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Onward Christian Soldiers: 1939
April 1939. "Salvation Army, San Francisco, California. At Minna Street the army forms a semicircle, girls' ... [At this time, Third and Minna was the epicenter of San Francisco's skid row. -tterrace] Twins? Are those young ladies in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2014 - 2:10pm -

April 1939. "Salvation Army, San Francisco, California. At Minna Street the army forms a semicircle, girls' Sunday school class sings between preaching to attract a crowd." Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. A Different (and disgruntled) DrummerLooks the drummer to the right is not too happy when he's not banging on his drum. Time to do that when the women stop singing. I like the versionwith Jean Simmons better Not much potentialUnless there are throngs of on-lookers and passers-by behind the photographer, the chances of attracting a crowd right there, right then, seem mighty slim. [At this time, Third and Minna was the epicenter of San Francisco's skid row. -tterrace] Twins?Are those young ladies in front twins? Could be according to my eyes. Why no street view?This was Minna at Third St., but now the block has been transmogrified into part of the Yerba Buena Gardens. Minna StreetI'm curious, how did you ID the location as Minna @ Third? I do not see any obvious reference points, other than the camera is pointing southwest towards Twin Peaks. [The front of the Third St. store at right is seen in other photos in the set . -tterrace] (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Music, San Francisco)
Crack Salesmen: 1936
... salesmen' and wives 'Going East' on streamliner City of San Francisco ." 8x10 acetate negative. View full size. Not just the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2015 - 5:34pm -

Oct. 8, 1936. "H.O. Harrison Pontiac -- 'crack salesmen' and wives 'Going East' on streamliner City of San Francisco." 8x10 acetate negative. View full size. Not just the salesmen and wivesSomeone's daughter is there - notice the sailor suit and the bobby socks and saddle shoes of the young lady in the middle. I can't figure out who she's related to - possibly the woman with the gloves on the left hand side of the sign. Watermarks, againDave: I just started noticing the Large watermarks, and I've been a Shorpy reader since 2007. You have to do what you have to do. I've always assumed that if I bought a print, it would be removed, yes? [Watermarks are not on Shorpy's prints. -tterrace] Now I'm wondering if you're the same Dave from Plan 59, previously Ephemera Now, where I have purchased several "Meat" prints. [Yes. -tterrace] Bless you and the work you do, it always brightens my day. Don't Mind the Watermarks I'm an enthusiastic fan of photogrpahy and have often complained about obnoxious watermarks. They never bothered me on Shorpy. They are small, always placed so that they don't obstruct any detail and generally blend into the black & white photos well. Dave's comments regarding pirated photos endangerng the future of Shorpy are a little alarming. I visit this site every day and really enjoy it. I'm going to make a point of finally ordering a big print of that Rock Center photo in the next month or so. Watermarks ReduxConsidering that Shorpy and his staff put in a load of time and effort, and provide us with these great pix at NO COST, there should no nit-picking because the site wishes to protect their work product. There is at least one historical photo site I visit regularly that uses a watermark that occupies 25% to 30% or more of the image. Of course, I will not name them here, as they are simply exercising their right to protect their property. They market those images, much as Shorpy does. Star ChieftainsLove this streamlined-'30s image! If these fellows had stuck with Pontiac for another 20 years or so, then they could have been billed as "Wide-Track Salesmen." In the meantime, I'm casting a 1937 Hollywood version of this journey, in which the two jaunty-hatted women on the right end of the line would be played by Myrna Loy and Helen Broderick, respectively. Shorpy WatermarksI love the ingenuity of the watermarks. They sometimes blend in so well, I gotta take extra time to find them. Hats off to you, Dave! Shorpy takes me to places that resemble the photos in the old shoe box at home, when I was a kid. Kudos! Union PacificThat's a Union Pacific M-10003 or 4, which my father had in a Lionel version, made of heavy cast metal, but which was quick to derail. The larger Lionel M-10000 that he had, which negotiated only double-radius O-72 curves, was much more stable. Apparently the M-1000 was the earlier version historically but probably later in Lionel production. Grinning GrillesThis early diesel-electric locomotive was semi-permanently coupled to its special train set. I am told the crews did not appreciate the gaping air intakes when, for example, the locomotive encountered an unfortunate skunk on the tracks. Operated by Chicago & Northwestern, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific, the passenger demands soon outgrew its limited capacity for travel between Chicago and Oakland. It was soon replaced by a much larger train which was wrecked by sabotage west of Carlin NV in 1939. 39¾ Hours to Chicago!Southern Pacific poster. This was actually taken in Oakland, which was as far as the train could go. San Francisco passengers were ferried across the Bay. SurvivorThe Great Depression was particularly hard on auto dealers, whose revenue depended on people with disposable income. Henry O. ("H.O.") Harrison had built a minor empire of car and truck dealerships around the Bay Area (while ranching and dealing in commercial real estate elsewhere in California). He and his principal business (H.O.Harrison Company) filed for bankruptcy at the Depression's peak, but as this photo reflects, he was soon back on his feet. By the time of the 1940 census, he and his wife Daisy and daughter Margaret were living in an apartment on Washington Street in San Francisco, right on a cable car line. WatermarksI agree with valueseekinguy that the watermarks detract a bit. I like to show off Shorpy pics as wallpaper on my work machine. I just try to choose ones where the watermark isn't as noticeable. I also understand where Dave is coming from. Restoring old pics can take a great deal of time and work. If it helps to keep Shorpy going, I don't mind the very minor inconvenience. UglyThat has to be the ugliest locomotive I've ever seen. How that ever got through the design stage I'll never understand. I wonder what else the designer came up with if that was his best. WatermarkedAll-in-all, that's a pretty tame watermark. Well worth the ability to get to view these images in hi-res. Hope this site never goes away. Call Me BlindBut I can't even see it, the watermark that is, not the train Fabulous shape!I like all the women in this salesMEN shot. But even more the streamliner. - more shots of that amazing body please! My, how times change."Crack Salesmen"? Appreciation I rarely comment here, but I visit this site every single day. It is one of the best, and all the Curmudgeon Crew can contribute is harping about "watermarks"... seriously?? It takes true dedication and surprisingly hard work to maintain fresh content 7 days a week, every week. Keep it up Shorpy crew, I and others truly appreciate the daily "trips" down memory lane !! Not Impressed With The Watermark On The LocomotiveI notice lately you've been adding a "Shorpy" watermark through the middle of your pictures. I think it drastically detracts from what you are doing. As a hobby, I used to color some of the pictures for my own use but now I have extra work to remove the watermark. [Tell that to the dozens of people who rip off our images to sell as prints on eBay. Much more of that, and there won't be a Shorpy. - Dave] WatermarkedThat is the curse of digitalization. Copying will not degrade the object being copied. The second curse is that too many people think everything in the WWW is free. Hey, read the terms of use, will ya'! On the other extreme, some providers (not Shory.com, mind) think they can charge even more for digital products, although the overall costs are only a fraction of the respective pre-internet hardware product, what with tooling, stocking, transport, wholesale, retail and sell-through risk, which all are nonexistent in digital distribution. 14 bucks for the CD, OK. But 13 bucks for the same in digital? C'mon! Fabulous ladies' hats!If I'm ever transported to the past, I will definitely try to find work as a milliner. These hats are the peak of prewar whimsy; they are so optimistic and jaunty. The salesmen and their wives are so happy to have earned this terrific trip--Where are they going? Progress?It's quaint that that locomotive could propel you from Chicago to Oakland in 39 and 3/4 hours. Of course today, with all our modern wizardry, you can make the same train trip in a little over 52 hours. GorgeousThat is the most Beautiful train I have ever seen! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads, San Francisco)
Chinese Mission House: 1880s
San Francisco circa 1880s. "Chinese Mission House of the M.E. Church, 916 ... Universal Wooden Sidewalks Wood sidewalks are not a San Francisco phenomenon based on slopes, they were pretty universal in 1880 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2015 - 3:20pm -

San Francisco circa 1880s. "Chinese Mission House of the M.E. Church, 916 Washington Street." 5x5 inch glass heliograph transparency, formerly of the Wyland Stanley and Marilyn Blaisdell collections. View full size. Universal Wooden SidewalksWood sidewalks are not a San Francisco phenomenon based on slopes, they were pretty universal in 1880 and mostly used until 1900. Concrete and concrete construction improved after 1880 but were mostly focused on getting steel reinforcement improvements for construction. However a few concrete sidewalks existed by 1860. Wooden it?The place is built of wood, and the blocks you see that make it resemble a stone structure are known as quoins. Often seen on even simple buildings, and many stucco structures have similar. San Francisco had way more wooden buildings than masonry- in fact one of the biggest imports to the city was lumber, down to whole 'rafts' of it floated from up the coast. Try that with stone sometime! Wood-plank sidewalksTwo possible explanations for the wood-plank sidewalks: 1. Wood was cheap and plentiful in San Francisco in the 1880s, before we chopped down the old-growth forests. 2. As someone who used to work in a factory where we poured concrete, I would say that pouring concrete sidewalks would definitely be a challenge on those steep San Francisco hills. The wet concrete would flow down the hill before it cured unless it was mixed very dry and salted with lime to promote faster curing. But those techniques tend to weaken the concrete. I don't know how they do it nowadays. Some steep San Francisco sidewalks are actually molded as steps! Wooden sidewalks?While raised wooden sidewalks were common in the west during this period, the cobbled streets, gas lamps and stone building in this image makes the (apparently) wood planks of the sidewalk seem out of place. Any urban pavement historians out there? I wooden be too sureI think the building is made of wood, but made to look like stone. Heliograph transparencyIf I am right, this is the first time we encounter the term "heliograph transparency" at Shorpy's. In the "Printmaking dictionary" you may find some explanations for the term, but, to be honest, it doesn't really make me wiser as what a heliograph transparency could be, although one of the explanations mentions a "reproductive process using a transparent support." (The Gallery, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
City Hall: 1906
San Francisco, April 1906. "Tower of City Hall after earthquake and fire." 8x10 ... better, I don't know what is. Nevertheless . . . San Francisco 11, Texas 7. Before and After The San Francisco City Hall ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:37pm -

San Francisco, April 1906. "Tower of City Hall after earthquake and fire." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Doubly DomedYou can see the old city dome under the structure of the new dome that was built to give city hall more height ... and it looks amazingly intact. What a MessIf this isn't an object lesson in bigger isn't necessarily better, I don't know what is. Nevertheless . . .San Francisco 11, Texas 7. Before and AfterThe San Francisco City Hall before the earthquake, and after being rebuilt. Down they cameGreat photo. I understand this and many other photos like it mostly displayed the result of shoddy construction and substandard materials done in that city under public works contracts. New City HallThe new City Hall is an entirely new building constructed on a different site nearby; what was left of the old one was completely demolished. This IsOne of those pictures. No words required! Go Giants!Is Shorpy a disgruntled Phillies fan? I wonderif the statue on the top of the dome was saved. You CAN fight City HallLooks like City Hall lost. SuperdomeAmazing to me that the dome is still intact given all the damage underneath. I don't think this damage is a result of "shoddy construction." You have to consider the technology of the era. [I'd say that most of this damage could be attributed to big earthquake + big fire. - Dave] +101All that remains anyway: the head of the Goddess of Progress statue on the dome of the old City Hall, saved when the ruin itself was finally pulled down in 1909. It's now on display in the new City Hall, just off the rotunda. In fact, here I am with it in April 2007. Note To SelfWhen rebuilding San Francisco after a bigass earthquake, do NOT make buildings from bricks. Or on top of sand. Or on top of "land" made from the rubble of previous earthquakes. Not shoddyUnreinforced masonry doesn't stand a chance in an earthquake. This photo reveals in a unique way (at least I've never seen it before) what has been learned in the century since. The steel structure appears to be undamaged. For all I know there is some damage that is not readily apparent. Yet the surviving cross-section of the brick wall is quite thick, and has few structural ties to the steel. There are two separate structures here. A modern building might have a single thickness of brick, with multiple ties to the steel. An old building in that era would have little or no steel to begin with, and even thicker brick. I would also say that this building seems to have escaped the fire. No steel members are sagging due to heat damage, and I don't see smoke stains. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
Original Signers: 1921
...       "We are signing the Victory Highway, San Francisco to N.Y." San Francisco circa 1921. "White motor truck at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2016 - 9:43pm -

        "We are signing the Victory Highway, San Francisco to N.Y." San Francisco circa 1921. "White motor truck at Palace of Fine Arts -- California State Automobile Association." A project from the early days of long-distance motor travel, when auto clubs took the lead in establishing and marking routes between cities and across the country. 8x10 inch glass negative, formerly of the Wyland Stanley and Marilyn Blaisdell collections. View full size. InvisibilityIs the painting of Yosemite on the side of the truck a 1921 form of camouflage? Or is this perhaps the world's first hippie van? After all, it is San Francisco. Still standing, sort ofThe Palace of Fine Arts was built in 1915 as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. As were all the structures for that event, it was made of non-durable materials, since the expectation was that the entire area would be cleared when the fair closed. The POFA was so beloved that the city decided to retain it, but it began to deteriorate almost immediately, as can be seen by the hole in its roof. The original was in near ruin by 1964 and was demolished that fall. It was then replaced with an exact replica made of steel and concrete. It still stands today and is still beloved---the site of many weddings and other ceremonial events. PoFA todayThe 1964 reproduction Palace of Fine Arts as I saw it on January 5 this year during a propitious golden hour break in a winter storm. Much nicerBy comparison to the Grant truck a few days back, this is nearly a luxury vehicle. Snazzy, I say. Take me campin' grandpa! It was sadI first laid eyes on the original Palace in early 1960, and by that point it was in terrible condition, though one revelatory of its mode of construction: timber framework, lots of chicken wire, and plenty of stucco. The present replica cannot but be more durable, yet it is a miracle that the original survived long enough to garner support for its being more permanently replaced. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Kong Chow Asylum: 1906
... "Pine Street below Kearney." Aftermath of the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:41pm -

"Pine Street below Kearney." Aftermath of the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Smokin'Although not dated precisely, this photo must have been taken within a few days of the fires' being extinguished since the first thing that San Franciscans did after the disaster was to clear the streets. You gotta wonder about the wisp of smoke coming from the chimney atop the high-rise on the background. (The Appraiser's Building?) Did the building's boiler room survive intact so that the heating system still worked? Or was someone burning trash in the basement? Or maybe it's residual smoke from the still-smoldering ruins making its way up the flues? Do Notuse the fire escape on the left. Hats!The world comes to an end, but they still have their hats! The etiquette of the day was such that to not have a hat was considered unusual. http://www.walternelson.com/dr/hatiquette Offensive?Standing alone for nearly 3 years against the scourge of Nazism, I think they are allowed to wear their hats. [Weebitski is talking about the San Francisco earthquake photo.] My apologies. Battle Of BritainLooks like London after the Blitz. Kong ChowKong Chow Beneficial Society (Chinese). Incorporated September 24, 1867. Location of asylum was on north side of Pine street, between Kearny and Dupont [Grant]. Object was to dispense charity to poor and worthy Chinese. Awesome for realIt annoys me the way people throw this word around over a candy-bar or something. Now this is what awesome looks like; this is what awesome is. Quick Clean UpIf the current passion for used brick would have been a trend in 1906, they could have had this all picked up quickly by advertising "rock bottom prices on used brick -all you can carry". Still standing?Are either of the tall buildings still there, or any of the others in this picture? Smoke PlumeHistry2 - I was wondering about the wisp of smoke as well, especially as the building is clearly burnt out. Maybe there was still a lone stoker, working away in the boiler room of the building, unaware that anything had happened outside! Mills BuildingAuntjess - the big building on the right is still standing. It is the 10-story Mills Building, designed by Burnham & Root of Chicago and built in 1891-1892. It survived the earthquake and fire and was rebuilt and enlarged by the succeesor firm of D. H. Burnham and Company in 1907-1908, under the supervision of Willis Polk. The Mills Building was built for Darius Ogden Mills, a Forty-Niner who became a California banking tycoon. Merchants ExchangeAuntjess - the big building with the wisp of smoke is the Merchants Exchange, restored after the earthquake and fire is still standing at 465 California Street. It was, like the Mills Building, designed by Willis Polk while at Burnham & Root. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
The Dawn of Botts Dots: 1969
... in 1974 I was astounded. I was visiting my grandmother in San Francisco and we were driving late at night. On the highway I saw an amazing ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 03/06/2023 - 7:00pm -

Three years after the first Botts dots were installed on a California highway, I took this Kodachrome going south on US 101 at the Alto interchange in Marin County, California. This was when it was still a full cloverleaf, with its hair-raisingly overlapping entry and exit lanes below the overpass. Off to the left, Belvedere and Tiburon; to the right, Mill Valley. Again, this is the era of Volkswagen Beetle ubiquity: there are at least three visible here, one in its favorite habitat, the fast lane. View full size. Neat ideaThis first time I every saw those dots in 1974 I was astounded. I was visiting my grandmother in San Francisco and we were driving late at night. On the highway I saw an amazing sight, you could see all the lanes marked out with these green glowing dots just as well as if you were driving during the day. Right away, I wondered why didn't somebody think to do that back home. Why even in thick fog you would be able to see and stay in your lane without any trouble. If was obvious. Then somebody pointed out to me that with, back home in Canada, winter storms dropping a foot of snow on the highway and then snow plows scraping everything off the roads after they might not work quite as well as in California. Back to the drawing board and you know what? Almost 40 years later, they still haven't put any on the highways here! Go figure. [Here in the Northeastern U.S., they embed the reflectors in the pavement so that they're flush with the surface and can't be scraped off by plows. - Dave] Before Better BottsThe first generation of Botts Dots, I learned, were nailed to the pavement. After working free, they'd puncture tires. Later they were glued to the roadbed. Ahh, CaluhfourneyeayeWhat a gorgeous looking day. Photoshop out the highways, cars, roads, bridges, people, stoplights, and signs, and you have an Ansel Adams photograph. Rule(s) of the BeetleOne of which was "the brighter the color, the more obnoxious the driver," which we see illustrated here. Is that a Fiat just behind it? It's hard to tell, but I think that's another VW in the northbound slow lane, just under the overpass from our point of view. Otherwise a nice selection of Detroit iron: a Thunderbird, a Cougar, and a couple of Oldsmobiles in the southbound lane, plus something I can't make out. Northbound, another Beetle, a Dodge truck that may be an armored car, GMC pickup, and what looks like a '70 Ford but is probably a '69 unless this was quite late in the year, plus several others obscured by guardrail, other vehicles, or distance. And you can actually see the pavement, instead of wall-to-wall sheet metal, in the daytime! Those were the days. Reflections on a dotTo this day most Botts dots are non-reflective, so they don't show a whole lot better at night than painted lines. You can see a standard recessed (and snow plow friendly) reflector in the space between every other grouping of Botts dots in the picture. There are some technologies that give them reflectivity, but I'm surprised that they haven't standardized a technique that embeds glass beads into the surface for good reflectivity like with most road paint or thermoplastic striping. Am I the only one who keeps mistyping it as Botts dotts? re: Pre-BottsWow, Steve Stephens, nifty! That's when it was called the Alto Wye, which I hazily remember along with the Corte Madera Wye just to the north. The days when four-lane divided roads like this were called superhighways. Pre-Botts Dots daysA circa 1955 photo, also looking south at the same spot, when the cloverleaf interchange in the main photo was in the process of being built to handle ever increasing Marin County traffic. I moved here in Sept. 1957 to start high school and can attest there have been a lot of changes here since then, and not for the better. Reflector dotsHere in the non-snowy parts of California, the reflectors placed between the groups of Botts dots are also raised. Even those become less and less reflective as they become scuffed, abraded, dirtied and chipped. A glass-beaded surface on the Botts dots would lose its reflectivity pretty quickly. Lou JudsonHey, this was MY turnoff! I lived in Strawberry Point, over the hill on the left, from 1957 to 1971. All those hills except the top of the farthest one are now covered with houses! I nearly burst into tears when I came over the Alto hill and saw that they had chopped off the top of the hill on the right to build a development called Enchanted Knolls - with streets named after English poets (Yet I have never heard a poem as beautiful as a hill). Personally I love cloverleaf interchanges. The skill it takes to negotiate them should be a driver test requirement! I feel they have been changed to stoplight intersections due to the stupidity of the common driver - and the offramp to the right now has four lanes and still backs up over the hill behind the pov. At the time of this photo I was commuting to SF State College in my 58 VW bus from Strawberry. Twenty years later I was coming over the top of the Alto Hill when the Loma Prieta earthquake happened. I did not feel it because I was in my fourth VW bus, but saw the transformers on all the power poles in this picture explode in blue-white light as the grid went down and left us in the dark for a few days. So many memories! Sparse carsI imagine it's been many a day since that road has been that lightly traveled. Rolling HillsThanks for another Marin Memory, tterrace. I navigated this turnoff daily when I lived in the Strawberry district of Mill Valley from 1969 to 1971. I'm also very familiar with the surge in development described by other posters that has taken place here over the last four decades. Both sides of the freeway beyond the overpass are now crowded by shopping centers, car dealerships, and gas stations. But there's also good news to report. The reason the hills in the distance have escaped development is that they were set aside in 1972 as part of a sprawling urban park called the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The area, now known as the Marin Headlands, is under stewardship of the National Park Service. TailgatingI drove a VW bug for 17 years and noticed an unfailing rule which is also evident in this picture: People always tailgate you when you drive a Volkswagen in the left (fast) lane, even if you're speeding yourself. Botts update.I've been meaning to take this shot since seeing this image, but I just don't go in that direction as much as I used to. I had to use my iphone, as I forgot to bring my "real" camera. It gives an idea of how things have changed. The shot was taken well after the commute time, and seems not much different than the original shot. It was a gray day, so I decided to sample the original clouds to spruce things up. The Prius has replaced the Volkswagen in these parts as the people's car. 1930sThe Redwood Highway (southbound) swung hard right here and went west of the big hill on the right back in the 1930s. I think about the time the bridges were being built (BB and GGB, 1935-37) the highway cut was made through here and connected with the then-new Richardson Bay Bridge, itself made of redwood and replaced in the late '50s when the freeway was built. 1931 PicHere is a classic shot of almost the exact location of tterrace's 1969 picture. This is well before the Golden Gate Bridge was built. All traffic at Alto Wye had to turn right and travel through Mill Valley to continue on towards Sausalito and then San Francisco via ferry. More detail: http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt1v19q6ff/ (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, On the Road, tterrapix)
Mustang in Flight: 1942
... Alfred Palmer's obituary from Feb. 2, 1993: (San Francisco Chronicle) Alfred Palmer, a career photographer who got his first ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2022 - 12:08pm -

October 1942. P-51 "Mustang" fighter in flight near the Inglewood, California, plant of North American Aviation. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size. Paint?Did planes like these leave the plant unpainted? [It is painted. Compare with unpainted. - Dave] Alfred Palmer: 1906-1993Alfred Palmer's obituary from Feb. 2, 1993: (San Francisco Chronicle) Alfred Palmer, a career photographer who got his first camera from Ansel Adams and who had his first public show at the age of 84, died Sunday. Mr. Palmer, a longtime Bay Area resident who most recently lived in Larkspur, died in San Rafael after a long illness. He was 86. A staff photographer and film maker for such shipping companies as Dollar, Matson and American President Lines, Mr. Palmer had his debut exhibition in 1990. "It's about time," he said during the two-part show at the Bank of America Concourse Gallery. The first exhibition included World War II photographs taken when he worked for the Office of War Information. The second included pictures from his travels during the 1920s and 1930s and featured such photographs as an untouchable in Bombay, an old man in Beijing and temple dancers in Bali. Mr. Palmer estimated that he traveled half a million miles at sea during his career and circumnavigated the globe "more times than I can remember." In 1917, he helped a young Ansel Adams carry his heavy tripod and camera around the Yosemite Valley, where Adams took some of his most famous and striking photographs. At the end of the expedition, Adams presented Mr. Palmer with a $1 Box Brownie camera. "He made me a photographer," Mr. Palmer later told an interviewer. A former merchant seaman, Mr. Palmer also produced films about the American Merchant Marine. Mr. Palmer is survived by his wife, Alexa, of San Rafael; three children, Julia Gennert of Bolinas, Donald Palmer of Stinson Beach and David Palmer of Los Altos; and nine grandchildren. Memorial services are pending. Beautiful aircraft!Looks to be a P-51B IIRC, which was made specifically for ground attack. This was with the Allison engines, and was considered underpowered until incorporation with the Merlin engine that enabled it to (later) establish itself as one of the top fighters of WWII. Thanks for sharing this :) Also known as the ApacheThis model was also known by the name "Apache." MustangMy records show this aircraft as being built for the RAF, but retained by the USAAC for testing. Serial number of the aircraft is 41-37416. Aircraft was destroyed during shipment to Europe in 1943. Early vs. Late P-51 MustangsThe Brits were not impressed with the first P51s we sent them, but some bright fellow thought to put an engine from the Spitfire in one. We started making that Rolls-Royce Merlin engine over here (in a Packard plant?) to put in the later Mustang, turning it into a world-beater. "Mustang I"This is a Mustang I, the original version built for the Brits before the US put in their order. The primary clue is in the guns -- all US versions were armed with Browning 50 caliber machine guns, which have barrels short enough to almost fit in the wings. Only stubs will show for 50 calibers. On the other hand, the Mustang I was ordered with four Hispano 20 mm cannons instead of machine guns. The long gun fairings conclusively identify this as an Allison engined, 20mm cannon armed, Mustang I. (The British gave their aircraft a snappy name, like "Spitfire" or "mustang", and identified models by roman numerals. On the other hand, the US relied on familiar type and model numbers, like "P" (for Pursuit)- 51. In the US system, versions were identified by letters, and minor modifications by "block numbers." For example, "P-47D-25") Apache? Not.While basically the same airframe it's not an Apache. A-36's had dive brakes on the wings. MustangThis is a P-51 (no suffix), RAF equivalent is Mustang IA. Only this version had the four 20mm Hispano guns. Mustang Mk. I's had two chin-mounted .50 caliber machine guns and one .50 caliber and two .303's in each wing for a total of eight. The Mk. I's were exported for use by the RAF and RCAF. A-36 was the Invader, not ApacheIf the the P-51A (cannon armed) also was in the AAF Apache era I can't say for certain, but the reply below restricting the Apache appellation to the A-36 is in error. Later the A-26 assumed the Invader name, but that p[lane did not reach operational combat units until months after Overlord. Philip C. Marchese, Jr. P-51It did have an unique official designation of P-51-1 for 57 planes for AAF use withdrawn from an RAF Defense Aid (Lend-Lease) contract for 150 as their Mustang 1A. Serials for that contract were 41-11981 to -11980, but there is no found record of exactly which ones went to AAF. Confusion arises in that all were similar to Mustang I but for wing cannon; however, Mustang 1 was factory Model 83, and Mustang 1A in this contract was Model 91 with no new model number assigned. To muddy the waters moreso, AAF first applied a designation of F-6A—as a photo ship—but that idea was tossed out. There is some thought that it was to be Model 92, but that had already been assigned to a Boeing B-29 contract which was canceled, so cooler minds took the easy way out by simply adding a dash 1 and moved on to other things. This is either an I/P-51 or a P-51AThe inlet scoop over the engine behind the prop is indicative of the Allison powered versions of the Mustang. These were the very first models produced and saw limited service as attack aircraft due to their poor performance above 20,000 feet. The big change for the Mustang came with the addition of the British Merlin engine..... the rest is history. Hello, www.shorpy.comHello, I can't understand how to add your blog ( www.shorpy.com ) in my rss reader [Click the "Shorpy RSS" link at the top of the homepage. - Dave] Apache!When North American designed the NA73-X, the factory named the entire project "Apache." The P51/Mustang IA was designed without British involvement and still had the original factory label. The P51, after production, was slated for half USAAF training units and half British deployment. The British commonly renamed American aircraft but in the case of the P51 (no A,B,C or D/K) the Americans had always referred to the planes as Apache. The Army echelon did not like the name and they were more than happy to change it to Mustang later. "Invader" is what US Army theater personnel called the A36 Apache, but it was never an official designation. Packard MerlinsAt the beginning of the war, 1939, the British air ministry sent a buying team to the USA to source a fighter superior to the british spitfire and a supply of Merlin engines. It appears that Rolls-Royce feared they would not be able to supply Merlins in sufficient quantity for the number of aircraft projected to use them, among them Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster bomber and others, so they contracted Packard to produce Merlins under licence. When the US found itself at war after Pearl Harbour, it checked around it's its armament inventory and found Mustangs awaiting shipment to us British, these were immediately impounded, re-gunned and and impressed into USAAF service. They also discovered a ready supply of Merlin engines being built in their own backyard. The aircraft proved to be a disappointment in British service and was relegated to ground attack. It was only when a Merlin was fitted that it's its laminar flow wing came into it's its own. By the way it's its bubble canopy and drop tanks were also fitted by us first. The US never managed to fit a cannon of US design in it's its fighters and even in Korea the North American Sabre still had to rely on 0.5 machine guns against the Russian Mig-15 cannons. Mustangs were not much used by us British after that, we preferred to rely on the constantly improving Spitfire. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Construction Zone: 1931
The San Francisco Bay Area circa 1931. "Earth-moving equipment and trucks." 8.5 x 6.5 ... First, the year of the photo corresponds with San Francisco's development of Sunset Boulevard through undeveloped sand ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2014 - 5:28am -

The San Francisco Bay Area circa 1931. "Earth-moving equipment and trucks." 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Truck IDsTruck with water(?) tank is a Pierce Arrow. Others are Sterlings with chain drive. Note Pierce Arrow has hard rubber; others have balloon tires. High tech! What will it be?It would be interesting to know what it is they're constructing. Maybe somebody will know. Chain driveSterling retained chain drive at least as late as 1952 (see picture), and maybe later for all I know. I think they were the last holdout with this driveline system. Contractor where I grew up had a fleet of them, and I can still hear their clanky whine as they went by. The shovelThe shovel is a Northwest, probably a model 80 or 105, probably gas but possibly diesel. Relatively modern for the time. Many contractors were still using steam shovels at this point. The CarCirca 1926-27 Chevrolet coupe. Chain DriveAs late as about 1959, I remember seeing Mack chain drives, with solid tires, no less, thundering down Fulton Street past Borough Hall in Brooklyn. Given the condition of that heavily worn pavement, it must have been a punishing ride indeed for those poor drivers! Gas Shovel Pit and Quarry, September 1922. New Gas Shovel The Northwest Engineering Company of Green Bay, Wis., announces that after exhaustive tests in the field a new Northwest gas shovel has been released for general sale. This shovel, because of its sturdy simplicity and unusual range of utility, is expected to find wide application for the general contractor and road builder, and in quarries and sand and gravel pits. The device is an adaptation of a new, and according to the manufacturer a revolutionary shovel mechanism, to the Northwest crawler crane. This crawler device is depended upon to give the shovel ideal mobility. Incorporated in the crawler base is the patented Northwest steering device which, in the words of the maker, make the device “as easy to steer as a truck.” The shovel travels at a good rate of speed to and from the job without taxing the motor and, being operated by a gas engine, no stops to get up steam are necessary. … Could be grade separation.A temporary bridge is in place and a 4-lane divided road is being knocked out from below. NorthwestSize of the shovel looks like a 105. Here is a 1926 Model 105, set up as a dragline, working. http://youtu.be/aavrzUYlcyY?list=UUFi8qTmbq8tIIyCap45cEGA Sunset Boulevard under construction at Sloat?Using the hints in the photo (Excavation work in sandy soil under a divided highway, electric railway/streetcar tracks, and the caption info), I'm guessing that this is a view of Sloat Boulevard with the excavation for the new Sunset Boulevard taking place. Just a guess from 2700 miles away. I vote for SloatI'm with grubbed. The attached photograph was taken by the City of SF's Department of Public Works in October 1931. It shows construction work on a viaduct for Sloat Boulevard to cross over an as-yet unnamed new roadway, which became today's Sunset Boulevard. Those fence posts sure look the same. Three votes for Sloat and SunsetI agree with grubemed and Histry2. First, the year of the photo corresponds with San Francisco's development of Sunset Boulevard through undeveloped sand dunes west of the city. Histry2's photo does seem to be of the same construction site. This image, taken the same day, captures what appears to be the same temporary bridge as in our photo. It impresses me that, eighty-three years later, the overpass is still in use and is a handsome, but time-worn, bit of engineering. I'm not sure the same will be said of most bridges being built today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin)
Raw Recruits: 1941
... 1941. Enlisting in the Marines. Recruiting office, San Francisco." Nitrate negative by John Collier, Office of War Information. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:50am -

"December 1941. Enlisting in the Marines. Recruiting office, San Francisco." Nitrate negative by John Collier, Office of War Information. View full size. I think I would have titled this one"Checking out the competition." If you can read this...If that paper on the wall is the eye chart, it is a wonder that anybody can pass the test. Even the sign warning the recruits about dishonorable discharges is in a larger type. Part of the Continuum: Ah, the memories...And I can vouch that this rite of passage remained pretty much unchanged at least through 1972. Other than the small number of recruits or draftees shown, it looks just like my in-processing at the Hollywood CA Induction Center. For the uninitiated, it was just easier to keep you naked as you were processed through different examination stations. You were examined, poked, and prodded from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, and I saw people rejected at every step of the process. The only thing I remember about the sequencing was the hernia exam was immediately followed by the rectal exam in the same room. We were cycled into the exam room about 25-30 raw recruits at a time, lined up around the edges facing into the room while 2-3 docs first did the "cough check" assembly-line style, and then we were all told to face the wall and bend over. Thank goodness the only visual I got from that was the gov't two-tone green paint on the wall. It was the perfect preparation for Basic Training: Nothing else could quite drive home the point: "Welcome to the military! Your you-know-what is ours!" Hey buddyIt's not polite to stare. It's even less polite to point. The flower of American youthOK, I'll be the first to say it, "Eyes front!!" The naked IDarn! Now I know what I was doing wrong at the optometrist. Who knew you had to be naked to pass the eye exam. Cheek to cheekThat wooden bench was, I'm sure, just sat upon by three other naked guys and will be sat upon by the next group of naked guys. The germophobes among us are recoiling in horror. Useless furniture.I'm guessing the coat rack in the corner didn't get much use. I remember the cold linoleum floors. Would socks have been too much to leave us with? CaloriesConsidering that cameras add weight to the subject it just goes to show how common caloric energy from lipids and proteins is today. These are average healthy adults of the time and to my eyes today they look thin. Nuts!And they're not Planter's either! Slim Pickin'sNot sure the Marines got their "few good men" out of that scrawny bunch. Maybe they made up for it with attitude. Genesis of the "lunch ladies"The WWII draft physicals played an important role in changing American nutritional policy. Concerns about the nutritional status of young men drafted for service in the War led to the enactment of the National School Lunch Act in 1946. Gravy Up!Obviously not Southern men fortified with biscuits, gravy and good ole country sausage and the muscles gained by hard farming. Someone needed to give these boys the high-corn show feed and fast. Dude!Don't stare. Phil FosterThere was a postwar stand-up comic named Phil Foster who told of his induction physical. He said there were a hundred naked guys in a cold room with marble benches. When they were ordered to sit, it sounded like applause. Got any of theseof the female recruits? (Actually I'm not sure if I'd want to see them.) The Naked and the DeadOnce you take away the accouterments of war -- the uniforms and weapons--how vulnerable these young men seem. Who knows what horrors they faced in the next few years. What the...?Only the Marines would would make you strip naked to take an eye exam. Oh thank godThis particular practice was discontinued, at least on December 4, 1968. Group W benchAlthough it was a generation later, as a child of the sixties this photo immediately brings to my mind the whole story of Alice's Restaurant. http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/alices.shtml In the early '50sIt was still that way, but there was females walking around all over the place. Didn't seem to bother them. Still like this in '85When I processed through MEPS in Los Angeles back in 1985, the process was pretty much the same. When you walked through open areas where no medical processing was taking place, you were dressed in big white cotton boxers. When it was time to turn your head and cough, etc. - the boxers came off. Roger that in '85MEPS in Dallas 1985 - same drill shoulder to shoulder naked while the doc went down the line. We were told to keep our eyes straight ahead. The guy next to me had some sort of issue with his "man parts" and several docs stood in front of him (and all of us) pointing and discussing. It was pretty uncomfortable for everyone. Whatever the problem was, he was taken out of the room and we didn't see him again. Now and ThinI don't think that these guys are underweight, but normal weight. We, today in our country, are extremely overweight. This is the first time in the history of mankind that we have too much food, in one country. It's gotten to where I have been told upfront by a few women that I am "too thin" to date. I am 47, 5'10" and 185 pounds, athletic build, and I am too thin? Times are a-changin'. The boy peepinglooks positively entranced. (The Gallery, John Collier, San Francisco, WW2)
New Orleans Orpheum: 1910
... name for theaters. It goes back to a vaudeville house in San Francisco in 1886. Later it became part of RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum). At its ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2023 - 1:01pm -

New Orleans, 1910. "Orpheum Theatre (St. Charles Theatre), St. Charles Street." Matinee Daily at 2:15. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Just a guessLeft-handed sign painter. The largest attendeeApril 1910 the Shriners gathered in NOLA for their 36th annual convention. The Secretary of the Navy dispatched the battleship USS Wisconsin to the Crescent City for the amusement of the fez wearing fun seekers. That's clout! And, maybe, a little vaudeville. Final CurtainLike so many theatres of that era, it was torn down in the 1960s. https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3200 House of Orpheus'Orpheum' is still a recognized name for theaters. It goes back to a vaudeville house in San Francisco in 1886. Later it became part of RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum). At its height the Orpheum Circuit had 45 theaters; today there are fewer than 20, including one in New Orleans--not this one, but its successor opened in 1921. 'Orpheum' derives from Orpheus, a mythic figure maybe based on a real person, whose accomplishments included inventing the lyre, founding the Orphic mysteries, descending to the underworld to rescue his wife, seeking the Golden Fleece with Jason and the Argonauts, and dying by (take your choice) suicide in grief, a thunderbolt, or being torn asunder by Maenads. An appropriate name for theaters. Who is the lad?Wonder who the lad is at the top of the Orpheum (building below the fire ladder)? He seems very aware of the photographer. On the PlaybillHere's a look at the playbill, most names are readable! Orpheum 2.0Thanks to GlenJay for clarifying that the current Orpheum in New Orleans (where I attended a concert in the '90s) is not the one in this picture; I didn't think they looked anything alike. The successor theatre was very nice when I was there, and I was happy to read that, even though it took a major hit during Katrina, it has now been restored and reopened. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans)
Tin and Bones: 1920
San Francisco, 1920. "Atterbury truck at City Hall." Looking somewhat skeletal if ... Let Our Experts Help Your local distributor (from the San Francisco Chronicle February 1, 1920): Differential ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2015 - 4:18am -

San Francisco, 1920. "Atterbury truck at City Hall." Looking somewhat skeletal if you ask us. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Muffler BearingI believe the muffler and header pipe are seen rather than a driveshaft center support bearing as mentioned by Born40YearsTooLate. The muffler is being supported on the street side frame rail by hangers from the two sets of four rivets and therefore hiding most of the forward portion of driveshaft. Atterbury Plant BuffaloHere's a snip from Palmer's Views of Buffalo Past and Present, copyright 1911 Unusual driveThe differential at the rear axle is oriented so that the pinion runs vertically, with another type of gear setup (bevel gears?) transferring the horizontal rotation of the driveshaft to the vertical rotation of the pinion. It's overly complicated, but improves the ground clearance under the driveshaft. They also use a very interesting center support for the driveshaft. This looks like it could be the three-and-a-half-ton model (Model 7D). In 1919 they were priced at $3875 for the standard length chassis, or $3975 for the "long chassis". Atterbury trucks were built in Buffalo, New York. Let Our Experts HelpYour local distributor (from the San Francisco Chronicle February 1, 1920): DifferentialThe gearing in the differential is a worm screw drive. A very compact system for high wheel torque but the downside was the fact that the vehicle didn't 'coast' well and was difficult to move if the engine wasn't running and the back wheels were on the ground. Cab & ChassisIndeed it is 'skeletal'. This is a "Cab & Chassis". They are sold to companies that will add a box, flatbed, tank or whatever to it and then put it on the retail market. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Municipal Hygiene: 1919
... "Spanish influenza" epidemic of the late teens. San Francisco circa 1919. "Nash Two-Ton Tanker Truck." This begins a new series of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2015 - 8:30pm -

        The flushing of streets by sprinkler trucks was a widespread if not terribly effective public-health measure during the "Spanish influenza" epidemic of the late teens. San Francisco circa 1919. "Nash Two-Ton Tanker Truck." This begins a new series of photos, scanned by Shorpy from large-format negatives taken by or for Christopher Helin, travel and automotive editor of the San Francisco Examiner from about 1915 to 1930. 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate. View full size. Sturdy constructionLook at the size of those rivets holding the tank together. Just a little overkill but things were all engineered with a larger margin for error built in back then. Red CrossLooking at the sign pasted to the windshield, I started to wonder about the fluids this truck is carrying. Looks like the tank's got three compartments ... maybe the front is O, the middle is A, and the rear is B? AmenitiesIt's funny how it took a while for it to dawn on builders to enclose the cabs on vehicles. I guess people were just used to being exposed to the weather in wagons and didn't expect anything more when the internal combustion mode of transport came along. Not necessarily overkillMaterial science and manufacturing progressed like most other things. What might appear overkill was probably the result of higher safety factors for material that had less consistent strength properties. They were doing it WrongClearly they should have used Whiskey to flush to sanitize against influenza. My Great Grandmother was a nurse during the Influenza Outbreak in Massachusetts. She was told by a Native American to put a drop of whiskey under her tongue before visiting patients with influenza and she wouldn't get it. She did and she didn't catch the influenza virus. Although I noticed, from photos from that era, she had an awfully wide grin. CompartmentalizingCompartmentalized tanks can enable the carrying of different fluids, but is usually to minimize the sloshing of fluid from end to end when the truck stops or accelerates abruptly. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Diana Eight: 1926
San Francisco, 1926. "Diana 8 at Civic Center." The short-lived Diana, a car for ... and a 3 piece suit. [Natives know how to dress for San Francisco summers. -tterrace] More Great Menswear! Once again, an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/07/2015 - 11:31am -

San Francisco, 1926. "Diana 8 at Civic Center." The short-lived Diana, a car for the ladies and one the more obscure entries in the Shorpy Pantheon of Forgotten Phaetons. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Hope it's coldWool overcoat, gloves, hat and a 3 piece suit. [Natives know how to dress for San Francisco summers. -tterrace] More Great Menswear!Once again, an automobile photo that doubles as an excellent menswear photo! As I have noted here before, classic men's business wear and grooming simply haven't changed very much in 100 years. The hat is the only marginally "period" element in the garb of either of these men. Even including the hat, you could find their exact equivalents walking down Wall Street this coming Monday morning. TodayThis is the "plaza" side of what since 1966 has been the Asian Art Museum. Lots of those windows have been cut out to form doors (fire codes, yanno), and man, but I do prefer the older, prettier streetlamp. Three observations1. The men sitting on the bench/wall across the street are separated by almost the same distance of space, as if someone measured how much space they should each have around them; no crowding. 2. The man standing closest to the car in the Fedora and overcoat is immaculately dressed in very finely tailored, perfectly fitting clothing, sign of an impeccable haberdasher. 3. The hood ornament is impossible for my old eyes to see. Is it possible to get a close-up? Thank you. Interesting hood ornamentWould that be Lady Diana? [In Greek mythology, the goddess of the hunt. -Dave] And the service manual tooThere's a copy of the service manual for the 1925 - 1928 Diana available online: http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/Moon/Diana/index.htm Esoteric MarqueBut good looking withal. Some Things Never Go Out of StyleMy dad was wearing an overcoat just like the one in the photo over 40 years after the picture was taken. I wouldn't be surprised if he purchased it around the time the guy wearing one in the shot, signed the papers for the car. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Link to the Past: 1955
... the Civil War broke out; worked at Carson City Mint, then San Francisco Mint at the time of the earthquake; retired in 1922. My brother, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 01/11/2023 - 3:02pm -

1955, Larkspur, California. Our neighbor Mr. Cagwin at age 98. Born 1857 in Joliet, Illinois; as an infant came west via sailing vessel from New York and by litter across the Isthmus of Panama; selling newspapers in Hangtown, California, at age of five when the Civil War broke out; worked at Carson City Mint, then San Francisco Mint at the time of the earthquake; retired in 1922. My brother, doing occasional yard work for the Cagwins at the time, took this Ektachrome slide in their Arts & Crafts style home, which they had built after moving to Larkspur in 1905. View full size. GrandparentsHis grandparents could have been alive during the Revolution. Long-lived FamiliesMr. Mel's observation that Mr. Cagwin's grandparents might have been alive during the Revolution could easily be true. I was born in 1949. My father was born in 1909. My grandfather was born in 1867, and my great-grandfather was born in 1829, only four generations in 120 years. (In our family the trail ends there, almost. My great-grandfather's father-in-law was born in 1790.) So it's no stretch to suppose that Mr. Cagwin, born in 1857, could have had a grandfather who was born in 1775. Stories aplentyFantastic shot, really well done. You just know he had a rich history of stories. I wonder if he shared them freely or if they needed to be pried from him. LifeWhat a long and beautiful life. And in California, without the 10-below weather Joliet, Illinois, is having. What A Great Face...This is such a well done portrait. This gentleman's colorful history just adds that much more, but the photo stands on its own merits as a really well observed scene. His wrinkled visage, his rumpled yet style conscious attire, his hand holding the smoking pipe, the chair he is sitting in, the canes hanging there, the chair behind, the potted plant, the light on the windowsill in the background... absolutely wonderful. This is as good as Dorothea Lange photo. Pictures like this keep me coming back to this site day after day. I wish a rating system were in place here because I'd rate this gem 5 stars! tterrace, thank you for sharing your, and your brother's, vision. Henri!Are you sure Cartier-Bresson didn't sneak into Larkspur? What an eloquent portrait! There's so much in that face and posture and surroundings. Looking into HistoryHis eyes are wonderful, and I can't imagine all the change and history he's witnessed! If just for the contemplation of the passage of time this is an important photograph. And I would agree......with The Wingman! tterrace please keep them coming! Ye Olde LarkspurBack then Larkspur was semi-rural, despite its proximity to San Francisco. What's great about this photo is how modern it looks. It could've been taken down the street, today. Indeed.very brilliant, this picture alone connects to so much and tells a thousand stories. thank you greatly for sharing it. 54 years ago, this man was nearing a century... it's break-taking. [Coffee, anyone? - Dave] Mr. Cagwin, Role ModelI talked with my insurance company the other day and they think I should give up smoking my pipe, which I have done for 40 years. I figure if I can get another 40 years or so out of pipe smoking I will outlive everyone else. Mr. Cagwin updateMr. Cagwin died August 14, 1959, age 102 years, 8 months. The day before my own 13th birthday, as a matter of fact. His wife had died 13 months previously, aged 92. Papa George CagwinThis Mr. Cagwin is my great-grandfather George Wilder Cagwin (Papa George); his wife was Frances (Mama Fanny). They lived in Larkspur for many years. My grandmother grew up in the house right across from the Lark Creek Inn and it still looks very much like it did back at the turn of the century -- latticed windows, red house, green roof, front porch, all look the same. I have a photo of my grandfather Aubrey Cagwin standing in hip boots in thigh high water on Magnolia Avene. My grandmother was Alice deVeuve. I believe her father built the house on Magnolia Ave. A lot of history has been gathered about the Cagwins by the Cagwin family over the years, photos included. What a great photo you took! Thank you! I will direct my siblings and my Uncle, cousins, etc. to it. Papa GeorgePapa George was my great-great grandfather. I remember visiting him at the hospital with my father, Tom Cagwin, when I was about 4 years old. Dad was quite close to him and lived in the Larkspur house as a small boy. He lost his eye one fourth of July due to an accident with a firecracker. He did not go to the hospital right away, but gave his Independence Day speech as planned. He was also the Mayor of Larkspur. His wife, Fanny, lived to 98. They were definitely pioneer stock! Thank you for this wonderful photo. Lori Alden Cagwin Mr. Cagwin's 100thPerhaps some of the Cagwin kin who've commented are in this Ektachrome slide, also taken by my brother; it's Mr. Cagwin's 100th birthday party in January 1957. Mr. Cagwin himself just managed to get in the shot; that's his wife behind him. What a birthday!Below is a photo of Papa George's 99th birthday on New Year's Day 1956 with grandsons Tom Cagwin & John Costa, wife Mama Fannie and me (great-granddaughter). The color photo under that includes Papa George's daughter Marie and her granddaughter D'arcy. (Marie taught us how to bake great apple pies!) My son calls my dad Papa Tom in memory of Papa George. My father, recently visiting, told us how he looked for Papa George's spare glass eye on his dresser when small, fascinated as boys are with such things. Papa George's father, Hamden Aubrey, took a wagon train in the spring of 1850 with his brother from Joliet, Illinois, to Placerville in search of gold and wrote about the trip, archived at the California Historical Society by granddaughter Louisa. After an arduous four-month journey of 2,557 wagon-train miles, he managed to extract enough gold from Hangtown Ravine ($7979.65 worth) to bring his family out to California six years later, away from cholera and the beginnings of the Civil War. Papa George was an infant on that trip. 102 years later, the story was shared by Papa George! Thank you again for rekindling these memories. Interesting life! By coincidence, I was born in Joliet, Illinois, and lived 50 years on Cagwin Avenue. Very interesting. Camera too closeOtherwise it would have revealed a glass of brandy in the "vicinity", too? My father will be 95 in May. Unlike George he quit smoking in his late 60's. Still maintains his "before the breakfast" grape, plum or pear brandy small shot. The way I see he should be able to match this picture in three years. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Portraits, tterrapix)
One Last Dance: 1941
"Untitled. San Francisco, December 1941." Lunch 30 cents, dinner 40 cents, and a "sandwitch" ... Waiting ... Was expecting to see one inane "but it's San Francisco" comment after another. But so far, nada. [They sleep with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2014 - 11:02am -

"Untitled. San Francisco, December 1941." Lunch 30 cents, dinner 40 cents, and a "sandwitch" is 15. Medium format negative by John Collier. View full size. I'd be dancin' tooIf I got a full course dinner for 40 cents. LocationToo bad we don't know where this was taken; note the mural above the lady. There has to be a story there. Bobby MordanThose were the days, all right. Fond memories of times of yore. Rubbing out a cigarette but on a barroom floor. Mission-style clocks. Vintage Coca-Cola signs. My tattooed uncle picking up a lithe young man and letting him lead on the dance floor. Ah, but for the days of my youth. I'm SurprisedThat no one has mentioned the two pictures in back of the clock. They appear to have price tags on them. Also, I think this was taken during the Christmas Season. Because the hanging 7-Up sign is decorated with Yule Bells. MuralI'm intrigued by the mural, top left of this picture. It looks like a nice example of primitive or vernacular painting. It's a long shot, but can anyone out there shed any light on this mural, such as who painted it, when and why? Any chance it is still to be seen somewhere in SF? Happy HourIf that Craftsman style clock over the restroom door is correct, it's 5:06 p.m. The date of the photo, the 15 cent "sandwitches" and the ambiance of the establishment somehow all combined to remind me of a favorite George Price cartoon caption: "It's Ham Hocks Tuesday -- a day that will live in infamy." Hey, boys ...Look, over there in the corner by herself. The young lady with the come hither look flashing a smile at you two. She'd make a better dancing partner and you wouldn't have to argue with her about who leads. About RightAccording to the first inflation calculator I tried, that 40 cent meal would cost $5.90 today. Seems fair considering the venue. Is dancing freeor do you have to pay 10 cents? Waiting ...Was expecting to see one inane "but it's San Francisco" comment after another. But so far, nada. [They sleep with the fishes. - Dave] DecorThe clock is not the only concession to the Arts and Crafts movement's influence. look at those wonderful light fixtures (slag glass in a metal silhouette frames) hanging from chain above the happy couple. Judging by the amount of stuff on the floor, I'll bet this place had great food. That muralIn the 20's and 30's there was a "mural movement" in San Francisco inspired by the expansive Mexican murals of the time. There are still a number in the Mission district, but it was (and is) certainly not limited by any boundaries in the city. This mural looks like it might have been an offshoot of that - maybe an artist paying for their food and drink with a little brush work. It would have been common in those days. In any case, I haven't seen any mention of it - but unless it was done by an artist who was later famous, it is unlikely we would. There are plenty of famous murals in San Francisco bars and environs though! Rivera's famous works, a mural-sized painting by Maxfield Parish are just two I can think of off hand. The SaloonI couldn't swear to it, but I think this is the legendary Saloon bar in SF's North End. Looks almost the same today. http://www.sfblues.net/Saloon.html Connecticut YankeeLooks like the Connecticut Yankee at the bottom of Portrero Hill. http://www.theyankee.com/ Cost Of EatingWe're talking the equivalent of $3.50 for lunch and $5.80 for dinner. The "real" location"The Saloon"? "Connecticut Yankee"? Well... maybe... but I'd like to think it's a little less mundane than those.... That it's "Nick's Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace", and that's Joe and Tom dancing and Lucy Duval sitting at the table. ("Nick's" was really Izzy Gomez's Cafe; I couldn't quickly find a decent picture of it on the web.) (The Gallery, Dance, Eateries & Bars, John Collier, San Francisco, WW2)
Where's the Fire?
San Francisco, 1921. "Sonora Fire Dept. (Tuolumne County) REO truck at Engine ... dropped by for a visit. Sonora is about 130 miles east of San Francisco in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the middle of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2015 - 1:17pm -

San Francisco, 1921. "Sonora Fire Dept. (Tuolumne County) REO truck at Engine Company No. 15 firehouse, California Street." 6½ x 8½ inch glass negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Out of Town VisitorsThese gents must have dropped by for a visit. Sonora is about 130 miles east of San Francisco in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the middle of Gold Country. [The gents are wearing Engine Co. 15 SFFD headgear. - Dave] Right you are, DaveMissed that completely. So the question now is why is the truck in San Francisco? [Perhaps it's where they get outfitted for duty before delivery. - Dave] Maybe...They had to pick up their dalmatian? Station 15, A Gothic ClassicLong ago replaced and its designation changed to Station 38, in its day, Station 15 at 2150 California Street was an architectural delight. All buttoned upThe guys are buttoned all the way up to the neck and one is even wearing a tie! Very formal for a fireman. That truck is so small that it looks like a toy. Relatives?Does anyone else think that the man standing in the truck bed and the one standing on the back ledge look like father and son? Mystery SolvedI couldn't read the entire article because I'm not a web site member but in the December 21, 1921 'San Francisco Chronicle' there is an article that says these are new fire trucks and the photo was taken just prior to their delivery trip to Sonora. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Market Street: 1926
San Francisco ca. 1926. "Market Street from Ferry Building." Note the backwards Owl ... A. Gunst One of the most beloved men in the history of San Francisco. http://www.jmaw.org/gunst-united-cigar-california/ ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2015 - 4:56pm -

San Francisco ca. 1926. "Market Street from Ferry Building." Note the backwards Owl Cigar signage. 8x10 nitrate negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Foster and Kleiser billboardThe Maxwell House billboard bears the maker's name on top, Foster and Kleiser. According to Wikipedia, that firm evolved into the current-day Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, "the oldest outdoor advertising company in the United States as their roots trace back to the three companies that merged into the current incarnation: Foster & Kleiser (1901-1986), Patrick Media Outdoor (1986-1995) and Eller Media Company (1959-1997)." Perfectly readable in the rearviewI bet that sign was designed for those people stuck waiting to turn into traffic off the side road. Anyone turning onto it would be past before seeing it, but if you're stuck waiting for traffic to clear and happen to glance in your mirrors it would be perfectly readable. How about an Owl? [Generally speaking, 1920s cars did not have rearview mirrors, and the sign itself looks to be quite a bit older. Even in 1925, the majority of eyeballs passing by would have been on streetcars. While the sign might have reflected off the windows of the building across the street, I suspect eye-catching novelty was the strategy. - Dave] 19 Years EarlierThe same view taken while the City was still smoldering in 1906. Spectral Christmas treeThere appears to be something swinging/spinning from the pole like a loose mast halyard in the right foreground, causing a Christmas tree-like artifact. Must have been a breezy day and a bright rope! [The thing on the flagpole is the Stars and Stripes. There another one at the next street corner. - Dave] Market Street: 1904And here it is pre-earthquake. Hotel TerminalYou can check out any time you like but you can never leave. Short cityNearly all of the low-rise buildings in that photo are gone now, wiped out between 1960-90. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 was used as a feeble excuse for condemning the few remainders, including one in which I had been working just a couple years earlier. Fortunately, most of the vintage 10-12 storey buildings survive. General OfficesThe building one block up on the left still stands. It was the headquarters of the Southern Pacific Railroad where I kept things running on Third Trick (midnights). My office was just past the balcony on the 6th floor facing Market Street. There was no need for air conditioning; you just opened the windows. We used the windows to get rid of stale coffee too - not too many pedestrians late at night. Being there the last working day of the year was interesting. Office workers had a strange habit of throwing small calendar pages (the kind that you flipped a page each day) out the windows before going home. It was almost like a ticker tape parade. A legion of street cleaners would have it all swept away by the next morning. Looking out the widows at the Hyatt Regency Hotel across the street might be interesting too - especially when a convention was in town. Owl Cigars 5 cents M.A. Gunst & Co.Moses A. Gunst One of the most beloved men in the history of San Francisco. http://www.jmaw.org/gunst-united-cigar-california/ One of My Faves From ShorpyThis is a great one! The guys painting the Maxwell House sign! Bernstein's Fish Grotto! Why don't we name things "Grotto" anymore? Grottos had a good run but seemed to peter out by the 80's. A truly historic photo This documents the last time there were parking spaces on Market Street in San Francisco. Russ Building?Emporis says the Russ Building was finished 1927-- think that's it under construction, midway between 225 Bush and the Mark Hopkins? [The building under construction is the Western Women's Club headquarters (a.k.a. "San Francisco Women's Club") at 609 Sutter. In the 1940s it became the Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, Streetcars)
The Latest Models: 1929
"Graham-Paige sedan, San Francisco." It's a beautiful sunny day in 1929. What could go wrong? 5x7 glass ... stockbroker. Where are you getting all these wonderful San Francisco photos? Makes it feel like home has a past. [They come from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2014 - 12:23pm -

"Graham-Paige sedan, San Francisco." It's a beautiful sunny day in 1929. What could go wrong? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Nice large carShe'll be very comfortable living in it. Totally stylin'!Both models are stunning. One handsome and muscular, one more delicate and impulsive, both beautiful. Wonder if they belong to a stockbroker. Where are you getting all these wonderful San Francisco photos? Makes it feel like home has a past. [They come from the estates of Marilyn Blaisdell and Wyland Stanley, dealers in San Francisco photographic views (including the collection of Christopher Helin, motors editor of the San Francisco Examiner). Shorpy has purchased hundreds of these large-format glass and film negatives over the past few months. - Dave] Stock TipSell! Sell! Charleston, Charleston, la-dee-da-da, etc.Turned up nose, turned down hose, flapper, yessir, one of those, has anybody seen my gal? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Z-Mobile: 1919
San Francisco City Hall circa 1919. "Briscoe auto -- Zellerbach Paper Co." Today's ... in the Bay Area. The Crown Zellerbach building in San Francisco (also known as One Bush Plaza) dates from 1959. There's a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2022 - 11:02pm -

San Francisco City Hall circa 1919. "Briscoe auto -- Zellerbach Paper Co." Today's selection from the Shorpy File of Flyweight Flivvers. Glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Fine !! (but not dandy)tsk tsk tsk: parking on the sidewalk (and in front of City Hall, no less !!) We don't allow that kind of scofflawing these days. The Plant behind the carLooks like a short lived, however noble, attempt at competing with Ford. ZellerbachA noble name. The family paper company was founded in 1882, and became Crown Zellerbach when it merged with Crown Willamette in 1928. In the 1950s the company was the second largest landowner in the West. In 1958 it was the target of a federal anti-trust action. In 1984-85 it was the victim of a successful hostile takeover. It was stripped of assets and what was left was sold to James River, which in turn was sold to Georgia-Pacific. The name is still prominent in the Bay Area. The Crown Zellerbach building in San Francisco (also known as One Bush Plaza) dates from 1959. There's a Zellerbach Hall and Auditorium for live performances on the campus of UC Berkeley. And a Zellerbach Family Foundation makes charitable grants. BriscoeThe pictured car is a 1919 Briscoe Model B 4-24 roadster. Briscoe automobileManufactured in Jackson, Michigan, between 1914 and 1921. Early models had a single headlamp, set into the front of the radiator, like a cyclops. Alternate titleA Briscoe from Frisco. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Bliss: 1901
... woman in her kimono looking at the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake. This was eliminated by the curator because of its "racist ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2011 - 2:59pm -

Circa 1901. The caption here is just like a watermelon, short and sweet: "Bliss." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I've been a faithfulI've been a faithful follower of Shorpy for over a year, but the repeated selection of these images with anti-Black stereotypes is making me reconsider that decision. I'm a trained archivist and researcher, and am fully aware of the history and meanings of such images. I'm also a Black American and each time I see one of these images on what used to be a favorite photo site, I feel slightly ill. Black people may have posed for these photographs and participated in the making of negative images, but there have always been people who opposed them (for example, organized protests in response to D. W. Griffiths' 'Birth of a Nation' and Oscar Micheaux' creation of a film in response). Censorship isn't what I'm advocating here, but I do wonder: what is the purpose? When such images are presented without context or additional historical information, the stereotypes are revived and the cycle starts all over again. It's hard not to feel a bit betrayed. I've commented before on some of the more dignified images presented here, such as Black Americans participating in the war effort, or pictured in the daily life of towns and industries. Even when the photos are painful to see (that image of French performer Polaire with her 'slave' servant, for example), we can learn from them. However, these were/are vicious, persistent stereotypes: dice playing, watermelon. Surely the editors of Shorpy have seen the widely circulated Internet meme with an image depicting an 'Obama White House' with watermelons on the lawn? This type of racism isn't dead. I used to recommend Shorpy to all sorts of people. I may take a break and just go straight to the LoC Prints & Photographs Division for my personal browsing instead of making my daily visit here -- at least there's a bit more context. I really would appreciate it if someone at Shorpy would address the question of why the dice and watermelon images were selected. Yes, they are part of our history, but they are not at all benign. [I thought they were interesting. This one in particular because we're having a heat wave. Below: More craps-shooting and watermelon-eating on Shorpy. - Dave] Spittin' happyYou know, there's not much that cools you down quicker on a hot day than eating watermelon. I wonder what those kids would think of today's seedless watermelons? Why a duck?Maybe the barrel was the duck's evening quarters. When I was a kid we had neighbors who kept a chicken in a bushel basket at night. And the little duck too. Stereotypical or not, these boys are enjoying themselves. One eating the melon; the other runnning up to see what the other (brother?) is doing? Perhaps it was staged. But there seems no exploitation. These kids are average looking kids of the American South, and are happy. It is refreshing to see. I also like the little duck waddling up, as if he too wants to get a slice of that juicy melon. Please People: It’s 1901.Those fellows are not "stereotypes," they are REAL! (and enjoying reality too) WatermelonYecch, hated it as a kid and I never did develop a taste for it. The seeds are a pain in the neck too. Summertime joyWhat a beautiful, natural smile on the face of the standing boy, he looks like a young and beaming Michael Jackson. As for the lad engrossed in his snack sitting on the crate, he reminds me of the commercial saying "Don't bother me, I'm eating." When I saw the title "Bliss" I thought it was going to be the now-famous Bill Bliss of Shorpy fame, but he was not around in 1901. This photo takes us all back, I'm lovin' it. Just a guessThis photo "op" was set up by the photographer. I'm StumpedI've been puzzling over what the one dozen cast iron items that were in the crate that one of the boys is sitting on, might have been. They began with the letter F. [Feeders. - Dave] StereotypicalWe saw in another picture black kids playing dice for money, and now we see them eating watermelon. What is next? Dancing a jig? These pictures seem to show the stereotypes of the age in which they were taken. Same day (or week), different boysI was hoping this was going to be of the same boys as the one from the other day, but these little boys are cute, too. They are certainly much more ragged than the other boys, but I am happy to be able to share in a happy moment in their lives. P.S. I believe the old adage,"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Pictures like this are a reminder of how far we've come, and evidence that we can continue to make progress. Those four little boys were photographed doing things that, granted, could be construed as perpetuating stereotypes, but have been taken part in and enjoyed by Americans everywhere. I don't deny that the photographer may have brought the watermelon to the boys and set up the photo, but I agree with Caseyshebascott, that it doesn't look like they were being exploited. Because of their race, we know that their lives were going to be hard. One of the main things I love about photographs is that it is an opportunity to remember people who lived before us. Looking at pictures of moments in their lives is, I think, a tribute to them. I think the boys in this and the other picture would be thrilled to know that there are people remembering and caring about them, 110 years later! The intent of the photographer for the pictures does not change the fact that those pictures are a gift to us, now. One last thing; this is not the picture that I expected this kind of discussion from. This https://www.shorpy.com/node/10653 was. I cried over that one, to see that man, whose life we know, for sure, was very hard, treated like that, and for that reason! It reminded me of the horrible lynchings that used to take place, as recently as 50 years ago, and how thankful I am that my two black sons, and my biracial grandson, are not in danger of such a thing. Raggedy clothesI know people have commented on some of the raggedy clothes in this picture and others. As the mother of an active boy about the same age, I just have to say healthy boys play rough. Even in this day where buying new clothes is easy and cheaper, my son will come home filthy and have ripped his clothes. When I know he is going to play rough, I ask him to wear old stuff to spare the relatively useful outfits. Come to think of it, I was pretty rough and tumbled as a little girl too! ThxI will admit I cringed a little when I first saw this picture. Thanks for posting those white pics and putting things into perspective. Lighten upThese are archival photos. I seriously doubt the photog at the time was wondering thru his viewfinder, "Geez, I bet this is will somehow be construed as a negative stereotypical image that I'm creating and in 100 years I will be lambasted for such by overly sensitive types in USA." Like Sgt. Hulka once said, "Lighten up" Heat index is 115 right nowI would be delighted if someone would offer me a nice slice of watermelon right now. And that would be equally true whatever my skin color happened to be. Some people are much too quick to seek offense where none is intended. JeezThank God someone asked about the "cast iron feeders." At least some people aren't ticked off about black folks enjoying watermelon. Acquired by artLooks to me that the watermelon belongs to the boy that's seated, eating, and that the other boy is helping himself. Made me think of lines from Twain's autobiography: I know how a prize watermelon looks when it is sunning its fat rotundity among pumpkin vines and "simblins"; I know how to tell when it is ripe without "plugging" it; I know how inviting it looks when it is cooling itself in a tub of water under the bed, waiting; I know how it looks when it lies on the table in the sheltered great floor space between house and kitchen, and the children gathered for the sacrifice and their mouths watering; I know the crackling sound it makes when the carving knife enters its end, and I can see the split fly along in front if the blade as the knife cleaves its way to the other end; I can see its halves fall apart and display the rich red meat and the black seeds, and the heart standing up, a luxury fit for the elect; I know how a boy looks behind a yard-long slice of that melon, and I know how he feels; for I have been there. I know the taste of the watermelon which has been honestly come by, and I know the taste of the watermelon which has been acquired by art. Both taste good, but the experienced know which tastes best. I Disagree With GumbogirlYes the image is stereotypic but it is also interesting, and as historically significant as any other image on this site. We understand the context and the times of the image. Thanks and keep'em coming. StereotypesI've also enjoyed this website for a long time, but presenting this picture as if it is just any other picture is not right. A picture of black people with watermelons is never an innocent picture. Along with numerous other racist images, from at least the mid-nineteenth century to the present day it's signified that African Americans are inherently lazy, child-like, improvident, and ultimately morally deficient in order to dehumanize them so that they can be denied political rights. That image isn't somehow balanced by showing pictures of raggedy white boys playing dice or white farm families enjoying watermelon because white people have never been denied political rights because of their race. Pictures of white boys eating watermelon aren't equivalent to pictures of black boys eating watermelon. It also doesn't matter if someone claims to see this image in a "positive" way because that history is always present and has meaning in society, whether or not any one individual chooses to recognize it. Presenting this kind of image without somehow dealing with its history just ends up perpetuating the stereotype and shoring up its purposes. This website isn't set up to be critical or analytical--it's a place where people can look at miscellaneous pictures of buildings and people and whatever from the past, make the pictures big and look for interesting details. To put that picture in this setting without discussion or comment is erasing its history, which is a bad idea considering how widespread this kind of stereotyping of African Americans and other groups still is in our society. Tempest in a TeapotI've been looking at this blog with great interest and affection for quite some time, but never felt the need to comment until now. What I love about this blog is that it is a look at the American Century: it is a view of our past. To look at a 1901 image and declaim racism with 2011 eyes is not only ridiculous sophistry, but flummery as well. These images are part of the American experience and, in that context, these children certainly look very happy. Certainly happier than many inner-city children of today look. As for slavery-guilt, I feel none. I am English, so my ancestors were enslaved by the Romans, denied the same rights in the political process as American blacks were here at home. However, I have somehow managed forgive Italians, and quite enjoy myself whenever visiting Rome. Grow up, people. [There's a bit of a difference between 2,000 years ago and one great-grandma ago. - Dave] Should have enlarged it firstI concede. It's a duck, not a chicken. Hang in there, GumbogirlIt's so subtle, I would bet that the photographer was oblivious to the stereotype, as most white people are today. I would argue that it is even more subtle now, since so much racist art has been systematically destroyed. It bothered me too, a little, and I'm white, for whatever that's worth. Check here and here for some shots of an integrated 1890s US Navy, before Klan sympathizer Woodrow Wilson segregated all branches of the service. Those are just the shots that come to my mind at the moment. Shorpy gives us history unfiltered. It's up to the community to provide the context. Don't perpetuate the stereotypes!Don't form your opinions from 110 year old photos. Instead, form your opinions based on the condition of most of America's inner-cities. Aw nuts...Here I was enjoying the memory of how my brother used to somehow manage to snatch up half of all my treats (watermelon, candy, cupcakes) when we were youn'uns. Then I started reading the comments and remembered there's supposed to be something inherently evil and racsist about 2 black kids eating watermelon on a hot summer day. Welp... so much for nostalgia. Back to the real world. WahI would give a lot to be as happy and content as these fellows look. I believe it to be genuine. This photo struck me as life in a less complicated time. Stereotype? Possibly, but so what. I guess crybabies gonna cry. Right on, LectrogeekI like the comment about Shorpy giving us "history unfiltered." Trying to ignore the subject matter of a particular photo, regardless of whether it offends our 21st century sensibilities, isn't going to change what happened back in the day. Let's hope, however, that we can all learn from that history and therefore ensure that it doesn't repeat itself. As far as this being a part of our history we'd rather forget, how about the photos of dead Civil War soldiers in the trenches around Petersburg (also to be found here on Shorpy)? Is a photo of a dead Confederate soldier, lying in the mud with half his head blown off, any less disturbing? Even as an avid Civil War buff, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Americans killing Americans, even if it did happen 150 years ago. But it's history, and we move on, and learn as we go. StereotypesTo not show photos such as this and have reasoned discussions about them would be "erasing the history." When I worked at a certain children's museum and we were preparing for the opening, I was asked to put together a range of stereoscopic photos so that the children could view them. I carefully eliminated the obviously racist ones - like series of views "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook" where the wife catches her husband messing with the French cook and replaces her with Amongst the ones I selected was a photo of a Japanese woman in her kimono looking at the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake. This was eliminated by the curator because of its "racist content". Firstly, I felt that it wasn't "racist" it showed someone who lived in San Francisco wearing, as many Japanese people in San Francisco of the day did, her normal clothes. Secondly, I felt that it revealed to children that there were people other than white people in San Francisco at that time. As it happened, in order to "not present ethnic stereotypes" NONE of the images in the children's museum depicted any but white people... The powers that be decided that in order to prevent any inadvertent "racist depictions", they would completely eliminate images of people of colour entirely. If Dave starts eliminating historical photos which accurately depict attitudes, even what people in the day didn't overtly see as "racist" or "stereotypical" we'd have photos which exclusively present white males, buildings, and landscapes. The fact is that many of the images of women seen here, especially in the 1920s and 1930s depict stereotypical images of scantily-clad women which were taken basically to titillate men. I would no more, as a woman, expect that they be removed because they might be seen as raising an "uncomfortable" discussion. As it happens, the great number of collectors of artifacts and ephemera with "stereotypical" depictions of African Americans from bygone days is African Americans. In collecting these items, they are making a concerted effort to ensure that the attitudes of the past, as offensive as they may be, are not whitewashed over. --- Later... I would like to add that I understand that there are varying viewpoints on whether the image posted by Dave is "offensive". The point I would like to make is that, as has been shown by some of the comments, many people are unaware that depictions of African Americans eating watermelon might have stereotypical connotations. Seeing such images and understanding that, however subtle, such imagery was the result of more overt and widespread racial attitudes. I should also point out that the image I posted above was one of a number of "alternative endings" for the "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook". The last image was photographed with at least two other characters in place of the "lazy black cook" image - A fat "ethnic (possibly Italian) woman, for instance - to cater to the buyer's taste (or prejudice). I am in no way suggesting that someone who finds the images offensive is wrong. My view is that people who come to Shorpy do so because we want to see the past through the eyes of our parents and grandparents, even when that view makes us uncomfortable. Chill outI think there's a lot of misplaced guilt on parade here. Until I read all the remarks, the old stereotypes never even occurred to me. I just thought it looked like two kids having fun. [Different people will have different perspectives. If your ancestors were brought to this country against their will as slaves, and their descendants objectified as "cute" (mammies and "pickaninnies" lumped in the same category as puppies and kittens, in a sort of racist kitsch that's become "collectible" on eBay), you might understandably have some opinions about pictures like this. - Dave] Regardless of the eraYou never wear the cap with the bill straight ahead! Aw GeezSome people here need to get a life. Just Sayin'. Great discussionThere is a great dialog here and a good illustration of why it's so important to study history and understand context. Thanks, Dave, for posting all the pictures you do, but mostly for also posting the comments--pro and con--about the content on this excellent site. What is so racist about watermelon?I can't say I've ever seen a black person eating one. Dave?What makes you think my ancestors weren't bought and sold as slaves? [Nothing does. - Dave] I get such a laugh from allI get such a laugh from all of this. Especially from all of you self righteous people who feel that this is a derogatory photo. First of all, do you know where stereotypes come from? ….well, they’re formed from observations. And as far as the political repression of minorities…do you really think that this photo has anything to do with that? I mean really…..where does that even come from? I think that you look at this photo and you are feeling something that doesn’t really exist. “You” are making this into some crazy statement….and no-one else. Do you feel that we should get rid of any photo that may be offensive to someone? Or only the ones that “you” feel are negative? If you erase or deny the past, you will loose the link to how we got to where we are today. There were an awful lot of white people who risked everything that they had, including their lives, to make sure that blacks would get an even shake in this world, and now 150 years later there are still people standing up for you. Somewhere along the line this fact seems to be forgotten. Every chance that you get…you call foul. Just knock it off already, it’s a photo, not a political statement. [It might be instructive to scroll down and read Gumbogirl's comment first, then this one, and weigh them separately on the Reasonableness Scale. I am not getting a reading up here. Tap tap tap. - Dave] Thank youThank you to Dave for a charming photo and to Mudhooks for your eloquent comment. Revisionist history is a dangerous thing. White Washing HistoryI've been reading the comments on this issue, and I can see both sides. The image does have racist overtones. You can bet that the photographer knew exactly what he was shooting when he took this picture of two Black kids and the watermelon, and I have no doubt that he might have used terms a lot more offensive than Black, Negro or even "colored." And it's not something that went away easily. I have a National Geographic from the 1930s that shows a raggedly dressed African American youth sitting on a wagon load of watermelons having a slice and wearing a big grin on his face. Eddie Anderson whose character of Rochester was, at the time, considered a major step forward in portrayal of Blacks in the media was regularly portrayed as shooting dice, partying non-stop on Central Avenue (in Los Angeles), stealing chickens and wanting to grown nothing but watermelon. But the fact is that photos like these are a documentation of their times and those times were a prejudiced period. And not just towards African-Americans. Native Americans, Mexicans, Asians (usually defined generically as Chinese) and whatever the current wave of immigrants might have been were also subjected to a prejudiced portrayal. Look at some of Hine's tenement photos and the descriptions he provides for them and you will not get a very negative view of new Italian immigrants. My view is that you can't set aside pictures like these to see only the "comfortable" vision of history that shows only positive images. You need to approach it "warts and all" and part of that is seeing the warts. Most importantly you have to talk about it and put it into context. That's the only way that things advance. Surprisingly thought provokingAlthough Dave's intent to simply post a light-hearted summer scene was clear, at first I was slightly uncomfortable with the stereotypes portrayed in the staging of this photo. Fortunately, the way commenters brought up and discussed the racial context reminded me what a educational resource this site is, thanks to the engaged community Dave has attracted. Years ago, seeing the simple minded racism of blackface and mammy figures etc. with descriptions of their historical context forever changed my views on race in America. As awful as the racist ideas and caricatures of our grandparents' time were, doesn't pretending they never existed make it harder for modern people to put current racial problems into proper perspective? The Mark Twain quote was a perfect fit with both the scene as well as the problem of presenting America's racial history honestly and sensitively, given the recent debates over the dialects and characters in some of his books. Would we be better off today if we banned Huckleberry Finn because we cringe at its period language and imagery? We know African Americans of this time were subject to incredibly stupid racist ideas and behaviors. That shouldn't make us erase people like these kids from our national memory. The children in this picture lived in an unjust time, but they deserve to be remembered today as much as any white kids on Shorpy. The alternative - banning another period picture because racism was so prevalent - doesn't serve history or modernity well. I think Dave and the community here did well by these kids and the issues this photo raised. Shorpy UnfilteredI'm new to Shorpy but I'm now hooked, even going backwards in the archive from the first post to catch up! I enjoy the unfiltered view of the past that we get on this site. We get to see photos taken through contemporary eyes of the day, like we're stepping through a time machine. Of course, those eyes may have been accustomed to things being a way that they aren't necessarily anymore, or are now deemed unacceptable by many. If someone is overly sensitive to these things, which Gumbogirl or bmore may be, then a site full of old photos may not be for them. You can count me in to the group that never thought of any racial stereotyping when I saw this photo. I can see how some might, but again... even IF the photo was composed with racism in mind (which we will never know), the era the photo was taken in must be considered. Myself, all I see is two kids enjoying watermelon on a hot day. Finally, I fully agree with Dave that each picture is interpreted differently by each person... and that's what makes them special and causes them to invoke discussion. I get disgusted by things like racist WWII propaganda posters but hey, it is what it is. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigarAnd sometimes, when you've typed the subject line, you discover there isn't much more to say. One of the things I really love about Shorpyis that although there are clearly 2 different schools of thought on this picture all the comments are clearly thought out, reasonable and respectful. Maybe a couple little pokes here and there, but no personal attacks or hatred. That's exceedingly rare for anything on this topic on the web. [That's partly because we don't publish those comments. - Dave] Maybe it's 'cause I'm Canadianbut I completely missed the stereotype that is so upsetting to some. I had no idea that associating black people with watermelon could be offensive. When I looked at the picture of boys and their snack, it was a picture of joy. When my eye first caught mudhooks' picture of "the new French cook" (before reading the captions) it was a picture of a woman playing a mandolin. Like I say, maybe it's because I'm not American and our experience around slavery is different, or maybe it's because the world has changed and is closer to a time when people are just people, but I just don't get what the problem is. As someone has said, if you're looking for trouble, look at how things are in the inner-cities today and do something about it. re: "One of the things I really love about Shorpy"Then that's one of the things I really love about YOU, Dave. I guess it was naive of me to assume no one submits such comments here. Thank you for culling those out; that's mighty refreshing. One of the many, MANY reasons I make time to visit this site at LEAST once a day. You are appreciated. Slice of LifeI love these old photographs, thanks Dave for sharing them with us. I can see how a boy eating watermelon could push someone's buttons, but honestly, how much poorer would we all be if we could not see this photo, this brief window of this era and these two kids? ReliefI haven't visited for a while and pictures like this and the seaside pics help take away some of the opressive heat that's all around. Boy, do love watermelon! No bad intentI doubt if there was any bad intent from posting this photo. It just is what it is. It is a part of the culture at the time. Being a historian, no one should try to squelch any part of history, bad or good. It all teaches us. On top of that, this a a nice photo! Two kids just enjoying summer's bounty! For anyone to read any more into it is racist in itself. Watermelon daysWell this calls for a story. When I was a child in the District, we still had watermelon carts with horses. It would come down our street once maybe twice a week. My grandmother usually couldn't afford one, but every now and again she would surprise us. If we saw her at the watermelon truck we would wait patiently, until we saw the watermelon man hand her the goods. Then we would jump up and down, sing with glee and dance. There would be all kinds of carryins on. We would follow Grandma to the back of the house, our camp ground in the alley, "Grandma can I have a big piece" please? When we were done, we would play until dark. Then we would go to bed with sweet dreams of that beautiful fruit. Our hearts would swell because we knew Grandma loved us more that anything in the world. Just a simple watermelon story for y'all! PostcardPostcard version: (The Gallery, DPC, Kids)
Graham Hollywood: 1942
... in California. Main street (East 14th at Callan) in San Leandro." Our title is in honor of that low-slung, supercharged Graham ... Southern Pacific's IER ("Big Red Train") service to San Francisco had been ended a year earlier. (The Key concurrently extended its ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2023 - 2:06pm -

April 1942. "Portuguese-American communities in California. Main street (East 14th at Callan) in San Leandro." Our title is in honor of that low-slung, supercharged Graham Hollywood -- one of the decade's quirkier cars -- parked at the curb. Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Foreign Information Service of the U.S. Office of Coordinator of Information. View full size. Asphalt's still theremaybe even the same we see here -- under several repavings - but that's about it ... even the park has been obliterated. (It survived - at best - another two decades before being "improved"... into a traffic island. The bell, labeled "El Camino Real" (see above), dates from 1909, but as that actually ran up the Peninsula, twenty miles to the west, the designation is somewhat confusing.) This is just 180 degrees from the earlier shot -- the photographer may have simply turned around -- but a without a landmark like the Best Building, a modern visitor would be hard pressed to locate himself. By 1942, San Leandro was dependent on buses for public transporatation: the Key System streetcar line to Hayward had been cut back a decade previous, and the Southern Pacific's IER ("Big Red Train") service to San Francisco had been ended a year earlier. (The Key concurrently extended its A-Train out E14th, but not all the way to San Leandro). Twin Coach BusesThe earlier view of San Leandro showed a 1920s design Twin Coach bus that looked as boxy as the autos of that era. This view shows a circa 1937 Twin Coach that has a more streamlined appearance along with the cars of the time. After World War II Twin Coach merged with Fageol for a popular new bus design. Bringing up the rear is a GM Yellow Coach Silversides intercity bus. Hupmobile SkylarkI kept coming back to that nifty looking first sedan on the right and wondering if someone would ID it. I've learned a good deal on old things with wheels from posts and comments from the car guys over the years. Finally, after looking at that body yet again something told me to Google "late model Cord sedans". Up popped a 1941 Hupmobile Skylark. Perfect match, first try! [Um, no. What is the title of this post? What does the caption say? What are your eyes connected to? - Dave] Cord impostorThe car represents the last effort by Hupmobile and Graham-Paige to stay afloat. Hup had purchased the body dies for the Cord 810/812, minus the coffin-nose hood assembly. John Tjaarda (1936 Lincoln Zephyr) was assigned the chore of designing the front end. The body rested on a Hup chassis with rear wheel drive and Hup running gear. It was to be called the Skylark. Hup was so broke they had to make an agreement with Graham to begin production of the bodies, with the provision that Graham could make its own version, the Hollywood. Graham used its own running gear. To the best of my knowledge the only exterior difference was the upper grille. Hup’s was painted, Graham’s was chrome. I've often wondered what Gordon Buehrig thought of them fiddling with his Cord design. Car IDsL-R 1938 Dodge, Late 1920s Willys Knight. 1933 Continental Beacon model, 1940 Chevrolet, Graham. That lovely Graham Hollywood Some interesting history of the Graham company and their evolution, from glass-making to autos, to Graham-Paige to Kaiser-Frazer to ... Madison Square Garden Corporation(?!) https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z12064/graham-hollywood-custom.aspx Some things remain the same …This triangle has been present since the very start of San Leandro and can be seen in one of the earliest known photos of the city, looking to the north west, rather than the north east. (Hopefully attached to this comment.) Notcom notes that there’s nothing in this photo is still standing, except perhaps the pavement, though even that would’ve been at least partially torn up to remove the rail tracks that went through this intersection. But there are a few things still the same. First, in the top left, between the bank sign and the second to closest telephone pole, there is a Chevron station. That spot is still a Chevron station to this day and will be for a long time as it is, as I understand it, the most profitable gas station in Northern California. Second, the bell on a tall rod stand is still in approximately the same location. That’s a marker for El Camino Real, the historic route that connected the missions of California, from San Francisco down to San Diego (some of these bells have been removed due to their association with a time when the natives were treated inhumanly). Lastly, where that bank sign hangs is a different building, but it’s its location is still the home of a bank. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Goddess of Progress: 1975
... California in May of 1975. It once adorned the top of San Francisco's city hall before the earthquake of 1906. Russell told me that he ... 
 
Posted by gcormany - 03/26/2013 - 11:45am -

I photographed Russell Knott smiling at the 400 pound head named the Goddess of Progress at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California in May of 1975. It once adorned the top of San Francisco's city hall before the earthquake of 1906. Russell told me that he purchased several cable cars from San Francisco in the early 1950's at an auction and one of the transactions included the iron head. William C. Roddy, an assistant of Mayor Joseph Alioto, wrote Russell for the return of the head to be displayed for San Francisco 1976 bicentennial celebration. I used my trusty workhorse of a camera the Nikon F with a fixed 24mm lens and Kodak Tri-X 35mm film. View full size. The Goddess nowIt's now on display in the present San Francisco City Hall, which dates from 1915. Here I am regarding it in 2007. About the apparent size discrepancy, it looks like you were using a wide-angle lens and standing quite close to the head. Where are the lights?I recall seeing what appeared to me light blubs on the head. I don't see them in the display. I wondered if they did some cosmetic work on the head. [According to the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, "The electric lights which crown the goddess like a wreath were not original to the sculpture, but added sometime after the statute was taken down from City Hall, but before its sale to the amusement park." - tterrace] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Prove It: 1925
... car grille. I had wondered about the similar fancy script "San Francisco" I'd seen on the grille in photos of my father's 1929/30 Chrysler. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2023 - 3:24pm -

Washington, D.C. September 11, 1925. "Demonstration of auto safety fender." 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. SAFETY FENDER COMPANY TO GIVE TEST HERE         "How to pick up a girl" will be practically illustrated tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock on Third street between Maryland and Pennsylvania avenues northwest.         Using a human being in their demonstration, the manufacturers, under the supervision of the traffic director's office, will show a recently devised scoop, which is designed so that when attached to the front of an automobile striking a person, injury is averted. -- Washington Times, 9/10/25 SkepticalMany of the men in the audience look skeptical - as I am. I doubt if that device preformed as advertised. The lowdown on fendersThese were relatively common on streetcars, where the massiveness of the car allowed a much larger surface - supposedly you were scooped up to safety; I've never seen one on an auto (likely because they were useless). Of more interest than what's attached to the car, perhaps, is the car itself: Baltimore ?? I've never heard of, nor can I find mention of, a make by that name (it seems to have the disinctive radiator outline of a Packard). The company that manufactured these contraptions was HQed there, could that be the reason? Cuthbert J. Twillie in the white suit AKA W. C. Fields The scoopCow catchers, okay. People catchers? As Goliath would say, I dunno Davey. The BaltimoreEarlier, Notcom wondered about the "Baltimore" on the car grille. I had wondered about the similar fancy script "San Francisco" I'd seen on the grille in photos of my father's 1929/30 Chrysler. Turns out getting those items to celebrate/ballyhoo your home town was a thing, like in this previous Shorpy example. Sure, I'll askWhat could possibly go wrong? It's ready for a comebackI previously commented one issue with electric vehicles is they run silently, and people are getting hit by cars they never heard coming. Dave pointed out EVs are required to make a noise at speeds under 30 mph. But we don't need a bunch of EVs running around making a bunch of fake noise ... the answer is right here. Thanks Dave! Good Idea Until It's Put Into UseAll I see is two snapped ankles and a metal grate that would drive over you and do more damage than being bumped by a car that's probably travelling at 10mph. Safety?Is relative! Spectators also interestingThe well-dressed gent with fedora and crossed arms has that "I'll believe it when I see it," skeptical look. The young man in shirtsleeves next to him appears to be thinking, "I wonder if I could catch me a girl with one of them things." It's a Packard, all rightSpecifically a 1918-1920 model year, as evidenced by the shape of the windshield, the tiny cowl lights, the shape of the headlights and more specifically, the shape of the grille. Faces in the CrowdThere are a few famous faces in this photo. Let me point them out. First, on the far left of the crowd wearing his world-famous fedora, I see old Sam Whatzisface, character actor who specialized in playing cops, crooks and crazy uncles in movies of the 1920s, '30s and '40s. Here he is demonstrating his famous side-eye glance and holding his ever-present unfinished stogie. Actually, he didn't smoke. Then, if you look between the inventor's head and that of the bowtie wearing guy next to him, way in the back, you see the first ever recorded photo of Hitler's American nephew. Obviously, he never learned the family way of trimming his mustache. A little farther to the right, just to our left of the tall, uniformed, straight out of central casting gentleman, is a face few can forget. Seen in many post offices coast to coast, I give you "Ugly Boy" Floyd Bootlegger. And last, but hardly least, again just to our left of the (hopefully) off duty motorcycle cop at the right is a rare picture of Sean Penn's grandfather. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I thank you. HopefullyThat car had an electric starter. Would be tough to crank with that contraption on the front. A bad angle to be reaching in there. Scoop to HospitalGetting hit by a metal object moving any faster than walking pace would certainly involve injury, possibly broken or fractured leg bones, and when you were felled, any number of additional injuries would prevail. This contraption's possible only saving grace is that you would be unlikely to be run over by the vehicle. I'd like to see how this was promoted -- a litigation lawyer's dream in the making, one would presume. (Technology, The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Bridge Out: 1935
San Francisco, 1935. "Oldsmobile coupe and Golden Gate Bridge under construction." ... Hard to Believe How long it once took to drive from San Francisco to Oakland or take the ferry across. Familiar face The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2015 - 8:54am -

San Francisco, 1935. "Oldsmobile coupe and Golden Gate Bridge under construction." Only two more years and this lady will be able to cross. 8x10 film negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. ColorAny ideas what the color of the car would be? [Gray! - Dave] EZ PassWhat is the thing attached to the back of the rearview mirror? [It's a clock. -tterrace] Hard to BelieveHow long it once took to drive from San Francisco to Oakland or take the ferry across. Familiar faceThe pretty girl resembles Beverly DiAngelo of National Lampoon Vacation fame a great deal. Very pretty indeed. Hot Investment TipMarin County [Six years later, my folks bought our house in Larkspur for $3000. It was last sold by subsequent owners about 10 years ago for about $1.5 million. -tterrrace] Re: Hot InvestmentHot indeed! According to one US Inflation Calculator, $3,000 in 1941 is equivalent to almost $47,000 in 2015. That puts Larkspur housing at 31 time the inflation rate! Slippery Slope1935 was the year that GM introduced all-metal bodies (a.k.a."Turret Top" construction), featuring smooth, compound-curved rooflines. Had this Olds been a '34, the lady's left hand would be less precariously gripping a flat, fabric-covered roof insert. My first thought was RedBut I really am far from an expert on these things. January '35Based on the state of the construction of the San Francisco pier, the picture was taken sometime in January 1935. Sassy ChassisThe Oldsmobile, I mean. Manufacturing ProcessThe following fascinating video "Master Hands" by the Jam Handy group shows the manufacturing of Chevrolets from the same period but gives an idea of pounding and hammering that created such vehicles. https://archive.org/details/0555_Master_Hands_18_27_28_00 Btry Spencer close-upHere's a closeup view of one of Battery Spencer's two 12-inch caliber guns, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Completed in 1897, Spencer originally mounted three big guns until someone realized one gun could only fire into SF Bay, not towards an approaching enemy, so it was removed. Two-Masted TugThe two-masted tug in the background is interesting. The tall stack implies that this is a steam-powered tug. The two masts imply that she's a ocean-going tug, perhaps a salvage tug. She could very well be involved in the construction of the GGB. Would it be possible to enhance the image to read the tug's name? Battery SpencerWonder if those are Battery Spencer's guns we see on the flattop hill just left of the north bridge tower. 12-inch, weren't they? [That is Battery Spencer. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Jack's Sandwich Shop: 1941
...   UPDATE: Restaurant ID courtesy of Sagitta. San Francisco circa 1941. "Restaurant counter." And another shot of the Buckley ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2016 - 9:12pm -

        UPDATE: Restaurant ID courtesy of Sagitta. San Francisco circa 1941. "Restaurant counter." And another shot of the Buckley Music System "Music Box." (Selection No. 1: "Three at a Table for Two" by Dick Todd.) 8x10 acetate negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Drop 1 to 24 NickelsClick to enlarge. Bing & BobThanks to Dave we see Bing Crosby has four songs on this page alone. His brother Bob only has one. I think I'd rather eat here than at Mackey's. A lot cleaner and better maintained looking. Slow FoodNothing like a steaming bowl of condensed "Genuine Turtle." Playboy ChannelI'll opt for the Bob Wills selection. Jack's Sandwich Shop3007 16th Street, San Francisco. It's the corner of 16th and Mission, actually. Today it's a bus stop, but the facade of the California Savings across the street (barely visible through the plate glass) hasn't changed at all apparently in 75 years. [Excellent sandwich-sleuthing! - Dave] Music for lonely diners.A sandwich, a cup of coffee, and just me. Tilt & SwingThere is some wonderful focal depth in this image. Note the upholstery tacks on the chair backs: they are in focus all the way down the line. But note some of the objects off center, such as the man in the foreground: his head is out of focus, but his upper arm is sharp enough to see the weave and stitching of his jacket's fabric. The focus is selective in its depth. I don't pretend to have any hands-on experience with a large-format "bellows" camera, but I've browsed Ansel Adams' instructional notes on such matters. And this image shows the effects of tilting and swinging the lens and the film plane in concert. By contrast, a rigid lens and film plane (as with a standard camera) will only gain or lose depth, "corner to corner," according to the narrowing or widening of the aperture. Meanwhile, with a "tilt/shift" lens attached (of which I do have some hands-on experience), the tilt occurs only at the lens, while the film plane (or digital sensor) remains "squared"; the effect isn't as complex as what we see in this photo. No, I believe what we are seeing here is an example of a tilt and a swing. It isn't a casual shot. There was a lot of equipment and preparation going on at the back of this diner. An 8x10 view camera is a big rig, demanding a substantial tripod; and the tilting and swinging of the lens and film back, with the bellows extended, added to the "non-candid" nature of this composition. And yet the photographer has managed to capture a "decisive moment" of quiet psychological tension between disengagement and attentiveness. SorryI'm not eating at a place with no hat hangers on the back of the stools. I'd rather starve. I'll eat at this oneThis is a cleaner place than the Sausalito diner, and it has ashtrays, too. No hat clips on the seats though. Can't have everything. I like waffles to boot. Re: Popcorn Too?I don't think the large box thing in the background is for popcorn, but I can't be sure what it is. I believe the light on top of the "icebox" is an advertising sign for coffee. I wish the picture were a bit clearer, but the image on it looks like a coffee cup. Perhaps it was some form of espresso they were serving. Five cents for one songMusic was quite expensive compared to food. Popcorn too?Anyone know what the large device is at the window? Popcorn maker? Also what is the light up ad on the icebox? (as we called it growing up). I don't plan on eating off the floor, so---Will take my chances at Mackey's. Has a friendlier social vibe and this looks more like the lonely guy joint. Pass. FWIW...The car outside is a 1941 GM product, can't tell which make. Chevrolet, probably, but other makes shared the body style. Could be a '42 if the hung up coats indicate Winter. When I Lost YouLooks like he selected "When I Lost You" sung by Bing Crosby. Cost him a nickel, you can hear it for free here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5JporiR9oM. On hats and dining.This lunch counter looks exactly like what it is advertised to be: a place to have a quick and inexpensive lunch. For that, it seems to be a good place. I would love to have such a place now near where I live or work. (Lunch counters unfortunately seem to be only a matter of history now.) As for all the people complaining about the absence of hat clips: did you not notice the line of pegs for hats and coats along the wall? South of Market South of Market St in San Francisco there were many hole-in-the-wall eateries. They were almost all very narrow, with a set of skinny tables & chairs along one wall, and a counter on the other. The kitchen was behind the counter, with a few at the 'back' of the eatery. Many were shut down in the late 1970's by 'urban renewal' and the plans for the then-un-named Moscone Center. Places were put out years before the buildings were removed, and you'd see 'closing soon' signs in a lot of windows. They were the working person's lunch menu. Chinese that way, Italian the other, and burgers and fries the third. Some pretty decent seafood places shuttered their windows and were no longer. Those in power, with the help of the banks, decided that San Francisco would no longer cater to those who worked there. It was to be a 'tourist destination', along with a pan-handler and street bum destination, but that was not known for sure at the time. Workers, go home. We don't need you. Brown bags and 'company cafeterias' took the place of the "Jimmies' Cafe" and the 'Fish Market' and the "Hong Kong Emporium" that were so busy, so packed to the gills with people intent on easing their hunger that you stood sometimes out the door to get a seat and get back to work before time ran out. Sometimes things didn't work out that way. No longer even a memory for the SF of today. Minna, Tehama, and Natoma streets all disappeared with 'urban renewal', and I got there late. These places provided fresh, decent food at a reasonable price, and you cannot buy that anywhere in that city any more. It has changed, and I won't go back to what it is now. tom AmenI can second the view of tomincantonga as to the wholesale destructions of SF's SOMA character. I worked just below Market Street throughout the 1980s and saw every useful small business driven out and replaced with huge banks or chain stores. Sadly missed are the delis, shoe repair shops, military surplus stores, hobby shops, etc. that used to make lunchtime errands a pleasure and something of an urban adventure. PopcornIt looks like a donut maker. They resembled a popcorn machine but they fried donuts. Pennsylvania has 'emBack in my ad-agency days, I sometimes drove to printers in Pennsylvania, and that state must be the last bastion of the roadside diner. Once, I was with an account manager who was from Long Island, I believe, and we stopped in a diner for breakfast. The waitress asked us if we wanted SOS (look it up). He had never heard of it before and was somewhat dismissive when she defined it. She said, "Hold your attitude till you try some," and brought him a sample in a little white bowl. He was astonished, declared it the best thing he'd ever had for a breakfast item, and insisted on it when we were on the road together. Hot Chocolate??My guess is that the lit advertising sign on top of the refrigerator is for "Hot Chocolate". The lettering isn't quite readable, but the word lengths fit. The phrase below the steaming cup could be "Rich in Chocolate Flavor" or something similar. I Miss These Places Growing up in New England in the 70's I got to experience the last gasp of these places. Most of them were just called "Coffee Shop". They could be found on the first floor of many big office buildings, in bus stations, hotel lobbys etc. They were all independent but had nearly identical menus. Tuna melts, grilled and/or steamed hotdogs, open face turkey sandwiches, pre-made salads with saran wrap over the plate and a side of bright orange French dressing. Coke mixed by hand with 2 pumps of syrup followed by soda water. Really good milkshakes. Really terrible coffee that nobody realized was terrible because Starbucks was still 30+ years away. Slices of pie and cake in a glass case. (Technology, The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, San Francisco)
Sutter Street: 1906
April 1906. San Francisco after the earthquake and fire. "Sutter Street up from Grant Avenue." ... Sutter Street Synagogue, the home of Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco's pioneer Jewish congregation. The vaguely Moorish Revival style ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:37pm -

April 1906. San Francisco after the earthquake and fire. "Sutter Street up from Grant Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. Fire escape.That's where I'll be hanging out in the next big one. Seems like it helped out structurally. Even those farther up the street. Nice standpipeUp there on the seventh floor. Pity the firefighters never got to use it. Sutter Street SynagogueThe impressive twin towered building on the right side of the street is the ruined Sutter Street Synagogue, the home of Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco's pioneer Jewish congregation. The vaguely Moorish Revival style building was built in 1866. A chilling imageThe Fire Escapes with no building attached to them any more, how many people were in those rooms when they collapsed!? [Fire destroyed most of these buildings. I would bet that most of them had emptied out by the time they started burning. - Dave] Looking goodThe gents admiring the rubble a quite a bit more nattily dressed than you'd find these days. Back in the daywhen a facade was a facade! They could really build 'em. Fire hose connectionsI see at least two fire hose connection manifolds such as the one prominent atop the wall at upper left, apparently not of much use in this case! Fire department had been complaining about low water pressure for some time prior to the disaster. Nothing's the sameThis is the same view up Stockton Street today, taken 104 years after the earthquake and fire. Not surprisingly, there's not a single structure surviving from the 1906 photograph. Most of these ruins were demolished and used for landfill along San Francisco's bay shore. The spires of burnt-out Temple Emanu-El, rising above the ruins at center, have been replaced by a 1930's skyscraper named simply "450 Sutter." Its art deco bulk is the tallest feature on the right side of today's street view. FantasticWhat a simply magnificent photograph when viewed at full resolution -- just fantastic. Thanks for posting the comparison shot as well, I love to see how the sites look today. How far up?I wonder how far up on the fire escape on the left you could've climbed before the entire facade would've fallen down, carrying you with it? (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
Hudson Flivver School: 1930
San Francisco circa 1930. "Hudson auto with schoolgirls." Waving yearbooks (?) ... size. Galileo High School? Galileo High School's (San Francisco) Yearbook is called "The Telescope". I can't find an image ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/07/2015 - 9:17pm -

San Francisco circa 1930. "Hudson auto with schoolgirls." Waving yearbooks (?) titled The Telescope. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Galileo High School?Galileo High School's (San Francisco) Yearbook is called "The Telescope". I can't find an image online for that design, but they were of similar artistic style. Galileo High SchoolLooks like you nailed the "circa" this time Dave. You can also remove the parenthetical question mark. Below is a picture (found on eBay) of the June 1930 Telescope yearbook from Galileo High School (now Galileo Academy of Science & Technology) in San Francisco. Hudson School of Car DesignThe auto is a 1930 Hudson Sunsedan This was a one year model that was a large two-door convertible. Hudson stated, "Here is a car of many pleasant uses and appeal -- all the smartness with none of the extravagant cost of a special body." Cost was $1,335 for the beginning part of the model year and $1,045 for the second half of the model year. Weight was 3,100 pounds wheelbase was 119 inches, and the new eight cylinder engine provided 80 horsepower. There was also a similar 1930 Essex Challenger Sunsedan. "Pssst, Helen!""Where's your book?" YearbooklessPhotog: "Everyone hold up your yearbooks." Girl in Middle: "But I forgot my yearbook!" Photog: "Just hold your hand up as if you did, and SMILE!" Texting While DrivingThat's not how you do it. And we'll have fun, fun, fun,'til Daddy takes the Hudson away. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Pretty Girls, San Francisco)
Sutro Baths: 1915
San Francisco circa 1915. "Sutro Baths. Spectator's view to Small Pools." 1970s ... hits a high of 60°F, in September. The western side of San Francisco is never-ever warm. Ever. In addition to the ocean current ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2015 - 5:00pm -

San Francisco circa 1915. "Sutro Baths. Spectator's view to Small Pools." 1970s copy negative of an image formerly of the Martin Behrman, Wyland Stanley and Marilyn Blaisdell collections. View full size. The LineupGood views of Sutro Baths, now gone. [Also, check out some then and now scenes from the film. -tterrace.] FrigidPacific Ocean water is what they're swimming (er, standing) in, which only hits a high of 60°F, in September. The western side of San Francisco is never-ever warm. Ever. In addition to the ocean current rotating clockwise down from Alaska, off the coast is the continental shelf that drops many thousands of feet, from which an upwelling of extremely frigid water from the black depths maintains the impossibility of ever seeing the sun on the beaches of San Francisco, let alone feeling compelled to get in the surf and "cool off." That, and the San Francisco Bay is fed by melted snow from the Sierra Nevada, which flows out through the Golden Gate, to the immediate north of Sutro Baths -- just in case. I'm cold just thinking about it. I'm going to go make a cup of tea. For you fans of old moviesThe Sutro Baths were part of an area just above the Cliff House (which Shorpy has also featured great photos of here) and were located near the area where a scene from the movie "Harold & Maude" was filmed. Fans may remember the scene where Harold's uncle tries to talk him into joining the army and Maude is a "war protester" who meets her demise on the rocks below. One of my father's proudest momentsWas diving off the top platform at Sutro Baths, practically at the roof. The other was being assigned the helm when the freighter on which he was a deckhand transited the Panama Canal. Fascinating!The photo made me want to know more. Turned up this site with tons of great photos of the baths. One of a KindSutro's was a magical, and scary, place in 1960. Not all of it was operating then (I don't remember the baths being open) but they had a great ice skating rink and creepy old museum filled with what could have passed for a haunted house. By the time I returned from Vietnam in 1966 it had burned to the ground. I heard many fond stories from older folks who frequented the place earlier in the century. A Range of TemperaturesActually, the six saltwater pools in Sutro Baths were heated to a variety of temperatures, offering bathers ample options for seawater soaking. Boilers in the powerhouse could warm ocean water up to 98 degrees. Generally, the four small pools visible in this photo were heated from warm to cool as they marched away from the photographer. Only the water in the largest pool (barely visible at upper right) came directly from the unheated ocean. A "dare ya" challenge among kids involved soaking in the hottest pool then immediately jumping into the frigid Pacific-temperature pool. BTW, there's a great new book about the Baths titled "Sutro's Glass Palace: The Story of Sutro Baths" containing a wealth of historic photos, drawings, and technical information about the now-vanished landmark: http://holeintheheadpress.com/sutro.html (Disclosure: I'm the author.) Lots of seatingWere competitions held there? I can't understand the quantity of bleachers. Surely there wouldn't be that many people there just to watch a bunch of other people splash around. Seating for ThousandsSwimming competitions were indeed a regular attraction at Sutro Baths, sometimes drawing upwards of 20,000 spectators. But the bleachers were also filled by a dizzying array of entertainments that included band concerts, high-diving exhibitions, tug-of-war contests, vaudeville performers, operatic singers, breath holding contests, boxing matches, animal acts, underwater escape artists, re-creations of shipwrecks and rescues, and May Day exhibitions with thousands of kids participating. You got a lot for a 10-cent admission in the 1890s. (The Gallery, San Francisco, Swimming)
Upwardly Mobile: 1923
San Francisco circa 1923. "Studebaker Big Six touring car." At the Vanderbilt ... That part of the sales pitch that is more dangerous in San Fran. 1005 Jones Apparently according to the phone book, it used to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2017 - 10:08pm -

San Francisco circa 1923. "Studebaker Big Six touring car." At the Vanderbilt Apartments. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Brakes Work!That part of the sales pitch that is more dangerous in San Fran. 1005 JonesApparently according to the phone book, it used to be 1005, but Google seems to disagree. [Also according to the photo. - Dave] Good brakes?Just in case, don't stand behind the car. Careful with the clutch when you start up! Good LuckHow would you like to take off up that hill using the clutch and manual transmissions they had in those days? Braking PointsAs someone who drove and parked a standard transmission car often in San Francisco, I can testify the technique is straightforward for most cars. Foot on brake, release handbrake lock but pull on handbrake to keep it on. Foot on the gas, let clutch out slowly to ease car forward against the handbrake, then slowly release handbrake as you powered up. There were a few models of cars where you set the handbrake with a foot pedal and release was an all or nothing proposition. These were not popular in San Francisco. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
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