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Betty White: 1922-2021
... more day — and it would have been 1922-2022. We'll miss you, queen of television. January 17 was going to be a big ... me." Betty White was the master of the setup. America's Sweetheart What an awesome and beautiful lady! Betty, thank ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2022 - 12:42am -

September 1954. "Actress Betty White rehearsing and performing on her local Los Angeles daytime television show." Look magazine photo archive. View full size. Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99         Betty White, who created two of the most memorable characters in sitcom history -- the nymphomaniacal Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the sweet but dim Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” -- died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99. — New York Times One more day —and it would have been 1922-2022. We'll miss you, queen of television. January 17was going to be a big celebration for her. Many stars involved, including Robert Redford, whom she claimed to have a massive crush on. The end of more than one era'The Golden Girls', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show': all gone now. (Four MTM stars died in 2021: Ed Asner, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, and now Betty White.) A couple of years before she joined MTM, Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden appeared on 'The Odd Couple' with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as contestants on Ludden's show 'Password'. Thanks for the memories ... ... and Rest In Peace, dear Betty. The Lady was a class act.I once saw Betty White on a talk show (years ago when on-air language was strictly enforced) and she was asked how she and Allen Ludden met. This was before he died. She told the story of how they met and dated then added how he asked her several times to marry him. She went on with that she just wasn't interested in getting married, having been married twice before, neither of which lasted very long. She ended with "Well, Allen just kept asking and asking so I finally said Yes. I figured that was the only way to stop the S.O.B. from bothering me." Betty White was the master of the setup. America's SweetheartWhat an awesome and beautiful lady! Betty, thank you for the entertainment and many laughs you gave us. Thank you for your love of dogs and animals. Thank you for just being Betty White. You are an American legend. RIP dear sweet lady. You will be missed --For all the smiles, laughter through the years, for your devotion to all animals; we thank you and will miss you. You are with your beloved Allen - shine, bright star, shine. An Avid Coffee Drinker ... With Chicory!A popular ad, circa 1965! (LOOK, Pretty Girls)
Goodyear Blimp: 1938
... they were navigating by following the highway. I miss hearing the Goodyear I miss hearing the Goodyear blimp. I say "hearing" ... Enterprise was named after the winning yacht of the 1930 America's Cup. Seeing this picture makes me wonder if this blimp may have been ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 12:08pm -

April 13, 1938. Washington, D.C. "Goodyear blimp Enterprise at Washington Air Post." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. InflationIn the mid-1960s, in Miami, Goodyear blimp flights were $5. I don't know which blimp was stationed there part of the year. I never took that flight, to my now deep regret; flights for the general public have ceased, I understand. Follow the BlimpI took a road trip from the east coast to Chicago a few years ago, and stopped in Akron for a night. Tthe next morning as I got on the turnpike the Goodyear blimp appeared overhead and followed overhead for at least an hour. I suspect they were navigating by following the highway. I miss hearing the GoodyearI miss hearing the Goodyear blimp. I say "hearing" because as a kid in Southern California, I would hear its unmistakable low drone and would run outside to see it passing over the neighborhood. Trans AtlanticHave any of these types ever crossed the Atlantic? You Sayin' I'm Fat?I resemble that remark! Air TrekGoodyear's Enterprise was named after the winning yacht of the 1930 America's Cup. Seeing this picture makes me wonder if this blimp may have been young Roddenberry's inspiration. She was enlisted in the US Navy as Training Airship L-5 during World War 2 from 1941 to 1945. Boldly going where no one has gone before!The very first aircraft owned by the United States also bore this title. It was a hot air balloon used during the Civil War. Go for a Ride!The dirigible hangar was near the Washington-Hoover Airport and the Arlington Beach Amusement Park According to "Answer Man" at the Washington Post, in 1932, you could go up in the Goodyear blimp for $2.50. Gene RoddenberryRoddenberry was influenced by a lot of WWII things. The Enterprise was named for the aircraft carrier, and James T. Kirk was the general commanding the Ordnance Department early in the war. There are others. Summer 1954I remember playing in my front yard during summer vacation and hearing something I didn't recognize. I ran into the back yard and saw the Goodyear, not the one pictured, fly past the back of the house. It was sufficiently exciting to be the topic of conversation for the next few days, and there was even a picture of it docked at the local airport the next day. Exciting times for a Carolina kid in the early '50s Navy Blimps in the 40'sEvery summer we would go to Falmouth Mass to the beach. The Navy blimps would pass overhead out to sea. Once one went so low the landing ropes dragged across the beach. I never realized they were on patrol looking for U-boats off the coast of Massachusetts. I assumed they were training and actually they were armed and did fight U-boats off our shores. Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, no, a blimpA Goodyear blimp still resides in Southern California and can be seen most days when one is driving on the 405 freeway through the city of Carson. You can also often see it over large events such as football games where a helicopter used for photography, would disturb the spectators, but a blimp used for aerial shots makes everybody smile down below. Hearing a blimpI don't remember seeing blimps in Florida in the late 40s but forty years later I recognised the sound and went outside to see a blimp passing overhead. A Ride in the GoodyearI was lucky enough to get a ride in the then-current Goodyear Blimp in about 1969, thanks to my father's position at nearby El Toro Marine Base, which was near the Lighter Than Air facility in Tustin, which had giant hangars that allowed Goodyear to do certain maintenance. In return they provided a day of rides for military families. This blimp has since been replaced with a newer version, but our blimp's control wheels and cables were charmingly exposed to the attentive eye inside the little cabin which was clearly designed for lightness rather than jetliner strength, and seated about 12. After achieving a satisfactory weight balance, the pilot revved the motors, the blimp moved majestically ahead, and about 50 feet later he cranked the elevator wheel, the nose came up, and we ascended as if climbing a staircase. Not scary, due to the gentle response, but unexpectedly graceful, like the dancing hippos in Fantasia. We cruised the coast for about an hour at a nice viewing height. The sound of a blimp in flight...That low drone sound of an approaching blimp's engines STILL makes me run outside to have a look. I even have a memory (or imagine that I have such a memory) of standing on Bush Avenue in Newburgh NY as a 4 or 5 year old kid and seeing a huge dirigible flying doen over the Hudson toward NY City. I went up in herMy mother's school chum took my two older brothers and me for a ride in this blimp in 1938 (might have been 1939) from the old Wash airport. We circled the city for about a half hour. The windows were open. I sat in the middle seat in the back row. It went up at about 45 degrees and on returning it nosed down at about the same angle. Ground crew caught the ropes and pulled it down to a level attitude on the ground. What a thrill it was for a 7-year-old. Navy BlimpsEnterprise, along with Goodyear's other private blimps was transferred to the Navy at the beginning of the war. The became the basis for the L-Class training type. Apparently they weren't armed and had too short an endurance for long patrols. They had a crew of two in military service. The most common of the naval blimps was the K-Class which had an endurance of just over 38 hours aloft and carried four depth charges and a .50 caliber machine gun as well as various detection equipment and a crew of 10. 134 were built, and the last K-ship (K-43) left service in March 1959. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Zeppelins & Blimps)
Zines: 1940
... could be immediately recognized from just his brow? I miss newsstands Nice photo. In my part of the world there aren't many ... Screen Guide, Screen Romances, etc., etc. Looks like America's prurient fixation on celebrity isn't exactly a new phenomenon. (2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 5:29pm -

March 1940. Washington, D.C. "National Press Club Building newssstand." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. GlamourThat is Alice Fay on the cover and Tyrone Power has his forehead on Photoplay. Those Aflac ads are getting a bit old, though. Cover Guys 1940On the cover of Time is Securities and Exchange Commission chairman (and future judge) Jerome Frank, described within as "a warm-blooded, quick-witted, supersensitive, argument-loving man of 51 with a bald sloping brow, bulging eyes, and the slightly travel-worn air of a shambling, sub-leonine cat." On the cover of Life is an ordinary French Poilu (or infantryman). Both are dated March 11. BrowsingI find it amusing that a 1940 picture of Tyrone Power (on the cover of Photoplay) from the eyebrows up can be identified by a reader today. Is there anyone else (other than John L. Lewis, who nobody alive but me remembers) who could be immediately recognized from just his brow? I miss newsstandsNice photo. In my part of the world there aren't many newsstands left (and they were pretty much gone way before the Internet). Too bad. Life MagazineHere's that issue of Life, if anyone's interested in browsing. Real Life hasn't changed What fun it was to browse through Life again. The cars are different but still make the same outrageous claims as do most of the other ads. Imagine! Fending off a cold by using a laxative! All of the ads for men's shoes surprised me -- pretty snazzy at that, and all under $7 (roughly just under 10 percent of a good week's wage). Wars, crime, gossip -- yawn! Been there, doing that. Thanks, Mikey-D. Old StandardsI am struck by a few things: (1) The sheer number of movie magazines -- Screenland, Modern Screen, Screen Life, Screen Guide, Screen Romances, etc., etc. Looks like America's prurient fixation on celebrity isn't exactly a new phenomenon. (2) The number of old standards that have gone by the boards since those prewar days -- Look, Life, Saturday Evening Post, McCall's, American Mercury. But finally, (3) the number of old standards that are still managing to hang in there, although the clock may be ticking on them, along with many other forms of print media -- Time, Newsweek, New Republic, New Yorker, The Nation. The New YorkerClick to enlarge. Familiar TitlesSurprising how many of these magazines are still around after 70 years. I wonder what happened to "Friday" magazine? That's a great name. Look!There on the floor! Those are called (I think) "newspapers." My grandfather told me all about them, crude and sometimes messy wood-pulp derivatives that could be purchased at places like this, or delivered with a thud to your doorstep each morning. ChangeWow, remember when you could actually buy anything with just coins? FascinatingI work in this building, which was gutted and redone in the 1980s. It's a shame. Are there any other photos of the interior? Between the LinesNo one has commented on the newspaper buyer. C'mon now. Look at him. Who's he about to moider? Obviously he is buying that paper only to hide his gun until he is close enough to his prey. Nickel NibblesNice selection of 5-cent packets of cashews and rolls of mints. And Nestle chocolates in the cabinet, gotta keep your strength up while reading all the movie-star gossip. Glamourous SpringSay, isn't that the great Spring Byington on the cover of Glamour magazine hanging up on high? (Brings to mind "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld where George makes an improper use of Glamour). And as for paying for things with coins anymore, we still do quite a lot of that up here in cold Canada, what with the loonies and the twoonies and all! The newspapersCan anyone date this photo? My father was born March 2, 1940. OK, I get it ...... it's Moose Malloy, and he's outta the can, on his way up to Philip Marlowe's office, lookin' to find his Velma, a dame who gave you looks you could feel in your hip pocket. OR ... might this be Jay Leno's dad, Iron Jaw? McCall's coverWhat a coincidence! Some time ago I had found this picture on the web and saved it. 03/08/1940!The newspapers displayed on the floor are the long-since-defunct Washington Times-Herald, the edition of Friday, March 8, 1940. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Dr. Brush
... This is a German pharmacy -- kumiss is mare's milk. America circa 1900 Observations: Looks circa 1900 to me. And probably not in ... as Mayor. He is a member of the Baptist Church. He married Miss Marion Beers, and they have ten children. And an article from 1910 ... 
 
Posted by BucksCountyHistory - 09/19/2011 - 9:21pm -

This is a glass lantern slide, about 3.5 x 4 inches. I found this slide at a local antique shop and am intensely curious about it. Google searches of the various names and businesses turned up zilch. Any ideas? View full size. A Pharmacy in GermanyThis is a German pharmacy -- kumiss is mare's milk. America circa 1900Observations: Looks circa 1900 to me. And probably not in Germany, where there wouldn't be any reason to call your pharmacy a "German pharmacy." There were, however, dozens of Deutsche Apothekes in the immigrant neighborhoods of New York, where the Deutsche Apotheker Verein (German Pharmacy Union) was formed in 1851 -- the oldest pharmaceutical society in the United States. A blowup of the shoe sign across the street would be helpful -- is it lettered in English? Anton Lauer, perhapsThere was a Dr. Anton Lauer who was a pharmacist in Bavaria. He went on become curatorial office pharmacist for the German Pharmacy Museum. Harris ... something.I'm pretty sure it's an American scene too, for the same reason. The sign was hard to make out. I suspect it might say "Harris Seigel" or possibly just "Harris Shoes." I looked all over the place for any combination of Lauer and various druggists or pharmacies ... no dice. For a while I thought I had it pinned down in New York, but now I forget why. Do you think that ... thing ... they're clustered around could be a calliope? Not enough cluesWould guess around 1920, but without any vehicles shown it is a challenge to put a date on this pic. Something has really got the small crowd's interest on the sidewalk. Just a hint of colorOn the drugstore window is a sign for for "Diamond Dyes" minus a few letters. A popular way to tint all your socks for just a few pennies. Street organ The thing attracting attention looks like a street organ similar to the one shown here. [And that's in London. The gas lamp in the Apotheke photo has a certain London vibe to it. - Dave] Needs more costermongersOh! Diamond Dyes. I spent so long furrowing my brow at "DIAMOND D ES." (Try getting any useful Google searches for that one.) Another reason I suspect this is an American scene is that this slide was mixed in with a lot of slides taken in Oil City, Pennsylvania . It might not mean anything -- just a hunch. More on Diamond DyesAt one time they were owned by Wells, Richardson & Co., a Vermont company. Makes me think it is a picture taken in the U.S. or Canada. More on Dr. Brush's KumissFrom a 1905 genealogy: Hon. Edward F. Brush, M.D., the present Mayor of Mount Vernon, N.Y. He enlisted in a Maine Regiment in 1864. Later he studied medicine, and has been Health Officer of Mount Vernon, President of the N.Y. Society of Medical Jurisprudence, etc. He is extensively engaged in the manufacture of kumiss. Dr. Brush is serving his second term as Mayor. He is a member of the Baptist Church. He married Miss Marion Beers, and they have ten children. And an article from 1910 which I don't have full access to wrote that Dr. E. F. Brush introduced Kumiss to New York around 1880. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Stores & Markets)
The Happy Homemaker: 1922
September 6, 1922. "Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman." Who might be one teacup short of a place setting. ... in a Warehouse? Where is this, does anyone know? America's Test Kitchen in the olden days? On the table Looks like tea ... the heck is in the other jar behind the milk bottle ? Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman ...wanted in three states for her Tainted Tuna ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 1:34am -

September 6, 1922. "Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman." Who might be one teacup short of a place setting. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Demo, or apartment?@Tea -- I was rather wondering that. It looks to uncluttered to be a home (ergo, I think demo kitchen in a warehouse), but looking at the ceiling/wall, it could be a cheaply partitioned apartment. And she's either missing a wall and standing in direct sunlight, or there are some big artificial lights in place. [This would be an academic or institutional setting. Maybe government -- Bureau of Standards or Agriculture department. - Dave] JinkiesOoohhh. That lady gives me the willies Harsh lights, sharp cornersHarsh lights, sharp corners everywhere, a pressure cooker on the stove, a knife on the drainboard, an alarm clock-- ominously approaching 12 o'clock--tied to the wall, hard linoleum echoing every footstep, and that terrified look on her face--perhaps Edgar Allan Poe's kitchen. Cooking in a Warehouse?Where is this, does anyone know? America's Test Kitchen in the olden days? On the tableLooks like tea bags in one of the jars on the table but what the heck is in the other jar behind the milk bottle ? Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman...wanted in three states for her Tainted Tuna Fish Casserole! Take That, Japan!We had lifelike domestic companion androids way back in the 1920's! The Proverbial Gaspipe?Is that a spare gaspipe hovering over the table? Is it there so Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman can take a dose when her weird kitchen proves too much for her? [That's probably a fire sprinkler. - Dave] June?My mother has this same table on the enclosed back porch of her home. It was purchased from one of many estate sales she and Dad have attended. They always believed that new isn't always better and have instilled this belief in me. Therefore I would kill for that pressure cooker! My current one -- "only" 10 years old -- always has a clogged valve. As for Miss Hoffman, June Cleaver she is not. What is this place?Quality control test kitchen in a food factory, home economics classroom, recipe lab for Mrs. Wyler's fried pies? CollectiblesOur house was built in 1905 and all these appliances are there in the basement, which was apparently used as the kitchen area before the "modern" kitchen and bathroom were added in the 40's. I wonder if they are worth money. They sure did get their money's worth -- still work over 100 years later. HarshPoor Miss Hoffman! Don't pick on her! I get the same expression when I'm forced to spend any time in the kitchen too...and I bet she's thinking "take the photo, hurry up and take the photo already"... Cupcakes!It looks like sprinkles, or jimmys, or 100s and 1000s, whatever you might call them. Although that's kind of a random thing to have in a jar with your other necessities. Walnuts!The container behind the milk looks like it is holding walnuts. The bigger pieces are always on top, then smaller pieces, and then finally the nut dust. Post Toasties!I vote for flake cereal. Makes more sense with the milk. Must confess: I'm a sucker for the domestic setting photos, even test kitchens. I love everything about this -- the rubber mats on the floor, the Pyrex casserole, the ironstone bowl, the dish drainers, the border on the china, the glass milk bottle, the enamel-topped table, the wicker stool. Obviously, someone said "Hey, Elizabeth!" and snapped the shot. I'm sure she's a lovely person, really. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Natl Photo)
Spirit of New China: 1939
... he presented to the friends of New China, represented by Miss Hilda Yen, Chinese Aviatrix. The plane, 'Spirit of New China.' was built ... land at Washington Airport at 3 p.m. Friday on a tour of America to raise funds for countrymen made homeless in the Japanese War. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2012 - 11:43am -

April 3, 1939. Washington, D.C. "Col. Roscoe Turner, winner of speed trophies in the air, dropped down to Washington Airport today with a red high-wing monoplane which he presented to the friends of New China, represented by Miss Hilda Yen, Chinese Aviatrix. The plane, 'Spirit of New China.' was built by the Porterfield factory." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Villainous Mustache Col. Roscoe Turner looks the heavy in a drawing room comedy. Chaqueta a cuadrosMe encanta el chaval de la chaqueta a cuadros y las orejas de soplillo. La media señora de la izquierda ¿será la madre del piloto? Smilin' JackThis is a real "Smilin' Jack" photo if ever there was one. (For those who don't know, Smilin' Jack was a comic strip that featured great drawings of classic aircraft in every strip.) I believe Roscoe Turner was the guy who flew around with a pet lion cub as his campanion. The Chinese aviatrix is straight out of a Terry and the Pirates strip. Super cool picture. I like the little guy in the back with the glasses and plaid over coat. He looks about 9 there, so he may well still be with us. Bet he has great memories of that day. If you look at the reflection on the wheel fairing, you'll see there was quite a crowd gathered to witness this shot. Aviatrix and DiplomatHilda Yen (1905-1970) was born into a family of wealthy Chinese intellectuals and diplomats. From age 8 to age 12 she lived in New Haven, CT, when her father was studying medicine at Yale, and she later returned to the US, where she graduated from Smith College. After returning to China, she toured internationally in the 1930s to bring attention to the Japanese conquest of China. She later served in the United Nations, and, like other members of her family, converted to the Baha'i faith. Love at first sightLooks like smilin' Roscoe Turner is a bit smitten with the daring Miss Hilda In 10 yearsMiss Yen wouldn't have much use for that fur coat but at least the plane is the right color. "Aviatrix"We need more words like that these days. Classy ladyI love how elegant this woman is in this photo. The white peep-toe slingback pumps, the white Cheongsam, and the fur capelet all convey ultra-femininity, combined with her own mad pilot skills, make this one of my fave Shorpy pix. Hilda Yen Washington Post, May 5, 1938 Miss Hilda Yen Will be Feted Miss Yoeh Wang, daughter of the Chinese Ambassador, will introduce Miss Hilda Yen at the garden meeting this afternoon at 4 o'clock at Mrs. Harold Walker's Georgetown Home. The daughter of the President of China's Red Cross and formerly official hostess for her uncle, W.W. Yen, Chinese Ambassador to Russia. Miss Yen is a Smith College graduate and an aviatrix. Next autumn she plans to fly through the country on a lecture tour. Later, she will return to China to assume a post as flying instructor. Washington Post, March 21, 1939 2 Chinese Girls Flying Here to Seek War Relief Funds Miss Hilda Yen, Chinese aviatrix and niece of Dr. W.W. Yen, former ambassador to the United States and Miss Lee Ya-ching, daughter of a Hongkong brick manufacturer, will land at Washington Airport at 3 p.m. Friday on a tour of America to raise funds for countrymen made homeless in the Japanese War. Washington Post, May 2, 1939 Hilda Yen Injured as Plane Crashes Hilda Yen, famed "good will" aviatrix, was painfully injured yesterday when her plane "Spirit of China" crashed in a field near Prattville, Ala. She was en route to Birmingham for a banquet as part of her tour of the country to raise funds for war-torn China. And now......the rest of the story Chicago Tribune May 2, 1939 - Injured in Crash - Montgomery, Ala., May 1. (AP) Severely injured when her plane, "Spirit of New China" crashed today, Hilda Yen, Chinese girl flyer, regained consciousness in a hospital here tonight and said, "I would gladly die for the cause." Her monoplane fell near Montgomery in and attempted takeoff from a field where she had landed to ask directions. Miss Yen, 25 years old, is a niece of Dr. W. W. Yen, former Chinese ambassador to the United States. She was en route from Monile to Birmingaham, Ala., on a tour of America in behalf of Chinese war refugees. Known as China's Amelia Earhart, the girl had flown for Madame Chiang Kai-Sheck and had traveled extensively in her small red ship. Baha'i World, XV, 1968-73, pp. 476-78...After surviving a plane crash she determined that she had a higher purpose, and she went to the war-torn China in 1942 to help in any way she could, then returned to the United States in 1944... ...In 1945 Hilda joined the Department of Public Information at the United Nations, and traveled all over the United States to lecture and win support for this new world organization... ...Hilda Yen passed away on March 18, 1970. Woo-wooFly me to the moon, Miss Yen! The kid in the backgroundis the best part of this picture! Calendar Girl?As I collect Chinese Posters of the 1920's and 1930's this Image and Story was quite interesting to me and perhaps might put a Name on a Face for one of the posters in my collection. I had always assumed this calendar poster to be a stylized poster of a Modern Lady, as flying as a passenger was exotic enough in those days, but perhaps it might be a representation of Hilda Yen the Aviatrix herself! Family history!Wonderful picture! Hilda was my grandfather's first cousin, so I was thrilled to find this photo. To ACElkins re the Calendar Girl, however, it's more likely that picture is based on another Chinese Aviatrix, Lee Ya-Ching. How I first became aware of Hilda YenI first became aware of Hilda Yen through my wife's great aunt, Harriet Holbrook Smith, in her letters home from Yale in China (1926) and compiled into a book, "Healing, Romance and Revolution". Harriet comments several times regarding Hilda, recognizing her as an exceptional young woman at an early age of 19 or 20. From the book: "Hilda (Yen aka Hilda Yan) is a beautiful girl and wears the most attractive Chinese clothes imaginable, quite distinct from any of the other Chinese girls here." "Hilda is a charming host but the poor girl is having a thin time here. She enjoys a good time and is so very attractive but all her outside frivolities with us are contrary to her parents’ wishes. She was to have gone with her uncle W.W. Yen to England this year, at least that was the premise that brought her here to prepare a wardrobe, but he is to be Premier now but no one knows for how long." For more insight, visit here. Turner's threadsTurner, who had been a pilot in WW1, customarily wore a uniform patterned on Army officers' "pink and greens," but his blouse and cap were a French blue shade, not green. In deference to active duty personnel, he would deliver test planes to military bases in full formal day clothes, including striped trousers and a bowler hat! (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
The Boardwalk: 1905
... City claims to have one of the oldest Easter parades in America, dating back to 1876. It's fun seeing everyone in their finery. The ... a hat. Snif,Snif Alright,who cut the cheese? Miss N.J. Down in front -- somebody's spotted the camera! Pardon, pardon ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:38am -

New Jersey, April 1905. "The Boardwalk parade, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My worst nightmare!This is like Times Square on New Year's Eve, except with more hats and less beer. Mass of HumanityIt's amazing to me to think that all of these people have lived their lives already. It can make you feel very insignificant. The upper crustWow, what a great Edwardian Era photo! I wonder if any of the Astors or Vanderbilts were here. I know its not New York, but some of their relatives would fit in with this group. Also I see ONE black man, under the striped awning on the right side. He does not really seem part of the parade. Perhaps he works in the store. Elsie JanisI was intrigued by the advert for 'Elsie Janis, the worlds greatest imitator'. So I found this http://library.osu.edu/sites/exhibits/Janis/ Amazing lady, someone I hadn't heard of before. Great photo by the way! MooJoin the herd. A Field DayFor pickpockets. We may have missedElsie Janis at Young's Pier, we can still hear her perform! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OB_q7RfTYQ Sniper!in the third floor window! First parade I have seenWhere you could be on the curb and not ever see the parade. Wow, what a mob scene. Easter ParadeThis would be the Easter Parade in AC. It was really a big deal back then to dress up and stroll some main thoroughfare on Easter. Fifth Avenue in NY, the Boardwalk in AC, and any town's Main Street. Mad Hatter's Tea PartyWith the exception of a couple of people leaning out of windows above the crowd, I can't find a bare head anywhere. I know there is probably one somewhere - but still - can you imagine this amount of fashion "compliance" today? April 23Was Easter Sunday in 1905. Atlantic City claims to have one of the oldest Easter parades in America, dating back to 1876. It's fun seeing everyone in their finery. The "sniper" is the only one in the pic without a hat. Snif,SnifAlright,who cut the cheese? Miss N.J.Down in front -- somebody's spotted the camera! Pardon, pardonMake a hole, coming through, pizza delivery here, make a hole -- Our rendezvousMeet you on the Boardwalk at noon. I'll be the one wearing a bowler hat. Spot the - -Texan. Same spot 1921Still hats and nothing but, except for one man out front. Adult perambulatorI wouldn't have believed these existed without a photo. Parade?Looks more like a ... derby. Women's FashionIdiotic then, and idiotic now. Where's Waldo?Tough to see, but I think he's the 71st person down and fifth in from the right. Hat NoncomplianceIn a sea of bowlers, a few wider-brimmed, lower-crowned hats are on display. Often when I see these turn-of-the-century street scenes, with bowlers dominating men's headgear (or boaters), I wonder what sort of social cues might have been embedded in a gentleman's hat noncompliance. Could it have implied a particular social attitude, position, profession? Or would it taken as a mere sartorial preference? On the other hand, notice the guys in the top hats. If this, as a previous commenter suggested, was an annual semi-formal social outing, no doubt about the level of formality that implied -- bumping everything up a notch. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Travel & Vacation)
Junior Miss Fashions: 1951
... Toward escalator. Fellheimer & Wagner, client." Miss Marsha White, about to step out. Large-format acetate negative by ... the first time. Re Twilight Zone The reference to Miss Marsha White (Anne Francis) from the 1960 episode is quite appropriate, ... There still may be a very few upscale stores left in America where one walks on plush carpeting, surrounded by luxurious ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2017 - 10:52am -

February 16, 1951. "Hahne & Co. department store in Montclair, New Jersey. Toward escalator. Fellheimer & Wagner, client." Miss Marsha White, about to step out. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Stores with Nothing You Want in ThemThe 50s had stores like that, aimed at the tastes of somebody completely different from you. Your mother would make you come in with her. How opposite online shopping is today, but I don't know how a photo record could be made of it. Incidentally that's a lot of film grain for a large format negative. 35mm Plus-X would do as well. Dick and JaneWell over 50 years ago, back when I was learning to read, I remember an episode in the Dick and Jane series where some rural cousins or friends of theirs came to town, and the thing that amazed them most about the big city were the escalators in the downtown department stores. Moving stairs! I do recall realizing how incredible an escalator would seem to someone seeing it for the first time. Re Twilight ZoneThe reference to Miss Marsha White (Anne Francis) from the 1960 episode is quite appropriate, but creepy. Gracious shopping gone foreverThere still may be a very few upscale stores left in America where one walks on plush carpeting, surrounded by luxurious one-of-a-kind items, while quiet background music sets an elegant mood and live flowering plants are not for sale but just to add beauty to the decor, but I have not seen one in decades. Once at Neiman-Marcus flagship store in Dallas some 30 yrs. ago, there was this type of atmosphere and it did give one a feeling of enjoying leisurely extravagance, but today's no-frills supply mills where hundreds a day flock to grab up their uniform-like jeans, flip-flops and t-shirts and just about everything is made outside the USA, we just clench our teeth, grab a shopping cart and get in line to find our size and color and get out. The beautifully-made alligator, ostrich and reptile skin handbags in the glass case is one example of the type of merchandise most people can no longer find available. Beautiful shopping and full service is now only a memory. The After HoursMiss Marsha White on the ninth floor, specialties department, looking for a gold thimble. The odds are that she'll find it—but there are even better odds that she'll find something else, because this isn't just a department store. This happens to be The Twilight Zone. From someone who once was closeI grew up about 10 long blocks from this store. 1. In the early 70's it still had nothing I could figure out that anybody in my family wanted. 2. Rumor had it that if you were on the varsity (Montclair High) football team, you could have an easy, very well paying (for a teenager) after-school job a Hahne's that would not interfere with team practice or games. I dunno - I was in the band :) 3. More on Hahne's here. This is too much nostalgia for one day - I feel like I am seeing images from a foreign country. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Stores & Markets)
High Society: 1921
February 5, 1921. "Miss Bertha May Graf, chosen the prettiest girl at suffrage headquarters in ... I attended. [Another photo here . - Dave] Miss Graf I'm not sure that she was judged beautiful by a Miss America type standard, but rather for an inner quality. That being said, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:07pm -

February 5, 1921. "Miss Bertha May Graf, chosen the prettiest girl at suffrage headquarters in Washington, will be chief flower girl at the National Woman's Party convention." View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Who is she? She truly is a remarkably beautiful woman. It would be neat to know what ultimately became of her. Although unlikely, she might even still be alive. [Bertha May Graf died in 1959, according to legal notices placed in a California newspaper in February and March of that year. - Dave] BerthaShe looks a bit like Cate Blanchett, just in this photo not the other that you have the link to. More BerthaI think she's pretty. She looks like she had a wonderful smile. Bertha May GrafI'm probably adding some time to my stay in purgatory, since I was always taught not to speak ill of the dead. However, I have to disagree with the characterization of this woman as beautiful. While I am certain this woman was of sterling moral character, she is simply not beautiful. Her facial features are irregular and asymmetric. She is a bit horse-faced in truth. Handsome might be a better adjective. That being said, she is far better looking than the vast majority of the birkenstock and keffiyeh clad "feminists" who infested the college I attended. [Another photo here. - Dave] Miss GrafI'm not sure that she was judged beautiful by a Miss America type standard, but rather for an inner quality. That being said, however, I do find it disappointing that suffragettes felt it necessary to label one another with demeaning categorizations such as this. Why not "Most Intelligent" or "Most Persuasive Debater" or "Largest Feet"? You know, something a bit more meaningful. Bertha MaeThe selection of Bertha Mae as Most Beautiful is not a compelling argument to give women the vote. [Women already had the vote. - Dave] Bertha Mae AgainSome of the comments regarding Bertha Mae seem to me (a guy) to be compelling arguments for not giving men the vote. Has it occurred to any of the people calling her homely or "horse-faced" that the fault may lie more with the lighting of the photograph than with the sitter? No, of course not. Good lordSome of the comments on this picture are really awful. How about you guys give us YOUR pictures so we can judge you on your bulbous nosed, asymmetrical horse faces? You may congratulate yourselves that she'd discover she was a hideous beast if she were still alive to read your comments. Would you like a picture of me so you can dissect it? RelativityShe wasn't judged as "pretty," but as "the prettiest of the ones we have available to us." And no doubt she'd find my face extremely easy to look away from, too! Bertha's FaceBrent, Look at the photo in the link Dave has provided in the second comment for a close-up frontal view of this lady. Save it to your desktop and then open it in the image editing software of your choice and blow it up 200%. It's not the lighting... Taking into account the tilt of her head: her eyes are not even, her facial features are asymmetrical, she has a bulbous nose and it also looks like she has a bad complexion. I'm not suggesting that she is unworthy of voting or that she suffers in some way from a character flaw. I do find it ironic in the first place that suffragettes would have a beauty contest and secondly that they picked a woman as an exemplar of suffragette beauty who, while not ugly, is just barely on this side of average looks-wise. In the future......those who post aesthetic critiques of the long-dead should be required to submit their photographs, which will be published in, say, 50 years, at which time our kids and grandkids will post snide remarks about them. BeautyThe comments on Miss Graf's attractiveness only support my opinion! The measure of beauty is SUBJECTIVE... and "standards" of beauty change over the generations and cultures. I wonder what the standard of beauty will be in a hundred years... hhhmmm Ms Graf......in this photo reminds me strongly of Dianne Wiest, who may not be everyone's idea of beauty. But I've always been fascinated by her face, and by her talent as an actress. Perhaps what's throwing off many viewers is the fashionable little curls on Ms Graf's forehead. (The things we do to ourselves in the name of beauty!) Cover those curls, and you've found a face that might well be found in a painting by a Dutch master. Re: BerthaIf she really was the prettiest girl in their headquarters, I'd love to see what the others looked like. No, on second thought, I guess I really wouldn't. But, what I think is interesting is that a bunch of women's rights feminists would find it necessary, or normal, to take a vote like that in the first place! Bertha RevisitedNo person's face is symmetrical, but with the application of a bit of cosmetic makeup by a professional, Bertha would be prettier than a lot of the Hollywood stars of today. I am sure most of you have seen photos of famous stars sans their makeup as the internet brings them into our computers several times a year. Now what do you think of Bertha? Flower GirlI find Miss Bertha lovely, and I'm curious as to what a flower girl would do at the convention. Arrange flowers? bring flowers? be as lovely as a flower? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Portraits)
The Bird Feeder: 1915
... doesn't lure you, perhaps these morsels do." Hello, Miss 1915 She could be loony, but she looks hot to me. Bird Girl Statue ... 1897, it is one of the two oldest subway stations in North America (Park Street is the other). The MBTA stores some of its old equipment ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:08pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1915. "Feeding the pigeons in Boston Common." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Wolf Pack from the Skies.I don't personally mind urban pigeons. When I was younger I used to travel to Washington D.C. and would always buy hot dogs from the stands near the Capitol Building. Something I discovered then about pigeons is that they EAT MEAT. AnorexiaShe looks like she could stand a bite to eat herself. Women's clothes have changed a lotSome of the suits men are wearing look as if they wouldn't be far out of style today. But there is at least enough material in the pigeon feeder's dress to make three or four of them now. Six for some celebrities. Great HatThat is a great period scene in Boston and I love the clothes. Ewww!Feeding flying rats isn't cute in even old romantic images!!! Fine line on pigeon feeding.There are mixed schools of thought on this activity. To do it once or twice for a photo op or to amuse a child is one thing. To spend several hours a day and all your disposable income doing it makes one a "flake". Some call pigeons doves. Some call them rats with wings. They can be disastrous to statues and architectural details and can contaminate recreation areas meant to be used by people. Personally I'm not a big fan of pigeons or rats. This lady does look a bit looney, but then who doesn't, at least some of the time. She is being ignored by everyone else in the photo. I do understand the role of carrier pigeons as heroes and I know Mike Tyson is fond of pigeons as pets, so to each his own. Feminine Guiles"Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly. If my outfit doesn't lure you, perhaps these morsels do." Hello, Miss 1915She could be loony, but she looks hot to me. Bird Girl StatueReminds me of the Savannah "Bird Girl" statue from "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Nice picI think it's a great pic. And given the speed of camera shutters back in those days, she probably would've had to hold that pose for quite a while. Which wouldn't have been easy with all those pigeons scratching around at her feet. [As we can tell from looking at the pigeons and the strollers, this was a very short exposure -- a fraction of a second. Exposure time depends mostly on sensitivity of the emulsion, not "speed of the shutter." - Dave] All The World Seems in Tune on a Spring AfternoonWhen we're poisoning pigeons in the park. Tom Lehrer knew of what he sang Eating like a birdI haven't heard that term in a long time, but she looks to me like she eats like a bird! Be PreparedI wouldn't think this lady was completely looney as the color of her outfit and the size of the hat are most appropriate for her chosen activity. Rose Kennedy!You should be home with your children! Check Outthe breastworks on the young lady. Mamma Mia! It seemed like a good idea at the time.A century ago or so, Americans seem to have liked flocks of pigeons strutting and wheeling about in our public squares, which suggested to them more romantic locales like the Piazza San Marco in Venice. In 1915 San Diego's Panama California Exposition was famous for the pigeons in its Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park, and expo photographers took hundreds of postcard images of tourists happily posing with the hordes of birds, as seen here. Fast forward 60 years, and American cities spent millions to remove decades of encrusted pigeon droppings from public buildings. The droppings harbored heavy concentrations of disease-producing Cryptococcosis and Histoplasmosis fungal spores. Change at Park St UnderIn view is the northeast corner of Boston Common, looking toward the Park Street Chruch, which is on the northwest corner of Park & Tremont Streets. The small stone building directly behind the young woman is one of the kiosk entrances to the Tremont St subway Park St station. The Tremont St subway was the first ever rapid transit subway in the USA, opened for service 1 Sept 1897. However, rather than "heavy rail" subway trains the line has always been served by electric streetcars, or light rail type vehicles as they are often called today, getting their power from an overhead trolley wire. The line is still up and running, part of the MBTA "Green" line network of light rail lines. The kiosk entrance is still there and in use too. Park St has long been a major transfer point on the MBTA system, providing subterranean connections for passengers between the "Green" and "Red" rapid transit lines. The somewhat newer "Red" line heavy rail subway train tunnel, opened in 1912, and known for years thereafter as the Cambridge-Dorchester line, is located under the the "Green" line at this point, hence the expression "Change at Park St under". I can't help but think of the song:Mary Poppins: Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's The little old bird woman comes In her own special way to the people she calls, "Come, buy my bags full of crumbs; Come feed the little birds, Show them you care And you'll be glad if you do Their young ones are hungry Their nests are so bare All it takes is tuppence from you Feed the birds, tuppence a bag Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag Feed the birds," that's what she cries While overhead, her birds fill the skies All around the cathedral the saints and apostles Look down as she sells her wares Although you can't see it, You know they are smiling Each time someone shows that he cares Though her words are simple and few Listen, listen, she's calling to you "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag" Boylston Street KioskThat is one of the original entrances to the Boylston Street subway station in the background. Opened in 1897, it is one of the two oldest subway stations in North America (Park Street is the other). The MBTA stores some of its old equipment there, so I guess you could call it the Museum station too. Taken on my last visit to Boston in 2003. It's a view of the Park Street entranceWith Park Street and the Park Street Church behind our behatted friend. From Google Street View: (The Gallery, Boston, DPC)
Rock On: 1926
August 2, 1926. "Miss Marjorie Joesting." Marjorie, the future Mrs. Arthur Lange, was both Miss Washington, D.C., and a Miss America runner-up at Atlantic City in 1926. National Photo Company Collection ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 12:25pm -

August 2, 1926. "Miss Marjorie Joesting." Marjorie, the future Mrs. Arthur Lange, was both Miss Washington, D.C., and a Miss America runner-up at Atlantic City in 1926. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Gorgeous!Young Marjorie has a most beautiful smile and stunning hair. A very pretty girl, in any era. Bruce Wow, talk about timelessWow, talk about timeless beauty, this one could step right into the 21st century and still stop traffic, look at those legs! Wonder if she's still alive? Guessing she'd be around 100, no? [104. But they say 100 is the new 90. - Dave] Today's GirlShe would be subject to severe dieting today to get her weight down to near emaciation or she wouldn't get near a spot in a major "Beauty" Contest. AlterationsShe'd be compelled to get $8K implants today. To compete, anyway. In addition to losing about 40 pounds and 70 percent of that hair. Excuse me....while I wipe the drool off my monitor... Wow... Woo, WooIf I could go back in time and woo this woman, I'd give up every modern convenience we have today. She is striking! Why she lostShe lost to Miss Tulsa by five votes. It was, according to the newspaper correspondent Peggy Ellsworth, "because she did not photograph as well as the Tulsa girl because she was too much of one color." Five years later, the Lincoln (NE) Star caught up with her on a visit to relatives. The April 1931 story contains a great line: "Having sung over the radio and appeared on the stage, Miss Joesting has her eye on a combination of the two in the soon-to-come television broadcasting era." Very classyShe is a beauty for sure. I like the fact that she is natural. I find myself wondering how "real" some of today's beauty queens are. Thanks for a great picture and a great site. And the winner is ..... Miss America 1926 Norma Smallwood Tulsa, Oklahoma "photographing better than Miss Washington D.C. ?????" Can you imagine? Lotus Flower with the Sparkling Eyes I thank the photographer for capturing the lotus flower, Marjorie, for all grateful hearts! And I thank you, dear Charlotte, for introducing me to this great site! (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Portraits, Pretty Girls)
Hires Root Beer: 1904
... Hires Root Beer, and a theatrical production called Miss Bob White. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ... consume more root beer per capita than any other city in America. There are quite a few "micro-brew" root beers made in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 1:00pm -

Philadelphia circa 1904. "Chestnut Street and post office." Plus signage promoting that "Fountain of Health," Hires Root Beer, and a theatrical production called Miss Bob White. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. 917 Chestnut StreetThe Philadelphia Record Building - 917 Chestnut Street Another treasure lost to time. Built in 1882, it was torn down in 1932. View Larger Map What a great eveningAn enjoyable night of entertainment it would have been. A Hires Root Beer in hand while watching the Comedy Opera Miss Bob White on stage. It invovled two millionaires paying off a bet by posing as two tramps who get hired at a farm near Philadelphia. Then along came a New York socialite posing as a milk maid, and after the usual back and forth, wins the heart of one of them. Hires to ya! RemakableSo many flagpoles - so few flags! "Miss Bob White"I was intrigued by the "Miss Bob White" sign just to the left of the "Hires Root Beer" sign. Turns out it was a comic opera that opened in Philadelphia in 1901: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00817F6355C12738DDDAF... Druggist Charles Hires created Hires Root Beer here in Philadelphia in 1866. Sales took off after it was promoted at the Centennial Exposition here in 1876, making Hires very wealthy. Even today, Philadelphians consume more root beer per capita than any other city in America. There are quite a few "micro-brew" root beers made in the surrounding region. If you like the stuff, a truly great local root beer (with which I have no connection) is "Hank's." (Google it.) Made with sugar, not HFCS, and literally award-winning; I must say this is one time I agree with the judges. Ben Franklin & the Post OfficeI suppose it's obvious that that's a statue of Ben Franklin there in front of the post office. He'a still a staple figure round Philadelphia, and he was, among other things, the first Postmaster General. That lovely neo classical post office was redone in the Moderne style of the 1930's which while notable for being true to style throughout, it's an thoroughly ugly building. The loss is ours. Road repair3 talking, 1 working. Some things never change. Philadelphia Record BuildingCould it be that it was built in 1881? (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Streetcars)
Llano de San Juan: 1940
... not as white. It's still used on special occasions. I miss my Kodachrome Nothing like a roll of Kodachrome and a polarizing ... Oh the saturation! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Rural America, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 2:01pm -

July or October 1940. Church at Llano de San Juan, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. Llano de San JuanThere is an interior photograph of a house in Llano de San Juan in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The photo is by Alex Harris. Beautiful SkyKodachrome and images of the sky seem to go together! and, they do age well. That is the creepiestThat is the creepiest church. Imagine, at night. Llano de San JuanWhat is amazing is how this image could have been taken yesterday. This church is that unchanged...oh, except the doors are not as white. It's still used on special occasions. I miss my KodachromeNothing like a roll of Kodachrome and a polarizing filter. May they rest in peace, gone the way of the steam train and the internal combustion engine. Oh the saturation! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Chautauqua: 1890s
... for both audience and speaker. And don't miss the massive organ. There is a wonderful pipe organ custom-built to work ... name for the traveling tent shows that criss-crossed America during the summers. They featured musicians, jugglers, singers, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2016 - 5:34pm -

New York state circa 1890s. "Assembly hall, Chautauqua." Which was not just a place but a movement. Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Uncomfortable SeatsThose hard wooden benches look as uncomfortable as the wooden chairs that are in the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, NJ which was built in 1894! One lonely soulall the way up in the nosebleeds. ChautauquariansThe Chautauqua Institution is still active and has an online presence: http://www.ciweb.org/historyarchives/ Education for everyoneNineteenth-century Americans valued education. The Chatauqua movement joined the earlier Lyceum movement, mechanics' institutes, agricultural extension, and land grant colleges in an attempt to bring education to as many people as possible, at any point in their lives. Public radio and television have tried to extend the success of these pioneering institutions. [And it was motion pictures, the phonograph and radio that helped bang a lot of nails into the Chautauqua movement's coffin. - Dave] VestigesThere were Chautauquas in many places. I live in the remnant of one near Carlisle, Ohio (which is to say, the middle of nowhere). Great sound system!I'm not an engineer, but it seems to me this hall was designed with sound in mind. As well as being a platform for a speaker or small musical group, the stage would also have projected sound up to those reflective wooden ceilings. I bet you could hear a whisper from the stage anywhere in that hall. This, plus the circular arrangement of the benches (or pews) would have contributed to an intimate experience for both audience and speaker. And don't miss the massive organ.There is a wonderful pipe organ custom-built to work with this stage. A highlight from two years ago was the showing of a silent movie starring Zasu Pitts while a talented and energetic organist played the complete original score, accompanying the movie scene-for-scene. Ocean GroveThe Ocean Grove Auditorium is the kid brother of the Amphitheatre in Chautauqua. The designers took all the details of the original, and adapted it to their location. Almost identical capacity. The one in Chautauqua is built in a natural ravine, whereas the one in Jersey is on the beach. So they tucked the sides in a little and put a balcony all around. The Ocean Grove one has all natual finish on the wood, which makes it look like the inside of a cello, just gorgeous. Chautauqua has that wonderfully drab yellow paint. Ocean Grove has a 10,000 pipe organ. A toss up as to which is better, they're both great venues for a concert. Sound system not requiredI saw Ethel Merman in what I believe was that same outdoor auditorium in Chatauqua, NY, in the summer of 1977. The sound system wasn't working, but of course with Ethel Merman that didn't matter. Chatauqua at the time was a picturesque vacation town packed with beautiful old houses. I expect it still is. I've performed on that stageI performed here in my youth as part of an all-county high school orchestra to an absolutely packed house. Picture "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" during a raging thunderstorm. Chautauqua vs. Ocean Grove, NJ AuditoriumJazznocracy, Thanks for adding the history about the two venues and their designs. I'm attaching a photo of the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, NJ that shows a better view of the design. American OriginalI'm guessing that this is the original Chautauqua venue in upstate New York. Chautauqua later became a generic name for the traveling tent shows that criss-crossed America during the summers. They featured musicians, jugglers, singers, yodelers, storytellers and always finished with inspirational speakers who's most frequent topics were positive thinking and how to accumulate wealth. They were extremely popular, especially in rural America, and drew capacity crowds. Still kickingI went to Chautauqua Institute with my exwife's family one summer. A gated community in which private home owners rent their houses to visitors for weeks at a time. The Institute had weekly programs featuring a theme, and lectures, art exhibits and performers were all booked to support the theme. The lake has a beach with sand, there are numerous trails and bike paths but it is indeed a built up community of homes. Performers worked in the open air theatre/amphitheatre and it was really interesting and quaint. The biggest drawbacks were the mosquitoes and black flies. ChautauquaChautauqua is a wonderful, magical place. The PERFECT place to spend a summer! Check it out! Totally gone now!This building is now totally demolished. The Institution decided they needed an entirely new structure to go ahead into their next couple of centuries, and has raised it to the ground. They are now building a new "Amp" that will have an orchestra pit that rises and lowers, enormously improved backstage facilities, and many other features. The roof line will be virtually identical, and it will hold about 500 more people. MUCH brouhaha over this project, which I will sidestep. Here is a webcam that shows the project's progress. http://ciweb.org/amp-cam (The Gallery, DPC, W.H. Jackson)
King of the Road: 1963
... a trip like the one pictured here on the backroads of America. Where in Canada? Being as how I'm in Prince George, BC, and ... Coleman, 55 years old, works like a charm Don't miss the Tupperware! Another iconic item of the 50s and 60s is behind the ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 12/23/2008 - 4:33pm -

This is how you pull over for a family meal during a road trip. It's the early 60's and the family is off to visit Canada. Kodachrome slide. That camp stove used white gas. View full size. PumpedI too fondly remember the rectangular hand-pumped Coleman stoves with the fuel vessel hanging off the front and the stamped metal wind-breakers: simple yet reliable. (I currently use the backpacker descendant that looks like a moon lander: it has never let me down even in the coldest weather). Growing up we mostly used our full size Coleman for camping but I can identify with the comments regarding use for the roadside midday lunch break. If it were my family we would probably be stopping for lunch at one of the many scenic rest stops along the old national road as it crosses the mountains in western Maryland. Oh the MemoriesWow this photo brings back memories of my dad heating chicken and dumplings in the can and assembling bologna sandwiches on white bread with mustard for many a roadside dining experience on our yearly family vacations. He branded it "clean food" in his campaign to convince my brother and me that it was the best thing ever. This was in the 1980s - I guess it was a tradition he carried on from his own childhood vacations. I doubt the tradition will carry on with this generation since I'm much more likely to just GPS the location of every Starbucks along the way. A Tent SituationMy wife, daughter and I camp two or three times a summer at state parks, and we regularly leave all our cooking stuff on the table (including our old drab-green Sears-branded Coleman stove), our clothes and such in the tent (we do lock up the valuables in the car, though). We'll go out for multi-hour hikes, or even drive into whatever town we're near, and when we come back usually the only trace of visitors is muddy raccoon prints on the table. Alas, we do all our cooking when we get there, though. My version of this scene would be ordering sammiches at Subway. Coleman Camp StoveSitting in my father's garage is that very same green camp stove (ca. 1961) still in the original box. I can remember my mother cooking on it for us during our car camping trips around the state of Oregon during the 60's. He still has the red Coleman cooler also. That stove brings back memoriesWe cooked on one of those for a whole year while hand-building our geodesic dome house in 1971 and waiting for the power company to install underground power. The stove used expensive gallon cans of Coleman fuel. There was a gas station in town that sold white gas (naphtha) for cheap, but it had impurities that clogged the stove. So we had to go back to the $4/gallon stuff. Doing it rightTraveling in style means camping with a chrome percolator. InterestingThe idea of stopping on the side of the road to cook from a Coleman stove is a novel idea in this culture and would now be considered really weird. The roadside picnic area where this was taken is probably now a McDonald's. I'm 37 years old and although I've been camping several times we've never stopped enroute for a picnic. It's obvious the older generation was not as prone to be discouraged by a little hard work and inconvenience and didn't mind taking some extra time if it meant doing something important. Our family van on a long trip is packed to the brim with junk, mostly stuff we don't even need - DVD players, cellphone cords, GPS units, boxes of clothes for the in-laws, huge suitcases, etc, etc. Then it's on the interstate - no time to stop except quickly for fast food. What a refreshing change it would be to recreate a trip like the one pictured here on the backroads of America. Where in Canada?Being as how I'm in Prince George, BC, and this scene could be practically anywhere but in the mountains or on the prairies. By the way, I looooooves Shorpy! Coleman StoveAh! A good old "green monster" coleman stove. My Scout troop still uses identical ones to this day, a testament to their being indestructable. We only changed the tanks to newer red ones a few years ago. You know it was a great design as you can still buy the same stove today, it has a few very minor improvements but for all intents is the same stove they made 50 years ago. ColemanI still have my Dad's two burner Coleman, 55 years old, works like a charm Don't miss the Tupperware!Another iconic item of the 50s and 60s is behind the stove -- Tupperware! Road FoodMy girlfriend & I usually stop and make sandwiches at least once on a vacation trip. Not as extravagant as firing up a stove for a hot meal, but it's a nice break from fast food and a chance to unwind. What impresses me is that the stove also has its own stand. No stooping down to the ground for him. No man who takes a chrome percolator on a road trip should stoop. Background to dramaBlissfully unaware of the drama playing out behind them: on the left, a speeding Corvair; on the right, unsuspecting, a pair of pedestrians precariously perched on the shoulder. What will the next few seconds bring? Sudden terror, or just a request to pass the mustard? PercolatorIt appears to be an electric perc. How did he make it work way out there? Dad cooking.Dad is doing the cooking just as I did for our family when on camping trips. My children loved the camping life as we traveled and still have wonderful memories of it. My kids, now 56, 62 and 65, still talk about my Rabbit Ear Pancakes. In the late 1940s we could leave our stove and cooler on the table, the sleeping bags in the tent at the campsite and they would still be there when we got home from a movie in town. Times have changed. Camping 40's and 50's StyleYou've hit on a passion of mine! I fondly remember many road trips while growing up. We used the same stove. For those interested, you should check out 40's and 50's style Teardrop trailers. I am just completing one now. We are taking a week long Florida trip starting tomorrow and will spend our time in State Parks sleeping in our teardrop. Mine can be seen here: http://home.earthlink.net/~tony.cooper/TDProj/album.htm Many varieties including originals can be seen here: http://pages.prodigy.net/rfs2growup/mystry07.htm Talk about living nostalgia! [I grew up in Florida! For a few summers in the mid-1960s we'd haul the family Avion up from Miami to Juniper Springs, in the Ocala National Forest. You should check it out if it's not too cold. - Dave] Sault Ste. MarieI failed to mention that on the slide this was phonetically written: "Soo St. Marie, breakfast." The trip was from our home in Northern Indiana and up through Michigan. I'll post the other slide with Mom doing the cooking (includes tailfin of their car!). Maybe that one will show us the percolator better. I'll have to ask Mom if she remembers where they would plug that in. My wife and I do the cooking like this while camping at Bonnaroo, but not while on the road. We don't have this stove but use the modern equivalent and use her dad's old Coleman camp oven, which is basically a metal box that sits on top of the grill and bakes. It has a temperature gauge on the door so you adjust the flame accordingly. Perfect for biscuits to go with the bacon and sausage gravy. Or Naan to go with our Indian MRE's. Road foodMy Texas Bride told me that when her family traveled her dad would buy a loaf of bread, a pound of bologna and a quart of milk. So one day while traveling up to Valentine, Nebraska, we were in the town of Thedford and I bought a loaf of bread, half-pound of bologna and a quart of chocolate milk and went to the park for lunch. I loved it. She did not! About theft of camp gear, we ran into a case of this in Yellowstone Park and Sinks Canyon State Park in Wyoming. Sad that this happens but happen it does. Great stove!We use those guys in WW2 reenacting. Nothing perks you up in the morning like Tim from the 5th Armored brewing up a pot of tea on that thing! I've been looking for one of the "pocket stoves." eBay? eOuch!! I'd like to just say, for the record, that roadside cooking is still alive and well. This summer I took a 10 day driving trip to Wyoming with very little cash. Well, I should say what cash we had was eaten up by gas!! We started out with a few camping meals, jam and jerky. Along the way we would pick up bread and fruits. Finally after 5 days I said "enough" and demanded a hot meal. We got a small "disposable" grill from K-Mart and cooked up dinner on the side of the road by the bison preserve. It could have been torture, trying to shield that thing from the wind at 1 in the morning, but watching planes come over the Tetons lit up by the full moon made things romantic and magical. Maybe in 50 years, those shots will show up on Shorpy! Roadside foodI remember stopping along side the road in Utah, Nevada, Colorado and many other states on our road trips. We had NO money, so we stopped at local stores and bought bologna, bread, chips and fruit. I still remember this after all these years. A trip to fast food would have been long forgotten. A side-of-the-road picnic? It's is branded indelibly in my brain!!! They're everywhereAhhh, the ubiquitous ol' Coleman stove. I think Lewis and Clark had one too. Juniper SpringsJuniper Springs will not be too cold to visit at about 83F, today at least. I may just take the 29 mile drive out there to see if any other Shorpies are there! But back to the Coleman stove -- they can also be quite dangerous or upsetting. I once got one as the #1 Christmas present for a previous spouse. Wrong move. GuessCan't say exactly why, but if I had to guess I'd put them somewhere in Northern Minnesota. Something about that dwelling in the background looks Range-Finnish. I would love to do a family vacation like this someday. Sad to say, but who has the time for a leisurely Americana road trip? Guess it's time you have to make. Our trips to CanadaWe did exactly the same thing on our trips to Canada to visit my aunt. I remember the food tasted wonderful. Manifold menuI'm still surprised to find that people eat out 3 meals a day while traveling. No wonder so many are so deep in debt, so addicted to credit cards. It's easy enough to find a rest area or city park to eat lunch. The TV tells us that the world is dangerous, but I've found most places are fairly friendly. At worst, they just leave you alone. I still have the green Coleman stove, but I never did like the darn things. We have a small propane stove that doubles as a heater. We don't spend every night in a motel when we travel, either. A tent packs up pretty easy in the car. Now, for true road-food, you take a piece of meat, some cut-up potatoes, onions, and carrots, a little oil, salt and pepper, wrap it up in foil, and lay it on your engine to cook while you drive. When you get hungry, you have a hot meal ready to go. Or is that just an intermountain western US concept? Great photo -- looks like a fun trip. Road trip!I'm 23 and plenty of my friends go on road trips and we rarely stop for fast food. When we got to our major destination this summer, we cooked a 12 pound turkey over a fire. It was magical and cooked perfectly. I think I might be in the minority here, but when I have kids, we're totally road tripping and cooking for ourselves. CookingMy buddy used to do that on backpacking trips. Before starting up the hill he would stop and buy meat and vegs and had a little spice kit in his backpack. We'd build a fire once camp was set up and he'd wrap everything in foil and through it in the coals! I must say it was very da kine!!! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation)
Mrs. Ostermeyer: 1936
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee. I miss my grandmother's hands. Mrs. Ostermeyer's hands remind me of ... I was related to her. Amazing. (The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 6:33pm -

December 1936. "Hands of Mrs. Andrew Ostermeyer, wife of a homesteader, Woodbury County, Iowa." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee. I miss my grandmother's hands.Mrs. Ostermeyer's hands remind me of another woman's...my grandmother's! "Nanny" also lived through the Depression--the twisted, gnarled hands that had picked & chopped cotton, wrung chicken necks, and sewn her family's clothes were the very best back-scratching hands God ever put on this earth! When Nanny would flip up the back of your shirt (usually Johnny Carson's Tonight Show) and scratch your back, you were guaranteed to MELT! Steichen liked this one too, I guessThis photo was in the famous "Family of Man" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1955. In the catalogue, it's on p. 79, I am a decendent of this womanHer name is Theresia Ostermeyer born 3/21/1863 in Woidhofen, Germany. She is my mother's great great grandmother therefore she is my 3x great grandmother. She died 10/28/1948 never knowing the picture of her hands destin to fame. The photo was taken after they had just lost their second farm due to the great dust bowl. Also a descendantMy great-grandmother is Margaret Hiller--her daughter. I had seen this picture before even knowing I was related to her. Amazing. (The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Vacation Time: 1969
... must have seen plenty of I-80 as well on his "Asphalt of America" tour. *Who has a deadline on a trip to Iowa? It was only 250 ... year, Pop decided to drive on through the final night to miss the desert heat, with us kids sleeping in the back. I discovered I could ... 
 
Posted by Mvsman - 09/13/2011 - 10:36pm -

Leaving Walnut, CA for Wyoming and Nebraska in July 1969. I'm on the left, trying to look cool, going to start high school in the fall. Yikes, those socks! There's my Dad and Mom, who appeared in earlier pictures. They're showing some age progression. Both are in their early 40s here. My little brother was a surly bundle of anti-joy then, and he whined a lot through the whole trip. We packed up the '64 Chevelle wagon and left for the great unknown. As a surly teen, I read a lot of books along the way and grunted and moaned a lot. During the trip, we heard about the Charles Manson family murders in Los Angeles, and being only 30 or so miles away, I was really scared to come home. It all worked out ... thanks for looking and I look forward to your comments. View full size. Chilling NewsWe too were leaving for our vacation on our way from Diamond Bar (not too far from Walnut) to visit the grandparents in "Idyllic Larkspur" (near San Francisco) when we heard all about the Tate-LaBianca murders on the car radio. It definitely put a damper on the trip for us adults. With the three kids squabbling in the back of our VW van (Mom, she looked at me!), I don't know if they heard any of it or not. Our oldest kid was 9, the middle one 6, and the youngest 4. -- tterrace's sister Vacations in a wagonYou know, vacations just aren't vacations without a station wagon. Sorry, but an SUV just isn't the same thing. Folks across the street have a 1965 Rambler Classic Cross-Country; ours was a 1966. Did you have air-conditioning? Maybe that would have quelled the grumbling and moaning somewhat. I know that we welcomed the A/C in our Rambler after 10 years without it in our '56. But now, decades later, I'll occasionally switch mine off and roll down the windows when cruising along a rural road, and the breeze carrying the aromas of cut hay and other vegetation fills me with a warm, nostalgic glow. A great, era-defining shot, thanks! (Out of respect for your mother, I won't comment on her headgear - although I just did, didn't I?) West of the MidwestWyoming AND Nebraska? You are a lucky, lucky boy. One of our few vacations from our Indiana home was a trip to Iowa but since my dad was on some sort of a deadline* we didn't get to enjoy any of Illinois' diversions that must surely have existed along I-80, or so I dreamed. Departing from Walnut, CA, mvsman must have seen plenty of I-80 as well on his "Asphalt of America" tour. *Who has a deadline on a trip to Iowa? It was only 250 miles! FootwearYour shoes are in style about every 8 years or so. Just keep the shoes and wait for them to come back. Your dad's dark socks (with shorts), on the other hand ... Adler socksI bet they were Adler socks. I graduated from high school the year before and it was all the rage to wear Adler socks in colors that matched your shirt. Black socks with sandalsMy wife thinks I invented that look. I can't wait to show her that it's retro chic. Chevy Bel AirIt's either a 68 or 69, sitting in the other neighbor's garage - complete with trailer-light connector installed in the bumper. [It's a '68. - Dave] Love Your Mom's Hat!I think you looked quite cool for an "almost" high schooler! Your mom's hat is the best! I bet she's pinching your little brother. Or maybe that was just my mom! PurgatoryWe used our '69 Pontiac Catalina station wagon to put the gear in the middle and the whiny kids waaaay back on the rear-facing seat. Man, I loved that car! Meanwhile ...At the beginning of that very same month we were on our way back from Los Angeles in a white 1965 Impala wagon with no AC and a ton of camping equipment both on the roof and in the back. We stayed in Reno on the Fourth, hoping that the drunken manager of the KOA there wouldn't accidentally back over our tent. I was more or less inured to the lack of cool, even back in Maryland, and I think the only time we really noticed it on the trip was when it was over a hundred crossing the Mojave. The Impala was passed on to my great-uncle who drove it until it dropped sometime in the mid-1970s. By 1969 we had left short haircuts behind, which since I had thick glasses meant I looked totally dorky in a completely different way; my father, on the other hand, was well into leaving hair itself behind. I notice you're wearing the de rigueur cutoffs, which is pretty much what we wore when we weren't in jeans. TweaksDitch the socks and you'd fit in perfectly with today's Williamsburg hipsters. You were scared?I was terrified! I was 11 years old at the time of the Manson murders and lived only 20 miles away. In my 11 year old mind, I was convinced the murderers would find their way to my house and they were specifically go after me! Thanks for posting this. This photo captures the "feel" of L.A. suburbia of the era perfectly- just as I remembered it. To the Moon!I started high school in 1969, too. Did your trip start before or after the moon landing? Did your parents make you watch it on TV, even though you wanted to be out with your friends? That was a surly moment for ME for that reason. Don't worry -- the shades and the hair in your eyes make up for the socks. 1969Was not this the year of the PLAID ? Fun vacationNebraska? For a vacation? I drove through that state. Couldn't get out fast enough. I was only 3 in 1969, but lived in nearby Simi Valley, home of Spahn Ranch. What city was this taken?? Oh yeah, love your mom's hat. I have pics somewhere of my mom wearing the same thing. What were people thinking?? We went after the moon landingI actually watched it on my little black and white TV in my room. I was a space geek then (and now). Thanks! That Ramblerbelonged to the superintendent of our school district! He and my dad knew each other causally, to say hi to or wave at as the car went by. I don't recall if we had AC in that car. It had a small engine and was seriously underpowered for hills and mountains. Now, I'll try to did up slides of our earlier trips in my granddad's borrowed 1959 Chevy Nomad wagon! This was truly a luxury barge on wheels. This thing looked like it was 15 feet wide and 25 feet long (to my 8 year old eyes). I had the entire back area to myself and my comic books, as little bro wasn't on the scene yet. The Summer of '69Grew up in La Puente, not far from Walnut. My 1969 was the the summer of "Sugar, Sugar" and Man on the Moon. 41 years ago -- WOW Taz!When I saw your brother, the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil came to mind! Mom's "Hat"That's no hat, it's a curler-cover. A la Phyllis Diller. A different eraIn '69, my dad was making probably about $18K-$20K a year. My mom stayed home. Yet we took similar vacations, 2-3 weeks at a time. Now, my wife and I work like rented mules and can't afford to go anywhere. When station wagons ruled the roadEach summer, Dad would load up the gear in the suction-cup equipped, stamped steel Western-Auto roof carrier on top of the old '61 Ford Falcon wagon and off we'd go. Looking back, it truly took faith and fortitude to pile a family of five and enough gear to support a safari in that underpowered, unairconditioned two-door wagon and set off fron Louisville to the far reaches of the country (New York City, Washington D.C., Miami). I remember fighting with my brothers over the desirable real estate in the back of the wagon where you could stretch out (no seatbelts) and watch the miles of highway fade into the distance through the tailgate window! Wagon MemoriesOur 1957 Mercury Colony Park station wagon with the Turnpike Cruiser engine had a similarly slanted rear window. On our trip to California later that year, Pop decided to drive on through the final night to miss the desert heat, with us kids sleeping in the back. I discovered I could position myself to see the road ahead as a reflection in the rear window, while simultaneously looking through the glass to watch the clear Western skies for shooting stars. What can beat the cozy feeling of slipping off to sleep while rolling along the open road while Pop faithfully pilots the family bus through the dark? Sixty-NineAh, Summer of '69, my favorite year. Got my driver's license. Got my FCC Third Phone. Started work part time in a REAL radio station. My parents ran their own store so we couldn't take too many trips. I'm jealous of those of you who did. And yes, Nebraska was borrrring to ride across back then, but today it isn't bad -- there are several interesting attractions across the state and a nice Interstate to zip you through! FourteenI was 14 years old that summer of 1969 (living in Cocoa Beach, Florida). I can relate to the yellow socks. I had a few pair of those. The color of the socks were supposed to match the color of the shirt. It looks like those are a freshly cut-off pair of jeans. What's in your father's right shirt pocket? A lens cover, maybe? Who took the photo? I see the car in the garage across the street looks like a '68 Chevy Impala--round taillights. And the Rambler in the next drive looks very nice too. A little peek of the mountain is nice too. I've never been to that area so I have no conception of what it's like there. Great photo, thanks for sharing a piece of your childhood memory. Cartop carrierMan, I want one of those roof carriers. Looks like it holds a lot of stuff. Memories aboundOur vacations were exactly the same (even my dad's socks with sandals). We headed from our Fountain Valley Ca home like thieves in the night. Had to get across the desert before the heat killed the kids. Of course we had an aftermarket AC installed by Sears so the front seat was a chill zone (no kids allowed). Our vacations happened at breakneck speed but we saw everything and always ended our trips with a pass through Vegas for Dad & Grandma. Fun times! "The Box" - Rooftop CarrierOur family trips were always in a station wagon, and always with "the box" on top. Dad built and refined a series of boxes over the years. They were much larger and taller than the one in the picture. All our luggage, supplies etc went in "the box" leaving the wagon for the 6 of us. With the back seat folded down my brother and I could sleep in sleeping bags in the back. In the winter dad put brackets on the box sides and bungee-tied all our skis on. The station wagons themselves were amazing. Dad always bought the biggest engine offered (we needed it), a large v8. The last wagon had dual air conditioners, front and rear. And how about the rear doors on a wagon. The rear door folded down or opened from the side, and the window went up and down. SUVs, get serious, they have very little useful space. No fairI suspect one of the reasons the younger brother is looking so crabby is that he didn't get sunglasses like everybody else. It's no fun to squint all day. Tterrace is completely right, roadtrips just aren't the same without a big ol' station wagon. I loved sitting in the rear-facing seat when I was a kid. And I remember being fascinated by the tailgate that could open two ways: swinging from the left-side hinge or folding down like a pickup truck. Hi Pat QYour recollections are so evocative of those road trips from another time. Life seemed simpler, or is it just filtered through our nostalgia screen? Great Time To Be AliveSure brings back memories!! I started HS in '68. We went on many, many driving vacations to New Mexico, Colorado, OK, MO & many places near the Panhandle of Texas where I grew up!! Road trips now are usually to the coast or TX Hill Country, but still have a magic to them, leaving before the sun's up!! ChevelleLove the car. In high school, a wagon was an embarrassment. Now I wish I had one. VentipanesOur family of six and a dog would pile into our '63 Lincoln and while sitting in the driveway Dad would ask Mom, "Okay, where do you all want to go?" Then we would be off to Nova Scotia or Florida. There was no AC in either the Lincoln or the '63 Impala we had so we would drive the whole way with windows open in the summer heat. If you turned the vent windows all the way open so they were facing into the car they would generate a terrific amount of airflow into the cabin at highway speed. It was quite comfortable actually and 40+ years later I wish cars still had those vent windows. Lunar summerSeveral have mentioned the Apollo 11 landing. I have a similar tale. I was 7, just a little too young to understand the significance of the event. I remember my mother trying to keep me interested as she sat on the edge of her seat watching the coverage. Now I'm glad I remember that night, and get chills watching the video and Walter Cronkite taking off his glasses and saying "Whoo boy!" totally at a loss for words. That was an awesome summer! Oh yeah, we had a station wagon too. '69 Caprice Estate with fake wood paneling! Almost had the wagon...Our family was cursed to miss out on having station wagon vacations - first time in '65, we were supposed to be getting a red '62 Corvair wagon from my uncle who was going into the Air Force but he hit some black ice and rolled it while he was delivering it from back east (he was unhurt). Next in '66 we traded our rusted-out '56 Chevy for a beige '63 Dodge 440 eight-passenger wagon; I was looking forward riding in the third seat on our annual trip from Chicago to Paducah, but a lady in a '62 Continental hit it. We ended up with a maroon '65 Impala hardtop for the next several years' vacations, but at least it had AC! Our imitation wagonWe did not have a wagon so Dad cut a piece of plywood for the back seat of our 57 Mercury that gave us kids a full flat surface in the back seat. Holding it up were two coolers on the floor. On top Dad blew up two air mattresses, then they gave us "kiddy drugs" (gravol). They caught onto that after the first trip in which that back seat became a wrestling arena. Hi BarrydaleSugar Sugar is a favorite of mine to this day. The San Gabriel Valley has changed a lot since those days, eh? And the year beforeAnd the year prior to this photo my family, consisting of myself at 13, my sisters aged 10 and 4 (or 5) loaded up in a 2 door Marquis and headed from Raleigh up through Indiana, SD, WY Oregon down through LA and back east across the desert through AZ, NM, TX and driving one marathon from Texarkana to Anderson SC in one day, during the peace marches throughout the South that summer! I still remember passing the civil rights marchers for mile after mile on the roads through MS, AL and GA. The trip took two months.... and you think YOU heard whining from your brother? Sometimes things don't changeThe socks may be a little bit high, and shorts a bit short, but the way you are dressed is exactly the way many kids at my middle/high school dress now. Especially the ones going into high school, I'm just stunned by how similar you are. I could actually almost confuse you with my younger brother, who is so similar he even has blond hair. Right now I'm planning a road trip in my 1968 Ford Falcon for the spring, its a 4 door sedan and not a wagon. But it is a daily driver kind of car, not a show car, so I drive it in the same way your parents might have driven their car, not to show off, but just to get around. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids)
Genevieve Hendricks, Decorator
... building is 1747 K St N.W., established as a studio by Miss Hendricks in 1926 (the 1926 date based on the following article: according ... and antiques. But said she: "There is no question that America leads the world in interior design." Aunt Gen Say, does ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 4:22pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920s. "Hendricks Studio, exterior." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Hitchcock, anyone?It calls to mind that courtyard in "Rear Window." Working ShuttersYou don't see these anymore, even in the areas that need them the most. Boot scraperI like the detail in this photo. One thing that jumped out at me was the way the brick joints are failing above each window. Then I noted the boot scraper near the bottom step. When I was a kid, living out in the country, my grandparents had one by their front door -- not so fancy. Muddy boots -- not in my house! I heard that more than once as a child. For the adults, it was just part of being polite. Fire Insurance SignNote the 'F.I.Co' (Fire Insurance Company?) sign above the top righthand door with what looks like a fire engine. There she isThere she is in the lower left hand window, smiling with approval. Fire insigna/plaqueI see what appears to be a fire company sign attached to the front of the building. Surely those were no longer in use by the 1920s, so our interior decorator may have attached it as a bit of outdoor decor. ShuttersWhenever I see pics like this - back in the day of real (functional) shutters - I'm always curious why the builders of some buildings decide that shutters are necessary, and others seem say to themselves, "eh, who needs 'em." Oh, and does anyone know what those circular squiggly metal things are at the foot of those stairs are? I've seen similar things near old buildings before. Are they functional or just decorative? And heh, that lady for some reason scared the crap out of me when I finally noticed her. Age of Building...I wonder how old that building really is? Not sure what the logo is on the upper right. Looks like a vehicle of some sort. 1747 K St N.W.I'm pretty sure the pictured building is 1747 K St N.W., established as a studio by Miss Hendricks in 1926 (the 1926 date based on the following article: according to her 1976 obituary Miss Hendricks established offices here in 1930). Her obituary additionally states she was born in Seattle, graduated from University of Wisconsin, and arrived in D.C. in 1918. Her clients included Lyndon B. Johnson, Eleanor (Cissy) Patterson, Polly Guggenhiem Logan and Dean Acheson. She was a founder of the American Institute of Decorators and served as president of its D.C. chapter. Washington Post, Jun 27, 1924 Dead Horse is Removed; Lo -- a Charming Garden Butchers Took Away a Tremendous Tree Stump, Then After Hard Work and Applied Intelligence Miss Hendricks Had Beauty in Back Yard. By Helen Fetter Cook If you have stubborn tree-stump or a dead horse in your back yard, ask Genevieve Hendricks what to do about it. She knows. This young Washington interior decorator, whose professional work has attracted National attention, found both these things in the back yard of 1747 K street northwest when she bought that quaint little red brick house for her studio eight years ago. She had anticipated piles of tin-cans and other trash which she found in a 5-foot deep layer of this particular back yard. But she was surprised and somewhat disconcerted to find a dead horse. She was relieved, too, for the horse had been dead some time and finding him solved a problem which had puzzled her nose. Her first speedy step was to call the dead animal wagon. Once the horse was out of the way, the next problem was the tree stump. It was huge, said to the the stump of the largest oak that ever dropped acorns on Washington soil. Its sprawling roots dug tenacious fingers deep into the earth. Miss Hendricks admits this gave her considerable thought. After bothering her fluffy blonde head over if for some time she telephoned several blasting concerns for estimates. They all ran into considerable money. She was spending a lot as it was rejuvenating the house and had little to put into fixing the garden. Suddenly a real idea flashed. Butchers like tree stumps -- especially grand big oak ones! She's advertise. The ad read something like this: "Anyone who can use big oak tree stump may have it if he will dig it up and cart it away." Eight butchers answered the next day. Two who got there first, simultaneously, split the stump between them and, as far as Miss Hendricks was concerned, that was that. ... Tsk, tskFrom a 1968 Time magazine article about interior decoration: "What if the client insists on selecting something in atrocious taste? Some decorators refuse to buy the offending object, though few go as far as Lady Bird Johnson's favorite designer, Washington's Genevieve Hendricks. When she is overruled, she likes to preserve her integrity by pinning a note to the underside of the disputed chair or sofa stating, 'I, Genevieve Hendricks, do not approve this piece of furniture.'" PlaqueDoes anybody know what that plaque marked "F I Co." above the second-story door means? I've seen many similar plaques in other old towns, but I never found out what they were for. Crooked!I guess Genevieve is only an interior decorator as she would have probably noticed her crooked outdoor light before the photo was taken. PeekabooI see you Mrs Smith. Interior Decorator?Good thing shes an interior decorator, the exterior sure is sparse. And hello to Mrs Frank Smith in the window. Joe from LI, NY A LookerIs that Mrs. Smith in the window? Door #2The door on the right and all the brick above aren't original to the house. Questions, questionsStanton-square, you are a veritable research genius. Would you happen to recognize the plaque which is mounted above the far right door. It seems to read FIO 9, and has what appears to be an early version of a fire truck embossed upon it. I seem to recall from Shorpy photos of NYC an explanation that early fire protection was provided on an individual basis which was paid by a property owner directly. Might this plaque be a way to designate a covered property in a similar arrangement in DC? This house itself is quite question provoking. It looks as if it was built in between two existing structures as kind of a latter day fill in project. Much like that miniature town house that we saw a while back that was built in something like a 6 foot gap between two older buildings. I do enjoy all the background information you bring to these marvelous archival photos. Women's Business DistrictA building full of business run by individual female proprietors. Interesting for time when it was shocking for a woman to wear pants. Fire Insurance MarkAs other commentators have pointed out, the plaque above the door is for the Fire Insurance Company and, being long out-of-date, was probably applied as a decoration. More info on these types of "Fire Marks" is here, here and here. I would guess the house itself dates from circa 1870: it was listed for resale in 1884. Based on the style of brickwork, the houses on either side are newer. Federal Period HouseThe very plain style and layout of this modest little house suggests that it was built during the Federal period, 1790-1830. The six-over-six double-hung sash windows with plain, flat lintels, and the slightly sloped flat roof behind a low and minimal cornice are commonly seen features on lesser examples of the style. The double entrance with a very narrow stair to the upstairs unit is probably original. Typically, the below-grade ground floor would have held a commercial shop, with another shop and/or two residential flats above it. Renewed popular interest in the Federal style was high in the 1920s, and a restored Federal row house would have been a stylish choice for interior designers. The settee under the porch, probably part of Mrs. Smith's stock, is itself Federal, and was a bit more than a hundred years old when the photo was taken. Remodeled Federal HouseWhoops! In my previous post I stated that the double front entrance appeared to be original. A closer examination of the brickwork on the right shows clearly that the narrow staircase and the ground floor and porch entrances on the far right were later additions. The three-light transom windows over the original main entrance door and the added third-floor entrance to its right don't quite match, and the lintel above the doors has been faced with a painted board to help disguise the change. That leaves us without an original front entrance to the ground floor, but that could have been around the corner in the narrow passage between the house and the lot next door. So much for the house having held a ground floor shop, but many did. People are Building for Today Washington Post, Nov 13, 1953 Designer Says: U.S. Leads in Interior Decoration While the trend in private home decorating is away from the museum house designed with eyes fixed firmly on posterity, the fashion in embassy interiors is still determinedly traditional, says Washington decorator Genevieve Hendricks. Miss Hendricks, who has decorated a number of United States embassies, foreign embassies in Washington, and even the lounge of a warship, addressed fellow members of the Arts Club of Washington recently. She finds, she said, that just as the official languages of the diplomatic world are still French and English, their furnishings are still predominantly Louis Quatorze or Seize, or eighteenth century English. "By contrast, a great deal of contemporary home building and decoration shows evidence that people are building for today," she said, "and they reflect the movement in home entertaining. Homes have become places for the whole family and picnic is giving way to the barbecue in the back yard." Trends in home decorating show a new spirit of adventure and independence, a willingness to experiment with the best of the materials and designing ideas, and the best of the natural materials, she added. Miss Hendricks, who has studied architecture and design at American art institutions, the School of Fine Arts in Paris and the Max Reinhardt School of State Designs in Munich, travels continually to Europe in search of ideas and antiques. But said she: "There is no question that America leads the world in interior design." Aunt GenSay, does anyone know who owns this building today? Assuming it is still in existence. I would love to see it. I loved this blog. Thank you! I learned a lot of things I did not know about my great-aunt, Genevieve Hendricks. [As noted below, the address was 1747 K St N.W. - Dave] View Larger Map (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Radio School: 1921
... at no extra charge. This is the first wireless school in America to introduce these important subjects, and many young men are taking ... learning Ohm's law, to judge by the blackboard. Miss Loomis A Google search for Mary Texanna Loomis will reveal lots of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:07pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Loomis Radio School." Mary Texanna Loomis, founder and owner of the school, instructing a class. View full size. For Men OnlyVery curious gender dynamics here. Why was an education in radio good for her but not other women? What was she thinking? Washington Post, Mar 4, 1920; Advertisement A course in radio compass work, coupled with one in wireless telegraphy, fits a young man for better positions as a wireless operator. These subjects are both covered in our radio course at no extra charge. This is the first wireless school in America to introduce these important subjects, and many young men are taking advantage of this opportunity to more thoroughly fit themselves for positions as wireless operators. Special attention is given to brushing up amateurs and advanced students in code work. If you are unable to get it elsewhere, come to us. Call and inspect our up-to-date school, which all pronounce the best in its line. Catalog on request. LOOMIS RADIO SCHOOL, 401-411 9th st. nw. Phone Main 7839. Entrance in lobby of Strand Theater. For men only; no women enrolled. Ohm's LawThey're learning Ohm's law, to judge by the blackboard. Miss LoomisA Google search for Mary Texanna Loomis will reveal lots of interesting things. Any guess where she was born? RadiomenWhat a large class of seemingly dedicated students--except for the young fellow at the end of the row who is leaning on his hand trying to sleep inobtrusively. They all are so smartly dressed, especially by today's standards. And the uniformity of haircut style is interesting. The Modern BulbSome mighty smart and nifty lighting. Those desks are as narrow as they come. An economical school, Loomis. Gender and hairstylesSo, no women admitted as students but Ok as teachers? Whoa! And the guy in the Red Skelton checked jacket has a DA haircut that is 30 years from the future. Re: For Men Only“Very curious gender dynamics here,” stanton_square writes, with respect to the men-only policy at the Loomis radio school. As someone else commented, it may be a matter of eliminating distractions for the boys. And we can never over-estimate the difference behind their time and ours. But I can’t resist the thought that it may also be a matter of Miss Loomis pulling up the ladder behind her. (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Natl Photo)
Texanna Loomis: 1921
December 31, 1921. "Miss Texanna Loomis." Mary Texanna Loomis, founder and proprietor of the ... of Etheric Science Among the folks in history count Miss Mary Texanna Loomis, the only extant woman "boss" of a radio college for ... Loomis Family You can learn about the Loomis family in America at our website www.loomis-family.org and we would like to hear from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:06pm -

December 31, 1921. "Miss Texanna Loomis." Mary Texanna Loomis, founder and proprietor of the Loomis Radio School in Washington, D.C. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Love her boots!Talk about narrow feet! TexannaShe's clearly a confident gal who is passionate about her work. But, oh my golly, those shoes. Before the popularity of tennis shoes as everyday wear, we certainly were a nation of sore feet. Extant Woman "Boss"Washington Post, March 15, 1931 Mary Loomis "Bosses" Air Students to High Success Cousin of Dr. Loomis Has Varied Arts; Master of Etheric Science Among the folks in history count Miss Mary Texanna Loomis, the only extant woman "boss" of a radio college for men. Miss Loomis, who is a regular octopus when it comes to having embraced different lines of activity, is the proprietor and founder of a well-known radio school. She is a cousin of Dr. Mahon Loomis, who is said to have obtained a patent on a device for sending messages without wires in 1872, some years before Marconi first announced his discoveries. Many men successful in the varied fields of the radio industry got their first tutelage at the hands of Miss Loomis and she has high hopes for members of recent classes that graduated from her school. A textbook, "Radio Theory and Operating," now in its fifth edition, is one of Miss Loomis' proudest accomplishments. The work is in use in many schools, both government and private, all over the country. Intense in all her pursuits, Miss Loomis had sports as her first interests in youth –- strenuous ones such as swimming, skating, horseback riding. Later she took a course in voice culture and became a talented soprano. Succeeding this she went to an art school and became adept at sketching. In swimming, particularly, she gained much note, and though she must be nearing middle age, her figure today has the lithe lines of the expert swimmer. Born in Texas -– her middle name is taken from the State of her birth –- she later moved with her family to Rochester, N.Y., and there she received her early education. Not until the stirring early days of the war, when she was doing Red Cross work, did Miss Loomis get the radio "bug." From then on she devoted herself, body and soul, to learning all she could about this fascinating new wrinkle, and her judgment in selecting that field has been vindicated by the enormous development that method of communication has gone through in the last decade. In 1919 the Department of Commerce issued a commercial radio operator's license to Miss Loomis, and this marked her first triumph in her chosen field. A year later she opened her school. Since then, she has turned out hundreds of men of all ages who have helped to meet the industry's demand for men trained in all its varied branches. As a child she demonstrated a precocious skill with tools and quite often today she is seen with wrench and pliers working over the intricate machinery of Station WYRA, which is the official station of the school which bears Miss Loomis' name. Although much of her time is taken up with the executive matters of her school, she is frequently to be found in the laboratory making experiments with the elusive spark. Administrative matters have usurped much of the time of the dynamic tutor of recent years, and this factor has forced her to abandon lecture work at her school. This fact she regrets very much, for she took a keen interest in vocally expounding her knowledge of the radio art. Sensible shoesWell, in all fairness to Ms. Loomis, this is long before "sensible shoes" became a euphemism, and decades before the word "lifestyle" entered the OED. At least she didn't fuss with shoe buttons. Nonetheless, she seems like a woman who was quite comfortable with the life she led. Perhaps her school was "men only" because she didn't need the distractions. Spark gap? or?Is that some sort of spark gap transmitter for morse to her left? or? The two electric motors imply rotation -- perhaps it is a higher frequency "anderson alternator" than the one shown in wikipedia? 73 de KG6HAF VanityThat is a powder compact, isn't it? If so, I love that she's touching up her face while wearing stained overalls. Attention to beauty rituals mixed with mechanical competence -- my kind of gal! Fuente de alimentación.No exactamente. Se trata de un convertidor AC-DC. Una fuente de alimentación de voltaje variable para utilizar en el banco de pruebas. GreaseWho knew you could get your coveralls so greasy working on radios? [Those splotches are mostly the emulsion going bad. - Dave] Thanks for the information. You have to admit though that to someone who doesn't know about the state of the source material they do look like grease stains. [They certainly do. Although if you look really close you can see they don't stop where the overalls do. - Dave] Mary Loomis, 1880-1960It seems she lived to the ripe old age of 80. http://us.share.geocities.com/w8jyz/3ya.pdf The times (and the Post), they are a-changin'I loved this bit of the Washington Post article: ... though she must be nearing middle age, her figure today has the lithe lines of the expert swimmer. I doubt you'd see that in the Post today; the first part because we are no longer sensitive about publicizing a lady's age, and the second because we have become sensitive about describing a woman's figure. Funny how times change. These Boots Were Made for Teachin'Those shoes look to me as if they were 20 years out of style in 1921. Let's face it--Ms Loomis was not a typical lady of the day and old-fashioned shoes might have been as much part of her choosen self-presentation as overalls, heavy sweater, and powder on a face otherwise innocent of makeup. Motor-GeneratorThe unit could also be a AC motor driving a DC generator. The vacuum tubes would require a higher amperage than was available from a transformer circuit for same size. As I look at the unit with the step points, rheostats and meters it looks like a 1920's variable power supply. Filament voltageMotor-generators (a AC motor driving a DC generator) were used to power the filaments of the tubes but the amperage wasn't the issue -- it was the fact that in those days the filament was used as the cathode and if AC current was used to heat them it would induce hum in the signal. This is also why early home radios used batteries despite the availability of electricity (which was usually AC by the 1920s). In the early 1930s they developed indirect heated cathodes where the filament was not a part of the signal circuit and it was then possible to power the filament from alternating current (through a transformer), eliminating the need for direct current from generators or batteries. Transmitters also used motor-generators for the plate voltage supply until mercury vapor rectifiers were developed. [You took the words right out of my mouth! - Dave] Introduction of indirectly-heated cathodesDevelopment of a tube using an indirectly-heated cathode (for AC power) began in September of 1926. Westinghouse submitted working samples of their UX226 two months later. Commercial production began in early 1927, and the tube was announced for sale in November of that year. (Tyne pg. 319) Ref: Tyne, Gerald F. Saga of the Vacuum Tube ISBN 0-672-21471-7 (hard), 0-672-21470-9 (soft) Fark FodderFarked again. Radio Education: $3.50Google has recently collaborated with Popular Science and Popular Mechanics to publish their magazine archives on the global network of tubes. Here's a 1927 ad from Mary Loomis' radio empire. Money Making Opportunities Press and public concede it to be the best ever produced. "Radio Theory and Operating" by Mary Texanna Loomis, member Institute of Radio Engineers, lecturer on radio, Loomis Radio College. Thorough text and reference book. 886 pages, 700 illustrations, price $3.50, postage paid. Used by Radio Schools, Technical Colleges, Universities, Dept. of Commerce, Gov't Schools and Engineers. At bookdealers, or sent on receipt check or money order. Loomis Publishing Company, Dept E, 405 9th St., Washington D.C. Advertisement: Popular Science Monthly, Nov 1927 Great-Aunt MaryShe is my great-aunt. Her sister Helen Loomis Wise was my mother's mother. More on the Loomis FamilyYou can learn about the Loomis family in America at our website www.loomis-family.org and we would like to hear from any of our extended family members who would like to connect with their family heritage. (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Farked, Natl Photo)
Donations: 1917
... Someone needs to donate a new water cooler. What Miss Grant Said "Attend secretarial school, she said"..."Go to romantic South America, she said"..."Young woman, you will go far, she said"..."the world will ... 
 
Posted by John.Debold - 04/13/2009 - 1:11pm -

Recently acquired photo. WWI donations. View full size. OutnumberedNeeds one more supervisor. One of those poor guys has to supervise two people. Office AccoutermentsThe thing with the gauge is a stapler, probably an Eveready, with a reel of staples. The swivel clock is just that, a windup with an alarm. Every swap meet has a broken one for $3. The cylinder thing on the desk behind the stapler, too bad it's not an industrial-strength hair straightener. That poor gal in the foreground is in desperate need of one. Oddball office gizmosFront desk at left: I'd like to know what that thing that looks like an alarm clock body on a swivel base is. Front desk at right, at the right-hand corner, what looks like a stapler with a gauge on it. On the desk behind that one, a black-enameled contraption that I want to say is a particularly snazzy three-hole punch or maybe something else that has to do with all those ledger pages. NevermindI see the inspiration for Roseanne Roseannadanna. TaskingYour assignments for today are as follows... Ladies, please have a seat at a desk and write stuff. Guys must remain standing and act supervisory. I need two of you roll your sleeves up and try to appear to be working, however, it's okay to lean on a box or something if you get tired. LeakySomeone needs to donate a new water cooler. What Miss Grant Said"Attend secretarial school, she said"..."Go to romantic South America, she said"..."Young woman, you will go far, she said"..."the world will be your oyster"... Great outfitThe young woman in the background on the right is wearing a really unusual overdress with a raised collar. What I wouldn't give for an interesting detail like that! Great labelsI love the "medicinal" Lorillard Red Cross Tobacco, and the Hires Household Extract to make your own cure for stomach aches, asthma and sleep apnea. Thanks for reminding us. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, The Office, WWI)
Splash: 1906
... and boxy bland motel schlock. WHY, why, why does America have such a devotion to tearing down every building once it gets to be ... if that kid is smoking a Helmar Cigarette.) Pardon me, Miss. If you could go back into that photo and ask one question, what would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:25pm -

New Jersey circa 1906. "Bathers, Atlantic City." At right is the Hotel Traymore. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Grumpy Not-So-Old Man?That guy with the all black suit and dark curly hair in the lower left corner could be a young Walter Matthou! Quite the Fit LotIt would be interesting to see a photo, perhaps taken from the same vantage point, today. I would like to compare the body shapes of 1906 with those of today. The building in the backgroundwas still there in 1977. Interesting experimentI think it would be interesting to take a picture like this on a beach today and compare the differences in the people's reaction to the camera man. There is an awkwardness from the beach goers here that lends itself to the idea of photography being a relatively new technology; or at least the camera as a candid time capsule. I imagine the reaction, or lack of would be quite different. I particularly love the little kid in the lower right that is either "shooting" the camera or mimicking the camera man. Many people seem to be stopping conversation to look over as the picture is being taken, as if they were just rudely interrupted. If anything else, I'm sure the beach attire would be quite a comparison. Women without hose!I've been carefully studying all these 100 year old Jersey shore photos and have been so amazed at how all the women are wearing black hose. It must have been so uncomfortable! In this photo, on the far left (our right) are two women with bare legs. Had they just taken their wet & sandy stockings off? Amazing beach architectureAstonishing architecture! Those towers and balconies are fascinating. never seen anything like them. I can just imagine what's there today. Plate glass windows and boxy bland motel schlock. WHY, why, why does America have such a devotion to tearing down every building once it gets to be 75 years old? [The Atlantic City hotels were razed because they went bankrupt (blame the invention of the jet airplane) or burned down. Below, the Hotel Traymore circa 1930. Demolished 1972. - Dave] Click to enlarge. Every Picture Tells a StoryIn this instance, a story of thinly veiled aggression interspersed with good-natured fun. Ninja alertPlus la change... You lookin at me?The "foot as hand" guy at left looks like he's saying "Heyyy ... I got yer photograph RIGHT HERE." Another funny thing about this picture is the guy on the sand walking along fully dressed in a business suit and shoes. Barnham AttractionHurry! Hurry! Step up and see boy with foot for hand! [P.T. Barnham, I'd like you to meet Walter Matthou. - Dave] The tyranny of monochromeI do not believe for ten minutes that that the people of 100+ years ago went around dressed in lots of black. I suspect the midi-dress style beach clothes were navy, and that what we see as black parasols and black stockings may have been red sometimes. But there is no mistaking that horizontal stripes were the fashion trend of 1906 beachwear. Not one vertical stripe, floral, or plaid in the bunch. Demolished!At 2:01 in this trailer for the movie "Atlantic City" you can see the demolition of the Hotel Traymore. ZombielandSecond kid from the left in the front was a future cast member of Dawn of the Dead. He even positioned his arm perfectly to overlap with the leg and foot of the gent behind him. Creepy. Un dimanche après-midiA few of those women with parasols thought it was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. (I wonder if that kid is smoking a Helmar Cigarette.) Pardon me, Miss.If you could go back into that photo and ask one question, what would it be? For me, I'd go up to some of the women and say "Why are you wearing a dress on the beach"? Was it prudery, or perhaps they knew about the dangers of the sun and were trying to prevent skin damage. I believe back then, a suntan didn't have the status of today. The "lower" class who worked in the fields had the tans. The beach was more a place for the well to do to be seen, despite the dangers of the sun. Of course, Hollywood would eventually change the image of a suntan from low class to sexy status symbol. T-shirtsI hadn't realised T-shirts were that old, especially the one on the boy at the front with 'Gold' on it, it could have been bought today. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
Cherry Smash: 1921
... All very sanitary! In these troubled times... What America needs right now is a place where you can buy buttermilk by the glass. ... was the creation of Rose O'Neill . Man, I miss People's Drug I wish that CVS hadn't bought them out. They were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/08/2011 - 9:57am -

"People's Drug Store, Seventh and K Street N.W." A Washington, D.C., soda fountain circa 1921. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. The Velvet KindOh, what I wouldn't give for that "Velvet Kind" Owl and Pussycat advertising. It would look perfect in my kitchen! Muscadine grapes, which grow in the Midwest and down south, are supposed to be really good for you. I wish my lunch was that cheap.. I wonder what Muscadine Punch is? Research is EASY!For the reader who inquired about "muscadine punch", if you just type that into your search space, you will come up with countless pages of info regarding the famous grape punch. These new fangled computers are wonderful for doing the easiest and most thorough research ever. Good luck. I don't have to "wonder" about anything anymore, I just type it into the space and there are all my answers, so now I DO have all the answers. And so can YOU! Oh, Yes!I need one of those soda books! Cherry Smash, Green's Muscadine Punch     Great photographWhy do you suppose that behind him on the shelf is a box of Hygenia slippers? They were for medical/ hygiene use I am assuming. The great flu of 1918 was already over by then, so why are they there? Leftovers? Thanks [Hygeia Sippers, not "Hygenia Slippers." Drinking straws. - Dave] Tomato and lettuceWho would buy a tomato and lettuce sandwich for the same price as a cheese sandwich? Crazy talk! And can anyone decipher the word in front of "mayonnaise"? ["Olive." - Dave] Easter Eggs?I caught the Paas display, too, and that seemed to go along with the apparent designs on the eggs on the counter, but if you look carefully, those designs correspond exactly with the patterns of the glass bowl; in other words, they're light refractions. Now watch Dave post an enlargement that shows that behind the refractions, they're decorated anyway. [Today I learned to balance a beach ball on my nose! - Dave] Slippers?Nevermind! Thanks for the Emily Litella moment! MysteryOlive you, too. They serve Hires and Coca Cola, but no Moxie? Those Auto Sponges, are they the original Scrubbing Bubbles? Happy EasterDecorated eggs in the glass container, the PAAS (you can still buy 'em) decorating kits on the counter, ladies in heavy coats. I'll bet it's March or April. Gosh it's fun to do amateur detective work with these great old pictures. Milkshake mixersHamilton Beach, I think. I have a very similar one in my kitchen (though mine dates only to the 1940s), still working great. Soda CheeksOkay, Yoda, a friendly challenge to the master of the newfangled computer, let's see if you can trace down "soda book" or "soda cheeks." I came up with some weird links, but nothing that made sense. Sometimes Shorpy content is just too arcane for the digital search engines. But I'll not be surprised that one of the old timers here could shed some light on these two things. At the least we know you could get 4 extra cheeks if you plunk down a buck. [Soda checks, not "cheeks." The sign says you can buy a book of 24 coupons for a dollar, which would save you about a penny off each 5-cent soda. - Dave] That Is A Doll Isn't It?What a great picture to get lost in! I'm fascinated by that doll sitting in the corner of the curtained off area next to the Owl and the Pussycat sign. (That *is* a doll, isn't it?) Make mine Muscadine!Particularly if you're a mouse with a flaming ear. Older than Yoda is right. These computers are peachy! viz "Topical Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine Grape) Extracts in the Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate Model of Ear Inflammation" The ability of muscadine grape skin, seed, or combined skin and seed extracts to inhibit mouse ear inflammation, edema,&c... Grasping at strawsMy dad owned a soda fountain in the early 1950s and we used Hygeia Sippers on the counter. In those days, the straws came boxed, but not wrapped individually. We kept them, naked and all, in tall circular counter jars with lift-up lids. All very sanitary! In these troubled times...What America needs right now is a place where you can buy buttermilk by the glass. KewpieLooks like a Kewpie doll. The original was the creation of Rose O'Neill. Man, I miss People's DrugI wish that CVS hadn't bought them out. They were one of the last truly local chains around DC. Of the older chains, I believe that the only one left is Giant Foods, and that's now owned by a Dutch company that is driving it into the ground. Bah! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS, Stores & Markets)
Country Barber: 1941
... and clarifying features of my life from long ago.) I miss barbershops Not stylists, not chain haircut franchises, not "men's ... only barber in town. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Rural America, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2021 - 4:35pm -

April 1941. "Mr. J. H. Parham, barber and notary public, in his shop in Centralhatchee, Heard County, Georgia." Photo by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maybe there's one just out of sight --My grandfather was a country barber for most of his adult life. I remember his shop very well. What's missing in this shop is a spittoon. JepJeptha Howard Parham was born in Georgia on June 23, 1886, to Charles (1864-1948) and Mollie Virginia Bell (1867-1907). He married Cora Lee Adams in 1905; they had one son, Austin Hershal (1908-1970), a WW2 vet. Jep was a four-time mayor of Centralhatchee, serving in 1925, 1930, 1931 and 1935. According to his WW1 draft registration he was of medium build and height, had light brown hair and blue eyes. Cora died in 1972, Jep in 1974. Just what this country really needsAre more barber shops. Instead of calling for an appointment how does six weeks from today sound? I liked walking into a shop and hearing two ahead of you. Look down before looking up A string of posted licenses and certificates; enough reserve Colgate stock to last a year; and the prestige of a notary public commission -- all the trappings of a high-status pillar of the community... ... but the farmer's got WAY better shoes than the barber. Old-school barberI’m old enough to have gone to classic barbers like this, and the photo evokes so many positive memories. I love the stuff on his shelves. And those bottles of dark liquid immediately trigger a cavalcade of smells, not to mention the sound of the barber slapping it in his hands and applying it to my freshly-shaven neck. I’m just putting two and two together and wondering if the not-unpleasant smell I associate with older guys from the olden days was partly due to the smell of these magical potions and fluids. (Thank you, Shorpy, once again, for awakening and clarifying features of my life from long ago.) I miss barbershopsNot stylists, not chain haircut franchises, not "men's salons"... just plain old barbershops. A snarky barber, three or four of the gentry sitting and discussing the state of the union, 14 year old magazines on the table. You just don't find them anymore. Pop. 200The population of Centralhatchee in 1940 was approximately 200, so I would presume that Jep Parham was the only barber in town. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Rural America, Small Towns)
Sholl's Cafeteria: 1946
... some lemonade in a wavy glass. Thank you, Ma'am. I miss Sholl's. More than I miss being seven years old. Gloves Off ... smell the best of all are popular for Breakfast, in North America. I would have had a very hard time deciding what to have! However, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 3:37pm -

December 3, 1946. Washington, D.C. "Potomac Electric Power Co. -- commercial kitchens, restaurants and lighting. Sholl's Georgian Cafeteria, 3027 14th Street N.W." 8x10 safety negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Little has changedWhat's remarkable is how little things have changed about cafeterias like this. Photoshop in some updated clothing (gotta love those high heels) and no one would think this was 63 years ago. Stealthy ChangeLittle about this image may have changed in the way of interaction between staff and customer. Also, much of the technology may appear to be the same-- toasters, fluorescent lighting, electric grills, etc. What has changed is the intensity of energy consumption required to serve these appliances. Note also that at the time of this photo, natural gas utilities experienced rapid growth, both in the number of customers served as well as the roll-out of gas-fired appliances to compete with the electric companies. This image is clever marketing on PEPCO's part -- part of an effort to maintain market share in an industry that was suddenly becoming very competitive. Poached>> When was the last time you were asked if you want your eggs poached? Yesterday at Perkins. They know what I like. Soft poached eggs on white toast with some corned beef hash. Yum! Re: "Energy efficient" appliancesGlad to see another ridiculous notion debunked. Far from making a fridge use more energy, being frost-free does exactly the opposite. Frost on the coils greatly decreases the thermal efficiency of any refrigerator -- it's like insulation, but in the wrong place. Speaking of which, the insulation in those old refrigerators was much less efficient, too. So were the compressors. Breakfast Option No Longer OfferedLooks like the worker closest to us is operationg an egg poacher, one of my favorite breakfast choices. When was the last time you were asked if you want your eggs poached?? The food was goodat Sholl's, the service was always friendly and efficient, and, as the photo shows, it was always sparkling clean. It was a Washington institution from 1928 until the last location (The Colonial on K Street) closed in December 2001. Business declined after the 9/11 attacks with the drop in tourism and the general economic slowdown. More Horydczak!Dave, I've enjoyed Horydczak's work for several years, ever since his collection went up at the LoC American Memory site. Please post more of his work. [While there are thousands of images in the collection, only a very few are available in high resolution. - Dave] Dearb RednowThe image is reversed. Look at the "Wonder Bread" packages, they are backward. Looks like a great place to eat! [Thankew! Everyone hit "refresh." - Dave] Modern "energy efficient" appliances ... not true!My 1928 double-door refrigerator uses far, FAR less power than modern versions...sure, you have to defrost the freezer once or twice a month, but the 20 minutes it takes to do this easy task more than makes up for the power those big modern frost-free power-suckers use. And I doubt too many modern refrigerators will running 81 years from now. Old technology doesn't necessarily = higher power use! [I wonder why anyone would think that. A modern frost-free refrigerator consumes far less energy per volume unit than a 1920s refrigerator. A 30-cubic-foot Sub-Zero refrigerator uses, on average, 56 kilowatt-hours a month (1.9 kWh per cubic foot), about $5 worth of of electricity. An 8-cubic-foot GE refrigerator from 1950 used 28 kWh per month, which works out to 3.5 kWh per cubic foot -- almost twice as much electricity as a modern one. A 1920s refrigerator would be even less efficient. - Dave] SHOLL'S!!One of the greatest places to get a good meal at reasonable prices in Washington! I went there often. Lunchtime!I'll have a slice of meatloaf, some mashed potatoes, a few hot mixed vegetables, a roll, and a serving of Jell-O with whipped topping, please. Oh, and some lemonade in a wavy glass. Thank you, Ma'am. I miss Sholl's. More than I miss being seven years old. Gloves OffYet we all seemed to survive somehow. I almost missed the hair net. It looks so sparkly! I'd eat there then. Columbia HeightsThis is in the Trinity Towers apartment building, just south of Irving Street on 14th Street NW. The building is now affordable units, and the retail space where Sholls was is now community space for the residents. It would have been nice if they kept the retail space, and perhaps we'd get a diner in there or something that appropriately continues the tradition of Sholls. Raisins in the coleslawI'll admit, I too enjoyed the food and it was relatively inexpensive. I first started going as an undergrad at GW -- it was one of the few places that my eccentric calculus tutor found up to his standards. Maybe it was the raisins in the coleslaw, which he seemed to love so much. Tapioca PuddingAs a little girl, I visited and was tolerated by the ladies serving at Sholl's. I loved their puddings. I lived at the Burlington Hotel on 1120 Vermont Avenue and have many happy memories of that area from 1954 to 1956. It smells divine!There is so much information in this photo that my memory is filling in the aromas; freshly toasted bread, hot biscuits, hot cakes, bacon, sausage, coffee, maple syrup, etc.! Many of the things that smell the best of all are popular for Breakfast, in North America. I would have had a very hard time deciding what to have! However, if my grandfather, who turned 40 that year, had been there for breakfast, he would have had a cup of coffee and a bowl of "mush"! (The Gallery, D.C., Kitchens etc., Theodor Horydczak)
Confederate Veterans: 1917
... Dr. John A. Pollock, 71, of Kingston, N.C. His bride is Miss Lula L. Aldridge, 50, of the same city. ... Dr. Pollock also is the next ... Confederate army and navy vets. The Confederate States of America did not issue any medals. And the last Civil War widow I read ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 9:00pm -

The Gray and the gray. "Confederate veteran reunion, Washington, 1917." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The last soldierThe last Union veteran to die was in 1947 in Minnesota. Life Magazine had a write up on this. There is one veteran from WW1 now living. It is in the newspapers as I write. He is 108 and lives in Pennsylvania. [The Wikipedia article on last surviving veterans, which is never an exact science. The most we can usually say is that someone is thought to be the last survivor of a particular war. That article has the last two Union vets dying in 1953 and 1956. - Dave] Johnny Reb in his 60'sThis was an eye opener for me as to just how long ago the Civil War took place. These guys were teenagers when it happened and here they are they are in their 60s in 1917. A cool and timely picture. Convention Center MarketBuilt in 1874, the city’s first convention center extended the length of Fifth Street between K and L Streets, and was known as the Northern Liberty Market. It was an immense single room 324 feet long, 126 feet wide and 84 feet high at the center. The architecturally significant structure featured a curved roof and was supported, without any interior columns, by a series of enormous iron and steel trusses. 1893 A second floor was added to form a large auditorium, with seating for 5,000. The building was renamed the Convention Center and popularly known as the Convention Hall. The facility operated there for 50 years, hosting revival meetings, fairs, auto shows, roller-skating, bowling and a variety of amusement and sporting events. 1930 By the early 1930s, Center Market – the city's largest building – was located at Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street. It was later demolished for the government's Federal Triangle construction project. Many of that market's vendors moved a half-mile north to the Convention Center building, which was renamed New Center Market. News Travels SlowlyLooks like the Gillette Safety Razor was slow to take hold in the South. Great image!I'm guessing that this group from Nashville had ridden with Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest based on the flag they carry. I bet they all could tell stories to keep you going for days if anyone would listen. Commander at the front looks like he takes his position very seriously. Old DixieDying (slowly) for their cause. StubblyI must say, Confederate vets knew how to rock the facial hair. UniformsObviously these men are better dressed than they ever had been during their war when the Confederate uniforms were nominally gray, and later "butternut" but sometimes ended up being whatever you could find or even scrounge off of dead bodies. I wonder how many of our images of Confederate soldiers and how they dressed come from seeing images like this and the studio portraits that the young men going off to war had taken rather than the reality of the field. Yes they all look oldYes they all look old, but what does that say about me? I can remember when the last Confederate (in fact the last Civil War) veteran died, sometime in the 1950s, and the reason that it is in my memory bank is that it happened near where I lived at the time (Baytown, Texas) and the high school band from Robert E. Lee High School (Go Ganders!) played at the funeral. I would later attend REL. And apparently, things going the way they are, I will live to see the last WWI veteran die. A Mighty Host of Gray1917 marked the 27th annual Confederate reunion and the first to gather outside of the Confederate States. I've extracted only a few of the many newspaper articles of the time, and in just this small sample, there are inconsistencies regarding the age of the youngest. [Upon Stanton Square's blue fingers, I hereby bestow the Purple Heart. - Dave] 1,500 Veterans in City Special Trains Bring Gray Hosts From as Far as New Orleans. More than 1,500 Confederate veterans, representing a majority of 22 States that are to send delegates to the annual Confederate reunion that opens here tomorrow, were registered at headquarters yesterday. In addition incoming trains from the South brought Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy and thousands of others whose sympathies are Southern. Col. Robert N. Harper, after hearing reports from John Dolph and others of the registration committee lat night again expressed the opinion that the total number of visitors, including delegates, will reach the 75,000 mark before the first day of the reunion is over. From an early hour yesterday shifts of volunteers were busy constantly registering the veterans at the Union Station, where scenes similar to those that characterized the inauguration preliminaries prevailed. An extra force of policemen was on duty at the station handling the crowds and seeing to the necessary enforcement of rules. As early as 6 a.m. the "vets," many wearing the suits of gray that will be conspicuous here during the week, began to arrive. Many were intent on attending the memorial exercises at Arlington and to obtain a glimpse of President Wilson. The first excursion train to pull into the station was the "Tom Green Special," from the cotton belt, bringing veterans from Memphis, Texarkana, Pine Bluff and the vicinity. Closely following it came others from Augusta, Ga.; Newberry S.C., and New Orleans. At noon several special excursion trains, each carrying an average of 300 veterans and others, arrived. In the afternoon, the Elliott Tour Special brought large delegations from Birmingham and Atlanta. H.F. Cary, chairman of the transportation committee, said yesterday that at least 38 specials from every point in the South would reach Washington before Wednesday. It is conservatively estimated that of the 40,000 survivors at least 5,000 will attend this year's reunion. ... Veterans were taken either to their hotels or to the "tented city" not far distant from the station. Last night, close to 200 of the visitors slept under canvas. The majority were fatigued after long journeys and expressed a preference to "stick close to quarters" rather than see the sights as some suggested. More than 500 were quartered in a large red brick structure at the corner of New Jersey and C street northwest. Arriving there they were assigned to rooms. Meals were served under a large canvas tent close by. Washington Post, Jun 4, 1917 Sidelights of Confederate Reunion About a half hundred veterans responded to the sounding of the dinner gong at the tented city yesterday and enjoyed the first meal served "under canvas." The menu consisting of vegetable soup, fresh pork, prime ribs of beef, new potatoes, green peas, stewed tomatoes, assorted pies, iced tea, coffee and bread and butter, was a sample of the generous treatment the "boys" can expect during their stay in camp. ... When some one had the audacity to inquire of A.B. Rowland, of Fulton Ky., one of the party at the tented city, as to his age he answered, "I'm one of the kids. I'm only 72." As a matter of fact, the youngest Confederate veteran is 69. Washington Post, Jun 4, 1917 Dixie's Sons Own City Washington surrendered yesterday to a mighty host of gray - without a struggle. White-haired and gray-coated veterans owned the city. Streets and avenues were a dense gray mass from early morning until late at night. Hotel lobbies were crowded to the doors. Public parks, the Capitol, government buildings and nearby places of historic interest were given over ungrudgingly to the venerable guests from Dixie. Bands played familiar airs, fife and drum corps beat age-old battle marches and buglers sounded the reveille and taps. ... The Tented City on the Union Station plaza was the mecca last night for veterans and sightseers from all parts of the District. The large mess hall was the busiest place in Washington from 4 p.m. yesterday until 8 o'clock last night. Nearly 15,000 meal tickets had been issued to veterans since Monday morning. Camp fire meetings were held last night in every nook and corner of the plaza. War time stories were "swapped" and Southern songs filled the air with melody. Officials of the registration booth at Union Station said last night that between 15,00 and 20,000 veterans had arrived in Washington since Sunday morning. Washington Post, Jun 6, 1917 Sidelights of Confederate Reunion Editor C.A. Ricks, of the Courier, Huntington, Tex., who was born February 28, 1851, claims to be the youngest Confederate at the reunion. He enlisted August 1, 1863 in Courier battery at Shreveport, La. ... The Georgia delegation greeted the President with a shower of peanuts, while the ladies literally bombarded the stand with flowers. Washington Post, Jun 8, 1917 Third Veteran Wins Bride at Reunion The third Confederate veteran to take unto himself a wife while attending the recent reunion is Dr. John A. Pollock, 71, of Kingston, N.C. His bride is Miss Lula L. Aldridge, 50, of the same city. ... Dr. Pollock also is the next to the oldest of the three "vets" who are going South with brides. The oldest was Frank H. Raum, of Richmond, Va., who was one of Mosby's men. He is 73. The "vet" who got the youngest bride is James A. Thomas, 63, of Atlanta, Ga. He married Miss Elizabeth Roberts, only 25. Washington Post, Jun 10, 1917 ObservationsNotice Santa Claus on the left has a peg leg. As for facial hair, if you look at silent movies of the period they usually have old geezers shown with similar whiskers. I think this stereotype was based on truth, that the oldsters kept the style from their youthful days. There are only about 11 confirmed WW1 vets still living, as listed on Wiki. All of the Central Powers guys are gone. Only 2 remain who actually spent time in the trenches. MedalistsSeveral of the veterans, including the officer in the frock coat, are wearing the Southern Cross of Honor. These were given by the United Daughters of the Confederacy starting in 1900 to Confederate army and navy vets. The Confederate States of America did not issue any medals. And the last Civil War widowI read the article below a few years ago. The Shorpy photo brought it to mind. "Civil War widow, final link to old Confederacy, dies" The cantankerous 81-year-old man struck up a few conversations with the 21-year-old neighbor and a marriage of convenience was born. They were married in a civil ceremony at the courthouse in Andalusia on Dec. 10, 1927, and 10 months later had a son, William. The story actually gets better but I'll leave it to everyone to read the whole thing. It still amazes me that so much history walks among us. Whenever I get the opportunity to talk to a WWII veteran I grab it because they are fast disappearing also. Oldest Confederate WidowThere may still be a couple of Confederate widows among us but it's their choice to remain in anonymity. Maude Hopkins was the last one publicly known. She died Aug. 17 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_Hopkins Why did young girls marry veterans old enough to be their grandfathers? The pension was attractive in Depression days. BeardI think the guy on the far left bought his beard at the Acme Novelty Shop so he could join this Facial Hair Club for Men reunion WW2 VetsI saw on Fox News on Veterans Day that there are about 2.1 million veterans of WWII left. About 900 die every day. Actually, the United Confederate Veterans were organized locally into camps and drew from veterans living in the area. They took their names from famous officers, units and the like. The label on the flag here is more likely the name of the camp from Nashville. Southern Cross of HonorThe UDC awards a Cross of Military Service to any veteran of WWII or Vietnam upon application. The only additional requirement for the award is that in addition to proof of their own service, he or she provide proof of direct lineage to a soldier similar to one of the men shown in this fine picture. These crosses are beautifully made pieces and serve to establish a remarkable lineage to the present day. Many, if not most, of the men shown in this picture had grandfathers or great grandfathers who were soldiers of the American Revolution--and many of their fathers served in the War of 1812. Shades of GrayI've colourised this picture at https://www.shorpy.com/node/11187 if anyone's interested. (The Gallery, Civil War, D.C., Natl Photo)
Fuel Administration: 1919
... This place looks like the inside of a barn! Corporate America could learn a thing or two about office design from this photo. ... nothing but wood pulp and glue. "Take a Letter, Miss..." The prettiest girl is sitting thisclose taking dictation from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2012 - 11:42am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "U.S. Fuel Administration." Whose turn is it to clean out the microwave? Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Title of that sitcom"Adding Fire to the Fuel" Order Coal Now!Looks like they practiced what they preached, as evidenced by the poster on the back wall: Ooooooo.....I want to lick that.....paste!!!! Hey you...Yes you ... centre back...get away from my girl.... sure, your pretending to go over fuel numbers, but I see through your suave slicked back blonde hair....get away I say!!! But no Burger King Wrappers to be SeenOffice pictures are always interesting. What are they using that would not be found in any form on a desk today? How does the desk in a modern cube compare? There are lots of inkwells, dipping pens, blotters. All ubiquitous at the time, completely gone now. What is that box on the left-most fellow's desk? Intercom? Each desk has a metal waste can. There are telephones, electric lamps (dropped wires: how long did it take folks to think about putting in outlets at knee or floor level?). "In and out" baskets. Interesting cane-backed office chairs. I don't remember seeing any like that before. Look at the typewriter desk configuration. Not unlike today's pull out keyboard trays. Someone should send this photo to the folks at Rejuvenation Lighting to copy those overhead light fixtures! There are staplers, flip calendars, paste pots, but no ashtrays? I'd like to get to know the secretary who is looking at us from the middle of the picture. DesksThese sturdy desks keep showing up. Whoever made them and whoever had stock in the company probably made a fortune. Hmm -- maybe not, since they don't seem to wear out. RusticThis place looks like the inside of a barn! Corporate America could learn a thing or two about office design from this photo. What this photo is aboutYou'd think it was supposed to be about a busy, crowded government office, but what it's really all about is that gal in the center with her steno pad, glancing at the camera with that beguiling smile. FixturesLove those light fixtures. They're elegant and I bet they cast a nice combination of diffuse and reflected light. Les Nessman's dad worked hereNice doors...no money to finish the walls. I am presently sitting....at a desk exactly like the one in the foreground. The chair on the desk to its right is the one that came with my desk. Must have made a lot of them. RE:What this photo is aboutI agree, that smile says "I do more than steno"! That GlareThe very serious fellow on the left is telepathically sending out the command "Order Coal Now." "Open Office" DesignIt looks like they moved everyone in before finishing the building. That is, what probably would have been "Room 703" has, for some reason, no outer wall. I guess security wasn't much of a concern... it's more important that the bigwigs in 702 have a cozy spot to sit around in, congratulating themselves for designing that "Order Coal Now" poster. It's the cat's pajamas! My desk is very similar to these, and just about as old, except that it has round drawer knobs and rounded corners. I don't know its complete history, but it belonged to my great-aunt, who used to do her homework on it. Now, it has a PC monitor and keyboard sitting on top, something the people who made it never could have envisioned. What was the Fuel Admin?I was curious what the department did. Fuel Administration, a World War I agency instituted 23 August 1917 under authority of the Lever Act. The agency exercised control over the production, distribution, and price of coal and oil. Its main activities were to (1) stimulate an increase in the production of fuel (2) encourage voluntary economy in the private consumption of fuel (3) restrict consumption by industries not essential to winning the war (4) regulate the distribution of coal through a zoning system (5) check the inordinate rise of fuel prices by fixing maximum prices within each zone. Characteristic of its methods for inducing voluntary conservation was its appeal to people residing east of the Mississippi River to observe "gasless Sundays." The Fuel Administration ceased to function on 30 June 1919. I'm sitting at a desk like that, too!The side drawers have the same type of handles. I really like this picture. I find it aesthetically pleasing, and I could sit and look at it for hours! Headed for the GSA warehouseEver seen one? I have. In the late 1980's at the Presidio of San Francisco, but it's gone now, without a trace. The U.S. Army kept all of its "used" equipment behind a steel cyclone fence, just a mile or so south of the Golden Gate Bridge, near Fort Point. Desks, filing cabinets, old trucks and truck parts, broken medical machines, everything was piled there in a sort of "organized confusion." The General Services Agency was "in charge" of this mess, but you'd never see anyone taking care of it. All the ancient equipment sat there in the fog and the rain, making it a great home for feral cats (among other creatures). It's long since been removed, but what did they do with all those Government-issue desks? Flip topsThe gals typing at right are sitting at flip-top desks. You can just see the handle of the flipper on the desk of the girl nearest us. You pull that handle up and toward you, and the typewriter disappears below. It ends up sitting at an angle of about 45 deg and reducing your leg room, but you get a nice clean desk top. The typewriter is bolted to the platform. I have such a desk and such a typewriter affixed thereto. Got it surplus from Oak Ridge Labs, but it doesn't glow in the dark. Okay, I'm going to order some coal now. Tube and post wiringThat's some first-generation tube and post electrical wiring there, always amazes me that there weren't more fires and fatalities than there were with that kind of primitive set-up in homes and businesses. Combined with the raw wood beams, I'd guess that this building was not originally intended to be office space for a bureaucracy. [It seems to have been constructed specifically to house the Fuel Administration. - Dave] Bet's most of it is still being used...Amazingly I see office furniture just like this all the time and I would bet that some of it is being used right now. Sturdy stuff especially the chairs. I know where several are, and they are in perfect working order, although not in an "office" anymore. The Oak desks look really well made too. Now office furniture is nothing but wood pulp and glue. "Take a Letter, Miss..."The prettiest girl is sitting thisclose taking dictation from the best looking guy, who looks managerial. He is pretending to be concentrating. She is a dazzling flirt. We have a TV sitcom brewing here. Your desk.So does your desk also have the little round lock on the center drawer? That was the kicker for me. I don't have the key, but it's not locked. Modern DesignThis office probably was considered very forward thinking for its time. I wonder what office designers 75 years from now will think of our cubicle office layouts of today. Fuel Admin buildingThis was across from the War Trade Board at 20th Street and New York Avenue. Along with the Food Administration and War Department buildings it was among the WWI structures constructed in great haste in the late teens around Washington. Drywall and prefabricated partitions and panels were used extensively. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, The Office, WWI)
All Our Children: 1964
... ought to have done, to the very end. And I hope they still miss her. That Could Be Me on the far left standing on the porch. I was ... try though. (Cornett Family, Kids, Portraits, Rural America, William Gedney) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:04pm -

Leatherwood, Kentucky, 1964. "Entire Cornett family on porch; Willie, Vivian and twelve children." Print from 35mm negative by William Gedney. Gedney Photographs and Writings Collection, Duke University. View full size. Now that takes ingenuityand fortitude to raise 12 kids as an unemployed coal worker (or his wife!) They look like a pretty happy bunch overall. That poor womanIn more than one sense of the word. My guess is she only had a couple non-pregnant years in the last 16. Not that I'm pitying her. They seem, and probably were, a happy bunch. I am reminded of a line from a movie -- I can't recall the title just now -- an admonishment to be wary of a certain family: "Watch yourself. There's a whole lot of 'em and they stick together." Not buying itWho ever anointed women "the weaker sex" was a damned fool. "High Explosives"What exactly WAS in the box, bottom left? Great pic. Betcha she dipped snuff. Let me be the first to say"Good night, John-Boy!" What's in the box?Just the requisite stuff for any kid growing up in Kentucky in the 60's -- an American Cyanamid dynamite crate. Footwear12 kids, 2 adults = three pairs of shoes and one pair of flip-flops. Not too many socks got lost in this house. Handsome FamilyWow, what a great-looking family. Even if the brother in the back on our right does give me a bit of that "Deliverance" feeling. Share and share alikeI would be willing to bet there was not even one spoiled brat in the entire dozen. They're out there nowClassmates.com has ten Cornetts from Leatherwood High School in this era. Before long Shorpy will be hearing from them! More than a Part Time JobShe was pregnant a total of 108 months - or 12 nine years. Holy smokes. [Assuming there were no multiple births. - Dave] No TVI'll betcha! Actually, she was pregnant "only" 9 years108 months divided by 12 is 9 years not 12 (assuming no multiple births and no more kids after this picture). A nice looking family. I was 6 years old when this was taken and I thought one of my neighbors with eight kids was a big family. But what did I know being only 6? Cornett HospitalityI found some more photos and info about the photographer here. He stayed with the family in their home for 11 days in 1964 and revisited them in 1972. Fit and trimNotice that none of the kids are fat. Or the parents. Lots of hard work and play in that family. Who says kids have it better today? I'd like to see a book made of their livesThey all look happy and healthy. Wish we could follow up with them - what a great book that would be! Mom and Dad deserve kudos for being strong adults. My grandmaMy paternal grandmother bore 18 kids, 17 before she was 29! Yep, these people could be my relatives. My parents are from Oklahoma and Kansas, BTW, but these could definitely be my relatives! How many are alive today?It's only 46 years, but accidents do happen. I bet that every one of those surviving have an internet connection in their home. That is how much things have changed. I do so hope to be here in another 46 years. What matters mostIt's easy to make fun and belittle people who are less fortunate and impoverished, but I'll bet their lives were a lot richer than most. Education, money and mean-spirited wit -- those things are valuable to the small minded. Kindness, compassion, and good manners are far better things to value. I'd say that everyone in that photo looks happy, in spite of their impoverished circumstances. That's one up on most people these days. If I may Pollyanna this a bitIt was God Who proclaimed woman the "weaker vessel" and He is most certainly no "damned fool." What He meant was, most women are weaker physically than most men. Emotionally, it has been my experience that women are generally more so than men, at least superficially, but when push comes to shove and there's a crisis on the home front, the woman's inner strength kicks in and often exceeds the man's. And having known the glory of motherhood four times myself, and being able to state unequivocally that my children are the best things that have ever happened to me apart from their own father, I believe Mrs. Cornett, despite her obvious life of hardship economically speaking, was blissful in motherhood and overall a happy woman. I hope she's still with us and if not, that she lived long and that those kids cherished her the way they ought to have done, to the very end. And I hope they still miss her. That Could Be Meon the far left standing on the porch. I was 4 years old in 1964. I wasn't anywhere near Kentucky then, but I would have liked to have known this family if I were. No frills living and I'll bet Mother Cornett always had lunch ready for other neighborhood kids that were playing there that day. I'd like to see a current family tree for this clan - probably quite a few grand and great-grandkids by now. [No doubt, although I don't know if you could say that this rural household was part of any neighborhood. - Dave] Love conquereth allMy first thought is that the mother, Vivian (name of my last child), was the mortar in the wall comprising this fortress. I'll bet her every child loved her fiercely, and she them. Dads are harder to figure out, often aloof, and shielded by kids and mother from the daily trials. It can't have been easy, but I am sure they were basically happy. Vivian died relatively young. My hope is that she had many grandkids close by in her last six or seven years. [Vivian had plenty of grandkids in just a few years, as the 1972 photos show. - Dave] Weaker vesselWow, no wonder the earth is becoming over-populated! Also, let's just clarify that god didn't write the bible, sexist goat-herding men did. Read it thoroughly and you'll realize that the authors are very clear that they consider women lesser in every way than men. Nice try though. (Cornett Family, Kids, Portraits, Rural America, William Gedney)
The Steel Pier: 1904
... rebuilding, fires, rebuilding, diminishment, rebuilding, Miss America contest runways, cut-offs and add-ons. Seems like right now Donald ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:08am -

The Jersey shore circa 1904. "Steel Pier, Atlantic City." Can anything compare to Atlantic City in the summer, and the feel of sand in your bathing-socks? 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Sand MosaicWow. At least three black families here. Great picture!There is a guy lying on the other guy's hip as a pillow -- now that's not something you would see today! Everyone is very appropriately dressed, not a inch of elbow or knee showing. How strange the Victorian era must of been. I suspect there is enough cloth in this one picture to dress the entire East Coast of beach-going folks today. What would they think?Suppose these folks woke up on a beach in Brazil and saw how the sunbathers looked nowadays. Misery Loves CompanyAnother miserable day at the beach according to these poor vacationers. Not a smile to be seen! An odd photoI'll give an internets for every smiling face you can find. Bathing Socks?I see exactly one pair of unsocked feet. Virtually everyone has enough clothes on to weather a Noreaster in November. Why go to the beach at all? Hot? Cold?I'd like to know what time of year this was taken. No shadows. Body LanguageFor the young couple by the black umbrella, there is nobody else on the beach. True GritIt always strikes me how REALLY well-dressed beach-goers could be in the early 1900s. They aren't just fully-dressed -- they're wearing suits and hats and white dresses for a day in the hot sun and gritty sand! What never ceases to amaze me is that few (if any) people bring a blanket or towel to lie on. There they are, in their nice clothes just sitting and lying directly on the sand. Many of the men (and some of the women) are sitting on suit jackets, getting them all mashed up and sandy. Way more surprising than that, though, is the number of women in white dresses and/or white blouses lying partially on newspapers (possibly because the sand is so hot). All I can think when I see THAT is that they must have newsprint ink smeared all over their nice white clothes! Got a laundress?The privileged classes employed a washerwoman to launder all of these clothes. Otherwise, you stoked up the fire on Monday morning and boiled and stirred all day long. Good old bluing kept the whites white. I, too, am always astounded at how heavily dressed our ancestors were in the heat of the East Coast summers. Prior to this time period, in the latter half of the 19th century, bathing machines were on the beaches in the UK. They looked like little sheds, and you went into them, disrobed, put on your heavy-duty bathing costume, and ejected yourself into the waves. No witnesses. So this photo represents a gradual pull away from that Victorian commodity. Peppermint TwistJoey Dee and the Starlighters did this song, not Chubby Checker. In the age of wiki and google, I kind of feel foolish pointing this out, but then I am also in an age where most people aren't old enough to remember this. Castles in the sandI like seeing "flip bucket" castles here and there. Some things never change! Back to SchoolThe Steel Pier. Atlantic City. This is where Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) developed and practiced his now famous "Triple Lindy" dive. Why go to the beach......if you aren't going in the water?? The people up on the pier must be enjoying the cool breezes without the hot sun shining on them! The view is just as nice above as below - so what is the attraction for the hot sand? More space maybe?? AND does anybody know what those big elaborate buildings house? Great pic - thanks again!!! No action?"How strange the Victorian era must of been." Well, Edwardian, to be precise. And all folks are doing is sitting, standing, or lying around. No activities of any kind. Isn't watching waves come in kind of like watching grass grow? Summer of '62Forty eight years ago, I watched Chubby Checker perform on the Steel Pier as he unveiled his second "twist" record, "The Peppermint Twist".. The "Pier" has an interesting history of storm damage, rebuilding, fires, rebuilding, diminishment, rebuilding, Miss America contest runways, cut-offs and add-ons. Seems like right now Donald Trump has made it an entertainment center once again. In 1904 when this photo was taken, my grandfather had just arrived at Ellis Island from Poland and in WW2, my uncle was stationed there, as Atlantic City was an Army training camp. A fascinating location, thanks Shorpy for the long trip down Memory Lane. Intergrated Too Couple hundred miles south and there would be a Blacks Only and a Whites Only beach sections. Good to see this intergration. [Yers. - Dave] What a coincidenceJust earlier today I was reading an older book entitled "Discovering America's Past," and looking at the section on Atlantic City's Boardwalk. The book also mentioned the Steel Pier, which is the first time I had heard of it. They didn't have a photo so I was glad to see one today. Seven inchesOf exposed skin in the whole field of view. I'm afraid I'll be underdressedHoney, where's my tie, vest, socks and garters and celluloid collar and second best coat? I'm going to the beach! Why go to the beach? Fresh air is the reason.We forget that most people lived in apartment buildings or rooming houses with few fans and obviously no A/C. It was common for people to leave their rooms for the day just to get out to where the air was fresh and a breeze might blow. In the summer months (at this time) in Chicago, people (whole families) slept in the parks at night if it was hot. In a time when illness was spread from living in close quarters people were encouraged to take the air to stay healthy. Given there was no TV or radio and few recordings in peoples homes - why not head out rather than sit in your stuffy rooms? Massacre!All those fully clothed bodies lying about on the beach remind me of corpses. Perhaps I have been watching too many cop shows. Oh Look! A ShorpyShooter!At least there's a camera on a tripod toward the front left, and who knows how much insight the cameraman has about future venues for his pictures! Steel AppearI watched Al Hirt's Steel Pier dance show on our black-and-white TV in the early '60s. It was like American Bandstand next to the ocean. I had no idea what a pier was, so I thought the show was called Steel Appear because it "appeared" on TV. (And I had no idea why the word "steel" was in the name, either.) Bathing suitsMy mother was telling me today my grandmother was scandalized by the appearance of men's bathing shorts. She felt that my grandfather's bathing suit, which in the 1920s consisted of a one-piece outfit with t-shirt length sleeves and cut mid-thigh, bordered on impropriety. My grandfather, a Presbyterian minister, wasn't the least concerned. Chicken Bone BeachThis is another in a series of images from Atlantic City. Last year Shorpy published a view that included a well dressed black family in the foreground. Now we find, in the photographic evidence, black families on the beach again. However, an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the beaches were restricted in most Jersey coastal towns, including Atlantic City. The story says that these beaches, presumably including "Chicken Bone Beach" in Atlantic City, were staffed with black lifeguards. A person quoted in the article says that "there were no signs saying colored-only beach ... you just knew your place." I think that the photographic evidence to the contrary is an inconvenient problem for some histories. The Diving HorseI was a young lad of about 6 when my parents took my younger brother and I to the Steel Pier in AC to see the famous Diving Horse. This was about 55 years ago. The horse didn't actually dive into the water; the front half of the platform the horse was standing on collapsed and forced the horse and rider to slide into the water from about five stories high. I felt sorry for the horse and worse later in life when I read that a few of the horses they used died of heart attacks from the experience. I also had to sit through a Vaughn Monroe performance and I'm not sure which was worse for a 6 year old. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
Northward Ho: 1905
... In his album "Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Part 2" the founding fathers invent a new medium called Tele-wagon. ... be so proud From the federal agency that brought you Miss Canada astride her wheat-swagged bicycle... When it came to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 2:07pm -

Circa 1905. "Motor car, Canadian Government Colonization Co." I wonder if there was a calliope aboard, or bagpipes. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Comedy Imitates LifeIn his album "Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Part 2" the founding fathers invent a new medium called Tele-wagon. It would be pulled around Europe while people extolled the new country's virtues through a small hole cut in the side. I wonder if Mr. Freberg knows how close to reality he came with his seemingly-goofy idea. Early HybridThere's an electric motor on the front axle, and what looks like a big radiator just aft. And a boiler tank in back. How'd this thing work? What propels this - um - contraption?Looking underneath, I wonder if this wasn't some sort of early hybrid... There appears to be an electric drive on the front axel but just behind it there is what appears to be a radiator and at the rear, what appears to be a gas or water tank. And finally those large boxes underneath appear to be battery boxes used in electric trucks of the period. What's your guess - steam/electric? Gas/electric? Interesting.... Fine example of the sign painter's art!And to think that we Canadians sometimes like to make fun of Americans for being "over the top." I guess we're caught this time! An amazing variety of typefaces, though. Oily AcresThe driver appears to be a bit slippery looking. I don't think I'd buy a necktie from that guy let alone travel thousands of miles for free land. John A. would be so proudFrom the federal agency that brought you Miss Canada astride her wheat-swagged bicycle... When it came to platitudinal boosterism, nobody beat the Canadian Government in the early 20th Century. Free land, mild climate, peerless soil, and the promise of happy, rosy-cheeked offspring playing amongst the wheat. Of course they never really told you that the land wasn't really free...there was a $10 service charge when you got to the Dominion Lands Office which some simply didn't have, having spent the last of their money on Canadian Pacific passage. And there was always a chance the surveyors' maps were off and you'd land was mostly under water. And the least said of the weather the better. But still, an admirable (and fantastical) showing from the fair Dominion. Considering the speed at which the Last Best West was settled between 1890 and 1914, it seems to have worked! What the heckare all of those electric bells and whistles for, the ones behind the vehicle operator's head? The signage on this wagon is magnificent. GadzooksMonty Python meets Kids in the Hall, and Charlie Chaplin is driving! Please Tell MeThat this thing survived and is in a museum somewhere. Canada, eh?Our much-advertised self-effacement isn't much in evidence, here. My mother came to Canada based on a lecture extolling the virtues of Canada's wide-open spaces and the ease of British subjects to get work. Ironically, her attempts to get a job as a teacher, here, were initially rebuffed with the terse "We don't hire Scottish people". Turned out it was a receptionist who didn't like Scots. "We don't hire your type..." --- I should have mentioned that efforts at convincing immigrants to settle the west, which also included "free land", often led to clashes in cultures. Those people from Eastern Europe fell afoul of suspicious governments (Federal and Provincial) and their neighbours when they gathered together to farm land communally. The Doukhobors, for instance, arriving in 1899 (7900 people) and 1902 (another 500), were initially permitted to own land individually but farm communally. However, but by 1905, the government of the day disallowed this practice. This and the Doukhobors refusal to swear the Oath of Allegiance, led to the government cancelling their homestead entries. They rejected government interference, which led to radical action by various sects (sometimes by carrying out bombings or nude protest). They were eventually disenfranchised, and their children removed from their care. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that the Doukhobors began to reclaim their culture and, in some cases, their family ties. The Doukhobors immigration was the single largest mass migration in Canadian history. The photo was apparently a gift from the State Historical Society of Colorado to the Detroit Publishing Collection in 1949. There is more information about the Canadian Colonization Company (a privately owned company that bought land and then distributed it for a fee) and other companies like it. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTA0... Coming and GoingFunny, my ancestors (part of the Mayflower crowd) settled in Canada as Tories but my grandfather and his 12 siblings immigrated back to the US around 1900 and became US citizens. What goes unsaidOh yes! A land of plenty and prosperity. Then there's the arctic climate six months of the year. Hope you like it uber-cold. Steam Lines?There appear to be steam lines, with sliding joints and valves, going to the wheels. What the heck? Actually, given the boiler and radiator, I really like the idea of a steam calliope. HomesteadersIn 1906 my Gr. Grandfather and family of 11 boys, (two with his second wife)set off with this dream from Minnesota to Saskatchewan. Every son went back to Minnesota to find a wife, and that is how I ended up being Canadian. ElectricDoes that motor drive the wheels? or is it just for the lights? Filling the Promised LandAt this time Canada was enthusiastically promoting immigration. Here's another 1905 promotional wagon, somewhat less hi-tech. Steam, I think.Considering the front "blow down" valve and the pipe leading to the boiler. The "radiator" is the condenser for reusing exhausted steam from the engine to turn it back into water for greatly extended mileage. The electrics are provided by a dynamo which charges batteries for all those lights. Oddly, the head and tail lights appear to by acetylene lamps. And, strangest of all. I think the rear wheels steer the thing. Hey, only on Shorpy, right? Bells whistles etcBehind the driver are two large meters that probably gave the amount of remaining charge in the batteries. A bank of knife switches that operated the numerous light bulbs are in evidence as well as what appears to be a large round rheostat to control voltage. The temperatureWhen our Fellowship sponsored a family of Kosovar refugees during the war in the former Yugoslavia, we were trying to impress upon them that the winters were "very, very cold". After bringing this up a number of times, the father finally said "If the winters were that cold, no one would be living here. Since you're living here, I think we can manage." Manage they did. Although part of the family returned home after the conflict ended, part of the family remained and remained good friends. And it wasn't until we saw photos of Kosovo in winter that it dawned on us that cold winters weren't exactly a surprise to them. That's something we still joke about (amongst other cultural misunderstandings on both our parts). Early day hybridAccording to "The Golden Years of Trucking" published by the Ontario Trucking Association in 1976, this was a gas-electric four-wheel-drive truck built by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Co. of Windsor, Ontario. It had an electric motor on each wheel, was 20 feet long and had an 81-inch track. The four cylinder engine produced 20 HP. The truck was sent to England to visit "every town and village in the country." Because it was so underpowered it never made it out of London. Presumably it was left in England. The sides could be hinged up to expose examples of the wonderful Canadian produce. [Fabulous. One question: When? - Dave] Wondering no moreI always wondered what possessed the various branches of my family to come to Canada. Now I know! Northern LightsI'm hoping the lighted letters on top worked thusly: each letter lights up in turn (C-A-N-A-D-A), and then the entire word flashes several times ("CANADA" "CANADA" "CANADA"!). That would have been all kinds of awesome! The CPR and Western ImmigrationThe Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in promoting immigration to Canada and settling the western provinces, in particular. 1905 was a pivotal year because that was the formation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Since the CPR had the only available transportation method of getting settlers into these new provinces, and they had a vested interest in encouraging both the agricultural future and the urban future of the west, they made it their business to encourage settlement. Since they also had a vested interest in getting settlers from Europe via their steamship line, they were VERY interested in advertising both the method and the reason for getting to Canada. They advertised in the form of lectures and through films (William Van Horne hired film maker James Freer to film all aspects of Canada (discouraging the use of winter scenes) "James Freer, who began shooting scenes of Manitoba farm life in 1897, and who was being sponsored on tours of Britain by William Van Horne as early as April 1898, was a pioneer in every sense of the word. None of his films appear to have survived, but his promotional literature indicates the eclectic nature of his offerings, part hard sell and part general-interest subjects to attract the audience. Entitled "Ten years in Manitoba -- 25,000 instantaneous photos upon half-a-mile of Edison films," a typical Freer "cinematograph lecture" included Arrival of CPR Express at Winnipeg, Harnessing the Virgin Prairie, Harvesting Scene with Trains Passing and Winnipeg Fire Boys on the Warpath. The first tour was evidently considered both a popular and a commercial success, though its immediate impact on emigration figures cannot be calculated. In 1901 Clifford Sifton, then minister of the Interior, agreed to sponsor a second one "under the auspices of the Canadian Government." This 1902 tour, using the same program of films, was less successful than the first, and neither the CPR nor the federal government was prepared to sponsor a third." http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/publications/archivist-magazine/01500... A joint effort between the CPR and the Canadian government IN THE WESTERN US STATES featured an "exhibition van" "which travelled the highways and country roads, much after the fashion of the van used in England by the railway company. The car was in charge of L.O. Armstrong, an effective speaker who represented the railway. According to the same book, "Building the Canadian West - The Land and Colonization Policies of the Canadian Pacific Railway (cited above), there was a colonization company (Beiseker and Davidson) active in the western US states and eventually brought 23 settlers from Colorado to found the Bassano Colony, in Alberta. This was in 1914. http://books.google.ca/books?id=CxsA_rOLK1UC&lpg=PA113&ots=2geF2e37ks&dq... No description of the van is given. I have contacted the CPR Archives to see if I can find out more. The automated response tells me that I can expect to wait 6-8 weeks for an initial response... Great. Similar to the Homestead ActThe promise on the wagon of 160 free acres reminds me of the promises of the American Homestead Act that promised anyone 160 free acres of land if they stayed on (and improved) the land and stayed for 5 years. In the corner of the prairie where I grew up (NW Iowa) my ancestors and lots of people made it, but lots of people didn't make it in the wilds of South and North Dakota. I can't even imagine how you could make it in a sod hut or tiny cabin even further north in the winters of Western Canada. All of those pioneers were made of sterner stuff! CPR Archives responseI received an email this morning from the CPR Archives... The photo of the motor car is interesting and new to us. The CP exhibit car was a railway car promoting farming in western Canada (see photos NS16354 and NS12974). CP also had a "trailer" which was hauled in Europe (see NS11550 in Paris)." I also came across this, which is unfortunately unaccessible in its entirety without purchasing the book. In my reply to the archivist, I cited the posting earlier by Jimmytruck. Curiouser and curiouser. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Curiosities, DPC)
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