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Submariner: 1908
Under the Hudson River circa 1908. "Interior of car, N.Y.-N.J. Tunnel." Today this would be the PATH train. 8x10 ... school in NYC. Nature's breezes As there are interior bars and exterior grills on the windows, I suspect that these might've ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 9:46am -

Under the Hudson River circa 1908. "Interior of car, N.Y.-N.J. Tunnel." Today this would be the PATH train. 8x10 glass negative, G.G. Bain. View full size. InterestingA little surprised to see a "smoking prohibited" sign back in a time when smoking really wasn't an issue. Maybe it's for safety reasons. Not too crowdedIs that Stan Laurel in his younger days reading the paper? Great detailWhat do you think is the purpose of the finger pulls along the top on both sides? [Maybe ventilation. Some of them are open, like the one on the left below. - Dave] Sweet!No graffiti or advertisment in sight, sweet it was! NiceThat's a really nice looking car and I bet it doesn't smell like urine. Since it's 1908, I'm guessing this was taken when the car was stationary or we'd see blurring. [Or maybe not. This photo was taken with a flash. - Dave] Beautiful!The dividers between the seats add so much visual interest -- wish we still had them. The light bulbs are fantastic! Wonder when the first overhead fans were installed? In the dog days of summer, these early cars must have felt like rolling kilns. Two Styles of BulbNote the single-hairpin-loop Edison/Mazda bulbs as well as the smaller and slightly earlier style Edison bulb that can be seen nearer the center of the car. http://electriclights.tripod.com/bulbsantique1.htm I have four working Mazdas from 1907; I use them, two each, in my bath & kitchen. They shine a pleasant shade of amber without any globe over the bulb that never blinds one's eyes. The Hudson TubesThis car was operated by the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad in what were commonly called the Hudson Tubes. The line was taken over by the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) on September 1, 1962. The takeover was closely intertwined with the construction of the World Trade Center. See http://www.hudsoncity.net/tubesenglish/3-operatinghistory.html The "black cars" like the one in the photo remained in service for close to half a century. I rode in them many times between Jersey City and Manhattan during the 1940s and 50s. By then, as you would expect, the cars were old and dingy. The only touch of modernization was the installation of newer light bulbs. The seats were very hard and uncomfortable, the cars noisy and hot in the summer since they obviously were not air conditioned. The introduction of the "K" cars in the late 1950s and early 60s was a huge improvement. See http://www.hudsoncity.net/tubesenglish/6-fleet.html If OnlyAhh, if only this were the train I took from Newark to school in NYC. Nature's breezesAs there are interior bars and exterior grills on the windows, I suspect that these might've been raised during warmer times of the year, giving passengers some semblence of relief, in the era before widespread use of deodorant. Until the mid-1950s, NY's BMT line ran very old open vestibule cars whose windows were fully opened in the summer months. 1/2 inch horizontal bars kept passengers from leaning out the open windows. The car in the photo appears to have been configured to hold advertising signs. Just like later generation subway cars, the signs would be held in place on the curved portion of the top of the side walls just above the windows. So maybe they were removed for the photo shoot? [This was a brand-new car. The picture was taken in 1908, the year the tunnel under the river was finished.- Dave] High class passengers onlyI wonder how many seconds those light bulbs would last on today's subway. Where's Ollie?Interesting to see Stan Laurel reading a paper on the train, huh? Clerestory ventsThe fittings shown enable car workers (using a window pole) to open and close the hinged vent windows on the clerestory running along the roofline of the car. A very common feature on all passenger cars (subway, elevated and regular rail) until about the 1930s. Horrors of Days Gone ByThis photo brought back memories of being a little girl of about 7 and riding the train to Coney Island. Those seats you see were made of woven bamboo or something. Sitting on them for hours (while wearing a sundress) in the blazing summer heat was not only sweaty and prickly, but one disembarked with a basketweave behind. Funny the things that stay in your mind from childhood. Hard-wearing seatsThose seats were made from "transit weave" rattan. They weren't made with sundresses in mind, but rather grubby workmen in dirty clothes. Almost impossible to stain (provided they kept applying the linseed oil or varnish) and very durable. Chicago had cars with this material as late as the early 1960s. Flashed on the TrainFlash back then wasn't anything like what we now know as flash. It might have even been flash powder(magnesium) in a tray. Light output was not the instant blip we're so familiar with today. ScrewedRegarding the statement "High Class Passengers", chances are the bulbs would still be in their sockets and not in someones home because the bulbs made for the transit system screwed in the opposite direction of standard bulbs so that you were not able to use them out of the transit system. The smell of the subwayThe earliest subway cars I can remember had air plane like seating, two on the left, and two on the right, all the seats were rattan, (bamboo splints), and I just wanted to be tall enough to reach one of the many 'commuter straps', actual leather straps that hung from the ceiling, far above the chrome pole that I clung to with my grandma! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Railroads)
Indianapolis: 1943
... diesel idling from the back of the bus and smell the musky interior of vinyl seats and frequent use. Foy Las Vegas Bus aroma ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 1:52pm -

September 1943. "Soldiers with their girls at the Indianapolis bus station." Medium-format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley, OWI. View full size. Takin' it all inThat Marine on the bus looks homesick already. DeparturesThese pictures always make me sad. I wonder if the men came back, if their girls were waiting for them ... well, you get the idea. IndyI live near Indianapolis. I wish I knew where this was taken. From the little bit we can see, I'd assume it was taken somewhere near the circle and the circle monument. [It was taken here, at the old traction terminal. - Dave] OwnershipI like how the woman in the dark coat has her finger hooked in the back pocket of her man. UnbelievableThese types of photos always make me think I'm looking at a movie still. I can never believe people actually looked like this. West MarketIt appears that the Hilton hotel and parking garage to the west of the Hilton occupy the former Traction Terminal location. In the middle of the Google map and the image of the soldiers at the bus station is the Illinois Building. View Larger Map 83rd Division GIsThe GI standing at the bus door is wearing the triangular patch of the 83rd Infantry Division, which trained at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The 83rd entered Normandy during the latter part of June 1944 and lost thousands in the hedgerow fighting. ¿Aire acondicionado?Por aquellos años, en Europa los autobuses eran mucho menos futuristas, éste parece de ciencia ficción. Hermosa y magnífica fotografía. ¡ Bravo, Esther ! The Super CoachThe Super Coach, put into production in the spring of 1936, was made until 1939. Close to 1,600 of these buses (Models 719 and 743) were constructed by Yellow Coach of Pontiac Mich., virtually all of them sold to Greyhound or its affiliates. Some of the last of these buses were delivered with air-conditioning in 1939. Many older ones were refitted with AC systems.(From "Over the Road" by Meier and Hoschek). Can't stop staring.I think I've looked at this picture for 20 minutes, at least -- encouraged by thoughtful, relevant information like his unit and/or where they might have gone. I can almost hear the big diesel idling from the back of the bus and smell the musky interior of vinyl seats and frequent use. Foy Las Vegas Bus aromaFoy's olfactory reminiscence inspires this comment. I was recently reminded of what the inside of a long-distance bus smelled like. An acquaintance recently bought a slightly used car that had been briefly owned by someone who was apparently the world's heaviest smoker. Despite the dealer's attempts to deodorize it, the first thing that came welling up within me when I got in it on a hot day was a long-buried memory, and I thought "Greyhound bus, 1955." Bus smellI took a Greyhound bus ride when I was a small child and that smell of diesel and the inside of the bus still comes back to remind me of that trip when I was 5. This picture is amazing. Goodbyes and off to war.I think I am more emotional now seeing these pictures and thinking back to that time when my beautiful bride of two years and I said our goodbyes at the train station in Detroit in 1944 than I was at the time. I do wish we could know what happened to these young people. Re: OwnershipThis makes me unbelievably sad. I hope they got to see each other again. My interpretation of this pictureHis never ending love soothes my aching soul. When his loving brown eyes leave mine my lovely life will become dim. SadAw, gee, i hope they came back... So much emotionI love this picture The TerminalWonderful picture! Some 10-12 years later in the mid-50's (I was about 8 or 9 ) my father and I took a bus trip from that terminal (we lived in Broad Ripple). I recall him reminiscing about the "boys that left from here to go to war." Especially about a neighbor of his in Broad Ripple that he saw off on the bus, bu never came back from the South Pacific. I can sense the sights and smells of that Terminal as if I were standing in it now! Market StreetI believe the interurban and bus stations were on the north side of Market Street between the Civil War Monument and the State Capitol. I recall the electric trolley buses as a child when my dad took me to Indy, about 1959, to pick up a family member coming home. (The Gallery, Esther Bubley, Indianapolis, WW2)
Family Tree: 1915
... are strings of lights, though they're placed toward the interior of the tree. The cords are fairly visible in some places and I found ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2016 - 1:06pm -

"Dickey Christmas tree, 1915." The family of Washington lawyer Raymond Dickey, whose somewhat unhinged holiday photos are a Christmas tradition here at Shorpy. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Don't Say "Cheese" PleaseSmiling for the camera, as I understand it, did not come into fashion until the time of mass-ownership of snapshot cameras. Only little by little did the smiling fashion take hold. Before then to have your picture taken was more like sitting for a formal portrait. The idea of the, may I say it, phony smile for a photo session was just not the thing. So I think these folks are just likely to be joyful as not while sitting for this Christmas portrait. I found this quote from Mark Twain, which appeared in a California newspaper back in the late 19th century. Says Twain, "A photograph is a most important document, and there is nothing more damning to go down to posterity than a silly, foolish smile caught and fixed forever." Blue ChristmasOne hundred years later, it is hard to know why the joyless expressions, but the gifts in 2015 seem sparse and happiness seems elusive to all. Dad looks hostile, adolescent son seems downtrodden and mom and daughter just look sad. Of course, that may just be in the eye of this beholder; make up your own story. Formal, but not blueThis is a moment in time recorded, as Michigander correctly describes, as was thought appropriate at the time. I don't see anything grim or joyless. I do concede that it is a bit odd that everyone is looking away from the camera, making me wonder if there was a companion photograph in which they all look at the camera. What about the wealth of lovely ornaments on that tree, every one of them fragile and requiring careful packing away? Something Else MissingNot a single electric light or candle adorns this tree. [There are strings of lights, though they're placed toward the interior of the tree. The cords are fairly visible in some places and I found these four bulbs. -tterrace] "One - Two - Button My Shoe"I never gave that phrase much thought until I saw this photo. I don't believe I ever owned a pair of shoes that buttoned. I wonder when that went out of style? Or perhaps I'm just out of style? 1915The Dickeys were introduced to Shorpy in July of 2008 with a detail of this very photo from 1915: https://www.shorpy.com/node/3920. Since that Christmas in July, we have been treated to annual Dickey posts, spanning 1912 through 1923. Myself, I came to Shorpy in November of 2011, making this my sixth Shorpy Christmas which would not be complete without reviewing the full Dickey set of ten photos plus comments, not to mention the gang at the ION Dept. of the Western Electric Co. in the ceaselessly fascinating Office Xmas Party: 1925 with over 200 comments and almost a third of a million views. Partaking in this highly pleasant December tradition is one of the many ways Shorpy has enriched my time in front of the screen. Thank you, Dave and tterrace, and happy holidays to all my fellow Shorpy community members. OddOff-kilter and weird, even by Dickey standards. Merry Christmas Shorpy! (The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, The Dickeys)
Planes, Trains: 1935
... -tterrace] History of transportation "The interior of the main waiting room has medallions illustrating the history of ... Medallions Here is a more modern view of the interior. Notice the other medallions. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2014 - 10:03am -

June 12, 1935. "Newark passenger station, Pennsylvania Railroad. Waiting room, sunlight and passengers. McKim, Mead & White, client." Waiting for someone to explain the plane. Large format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. McKim, Mead & WhiteThis question may merely be in consequence of my occasional transient befuddlement, but whose client is McKim, Mead & White? [The photographic firm of Samuel Gottscho and William Schleisner. -tterrace] History of transportation"The interior of the main waiting room has medallions illustrating the history of transportation, from wagons to steamships to cars and airplanes, the eventual doom of the railroad age." Train by night, plane by dayIn 1935, the Pennsylvania Railroad, along with the Santa Fe Railroad out west, had a partnership with TWA. In the early days of commercial air travel, night flying was not yet viewed to be safe, so for a time the railroads would partner with airlines, to offer fastest transcontinental services by taking the trains overnight, and flying during the day. You would leave New York in the evening, and take an overnight train to Columbus, Ohio where you would board a plane to Wichita, Kansas. At Wichita, you would board the Santa Fe for an overnight trip to Clovis, New Mexico, where you would get on another plane to either L.A. or San Francisco. As Newark Penn Station opened in 1935, I expect that's why there's a plane on the wall. What's your sign?In addition to the medallions symbolizing the history of transportation on the walls, the hanging lanterns are surrounded with ornamental bands depicting astrological signs; not sure how that ties into the history of transportation. Excitement not shownAs a kid visiting Newark Station long ago to pick up Grandmother from Cincinnati, it was unbelievably exciting. Huge rumbles from overhead trains coming in, and when you were old enough you got to visit various platforms to be near trains. Those were real trains, with GG-1 locomotives and pullman cars and full service dining cars. Unintelligible public address announcements. It started to go downhill around 1960. Memories of homeAs a former Newark resident I remember this waiting room quite well. I would pass through there on my way to catch the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) Trains to NYC. Outside the windows on the left there was usually a queue of taxis lined up. Behind the doors below the airplane was an exit that led to loading platforms for buses that went to places like Seaside and Asbury Park. I left Newark in 1976 but I suspect that the waiting room looks the same today as it did back in 1935. Times ChangeWhile the structure of the room remains the same, the ambience is somewhat diminished. The benches are usually populated with vagrants. I frequently notice that, as a result, those who are seated are spread out, as no one chooses to sit within five feet or so of the "regulars". It's a depressing room these days; at least on the weekends, when I pass through. If the situation is better on weekdays, I'd be happy to hear of it. Still crazy busy, after all these yearsYes, it does look substantially the same today, thanks to an extensive restoration in the 1980's. Newark Penn features four levels of interconnections: Cabs and buses at street level; Tracks 1-5 above, including NJ Transit, Amtrak Regional and Acela service; PATH trains ("The Tubes") at roof level; and a basement-level terminal for multiple light rail lines. As late as the 80's, this last level ran 1940's PCC trolleys... ten cents intra-city in those days. A few abandoned cars were found in a walled-off siding under the street when that siding was returned to service for new light rail service around 2002. Some ChangesIn front of the windows, where the three lone travelers sit, is now a high-tech snack bar. Incongruous with the lovely deco surroundings. It's not unusual to find sparrows, pigeons, or other flighted friends walking or fluttering about. To their credit, Newark's Finest do their best to keep the waiting room and platforms clear of homeless and panhandlers. Taxis still line up outside, but passengers departing need to walk more than a block from their designated "drop-off" area since 9/11. Progress... Opening the windowsAnyone know how this was done? I see the hinge apparatus but wondering how opening the high windows was achieved? Some funky cable cable system? Long poles? [There's a fitting with what looks like a crank hole near the base of each window. - Dave] Trains vs. PlanesI don't know why, but I still have to see the airport building or photograph thereof which rings a bell with me anywhere near as much as well-designed well-built train station. On an airport, the planes are the show, if at all. Maybe it has to do with much greater accessibility and, say, democratic "feel" of a train station? Or with their general location (middle of town vs. outskirts to boonies)? re McKim Mead & WhiteWell, to quote Katnip, "that sounds logical". About that planeSince Newark constructed an airport in 1928, there is a better than average chance that the reference is there. You know, take the train to the station and a cab or bus to the plane. Still done today. Not many trains to planes, even now. "Airway Limited"Transcontinental Air Transport (New York to Los Angeles (Glendale) in less than 51 hours, train-plane-train-plane) started in summer 1929; one-way fare was $338 including a lower berth each night on the train. By 1935 it was all over-- T&WA DC-2s were scheduled Newark to Glendale? Burbank? in less than 18 hours and the fare was $160. Train Time!I'm totally amazed that no one has noticed that it's time for the Chattanooga Choo Choo to head South ('bout a quarter to four). Transportation medallionsIf I recall correctly, there are twelve medallions total. Penn Station Newark is still a place at which you can start a cross-country train journey, and while Amtrak is not as elegant as Pullman cars nor as attractive as GG-1s, it's still comfortable and good food served in the dining cars. Medallion of "Electric Locomotive"Here's a shot of one of the medallions at the other end of the building. Let there be light!The original lighting fixtures after being cleaned and refurbished. MedallionsHere is a more modern view of the interior. Notice the other medallions. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Railroads)
Aquacade Motorcade: 1940
... Treasure Island in 1941. Too bad. [Though it had interior iron supports, the statue itself was plaster over wire mesh; like the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2015 - 9:00am -

San Francisco, 1940. Latest entry from the General Motors promotional file: "Pontiacs at Golden Gate International Exposition. Billy Rose Aquacade." 8x10 film negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Paging Miss Williams!Esther Williams got her show biz start as part of this outfit, at this venue as well, but I cannot spot her among these mermaids. PacificaRobert Stackpole's 81-foot statue "Pacifica" represented the theme of the Exposition. The names emblazoned on the wall (another set was to the right) are notable explorers of the Pacific region. Gone?I read that the original statue shown was destroyed by the Navy when they took over Treasure Island in 1941. Too bad. [Though it had interior iron supports, the statue itself was plaster over wire mesh; like the rest of the fair, it wasn't constructed for permanence. -tterrace] Still ThereThe smaller statues were still there in 1966. [This and several other GGIE statues are now at Building 1 on Treasure Island. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Ornaments of a House: 1915
... sayings are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in today's interior design. [The words (individual letters, actually) are casting ... this photo and the one above it of the nursery actually be interior shots of a very elaborate doll house? Both photos have such an unreal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:28pm -

Circa 1915. "Hallway with liquor cabinet and living room decorated with mistletoe ball and Christmas gnome by fireplace." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. City gasI like the old gas logs in the fireplace. [They look brand new to me! - Dave] High-classWe aren't in the cheap seats, are we? Crack! pipe.The Indian war piece on the mantel looks like it's made of pipestone. A soft stone from an area in SW Minnesota. As the name implies, it was mostly used to make peace pipes. Not so this piece. Looks like it could put a big knob on your head. And the strands of hair? They look kinda blonde. Just sayin. Gah! Honey? Call the exterminator!If I were to find Christmas gnomes leering around my fireplace, I'd keep an Indian head-buster on the mantel, too. The Definition of "Bric-a-Brac"If an earthquake hits, it becomes "Bric-a-Broke" OrnamentsWell, the gnome is more than a little creepy (Kill it! Kill it now!), and the swords and shield a tad overwhelming, but I love the Arts and Craftsy touches: the two chairs, the wooden screen, the sideboard. Chinoiserie lamp shades right in keeping, too. The Simple Christmasheld the meaning for me. I remember them and they were good. As an old man, today, I no longer feel the glow. Dept store display?The iron staircase and motto above the door make it look like a store showcase more than a private home to me. Wall to Wall WealthThis is clearly a home of some wealth. Wall to wall carpet was quite a luxury in 1915. Common folks were left with area rugs on wooden floors. Amazing how times have changed ... I would take my 1920s oak floors any day over wall to wall. Functional EclecticI love the variety in the room, from Asian to European, and gauche to classic, as well as the decanter on the liquor cabinet labeled Forbidden Fruit. However, the accoutrements of war above the fireplace were a necessity, as, though not well-known, Zombie uprisings were a great threat even in 1915. DetailThis just might be a display. Note the steel post supporting a light beam to the left of the liquor cabinet. That's not terribly 'normal'. And that's a very small parlor for all the decorative bits and pieces. Interesting mix of decorative styles.The Chinese-style paper lamp covers, the row of German beer steins atop the cabinets, the Native American decorations on the mantle and the wall, and the medieval fireplace decorations. Lots of different stylistic elements. Given that it's clear whomever owned this house was pretty well to do, I wonder if all these things are a sign they traveled frequently, or just had eclectic taste. Single Guy's Dream Smoking Room This today would be a great "man cave" or more eloquently a gentleman's den. Obviously this room is filled with travel memorabilia that I must say that I would be proud to have my living room decorated the same. The steins really caught my attention because I have a couple with the same town crests and Brau HB is still brewed. Thanks for the very fun photo! Forbidden FruitThe Folks always had a bottle of it in their liquor cabinet in Larkspur. It seemed to last for years, so I guess it was only taken out for rare, important occasions. -tterrace's Sister EmersonI believe the quotation on the wall is based on a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson "The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it." The quote is all over the Internet, but I can't lay my hands on the source right now. The original quote can apparently be found over the fireplace in Samuel Clemens' house in Hartford, so perhaps these folk were fans of Mark Twain, rather than Emerson, or maybe the quote was popular at the time. Do any of you know which it is? At some time, during the violent thunderstormThe gnome had been waiting so long for his revenge. Every Christmas season, year after year, the humans who thought this magnificent home was theirs seemed to delight in ridiculing his mishapened body, his huge head, even the frozen smile he was forced to wear. For eleven months he found comfort and a kind of gnomish warmth in the storage trunk up in the attic but then, with no warning, he'd be dragged downstairs and put on display right here on this hard, drafty floor where all the human people could laugh at him. Little Gertrude especially went out of her way to add misery to his small world, giving out with a kick of a fancy patent leather shoe every time she walked by. It wasn't so much the rude kick as it was the mocking grin on that rich mug of hers, looking down at him with those blue eyes that reflected the opulence around her. She knew he was helpless to stop her. But she was wrong, oh, ever so wrong. The storm's intensity grew. Each flash of lightning was followed almost instantly by a thundering explosion. The big house seemed to tremble. The gnome got to his feet, and stood there while neglected bones and organs and blood found their form and brought his body fully awake. He lifted his big head and, still struggling to overcome the stiff muscles in his neck, raised his eyes up to all of the swords high above the mantel, waiting for him and the gnome friends he was about to unleash from behind the mantelpiece. From upstairs, between the violent noises outside, the gnome could hear the humans' faint snores and sleeptime murmurs, snug in their silken gowns and warm, fluffy beds. Young Gertrude's room with all of those innocent dolls held prisoner by their selfish mistress was the closest, right at the top of the fancy staircase. The gnome opened the secret tiny door hidden behind the mantelpiece. The gnome's many friends from throughout the wealthy neighborhood began to crawl into the room, each of them eyeing the deadly weapon they were about to seize. The gnome was smiling, but this time it was an evil smile full of expectation for the horror that was about to begin. As he led his tiny platoon to the stairs, the gnome reached way up with the gleaming sword he had chosen and slashed the canvas of the girl's portrait in half. Christmas TimeThe beer glasses and steins along the top shelf on the right look German. Things brought over from their family or part of their European travels? Hmm... And perhaps it isn't about how simple Christmas is but how you celebrate it. If you don't put your heart in it, it becomes shallow and meaningless, whether you make home decorations or buy an entire holiday catalog. That is why I love the Christmas Markets in Germany... Yes it is about selling/buying stuff too but the feeling you get out of it is pure joy and love. People come out just to drink a glass of Gluehwein and talk with friends. You feel the Christmas spirit. TrendyThe whole "quotes on the wall" thing is so trendy right now. I never would have thought that was something being done in 1915! One TreasureNot all of the steins on the shelf above the liquor cabinet are German - or steins for that matter. I noticed one rather nice porcelain tumbler (?) with the portraits of Kinge Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra. Perhaps dating to their coronation in 1902. He died in 1910 and in 1915 his son, George V, would have been King. Ein SteinOne of the beer steins is obviously from a German Studentenverbindung. (The upper right part is "sei's Panier". "Panier" means "banner" and "sei's Panier" is an expression of loyalty). [The bottom part looks Latin. - Dave] A closer lookAt least two of the pieces on the shelf in the nook are from Munich -- the stein with the HB logo is from the Hofbräuhaus brewery and beer hall, and the one to the right shows the Münchner Kindl (Munich child), the city's traditional emblem. Neither one is much changed in the knick-knack trade of today. Shed Some Light, PleaseThose are certainly odd shaped lampshades on that brass chandelier! They look like paper "cabbages!" What ARE they made of? How would any light shine through? War clubThat is not a peace pipe, it is a ceremonial war club. I think whoever decorated this house was brilliant. Corps Transrhenania zu München (Munich)Transrhenania sei's Panier! Nunquam retrorsum. Corps Transrhenania is a German Studentenverbindung in Munich, founded in 1866. Its Latin slogan "Nunquam retrorsum" means "never backward." http://www.transrhenania.de/ Studentenverbindungen are an important part of German history, especially of the history of universities and students. Thank you for this great blog, i am following it no since more than two years. Greetings from Germany, Pete Cordial wordsThat "Forbidden Fruit" decanter looks remarkably like today's Chambord bottle. A quick google search describes it as an American made citrus brandy, no longer in production. It's interesting that "wall words" or carefully stenciled or painted words or sayings are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in today's interior design. [The words (individual letters, actually) are casting shadows -- glued or pasted on. - Dave] A Real Doll House?Could this photo and the one above it of the nursery actually be interior shots of a very elaborate doll house? Both photos have such an unreal sense about them. I know the objects and things are exremely detailed but it could be a doll house that is rather larger in scale. [No. - Dave] Maybe just a regular gnome.Give all of the other Germanic touches, maybe the gnome is a year round decoration similar to modern day garden gnomes. On the other hand, if the figure was called a Christmas Gnome in a contemporary label then perhaps there it was recognizable to period eyes as being of the Yuletide season. (The Gallery, Christmas, DPC)
The Train Shed: 1911
... for something new. It had a beautiful green/yellow marble interior. There was a valiant effort to preserve it, a la Grand Central, but ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:42pm -

Chicago circa 1911. "Train sheds, Chicago & North Western Railway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Twins reunited, and a challenge!I took the liberty of joining the two views we have of this exquisite train shed. Alas, the geometry suffers in my feeble attempt. However, a great deal of information about the soul of the space is nicely recovered, if I do say so myself. I know there are better panorama stitchers than I on this forum, and I challenge you to attempt a stitch worthy of a full sized post! Warning...this is a very tough stitch! The scales of the 2 photographs are different, and there is precious little overlap from which to establish the lens parameters. I suspect the original lens was 210mm on an 8x10 camera. The above is Photomerge's best shot, which required resizing the right side to 3080 pixels high. It simply defaults on correcting the geometry at the top, but in so doing does retain more details there than a normally stitched panorama. Here's the righthand photo, which is a little smaller than the left, above. So nice and cleanThe station is amazingly clean in appearance, but it looks like they have some peeling paint problems or corroding iron. Absolutely,Stunningly gorgeous photograph. That is all. Train Now LeavingTrain now leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim ... Azusa ... and CUC-amonga! Next stop, EternityNow departing on Track 1, The Train to Forever! Somebody cue the Twilight Zone music, thanks. Just follow the light at the end of the tunnel. What a gorgeous image! Where was this?I would love to know where in Chicago this was and what became of it. Do tell, Shorpy Nation. [The former North Western Terminal, renamed Ogilvie Transportation Center, is at 500 West Madison Street. - Dave] No Smoking!Centered above each track is an opening in the shed roof running the lenghth of the building. From here, exhaust smoke from the locomotive passes directly outdoors, making the platform area livable. Idea applies to today's diesels too. ExpectingThe Silver Streak on Track 2 in 5 minutes. RUN! Still aroundUnion Pacific trains now depart from here to Chicago's west, northwest and northern suburbs. Minus the trains, it looks pretty much the same, right down to the trainmen's uniforms. Not Gone NowGone Now's information is erroneous. That train shed has not been demolished. I exited a Union Pacific train into this exact shed this morning, as did 10's of thousands of others. C&NW RyWow. If I were to see this scene in a movie, I would be complaining that it looked like the typical backlot street scene - pretty, but too clean to be believable, not 'lived-in' enough. And in Chicago, no less! North-Western TerminalThe tracks and sheds may still be there, but the beautiful waiting room ("Head House" building) was demolished in the late 1970s/early 80s to make way for something new. It had a beautiful green/yellow marble interior. There was a valiant effort to preserve it, a la Grand Central, but alas, to no avail. Gone nowOther than the equipment, the CNW shed looked pretty much the same through the late 1970s when I first began commuting to downtown Chicago. It has since been demolished and replaced, just like the old CNW terminal. The new shed now deposits you into the Citibank Center building. Thank goodness Union Station is still in use! I love the look and feel of an old-timey big city train depot. What are these?I see more down the track so I assume they are above the other tracks as well. [It's electrical power for the train cars after they've been disconnected from the locomotive. See this thread. - Dave] Job SecurityParty scene from the 1911 version of The Graduate: "I want to say one word to you Ben -- rivets!" Yes it is GoneThe train shed has been completely rebuilt, as have the platforms and tracks. The actual "building" of the train shed remains, like the exterior walls and the overall structure below, but all the concrete and steel has been replaced at this level. What's there now is a much more angular canopy structure, without the curving beams. Unfortunately, because the Metra commuter trains that operate into this station back in, there's no need for the smoke shafts to extend very close to the head house, so it's quite a bit darker now. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41278935 Great detailsThese old photos amaze me with details you can see. Nice shine on that conductors shoes! All GoneNothing in this image exists today. In the early 1980s, the North Western Station head house was demolished, to be replaced with Citicorp Center. In the mid 1980s, the train shed and the trusses supporting the tracks were removed, replaced with completely new structures. Only the outer walls were repaired. Metra wanted to replace them to look like Citicorp Center but balked at the extra expense. Obviously the current train shed looks nothing like the one from the 1911 station. Those concrete lined openings in the roof above the tracks to allow smoke from steam locomotives to exhaust was a unique feature of this shed, but for the last couple of decades of its life, the concrete was badly cracked and deteriorated and chunks fell off regularly. Inside, Outside It was a wonderful time to ride the trainI used to use this terminal every day as a young adult since I rode the train into the C&NW terminal Monday through Friday. It does exist on film since they used it for the last minutes of the movie "Silver Streak." That is that train yard they are "rushing into". I think they used parts of it for the last scenes, too. Anyway, best times I ever had going to work was when I rode that train. Great pictures. Another image stitchingI resized the smaller image so that objects in the overlap were roughly the same size, then stitched the two in PTGui Pro 9.1.2. It did a little better in the area near the ceiling, although the lens parameters created some pincushion distortion near the center of each image. A little bit of Spherize distort in Photoshop cleared most of that up. Really enjoy these panoramas from back in the day. I stitch 360x180 images in the modern day. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Washington Flour: 1926
... mill gives the impression that it was never finished. The interior is like a building still under construction, a tangle of girders, of ... fitted with wooden grain doors, effectively sealing the interior of the car. The car's sliding door would cover the grain door. As show ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:31pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Wilkins-Rogers Milling Co., exterior, 3261 Water Street." The Washington Flour mill on K Street, formerly Water Street, in Georgetown. The Washington Flour brand had a retail presence at least into the late 1960s. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The buildingsIt's so great that the two buildings in the picture have survived, and it seems with very few exterior changes. As you travel in the Google videos it's plain to see the brick work and architecture is basically the same as when the picture was taken. I love those Google shots. [Actually both buildings are only about three-quarters their original size; their river-facing sides were lopped off by the Whitehurst Freeway. They started out rectangular but ended up as trapezoids. - Dave] View Larger Map Wilkins-RogersI'm not sure when W-R stopped milling in D.C., but the company still has mills in Ellicott City, on a site that has had a mill since the Ellicott brothers went into business there in 1772. The only product that still bears the Washington brand name, though, is its self-rising flour. Washington also makes Indian Head corn meal, which is the best. http://www.wrmills.com/index.html Cadillac PickupSomebody give us the dope on that odd truck in the lower right is it a Caddy or what? [It's a pickup truck that belongs to the Washington Cadillac Co. - Dave] Check out the boxcars...The front two cars are from the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania railroads. I always went for the RR's in Monopoly, it's fun to see the real deal! Bulb changingDoes anyone else wonder how they changed the bulbs in those sign lamps perched six stories up? In those days bulbs had to be changed often and they didn't have bucket trucks back then. A Georgetown fixture for yearsIf I'm not mistaken, this mill building was a fixture of the Georgetown waterfront area until a few years ago. Our grade school class visited there once. Those sun-drenched bricks and railroad tracks were later shadowed by an elevated expressway, and that blank facade could be seen close to the roadway. The bricks can still be seen peeking out from underneath the asphalt in places. [These buildings still stand next to the Whitehurst Freeway, where the expressway (built in 1949) crosses Potomac Street. They're part of an office complex at 1000 Potomac that sold for $50 million in 2007. - Dave] View Larger Map View Larger Map Objectionable OdorsI seem to recall that in the 70's there was a rendering plant on Water Street that made quite a stink, and that from the freeway, you could see a sign painted on that flour mill that said "The objectionable odors that you may notice in this area do not originate from this plant." A small correctionThe street that runs by the old flour mill and later beneath the Whitehurst freeway is K Street N.W. I used to police this area for some ten years while with the M.P.D.C. 1959-1969. [The street than ran by the flour mill was Water Street, which became K Street after the Georgetown street renaming of 1895. People evidently continued to call that stretch Water Street for years afterward. - Dave] Re: Bulb changingIt seems to me that the only reasonable way is for the reflectors to move to the roof somehow. One can envision the 5 poles on the left being detached at their bases and pulled in while suspended by their guys. The three poles on the right would maybe pivot upwards at their bases, pulled by their guys, to workers on the ledge. Sounds awfully complicated. There must be a more clever way. A Grind in GeorgetownWashington Post, Feb 29, 1940 Lone Flour Plant Grinds on Canal Washington's flour industry is built partly in a modern city's demand for bread, partly in a century and half of tradition. The city's only flour plant is the Wilkins Rogers Milling Co., at Potomac and K streets northwest. It is housed in two buildings, one more than 100 years old with brick walls 2 feet thick, used formerly as cotton plant, ice plant, flour mill, and now office and warehouse. The other is a modern six-story concrete, brick and steel structure, building in 1922 and housing the present mill. The plant is on a hill between the old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Potomac River. The canal, which used to bring loaded grain barges from the upland farms to feed the Georgetown mills, now supplies all the power used in the mill. The last century, Georgetown boasted a dozen mills at one time, eight flour mills and four grist mills. Some of the flour went down the Potomac and away to European markets. Now the grain comes in by truck and railroad to the K street side of the mill. In the American milling industry, the Wilkins Rogers firm counts itself at the "end of the line," since the flour centers have shifted to the Middle West. Operators of the mill are Howard L. Wilkins and Samuel H. Rogers. Without exaggeration they could be cast in the roles of traditional "jolly millers." Or they could be typed as businessmen who picked up a dead business and built it to a $2,000,000 annual volume. Wilkins is 73 and president of the firm. He was born in New Jersey, but grew up on a farm near Mount Vernon. His family farm was near the old Dogue Run Mill, built by George Washington, a coincidence that takes added note because Wilkins helped remodel the mill. He was educated in Washington schools. Rogers, 61-year-old vice president, is the son of a Loudoun County miller, who taught him the flour business. He is the father of four boys, and would like to see at the least the oldest one go into the same business. Outside the mill his main hobby is raising thoroughbred horses in his Loudoun County farm. The two joined in 1915 to take over the old Arlington Mill, built in 1847, according to a stone plaque in the wall of the new mill. It had been closed for three years. Their friends advised them against the venture. They went ahead, caught a slice of war-trade by selling flour to Italy, and later turned the mill over to producing flour for America's World War needs. The old mill and its machinery were destroyed in a fire, July 4, 1922. The modern mill was built at the same site. At first glance the inside of the mill gives the impression that it was never finished. The interior is like a building still under construction, a tangle of girders, of gigantic funnels, pipes running at all angles, with a network of power belts winding endlessly from floor to floor. Later you find that girders, funnels, pipes, belts are all parts of one huge machine, which transforms whole grain to flour, and corn to meal, with never a hand touching it. Corn and wheat are mostly purchased directly from farms within a 75-mile radius. Behind the Grain DoorIn order to keep the grain from leaking out of the the car during it's long transit from the wheat belt to the flour mill, the boxcars in the photo would have their doorway openings fitted with wooden grain doors, effectively sealing the interior of the car. The car's sliding door would cover the grain door. As show on one of the cars, upon arrival at their destination, the upper boards would be removed and depending upon the facility's equipment, the grain would be shoveled out of the car or unloaded with a mechanical conveyor. By the mid-20th century, wooden grain doors were replaced by ones made of thick paper with light wooden frames. Some of these were reinforced with metal banding. Today, all grain product is shipped in covered hopper cars. Grain is loaded from the top and unloaded from the bottom of modern cars. It is interesting to note that the B&O double door car was designed to carry automobiles. Many cars tended to be seasonal in their use and thus tended to have multiple duties - all part of maintaining a steady revenue stream for the railroad who built and operated these cars. Under the FreewayBy the 1960's, this was about as "industrial" as Washington got. Under the Whitehurst Freeway you had Washington Flour, Maloney Concrete and the rendering plant, all adjacent to the Pepco power plant. The DMV also had its impound lot down there on the banks of the then horribly foul-smelling Potomac. On the north side of K Street were a number of clubs, jazz, blues & live performance, including the infamous Bayou. In the '60s and '70s, while preppy Georgetown students and affluent trend-setters populated the clubs and restaurants above M Street (the 3rd Edition, Pall Mall, Charing Cross, etc.), it was a very different scene below M and down under the freeway! By the late '80s it was essentially gone, gentrified away. My GrandfatherMy grandfather Harrison Goolsby was caretaker of Mr. Wilkins's 365-acre farm, Grassy Meade, off Mount Vernon Boulevard in the 1940s. You could also get to it from Fort Hunt Road. I surely wish I could find a picture of the old place. Mr. Wilkins's daughter sold out to the contractor, Gosnell, who developed it into Waynewood Estates. I would appreciate any help on this matter. Everybody's pretty much died after all these years. My mom and dad lived in the lower house. Thanks ever so much, Edgar Note the old wooden boxcarwith the "outside" metal frame. I recall seeing boxcars of this construction well into the 1960s. Pennsy box carThat old box car is known as a X-26 single sheathed car. It was built in March 1925. The last car of that series was retired about 1958. Been around the block a few times. Odor in areaI remember the odor from the area. I was told it was the tannery next door to the mill. Makes sense as a tannery does smell. My best friend's father worked at the mill until his retirement. I, too, remember that sign.Pirateer has it almost exactly right. The sign was set at such a height as to be easily readable -- indeed, impossible to ignore -- from the Whitehurst Freeway. It read: THE OBJECTIONABLE ODORS YOU MAY NOTICE IN THIS AREA DO NOT ORIGINATE IN THIS PLANT I know, because my sister and I used to read it aloud in unison at the top of our lungs whenever we passed by. I'm sure our parents looked forward to those drives. My mom, who is quite an accomplished oil painter, did a rendering (as it were) of the old plant that is at once realistic and beautiful. I'll have to ask if she still has it. Flour PowerThe firm's ads used the phrase "water-ground" to describe its flour. When the original water-powered belt transmission system was replaced with a water-powered electrical generator and motors, permission was granted by authorities (FTC?) to continue using the the phrase. Rendering plant?Does anyone remember the name of the rendering plant that produced the horrible smell? My mother grew up in Georgetown and I remember her mentioning the business by name and telling me that it had been there since the late 19th century. The name sounded German, as I recall. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Rear Windows: 1940
... NY Times article on 67 Greenwich, a survivor from 1810. Interior completely redone, four floors now three floors, but it is finding new ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2022 - 2:13pm -

March 22, 1940. New York. "Rear of #68 and #70 Greenwich Street showing dormers and stable ell back of #73 Washington Street at left. Houses built circa 1825." 5x7 inch acetate negative by Stanley P. Mixon for the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. ProblematicBurglar bars and a fire escape. What could possibly go wrong? Rear Window.Hitchcock, of course, made a classic flick of that scene in "Rear Window". Probably one of the greatest films ever made. And Grace Kelly -- sigh. Some fingers holding a scaleThis person -- presumably a surveyor for HABS -- is much braver than I would have been in standing next to these buildings. They're in pretty bad shape. Greenwich Street, of course, would face another falling wall hazard many years later. Fictive and real, far and nearThe courtyard in Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' was entirely a Hollywood set. (They had to dig out the studio floor, so most of it was below ground level.) However, Hitchcock's designers used an actual location as a reference, the back of 125 Christopher Street. (To complicate matters, the film gives a fictitious address, 125 West Ninth Street, which is not completely fictitious because Christopher Street is what Ninth Street is called west of Sixth Avenue.) That is two miles from Moxon's location; both are 1300 miles from the old Paramount lot. Put the photos below into black and white, and though more upscale they don't look that different from Moxon's. The Christopher Street courtyard is still intact. The house across the street survived67 Greenwich Street, across the street from 68 and 70, is still there. I had to get close; if you back up to get a better view, the address disappears. Not a lot of pulleysThose laundry lines must have required a lot of effort just to get them to move. Several of them don't seem to be running on pulleys, like the one across the middle of the fram, attaching as a loop in a rope around the top of the chimney. Another, going up to that top window, seems to loop on a hook. I know that this is a "slum" scene, but even for the middle-class, so much work went into something we pretty much take for granted now: laundering clothes. It's why nearly every person in nearly every old Shorpy photo are wearing soiled, tired, rumpled clothing -- even people of moderate wealth. People looked so different back then, and not just that they were skinny. Their clothes and shoes were not shiny-clean, or fresh and new; their socks were drooping. This, despite the fact that people of the early 20th century generally "dressed-up" in ways that we find astonishing. So when I see crisp costumes in period-piece movies and television, Shorpy has ruined it for me! I can't make the imaginative leap, because I know that people practically lived in their clothes back then. Looks like fire trap rowNineteenth-century buildings such as these often shared a common wall between them. The main downtown business street in my community was lined with buildings similar to these, although not so deteriorated back then. Some were wood-frame, others brick. Typically, the buildings had businesses on the first and sometimes second floor, apartments on floors above. In August, 1899, a fire started in one of the downtown buildings. Within hours, the entire core business area was reduced to smoldering ruins. Common-wall construction facilitated the totality of destruction. Tremendous heat in one building, often on the top or an upper floor, would cause bricks in the common wall to explode, opening the way for fire and smoke to spread into the next building. The brave but overwhelmed firefighters of the time couldn't begin to stop the spread. In the aftermath, the common-wall vulnerability became apparent. City fathers soon passed an ordinance prohibiting that kind of construction, along with other safety requirements. I'm sure New York City officials knew of the common-wall danger long before 1940. I wonder if these ancient buildings and so many like them were grandfathered in as they were or required to install some sort of add-in firewall. Not for longActually kinda startling to believe that such tenements still existed in that part of town as late as 1940. But, only 10 years later this entire 2-block stretch would become the entrance/exit to the Battery Park Tunnel to Brooklyn (and a parking garage). An exceptional resource for exploring NYC during this era: https://1940s.nyc/ In this view of the map the backyards of the two buildings, and the back structure that our man is surveying, can be clearly seen. This photo would have been shot from the back window of 71 Washington St. Visible at top center is the Adams Express Building (1914), and to the right of that, the Continental Bank Building (1932). NY Times on 67 GreenwichLengthy and researched NY Times article on 67 Greenwich, a survivor from 1810. Interior completely redone, four floors now three floors, but it is finding new uses today: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/realestate/streetscapes-dickey-house-... PerspectiveThese buildings as shown are old and dilapidated to the point of scary moviedom. While never to be confused with The Ritz, these were built to solve a housing problem and offered a tremendous step upward for the original residents. That changes over time, of course. (The Gallery, HABS, NYC)
Uber Boston: 1936
... out for more beautiful Hindenburg pictures. Also of the interior. I saw it too In 1936, (when I was 10), my father came home ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/08/2012 - 8:41am -

"The Hindenburg over Boston Common, 1936." Sunday marked the 75th anniversary of the German airship's explosion at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Medium format acetate negative by Leslie Jones. Boston Public Library. View full size. The Concorde of its dayThis was considered a very elegant way to travel at the time. Everything was top-notch. I find it disturbingly creepy, however, to see those swastikas flying over the U.S.! Sort of BIG803 feet long, 135 feet diameter, contained 7,062,000 cubic feet of gas, cruised at 76 mph, longer than 6-747's. Lasted one year. It is creepyRoot 66, my first reaction when seeing the picture was the same. It was creepy. The Hindenburg was a tremendous propaganda tool, naturally, and as soon as Hitler could - after becoming chancellor - he slapped big swastikas on it. Airship AweAs a kid growing up in Indianapolis, we were favored with many Goodyear blimp flyovers each May as part of the Indy 500 race. Back then they would fly very low, I guess at the 500 ft level that was a minimum altitude for aircraft (I think). We thought they were huge and it was so cool to see the occupants waving as they lumbered overhead. We'd hear them coming and all run outdoors to watch them. If it was dusk we'd be waving our flashlights as they flashed their signboard messages for us. And to think the Hindenburg was 6 times as big! Wow! More nice picturesCheck this out for more beautiful Hindenburg pictures. Also of the interior. I saw it tooIn 1936, (when I was 10), my father came home from work one day and told me to look up in the sky. Over our Northwest D.C. home (almost to the Maryland State line) floated the Hindenburg - absolutely spectacular. The swastikas didn't mean any thing to me then. In personMy great aunt and uncle were arriving at the air field to watch the landing just as the Hindenburg burst into flame. They lived nearby at the time. Sort of Big?It was as large as (3) 747s, not (6). It'd Better Be ElegantAccording to the blog Airships.net, the 36 passengers aboard the final flight were paying $450 for the experience. In today's money: $7,300. First class passage aboard ocean liners of the day was $150, or $2,430 today. Of course it WAS a lot faster; 2 days (fastest time was 43 hours, 2 minutes) compared to 5 days for the swiftest ocean liners and up to 10 days for standard crossings. More photosMore photos from inside the "HINDENBURG." ("einestages" is part of the german weekly newspaper "DER SPIEGEL.") The Concorde in more than one wayThe Concorde in more than one way: It never made a profit. It was run on huge subsidies, solely as a prestige project. Nobody really needed it. As a solution to a technical problem, when it became kind of technically feasible, it was already outdated. The Boeing 314 was introduced in 1939, and a number of other flying boats also had the necessary legs (ah, range) by then. The remaining shortcomings (weather forecast, lack of navigational aids) applied to either. The service was kept up until there were fatalities. And ve Germans hav to hand it to you Americans, yours were just as big ;-) USS Macon (ZRS-5) 784ft 1in / 132ft 10in / 6,500,000cuft USS Akron (ZRS-4) 785ft / 132ft / 6in / 6,500,000cuft (Aviation, Boston, Zeppelins & Blimps)
Pharm Noir: 1921
... and legs, and a couple of heads. The dimly lit pharmacy interior smelled wonderful, as all real compounding pharmacies once did, and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:25pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "People's Drug Store, Seventh & K, night." With a lurid display of "trusses and rubber goods." National Photo Co. View full size. The pharmacy that time forgotIn the late 1960s some friends and I found an ancient Latino pharmacy in the oldest commercial section of Oakland, CA, the Botica Mundial. It still looked very much like this branch of People's Drug, and half of its street windows permanently featured an unusually lurid assortment of trusses, abdominal belts, braces, supports, and other items too mysterious or scary to mention. Many of these were displayed on painted plaster mannequin sections, torsos with groins, arms and legs, and a couple of heads. The dimly lit pharmacy interior smelled wonderful, as all real compounding pharmacies once did, and was jammed with dark wood cabinets and racks filled with both familiar products and others that seemed quite exotic. One whole section seemed to be devoted to Mexican magical potions and paraphernalia, and featured a rack of intensely floral perfumes with names like Noche de Pasión. A year or two after we found this place, it and its entire 1880s neighborhood were swept away by an especially harsh "urban renewal" project. Sham-Wow ChamoisADVERTISING BLURBS ABOVE SECOND STORY WINDOWS: "Shoulder Braces, Rubber Goods, Hospital Supplies . . " "Sponges, Chamois, Perfumes . . ." How often does one purchase a chamois today?? Looks like the dentist shared space with Der Komrades People's #1 Store. Considering he only has a second floor office, he merits a huge anonymous "DENTIST" sign. Next to the second floor window a lesser sign advertises "Advice Free. Gas used for Painless Extractions." And now it's...NPR? [Exactly. One-stop shopping for hot-water bottles, abdominal trusses and Nina Totenberg. - Dave] View Larger Map Complete Line of TrussesNot being personally familiar with trusses, I have no idea how to interpret the following graphic: Complete Line of Trusses at one-half what others charge. PEOPLE'S DRUG STORE, 7th and K Ruptures II"Joe, the counterman, encouraged customers to spill their guts." Oh, Dave, you've outdone yourself. (It does make me wonder now about the mystery novels that had the victim trussed up in a chair, though.) RupturesJust the kind of thing you want on your mind when you go in for a burger and a Coke. [Joe, the counterman, encouraged customers to spill their guts. - Dave] Chamois are greatfor drying your car! I use one when I dry my car (I am very, VERY picky about my baby). I LOVE the lights on this shop. What a great shot! Thanks, Dave. The Wonderful World of RubberThat display on the right is a riot -- paper streamers decorating a window full of ... hot water bottles?!? Where is the sales appeal there? What did people even use hot water bottles for? America was evidently full of aches and pains and ruptures that required elastic fortification and heating. Such was life, perhaps, without booze, Prozac and painkillers. Am I that old?I bought a new chamois just the other day -- your newfangled "cham-wow" just doesn't cut it drying off my 1953 MG TD! And as for what hot water bottles are used for, nothing keeps the feet warmer in polished cotton sheets on a winter night! Rubber GoodsHot water bottles were used to provide heat such as in bed on a cold night or heat to a particular area of the body: sore shoulder, toothache, etc. They were also used along with a "fountain syringe" to administer enemas. They have been replaced by heating pads, electric blankets and other heat generating devices, none of which are any good for giving enemas. Trusses (as well as supportive underwear, belts and God only knows what else) provided support to herniated areas of the lower abdomen or other nether areas. The support ideally would prevent the hernia from becoming larger and prevent the necessity of surgery, which no one wanted to undergo in those days. These sorts of products are still sold, but perhaps not marketed quite as openly. Many buyers for trussesBefore the advent of antibiotics, many physical injuries that are now easily repaired by surgery were more safely left untreated, and the hard physical labors of working class people caused many to endure lifelong pain from chronic hernias, torn ligaments, compressed vertebrae and other painful conditions that were at least somewhat alleviated by trusses, supportive braces and wrappings. This might also explain the vast number of pain-relieving patent medicines and tonics. An elderly second-generation compounding pharmacist once told me that more than half of the proprietary products sold in his father's drugstore between 1912 and 1950 were either painkillers or laxatives, which were needed for another bad aspect of the Good Old Days, the overcooked and barely digestible food on many American tables. Throughout the day...I drive through the city searching out these gems posted here in hopes of them still standing. Too bad this wonderful architecture is now gone. This is a great night shot! TrussesIt seems that in every vintage photo of a drug store trusses were a major item. I never even hear about these things now. Why was there so much need for them back then? PlurinalOkay, so if I have one chamois, I say shammy. If I have two chamois, do I say shammys, or is it still shammy? Also, does that sign say "Urinals"? Is that like a bedpan, or what? Not NPR, BlackboardIt's not at the NPR location. I kept thinking that the NPR location was oh so not the right angle. In this other image I found of the building, you can clearly see past it. It's on the other corner where the Blackboard building is. You can even see the tower down the street in both images. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS, Stores & Markets)
Long Island Luxe: 1952
... such as shown here was apparently a popular practice for interior decorators at this time. The home magazines regularly featured such ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2013 - 10:42am -

April 10, 1952. "Jose L. Sert, residence at Lattingtown Harbor Estates, Locust Valley, Long Island, New York." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. Not for real lifeI guess this room has a certain elegant charm, but it just looks so bereft of comfort and practicality. Even the fruit is purely decorative, as evidenced by that rotting banana. LampEverything about the lamp says photo equipment: photoflood reflector, stand, inline on/off switch. Totally Angular DudeThe only thing that looks inviting in the whole room is the bottle of Chianti. History being made hereHow fortunate for us the photographer was present for this first known instance of someone actually reading a coffee table book. Cool, but --The man looks a bit uncomfortable. Dream HomeThat's my kind of place! Sadly, I'm too much of a surface person to ever live in such minimalist splendor. Calder Mobile?Is that a Alexander Calder Mobile in the upper right corner? If so, it would be worth a ton of money today. IckThe uncomfortable seating - check. The abstract "art" - check. Textured, sculpted, layered floor coverings - check. Hanging mobile - check. Fifties' interiors sometimes are so bereft of warmth. The only worse decade was the 70's. P.S. - It also just occurred to me, that's a HI-FI tuner...only one set of speakers! [You've unwittingly aggravated a tterrace pet peeve, one that dates back to introduction of stereophonic LP records and the dual-inventory system it required for a few years. The new-fangled ones had "STEREO" in big letters across the top of the album covers, whereas their monophonic "standard" equivalents had no such prominent designation, though they often continued to promote the last big recording technological advance by maintaining their "High Fidelity" markings. Thus, in the public mind, "High Fidelity" and "Hi-Fi" came to mean "not-stereo," or in other words, monophonic. Which it doesn't, of course; a recording can be both high fidelity, i.e., having a wide frequency range, low distortion, etc., and also stereophonic, i.e., with left and right channels. Phew. -tterrace] For those who love- the waiting room look. Dig the Hi-Fi!I would love to live there. Among other things: the hi-fi (the box at the far and, with the knobs) has a hinged top. The lid swings up and back, revealing, I bet, a turntable, or even cooler, a big Grundig reel-to-reel tape player. I wonder about the lighting, though. The only visible light fixture is the big upward-pointing thing, which doesn't appear to be turned on. But there are no shadows. Are there huge soft-lights being used by the photographer? Or is it just lots of windows, facing north, off to the right? Classic Milan styleLooks to be straight out of Domus magazine. Lady's slippersHopefully, they're next to her on the rug, so she doesn't need to walk barefoot on that very uncomfortable-looking herringbone brick floor. A Built-in RadioBuilding a radio chassis into a built-in piece of furniture such as shown here was apparently a popular practice for interior decorators at this time. The home magazines regularly featured such installations. The radio appears to be an E. H. Scott model 510, which would have been a newly introduced model when this photo was taken . E. H. Scott made some of the finest radios of the 1930s, but he (Earnest Humphrey Scott) left the company in the mid 1940s. The company retained his name, but the quality of the product declined. The model 510 was a relatively unremarkable radio. BTW, E. H. Scott was unrelated to Hi-Fi pioneer H. H. Scott (Hermon Hosmer Scott). Sert got it better next timeJose Luis Sert (1902-1983) became dean of the graduate school of design at Harvard in 1953, not long after he designed this house. The house he built in Cambridge is (in my eyes at least) a marvel of a small courtyard house set in a crowded, but leafy neighborhood. The Cambridge house is definitely in the Modernist tradition, but looks a lot more liveable to me. Sert, being Catalan, had strong Mediterranean influences throughout his buildings. Joan Miro was a buddy of his, and Sert designed a museum for his work. Knotty PineFortunately Knotty Pine was a short-lived fad Don't lean back, buddy- or that shelf will catch you right in the neck. Not a very practical layout. The FloorIt makes me dizzy. Check the mapMedellin, second largest city in Colombia, could there be a connection? [Going by some of the objets visible, the residents appear to be aficionados of native Latin American art. -tterrace] UnhappyFor a brief moment I thought that "Unhappy Hipsters" had gone retro. Ultra-modern fiftiesThere seemed to be a great need in the 1950s to appear ultra-modern, perhaps to escape the depressing 1930s & 40s, even though it often resulted in uncomfortable impractical designs. Chrome and bright colors replaced the drab browns, greens and grays of the war-years. Blonde furniture was everywhere, but a short-lived fad and already very dated by the 1960s. Stereo records weren't introduced until 1957 and stereo radio until 1961 so it's not surprising there are no stereo speakers here. For Mid-Century modern neat freaks onlyThis is the kind of decor that only people who fold their dirty laundry, to put it in the hamper, and iron their bed sheets, can have. My mother would have loved to live in a place like that. She was enough of a neat freak to pull it off. But she never got to because she didn't give birth to another neat freak. She gave birth to me. PedestrianPedestrian is the design. Excellent is the photo by Gottscho, especially since this photo was taken years before digital manipulation. Gottscho was very good. The big map on the wall is a geologic map. The light in front of it probably belongs to Gottscho and was used to brighten up areas of the room in different shots. Caution PedestriansYou could have broken an ankle in spike heels on that floor. Torture furnitureI dislike everything about this room, but most of all that unredeemable furniture. I don't think I've ever seen a more rigid, cold, sterile, repellant and unwelcoming living room and I would not want to "live" in it. Why were these people punishing themselves? Wide open spacesModern architecture... bringing families together. The only item not pictured is the miniature trolley car required to drop Mom & Dad at opposite ends of the couch. Don't lean back, buddyIt's a bit of an optical illusion. The shelf is really the top of the couch seating. It's not sticking out beyond the back of the couch. Museum-likeHomes aren't really homes when they resemble displays in a store. This is too ordered and defined to be 'lived' in. Like pictures from Architectural Digest of homes that don't show any human reality like magazines askew on a table. Before you give up on SertCheck out his later house. For those obsessing over the brick floors, you'll be glad to know the Cambridge house had hardwood floors, so perhaps Sert came to agree with you — or maybe his wife Monxa did. (That's her reclining on the backless sofa.) Those who detest the sofas in toto, however, will probably snort to notice them in his later house. So I guess the family liked them? Currently, the house is owned by a Harvard historian of science, but you can see what it looks like here. Worth a detour, as they say, if you find yourself in the Cambridge area. Although I have to say, heaven help you with the one-way streets in this part of town. But it's not far from Julia Child's house, if that's a draw. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Standard of the World: 1960
... me this exact car - though pearl white with light blue interior, one bought new in 1960 and sat with less that 30K miles in a barn ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2020 - 9:19am -

Warren, Michigan, sometime in 1959. "Nineteen-Sixty Cadillac 6339 four-window Sedan de Ville at the GM Technical Center." This was a General Motors body style popularly known as the "flat top." Color transparency from the GM photographic archive. View full size. Such a great driverMy Pop had one or two of these along with a '66 too. I got to drive one. Luxury at its best back then. I was in total awe when he told me about the "Guide-Matic Autronic Eye Automatic Headlight Dimmer" on the dash! You can see it in the photo. These cars were Solid As Sears! Hot CarThis photo made me weep. in the late 1980s my grandmother gave me this exact car - though pearl white with light blue interior, one bought new in 1960 and sat with less that 30K miles in a barn since the early '70s. My dad cleaned it up, had a tune-up and new tires and brakes fixed for me, and set off driving from East Texas to Austin. About 100 miles into his trip something went wrong with the brakes — he noticed the drag and figured it was bad gas or something. The friction of the pads heated up the rear wheels and by the time he noticed smoke he barely had time to pull to the side of the road before the rear end was engulfed in flames. The beautiful Caddy burned to a crisp beside the road. I sometimes wonder how my life would have been different had I cruised Austin in that land yacht instead of my third-hand Buick. *sniff The End ResultThere were, however, parking consquences. Junk in the TrunkThat has some insane trunk space! Like piloting a bargeAbout 50 years ago, I learned to drive in a Peugeot 504, but several times I got to drive a 1960 Sedan de Ville. As the title says, I felt like I was piloting a barge. Or driving a living room. Sorry, I'm searching for just the right analogy. Flatland carImagine Karl Malden and Michael Douglas driving that car on The Streets of San Franciso in a hot pursuit. Or Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks in P.A.G.A.N. gear. Second-Hand MemoriesMy father's boss bought a new Cadillac every other year & sold the last to Dad's coworker. Lionel's wife always got the "new" one. She & Mom were good friends, so we kids spent a lot of time in Ann's Cadillacs out shopping & hitting the drive-in. The '60, like this one, but in metallic lilac, was memorable for the roominess in the back seat for 5 kids. (That was before seatbelts were required in back. My '65 Sedan DeVille that I've had for 48 years didn't have rear seatbelts either.) Garage Stretcher Required?My memories of 1940/1950 houses seem to remember garages that were not very big. This Sedan de Ville looks to be a bit long to fit in those small garages. Maybe a bit in the width dimension too. The image in the earlier post "The End Result" in this thread from tterrace seems to validate this thought. One that got awayIn 1983 I went to see a 1959 flat top, to possibly buy it. It was light gray with a white roof. The seller was asking $750 and I talked him down to $650, but ultimately I got into an argument about the car with my parents and meanwhile it got sold out from under me. It needed some work, but it ran well and all the power windows worked. I was so bummed. I always preferred 1959 over '60, though both are really cool to me. But then I've always loved Cadillacs. This is a great picture. Environment FriendlyThere's room on top for solar panels. That panoramic view!Must have made navigating that barge easy in tight spaces. Rollover protection, not so much. Long Story ShortFor some, if you hadn't stretched your garage prior to getting this land yacht then attempting to squeeze it in would "stretch" it for you. My grandfather had his garage stretched by adding a half-height shed extension. Only the hood of the car would fit into it. The house, and I presume garage, were built in the 1920s. I remember my grandmother's 1957 Coupe de Ville in that garage and later I had to park her 1962 model for her. It was a squeeze both getting the car in and then getting out of the car. Comparison1960 Sedan De Ville 225” Long 80” Wide No Height Wheelbase 130” 4,703 lbs 2019 Yukon XL 224” Long 80.5” Wide 74.4” High Wheelbase 130” 7,500 lbs Looming LargeA barge indeed, or like someone put wheels on the front porch and drove it away. And this type of ride also depends on a lot of wide open suburban spaces. As one of the Top Gear hosts said of an enormous luxury car, "In London, it's like trying to park the moon." Forget the garageI need a bigger monitor. When the image is full sized, I can't see more than two-thirds of the car. How many gallons per mile?Thank goodness gas was probably going for about 25 cents a gallon, if not less. This 3.5 ton behemoth probably had a motor big enough to power an ocean liner. I love the long lines and the tail lights embedded in the fins and in the bumper along with the wrap-around back windshield. Beautiful car! [The car weighed 4,705 pounds. 3½ tons would be 7,000 pounds! - Dave] An investmentIn 1960 there was a "data book" for dealers. It contained exhaustive details on how to order hundreds of combinations of models and options, as well as detailed technical info that included what types of metals were used for piston rings and crankshafts. A 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham had an MSRP of $13,075 or just under $115,000 in 2020 dollars. Only a few more than 100 were made. [101, to be exact. - Dave] Comparison CorrectionThe comparison between the 1960 Sedan DeVille and the 2019 Yukon XL is interesting, but slightly misleading. The weight listed for the Yukon (7,500 lbs.) is the gross weight. In other words, its the maximum weight of the vehicle fully loaded with passengers, gear, etc. The curb weight of the Yukon is actually just under 6,000 lbs. Still formidable, and still a lot more than the Caddy. Fuel consumptionmpg (U.S.): extra-urban: 10.1-12.2 city: 5.6-6.7 highway: 8.9-10.7 average: 8.5 simulation based on the European type of traffic From https://www.automobile-catalog.com/comparison.php This website offers the ability to compare two or more cars from pretty much anywhere in the world. GaragesMy grandfather had the same experience when he bought a 1958 DeSoto Firedome, drove it home, and tried to get it into his 1930 garage. The car was like a wedge, with the fins giving it greater width at the back. I had accompanied him, and got out of the car first, because you couldn't get out on the passenger side in the garage due to an inconvenient staircase. He then drove it carefully into the garage, only to get it stuck with about a foot of car left outside. He then very gingerly backed it out, without visible damage. The next time I went to their house, he had cut two little wedges out of the door frame. If you aimed the car just right, it would go in without getting stuck. (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos)
Freshman Chemistry: 1925
Washington circa 1925. "Mount Vernon Seminary, interior." Someone open a window, it's getting hot in here. Harris & Ewing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 9:32pm -

Washington circa 1925. "Mount Vernon Seminary, interior." Someone open a window, it's getting hot in here. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Hot for Teacher!The seated women in white near the chalkboard is absolutely stunning! [They is! - Dave] SashesI wonder what the different color sashes dictate? That girl in the middle back sure has some eyes. Well hello there!The girl in the center rear, with the bob and the white blouse has that "Well hello there!" look on her face. Hubba hubba! Open The Windows... What!?I once worked in a basement office in Manhattan, not unlike this one (but it was a bit more recently). The worst thing about it was that in the winter, you'd get up before sunrise to take the subway to work, and when you left for the day, it was dark again. So, the only time the employees would see daylight was during their lunch breaks. Some of them were borderline-insane, which doesn't surprise me, looking back at the experience. The place was also infested by huge, inch-long cockroaches which you'd surprise in the hallway occasionally. When I was given a chance to take a vacation in California (at my own expense), I went to the Mojave Desert! Perfectly normal?Okay, it's 1925, and there are young women in modified sailor uniforms studying chemistry at a seminary. Have I missed something, or are there a lot of incongruities here? Bunsen burners still the sameI took up pre-med classes in the late 1980s and early 90s. And from what I remember, chemistry labs look pretty much the same as this picture. Bunsen burners are nearly identical and chem lab equipment have not changed much. Perhaps the only glaring change is that in modern times, all chemistry labs will include the required "safety faucets" (safety eye wash). My eyes!!This class would never be allowed today. No safety glasses, no fireproof aprons, no gloves. I also don't see any hazardous material disposal containers. Whatever is in those test tubes could shoot out and get all over the person at the next desk. Of course these ladies probably wouldn't sue for damages and emotional distress for every cut, burn or discomfort they might encounter in everyday life. And not to mention the environmental zealots who also might take offense. Different eras, different meaningsA seminary, for most of the 19th and early 20th century, was simply a post-primary-level school. No religious connotations. And middy suits were common as school uniforms -- and non-uniforms. My collection of 1914-1925 women's magazines shows that middy suits were very popular as school and play clothes for girls up to their late teens. They were washable, sturdy, economical, and easy to sew. Institutional historyThis institution has quite a history. Starting out as home schooling for women after the Civil War, it was a high school, then a junior college, then a four-year college. Ten years ago, its very desirable location was gobbled up by George Washington University and is now the Mount Vernon Campus. Boys live there now! I'd be inclined to agree..As of my last high school chemistry class, (Junior year, 2008) I can certainly say that the lab equipment looks exactly the same. Actually, come to think of it, this stuff looks better! This is most likely due to the frugal (see "cheap and miserly") instincts of my town's board of finance. Less Serious as You Go BackThe two ladies in the foreground are dedicated researchers; the air of seriousness diminishes as you go back, 'till things get downright playful (another hottie alert!) at the very back. Those sailor dressesThe sailor outfits, called middy (midshipman) blouses, were standard, relatively generic school uniforms of the era. I had a class photo of my aunt, born 1924, in such a white blouse and neckerchief from a New York City public school. My mother, who was six years younger and went to the same school, did not get a uniform at all. These ladies have really nicely made and elaborate versions of the look. The drop-waist on these specific dresses, for instance, is very much in 1920's style. They also actually fit each student gracefully, which off-the-shelf school uniforms rarely do. You see the plain white middy blouses with the neckerchiefs in many school photos of the early 20th century. That's my sister!Speaking of the girl in the back, she looks like my little sister, I should say my little sister looks like her. I hope no one got chemicals splashed on them or in their eyes. I see no protective eyewear or anything. Nautical ThemeI wonder why the women are dressed in Navy-like uniforms. Was there a nautical connection at Mount Vernon Seminary (now George Washington University at Mount Vernon College)? Mt Venon SeminaryMount Vernon Seminary: founded by Elizabeth Somers in 1875 at 204 F St. N.W. (some more history) 1917 advertisement TeacherI think you missed the teacher. She is probably the fortyish woman standing with the pulled-back hair and the lab coat. Hi Sailor!Was the nautical outfit a school uniform that signifies something? What about the two in white in the rear of the room, were they townies? ShenanigansWhat classroom would be complete without a couple spitwads permanently affixed to the ceiling? Future archaeologists will be surprised to learn that the stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the concrete tunnel that connects my hometown's elementary and jr/sr high schools are man-made. How Soon We ForgetIn the NYC Public School System, the elementary school which I attended ca 1938-1946, we had Friday assembly. The required dress code had the boys in white shirts and red neckties and dark trousers or knickers, the girls wore white middy blouses with red kerchiefs and a dark skirt. We had extremely poor children in the mix, I really don't remember but I've got to assume they weren't strictly held to the rule. This was at P.S.53 in The South Bronx. The neighborhood that it served was from about 163rd Street to 170th Street and to Brook Avenue in the east, and, Grant Avenue to the west. The writing on the wallI can see something about Fehling's solution on the blackboard along with diabetes. We did an experiment with that in my high school chem class in 1964-65. I can't recall if eye protection was mandatory (my eyeglasses served somewhat as such). Our instructor was always setting up labs using college chem textbooks. ChangeIt's funny how things change so fast looking back. Middy BlousesAs someone who grew up in Japan I find these pictures interesting, as that "sailor style" school uniform remained popular there into the 1990's (there are still some schools which use this style of uniform). The adoption of the style there was around the same time as the look became popular in the US, as far as I know - it's just lasted longer. The look instantly says "school uniform" to me, I am used to them in modern settings but I'm not used to seeing them in an American context. This blog is amazing. I realize this post is very late, but I've come here moving backward over each page from the latest now in August, it is that compelling! Department of Homeland SecurityThis room is now occupied by some employee(s) of the Department of Homeland Security. The Mount Vernon Seminary Nebraska Avenue campus was taken in 1942 by the federal government via the War Powers Act and occupied by the Navy until 2002/3. When DHS was created, it needed a headquarters and the Navy's campus on Nebraska was transferred to the new department for that purpose. A new location has been identified for DHS and it will eventually move and the Nebraska site will more than likely be "excessed" back to the private sector or to the DC government. (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Harris + Ewing)
Model Flight: 1943
... patriotic display," local officials draped the concourse interior with gigantic war-bond murals and the national flags of the Allies. " ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 10/12/2018 - 4:39pm -

Model airplanes decorate the ceiling of the train concourses at Union Station in Chicago, Illinois. Jack Delano, 1943. View full size. I'm going to crop part ofI'm going to crop part of this and make it my Windows desktop image. Talk about cool I'd love to know the story behind thisFrom what I understand of WW II, the economy was so focussed on wartime production that making of this many of these planes must have been for some other, no longer needed purpose. Maybe they were spotter's ID helpers, or maybe they were to help workers on assembly lines know where all of the parts were going? For what it's worth, though, in the upper level, the center band of twin-tailed planes appear to be P-38s, while the outer band planes may be P-51s. In the lower level, the nearer four-engine planes appear to be B-24s, while the two-engine planes seem to be A-26s. Plane Geeks, UniteAndy, The four-engine planes are B-24s, all right. But the A-26 existed only on the drawing board in '43; I can't make out the tails to see if they're B-25s, but the fuselages look too elliptical to be either B-25s or A-20s; I'm going to say B-26 Marauders. Correct about the P-38s, but while it's hard to tell with the photo's resolution, the wingtips look round, ergo not P-51s. I'd say P-40s, although the wings are far back enough on the fuselage to almost look like P-39s. The WallWow! Reminds me SO much of the WWII airplanes turning into crosses sequence from Pink Floyd's The Wall. Have to say it's sort of creepy. ScarySomething very scary about this the story -http://chicago.urban-history.org/sites/transpor/union_1.htm "Union Station's glory years were during World War II, when wartime mobilization dramatically increased its use. During the early 1940s, as many as three hundred trains and 100,000 passengers passed through the station each day. A significant percentage of those passengers were American service personnel en route to one of the hundreds of military bases across the country. For their benefit, volunteers opened a canteen at the station. Union Station also served an important function in the government's effort to sustain the public's morale during the war. In what some called the "world's largest patriotic display," local officials draped the concourse interior with gigantic war-bond murals and the national flags of the Allies. " Re: Plane Geeks, UniteMBerg, Absolutely correct about the B-26 Marauders. I let the wikipedia article confuse me, since the A-26 Invader was also called the B-26 Invader for a time. Good point about the rounded wingtips on the fighters. I would go with P-40 because of the wing-to-body ratio seems to be higher. Subject Picture The large, four-engined, planes at the top may very well be Consolidated PB2Y "Coronados". Note the floats folded into the wing tips, as well as the upward dap in the bottom of the fuselage, 2/3 of the way back, common to sea planes. Interesting pictureI think A-T is correct about the foreground planes being Coronados. They aren't B-24's, since they do not have the distinctive "Davis" wing shape. Union Station planes All my life I have wondered about going to Union Station as a three year old to meet my Uncle Paul who was coming home for leave. I only remember looking up and seeing hundreds of model planes. I saw them as being black. For sixty years, I wondered what I had seen. This picture reveals that I really did see planes hanging at Union station. Now I have to track down the two giant silver urns I had seem at Navy Pier that had something to do with Admiral Dewey. They were twice as big as I was. Four engine planes in the picture in Union StationThe four engine planes in the picture showing half of the hull exposed are definitely PB2Y Coronados. I have been on board one of these several times in Pensacola. The floats are folded up to complete the wing while in flight. The plane is virtually a B-24 with a much deeper fuselage (hull) and squared-off wing tips. Both were made by Consolidated Aircraft Corp. The floats are retracted just like the PBY while in flight. Model planesI remember seeing this photo many years ago. The planes were made by youngsters. Note the lack of paper or silk covering some frame members. Kits were distributed I don't know how. 1000 bomber raids in scale!Crikey, there aren't even 1,000 model planes in this picture! Just imagine the terror of being on the receiving end of 1,000 of the real things! I saw all those models in January 1943!After a 5 day train ride from Seattle to Chicago in January 1943 with my mother (I was 7) we arrived at Union Station and this was the first thing I saw! Already being a young airplane nut I was astounded! My dad was a Chief Petty Officer Radar Technician and was stationed at the Chicago Navy Pier. My mom and I were going to live with him in an apartment until April. He shipped out to the Pacific Task Force 58 shortly after. I never forgot those planes 68 years ago! (The Gallery, Chicago, WW2)
Gem State Garage: 1941
... after dusk? All outdoor electrical signage and garage interior lighting turned on. (Neon, fuel dispensers, overhead lamps, subdued incandescent interior lighting as a background) Who needed "Times Square" anyway! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2022 - 1:51pm -

"No caption" is all it says here. From photos taken in July 1941 by Russell Lee in Idaho for the Farm Security Administration, this one at "Official Light Testing Station No. 89" -- possibly in Lewiston or Genesee. Medium format acetate negative. View full size. Holy smokesI found it unusual that in 1941, 12 men would be gathered sitting, relaxing and kibitzing and not one of them is smoking. I thought almost everyone smoked back then. [Except Mormons. - Dave] I'll takea Mission Orange drink -- ice cold -- and a chat with the friendly chap at the far right, who seems to have the right outlook: smile and look straight into the camera, a metaphor for life itself. Tire SaleBetter buy a set of Goodyears now, fellas. Pretty soon they will be very hard to come by! The Lost Art of Just SittingI can't imagine a similar scene today: ten grown men just hanging out at the garage. Isn't there corn that needs hoeing or shutters that need painting? Idaho Light Testing StationsFound this in an old newspaper from Idaho: JULY 16, 1931 •The Dye-Kuhn Motors and Grangeville Chevrolet Co. have been designated as light testing station for automobile headlights. A new ruling by the Department of Law Enforcement demands that all car lights must be checked again this year. A charge of 50 cents will be made and a pink sticker will be placed on the windshield. Can't seem to find much about the stations such as a listing of each one and its associated number. Look For The "Z"Not the same, exact sign/poster, but the same model. StoriesI wonder about the stories the old guys have been telling the kids. Whatever the stories are, must have been good ones. Too many folks are smiling. The great sidewalk debate.I have been part of scenes such as this. From the youth in the doorway right up to the full suspenders oldster. There are usually multiple topics in play. In this case I think the discussion might be if ethyl is worth the price, what tire brand or tread pattern is best, which motor oil won’t turn to sludge in 2000 miles and of course the war in Europe. The “BS” will continue to accumulate until pulling your pant cuffs way up will be prudent. Expensive Light CheckThat 50 cent charge in 1931 that JAE mentioned is equivalent to a little more than $9 now. That's quite a fee for somebody looking to see if your lights come on. Light Years BehindShorpy, Light Years Behind, and Loving It! Hats!Hard to imagine a time when no person in his right mind would venture out without wearing a hat. The kid in the doorway and the young man at far right excepted. Lunch?I wonder if they are waiting for the lunch sign to turn on. What lights?Can you imagine yourself standing directly across the street from the garage sometime after dusk? All outdoor electrical signage and garage interior lighting turned on. (Neon, fuel dispensers, overhead lamps, subdued incandescent interior lighting as a background) Who needed "Times Square" anyway! Before ShawshankIs that Andy Dufresne on the far right? I spy --Clint Eastwood in the big hat under the "tire sale" sign. Gent with the walking stick... prefers a high-waisted trouser. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Buffalo: 1905
... is quite similar in beauty of design and in elegance of interior construction to the NORTH WEST. The Globe Company had the advantage of ... and depth 26 feet.         The interior arrangements of the boat are as fine as money and excellent taste can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:17pm -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1905. "Looking up Main Street. Steamer North Land at Long Wharf." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Splendid New SteamshipBuffalo Enquirer. January 5, 1895 SAFELY LAUNCHED. The New Northern Steamship, NORTH LAND, Launched in Cleveland. A Sister Ship to the NORTH WEST and Similar in Construction and Equipment.         Cleveland Jan. 5. -- The splendid new steamship NORTH LAND was successfully launched at 2:30 this afternoon at the shipyards of the Globe Iron Works.         As the launching signal was given by Miss Gertrude Hanna, daughter of President M. H. Hanna, cheers went up from the thousands who had gathered to watch the great vessel slide into the water. The christening ceremony over this magnificent steel vessel, now the finest on the lakes, was performed by Mrs. F. P. Gordon, wife of the Assistant General Manager of the Northern Steamship Company. For the purpose a large platform had been built under the bow of the big vessel, and here the traditional bottle of wine was broken by Mrs. Gordon. The boat was launched sidewise, room being insufficient for a direct plunge.         The new vessel, which, both the Globe Company and the steamship people say is the finest that ever left these yards, dropped gracefully into the water amid repeated cheers of the crowd. The launching was carried out successfully, and now the Northern Steamship Company has two exclusive steel passenger steamboats, the best constructed and speediest vessels on the lakes.         The NORTH LAND is quite similar in beauty of design and in elegance of interior construction to the NORTH WEST. The Globe Company had the advantage of the experience gained in the building of the sister vessel, the NORTH WEST, and have made some improvements over what was last year supposed to be pretty nearly perfect in the way of construction. As one of the representatives of the steamship company said, the builder made improvements just as an architect is able to do when he builds a second house. He can learn to perfect his work after the first production. This experience has assisted the company in another way; it has enabled them to have the new steamer ready for launching 30 days earlier than last year.         This morning the Globe Iron Works were inspected by the officials of the Northern Steamship Company and the representatives of the Buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit newspapers, guests of the steamship company. At these works are built a great many vessels for lake traffic, and the facilities for the purpose are unexcelled. The works are among the largest industries in Cleveland, and employ a large number of men.         The NORTH LAND, which was launched today, is built of steel throughout, and its hull has been strengthened and subdivided through transverse and longitudinal bulkheads into numerous water-tight compartments. Strength and safety were as much requisites in building the vessel as are speed and comfort. The hull is of novel design, and is constructed around the shafts, giving as little resistance as possible, and also great strength.         In general the dimensions of the NORTH LAND is 383 feet over all, 360 feet between perpendiculars, the molded breadth is 44 feet, and depth 26 feet.         The interior arrangements of the boat are as fine as money and excellent taste can make them. Electricity is used in lighting, and one might fancy he was in the parlor of some elegant private residence on terra firma. Mahogany has been largely used in the wood work. I love the SteamerI admire the photo and I love the "North Land" at first sight. As i read about the steamer a little bit and I know she has an interesting story. The steamer was built in 1895 by (as we all see) the Northern Steamship Company. Mark Tawin wrote about her, whilst travelling on his own tour of America: "All that has been said of this fine ocean ship on the Great Lakes is not exaggerated." "North Land" operated between Chicago and Buffalo, from June through late September. In 1919 she was sold and cut into two pieces at Buffalo and was towed to Montreal, Quebec. Plans to convert and operate her as an ocean liner or troop ship never materialized. She lay in her dock until 1921, when she was dismantled and scrapped. Unfortunately. Admirably Appointed The United States with an Excursion into Mexico, Handbook for Travellers, by Karl Baedeker. 1904. 46. From Buffalo to Chicago. e. By Steamer. It is possible to go the whole way from Buffalo to Chicago by water, through Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan, without change of steamer. — The ‘North Land’ and ‘North West’, the two magnificent steamers of the Northern Steamship Co. (each 386 ft. long, of 5000 tons burden, and accommodating 500 passengers), leave Buffalo (wharf at foot of Main St.) every Wed. and Sat. in summer at 8 p.m. (central time). The — The ‘North Land’ goes through to Chicago, which it reaches on Sat. at 1 p.m.; the ‘North West’ goes to (3 days) Duluth (comp. p. 372), and Chicago passengers must change at (1½ day) Mackinac Island. Through-fare to Chicago $13.50, berths extra (to Mackinac from $3 up). Luggage up to 150 lbs. is free. Fares to Cleveland, $2.00: to Detroit, $4.75; to Mackinac Island, $8.50; to Sault-Ste-Marie, $10.75; to Duluth $17.00. These steamers are admirably appointed in every way and afford most comfortable quarters. BeautifulAmazing view of Buffalo in its prime. You can see several landmarks that are still standing, including the Ellicott Square Building, and the old post office (now ECC city campus). Looking forward to more photographs of Buffalo! She's YarHow beautiful she is. It's a shame old ships and old buildings don't live forever. 1895-1921Built in 1895 by Globe Iron Works of Cleveland, Ohio for the Northern Steamship Company. One of two sister-ships. Originally built with three funnels. By 1910 she had new boilers and two funnels as shown in this picture. In 1905 was running a passenger service between Buffalo and Chicago. The North Land had been built to undertake the round voyage between Buffalo and Duluth in a week and her owners, the Northern Steamship Company, became the first to introduce seven day cruises. Scrapped in 1921. ElegantGrowing up in Western New York State, I passed through Buffalo many times. I've always loved the graceful lines of those Lake steamers. They had to be a little narrow to get through the Welland Canal, which enabled them to bypass Niagara Falls (the direct trip was a little precipitous). Just about all gone now. Like ghosts. Sherwin WilliamsI didn't realize the Sherwin Williams logo was that old. I figured maybe 1940's or 1950's. It's changed in 100 yearsI live in buffalo and looking at this is a bit odd. Most of what you see there was torn down to make room for RT5 and the I190. First, that's not Main Street anymore, it's looking east down Church Street. The new Main Street would start around were the tall flagpole is, I think. The large white building to the right of the street looks like the Ellicott Square building (completed 1896, the largest office building at the time). The large tower to the right of that is the old post office, now Erie Community Collage. The problem is it should be closer to the Ellicott Square building. The steeple to the left of the street is Asbury Delaware Methodist Church. Now it's the home of Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. The clock tower left of that is the old town hall. SpiresSadly, I've never been to Buffalo. There are a number of interesting church spires in this photo. Do any of them still exist? Map linkThe street centered in this photograph is indeed Main Street. A map from 1894, depicting the buildings along the left side of the photograph and along Main Street up to Seneca can be found here. The trapezoid shaped building with the large overhangs is the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western passenger station. It is Main streetTo David_T It looks strange to you because it is in fact Main Street. Then the location of the landmarks make sense. For example, the Ellicott Square building is on Main street. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Buffalo NY)
One Gun, One Bunny: 1922
... They are black with gold and red stripes, and the interior usually has a removable tin tray. Not .410, probably .22 It's ... the naval oil reserves (Teapot Dome) to Albert Fall's Interior Dept in the Harding Administration in 1922. Fall got bribes to lease ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2012 - 6:55pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Denby Christmas tree." Junior remembers this as the best Christmas ever! His gun-giving dad is Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Christmas PresentsWonder what she got for Easter. A Santa Claus doll? Happy Days were not aheadEdwin Denby Jr., 10 years old in this photo, was killed in WWII aboard the USS Shark submarine in February 1942 in the South Pacific. He was 29. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/denby-e.htm Wow!The mouldings in this house are amazing! And the ceiling is insanely high, even by Victorian standards. Those walls look to be at least 16 feet. The sideboard seems like an Empire (mahogany piece) with a wonderful bevel mirror). And I happen to have a few different sizes of antique tin boxes (cash boxes) like the one in front of "junior". They are black with gold and red stripes, and the interior usually has a removable tin tray. Not .410, probably .22It's single-shot and break action, but if you blow up the picture you can see it has an octagonal crowned barrel, a blade front sight and a leaf-type rear sight. Thus, a rifle, not a shotgun. Conceivably not a .22, but some small caliber, and a .22 seems most likely. [So not a .22, but a .22? If you say so. - Dave] There will be blood.Denby is the guy who transferred the naval oil reserves (Teapot Dome) to Albert Fall's Interior Dept in the Harding Administration in 1922. Fall got bribes to lease the lands to Harry Sinclair (Sinclair Oil) and oilman Edward Doheny, the basis of the main character in Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, and who was played by Daniel Day Lewis in the film There Will Be Blood. Given the timing of this photo, one wonders exactly what is on Denby's mind, besides the clear danger the bunny might be in. Uh oh!She gets a rabbit, he gets a rifle. Trouble ahead. Deja VuDidn't we Shorpyites previously see another Denby Christmas Tree? I (think) that I remember it as quite lacking when compared to this one. [You are perhaps thinking of the Dickey family. - Dave] There I go, confusing my Denbys and my Dickeys again. - Mal Hunting seasonNo doubt Junior will be using his sister's Christmas bunny as a target next week. Rifle MinutiaeI am in agreement with "jwp". It looks like a Remington Sporting Rifle No. 4. Single shot octagon barrel, 22 short and long caliber. (also manufactured in 32 caliber) Made from 1890 to 1933. Her bunny is safe but other critters may not be. My non-expert guessLooks to me like a single-shot break-action shotgun, probably 410 gauge, which is not much of a power house. Friend of mine got shot in the small of his back with a 410 from less than a foot away, while getting out of a car with some other hunters (one of them obviously really clumsy) and he survived. Of course he wasn't a soft little bunny. Rifle IdentificationThe rifle is a "Crack shot" model .22 caliber manufactured by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool company. Stevens was the company that developed and introduced the .22 LR round. Arguably the most popular and widely shot rifle/pistol round in history. A Remington Rolling Block It IsOne of the most elegant guns ever made... it's hard to see how there could have been fewer moving parts. Denby Sr.Edwin Denby Sr. is an interesting guys outside of his Teapot Dome involvement. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private in 1917 at age 47 and was discharged in 1919 as a Major. There had been a large number of mail robberies in 1921 so when appointed Secretary of the Navy in 1921 he ordered that the Marines be used to guard mail trucks and trains. The Marines had a simple instruction: if two Marines were guarding the mail and a robber had them covered, they weren't to put up their hands but both go for their guns. The robber might get one of them but the other would get the robber. "When our Corps goes in as guards over the mail, that mail must be delivered, or there must be a Marine dead at the post of duty. There can be no compromise." Remington #4That is a Remington #4 Rolling Block,single shot take down rifle, you can see the take down lever on the side of the receiver.To load you must first cock the hammer and then pull back on the breechblock to expose the chamber then insert the cartridge and push the breechblock closed, you are now ready to fire. Like dddlensman said most likely a .22 rimfire but possibly a .32. A very nice present. (The Gallery, Animals, Christmas, Kids, Natl Photo)
Modern Regent: 1936
April 1936. "Interior of rehabilitation client's house. Jackson, Ohio." 35mm negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2011 - 4:41pm -

April 1936. "Interior of rehabilitation client's house. Jackson, Ohio." 35mm negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No Smoking!... please. Wall decorThe most fascinating part of this photograph for me is the multitude of detail in the newspaper ads: whiskey (Seagram's, Windsor), theater shows (Les Miserables, Mark of the Vampire), Kroger's ads (lamps, watermelons, peas), and clothing (wool polo shorts, mohair, sealskin). Then there's the (religious?) picture on the upper left. I could probably spend an hour in this room just staring at the walls. Origami kitchenGood to see that even though the stove has been hastily leveled, the walls carry a proper fire rating. Strike AnywhereAnyone else see a fire hazard here? Count your blessingsNext time you're agonizing over what type of wall covering to use in remodeling the kitchen, remember this photo. And stop to think for just a second how lucky you are for living now, instead of in the 1930s. What a contrastImagine living here. You're one of Society's have-nots. To ease the dreariness of your poverty-stricken life in this bare shack, you make do with what little resources are at hand. You cover the walls with leftover newspapers. And what's on those papers? Page after page of reminders of the goodies which are far beyond your reach. Cast Iron is greatExcellent to see the older frying pans. Still the best ones to cook with even today. We Assume MuchThe folks living here could have been the happiest people in the world. Shame on meI was just complaining that I want wood floor in the living room. It takes these pictures to realize how spoiled and lucky most of us are (at least me). I'm not rich, but these people would jump to live in any house that was warm, safe and clean for their family. I am amazingly proud how strong these people were and just kept struggling. I'm tired and deadly for bed, but I tried to say this so it makes a little sense! Yawn. I am proud to be an American in a country where you can fall hard and still pick yourself up!!! NewspaperI do believe that the use of newspaper to cover the walls had less to do with decoration as it did with cheap, effective insulation. As a product of wood pulp, it actually does a pretty good job in layers. Read, White and BlewNewspapers and magazines are a cheap and effective way to cut down on the drafts that were common in old expediently constructed dwellings. What a beautiful photograph.Granted, behind the photo is an extremely sad story, but wow, what beautiful composition. Nooks and cranniesI would wager that the news/wallpaper is not even for insulation, but to seal the gaps and cracks in the walls and provide some protection against the wind blowing through. Neat and TidyEven though these people were obviously very poor it's interesting to see how neat everything is. There's a place for everything, and the broom is well worn. As my grandma always said, "It's no sin to be poor, but it is a sin to be dirty!" NewspaperHey at least they had Seagrams back then! Perspective We had a Modern Regent that Mom never used, it was hooked up in the store room, while the big Kalamazoo with water heater, bun and dish warmer and 9 inch rings sat in the kitchen. The smaller Regent was probably demoted to Thanksgiving and Christmas warming duties after the huge and Delft tile adorned Kalamazoo moved in. I sympathized with Mom but hated to see that old beauty go to scrap. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Theodor Jung)
Lafayette Square: 1905
... on the ground floor. The exterior and much of the interior are being painstakingly restored to their original appearance. Target ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 10:42am -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1905. "Lafayette Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. You can't park that here! Parking next to a fire hydrant is illegal! The Lafayette Hotelin the center of the shot in currently undergoing a $35M-$40M renovation that will result in one and two bedroom apartments and up to 50 hotel rooms, as well as several businesses on the ground floor. The exterior and much of the interior are being painstakingly restored to their original appearance. Target date for completion is May 1. Three dimensionalThe depth of field and scope of the lens have created one of the coolest looking images yet seen. Great job of scanning to maintain the effect. I feel like I'm looking out a window onto the actual scene. Your policy has expiredI had no intention of commenting until something struck me as humorous in the building on the right hand side. I would bet that the New York "Life Insurance" company did not appreciate one of their employees perching himself in an open fourth story window. Plus 107and the bystanders are less ghostly and considerably less well-dressed. View Larger Map Good to seeThat at least two of the major buildings has survived. What was that glorious masonry gem on the far side of the Square? [The Buffalo Public Library, dedicated 1887, demolished 1963.] Shame What Is It?OK, I have to ask this. Sure, I have only been on Shorpy about 3 months, but have traveled all over Europe and seen these http://www.urinal.net/pissar/ But I have never seen them in old photos such as here. Is this a pissoir? Something for the horse buggies? Fresh water? Something for the drivers to "dispose" certain things of? [Whatever it is, it has an electrical connection to the streetcar grid. - Dave] *MrK replying* I see that Dave, thanks! Missed it the first time. Also, looking at the shadow, the object looks like it does not have the same dimentions all around. Looks wide, but not deep according to the shadow. The photo here on the page is a little too low res to discern where the wire goes or what it is connected to (Dave can you help?). I see what appears to be a fire call box on the furthest trolley pole in that block corner. I will ask a few trolley experts here about it and hope to report back :) Not a lot of automobiles yetbut a year later, on July 4 1906, Buffalo would record its first instance of a pedestrian being fatally mowed down by one of the infernal machines when Henry A Ward, founder of Ward's Natural Science Establishment (and taxidermist of Jumbo the Elephant mount fame) succumbed. re: The TardisIf it is connected by wire, then so are the horses or the coachman standing close by. No, I think the wire simply is passing above, to support another segment of the trolley cable running overhead. [You're looking at the wrong wire. - Dave] Formerly Courthouse SquareThis location was renamed to commemorate the Marquis de LaFayette's visit to Buffalo in 1825, the same year the Erie Canal was completed. This location is just a few blocks north of the Ellicott Square Building, designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1896 (the world's largest office building at the time). The Ellicott Square Building was featured on Shorpy a while back: https://www.shorpy.com/node/10750 Big GunThe large cannon at left center is a Civil War-era Parrott Rifle, named after its designer Robert Parker Parrott. These were cutting edge when introduced in 1861 and came in variety of sizes. Both the Army and Navy used them up through the early 1890s. This particular Parrott seems to be a big one, possibly a 200 pounder, meaning it could fire a pointed shell weighing 200 pounds. Military technology moved swiftly in the late 19th century and Parrotts were phased out as more modern artillery came into use. Many obsolete Parrotts and other Civil War cannon ended up as martial ornaments in city parks and military cemeteries. The scrap drives of World War II took a huge toll on ornamental cannon. Wonder if this Parrott survived? The Tardis-identity revealedThis is a police call box. Very common at the time. I've attached a picture of a rather more ornate one, but of the same general layout. I think the wire DOES go to the box, for the telephone inside. The Tardis-identity revealedVery nice find. Makes sense now, following that wire to the fire pull box with this police call box makes sense to bundle the wires and be routed back to the same place. Darn that Chameleon circuit, looks like it will never get fixed! KleinhansI wonder if Kleinhans wouldn't sell their building, so they built the U-shaped New York Life building around it? [That's an integral part of the Brisbane Building, constructed 1894-1896. The previous structure, The Arcade, was completely destroyed by fire in 1893.] Buffalo Tardis: real identity revealedNot a call box, although many had telephone connections in a box OUTSIDE this "booth". These were used by walking patrolmen as one-man jails. A rowdy would be stuffed inside, locked up, and the paddy wagon sent for. They were at various intersections all over Buffalo, until about 1940. See photo and caption here. Hotel LafayetteHere's an update to the previous post about the rehabilitation of the Hotel Lafayette. I appreciate that their original 1905 sign indicated that the hotel is "Fire Proof". Sleep in safety! As a side note, the hotel was designed an built by the first accredited female architect in the AIA, Louise Blanchard Bethune. QuestionsTwo questions. Where is the smoke coming from? It looks to be a warm summer day, so it wouldn't be from furnaces in the buildings. It seems to originate on top of the building between the Hotel LaFayette, and Kleinhans. Or, is it some kind of smudge on the photo plate? [Buffalo was an industrial center with many factories as well as coal-fired locomotives and steamships. - Dave] And, did no one ride horses in the city? Or, did no one ride horses downtown? I don't see any riders in any downtown photos, and I don't see where you'd tie one up. All I see s carriages and cars and streetcars. [City folk didn't ride horses like they were bicycles. They took the streetcar or sidewalk (or biked) to get where they were going. - Dave] If you go to Buffalo, do check out the renovated Hotel LaFayette. Its gorgeous! (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Men's Furnishings: 1959
... from Loewy. -tterrace] [Whose firm designed the interior seen here. - Dave] Everything looks good except that the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2013 - 3:32pm -

Oct. 23, 1959. "Bloomingdale's. Hackensack, New Jersey. Men's shop. Raymond Loewy, client." Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. The more things change ...The suits on the mannequins are still very much in style today, as are the plaid shirts to their right. Even the hat on the mannequin has come back into style after many years in the wilderness (so to speak) thanks to hipsters. Ah! Room To Move Around!So much space! You can actually walk around without bumping into a rack or another shopper. Today's stores try to cram so much into so little space; it's a wonder clothes are on the floor being stepped on, not to mention other shoppers stepping on my toes. I remember stores like this: Robert Hall, Alexanders, Gertz etc. - they were a pleasure to shop in. Reminds MeOf Raleigh Haberdashers. Long gone and still fondly remembered. English tab collarsThe guy on the left is sporting an English style tab collar on his shirt. They were my favorites in the late 50s because no matter how badly I made my necktie knots, the tab collar always made them look good. Used to make a trip to Carson Pirie Scott on Chicago’s State Street about every other week to buy a few while going to school there in 1959/1960. These shirts are still available online. BloomiesBloomies were so well dressed in 1959, even their furniture wore bow ties. Loewy?What is the reference to industrial designer R. Loewy? [Gottscho-Schleisner was working on commission from Loewy. -tterrace] [Whose firm designed the interior seen here. - Dave] Everything looks goodexcept that the visual people buttoned the bottom button on the jacket on the mannequin on the left; always was and always will be a sartorial no-no. One can see the slight beginning of pulling through the hips that this will inevitably cause. Please don't do it. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Childs Restaurant: 1918
... practically completed. The exterior is completed and the interior has been furnished with tables, chairs, and the usual equipment to be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2014 - 9:09pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Childs Restaurant, 1423 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The LocomotionNow I'm never going to get that song out of my head: "Do the Locomotion with me." I love a paradeA parade or possibly a motorcade. I wonder if motorcades were as common back then as they are now in D.C. Great picture!It covers just about all possible ways of conveying oneself along the pavement. All we need is a jogger and someone riding a scooter, and we've got everything. Great transportation photoI'm bookmarking this as a favorite transportation photo. Horses, bicycles, automobiles and train tracks. It's interesting to see Gray Line using the same logo after all of these years, too. I get the sense that this picture could be titled "rush hour, 1917". Childs RestaurantThe Childs building shown here opened in 1913, one of two locations in the District. It was torn down and replaced by a parking garage in the early 1950s. The newspaper archives show that there was some sort of controversy over its prices during the WWI years. Which may be the reason for the photo. 1916-7 WhiteThe car on the right is a 1916-1917 White - these were the last years of passenger car production by White company. On the left is a Packard Limousine. More HereThan meets the eye. The motorcade was the reason for the photograph. Military men with drawn sabers? Who is in the first car? [The H&E caption lists the restaurant as the subject. - Dave] Trustworthy EggsI love the two policemen riding bicycles: police on bikes vanished for many decades only to be recently revived as an effective and economical mode of transport. Fortunately, the uniform of the bicycle-cop has evolved in the interim. Child's lunch rooms originated in New York City. A copy of their 1900 menu can be found here (NY Food Museum). Restaurant to Seat 200 New Building for "Childs" on the Avenue is Practically Complete. The new building which has been in the course of construction for some weeks on Pennsylvania avenue, near Fifteenth street, for the occupancy of "Childs" restaurant, is now practically completed. The exterior is completed and the interior has been furnished with tables, chairs, and the usual equipment to be found in a restaurant of this type. The new structure has a frontage of 54 feet and a depth of 93 feet, and is one story in height. It has been leased to the restaurant for a long term of years. The property on which the building has been erected is a part of the Willard estate. Seating space has been provided for about 200 persons. The value of the property, exclusive of the ground, is about $75,000. The plans were drawn by J.C. Westervelt, and the construction work has been done by the W.D. Lewis Company. Washington Post, Aug 24, 1913 The Childless Childs Restaurant The Childs family has been ousted from participation in the operation of Child's restaurants. William L. Childs, the man who, with his brother, founded the open-faced type of lunch room and glorified the American egg, has been dropped like a tray of hot dishes. Bigger and better restaurants will result, it is predicted, but the Childs boys have earned a bright place in knife-fork-and-spoon history as the lads who revolutionized the lunchroom business, made egg-boiling a national industry and developed flapjack turning as a theatrical performance. Before the Childs brothers came along a lunch room was usually a dreary hole-in-the-wall presided over by a few unkempt waiters who thought a front window was serving its full purpose when it housed a mince pie, a sleeping kitten, and old hat and a pair of galoshes. The Childs brothers took colored wall paper, stained tablecloths, dirty sugar bowls, wall calendars, paper flowers, rubber plants, cobwebs, lace curtains, oilcloth, insect life and the air of mystery out of the American lunch room life. They got the American public to trust lunch-room eggs. The early Childs restaurants were so glaringly white it didn't seem right to enter them without a bath, shave, and haircut. They were architecturally part laboratory, part squash court, part Roman pool, and part goldfish bowl. Then the owners dressed their managers like hospital internes, put their waitresses into attire partly suggestive of child brides and partly suggestive of dentists assistants, developed tray-dropping to a high art and prospered. Speed was a keynote. Buttered toast set new heights in rapid transit, and all previous records held by eggs in flight between kettle and customer were broken. It just went to show what a couple of alert boys could do with a dozen eggs, a gas-burner, some plate glass and an idea. And now there is no Mr. Childs in Childs restaurant. Well, it just doesn't seem possible. H.I. Phillips, Associated Newspapers Washington Post, March 13, 1929 "Taking advantage of war conditions"Oct. 2, 1918 CheersThis makes me think of the opening credits for "Cheers." "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot ... " EntourageThe trailing car is sporting an American flag and another country's tricolor that I can't make out. My guess would be an ambassador or high-level diplomat worthy of a police escort. Great picture! [In 1917 there were a number of diplomatic visits to Washington from representatives of the allied nations -- the French mission, Belgian mission, British mission, etc. They all had motorcades like this. - Dave] The Childses and DadMy father's half-uncle, Clayton Cameron McNeal, had some kind of close connection to the Childs family. The two of them would visit Childs estate in Northern New Jersey back in the 1910s and ride on the family's collection of motorcycles. My main memory of the Childs restaurants focuses on the one on the north side of 42nd Street just west of Grand Central Terminal. It featured a family-friendly environment and good food for a reasonable price. Of course it is long gone. DeutschlandI'm guessing it's the German flag, since it's the only European one that matches this pattern. GermanThe date of the photo [circa 1917] and the possibility that it is a German flag makes the photo even more intriguing. [Early in 1917 the United States ended diplomatic relations with Germany. The German embassy closed and the ambassador returned to Europe. Maybe this had something to do wit that. - Dave] The FlagI checked out flags on Wikipedia and because the white is on the bottom of the flag, I'm guessing that it might be the flag of the Kingdom of Serbia, either without the royal coat of arms or with the coat of arms obscured by the American flag. Serbia was one of the Allies, although the country had been overrun and most of what was left of their army was waiting in Salonika. [I think you're right. Brent wins the lollipop! - Dave] Caption for the photo below, which shows the same flag: "1918. Lt. Col. Michailo Menadovitch, Serbian Army. Serbian mission to U.S." Which visited Washington from December 1917 to January 1918. In the Washington Post, the colonel's name was rendered as Hendovitch, Nenadovitch and Menadovitch. Tram SystemWhat's about the third track in the middle of the tracks, or was it a cable based tram system? [Washington's streetcars were mostly electric. The middle "track" is a slot giving access to the power supply under the street. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing, Horses)
Fountain Service: 1974
... Columbus for the first 50 years. Known for its elaborate interior and ice cream still made by the Zaharako family. Mexican onyx soda ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:04pm -

April 1974. Columbus, Indiana. "General view of soda fountain area -- Zaharako Bros. Ice Cream Parlor, 329 Washington Street. Family-run ice cream and confectionery business operating since 1900. This parlor was a major social center in Columbus for the first 50 years. Known for its elaborate interior and ice cream still made by the Zaharako family. Mexican onyx soda fountains purchased 1905; extra counter added 1949; store front modernized 1959." 5x7 negative by Jack E. Boucher, Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. How rare is that?An organ in an ice cream parlor. Columbus, Indiana: a great place to visitHad lunch here in 1998. Went over to Columbus to see the 1952 Indy pole winner on display at Cummings Diesel, but for some reason it was somewhere else. The Cummings receptionist recommended Zaharako Brothers for lunch. What a delightful surprise. Then we discovered the great architecture the city is well known for. Columbus, Indiana is truly a well kept secret. I'm on a budget- so I'll just have the GOM sandwich, which is 40 cents. Incidentally, this restaurant still stands, although the GOM is now $5.99 Sundae DelightPlease tell me this soda fountain is still in business. What a wonderful place to sit and snack. Eye candy for sure! Pull up a seat and give me a treat! And still in operation todayZak's is an institution in Columbus, a local treasure. And it has not succumbed to modernization or obsolescence. http://www.zaharakos.com Great pricesWow, what a shock to see the date on this picture! There weren't very many such places still operating by that time. I do, however, know of one place, the Bluebird in Logan, Utah, that looks a lot like this and is still operating. Logan was the birthplace of John Gilbert, who was one of the most famous Hollywood actors of the silent era. One time, they screened several of his best films in the historic theater that had been recently remodeled. To see his films on the big screen, and then walk down the block and eat lunch at the Bluebird was like a trip back 80 years! 38 Years LaterThey still sell "Zingers" in my work place vending machine but Charlie Brown is not on the wrapper. Today I paid more than 10 times the going rate for a chicken salad sandwich. I wonder if Zaharako Bros. included chips and a pickle? UndiscoveredAll that is missing from this picture is Lana Turner! Parallel ParlorThe marble counter and over-the-top light fixtures seem to be a staple of historic soda fountains and ice cream parlors. This photo reminds me a lot of Aglamesis Brothers here in Cincinnati. It's still in the same 1913 building, with most of the original fixtures remaining, including the wonderful imported Portuguese marble counter, Tiffany lamps, tin ceiling, and tile floor. My goodness!A lot higher prices than we're used to seeing here. That's no mere "organ" in the background.The visible pipework behind the glass is that of a Welte Orchestrion---a roll-driven type of instrument popular at the turn of the 19th into the 20th centuries. There are Youtube videos of this very instrument, which was expertly and painstakingly restored just a few years ago by Mr Durward Center of Baltimore. The Orchestrion had percussion (drums, triangle) in addition to the pipes, and with the pipe voicing and roll arrangements, was intended to approximate a band or orchestral experience. When well regulated and tuned, the Welte instruments offer a very captivating and uplifting performance. A Long, Long Time AgoThe last fountain I can remember closed in 1961 in my town but I can still remember the smell of the place. The fountain was staffed by college-aged girls who, if you didn't have the price of a Coke or milkshake, would drop a toothpick in a glass of carbonated water and serve up a "pine float". Double takeWith a job researching period items for our theatrical productions, I zeroed in on the Menu signage before seeing the date on the photo - almost had a heart attack thinking those press and stick letter boards were way older then I thought. Amazing place that!!! Love this place!One of the best fountains I've seen on Shorpy. Looking at the menu, I could have eaten all my meals there in 1974. Egg creamsMMMMMMM egg creams. Gom sandwich?Saw "Gom" listed on the sandwch menu at the very right. That ring a bell to anyone? Green River on the drinks menu puts a smile on my face. I used to love that stuff when I was a kid... pretty sure they still make it but I haven't seen it anywhere in years. Zaharako's TodayThis is a current day shot from the front door looking in. GOM sandwichI found this, which I thought others might be interested in. Now, I am going to see if I can find a recipe! "This ice cream parlor has been around since 1900 and was recently restored to its original glory. The old-timers swear by this (GOM) sandwich, a Midwestern take on the sloppy Joe—a slightly sweeter version of loose meat (with a few degrees of heat factored in), served on grilled bread. Sit at the marble-top counter to watch the soda jerks and cut the grease with a bubbly Green River float. ($5.49, $5.99 with cheese)" http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/super46/sandwich/gom-sandwich (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, HABS)
O.K. Soap: 1936
Interior of the general store in Moundville, Alabama. Photographed by Walker ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/08/2012 - 12:28pm -

Interior of the general store in Moundville, Alabama. Photographed by Walker Evans in the summer of 1936. Top shelf inventory: 1 box Peter Loaded Shells, 2 chairs, 2 Aurora oil cans, 8 boxes quart-size Ball square mason fruit jars, 2 small lanterns, 3 large lanterns, 9 galvanized tubs, 1 trunk. Maybe someone would like to inventory the rest of the room. View full size | View even larger. SharpnessI don't know if it's the source material (in which case ignore me), but most of the pictures posted here seem like they've been slightly over-sharpened, giving them an unreal quality. This seems like a good example of that - it's not by much, but to my eyes it seems just a little overdone. Anyone else care to comment? Left in a hurryWho ever opened the crate on the floor was after its contents in a hurry. . . .Hammer, screwdriver and empty beer glass on the rolling box in center. Papers and crate tipped at an odd angle on the floor. Piece of horse equipment behind it under the dishes. Plenty of sacks of "self-raising" (don't need salt or baking powder) flour for flapjacks as well. Re: SharpnessThis image is a little over sharpened. I blame it on my efforts to bring out more detail in the product labeling. I've updated the image to look a little better. Counts offThe list for the top shelf says two small lanterns and two large lanterns. Looks like three large to me. Oh noThat explains why the till came up short. I hope nobody lost their job due to the reported shortage in oil lamps. I've corrected the figure in the caption. Two CalendarsIm curious about the two calendars, one january, one july but the day and date order are the same according to my computer calendar this does not happen in the same year but on the next year. Am I right? 1936 CalendarsThe calendars are correct. Click here. In leap years January has the same calendar as July. And if you have a 1936 calendar don't throw it away -- you can use it again in 2020. Two CalendarsI am sure the one calendar with January is inventory. The safeNobody noticed the floor safe.... Peters ShellsThe item on the top shelf is a crate of shells and not a box. The crate would contain 500 shotshells: 20 boxes containing 25 shotshells each. I doubt that the crate was full. The weight full would be substantial and only the unwise would store it that high up from the floor. SurvivalismThis looks like the inventory stipulated in a survivalist's manual. All basic stuff and no dependency on high technology. Bring along the doll in the Coke ad and you're ready to hide out for the winter. re: Coca Cola PosterIf you had that original poster...in very excellent condition...it would be valuable! Coca Cola PosterI really really love that Coca Cola Poster. Wish I had a copy. Inventory AddendumSnow Ball Self Rising Flour (Columbia, Tenn) Hi Ball Self Rising Flour (Nugrade Mills- Columbia, Tenn) Bags of Salt Strongboy Padlocks Fresco Peters "Victor" ammunition is sagging the second shelf down A couple of boxes of Peters .22 "Filmkote" on on the left side, one opened LanternI inherited one of those lanterns from my grandfather. It is blue. I have a photo of it hanging in his barn. I checked it against the one in this photo and it appears to be exactly the same manufacturer. (The Gallery, Rural America, Stores & Markets, Walker Evans)
The Home of Low Prices: 1920
... Washington, D.C., 1920 or 1921. "People's Drug Store, interior, 804 H Street N.E." View full size. National Photo Company ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 3:34pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920 or 1921. "People's Drug Store, interior, 804 H Street N.E." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Douche Pans!Did that word mean the same thing back then as it does now? ["Pans"? - Dave] Lawn mower parts in the drug store?Center, rear. On the shelves at the back of the store. Inner tubes for the garden tractor? [No gardening jobs for you! - Dave] A Riding Mower, MaybeNo, these are for sitting on, then again I guess they could have a dual purpose if they had garden tractors back during this period. Talcum PowderObviously, in those pre-airconditioning days, talcum powder was a huge deal. I spy a Whitman's Sampler on the lower right counter. Are they spelling out something with those Hershey's Kisses in the display underneath? I love this photo. Fort Knox?Why is the cashier behind bars? I would have thought that this style of cashier was more from today’s Stop and Go’s than from the 1920’s. When I was growing up the local corner store had lots of items in the back of the store and the one store owner went in the back while everyone was left alone in the front of the store. The siege mentality of store owners and shoplifting patrons did not seem to be an issue. You trusted each other and most people where trustworthy. As I grew up the crime rate went up and most people locked up everything when they were not home. Now I lock my doors while I am home and practically get an MRI while leaving the local store. Just goes to show that sometimes our memory of the simpler times of yesteryear may not have existed the way we remember. Barefoot ?Does the little girl on the right side seem... off, like she just appeared out of nowhere -- barefoot in a downtown drugstore -- especially when you look at the other little girl, on the left side? Five of EightIs it reasonable to assume from the list in back that that we are in store #5? That #6 is near 5th and G NW? That #7 is 11th and G NW? That #8 is 14th and Park NW? That the girl in shoes and socks is a lot happier to be here than the poor thing who's barefoot and disheveled? Maybe she's getting Hypo-Cod. The packages spelling out "Foot" around the Foot-Tona were quite clever. Lost itThis photo has actually generated drug store business today. I have to leave the site and go buy my first box of Depends after reading the lawn mower parts comment. I thought I'd seen the best/worst of them but this remark just made me "lose it". Thanks Dave, that laugh was the best I've had in years. [Already I am envisioning a Shorpy-branded line of plastic chair protectors. - Dave] Hypo-Cod: now with strychnine! Washington Post, Mar 16, 1919 The last carload of Hypo-Cod from Wheeling, the home of the nationally known Earle Chemical Company, arrived in Washington for People's Drug Stores just about a month ago, and to date over 15,000 bottles have been shipped to this firm alone. Another carload is ordered. Doctors and thousands of users in Washington acknowledge that it is by far the finest tonic and builder after sickness. At one sweep it has taken the place of older and once famous remedies.... Earle's Hypo-Cod first of all, contains extractives from fresh cod livers freed of the fishy taste found in emulsions. It is pleasant to take, and everybody knows that cherry bark and cod liver oil are good for bronchial, catarrhal, pulmonary colds and coughs, chest soreness, weak lungs. In addition, Earle's Hypo-Cod contains malt extract, which is a fine building food. Extra select sherry wine is used.... Then into this remarkable preparation the chemists have put the compound syrup of hypophosphites, lime, potassium, manganese, iron, strychnine, quinine and sodium.... 1, 2, 3 Douche PansI can't even imagine how they controlled their inventory at the end of a month/quarter. I used to work for a video store and once a month we'd have to scan everything in the store to see what might have been stolen. We'd have to start at midnight and finish up before the store opened the next morning. We had laser scanners and computers and everything was bar coded. In the time of this drugstore, the employees really had to know their product. On a side note, I keep seeing the sign inthis photo as saying "Hypno Cod" instead of "Hypo Cod." Of course, neither makes much sense to me. FlatfootedThe little barefoot girl looks like she could use some Foot-tona. I love how they built the catwalks around the store for extra display and storage. But it's odd that the bottom shelves of the unit at the left are empty and quite dusty. Trusses and radiatorsFor the young whippersnappers on Shorpy, one does not hear about 'trusses' much these days because people have simple surgeries to correct their hernias. Previously, hernias were held in with tight, binding support belts or girdle-like wraps. As for that beautiful radiator, I just read in a home renovation magazine that after years of being thrown in the landfills, these radiators are highly sought-after and are bringing high prices to be freshly painted and used as architectural art to add interest to bland rooms. I grew up with radiators in every room, some were very elaborate, some rather plain. Some people thought they were eyesores and spoiled the decor and yet it seems they will be future art treasures. Who knew? People's DrugBack in the 80's (1980's), I used to work for this company in the advertising department. All the illustrations for the ads were done by hand. No scanners. People's sold nearly everything. But the inner tubes are not what you think. By the way, spilling perfume in a copier turns out to be a really bad thing. Radiators, tires and douchebags?That radiator brings me back! My school had them all over the building. Just like the one in the pic, they were painted with silver metallic lead paint which dried and chipped. Oh, and those "tractor tires" right next to the douchebags are hemorrhoid cushions. They are still sold to this day. WOWWhat an awesome picture! I am fascinated by a foregone era... [Let foregones be foregones, I always say. - Dave] Yes, StrychnineWhile we primarily know strychnine as a poison, in small doses - such as you'd probably find in Hypo-Cod - it was both a stimulant and a laxative. In fact it was one of the first performance enhancing drugs in sports. I seem to recall reading that many runners in the 1896 Olympic Marathon drank water laced with strychnine to improve their performance over the distance. The standing womanis so lovely and a picture of grace. I want that outfit right down to the hat! Those were the days!I grew up in the D.C. area. When I was 7 we moved to Suitland, Maryland. There was the local People's Drug Store on the corner of Suitland Road and Huron Avenue. In the early '70s I'd sit at the food counter, order a burger and a shake and read the magazines. Everyone in the Suitland store knew my dad including the pharmacist. Everyone called the pharmacist "Doc." Back in those days I believe the pharmacist was actually the store manager. I'd go in and looking around and check out the new K-Tel albums. If I didn't have the money, I'd take it back to Doc and he'd say go ahead, take it home, he'd get the money from my dad later. Those were the good old days. It is amazing, I remember always wanting to grow up and get away, and now I am 47 and all I want is to go back to simpler times. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS, Stores & Markets)
Teen Dance Party: 1950s
... on the wall are just tacked up, with little regard to "interior decorating." Palm tree might be from a paint-by-number kit. Coffee ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 09/17/2011 - 8:03pm -

Here we see some teens at a dance party. I love the formal attire. Scanned from a Kodak safety negative. View full size. WallflowersDance? More like a teen "sit around" party. DatingCirca 1955. Sofa, 1948-51. In the possibly apocryphal last words of Oscar Wilde,"Either the wallpaper goes or I do." I was thereHey, I was at an identical party on Valentine's Day 1959. I was 11 and didn't have a clue about girls, especially the girl I now realize was hot for me. Lost opportunities. RekkidsLooks like a stack of 45s on the coffee table. But where is tterrace?50 years have passed and I feel just as inadequate. That body hiding under the sofa is me, wanting to be in the group, but too scared to show myself. I love that kid in the center of the sofa--the one tongue in cheek like "oh, yeah, I can dance better'n that." Late to the partyHaving been born in 1948, I was too young to be a participant in this party. But I was observing older brothers and sisters of friends. And this is right on! Couch probably had a stiff plastic couch-shaped cover that was removed only for "company." We had several of the shag throw rugs that on washday always went in the wringer washer dead last (after my dad's overalls). Prints on the wall are just tacked up, with little regard to "interior decorating." Palm tree might be from a paint-by-number kit. Coffee & end tables are Duncan Phyfe revival from the 1940s -- lyre design is still sought after today. Wonder if the teens' eyes were trained on a newfangled television set. More cokes!The party's starting to get rough....the shoes are coming off. It won't be long before someone is wearing that god-awful, swirling lampshade on his head. WhoaThe 45s are probably that new dangerous rock n roll stuff. Love the shoes kicked off under the sofa. Any second the P's are going to pop through that door and the party is over. Worst party everNo soda or snacks in sight? The boys look as though they're more interested in watching the test pattern on the neighbors' new TV, and the girls obviously wish they were on the back of Marlon Brando's motorcycle. How quickly we forgetFirst of all, Dad always came in with the camera early, took a couple photos and left. Mom made "pigs in blankets" and "cheese dreams," served them an hour or so in. Then they left, and after an hour, when the lights were off and the corner lamp had something over it to dim the light, those immortal words were spoken: "What's going on in there?" Doesn't matter the era, hormones are hormones! Scarlett O'Hara's ball gownOr, in this picture, a lampshade. As usualThe guys look like boys and the girls look like women. I think I was at this party! That sofais iconic. My mother always referred to it as a "chesterfield"; a throwback to her British heritage. The dancing startswhen the camera is put away! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Pretty Girls, Tonypix)
The New Willard: 1908
... I worked on that renovation in 1985. They gutted the interior down to the exterior walls. You could see the original constuction ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/20/2022 - 2:48pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1908. "The New Willard, Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street N.W." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Willard presents its own historyPart of the Willard InterContinental Washington D. C. Hotel's website is a history of the hotel, from 1818 to present. I learned that, after years of declining revenue, the Willard closed in 1968 and stayed closed until 1986, when it reopened following renovation, spearheaded by two developers. The oculus windows in the original not-too-fussy ballroom support the ballroom was on the top floor, right under the roof. Today the ballroom has a more regal look and is most likely on a lower floor. This is the best original floorplan I could find. It appears each room had its own bath. In April 1907 the Ninth Annual Convention of the Architectural League of America was held at the new Willard Hotel. I'm pretty sure their banquet was held in the same room as the color photo on the left in the concierge brochure. That was an impressive banquet table. Click to embiggen Famous/Infamous HotelsWhenever I see or hear of the Blackhawk Hotel in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities), I am reminded that Cary Grant died there in 1986. Whenever I pass the Buckminster Hotel in Kenmore Square in Boston, I am reminded that the plot to throw the 1919 World Series was hatched there. When I walk past the Park Central Hotel on 7th Avenue in New York City, I always think, "This is where Fatty Arbuckle died and gangster Arnold Rothstein was murdered." Now, whenever I see or hear of the very stately Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, I will remind myself that this is where the "War Room" for the January 6, 2021 Insurrection was located. Lincoln sneaked into the old WillardAbraham Lincoln arrived unexpectedly at the original Willards' hotel early on on February 23, 1861, having sneaked into the city early due to reported assassination plans in Baltimore. Henry Willard borrowed a pair of slippers for Lincoln, who stayed until his inauguration. Lincoln knew Williards' from his single Congressional term: in 1849 he attended a meeting there to plan Zachary Taylor's inaugural ball. Right hand driveFrom what I can see, today's, as well as yesterday's photo, show all of the vehicles with right hand drive. 1909 was the first year automakers switched to left, so I'd say your date estimates are spot on! [As we noted in a comment you made a year ago, early American automobiles were a mix of right- and left-hand-drive vehicles. (Below, an 1896 Duryea.) The change to all-LHD was gradual and took decades (Ford introduced left-side steering with the 1908 Model T; Pierce-Arrow was still making RHD cars in the 1920s). - Dave] Still MajesticStill there and in a city of impressive buildings it holds its own I think. Gen. Grant at the WillardWhen U. S. Grant came to D.C. to meet the president and receive his Lieutenant General commission, he showed up at the (old) Willard with his son (Fred, I believe). He was an unprepossessing man to say the least, tended not to adorn himself with the trappings of high rank, and was dressed modestly in a travel worn Army uniform. The clerk, not recognizing him, told him they could only squeeze him in to a very small room. Grant, without complaint, signed the registration book "U. S. Grant & son, Galena, Illinois." When the clerk saw that, he immediately secured a much finer room. It's said that Grant never felt any resentment at the slight. Top of The WillardTop floor of the Willard Hotel during restoration in the 1980's. RenovationI worked on that renovation in 1985. They gutted the interior down to the exterior walls. You could see the original constuction materials and methods. The lobby floor and arched ceiling was done in tiny ornate tiles layed by tilesetters imported from Italy (or so I was told). Amazing to behold. Seaboard Air Line RRI grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and was always curious about the name. Shorpy has stirred me to action and a moment with Google provided the answer. An air line was the shortest distance between two points and implied that the RR was shorter than its competitors. Rooftop walkerWhen I first saw this photo, I thought the woman in white was walking on the roof of the Multi-copy Typewriting Company. But then I looked again. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Streetcars)
Stoves and Ranges: 1910
Detroit circa 1910. "Pickard Gas Co. -- Store interior with gaslight fixtures and Garland Agency display of stoves." One-stop ... Gas Lamps! Lighting Fixtures I just love these interior store photos. Oh how I wish I could go back for a day or two and shop! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2014 - 8:03pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Pickard Gas Co. -- Store interior with gaslight fixtures and Garland Agency display of stoves." One-stop shopping for washtubs, teakettles and croquet sets. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Glidden & (Benjamin) Moore paintsThe Jap-A-Lac and Moore House Paint displays next to each other is a sight you'd never see today. Jap-A-Lac was a Glidden product. Today Glidden is now sold almost exclusively at Home Depot. Moore Paints was owned by Robert and Benjamin Moore. Light FixturesThe store had some sort of electric light fixtures -- perhaps as Dave said, combination gas and electric fixtures. If you look at the left-hand side of the photo, you'll see, quite prominently, two pushbutton light switches. [Gas fixtures of the era also had electric-spark ignition. - Dave] Still working a century laterWe had the same push button light switches in a 1918 house my parents owned when I was a child. Ours were lined up horizontally to each other, rather than vertically. I still see them in houses built during that era. When we first got that house it had knob and tube wiring, which this place undoubtedly had too. That wiring went bye bye, as a fire hazard, even before we actually moved in. But all the outlets remained original, including the plug outlets, which were in the floors, not the walls. None of the wiring was in the walls (except for the wires that led to those switches) to put a plug in a wall. It was all between the joists of the floors. Home On The RangeWe sold Welbilt Gas Ranges, they were and might still be the largest stove manufacturers in the world. They bought the Garland Stove Company and made it their high end restaurant cooking equipment brand. At one time the Garland line was inaccessible to us but times were changing. These very expensive cooking devices started being sold to private people looking for gourmet quality appliances in their homes. In the 1960s $5,000 kitchens were in the homes of the well to do. These days 5 Grand won't buy a Wolf or Viking 30" gas range. Early photoshopThis appears to be a modified photo. For reasons unknown, the ceiling is sliced and arranged in perspective to an imaginary horizon. Modification of photos has existed for various reasons as long as photos themselves. [This isn't a "photo," but a scan of the original glass plate negative upon which the exposure was made in the camera. There was no method to make such a modification, nor cause to do so. It's an optical illusion. -tterrace] [And if you rotate the picture 90 degrees (or tilt your head), the illusion goes away. -Dave] AlsoUp on the counter, a pan of... stuff. 1. A cheap ashtray? 2. Food dish for a Great Dane watchdog? 3. Very small jelly beans? 4. The plant died? Big rolls of wrapping paperBefore bubble wrap, before styrofoam packing beans, before hard plastic packaging, before white plastic bags. That PanI suspect it is floor-sweeping compound. A mixture of sawdust and oil, I think. Spread on wooden floors, usually on Friday morning. Foot traffic would help it bind with dust during the day, to be swept up with no accompanying cloud of dust on the weekend. If Antiques Could TalkMany items in this photo are seen in today's Antique Shops. Beautiful Gas Lamps! Lighting FixturesI just love these interior store photos. Oh how I wish I could go back for a day or two and shop! About the lighting fixtures. I believe these have been converted from gas to electric. If you look close, I believe you can just see the bottom of the light bulbs. Besides, if these were gas, shouldn't the jets and globes be facing up instead of down? Just an observation! [Fixture with gas jets point up; fixtures with gas mantles generally point down. The light fixtures are the reason Pickard Gas Co. commissioned the photo. Each fixture has a pair of chains to regulate gas flow. Below, a similar chandelier from Detroit City Gas Co. These may have been examples of how the gas company was meeting the challenge of electric illumination with some sort of hybrid fixture. - Dave] Coffee potsOn the back wall, an array of graniteware/agateware that my wife would KILL for. Especially the big tea kettle. It's porcelain coated tinware, and as it turned out, the porcelain was vulnerable to chipping, so useful life was pretty short. Most got tossed after a couple of years. Sorta rare and valuable now. They have all the appliancesEven clothes washers! I'll bet they could sell you a clothes dryer too if they have a hank of clothesline. Knob and TubeOur house was first built in 1954, and was probably very near the end of the K&T wiring era. We have extensively remodeled since buying it in 1969, but there is still one interior wall with the old wiring. Properly installed and left without someone accidentally cutting into it in a wall, that style was actually quite safe. All joints were soldered and heavily taped, and wiring runs separated the heavily insulated hot and neutral wires widely, so the chances of an accidental short was pretty slim. Garland: "The Line of the Leader"Now owned by Manitowoc, the modern Garland range is still manufactured and used world-wide. I used to make these bad boys when I was a kid, and they were in every professional kitchen and "all the ships at sea." They were extemely sturdy appliances -- real workhorses. Canadian-made and US-made and shipped everywhere. A bit of history may be found here. Scrubbing BoardsI watched my mother use one of them in our old cast iron claw-footed bathtub back in the 1940's. We didn't have the heavy duty concentrated detergents back then that are so common now. Kids' socks were amongst the worst clothing items to get clean and were usually scrubbed before placing them in the wringer washer. I was looking for a scrubbing board at some point back in the 1970's. I walked into a hardware store that carried everything. If they didn't have it, it didn't exist. The clerk looked at me like I had 7 heads! He pointed out one could only be found in an antique shop and at a price that was much more than what my old mother paid for hers back in the day! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Backseat Blogger: 1955
... his cars, even economy models, with his personal choice of interior and exterior colors, which would be done for you if you guaranteed the ... gorgeous dash and full mohair headliner...I can smell the interior when I see this photo! Those old headliners (made from mohair, the ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 05/06/2021 - 7:43pm -

My father piloting our 1949 1948 Hudson. Looks like he's in the midst of shifting. Dig that cool steering wheel and faux-woodgrain dash. Removing the slide from the mount for scanning revealed the appendages on the backs of the front seats, which I'd forgotten about. In fact, I'm still hazy about what they were; the one on the left looks like it's holding something. My brother's Ektachrome slide. View full size. Just wait in the car.As a kid, my father's favorite phrase to me, when he would run in to do a short errand, was "just wait in the car," and being the one in the passenger seat, I always marveled at the sleek and streamlined design of mid-century car interiors. This one is a beauty, the steering wheel and dashboard a work of art. I remember shift knobs of bakelite, celluloid, ivory, even crystal on luxury cars. I could almost feel the velvety texture of that plushy headliner and I believe those appendages you refer to were just to put stuff in, whatever was needed, maps, books, sweaters, so you wouldn't have to hold it in your lap. My neighbor had a'51 Hudson Hornet, looked a lot like this. I also remember that my Dad would always 'special order' his cars, even economy models, with his personal choice of interior and exterior colors, which would be done for you if you guaranteed the purchase and if you were willing to wait. The Hudson Hornet was featured in the animated film "Cars" as the most powerful engine ever from that era. I do not know if that is a true fact. LOVE this photo, thank you. [Those seat-back appendages are robe cords. - Dave] Hudson, Hudson Rambler, Rambler ... Daddy-O was not a Big Three kinda guy, evidently. Hudson robe cordsNow it all comes back - that's where we hung our "horse blankets," as my mother called them. You needed them in the back seat - the Hudson's heater didn't quite keep things toasty back there. In fact, on cold nights, I'd be down on the floor draped over the nice warm drive-shaft hump. And looking up at the ceiling mesmerized by the rotating light patterns from the headlights of passing cars. HudsonsYes, they were robe cords, or blanket cords. I fully agree, the early '50s cars were great as far as instrument panels, etc. I had four -- count 'em, four -- Hudsons and liked them all. The Hornet may not have been the MOST powerful, but my '54 Hornet (no Twin-H) with overdrive would run away from most other cars. Not my past...Born in 1964 and European, but I really like this picture. Reminds me of my father taking us to southern France in a white Austin Cambridge. TurningI guess those big steering wheels were pretty much a necessity before the introduction of power steering. Nicotine headlinerWas daddy a smoker by any chance? Looks like a cigarette burn mark just above his head. Hudson head markNope, he didn't smoke. That's residue from good old Wildroot Cream Oil, Charlie. Recent MemoriesWhen I was a kid, the "robe cords" were something to hang on to! I never realized it was for anything else! They were very handy for bumps in the road! My own kids (now in their early twenties) grew up hanging onto the cords of my '54 Olds, too! I think that in the early 1950's the Olds Rocket engine was closing in on the Hudson as the most powerful, or at least it was the one that started winning in the stock car races. The engine itself has the name prominently placed across each side, lest you forgot you were driving a Rocket! But this Hudson, with its gorgeous dash and full mohair headliner...I can smell the interior when I see this photo! Those old headliners (made from mohair, the coat of an angora goat) didn't buckle and sag like the "modern" glued headliners, and fell victim to moth holes, if anything! The great "old car scent" that you still can smell today, was much due to this soft, cushy headliner. As someone who still drives a 1955 Olds, these photos really get to me! I just adore seeing an old car in its "natural habitat"! Kathleen Scan hardwareWhat do you use to scan your transparencies? I have an HP 3000-series ScanJet at home, which is nice for opaque materials but terribly inadequate for scanning slides or negs. My parents live in Idaho and drive through Cascade twice weekly, so of course I pointed them to "Dee's Cafe" (https://www.shorpy.com/node/2863). They promise to do a "then & now" update photo if they can find the original vantage point. Looooove the blog. A desktop un-Shorpied is a sad computer indeed. tt's scan hardwareWell, there's no doubt that a dedicated film scanner like Dave uses (see his comment here) does the best job, but I use an Epson Perfection V700 Photo. It's basically a flatbed scanner, but with dedicated lenses for opaque & film and film holder height adjustment, allowing for better focus than other flatbeds with film scanning capability. It also handles film sizes other than 35mm, which we have a lot of in our collection. And it's cheaper. HudsonsI own two 1949 Hudsons. I grew up in the back seat of a '49 Super Six sedan. 1949 Hudson adsAwesome photo! Back when cars had style. I'm working on a graphic design project on Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady (the car they drove in Kerouac's On the Road was a '49 Hudson), and I've been trying to find high-resolution scans of advertisements for the 49 Hudson. Preferably, ones with just the car (some are pictured with families, etc. in and around them. The images are public domain now, and from what I can tell, given the low-res scans I've seen, the quality of the illustrations is excellent. If anybody has any copies of these old ads, i'd love to see them. [Below: Two from Plan59. Click to enlarge. - Dave] Hudson revisionismI recently came across a 1989 video of my brother and me talking in which I refer to our "1948 Hudson." That's actually more in accordance with the method by which we acquired the car. An uncle had ordered one in anticipation of it being one of the first cars to come off a post-war assembly line, but he would really rather have had a Buick, and when he learned he could get one, offered us the Hudson, and Father bought it. Models of the two years are virtually indistinguishable. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
Singer Building: 1913
... net research, you can find some detailed exterior and interior pix. I wish I could have seen what those spaces are like up in the ... like this for modern use you've often got to strip the interior to the skeleton. Even if you could do everything needed you're up ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:43pm -

New York circa 1913. "The Singer Building." Rising in the distance, the Woolworth Building under construction. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Pie in the sky, my eyeToday the building would be converted to condos or apartments (or a hotel, like the PSFS in Philadelphia) and would be a huge success. Nobody thought of that in 1967, because ... because they didn't want to think of anything except demolition. Here's the piece of sky-pastry that the Singer Building was swapped for: Old and NewFor a kid who grew up in Manhattan and Jersey City, the Singer was interesting in a grotesque kind of way, like a giant rotten tooth. Aesthetically and functionally the U.S. Steel building (which will probably long outlive the Singer) was a big improvement. Still, something was lost -- it would be nice if the Singer was still there. But that's the way it goes. Quo Vadis SingerThat is just a gorgeous building. Looks like something out of "The Fountainhead." Why on earth did they let that one disappear? Yikes.I guess this would be the classic example of "it looked good on paper." The more things changedThe Singer Building was the first big test for New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission, which was formed after the outcry over demolition of Pennsylvania Station. The Commission failed miserably, allowing the destruction of the Singer Building in 1967 on the grounds that there was nothing else to do with it. It is the largest structure ever demolished for "peaceful" (i.e. money) reasons. A real shameDoing a little research, you can see that the newly formed NYC Landmarks Commission really failed its mission in letting this building be torn down. There is nothing else like it in NY. If you do a little net research, you can find some detailed exterior and interior pix. I wish I could have seen what those spaces are like up in the crown. It must have been spectacular. Impressively somethingTop kind of scary! Pie in the Sky NotionsI wonder what some of the commenters here are thinking -- if you are the owner or shareholder in a piece of property, the government can tell you what to do with it (including taking a loss on it) just because people think it looks cool? There's a limit to what tenants are willing to pay per square foot in any given building -- if there's a more attractive deal elsewhere, they'll take it. And what they were willing to pay in the Singer Building was, by the mid-1960s, less than what it cost to keep the place going. So they began to bail out, starting with the Singer Company itself. The Landmarks Preservation Law is on shaky ground when it comes to giant office buildings -- something the preservation commission recognized when it declined to give the building Landmark status. It's private property, and the owners need to make a profit -- they'll abandon their investment or sue if the government makes a move toward de facto expropriation. Alan Burnham, executive director of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in 1967: "If the building were made a landmark, we would have to find a buyer for it or the city would have to acquire it. The city is not that wealthy and the commission doesn't have a big enough staff to be a real-estate broker for a skyscraper." Talk is cheapThe reason the owners "thought of demolition" was they wanted to put up a big new office building that tenants would actually want to rent, and make a lot of money. Which they have every right to do. They ended up a with a building that paid a lot more in property taxes than the Singer ever did. It's one thing to say the building should have been preserved, but, as pointed out below, the city (meaning you, the taxpayer) would have had to compensate the owners for their lost income. The money wasn't there, for understandable reasons. One of the all-time greatsIt's a darn shame the Singer Building was demolished. It once held the title, very briefly though, as the tallest building in the world. GlenJay's right, had any decent creative thought been given to renovating the building for lucrative use, it would still be there today instead of the eye sore called 1 Liberty Plaza. 12 Fifth AvenueI always figured that the design of the Singer Building had much in common with that of the old apartment building at 12 Fifth Avenue, on a much larger scale, of course. 12 Fifth still stands between 8th and 8th Streets on the west side of 5th. Wish I had a photo of it. I lived there for two years between 1964 and 1966. Those were the Good Old Days. Shame to lose it, but --It's a terrible aesthetic loss but the sad fact is that a building this old generally has severe handicaps for use today. Simply rewiring it for modern power (not to mention adding modern phone and computer lines) is a tremendous expense- everything is buried under plaster and masonry. These old buildings were firetraps- vast improvements over their predecessors but still dependent on someone finding a hose or fire extinguisher not all of these buildings had sprinklers. Most of these buildings depended on an open window for cooling in the summer- to refit a structure like this for modern use you've often got to strip the interior to the skeleton. Even if you could do everything needed you're up against the reality of life in NYC- the occupancy of the building might be too small to bring in enougfh money to cover costs and taxes. It's a sad thing. Flag RaiserI'd hate to be the guy that had to go up there to raise the Singer flag. You can't afford it.Even by 1967 standards, which are much much looser than today's standards, the building is not a viable commercial property. Look at how SMALL the floors of the tower are - now subtract space for ( 4 ) modern elevators, ( 2 ) fireproof stairways as far apart as possible, restrooms, an exit access corridor, plus space for structural columns, ventilation, air conditioning and heating equipment, and what you have left is somewhat less than half of the floor space for rental. This means you would have to charge exorbitant per-square-foot rent just to recover the renovation costs. Maybe today you could get away with it, just for the cachet of an exclusive address, but not in 1967. Pie in the eyeUsing some of the rational expressed and considering today's economic situation, the Statue of Liberty isn't carrying her weight and could be headed for the scrap yard. [Maybe, if the Statue of Liberty were a privately owned office building. - Dave] Precursor of the 1916 Zoning OrdinanceThe architect of the Singer Tower, Ernest Flagg, believed that skyscrapers that shot straight up from the sidewalk and occupied their entire sites were a menace to the health of the city. He advocated building slender towers that occupied only 25 percent of the lot area while limiting the height of the "base buildings" below them, in order to get sunlight down to the crowded city streets. This is precisely what he did at the Singer Tower; in 1916 New York City adopted his formula for the nation's first zoning ordinance, which regulated the height and bulk of New York skyscrapers until 1961. Washington LifeYou can see a section of the roof of the Washington Life building in the lower left of this beautiful photograph. It was built in the German Renaissance Revival style, and was stunning. What is there now? A little strip park, across Liberty Street from the monstrous monolith 1 Liberty Plaza. Those blocks south of Cortlandt heading into the Wall Street area were so beautiful. I wish they had been preserved. The economic arguments are weak, in comparison to the importance to preserve: just as we mourn Penn Station, we should mourn the destruction of those blocks. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
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