring ("spring suits," palm fronds). - Dave] Re: "free alterations"I take that back. After further scrutiny, I see ONE "battle-axe" facing the camera who IS going to have a voice in her man's attire. She's wearing earrings and a turned-up brim. Sorry. "Sale" prices?Wow! For a clearance sale, these seem lofty for the time! Today, that $24.44 suit (or jacket?) would cost $262, using the Consumer Price Index, or $1350 (!!) using GDP Per Capita, an estimate of "affordability." AlterationsWell of course you could get alterations, but they're not included in the sale price. A week's pay for a pair of pantsI was surprised by the prices as well. This illustrates how much we would all likely be paying for clothes right now if they were all still made in the USA. Mystery SolvedCONBRO Clothes, which was located at 930 F Street NW, was next to the Metropolitan Theatre. It appears to have been in business for approximately one year with advertisements for the store starting to surface in local newspapers in December 1919. This store was managed by Jack H. Koppelman. A fire at their warehouse at 116 E Baltimore Street, in Baltimore, Maryland, preceded the sale scene shown in the photo here and in the sale announcement below from the Washington Times on August 4, 1920. No date for the fire was given in the other ad. Conbro claimed there were a total of 10 stores in the chain, but no details of other locations were provided. Possible locations, culled from multiple sources, seem to have been Pittsburgh, Akron, Indianapolis, Flint, and Detroit. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Llano de San Juan: 1940
... Administration. Llano de San Juan There is an interior photograph of a house in Llano de San Juan in the Getty Museum in Los ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 2:01pm -

July or October 1940. Church at Llano de San Juan, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. Llano de San JuanThere is an interior photograph of a house in Llano de San Juan in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The photo is by Alex Harris. Beautiful SkyKodachrome and images of the sky seem to go together! and, they do age well. That is the creepiestThat is the creepiest church. Imagine, at night. Llano de San JuanWhat is amazing is how this image could have been taken yesterday. This church is that unchanged...oh, except the doors are not as white. It's still used on special occasions. I miss my KodachromeNothing like a roll of Kodachrome and a polarizing filter. May they rest in peace, gone the way of the steam train and the internal combustion engine. Oh the saturation! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Photo Op: 1921
... take Standing (l to r): Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior, architect of the Teapot Dome scandal; William Hays, Postmaster ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/18/2012 - 5:29pm -

Washington, D.C., 1921. "Harding Cabinet group." Warren Harding, Vice President Calvin Coolidge and members of the new president's Cabinet at the White House. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Lots of stories in both rowsI'll take Standing (l to r): Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior, architect of the Teapot Dome scandal; William Hays, Postmaster General, future architect of the motion picture industry's Hays Code; Harry M. Daugherty, Attorney General, ringleader of Harding's "Ohio Gang" sub-Cabinet; Henry C. Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture, father of FDR's Vice President, Secretary of Agriculture, and Secretary of Commerce Henry A. Wallace; Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, and future President who oversaw the Crash of 1929 and the start of the Great Depression; and James Davis, who served as Secretary of Labor under three presidents and established the U.S. Border Patrol and immigration restrictions (he himself was an immigrant from Wales, so who would know better about such things?). You there in the backFor heaven's sake, stand still. A hundred years from now, no one will be able to make out your face. Da BoysSeated L-R: John Weeks, Andrew Mellon, Charles Evans Hughes Sr., Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Edwin Denby Standing: Albert Fall, William H. Hays, Harry M. Daugherty, Henry Cantwell Wallace, Herbert Hoover, James Davis. Okay class, details on the above. Pro-AmIt requires a certain amount of skill to sit (or stand) for a successful portrait -- the Pres and VP are, as we can see, accomplished pros. Coolidge would gamely endure thousands of such shots during his administration; Herbert Hoover, standing behind him, seems somewhat less practiced. Wholesome Will HaysStanding second from the left is the very recognizable Will H. Hays, President Harding's first choice for Postmaster General. Less than a year after his appointment, Mr. Hays resigned that position to become the President of the new Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPDDA), at an annual salary of $100,000 (President Harding's salary was only $75,000). Hays was so well paid because the leading motion picture industry moguls hoped that he could blunt the chaotic and costly impact of individual state-run censorship offices founded in the wake of the ironically fraudulent sex-crime prosecution of Hollywood comedian Fatty Arbuckle. The Hays Office, as it was known, was largely successful in calming national outrage by its management of the film industry's new vehicle of self censorship, the Production Code. What A Group!This is a pretty exceptional photo when you consider there are two future presidents, a former supreme court justice and the father of a future vice-president...not to mention the future head of the motion picture censorship board. ChangesWhat no snipers on the roof ? Windows open and a breeze blowing through. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Politics, Public Figures)
Indyrama: 1905
... that the top floor of that building was wide open with no interior support columns, thus necessitating the roof iron. Can anyone ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2015 - 12:00pm -

Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1905, in a panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass plates. Who can identify the three thoroughfares? View full size. Building in street?Far right of photo - I am puzzled by this - There is a large full block long building that has been built in the street. Built right over the streetcar tracks with the trolley poles coming right through the roof of the building. Assuming that it is temporary but looks substantial. Well??? 3-MThat's North Meridian Street on the left, East Market Street on the right, and East Massachusetts Avenue is the diagonal in the middle. I believe this view is looking northeast from Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center of Monument Circle. The thoroughfaresMeridian Street, Massachusetts Avenue and Market Street, from left to right. Partially visible: Ohio and Pennsylvania Streets. Birch Bayh Federal Courthouse visibleVisible in the lower left is the Birch Bayh Federal Building and US Courthouse with University Park behind it. Pennsylvania Ave runs along the eastern side of the courthouse. Iron roof beamsOn a rooftop center right there are three exterior large iron truss arrangements - something I have never seen before. I suspect that the top floor of that building was wide open with no interior support columns, thus necessitating the roof iron. Can anyone elaborate on this unusual feature ? Re: Building in street?Across the narrow pavement (to the left, or north, of the structure in the street is Tomlinson Hall and the Market House area ("City Market"). A city ordinance dated 1902 required that all draft animals be unhitched by 9am and 'removed from the precincts of such market', leaving the wagon parked at the market. So I suspect this is a livery erected for the convenience of market-goers who needed to remove their animals from the market. The tracks leading up to it are perhaps related to having horse drawn street cars but I don't know if we had those at the time. They could have been used for carts for bringing in feed and bedding or removal of what the draft animals leave behind. (Panoramas, DPC, Indianapolis)
Re-Tirement Home: 1940
... and have a 6" deep layer of sludge in the shape of the interior of the valve covers, with small gaps where the oil was forced out of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2018 - 10:17pm -

March 1940. "Secondhand tires displayed for sale at service station in San Marcos, Texas." A leading candidate for the first Krispy Kreme franchise. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Carbonated CokeIt seems that this 1937 Ford sedan's flathead V8 is getting a de-coke job. The engine compartment's side panel has been removed for access and is resting against the Ford tire rims along the wall, with a new head gasket lying on it. The cylinder head has been removed and the gent who is just visible behind the right side of the car is scraping the carbon that has built up inside the head's combustion chambers (called decoking or decarbonizing). This was a common procedure on older cars, given their low compression and the poor quality of fuels. Buildup of carbon (coke) led to a drop in engine performance, so it had to be cleared out from time to time. Indeed many owner's manuals even had the procedure detailed for the owner to perform himself. Why I follow ShorpyThe wonderful titles, hilarious takes like the "first Krispy Kreme franchise" in descriptions, and that the very first comment is a detailed explanation of what some guys working on a car 80 years ago were really doing. Major repairsAt the time it was common practice to do engine overhauls, including the aforementioned carbon removal, cleaning out the oil pan and passage, and replacing the main bearings. In many cases, the main bearings were poured in place - the bearing material (babbit or something like it) would be melted and poured into place in the journals. This was something a good service station would do, maybe in less than as 50,000 miles. This was before detergent oil, so crud would just fill it up eventually. I have seen cars from as late as the 60s where oily sludge had built up to the point that it filled up the engine, so you could take off a valve cover, and have a 6" deep layer of sludge in the shape of the interior of the valve covers, with small gaps where the oil was forced out of the passages. Now it is normal and expected that an engine will run 200,000 miles with no internal failures or significant wear, and no real maintenance aside from oil changes. To the point that everything else in the car has been destroyed long before the engine goes bad. The "good old days" sucked, for the most part. Wheeling in more ways than oneThe building is at least partially clad in Wheeling Corrugating Company's "Cop-R-Loy" steel, as we can see by the imprint above the side garage. This brand of sheet goods consisted of a mild steel with a small amount of copper added to reduce corrosion. It was quite popular and used in a great many water-contact steel products of that era. I still have a bucket in the garage with the same brand ... and still no rust! It's 1939 and 1940The month is March, and the Model A coupe is wearing a 1940 license plate, while the '37 Ford sports a 1939 plate. Until 1975, vehicles in Texas had to get new plates every year, and drivers had from January through March to register. This usually meant long lines of procrastinators at county tax offices at the end of March each year. Third row, second from leftand put it on my new-fangled Sinclair credit card. Just off the squareWithout going to stand on the spot I can't be 100 percent positive, but I believe this station stood on West Fort Street, also known as Texas Highway 80, maybe half a block west of the courthouse. (Fort Street was later renamed Hopkins.) At the far left of the picture, one of the cornices of the Hays County Courthouse (still standing, now with a New Improved Historic Designation) is visible. Sinclair Credit CardsI didn't know there were credit cards of any kind back in those days. Sinclair Gas Credit CardThe card was not a credit card but a GAS CARD, that you pre-filled before a trip that you could use to pump gas at their stations. The research on Sinclair's Website only turned up data about the company here. [Like the sign says, it's a credit card. You charged your gas, then the company mailed you a statement at the end of the month. Pre-filled cards had to wait for the computer era. - Dave] [Ah! I stand corrected] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Dentist Gas: 1921
... handsome new fixtures substituted at great expense. The interior finish of the store is in white. Wall showcases have been used ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 12:17pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Louis & Co., Seventh and G." A convenient grouping of Victrolas, painless dentistry and patent advice. View full size. What We Have, You Get Washington Post, Dec 20, 1914 Gets New Drug Store Company Begins Business Tomorrow at 7th and G Sts. The opening of the Washington branch of the Associated branch of the Associated Drug Stores, Seventh and G streets northwest, tomorrow morning, marks the acquisition of one of the finest and most modern establishments of its kind here. The drug company, of which Dr. M.M. Whitehurst is president, has four stores in Baltimore, and has met with success there. The new establishment will feature its opening tomorrow by giving away souvenirs, including candy, flowers, perfume, and other things with purchases of 50 cents and over. Flowers will be given tomorrow and Tuesday to ladies. There will be various departments of the new establishment, including the prescription, cigar, soda fountain, candy, as well as general drug department. The prescription department which is especially well fitted, will be in charge of two registered graduate pharmacists, and will be able to fill prescriptions on short notice. Another feature is the 30-foot soda fountain, said to be the largest in this section of the country. It will be in the charge of competent men, and is strictly hygienic. Sterilized glasses, filtered water, and fresh fruits will be attractions. The management will make a specialty of guaranteeing everything that is sold in the store, and if anything is not entirely satisfactory it can be returned and either money refunded or another article given in its place. "Best goods at the lowest prices," is the motto of the company. The new store building, which is centrally located, was formerly occupied by a branch of the United States Trust Company. The inside of the structure was torn out, and handsome new fixtures substituted at great expense. The interior finish of the store is in white. Wall showcases have been used throughout so that the customer may see everything. This is sad to be an innovation for Washington. The proprietors will make a specialty from time to time of great bargains in the drug, candy, and other departments. What We Have, You Get Count 'EmI see about 28 Nippers. There are a couple more suspects, but I can't tell without more magnification (or younger eyes). Street ViewAmazingly similar today... View Larger Map Hardest working dentistAmazing, Dr. Truett's hours are 8am-9pm! WhereIs the Drug Store? [To the left of Louis & Co. - Dave] The Moran BuildingThe Moran Building at 501-509 G Street NW in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington was built in 1889 by J.E. Moran (first three floors; fourth floor and mansard roof added in 1890 by George Bogus) and is an example of Second Empire architecture. In 1983 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Current tenants include a Burger King restaurant. [As noted above, the Moran is not the building in our photo. - Dave] Misplaced MoranThe Moran Building with the Burger King is actually a block over, on the other side of Verizon Center. +95Below is the same view from May of 2016. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Street Pusher: 1943
... probably sold for a quarter. The Godfather Baptism interior scenes were shot in Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. Ice Man My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2013 - 6:24pm -

January 1943. "New York. Ice man on Mulberry Street." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. St. Patrick's Old CathedralThis is the Mulberry Street facade. There's an entrance on Mott Street, too. Most of the changes aren't visibleVery little has changed in this view in the ensuing 70 years. The church's exterior has been cleaned up very nicely, the fence is slightly different, trees in the cemetery mostly block the view of the buildings on Mott Street, but that's about it. The neighborhood, however, has changed a great deal. In 1943 it was solidly within the still-thriving Little Italy neighborhood. Most of the nearby residents were of Italian descent and the area businesses were not unlike what you'd find in Rome or Naples. More Italian than English would be heard on the streets. In the postwar years, however, Little Italy declined precipitously as its older residents died off, the younger ones moved to the suburbs, and few new immigrants arrived to replace them. It was a decline mirrored in most other European-ethnic neighborhoods around the city, such as German Yorkville in Upper Manhattan and Scandinavian Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. Starting in the 1960's what remained of Little Italy got squeezed by Chinatown's constant expansion. By the 1980's, Little Italy had mostly retreated to its present state, just a block of (mostly bad) restaurants and tchotchke shops on Mulberry Street a few blocks south of Old St. Patrick's. It barely qualifies as a residential neighborhood at all. The area around the church has been re-branded as "Nolita," short for North of Little Italy, though it's also sometimes considered to be an eastern extension of Soho. While it's a prosperous area, it no longer has any particular ethnic character. Similar view recentlyNo ice man needed. This is July 2011. Old St. Patrick's looks a little better cared for now. Skim JobUnbelievably, it looks like at some point the cathedral got a skim coat covering that beautiful stonework, but since restored. GrandPaMy grandfather (Dad's Dad) was also an "iceman". My father was born in 1919 in the Hell's Kitchen area of NYC, on 39th Street and 11th Avenue to be exact. My grandfather plied his trade in that area. As a small child, I remember how small and wiry (but also extremely muscular and strong) he was. That area of NYC had a lot of apartment buildings, and grandpa would climb many stairs (most of those buildings did NOT have elevators at that time) to bring ice up to customers. Hard, backbreaking work! Really makes you appreciate your ancestors.... Price Of IceThat 50 lb. block of ice, which possibly had to be walked up five flights of stairs and put into the ice box probably sold for a quarter. The GodfatherBaptism interior scenes were shot in Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. Ice ManMy father's lawyer put himself through law school working as an ice man with his father, plying the streets of Little Italy and Greenwich Village. He stood about 5"5' but was built like a fireplug. And to think!This image (tho 6 years later) could absolutely be the inspiration for Dr Seuss's very first children's book, "And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street!". It was the only Dr Seuss book extant when I was little, the rest came along just after my optimal age for him. But, OMG!!! did I LOVE that book! Edit: The Mulberry Street that Dr Seuss based his story on was in his home town of Springfield, Mass., I just learned. Oh, well. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC)
Patent Office: 1918
"Interior, Patent Office," circa 1918. Harris & Ewing. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:20pm -

"Interior, Patent Office," circa 1918. Harris & Ewing. View full size. 2nd Floor ChaosSpeaking as a former file clerk, that 2nd floor filing system is horrendous! What a mess! The third floor is a breath of fresh air. All nice, neat, and orderly. Nice TouchSplendid space, wonderful proportions; especially like the "Juliet" balconies at the second floor level around the columns. A nice touch! What a nightmare!All that paper! I wonder how long it took to catalog that mess. Desks with a viewLook along the "Juliet" balconies and notice that two lucky folks have desks on balconies. Who needs a window when you look out over that grand arcade (and have your back to the mess on the shelves on the second floor). A Question for DaveDave, is this building still with us? Or has it been lost to progress also? Thanks! [The Smithsonian Institution took over the building in the 1960s. It's now home to the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. It reopened in 2006 after a six-year, $250 million renovation.- Dave] View Larger Map A recent look ...... down this same hallway: ArcadeThe inside hallway reminds me of the old turn of the century Arcades that were built in Cinncinati and other parts of the midwest and east. They provide cover and shopping during the harsh winters and hot summers. I think today's suburban mall will never be able to produce something as beautiful and socially gratifying as this and these. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
What Goes Up: 1925
... is one of only 15 properties in DC with a historic interior designation. In 2000 the building was purchased with funds from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2013 - 4:48am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Future home of Federal-American National Bank." Seven years after moving into its new quarters in 1926 the bank collapsed, financially speaking, although the building still stands at 14th and G streets. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Shoe store, tooNot only does this building still stand, empty, but the boarded up Hahn Shoes in the ground floor retail space is still there, too. It looks very out of place, considering the high-end retail and restaurants at this bustling and popular downtown corner. My mom worked at that Hahn Shoes after graduating from high school in 1944. In fact, she was on her way to work one September morning the year she graduated when she realized she missed school. She got off the bus at the door of Wilson Teacher College, took the entrance exam and went home to tell her parents she was going to college. She was the youngest in the family, so I guess they shrugged their shoulders and said OK. She is the only woman in her immigrant family to get a college degree back then, and it meant she didn't make a career of working at the shoe store. But even when we were kids in the mid-60s, we'd go to the Hahn's at Seven Corners to get our new school shoes because Mom still knew people who worked there. An Easy Job!for the police officer in the middle of the street with the "STOP & GO" sign (manually operated, of course). There aren't a whole lot of cars around! Clear Vision CountersBank president John Poole was an innovator who patented "Clear Vision" counters that would not put bars between tellers and customers. But the bank was clearly over-reaching by building this monumental headquarters. Full history can be found here. Pass by this building every day. Here is a picture from google maps I will take a current one from the vantage point tomorrow. I Can't Help MyselfI guess one could say that the policeman is located at the corner of "stop and go". Covered walkwayWhat are those tubes loosely draped over the sidewalk scaffolding? Temporary power lines?...water? Historic building with interesting recent historyThe National Bank of Washington Building is one of only 15 properties in DC with a historic interior designation. In 2000 the building was purchased with funds from wealthy donors for use as a museum and memorial to the Armenian Genocide. However, disputes between the donors led to legal disputes that have delayed the completion of the museum for over a decade. This photo (with HDR effect) was taken in 2009 and the facade looks exactly the same today. Covered Walkway Temporary CableThe tubing overhead would be temporary electrical cable, could be anything but most likely telephone and alarm line due to existing right of ways when they were on poles. For some reason this point of construction went below grade, perhaps for a basement excavation ramp early on. On either side the underground cables were accessed and parallel cables were spliced in and ran overhead. Once the overhead was spliced in, the underground portion was then cut out. When the construction was completed, new underground was installed and spliced in, then the overhead was removed. Cable splicing of this size, especially telephone could take many days and all of this effort was to insure no service interruptions to customers. Still Around?Wardman is a familiar name to anyone who knows DC history. I was surprised to find this with a Google search, although the company website is no longer active. Just down the streetFreeny's to buy some clothes. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Frenemies: 1900s
... The bald fellow Ethan Allen Hitchcock. The Sec'y of interior in 1901. [Interesting guess, but I don't think so. -Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2019 - 3:25pm -

Washington, D.C., ca. 1900s. "Flatmouth, Chief, group." Chief Flatmouth, the formidable-looking gent seated at right, is wearing a medal that reads REDMEN'S CONVENTION, WALKER MINN., Aug. 12th 1901. The bald fellow and the Chief's lieutenants await identification. Harris & Ewing photo. View full size. The bald fellowEthan Allen Hitchcock. The Sec'y of interior in 1901. [Interesting guess, but I don't think so. -Dave] Peace pipesWonder who made those finely crafted pipes. They look like metal, or possibly recycled gun barrels that were melded together and shaped. Part flintlock, part rifle? And would native Indians have had the means to bore a hole down the length of those long pipe handles? Could these have been provided by our government as gifts? Made in Minnesotahttp://www.nps.gov/pipe/index.htm Probably made from the pipestone found at the Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota. As for boring the hole? I guess it could be done with simple tools. William Atkinson JonesCommissioner of Indian Affairs. [Noop. - Dave] I think it *is* Ethan Allen HitchcockNot the General Ethan Allen Hitchcock who died in 1870, this is his nephew. Fellow in this picture looks like the Wiki of the nephew. [Two different people. - Dave] If I may....With the exception of the Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA], bureaucrat [the bald gentleman], these Ojibwe [Chippewa], men belonged to the Pilager Band of Ojibwe on the Leach Lake Reservation in Minnesota. The headman, seated on the right, is Niigaaniibines, son of Eshkibagikoonzhe who was a prominent Ojibwe in the first half of the 19th century in Minnesota territory. The French fur traders pinned the nickname "gueule platte" meaning "flatmouth" on Eshkibagikoonzhe because they were unable to pronounce his Ojibwe name. There is a sculptured bust likeness of him in Washington DC when sketches of him were done while he was on official business there in 1855. That trip also included other Ojibwe headmen from the midwest resulting in a treaty that ceded some 10 million acres of virgin pine land including the headwaters of the Mississippi River. That did not sit well with many Ojibwe people and the elder Flatmouth soon died after. Niigaaniibines "inherited" his father's nickname and then became known by the same name to early settlers in northern Minnesota. The younger Flatmouth died in July of 1906. Some of his personal Indian regalia is on display at Northwestern U. in Evanston, Ill. The young man standing in the button coat, 4th from left, was the official interpreter for this group. The tall man wearing the brim hat, 3rd from left, is Dave Boyd. He was 6'6" and lived on Buck Lake on the Leach Lake Reservation. He served as a Leach Lake Reservation police officer. A granddaughter of Dave Boyd worked as my assistant back in the 1970's. No, the stems on those pipes are not made from rifle barrels nor from stone. They are always made from wood while the pipe heads are most often made of red stone quarried at Pipestone, MN although some pipe heads are made from a certain black stone found in river beds. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Native Americans, Portraits)
Human Hair Goods: 1905
... close corner is a neat bank building with a dome and rich interior. Or was. Returning to former glory That building is being ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2014 - 10:26am -

Circa 1905. "Euclid Avenue, Cleveland." Our title is a callout to Mme. K. Peal, dealer in HUMAN HAIR GOODS: POMPADOURS, SWITCHES, WIGS. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Oh my - there is W.C. FieldsIs that Mr. Fields standing just at the front of the horse at the left side? As usual, hand is holding the straw hat to head while his avoirdupois precedes him. That's ProgressShot from the same location. The curved corner building on the left is still there, although in *much* sadder condition. So is the tall building farther down on the right with the awnings. The lampposts seem to be getting their electricity from the same locations, although they've obviously been changed out: View Larger Map Traffic LightInteresting fact about Euclid Ave: the first traffic light in the U.S was installed here about 9 years later. Mme. PealBorn Katherine Kenninger in April 1854 in New York City to German immigrants. Married Theodore Peal before moving to Ohio (eldest children Arthur and Adolph were born in NY in 1863 and NJ in 1873 respectively). Daughter Charlotte born in 1879 in Ohio, as well as Lillian (1882) and Robert (1886). Appears to have separated from Theodore Peal at some point around 1900 (different addresses in the city directory, she lists herself Widowed, he Single in the 1900 Census) Died Nov 26, 1923, of breast cancer in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Last and First Had my last job in the USN down the street (E. 9th) to the right and my first civilian job post USN behind at 1255 Euclid. Brings back bittersweet memories of the Cleveburg I left in '77 and have not seen since. To the left on the close corner is a neat bank building with a dome and rich interior. Or was. Returning to former gloryThat building is being returned to its former glory through an extensive renovation into apartments and a Kimpton brand hotel. +111Below is the same view from July of 2016. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Shawnee Tavern: 1937
... least was when I last saw it about 4 or 5 years ago. The interior, unfortunately is crumbling lath and plaster and murals. You cannot ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2015 - 11:43am -

April 1937. "The Posey Building of Shawneetown, Illinois, in which Abraham Lincoln and Robert Ingersoll had law offices." Now home to a newspaper and a bar. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Deposeyed.These steps are all that remain of the Posey Building. Wrong addressThe Posey building was in Gallatin 597 Main St Gallatin, IL 62984 [Gallatin is not a town, but rather a county in Illinois; the county seat is Shawneetown. 62984 is the ZIP Code for Shawneetown. -tterrace] Old ShawneetownAccording to Wikipedia, Shawneetown was heavily damaged by the Ohio River Flood of 1937, and the townsite was moved three miles inland and the town rebuilt. From the age of the buildings here, this must be what is now called Old Shawneetown (refer to the previous picture posted here for another building destroyed by the flood). The county seat is now in what is informally called New Shawneetown. Gallatin DemocratThe newspaper is still being published: Fred Murphy is the editor of the Gallatin Democrat. Mailing address: PO Box 545, Shawneetown, IL 62984 There's no website for the paper though. When was it torn down?Does anyone know when or why it was torn down? Seems like such a historic building should have been preserved. Or maybe the flood took its toll on it. Is that the high water mark I see? Ghosts of Old ShawneetownWhen I lived in Southern Illinois in the 60s and 70s, most of the buildings along Main Street were still standing, although not in the best condition. I recall that most of them seemed to house a bar. Old Shawneetown was known as a hard-drinking very rough place. The denizens were commonly referred to as river rats. The decline began after the flood of 37 (which Russell Lee's photographs are documenting) and the Federal government paid to resettle the town on top of the bluff above the Ohio River, today known as New Shawneetown. Today there are only a couple of old downtown buildings still standing. One, the state bank building, shown recently in another Russell Lee shot, is an Illinois Historic site. The exterior is still in fairly good shape, or at least was when I last saw it about 4 or 5 years ago. The interior, unfortunately is crumbling lath and plaster and murals. You cannot go inside. The other major building still standing, on the levee side, is now a big regional biker bar called Hog Daddy's. Same hydrantIt looks like the hydrant in the old photo and the one in the Google street view are one and the same. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Culture Club: 1918
... the Buick factory was located. Shown below is the interior of the coupe which could seat four. In addition to the individual ... store parcels in addition to the trunk on this model. The interior was in a soft gray cloth. Although only a portion of the license ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2019 - 12:10pm -

San Francisco, 1918. "Buick Model 46 four-passenger touring coupe at de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park." 5x7 glass negative by Chris Helin. View full size. Into The ClubThe hood louvers signify that this is a 1919 Buick Model H-46 Coupe instead of a 1918 Model E-46. The "H" models were introduced in August of 1918, and with them all new Buick models now had 6 cylinder engines. Buick made 2,971 of the 3,100 pound car. Sources differ on price, but according to one company brochure it cost at least $1,985 f.o.b. Flint, Michigan, where the Buick factory was located. Shown below is the interior of the coupe which could seat four. In addition to the individual driver's seat, the passenger seat could seat two. The fourth person would have to sit on the jump seat that collapsed into the cowl, and he would have faced backwards and blocked the driver's view. Behind the driver was a tool box, and the space could also be used to store parcels in addition to the trunk on this model. The interior was in a soft gray cloth. Although only a portion of the license plate is visible the only Buick dealer in California with a dealer number beginning with the number "5" was Howard Automobile Company at California and Van Ness Streets in San Francisco. The "R" indicates an additional plate issued to the firm. The owner of the firm, Charles S. Howard, Sr., (1877 - 1950) later bought and raced the horse Seabiscuit. His Howard Automobile Company was the Pacific Coast distributor for Buick automobiles. Two of his advertisements from city directories (1925 and 1930) are below. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Take Rheumo: 1890s
1890s New Zealand. "Grocery shop interior, with staff, location unidentified." Silver gelatin print, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2013 - 1:31pm -

1890s New Zealand. "Grocery shop interior, with staff, location unidentified." Silver gelatin print, photographer unknown. View full size. Watch for falling crocksIn the event of an earthquake, the manner in which those groceries and breakable items have been stacked would spell disaster for the employees and their entire inventory of merchandise, never mind if someone thoughtlessly took a can from the bottom row of that tower of tins. Oy vey! Oh; The Humanity!>>[That's Betty. Betty Crockery. - Dave] I like the little kittens and puppies in cute little outfits. I can take the WWII cuties playing strip poker. I don't mind the occasional snarky comment from the distinguished moderators. But the puns! There should be a warning of some sort before Shorpy's gentle readers are confronted with a facer like the above. --Jim ChamberpotsThe bowl and pitcher sets appear to have a third component, which I assume to be a matching nightsoil receptacle. I recall seeing only two-piece sets here in the U.S. A difference in style, or maybe the pots were not so desirable as antiques. Who's that on the right?I think it's a WOMAN! Isn't she supposed to be hiding behind the crockery? And she's smiling! A nice change from those dour menfolk, I say. [That's Betty. Betty Crockery. - Dave] What shall I have?A quarter of laudanum, please. Oh, and some arsenic. Not Much DifferentSave for the crockery, this might be any of a number of US neighborhood grocery stores before supermarkets drove them to extinction. The chairs are for madam to take her ease whilst the attendant fetches each item on her list, one can or packet at a time. Not immediately evident but certainly present are the extension tongs used to grab merchandise on high shelves. Produce and meats would, of course, be sold in other establishments. All that appears to be lacking is the sawdust spread on the floor to absorb spills -- and, of course, to provide bored and impatient five-year-olds the opportunity to practice the old soft shoe. (The Gallery, New Zealand, Stores & Markets)
Magnolia Mills: 1911
March 1911. Magnolia, Mississippi. "Interior of Magnolia Cotton Mills spinning room. See the little ones scattered ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2012 - 11:48am -

March 1911. Magnolia, Mississippi. "Interior of Magnolia Cotton Mills spinning room. See the little ones scattered through the mill. All work." Our second look at this workroom. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Nice and cleanAnd well lit. I'd rather work here than in a Coal Mine. The boy in the middle actually seems to be smiling. NeighborsI grew up in the town next to Magnolia: Liberty, Ms. Both are really small towns (Liberty's census count is below 700), but both are county seats. There was a small but persistent textile industry in the area until the last few years. My mom worked at a sewing machine for decades. The industry was one of the few jobs available for women anywhere around there. Wasn't that great for men either. But now that textiles have departed, jobs are harder than ever to come by for women. Sure, there was a lot of risks working in any kind of factory, but I'm grateful for all the meals in my belly that the work helped to provide. Water Buckets?Are those water buckets high on the poles? To be used in case of fire? Fire pailsI believe the fire buckets may have been filled with sand. Water evaporated and would require someone to top them off now-and-then. Note the round bottoms that pretty much made them worthless for any other use so don't even think of taking one for home. In a few years they will be replaced with carbon tetrachloride extinguishers that effectively put out the fire but killed everyone in the vicinity with phosgene gas! Live better through chemistry. Lewis HineMy daughter and I visited the Columbus Museum of Art recently and saw an exhibit called Radical Camera that had some Lewis Hine prints. The photos had a different feel when I saw them up close. They seemed more authentic and heartfelt. (The Gallery, Factories, Lewis Hine)
All Electric Farm: 1936
Washington, D.C., 1936. "Dept. of Interior exhibit -- kitchen at all electric farm." An early manifestation of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/12/2016 - 12:26pm -

Washington, D.C., 1936. "Dept. of Interior exhibit -- kitchen at all electric farm." An early manifestation of the government's push for rural electrification, three years after the Tennessee Valley Authority was created by act of Congress. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Clean Kitchen - dirty shoesNow if they would only come up with an electrical device that could clean her dirty shoes. Otherwise that kitchen is spotless. The StoveIs in a ridiculous location--this may be a dummy kitchen, but to block access to both the upper and lower cabinets seems very poor planning. The Art Deco clock on the stove is probably a Telechron. They had electricity to sellThe TVA would be producing far more electricity than they could sell. They created The Electric Home and Farm Authority to enable people to buy appliances on credit, an entirely new concept. DishwasherMy brother's house still has a built in top-loading (believe it is GE) dishwasher like that. It has only one control, like the central "airplane wings" one in the picture. It came with the house, which dates to the forties, and stayed because removing it would require ripping out the entire counter. Nobody has ever felt that would be worth the effort...so it stays. GE DishwasherLooks like a General Electric dishwasher installed in the counter, I didn't think it was right but the GE Pressroom "History" shows GE's first dishwasher was made in 1927 (and their first front-load dishwasher in 1936!). Seems like an unbelievable luxury for a farm in the midst of the Great Depression! (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kitchens etc.)
Mightiest Electric: 1924
... will be erected to enable visitors to go through the interior and a staff of well informed representatives of the C. M. & St. P. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2014 - 3:07pm -

June 1924. Washington, D.C. "Largest and most powerful electric locomotive in the world being exhibited by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and the General Electric Co." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Monarch of the Rails Washington Post, June 25, 1924. Free Exhibit Giant Electric Locomotive Don’t fail to see this Monarch of the Rails—the pride of the “Milwaukee” road at New York and Florida Avenues, Washington, Wednesday June 25 and Thursday June 26. These mighty electric locomotives, made by the General Electric Co., haul the Olympian and Columbian, famous Trans-Continental trains, silently, smoothly and speedily for 649 miles over the Rocky, Bitter Root and Cascade mountain ranges. Steps and platforms will be erected to enable visitors to go through the interior and a staff of well informed representatives of the C. M. & St. P. Ry. and General Electric Co will be in attendance to explain details. Admission Free. To Puget Sound—Electrified. Proud to be "Bipolar"The five Milwaukee Road Class EP2 bipolar electric locomotives ran from 1919 to 1961, with a major rebuild in 1953. One has survived and is on display in St Louis. Amazing beasts. Bipolar locomotivesThese locomotives used an unusual transmission system, which is to say, none whatsoever. The rotor and the wheels were mounted on the same axle, so that the whole thing moved up and down together. The arrangement was very quiet and avoided wear on driving gears or rods; the drawback was that there could only be two stator poles, so each motor was relatively low powered compared to what was achieved with more conventional motors. Every axle you see is driven except for the ones on either end directly behind the pilots. They were articulated seven ways from Sunday, with four trucks supporting three body sections. One survives, in St. Louis. Steamless in SeattleYes, the "Milwaukee Road" ran electrics to the Pacific Northwest from the early 1920s up to the early 1970s. "...When these sections were placed in full electrical operation (Harlowton [MT] to Avery [ID] in 1917 and Othello [WA] to Tacoma [WA] in 1920) they represented the first long-distance electrification in North America and were the longest electrified lines in the world. " Unfortunately, they never completed the gap between the two electrified routes (Avery to Othello). The electric locomotives were phased out and supporting infrastructure removed--just before the 1973-74 oil crisis (!) See this article. 1953 RebuildDuring the rebuild of 1953 the Milwaukee bought 12 EF-4 and EP-4 replacements from GE. The 12 were part of an original order of 20 ordered by Stalin and bound for the Soviet Union but with the Cold War increasing the sale was blocked. The Milwaukee offered to buy all 20 from GE but it's BOT refused to go along but ultimately the Korean War and a coal strike led the BOT to approve the purchase. The irony was that Milwaukee first offered $1M for all 20 locomotives and spare parts but when finally allowed to buy the units only 12 still remained but the price remained the same. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Reading Circle: 1942
... 1924-1990's, in the south-central part of town. Many interior schoolroom shots, like this one, can look very much like Milldale ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/15/2015 - 4:41pm -

May 1942. "Southington, Conn. Class of young children." Reading David's Friends at School. Photo by Fenno Jacobs, Office of War Information. View full size. A Trip to the ParkLooking over the shoulder of the boy in the striped shirt, it appears that David and his friends are boarding a PCC streamlined streetcar for their field trip. My grade 2 reader in Windsor, Ontario in 1953 was "Friends and Neighbours", and there was a story about two boys who took the streetcar across town to visit an amusement park. Unaccompanied. And they ran out of money for their return trip. But they had a nickel left, and used that to telephone Jim's uncle to come and rescue them. Another life lesson in the 1950s. How Do You Look Today?Love the reflection of the reading boy in the mirror. Chairs and tablesThose chairs - as well as the tables and shelves - are just like the ones from my elementary school days more than ten years later. In fact, the room could almost be my first grade classroom. Things were made to last in those days. Even the clothing the kids are wearing wouldn't look out of place in the early 1950s. Let's read together!Clang, clang! Clang, clang! "Here comes the street car", said Tom David's Friends at SchoolPublished in 1936 by Paul Robert Hanna (1902-1988), a professor in education at Stanford, author of 16 books and over 80 educational essays. He lived in a house designed for him and his wife by Frank Lloyd Wright (Wright's first in the San Francisco region). The Reading Circle. Not Dead yetBelieve it our not, my wife (a teacher for 36 years, retiring nine years ago, and then going back to substitute teach), was still doing the reading circle before she retired and as a Substitute. She still had some of the best readers in the school. Pretty Up to DateConsidering the first PCC streetcars were being introduced the year this book was published - someone certainly cared. This reading groupdoesn't look much different from Miss Jacobs' first-grade class in 1960 in Southern California. We were working on the classic "Dick and Jane" series: "Jump, Jane. Jump up!" Fenno Jacobs: Keep him comin'!Fenno Jacobs, known as a major-magazine photographer, came to Southington in late May, 1942, for the Farm Security Administration, to photograph life in a typical American town, which, other than being more industrialized than most small towns, it was. Among the nearly 300 photos he took, there, are scenes of school children raising the flag, and giving the "Bellamy" salute, as seen here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/17278, which others photos in the set reveal to have been taken at the Milldale School, 1924-1990's, in the south-central part of town. Many interior schoolroom shots, like this one, can look very much like Milldale School did, but subtleties of brickwork, window spacing details, and outside-the-windows views, indicate that THIS picture was taken at the Holcomb School, near downtown, built 1926. There is another Jacobs picture of this exact scene, wherein the fellow reading, who seems to need his finger to help him follow the words, is standing proud and forthright, and delivering the message as if he had been born to preach. Southington was a truly great town to grow up in, in the 1950s and '60s, when there were yet some farms remaining, and much undeveloped land. Sprawl has won the war, however, it's just too central a location. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Fenno Jacobs, Kids)
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