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Office Girls: 1925
... plenty of room in the chaparral and under the live oak trees. Our women folk will cook you plenty to eat. You can have goat's milk and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 2:03am -

Washington, D.C. "American Nature Association. Between 1910 and 1926." It's probably safe to say this is 1925. September 14, to be specific. A Monday (boo). View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Great example of an officeLook at all of the decorations. I like the Allied Flags of the Great War. Did they use "qwerty" keyboard typewriters then? Tree Huggers"Agnes, here's another letter from that lumberjack. He didn't like your reply." Off and OnMy grandparents had those kind of pushbutton light switches! Some Like it HotThe girl on the extreme left must have been a role model for Jack Lemmon in "Some Like it Hot" as they look identical. The middle girl looks somewhat like an anorexic Joey Brown. I used to LOVE rubber stamps when I was a kid, they seemed so important when someone stamped their official message on my things and at the library I felt as though I had passed approval when the librarian would stamp every book and every file card so I could take their books home. You would have thought I was being allowed into a forbidden zone. That crown molding edging the ceiling (which we all took for granted) would cost a small fortune to add to any room today. And those postage stamps are most likely 1 cent. Still, I bet these three conscientious workers we VERY efficient at what they did and their stick phone did not have a droning message telling you what buttons to push but that you got to talk to a real person who would handle your problems quickly and accurately. Thanks for a photo of my childhood memories. [Big-boned, isn't she. - Dave] Passion for filesJust stick junk up on the walls with tape, don't worry about the mess it will make or the damage to the paint and plaster. In a way it's oddly gratifying to see that at least some things never change. All in all, a wonderland for a stationery/office gizmo/wooden file cabinet freak like me. The supply room I inherited in a 1932-vintage government office building still had some retired items of this kind on the shelves. Also file cabinets like that - which, you'll note, are modular. This one's in 5 pieces - leg unit, three tiers of drawers and top. Any or all of the drawer units could be replaced with different kinds of filing compartments, including standard file drawers and even glass-front bookshelves. They fit together with metal male & female fittings and could easily be mixed and matched at any time to meet each office's changing organizational needs. Every film noir police station is fitted out with these. Now I want to see this office's supply room! Inkwells Etc.I immediately noticed the square glass inkwells and the stick pen with removable points, just like we used when we first learned cursive penmanship. You had to dip your pen into the inkwell about every sentence or more. Ink most commonly came in blue, black, red and blue-black (my second job was at Waterman's in Connecticut). Those inkwells also had glass lids and notice the paperclips had specific roundish glass bowls. I used an old stapler like that also. I enjoy the details in these old pictures the most. What we used every day and never even thought about are now collectibles and antiques. Answering the MailLove all the details in this one: phones, lamps, staplers... The American Nature Association was incorporated as a scientific educational organization in 1922. Located at 1212-1214 Sixteenth St NW, it employed about 60 people to publish Nature magazine. In 1959, the magazine merged with Natural History magazine published by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Office postageThose are 2¢ stamps, not 1¢ ; most letters bear Scott #554: Although I see at least one with two Scott#552 Both originally issued January 1923. Between 1910 and 1926Hmm, seems as though the person who wrote the caption to the photo was not very Sherlock Holmes-esque! Good thing there's Dave! I would love to be able to read the finer print - any chance of a zoomed in close up?? Why in the world............Wonder why there are ads on the wall for Canadian Club Whiskey and Stonewall Jackson Cigars Double EagleFrom the newspaper clipping just above the filing cabinet and to the right, looks like a full-page article debating the "Golden Eagle or Bald Eagle as Emblem?" I wonder what brought that discussion on way back in 1925. Underwood typewriterI'm not a typewriter expert but this looks to be an Underwood, apparently very common for the time. Images here and below (click to enlarge). QWERTYThey did in fact use the QWERTY layout. QWERTY was developed specifically to keep typists from going too quickly and causing the keys to jam. Trench art lampNot only do they have the flags of the Allies but there is also a desk lamp made from an old artillery projectile on the far right. ARTillery UtilityI guess that was the post Great War rage or something. There's a table lamp made out of some WWI artillery shell thing at my parents' house. I think it was a souvenir from my mom's uncle's tour of duty. Artillery artArtillery art must have been "in" after WW1. I've got two pieces that came from my grandfather's estate. He was an ambulance driver in France and never had anything official to do with field artillery. One piece, they took an empty cartridge case and cut most of it away down to the bottom two inches. They added some other pieces and made it into an ashtray. The other piece is a more or less complete cartridge case and was supposedly used as an umbrella or cane stand for years. The interesting thing about that case is the several "Life of Case" stampings on the bottom (inspector and date) indicating each time it was remachined and reloaded. An empty cartridge case is one thing, but if I saw someone had turned a shell into art the first thing I'd want to ask would be "that thing is inert, isn't it?" FlappersGet a load of those rolled stockings and bobbed hair on the gal on the left. She is probably thinking of the weekend, when she and her beau with slicked-down hair can dance the Charleston in a speakeasy. If wishes were newspapers.....I'd have that entire collection in my lap right now, reading the one about the golden and bald eagle. And if ifs an' ands were pots and pans... there'd be no work for tinkers! What are they doing?Seems to be alot of the same headline articles piled up, I wonder what they were clipping them for? [Mentions of the A.N.A. - Dave] Hair set upFunny, but I can put 3 current office girls that I know at work that have just about the same hairstyle and hairdo (including the one with the headband). Just not so much hairspray, but otherwise, they look modern to me. Well done, TerranceI was just admired all the stamp mail (including one or two stamped envelopes), nearly all of it machine canceled. So much different from the metered and printed indicia mail that is most of what's in my mailbox today. For those who love this stuff as I do: www.stamps.org [That Terrance does crackerjack work. - Dave] Golden Eagle or Bald EagleSomeone asks" "Golden Eagle or Bald Eagle as Emblem?" I wonder what brought that discussion on way back in 1925. Much of US coinage at the time featured different types of eagles, not the bald eagle. For example, take a look at the St. Gaudens designs that were in place from 1907-1933 -- those aren't bald eagles. So I suspect it was discussion about whether the depiction of eagles on use emblems such as coinage should be standardized to be the bald eagle rather than just a generalized heraldic eagle (usually the golden eagle, which has been used in heraldry since ancient Rome). LightsDave is right, early light fixtures also tended to look a bit flimsy by our standards, I grew up in an old house that was electrified in the teens and several rooms were lighted by hanging lamps just like those in the picture. Ours had a sturdy porcelain socket screwed into the lath overhead with a matching plug for the cord that securely locked them into place, they were quite safe when new although the cord insulation was getting a bit questionable by the '70s. It took some time for electric plugs to be standardized, before that happened electric cords with Edison threads, like the lamp, were in common use. My sister used to live in an old house that still had a few electric outlets equipped with a threaded "light bulb" socket. The wiring for that push button switch is inside the wall, they had a reasonably good quality for the era wiring job done, the truly cheap conversion jobs had the wiring running up the outside of the walls on porcelain knobs or cleats. OSHA wouldn't approveThis office was clearly remodeled from something else -- a private home perhaps. It's on at least the second floor, based on the stairwell in the background. The cord dangling from the ceiling fixture to power the hanging lamp shows a certain "muddle through" attitude. And the "screws into the socket" device on the wire at the extreme right, which may in fact connect to the bullet lamp, shows further improvisation. Add that nobody has a proper desk, and you can guess that the American Nature Association had a pretty modest budget. [The 1910s and 1920s saw many office buildings wired for electricity after conversion from gas -- often just for ceiling fixtures, with no wall outlets. Tapping a ceiling fixture with a screw-in adapter was a common practice for things like desk lamps. - Dave] Proper desks and the task at handThose tables may not be proper desks, but they were definitely standard office furniture for the period. The 1932-vintage federal building I worked in still had several around; they're intended to be all-purpose office work surfaces rather than executive or even secretarial desks. They offered a minimal amount of storage - each had at least one drawer and wider models had one on each side; enough to handle materials for limited, simple or transitory tasks. So what is this particular task? Obviously, a goodly quantity of individuals have sent envelopes to the A.N.A., and in return are apparently being sent clippings from a newspaper. Now, what prompted those incoming letters? Just to get a newspaper clipping? Or did the letters contain contributions, and the clippings are to accompany form thank-you letters because they report on some work the A.N.A. has done? The problem with this is that all those envelopes are incoming letters; the clippings wouldn't need to be at hand until the outgoing envelopes were ready to be stuffed, and we don't see any of those here. Another interesting thing is that the clippings are from a Los Angeles newspaper. Is it possible that people were sending clippings to the A.N.A. for some reason? The light switchIn the mid 1970s I went to middle school in an old manor house that still had some of those pushbutton switches. For some reason they had transparent switchplates over the things. They didn't have enclosed points, and there was one in the science classroom which would simply explode with sparks every time you pressed it. John Steven McGroartyThe newspaper article being gathered is this: "Seen from the Green Verdugo Hills: A Page Conducted by John Steven McGroarty," published in the Los Angeles Times Magazine on Sunday, Aug. 30, 1925, about a week before this photo was probably taken. Would that have been enough time for the A.N.A. to send letters to its California members asking them to send in clippings of the article, and for the replies to return? I noticed there is already a copy on the wall, as if someone spotted it and put out a call for more copies. Why this specific item might have been of such interest to the organization is a little puzzling to me. The page is composed of smaller entries, and certainly there is a theme of gratitude for the gift of Nature. The first entry, "Things That the Saints Once Said," touches on the obligation to share what we have with those who need it. It includes a quote attributed to St. Ambrose: "The earth is the common possession of all and belongs to all and not to the rich," and another, attributed to John Chrysostom: "Are not the earth and the fullness thereof the Lord's?..." The second entry, "Singing Jimmy and his Large Invitation," recounts a neighbor's trip to Detroit, where he tried to entice the Kiwanis Clubs to hold a convention in the Verdugo Hills: So, what did Singing Jimmy Smith do but get up say, brothers, he said, I invite you to hold your next convention in the green Verdugo Hills. There's plenty of room in the chaparral and under the live oak trees. Our women folk will cook you plenty to eat. You can have goat's milk and cookies to your hearts' content. And all the neighbors will be right glad to see you... The third entry, "The Tale That a Big City Tells," begins with dismay at the number of people fed and housed by a mission in Los Angeles, then turns to an indictment of urban life: Here is the whole, beautiful, wide green earth, its vast vacant spaces of fertile lands, God's rains to water them, God's suns [sic] to warm them; the fruitful, plenteous earth with food for all and shelter for all. And yet we howl for bigger cities and more of them. Oh, brethren, there is something very wrong with the world. The generations to come will have a heavy burden to bear. They will have a fearful price to pay. McGroarty was a poet, author, and journalist; in 1923, he moved into a self-built home in Tujunga, Cal., in the Verdugo Mountains north of the city. In 1925 his main pursuits appear to have been his weekly page in the Times, and completing his doctorate in literature at the University of California. In 1933, he was named poet laureate of California. In 1935, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms. Good point!I was so thrilled to figure it out, it didn't occur to me that they might be gathering an earlier column. Someday, I might go see if there's one that fits the A.N.A. better. From the Green Verdugo HillsThis was, according to various sources, a regular feature that John McGroarty wrote for the Los Angeles Times for many years. So there would have been more than one. Platen envyBoth typewriters are Underwood No. 5's, I'm pretty sure. I have a No. 5 that I use regularly. How I wish it was still as shiny as the one that girl is using! Artillery ArtMy grandmother told me how during WW2 servicemen would make presents out of whatever was on hand, like shells and such, and trade them with guys who could make something different. She had drinking glasses made out of some sort of shell. I have the "ugly goblets" that my grandfather commissioned from another sailor (don't know what was traded). They are quite obviously handmade and hideously ugly, but sentimental b/c my grandfather gave them to her during the war. Got a bang out of that lampThe artillery-based lamp appears to have on top a version of this fuze of mine, a PTTF (Powder Train Time Fuze) from 1907. It's about three inches wide by the same high, and is a brass mechanical fuze using a clockwork mechanism to adjust the time. The time is set by turning the dial from safe to the desired length of time for "bang!" The top unscrews so the one in the photo very easily was adapted for lamp duty on top of that artillery shell. Tens and tens of millions of these were manufactured for World War One. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
Hampton, Virginia: 1864
... The abundance of fences must explain the absence of trees. Hampton U Judging from what little of the actual landscape is ... Big Fences Seems everyone like fences. Tough on little trees though. Current Hampton Resident I currently live in Hampton ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2009 - 4:12pm -

December 1864. "Hampton, Virginia. View of the town. From photographs of the Federal Navy and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy." Wet-plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Good fences make good neighbors.The abundance of fences must explain the absence of trees. Hampton UJudging from what little of the actual landscape is showing (mostly the creek) I'd think that's pretty close to where Hampton University is now, or perhaps slightly farther inland, closer to Magruder Boulevard. Up on the roofThe temporary patching job on the foreground roof is duly noted, but why did someone leave a basket on top of the overhang thing? Final question: Where are the people?? [Look around. Three people in the ditch on the right. - Dave] Why do you suppose ...they devoted so much labor and material to building fences? It could not have been a trivial task. I would really like to know. [I'd imagine most of these people kept chickens. - Dave] Big FencesSeems everyone like fences. Tough on little trees though. Current Hampton ResidentI currently live in Hampton (student at Hampton University). I would love to know where exactly this picture was taken; perhaps the ruined building under the trees at the top right could help identify the location. Any further information about this image would be greatly appreciated. [It's the ruins of a church (also seen below) in the trees. - Dave] Gone With the WindNone of these structures could have lasted long. I wonder what this area looks like today. No Grey GardensNo trees due to gardens, people's chief food source along with those chickens. I love this picture, everything is compartmentalized. "You want me to do... what?"The likely reaction of the poor soul sent out to survey the property lines. Love it!Wonderfully crude. FirewoodI'd guess they came down to help move the load of wood out on the road into the yard. Cooped upIt being winter, I guess most of the poultry would be in the henhouse, or wherever chickens go on a cold day. Chicken ConsciousnessOnce you get sensitized to the idea of chickens, they start popping up everwhere. Four pretty obvious ones are sitting on the ramp at the building with the doorway just to the left of center of the picture. Look hard and you'll start seeing them everywhere, real or imagined. Fireplace ModificationWhat is up with the fireplace/chimney attached to the white house on the left? Repaired I suppose. What is the counterweighted lift for on the left? For weighing something? Fascinating glimpse of centuries pastThis is what many small towns in the US must have looked like from the time of Jamestown right up through the Civil War, in the absence of mechanized traffic or urban planning. The narrow lanes bounded by fences remind me of isolated Tangier Island even today. Two fluedThe fireplace probably has both inside and outside hearths. Chamberpot ParkI'd imagine this neighborhood was fairly fragrant, and not on account of the animals. I don't see any outhouses. And I don't suppose they enjoyed the benefits of indoor plumbing. Line of DemarcationIt looks to me as though there is a clear difference between the buildings from the center of the photo back versus those in the front. The houses are all nicely built, the roofs are shingled nicely, etc., etc. while those in the foreground look like glorified sheds. Were these strictly for chickens, tools and so forth? Global warmingWhy does the shack on the left have the fireplace facing the outside of the building? The Counterweighted Liftis more than likely for getting water out of the well. Slabtown IIThis was, as noted in the other Hampton photo, an improvised camp for refugee slaves built with scrap lumber on the ruins of the 1861 fire set by Hampton citizens in the face of advancing Federal troops early in the Civil War. Which is why some of the the chimneys (which survived the fire) might seem a bit big for the shacks built around them. The church is St. John's Episcopal. [Kind of ironic, isn't it. Instead of depriving the Yankees of the use of their town by burning it down, the residents of Hampton gave the Federals a place to build a "colored encampment" for former slaves in their midst. - Dave] Shoveling garbage?I'm amazed at the amount of garbage outside the house in the right foreground... it looks like they actually shoveled a path thru it, rather as if it was snow in the yard. [It's probably ashes and cinders. - Dave] The Freedmen's VillageAn engraving apparently based on this photograph appeared in Harper's Weekly, September 30, 1865. The caption identifies the photographer as "Gardner, Washington." There is a short article too, which extends onto a second page. Page 1 | Page 2 (The Gallery, Civil War)
Senate Beer: 1942
... bad. What is the name of those bizarro looking trees? [Ginkgo biloba. - Dave] Same Bonds, Different Day Note ... always said it was the car that attracted him! Stinky Trees Folks in the DC area know the powerful and nasty smell of the ginkgo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2014 - 9:56am -

1942. "Effect of gasoline shortage in Washington, D.C." Note the streetcar control tower. Photo by Albert Freeman, Office of War Information. View full size. Parking Lot ItemsAlthough I would like to have any car in this lot. The one that would be the hardest to find nowadays is the 1942 Oldsmobile "76" or "78" Dynamic Cruiser 2dr fastback that is entering the the lot. I tried to find a restored or original picture on the net and none came up that were close to this model on the GM "B" body with full trim. Rare find indeed. Well, looky thereParked on the side street, below the round-topped awnings: a "sharknose" Graham. Fewer than 8,800 built, 1938-1940. Not lost to time yet The last example of the towers can be seen here. Heurich Brewing CompanyA DC institution for several generations, alas gone by 1956 due to the construction of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and the general economic outlook for small, regional breweries. The Heurich family manor still stands as a museum, one of the few stately homes remaining in the Dupont Circle area. StreetsignClearly this is 14th Street, but what's the cross street? And check out those wonderful streetsigns. And the Capital Traction workman's cart is pretty great too. [Capital Transit. - Dave] 14th and New York Avenue NWThe church on the right is Faith Temple on New York Avenue. I need a time machineWindows are open on the streetcar control tower, so we expect it's still in use. No one appears to be on duty right now. Yet, where are the streetcar tracks? It seems likely that the tracks here have been removed, and that nice new-looking pavement has replaced them. But what is the real story? When were D.C.'s tracks removed? I need to open a cool, refreshing Senate Beer and contemplate all this. After all, the time is now. [The tracks are to the right on New York Avenue. - Dave] Mmm . . . government beerOn the other hand, I've had government cheese and it wasn't too bad. What is the name of those bizarro looking trees? [Ginkgo biloba. - Dave] Same Bonds, Different DayNote the change on the billboard ad for bonds from Defense Department to War Department. Their post-12/7 was like our post-9/11. Streetcar towerI'm having trouble visualizing how a person gets into that thing. That stool doesn't seem up to the job. A person would have to be pretty agile to get up there. [There's a thing that pulls down so you can climb up. - Dave] New York Avenue Presbyterian Church New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is in the background.. and is still there. Faith Temple uses the Lincoln Chapel of The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.. The Rev. Peter Marshall preached many famous sermons there during World War II. The book and feature film, A Man Called Peter, depict Marshall's years at the church. Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Benjamin Harrison, Dwight David Eisenhower, and Richard Milhous Nixon all attended The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church NY Ave Presbyterian ReduxTechnically speaking, the church is still there, but a new structure built in 1951 replaces the one seen here. Today-- lots of ginkgo bilobas along E Street around First & Second Streets N.W. Street Car Switch Tower Washington Post, December 27, 1908. Plan Novel Switches Railways are Installing Safety System at Station. An electrically operated street railway switch system, the only one of its kind in this country, is now under course of construction at the plaza in front of Union Station and at three adjacent switching points. The system will be interlocking, and if it meets the expectations of its designers, will be absolutely collision-proof. The switching apparatus is being installed by the American Automatic Switch Company, and James L. Parsons, the local contractor, has been awarded the contract of erecting five switch towers, which will be one of the unique features of the system. The design and plans for these towers were prepared by Arthur B. Heaton, an architect of this city. … The lower portion of the towers is to be constructed of cast iron and the upper part will be of ornamental copper work. The roofs will be red tile. The towers will closely resemble huge lamp posts. The upper portion of the structures will be eight-sided, and will be about 6 feet in diameter. The sides will be inclosed by leaded glass windows. Entrance to the towers will be by a trap door and the ornamental work about the support will serve as footholds in climbing to the upper portion. In each of the towers there will be a set of levers, which will control the electrical devices operating the switches, and a similar set of levers for operating the signal lights. The interesting portion of the apparatus will be a miniature diagram of the switches operated from that point. The diagram will be on exact reproduction of the switch system, and will show each one of the switches and signal lights.… Washington Post, February 13, 1941. ‘Old Bill’ One of Remaining Street Car Tower Switchmen For more than 30 years, William R. (Old Bill) Mansfield, 54, of 206 Third Street Southeast, has been routing street cars from his perch in the control tower at Fifteenth Street and New York Avenue Northwest. One of Capital Transit Co.'s oldest employees, Mansfield learned his unusual trade by operating an old manual-controlled tower switch at Union Station in 1908. He has been switching street cars, at a rate of several hundred daily, almost continuously ever since. “This job isn't what is used to be,” he said yesterday. “In the old days we would pull the switches over by hand and sometimes they would freeze and wouldn't pull at all.” Then, too, before the days of electric controls, Mansfield said the switchman would occasionally pull the switch too soon and the front wheels of a street car would make a turn while the rear wheels continued on a straight track. And the salary wasn't too good, either, amounting to $1.25 for a 10-hour day. He gets more now. His job now is easier, because of the electric push-button system used to switch the tracks, “but you still have to keep alert—there ain't time to read magazines when you're in the tower,” he says. Operating switches both at Fifteenth and New York and at Fifteenth and G Streets, Mansfield has to keep continuously on the lookout for street car numbers. His biggest problem is in recognizing the destination sign on cars during snowstorms and heavy rains. In the tower are two switch controls and three small lights, blue for straight, amber for curved track and white which shows when the car is passing over the switch. These must be watched to keep cars from taking the wrong route. BuicksA couple of nice looking Buicks front and center. On the left a '39, hard to tell, but most likely a Century. On the right a '40 with fender mounts, either a Century or a Limited. The '40 Roadmaster did not have fender mounts. My Mom had a '39 Century sedan, robin's egg blue, when she met my Dad. She always said it was the car that attracted him! Stinky TreesFolks in the DC area know the powerful and nasty smell of the ginkgo tree. I see folks harvesting the nuts from the trees at certain times of the year but I don't know anyone who has ever eaten any of them. Jackie O worked thereI believe the building directly behind the sign and steeple was the home of The Washington Times-Herald where Jackie O worked as a photographer out of college. 1939 GrahamGlad someone else noticed the Sharknose Graham. I was hoping to spot one on Shorpy someday. I can say I am the proud owner of a Supercharged 1939 model. Great car. Streetcar Switch TowerFirst of all, there were also streetcar tracks on 14th Street out of view to the left. The streetcar switch tower had controls for the track switches. It could control the track switches at 14th Street and New York Ave, allowing for a turn from 14th Street north of the intersection to New York Avenue west of the intersection. But this wasn't a common turn. It may well have also controlled the very complicated track switches at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue, 15th Street, New York Avenue, and G Street. That was the busiest and most congested point on the Capital Transit streetcar system. (The Gallery, Albert Freeman, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Streetcars)
Carnival Ride From Hell: 1911
... air was pellucid, and the birds sang in chorus with the trees and the rivers. Within the breaker there was blackness, clouds of deadly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/24/2021 - 11:31pm -

January 1911. South Pittston, Pennsylvania. "A view of the Pennsylvania Breaker. 'Breaker boys' remove rocks and other debris from the coal by hand as it passes beneath them. The dust is so dense at times as to obscure the view and penetrates the utmost recesses of the boys' lungs." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. From the 1906 book The Bitter Cry of the Children by labor reformer John Spargo:         Work in the coal breakers is exceedingly hard and dangerous. Crouched over the chutes, the boys sit hour after hour, picking out the pieces of slate and other refuse from the coal as it rushes past to the washers. From the cramped position they have to assume, most of them become more or less deformed and bent-backed like old men. When a boy has been working for some time and begins to get round-shouldered, his fellows say that “He’s got his boy to carry round wherever he goes.”         The coal is hard, and accidents to the hands, such as cut, broken, or crushed fingers, are common among the boys. Sometimes there is a worse accident: a terrified shriek is heard, and a boy is mangled and torn in the machinery, or disappears in the chute to be picked out later smothered and dead. Clouds of dust fill the breakers and are inhaled by the boys, laying the foundations for asthma and miners’ consumption.         I once stood in a breaker for half an hour and tried to do the work a 12-year-old boy was doing day after day, for 10 hours at a stretch, for 60 cents a day. The gloom of the breaker appalled me. Outside the sun shone brightly, the air was pellucid, and the birds sang in chorus with the trees and the rivers. Within the breaker there was blackness, clouds of deadly dust enfolded everything, the harsh, grinding roar of the machinery and the ceaseless rushing of coal through the chutes filled the ears. I tried to pick out the pieces of slate from the hurrying stream of coal, often missing them; my hands were bruised and cut in a few minutes; I was covered from head to foot with coal dust, and for many hours afterwards I was expectorating some of the small particles of anthracite I had swallowed.         I could not do that work and live, but there were boys of 10 and 12 years of age doing it for 50 and 60 cents a day. Some of them had never been inside of a school; few of them could read a child’s primer. True, some of them attended the night schools, but after working 10 hours in the breaker the educational results from attending school were practically nil. “We goes fer a good time, an’ we keeps de guys wot’s dere hoppin’ all de time,” said little Owen Jones, whose work I had been trying to do.         From the breakers the boys graduate to the mine depths, where they become door tenders, switch boys, or mule drivers. Here, far below the surface, work is still more dangerous. At 14 or 15 the boys assume the same risks as the men, and are surrounded by the same perils. Nor is it in Pennsylvania only that these conditions exist. In the bituminous mines of West Virginia, boys of 9 or 10 are frequently employed. I met one little fellow 10 years old in Mount Carbon, West Virginia, last year, who was employed as a “trap boy.” Think of what it means to be a trap boy at 10 years of age. It means to sit alone in a dark mine passage hour after hour, with no human soul near; to see no living creature except the mules as they pass with their loads, or a rat or two seeking to share one’s meal; to stand in water or mud that covers the ankles, chilled to the marrow by the cold draughts that rush in when you open the trap door for the mules to pass through; to work for 14 hours — waiting — opening and shutting a door — then waiting again for 60 cents; to reach the surface when all is wrapped in the mantle of night, and to fall to the earth exhausted and have to be carried away to the nearest “shack” to be revived before it is possible to walk to the farther shack called “home.”         Boys 12 years of age may be legally employed in the mines of West Virginia, by day or by night, and for as many hours as the employers care to make them toil or their bodies will stand the strain. Where the disregard of child life is such that this may be done openly and with legal sanction, it is easy to believe what miners have again and again told me — that there are hundreds of little boys of 9 and 10 years of age employed in the coal mines of this state. -- John Spargo, The Bitter Cry of the Children (New York: Macmillan, 1906) A little researchOne little search on google answers the question of if this is still allowed to exist. http://hrw.org/children/labor.htm Think Outside the USIt may not be happening here, in the US of A but that doesn't mean it isn't happening... http://hrw.org/children/labor.htm how trueI agree totally with the previous comment. But serious, this is a fantastic photo-- how incredible that this was (and probably still is) allowed to exist! Breaker BoysThere haven't been any kids in American coal mines since the child labor laws were passed around 80 years ago. Plus of course coal-sorting is automated and done by machines now. Breaking..The little boy in the center of the photo looks to be about my son's age. Thinking about my son living that life tears me up. I can't fathom what it would be like to send your child off to that, much less having to work it. That dangerous line of work made for some amazing photos, and some serious thought... This picture has me wondering..I realize that children had to work hard to survive back then, but even my generation had to help our parents as soon as we were able to. Aren't we now raising a bunch of lazy kids that will never grow up. First you worked when you turned 6, then 9 or 10. It's getting so that we are letting children stay children way too long today, and parents are spoiling them to the point that often they are still living at home as adults. There has to be a happy medium here somewhere. I expect that in coming years we will still be taking care of our "children" well into their twenties! Don't get me wrong, my heart breaks to see these tiny children in these photos having to do the things they did to survive! Required School SubjectPerhaps a required course about child labor should be taught in schools. Maybe today's children would gain an appreciation of what they have rather than lamenting what they do not have. Children staying children....Quote "...we are letting children stay children way too long today, ....." Unquote. Pray tell....at what age should a child cease to be a child? BK Canberra Children staying children...At what age should a child cease to be a child? That's easy. The answer in America is 18. If you're old enough to go to war or vote, you're an adult and it's time to get with it. I started working part time (with a work permit) at 15, and my father made it clear I had to be self sufficient or in college at 18, after graduating high school. It worked out pretty well, and I think that vast bulk of children today would benefit from a few deadlines. Children staying children....I remember my US Marine son saying "I'm old enough to vote and to die for my country, but I can't legally drink a beer." He was age 20 when he said this. Coal Miner's DollarThis may be a foolish question, but where did the boys put the rocks and debris they retrieved? Was there some kind of separate "trash" channel within the chute? Did they just toss it somewhere to the side? The text description of the work is chilling. And these children endured this hellhole for less than Loretta Lynn's "miner's dollar" - 60-70 cents a day. Maybe not in Americabut people who aren't Americans are still human beings, right? Still people with souls and hearts and, as Neil Gaiman wrote, entire lives inside every one of them. And we all tend to think of them as lesser beings, or their troubles as less important to us, because they were born on the other side of an artificial border. Mine Owners BurdenDo you believe that any of the folks who profited from the work of these children every set foot in one of these mines? Do you believe THEIR children ever had to even lift a finger to get whatever they needed or wanted ? Just the same old story, the elites living on the backs of the majority. Don't think it isn't going on right now, and that it couldn't happen here if the moneyed elite (left and right) could just get their way! Ah, the good old days! [Yes, they did set foot on the premises. They also provided a livelihood for the thousands of people who chose to work there. - Dave] What beyond bare subsistence is a livelihood?Directed to Dave's response to "Mine Owner's Burden": Perhaps the owners did set foot in the mines, perhaps they did support "the thousands who chose to work there"; but what choice did many of these kids have? Many were either orphaned or born into families without the means to survive if their children did not go to work in the mines. The fact is that the mine owners DID NOT pay a wage that allowed for the families to live above poverty level, even with their sons working beginning work at age 7 or so. [As Lewis Hine documented in his report to the National Child Labor Committee, hardly any of these children were orphans (back when orphans were usually committed to orphanages). Most of them came from two-parent households that, as Hine took pains to point out, didn't need the extra income. And there were other employment opportunities for boys their age -- work in agriculture, fabric mills, markets, etc. - Dave] From Bad to WorseJust when I thought Tobacco Tim had it bad, Shorpy's comes up with this. Unfortunately I'm quite sure that things have been even worse for some kids. Something to ponderBehind every "endowment for the arts", "trusts" that built museums and public venues and all originating from the money made in that era there are proverbial hunched shoulders of the boys as on the photo. AirI feel honored to join a line of comments that stretches back over 14 years to the time of the original posting of this photo. This is a piteous sight indeed, these children performing appalling work in such cramped and hunched-over positions. The text by Spargo documents the numerous horrible features of the job, not the least of which was the dust in the air. Which makes me wonder: couldn’t the overlords at least have opened that window? Sure, it was January, but wouldn’t the chill have been worth it for the sake of fresh air? Constant reminderI live in Northeast Pennsylvania not far from old coal breakers, plus the mountains of culm and coal waste. I was told that the probably the hundreds of thousands tons of this stuff was picked by boys just like these. 110 years laterThis photo is heartbreaking. However, it struck me that today a group of children would have the same posture - all bent over their phones. That is heartbreaking, too, in a different way. Gramps Survived ThisMy granddaddy (1891-1969) was a breaker boy in Pennsylvania. He had to help support a large family. I remember hearing that he got $2 a week and a box of groceries. Then he went off to Europe and fought in WWI in France. He must've been a tough guy but never showed it. He lived a long life but finally black lung disease and a heart attack did him in. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)
Eureka: 1900
... an old avalanche washing up across the valley and into the trees on the other side. Still, if it's around today, it managed to survive ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2020 - 2:09pm -

Eureka, Colorado, circa 1900. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Change in WeatherI looks sunny now, but in 1888 this area (including nearby Animas Forks) got 25 feet of snow over a 26-day period. I guess this helps explain why most of the population left during the winter! Satellite DishImagine my shock at seeing the satellite dish on the roof of one of the buildings! Oh, wait a minute...........it's only a windmill. SpectacularWhat a find. This picture is worth a few hundred thousand words. Thanks for bringing it to life, Dave. Yeeee-Haaaa!On New Year's Eve I was just over the hill from Eureka in Silverton, where the "wild west" mentality hasn't been gentrified out of the townsfolk....yet. At the stroke of midnight a small rowdy crowd tumbled out of a saloon and someone hollered "yeeee-haaaa" and fired a pistol in the air to ring in 2010. Hoping these places don't change too much ... [Silverton is one of my favorite Western towns, along with its bigger neighbor Ouray. A jeep trail called the Alpine Loop connects them, with ghost towns (including Eureka) and ore mills along the way. - Dave] WowStunning location. You wouldn't wanna be accusing these boys of cheatin' at poker now would ya. Some have it, some don'tThis photo illustrates what the French mean by "je ne sais quoi." Whatever it was, William Henry Jackson had it. Sofa SizeMy life would be complete if I could have this blown up huge, along with the Longacre Square 1904 post from today, and hang them facing each other in the same room. It's "Reservoir Dogs" meets "Bull Durham." Couldn't be more perfect. Kids!I love the two little kids behind the four men in the foreground. One of them is wearing a huge hat! CinemaScopeWith this picture we can appreciate how faithful the Hollywood set designers were in portraying pioneer towns in those iconic shoot 'em ups directed by John Ford and others. This looks like the movie set in Old Tucson where they shot many westerns. ArchitectureDoes anyone know the architectural term for facades that obscure the pitch of the roof from the front. Is it decorative or does it have a function? ["False fronts." They turn any shack into an edifice. - Dave] All goneNo remnants appear to exist today: A 'tighter' shot by way of comparing the mountains in the two, but I think it still shows at least some portion of where the structures used to stand. Below: remains of the Sunnyside Mill. A dandy?The dandy in the front left with the crease in his pants looks like a bearded Clint Eastwood! I don't know if I would call him that to his face. But where are all the horses at the hitching posts? RefreshingA welcome break from the DC and NY cityscapes. Tarnation!Will you look at the slope behind the town on the right. That's just screaming avalanche territory. Just behind the tents in the right background, there's a possible sign of an old avalanche washing up across the valley and into the trees on the other side. Still, if it's around today, it managed to survive and most of these mountain mining camps seemed to burn down more often than being buried. Awesome!What an amazing photo! Draw, PardnerIf this group of four were packing guns one would think they were heading for the OK Corral. CinemaScopizationWe've had plenty of colorization around here, but John McLaren's comment has inspired me to format this scene to the actual CinemaScope aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Left to right: Lee Van Cleef, Robert J. Wilke, Thomas Mitchell, Gary Cooper. Zero horse townAt first I was thrown by the lack of horses on the wagons, being conditioned to your photos of NYC etc. with dozens of horses hitched up. Then I realized that you don't need a horse to get across town, as those gents in the foreground are demonstrating. And those hills are just waiting for some ski lifts full of rich tourists. The negativeWhere do you start with proclaiming this image to be otherworldly? I just can't get over the tonal range of Jackson's negatives. He pulled off this same sort of light to dark ratio in a series that Shorpy published from Mexican railroads. And then in the swamps of Florida. I just don't get it and believe me folks, this isn't about Photoshop. [It is, to a certain extent. All of these images are adjusted using the Shadows & Highlights filter in CS4. It's what brings out detail in overexposed areas (clouds) as well as in the shadows. Below: unadjusted. - Dave]
The Young Moderns: 1952
... Will we ever know? Patio space, sunken rec room and trees down the hill My guess is that it isn't rooftop space but a small ... an embankment or depression or wooded hillside where the trees are rooted below the level of the patio. That might explain why they give ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2013 - 8:40pm -

Alfresco dining on the patio circa 1952 in this unlabeled Kodachrome. Do I hear Brubeck on the hi-fi? Third in the "Linda" series of 35mm slides. View full size. Comparing wristwatchesI was looking at the watch on the woman's wrist in the Lil Boomer photo and was wondering if it was the same watch as on the wrist of the woman on the right in this photo. Difficult to tell. https://www.shorpy.com/node/14453 Mid-century masters of good livingSlay me now -- this is gorgeous. Atomic wire end tables, Dansk salad bowl (on its own wire stand "for tossing" beautifully patinaed!!) The hand-painted earthenware, paired with silverware, a silver salver and condiment set; and to top it off, crystal wine glasses. It's a casual meal though, given that the Heinz ketchup bottle is actually on the table. What a setting. Love it! [Also note the wine bottles and caddy on the end table at right. -Dave] ProofThat there was color back in the black and white 1950s. Style notesThe roman brick on the house suggests a modern design, long and low, possibly with overhanging eaves. I hope we get to see it later in the "Linda" series. Also, the couple across the table illustrates that, unless you're on the same bowling team, it has never been a good idea for spouses to dress alike. Upscale crowdWine, suit & tie for an outdoor meal, real silverware, nice china instead of paper plates, well groomed all around, jazz would seem more likely than pop music. Give it about four more years and they'll be talking about how perfectly dreadful that Elvis guy is. MissingI had assumed that the photographer is the husband of the woman in the light green dress and that the young wine drinker in the plaid shirt is the unattached guest invited to dinner. By the way, I do appreciate the individual components listed by Deborah, but I’m not as enthusiastic about how it all comes together. I find the wineglasses especially clunky and under-sized. But then the US was not a heavy-duty wine-drinking nation back in the fifties. A+ for effort, though. [Those "wineglasses" are goblets. - Dave] That Red Plaid ShirtI had one just like it a few years after this photo was taken. It scared away most girls and all but the toughest dogs. Slay me now, indeed!Slay me now -- this is gorgeous. Atomic wire end tables... Absolutely! I was two years old then, but - even if my assessments are too rosy and not really true - I see these folks and envy their confidence, the lives they would have in the coming decade (1957 Chevy Nomads!!!), technological devleopments like stereo and color TV. And let me pretend the gent on the close end of the table was an amateur radio operator and was about to buy an E.F. Johnson single sideband transmitter and Viking Desktop Kilowatt!!! In Good HandsI believe the gentleman in the suit and tie is trying to sell them insurance. Missing persons.I see that there are two empty places -- one might be the photographer, so who is the odd one out? If it were two couples hosting a visitor, fine, but is it two women or a man and a woman who are away from the table? I'm guessing the man of the house has his back to us, his wife was sitting to his left, serving the wine and taking the photo, and the other missing person could be the woman on the right's husband, or the wife of the newly arrived guest who still has his travel suit on. [There are six people in this photo -- three men and three women, with one Missing Person. - Dave] Won't hurt a bitIs that a vaccination scar on her left arm? Dress codeI'm nostalgic for the days when men wore coats and ties even for informal gatherings. I've been doing it lately myself; I'm trying to start a revolution. It's not working. All that happens is that I get assailed with sarcastic comments. Comments from people who are wearing their pajamas in public, or who look like an unmade bed. RelationshipsI think we have in-laws and newlyweds. Red shirt guy is unmarried brother-in-law. Home is probably that of the photographer; unless he was a particularly obsessive camera-bug, he wouldn't have lugged the Leica along to a casual dinner party, but just went inside to grab it for the shot. Wine: What it is, how to use itThese people were not just on a patio but on the cusp of a trend. Ad from 1953. Click to embiggen. Three Couples and a SalesmanI am guessing that the "photographer is the husband of one of the two ladies on the right side of the table, probably the woman in the green dress. The woman hidden behind her is either her daughter or the husband or sister of the fellow in the red shirt. As someone mentioned earlier the odd man out in the suit and tie is probably a salesman, most likely selling insurance. Within ReachIt's a testament to the enduring power of midcentury style, or at least its resurgence in popularity, that very little in this 60-year-old photograph would be out of place in a contemporary design magazine--although the young man with the buzz cut is missing de rigueur wispy facial hair. The lowly Heinz bottle has earned its place as a kind of Platonic ideal. Another yarn.The missing person is a professor--of physics maybe?--who is taking the shot. The woman in the green dress is his wife. The man in the suit is a visiting foreign professor, escaped from Hungary maybe? The other four at the table are graduate students and their wives/fiancee's. The brick work and the maple/beech woods say this is a new modern subdivision in East Lansing Michigan. The professor and his wife were originally from New York City, he got his PhD at Columbia, and they continue to vacation on Cape Cod every summer. It all makes sense. Family tree and other thoughts, WatsonIt is funny that we're all trying to figure this group out. These are part of the "Linda Kodachromes" (So only Dave knows for sure) But I'm going to have at it anyway. Look back again at the little girl's birthday. She's related in looks particularly to the older woman in the green dress and the younger woman in blue denim. So I think that's mother and daughter/granddaughter (little baby girl). I think the woman in the green dress is the wife/mother of the house. She's also on the lounge in the picture with the baby (re: watch on wrist). The father would then be (age-wise) the man in the suit. Dinnertime in the summer, he'd be coming home from his city job just in time for an evening meal outside. I think his older son has his back to us (hair color, hairline, size). The other woman hidden from our view may be a mother-in-law or married to the son. I see a touch of lighter hair and it's frizzier. The two at the end may be siblings or friends, but not married (he's not wearing a ring, she's young) plus they have the same nose as the lady in green. The table setting speaks to some depth, time and money in the household. Modern artistic dishes, real silver from the '30s (family pieces or wedding gifts?) and the goblets are older as well. Two bottles of wine with dinner, which for some reason I keep thinking is fish. Perhaps the whites been drunk already and the red is a dessert wine. The whole setting speaks to an established style infused with modern. Now to the photographer. This person's place is the only one with a glass of water. Suggesting someone too young to drink. The photo also suggests someone who is not adept at photography at all. No one is ready for this shot, all are turned away. It's definitely a quick snap. Also, he/she is not that tall. One more thing: This is a rooftop "patio," a found space. It's up at least atop a first story (above a garage at the back of the building. See tree height). It's quite tight (table angle, position of photographer). The building's windows & "roman" brick style suggest an urban/city home environment. That's all I got. Will we ever know? Patio space, sunken rec room and trees down the hillMy guess is that it isn't rooftop space but a small patio against the back of the house in a small suburban backyard. The edge of the cement/concrete "floor" beyond the wine bottles has a few sprigs of grass and a sandy space between the concrete and the top of a retaining wall. On the retaining wall is a railing; but there is a break in the railing between Dad and The Daughter in Blue. Perhaps a walk-through to the yard or steps down to the yard? There's another sandy space in the yard beyond the railing then there seems to be a break off to a darker area. My guess is there's an embankment or depression or wooded hillside where the trees are rooted below the level of the patio. That might explain why they give the appearance of the patio being higher than it is. The trees are actually lower. Oh, and the windows are probably to a rec room or basement that is also lower than the patio level. Reminds me of my aunt & uncle's yard in Cincinnati near Ault Park. Mom doesn't seem to have touched her wine, nor has her bench mate to her right. And I found the juxtaposition of ketchup on the table with wine, silverware and decent china to be less than de rigueur. Ah, well. (Linda Kodachromes)
Marblehead Marinara: 1906
... on the Island of La Grande Jatte," probably because of the trees and the shade. Tree Of Knowledge I need the learned Shorpy family ... educate me about what the seemingly cloth bands around the trees are. I have never seen anything like that before. Thanks in advance. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2023 - 1:21pm -

Circa 1906. "Glimpse of harbor. Marblehead, Massachusetts." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Still very scenicThis is the view today. The terrain matches and the private boat dock at right is in the same place. If you look behind you, you'll see the Eastern Yacht Club. It looks like it was there in 1906. Idyllic with an asteriskMarblehead today is a lovely destination for an afternoon, with (in its own words) "quaint narrow streets and historic 17th and 18th century buildings [that] mirror Marblehead as it has existed since its founding in 1629." Also, not surprisingly, one of the wealthiest places in our second richest state. Its historic industries of commercial fishing, shoemaking, and aircraft manufacture have been replaced by yacht clubs and tourism. After World War II it became a bedroom community, and by 1970 was "built out." Though its website emphasizes diversity, its population of 20,000 is more than 95% white, with a median household income over $150,000 and a poverty level below 3%. It's one kind of American story. Maine Class BattleshipThe US Navy warship on the far right (partly obscured) looks to be a Maine class battleship, probably the Maine herself (BB10) (the second one, not the one that exploded in Havana in 1898) or perhaps the Missouri (BB11). Either way, she is resplendent in her peace time colors of buff and white and must have looked a treat on this beautiful day. In December of 1907 this ship will set sail as a part of Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet. Spaghetti Sauce Slip?Are we sailing or having tagliatelle? [Marinara is Italian for "seafaring." In a pasta context, "sailor-style." - Dave] Marina is already Italian (and English) for marina. Maybe not so idyllicLurking far away in the extreme right center, there appears to a large steamship with three funnels and fore and aft tower structures. In 1906 the most likely suspect of that configuration (especially considering the area) would be the USS Connecticut (BB-18) Pre-Dreadnought Class Battleship. Georges SeuratIt immediately suggests "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte," probably because of the trees and the shade. Tree Of KnowledgeI need the learned Shorpy family to educate me about what the seemingly cloth bands around the trees are. I have never seen anything like that before. Thanks in advance. [Traps for the larval stage of the gypsy moth, which first arrived in the United States in Massachusetts in 1869. - Dave] Thanks so much Dave. Never too old to learn something new! Postcard KodakIt looks like the fellow on the left may be holding one of the recently introduced "Postcard Kodak" cameras. The format allowed printing your photos in the dimensions of the extremely popular postcards. Burlap WrapsAlso found in this photo. https://www.shorpy.com/node/14800 MemoriesMy mom was born in Marblehead and I spent many summers there. The picture is from the "Neck." We used to love to visit the castle that was on the seaside of the peninsula. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Christmas With Wilbur and Orville: 1900
... inventing the airplane!" - Dave] No Wires These trees were fire hazards. Also lit by candles, my mom's family tree burned down ... might seem. My family has put candles on our Christmas trees for the past four decades (and lit them) without any problems. You don't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2008 - 5:15pm -

December 1900. Christmas tree in the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, three years before their famous flight. 4x5 dry-plate glass negative by the Wright Brothers. View full size. There's a lot of detail here for fans of old-school Christmas decoration. Zoom the gifts. Update: Niece Bertha is shown here playing with the dish set in a different room or house. Candles on a Christmas tree...... has got to be the most optimistic decoration ever. "nah, it's fine, it wont' burn up" ToysThe toys must've been for nieces and nephews, as Orville and Wilbur were unmarried and (presumably) had no children. I wonder if the wrapping paper was leftover from their printing business. ["Don't bother me, kid. I'm inventing the airplane!" - Dave] No WiresThese trees were fire hazards. Also lit by candles, my mom's family tree burned down in the 1930s and took their few gifts with it. Gifting was so much simpler then, without the megahyped products and must have items of today. Dolls, books, toiletries and no batteries required! All this stuff!Wow coin bags, dolls, candles, popcorn, and of course a star at the top. The man's head in the picture on the right is blocked by an ornament. Plus, those books are awesome, now that's a book cover. And is that a rifle I see? [I think it is! And there's a tag on it. Unfortunately I can't read the writing. I also see roller skates and a toy locomotive. Click here for a closeup of the gifts. But only if you've been good. - Dave] Toy$I wonder how much these toys would go for on eBay. CeilingWow, I'd hate to wallpaper a ceiling. What?No "fragile" leg lamp in the window? Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Presents Beneath the TreeI wonder if the gun under the tree is an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! By the way, does anyone know what the cup-shaped ornaments on the tree are? I've never seen those before. Great presents!What great presents--the doll tea and dishes set, roller skates and some very detailed doll furniture, the train--a classic Christmas! Electric lightsThe ceiling fixture looks electric, so I guess Dayton had electricity in 1900. [I think those are gaslights on the ceiling. - Dave] Definitely GasYou can see the taps for the gas just before the fixture elbows up into the light mantles (I think that's what they were called). Hard to imagine Bishop Wright spending the money (or even having) the money needed to convert from gaslight to electric. If we think about the fire danger from candles on a Christmas tree, I think we could also offer a bit of concern about a gas flame being so close to a wallpapered ceiling. Orville & WilburTwo comments: 1) I believe they had a younger sister. Perhaps the girl's gifts under the tree are for her. 2) As a kid, I read a book about them. One interesting anecdote that stuck with me: Before their Dad was a Bishop, he was just a church pastor, and his two young sons got stuck with the boring chore of folding the church bulletins every Saturday night. To deal with this dreary task, they used their creativity and inventiveness to design and build a machine to fold the bulletins for them! I would just love to see this contraption. Most likely it long ago was destroyed, but maybe there's a tiny chance it survived and is in a museum somewhere, eh? Animal in the tree- dead or aliveIs that some kind of animal in the tree? House pet sleeping or trophy? I have never seen that before. [Seems to be a fur stole. - Dave] Coonskin CapOf course...now I see it, even without zooming in it does appear to be either that or a fur hat of some sort to go along with the gun? That is really quite funny, to place it in the tree.... maybe the brothers had a sharp wit as well as a sharp intellect...... Thanks Dave.... Christmas CandlesYou'll notice in the hi-def view that the wicks on the candles have never been lit. Maybe they were purely decorative in this instance, but I assure you they aren't as risky as they might seem. My family has put candles on our Christmas trees for the past four decades (and lit them) without any problems. You don't exactly leave the room while they're lit, mind you, but it's actually quite difficult for a fresh cut tree to ignite from a tiny candle. I know this because my father tried to demonstrate to my mother once how dangerous this tradition from the old country (The Netherlands) was. One January in the mid-70s, once the tree had dried out and was out at the curb, he spent 45 minutes trying to set the old tannenbaum ablaze and failed utterly. We still have lit candles on the tree every year, but there's always a fire extinguisher in the room in deference to my father. Gifts ON the TreeI believe people used to put the gifts, which tended to be smaller, on the tree itself. You could fit them in the branches because they were further apart and not as bushy as they tend to be now. And I think the cup-shaped ornaments may have held candy or other small gifts. I think some people even tucked their nativities into the tree branches too. There were obviously trends and fashions in how trees were decorated and I'd love to know more about it. Wright relationsI know I'm late in the game here, but Orville and Wilbur did indeed have a sister, Katherine, but she would have been a bit old to receive dolls and miniatures in 1900 and didn't marry until she was past childbearing age (to a newspaper magnate). Their brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin had children -- one was an inventor of toys -- hence the dolls and miniatures. Wired DaytonDayton had electricity, without a doubt, not long after Edison rolled out his first electric-enabled neighborhood in the Gramercy Park vicinity (NYC) in or around 1882. I used to enjoy Con Ed's exhibit about same. Dayton had a number of advanced industries - including the National Cash Register Company, which was already global by this time. The Wright Brothers used electricity in wind tunnel tests for their wing development. Electric Power in DaytonDayton was a very advanced city for 1903 due to its importance as a manufacturing center (NCR, Barney and Smith Railroad Car Company . . .) The Wright Family, though not rich, were fairly well-to-do. Thier father was a Bishop (pastor) of a local church. Historical note: before they flew and even before the bicycle shop the Wrights dabbled in publishing. They produced a small local paper and were one of the first pubishers of Paul Lawerence Dunbar's stories and poems. (The Gallery, Aviation, Christmas, Wright Brothers)
College Modern: 1961
... underclassman entering it's not so friendly confines. Trees & Buildings Bill T. brings up a good point. Landscaping can be an ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 6:12pm -

I've been on a Mid-Century Modern architecture kick lately, so I dug out this Kodachrome my brother took in 1961 on the campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Interesting combination of study areas housed in this 1959 Bauhaus-y building. Looking at the arrangement of those window panels, I can't help thinking of Redwood High School in Larkspur, which opened in 1958. This building (now Mathematics and Science) is still there, although this view is mostly obscured by what is apparently that spindly sapling, now grown to gigantic proportions. Not Julius Shulman, but a nice shot, I think. View full size. Little BoxesMuch is owed to Piet Mondrian. Still contemporary and attractiveI really like this kind or architecture, too. To me, it makes a very good use of spaces without sacrificing style; form and function are nicely balanced, and the results are still attractive and usable today. For the sake of comparison, this is a shot of Mexico's National University rectory tower in Mexico City, built around the same time the Math & Home Economics building was erected. To be sure, it is a very different style, and, although it is still used (and useful), I prefer the simplicity and the basic geometric forms of the "Bauhaus-y" building. And of course, the usual compliments on the quality of the photo itself. I love the vibrant colors, the composition, the blue sky, the green grass, and the total absence of people that lets you focus on the building itself, without distractions. You and your siblings are fantastic photographers, and I'm sure I speak for all the regular Shorpyites when I say that I always look forward to see your next contribution. Thanks for sharing the images, Tterrace! Eames HouseThis is the Eames House in Pacific Palisades, CA. It was one of the early icons of this genre of architecture. It uses a lot of industrial components brought together in a way that makes a wonderfully livable space. I was an Eames employee for a decade up to 1978 and often visited the building. Was startled to see how big the sycamores have gotten in this recent photo. Architects need to think about that. High School ModernHere are those Mondrian-y windows at Redwood High School I was talking about, in another shot by my brother from 1958. You can also see a bit of the main part of the building, and why it was common to joke about it being an extension of nearby San Quentin Prison. BauhausI'm very interested in the modernist style, particularly Bauhaus. My grandfather (b. 1898) was an architect in Germany who designed an apartment block in Buckeburg in the middle of the 20th century. The family lived in an apartment there postwar (my mother spent her teenage years there) and I spent many holidays there in the sixties/seventies. It was a fantastic building full of original Bauhaus furniture, lights etc. It was sold when my grandmother died ten years ago and I last visited in 1981. Unfortunately at the age of 18 I had absolutely no idea what modernism was or had any interest in that wonderful building. Frozen in timeWhat I really love about this shot and the one of Redwood High, is the timeless quality of them. 61 and 58 maybe, but if we didn't know that they could have been taken yesterday. It's a sensation that I feel sometimes, but which is hard to describe. Keep them coming tterrace, Sundays just wouldn't be the same anymore without seeing your newest post and reading the comments. As that tiger says, they're grrrreat! Beautiful!I love Shorpy for its turn-of-the-century goodness, but these mid-century shots are exciting to me as well. These school shots are particularly nice - by the time I started school (around 1970) a lot of the 1950's buildings had been adjusted or painted or altered in some way so it is good to see them in their original condition. But even at 5-6 years old I could recognize the good bones in these modernist structures and realize they were special (and not just "plain" or "prison-like" as some thought.) And tterrace, I think Julius would have enjoyed this shot. Golden RectangleThis building is an example of what is known in the art world, the engineering world, and the mathematics world, as the Golden Rectangle, or a rectangle with a proportion of 1.618:1. Of course it would adorn the Math building. To find out about the timelessness of this art form, and its mathematical derivation, track down a copy of Disney's "Donald in Mathemagic Land" (available, believe it or not, on YouTube) - or google Golden Rectangle and check out the examples. Palm Springs Modernism Week 2011Palm Springs is the home of much mid-century modernism architecture, enough that each year in February the have a Modernism Week event. This February I was visiting friends there during that week and we self-drove the route of a Modernism Week tour. Here's one of the many houses that display that style. Windows Today In my never ending attempt to walk in the footsteps of TTerrace, I offer up a photo taken on my walk this morning. As you can see, there has been some additional work done to the building, with no sense of how it effects the viewing of the architectural design. None of the windows at the school have the tinted colored glass any more, and the frames themselves are quite symmetrical, lacking their seemingly random placement. The illusion of which comes from the placement of another set of windows on the other side of the building. This can be done because there is a large opening in the center of the building that at one time was called the Senior Quad. Whoa be it to the hapless underclassman entering it's not so friendly confines. Trees & BuildingsBill T. brings up a good point. Landscaping can be an enhancement to architecture, but it's often forgotten that it needs to be managed over time. For example, from the Google Street View, here is the Cal Poly building from about the same angle today: So this must be the buildingwhere they teach you how to double a recipe. Tree trimmingAlas, Angkor Wat succumbed to poor landscape maintenance. Individual tasteis a wonderful thing. Personally, this type of architecture leaves me cold. Plus the fact that in the midwest (where I live) flat roofs are a little impractical when you average nearly 6 ft. of snow a year! But a great photo none the less, tterrace. Ah, my alma materThat should be the end of the building facing Dexter Lawn and the Dexter building. An interesting choice for architectural amusement on campus. I always found Architecture, the Kennedy Library, and the University Union to be more interesting. I had a bunch of math computer labs in that building, as well as Advanced Engineering Math (in the summer ... booo!). But back when I was there, there was still a textiles/sewing lab and the child development/preschool playground in that building, too. Hopefully, they have replaced the PowerMacs we ran Maple on with something newer. --Ben (B.S. MatE 1999) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Union Station: 1943
... area between the woman and Union Station is now lined by trees that have grown up so that the view of Union Station is not nearly as ... The view of Union Station is pretty much obscured by trees now, but you can still make out the rooftop. Click to enlarge. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:56pm -

Washington, 1943. A study in contrasts at Union Station. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparencies, photographer unknown. Office of War Information. Miss KodachromeThe ladies sure liked their lipstick RED then eh? Again, I cannot believe the crisp vividness of Kodachrome transparencies. A 1943 movie on TV will look like a century ago, and this looks like yesterday. You could count the pebbles in the pavement. A Bit ConfusedI have to admit I am a bit confused. Is this two different photos taken years apart? If so then i have a real problem with the shadows on the wall across from where both people are sitting. Strikes me as photoshop had something to do with this. Plus, and this too seems odd but nothing of the surrounding area has changed? I am a bit skeptical. [I'm confused, too. About why you are confused. Why would you ask if these photos are supposed to have been taken years apart? They were taken in 1943, as stated in the caption. On the same day. - Dave] Side by SideI agree, I love this very much, and the crispness of it, ahhh, it just leaves me haunted. It's as if, when things were black and white and "dated" looking, they could still be haunted and "distant," but they were easier to keep in the past. Whereas with these images, yes, it's haunting, it's like being there *now*. As for the "contrast," obvious things aside, doesn't the little girl have personality? Any more of these?You can see the same car parked beyond the stone wall in the background of both photos, so I'm guessing these images were taken on the same day. I wonder if there are any more? It appears the photographer was taking candid shots of people who didn't know they were being photographed as they sat on that wall, so why would he/she stop at two? (Unless the photographer's intent was to specifically show the "contrast" between these two people.) [There are more from the same general location. These people would have known their pictures were being taken, what with the big camera and tripod a few feet away. The little girl is shown in three different poses. - Dave] The look of the dayA costumer could easily copy her outfit, a hairstylist could create the hairstyle, and a makeup artist could reproduce the cosmetic style. The biggest obstacle is actually the eyebrows - eyebrow style in women changes from decade to decade, and it's the rare model who will allow a photographer to reshape her browline. Twin CityI'm always fascinated by the comments, often provoked by Kodachrome color, that the picture looks like it could be "yesterday," or today. Granted, the color is impressive, and the details are sharp. But - and I would love to see an experiment along these lines - how close could we come to duplicating a shot like this (say, the adult woman) today? Assuming the buildings are still there, and look much the same; catch the weather and light the same way, and assume we get a similar looking model, and carefully dress her to look like this; using professional technology, could a photographer make a picture taken today look like this? I have a sneaking suspicion each age and era has its own "look", and it's impossible to fully re-create it. Union Station todayIt would be possible to re-create this photo, though some of the features have changed. Google does not offer a "streetview" of this location (national security?), but if you look at the satellite view of the point where E Street NE and Massachusetts Ave. and Columbus Circle converge - just north of the Capitol, you can get an idea of the photo's location. It appears that a parking lot (natch) is now situated where the lady and the girl are posed in the photo. Perhaps Columbus Circle has been enlarged since the photo was taken - this is a busy intersection today. About a block away - southwest down E Street - are two good Irish pubs side by side. Irish seven-course gourmet dinner? A six-pack and a baked potato! Goober Pea KodachromeKodachrome is wonderful stuff, but Kodak is gradually curtailing its manufacture. It is getting difficult to find processors for it. Mama is indeed taking our Kodachrome away and it will be a great loss. Looking at these images makes me want to throw rocks at digital cameras. Re-creating the Look of the DayI agree, Charlene. Hollywood movies SEEM to re-create the past regularly, but they rarely do it exactly. Their purpose is entertainment, not historical education. An example being westerns made in the fifties. The men sported 50's American ducktail haircuts, and the women had fifties make-up. In the sixties, the men finally got some longer hair, but the women had those huge "sixties" false eylashes. The result? You can tell the decade a western was made, even if they all are supposed to be set in the mid to late 1800s. Today, they do tend to be more subdued in westerns, but they still make concessions to modern tastes. That's what I love about this site. For us history lovers, we are getting the real thing. Almost as good as time travel! Actually, Charlene...I just saw the movie "Chinatown" again, recently, and Faye Dunaway sported a very authentic thirties pencilled-in eyebrow line. I loved the "look" in that film Union Station From AboveUnion Station from above. Click to pan (Google Maps). Union Station LadiesThe Location for these pictures has not changed. I work across the street from this location. It is the little park adjacent to the Russell Senate Office building. Still looks essentially the same, except the street lights are gone. Same aggregate concrete floor. They are sitting on the wall next to the steps leading down to North Capitol Street. The woman is facing west toward the Teamsters building. Strikingly clear day, no jet contrails spoling the view. I tell you what, I will bring in my camera and recreate this view for you. The look of the dayI could never watch the Korean War show "M*A*S*H" because Alan Alda had a 1970's haircut. Similarly, in the otherwise excellent movie "The Last Picture Show," set in 1951, Jeff Bridges' character is seen near the end in his Class A uniform visiting Anarene just after Army basic training, sporting hair much longer than a 1951 soldier ever would have had (especially one just out of basic). Argh. Ruins it. How hard is it to give a guy an authentic haircut? Washington ReduxThanks, Anonymous Tipster - I would love to see the photo re-shot. I used to know this area well, too. It was on my path to Union Station to catch the Red Line to Bethesda. The recent posting "Battle Stations" appears to have been shot from the same plaza/park. Goober Pea The Old LookInterestingly to me, when it comes to trying to re-create the look and feel of another time, it's high-end fashion photography that routinely, and lovingly, does this. I would even go further and say it's specifically gay men in fashion who truly adore and appreciate old photos and styles, and are attentive to subtle details in fashion, or eyebrows, or heels, very precise as to the 'when' something was chic. But as someone said, and I've independently looked into, Kodachrome is shutting down. The one place to get it developed is in Scandinavia! And that's just for the moment, til it becomes a loss. It's a very hard look to replicate, that Kodachrome vibrancy. (I'm "Miss Kodachrome" commenter 1) Re: The Old LookUnless I've missed something, only Kodachrome 25 and 200 have been discontinued, and Duane's in Kansas still processes Kodachrome 64. In any event, the Kodachrome in all these 4x5s is a lot different than today's film. The present emulsion is a lot more accurate than the pre-1961 film, which was slow (ASA 10) and featured bright reds and blues, so the film everyone's been mourning in these comments has been gone over 45 years. I think what catches the eye here is the tremendous detail captured in the large format. I used to go out photographing with a friend with Kodak Elite in both my Nikon and his 4x5 view camera. We would photograph the same scenes, but it was no contest. His transparencies were amazing, and would blow mine away. The look of todayIn response to everyone who wondered if such a photo could be taken today, I would suggest that a women sitting outside Union Station in that particular pose nowadays would be reading a text message on her cell phone or Blackberry. The look of TodayI agree that Kodachrome is a wonder film, but don't discount the size of the negative (120 or 4x5) and the quality of the lenses. I use a Mamiya RB67 with fuji chromes and the images just pop out and poke your eyeballs. Get out there and shoot some film folks! 50 Years from now, perhaps our pics will be posted on Shorpy. Union StationI commute via Union Station daily, Irish pubs there are just like Ruby Tuesdays, more like a bar than a restaurant. No seven course gourmet dinner. My first date with my wife was this Irish pub. Obviously not identicalThese amateur photoanalysts must be blind. The background is obviously not identical -- the rightmost flag is waving and is in different positions between the two photos. (More questionable is the digital "213" on the edges. But that's outside the area of the film itself.) [The 213 frame number ("digital" only in the sense that it's composed of digits), made with a pin register, will be familiar to anyone who works with old large-format Kodachromes. The backgrounds aren't "identical" (and who said they were?) because these are two different photographs. The point is that they were taken the same day. Which we know because of the cars in the background. - Dave] Union Station TodayIn addition to other differences noted by others, the grassy area between the woman and Union Station is now lined by trees that have grown up so that the view of Union Station is not nearly as clear and direct anymore. Also, Columbus Circle is now lined with the flags of all 50 states plus territories. This is a great historical photo. 67 years laterI located the same exact spot where this picture was taken, and took another picture of what it looks like today. What's interesting is that the lamp posts are still in their exact same locations -- Even the two-headed lamp post off in the distance. The view of Union Station is pretty much obscured by trees now, but you can still make out the rooftop. Click to enlarge.
Second Home: 1943
... A friend of ours, who has a stand of sugar maple trees and a hobby sugaring operation, got a retired Canadian National caboose ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 12:39pm -

January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The caboose is the conductor's second home. He always uses the same one and many conductors cook and sleep there while waiting for trains to take back from division points." Medium format nitrate negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. "Stormy" and brake tests."Stormy" Kromer was the inventor's name, the hat was a Kromer Blizzard Cap. The last one my wife bought for me was made in China, so I don't buy them anymore. There used to be a pair of hand (lantern) signals in the rulebook to handle brake tests: Rule 12(f), the lamp swung horizontally over the head was the signal for the engineer to apply the brakes for the test, Rule 12(g), the lamp held at arm's length overhead was the signal to release. If all was well and the pressure recovered at the caboose, the next signal would be the "highball", otherwise someone would start walking the train to find the problem. Classy RV-ingWouldn't it be great to have an RV these days that looked more like that than the generic, mundane look most modern RVs have? I suppose one could refit an RV to look like this, but the weight of the wood paneling might be a problem, not to mention the weight of the woodstove. One can dream, however unrealistic one's dreams might be. The Modern CabooseIn Canada at least there are still uses for cabooses. Mainly they're used on short switching runs where one or two cars are dropped off and or picked up at a specific shipper. I suspect that this is a time saving measure since it would be inefficient to keep moving the ETD (FRED) to the new end car, and it poor electronic brain might not be able to cope with a movement that temporarily splits the train in the middle. Lots of factors killed Cabeesemost already mentioned, but there were a large number of workers comp incidents that arose in a people transporter located a mile back of slack action on a freight train. One of the best ways to improve safety is to eliminate the need to expose workers to the danger in the first place. So this was a big improvement. Cheesecake, though, is something to be missed. Comforting memoriesAs a young boy in Maine my brother and I would watch the trains go by and count the cars. It was a thrill to wave to the conductor. My grandfather, an old railroad man, introduced us to a conductor friend of his and we even got a quick look inside a caboose. A dream come true for a young railroad fan. Proper pinupsSome tasty cheesecake here. Contemporary girls a la Sundblom and Elvgren along with some smaller older pieces. I Miss the CabooseNice man cave. September snowThe graffiti is correct; it did indeed snow in Illinois and Iowa on Friday, September 25, 1942 - up to two inches (in Iowa Falls). Newspapers the next morning reported that this was the first September snowfall in Des Moines in the history of the weather bureau. The high school football game between Garner and Buffalo Center was called because of darkness after "driving snow" knocked out six lights. Wall CandyI worked on a railroad for 36 years and the cabooses never were allowed to look like that. Years ago the caboose was assigned to the Conductor for each trip he made so it was decorated it the way he wanted it. I rode these for many years until they were replaced with a flashing rear end device. FRED Back in the day!It would have been nice to be there. Caboose LoreWhatever happened to cabooses? Were they stopped as a cost-saving measure, or was the conductor no longer needed on freight trains? They were a "natural" ending to trains as they looked so different from the other cars. When they passed you knew that it was OK to cross the crossing. Now freight trains just end and it is sad. Part of the fun with trains was waving at the caboose. Quite often, the conductor or whoever was in it would wave back. Cabeese and conductorsThough the cabeese have been replaced, not so the conductors. Their office has been moved into the cab of the locomotive..Conductors are actually in charge of the train, not as ususlly believed, the engineers. Engineers run the locomotives and the conductors tell them where to pick up and drop off freight cars. I prefer the caboose to the Freds that are used now. The Freds not only have a flashing light, but they radio air pressure and other information to the engineer, but the conductor is usually a nice friendly guy, much more than the Freds, A Place to HangI feel sorry for the modern conductor and brakeman. They used to have a home away from home at the end of the train but now only have a seat in the lead locomotive or a seat in the empty slave locomotives. Get a load of the CabooseGet a load of the caboose on the broad on the wall of the caboose. LOL (Am I the only one to post this obviouse joke?) A glimpse of the cabooseFrom "I Like Trains" by Fred Eaglesmith Sixteen miles from Arkadelphia right near the Texas border traffic was stopped at a railway crossing I took it to the shoulder I stoked the kettle I put it to the metal I shook the gravel loose I missed the train but I was happy with a glimpse of the caboose (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name I was born on a greyhound bus my Momma was a diesel engine They tried to put me behind the wheel but I wouldn't let them You should have seen the look in their eyes and how it turned to tears when I finally told them I wanna be an engineer Now you think I've got someone new but darlin' that ain't true I could never love another woman besides you It's not some dewy-eyed darlin' darlin' that's gonna drive you insane But anymore I'd be listenin' for the sound of a big ol' train (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name Cabeese have always intrigued meThanks for the view of life inside a caboose, I have always been fascinated with them. After reading Lectrogeek's link about the demise of the caboose I learned quite a bit of info about trains that I just took for granted before reading the link. The link's explanation of the features of the FRED device does bring up one question though. Before the days of computers and the prevalence of two-way radios from the back of the train to the front, how did the engineer get all of the air pressure and movement information from the conductor? Stormy Kromer!I spy an actual Stormy Kromer hat hanging on a peg! Still made in Michigan, originally designed by Stormy's wife from a baseball cap and made to stay on a railroad engineer's head no matter how windy. Technology overtook them.Renaissanceman asked "Whatever happened to cabooses?" Technology, in the form of flashing end-of-train devices (acronym is FRED, I think) and computerised detection for when the rear end passes critical points (signals, switches, etc) replaced the need for a man at the back. Home sweet home!Except for the slack action when a long train started up, I'm sure. Note the stout rod holding the potbelly stove down to the floor. And here is an explanation for why we no longer have cabeese. MemoriesMy brother forwarded this shot to me and boy do I love it. Our father was a conductor on the C&NWRR and the photo brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. As a railroading family, my father would periodically take me to the yard with him to work. One of the highlights of the trip was reaching for the curved handrail on the side of the caboose and let the train's passing movement pull you up for the ride. Once on-board, I loved climbing up to the copula for a bird’s eye view (usually it would be a trip to Proviso Yard where I could be handed off to see my uncle, grandfather or a cousin). Thank you for any train picsMy Grandfather, whom I adored, worked on the Erie Lackawanna from the early 1910's to the late 1960's. Any old pics of the great train days are so appreciated. Thank you. I find it interestingwith the cheesecake motif that in the upper left hand of this photo (near the stove pipe) there's a picture of what appears to be a mother consoling a child. Penny for his thoughts.Pipe smoker is wearing a Stormy Kromer as well. I wonder what he's thinking? How long will the war last? How long till he sees his son again? How long till lunch? How long is it gonna take this photographer to get his shot? The end of the endTwo innovations contributed to the end of the caboose. Roller bearings on the freight cars meant the guy in the cupola didn't have to watch for "hot-boxes" from the earlier cotton-waste oil-saturated bearing packing. The advent of the walkie-talkie meant communication between the engineer and the guy on the ground taking care of the switching. Not Politically CorrectPersonalized cabooses like this started dying off probably by the 1950s when most large railroads and the unions agreed to use "pooled" cabooses where the caboose stayed with the train and only the crews changed. Today it is totally politically incorrect to post lewd photos or drawings like those in the photo. If doing such today does not get you fired, it will certainly cause you to have to attend Diversity and Sensitivity Training Sessions. Oh yeah, most jokes are strictly off limits, too. The railroad is a changed place these days. It's all in the detailsAnd what a wealth of details in this photo! Like the splatter on the side of the cabinet just above the waste basket. Probably from tobacco juice, or possibly empty beer cans? Neither of which would fly in today's railroad workplace, according to several of the comments. And the guy with the pipe would probably be out of a job as well. And what's up with the rolling pin hanging on the wall? Maybe to roll out a few pancakes for cooking on the stove when they got hungry? The print of the mother and child on the left looks like it has been hanging there since the caboose was built. And, echoing several of the other comments, I miss the caboose and the waving conductor. I still remember that as a kid, and this was back in the 1970s. Outstanding photo and keep up the great work. Politically Correct PinupIt's in the eye of the beholder. Working on the railroadI come from a railroad family. My grandfather had 50 years on the job, as did my father. I haven't seen the interior of many caboose cars but I did not see any decorated like this one. My dad used the downtime to study his safety rules for the next level of exam, necessary for promotion, not looking at nekkid women. Men were paid on time in grade status, but to promote you had to take a test and wait for an opening. Railroading was a serious job, the company took safety very seriously as did the men, particularily the brakemen because they would be out there on the track swinging the lantern to guide the engineer on his back-up as well as to switch the track. Never would alcohol be on the job, not ever. It would not be tolerated by the company, nor by the men whose lives were at stake. My dad smoked cigarettes, as did his father. Everyone smoked cigarettes and since it was not an issue like it is today, I cannot image that it wasn't allowed in the caboose. My dad quit railroading in the 1980s saying he was quitting because the new men coming in did not care--they were not interested in learning the job the right way, just "get it done quick, rest, play cards, and get my pay". It hurt him to see this low standard of work ethic, as it did other men. Sad commentary on progress, is it not. We loved seeing the trains pass--ran from our play when we heard the whistle blow just to wave, first at the engineer who would sound the horn for us, and then at the caboose where the men would wave back. it was especially nice if it was our dad in the caboose. Dining carI assume the "Dining Car in opposite direction" sign is a joke? If so, very clever. Afterlife of CabeeseA friend of ours, who has a stand of sugar maple trees and a hobby sugaring operation, got a retired Canadian National caboose (red, of course) with the idea of using it as a warming hut during the sap boiling. He paid some nominal price, and it was delivered to his site on a flatbed truck. He'd determined how high the caboose should be mounted -- you get the caboose only, not the wheels -- and he'd prepared a foundation for it that would place it at the actual height of a operational caboose. To get the thing off the truck an into place, he rented a crane and operator at something like $100/hour (this was three decades ago). Well, it took the crane operator four hours to get that caboose off the truck and onto the foundation! Yes, it all worked out OK, and yes, there's a red CN caboose sitting in a southern Ontario stand of maples. But that "freebie" caboose ended up costing a whole lot more. Air on the BrakesAccording to the air brake gage on the back wall there is air on the train so the caboose is hooked up (coupled) to the train. I wonder who's cut out head is pinned to the lower left door window? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Toy Story: 1923
... evidently. And, we have seen a number of real Christmas trees in recent Shorpy photos. Today's cultivated, pruned, fertilized, and pesticided "real" trees are just too phony perfect. Looks like a good Christmas, if only ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:20pm -

December 26, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Madame Prochnik, Christmas." Gretchen Prochnik, wife of the Austrian charge d'affaires, and children. View full size. Worlds apartSuch fortunate little children. They're just worlds away from our memorable Shorpy, aren't they? I bet that room is very colourful and the tree is beautiful! Are the arms movable?Madame Prochnik looks like a real doll, as it were. Another ratty tree, but a great toy car. FascinatingThe kids look real and alive, and awash in toys, but Madame Prochnik looks like a figure from a wax museum. This is a fascinating photograph. What is that behind her? Looks like a small stage, although the roll-down curtain appears to be unfortunately water-stained. I love the stenciled nymphs near the top of the wall, and the fact they are repeated on the curtain bottoms. Ms. P was big on nymphs, evidently. And, we have seen a number of real Christmas trees in recent Shorpy photos. Today's cultivated, pruned, fertilized, and pesticided "real" trees are just too phony perfect. Looks like a good Christmas, if only Gretchen would lighten up. Plug-insHow are these youngsters possibly going to keep themselves occupied and happy for very long? Not one of their toys plugs into the wall or runs on a battery! Such deprivation our forebears endured! (By the way, what on earth is that backdrop behind the tree? It looked at first to be a stage and a proscenium arch, but it appears on closer inspection to be only two-dimensional.) Love this RoomI love this tree. I like the style of long limbs with a lot of space in between with garland strung across. If I had a tree it would look like this. I also love the stencils on the wall that are also on the curtains.. What a fantastic room! Hair-don'tI guess it was fashionable in 1923 to bunch your hair up into a wad and balance it on your forehead. (See also: Is Your Child Healthy?) TOOOOOOTShouldn't Captain von Trapp be blowing his whistle??? A little child shall lead themAh, the lead tinsel has arrived! Yay! We were only allowed to hang -- never sling -- the tinsel one strand at a time. The best part, then, was taking down the tree and getting to wad up the tinsel into great, heavy balls of lead (slung at fellow siblings). I find it unfortunate that Madame Prochnik's tunic is so very unflattering. It just hangs on her. But that was the style at the moment. I'd choose the sailor suit over that frock any day. Expensive toysI'd like to see that toy car on Antiques Roadshow to see what its worth today. And tinsel. Nobody really does tinsel anymore. I guess its too much work and you would find it in the house months later. But our Christmas trees always looked super loaded with tinsel when I was a young boy. My Favorite ThingsThey look like the von Trapp family, pre-Maria. The oldest girl (seated)is thinking: "Look at all the loot they got, and all I got was this dumb book! Yes she has the mannequin pose down very wellLittle boy looks like he'd much rather be playing with his new drum or toy car than posing with sister and her tea set! What's behind the curtain?Is that a small stage behind the curtain? It's interesting to see what the upper-class were buying their children at that time. I like that metal toy car, too. I bet they were sorry about that drum after a couple of weeks, though. A small fortune...is represented by the collectables in this image! Dad must have been in the Austrian Navy to outfit the kids with those neat uniforms. Twins in the middle, I presume from the haircuts. The children have their own theater built in to the room's wall as well. Cool! Mom? She looks a bit peeved at something that can only be guessed. Any idea who the photographer was? Pro, or Daddy? Mannequin stareMom is thinking about the next performance her little girls will have on that stage behind her. If she knew then...One wonders where those adorable children were, 20 years hence. Deb in the makingThe table manners that Madame Prochnik was teaching the youngest pair (two-year old Patricia and Edgar Jr., seated at the table) would ultimately help Patricia become Washington's top debutante of the 1939-40 season, and the subject of a major profile in Life Magazine (http://books.google.com/books?id=50EEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source...). The mother of jazz vocalist Stephanie Nakasian, Patricia passed away in 1996. SilhouettesThe silhouette-embellished curtains cleverly match the wall decorations, but they're ugly as sin. They look like bath towels with a silly little valance between them. Antiques RoadshowA toy car exactly like the large one in this photo was on Antiques Roadshow once. I don't recall what the auction estimate was, but I think it was in the 2 to 3 thousand range. I do remember that the steering wheel moves the tires and the doors open and close. The woman - a younger woman and not the original owner - said when she was a kid she would sit on it and ride it down the sidewalk. The thing is heavy and built to last. I bet the Jungle Adventure Petting Zoo would sell for a pretty penny today if you could find a complete set. MissingThis is all well and good but where is Krampus? Unexpected designNice sans serif typeface on the blocks. Many ThanksI'm very grateful to Shorpy commenter jsmakbkr for the link to Life Magazine. What you delivered was a treasure trove of 1939 ads that I found much more interesting than the Prochniks. Coincidence?The accordion-like musical instrument in the foreground is very similar or identical to the one held by Margaret, the little girl in another photo (Deck the Halls: 1920.) The little girl on the left is holding a Patsy doll: I know it well, having named my Boston terrier after the googly eyed, square-faced little dear. The Brown MansionAccording to two New York Tribune articles, the Prochnik family lived in the Embassy, which in after 1922 was at 1851 Wyoming Avenue, just around the corner from Columbia Road. The fortress-like Promenade apartment building now occupies the area. It was described the previous decade as the Brown Mansion, when it was the home of President Wilson's Secretary of the Navy (Josephus Daniels) and his wife Addie. The room in the photo matches the Nov. 14, 1915 Washington Post description of a fourth-floor ballroom, which it said had been "converted some time ago into a theater suitable for amateur theatricals." Although it changed hands in 1915 for $35,000, an display ad in the Post during the first week of the Harding Administration offered it for $15,000 in cash. Before Austria could acquire it, Prochnik needed to sell off the former Austro-Hungarian embassy and divide the proceeds between Hungary and Austria. Madame Prochnik's and her OrnamentsAs I recall, several months ago we saw another picture of Madame Prochnik and her ornaments: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6406 To me, both she and her children look quite different in the two photos. Me and My DrumMy uncle gave me a drum for Christmas when I was about this boy's age. My parents never forgave him. More Prochnik, PleaseSee Mrs. Prochnik in her glory: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6410 (The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Rondale's Burgers: 1960
... according to the 1957 Hayward city directory. The trees have grown since then, especially that redwood a few doors down! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/10/2023 - 11:58pm -

  AND THE ANSWER IS: Mission Boulevard in the Bay Area burg of Hayward, California. Circa 1960, this random selection from the News Photo Archive shows a busy street in Anytown, USA. Where exactly are we? 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. California?There appears to be a Ralph's grocery store down the road from the burger joint, there's a VW microbus approaching (which gives a West Coast vibe for a picture from the early '60s), and the out-of-focus license plates look like they're kind of dark so they could be the old gold-on-black California tags. [It turns out that this particular Ralph's is an appliance store. - Dave] 467 Jackson Street, Hayward, CaliforniaAt least according to the 1957 Hayward city directory. The trees have grown since then, especially that redwood a few doors down! [Excellent sleuthing! You found the city, but we think the address is 24919 Mission Boulevard -- by 1958, there were two Rondale's Burgers in Hayward. - Dave] Where's Broderick Crawford? Mountains (foothills?), wide straight roads, convertibles, vacation trailer rentals. All that is missing is Broderick Crawford of the California Highway Patrol pulling out of the Burger Joint. The Ford Ranchero being product placement for the rolling shot of him leaving. '49 CadillacA nice looking 1949 Cadillac convertible swinging through the intersection in front of a '53 Ford. Looks like a Peugeot behind the Ford, followed by a '56 Chrysler. A VW van and couple of shoebox Fords down the street - one coming, one going. On the far righthand curb a '57 Ford wagon and, closer, a 1959 Ford Ranchero. Over by the drive-in, a '55 Ford two-door post. How did Sagitta do it?Clues are few to none. I’d like to know how he/she figured it out. 24919 Mission Boulevard... at Orchard Avenue and Carlos Bee Blvd. (formerly Hillary Street) in Hayward. Thanks to Sagitta and tterrace for their superlative sleuthing. Nineteen Cent BurgersFrom the 1958 Hayward phone book, by way of tterrace: And from the 1961 Hayward Yellow Pages, where the dining options include the Spin A Yarn, Stop 'N Chat, and Snack & Yack: Both a Bit OffActually VictrolaJazz, we were both a bit off. I called the Ford a "2 door post" as a slang reference vs. "hardtop" the correct connotation, per a 1955 Ford brochure is "Club Sedan". The 4 door was a "Town Sedan". The Victoria was 2 dr hardtop (no B pillar - I owned one once) and the "Crown Victoria" had a chrome strip across the roof that ran down as a B pillar. Anything with the chrome dip on the front door is a Fairlane. Just call me a pendant! [Ok -- you're an earring! - Dave] 1955 Ford on the rightIs a Fairlane Victoria coupe, not a post sedan as one poster noted. The days when there was "a car for every purse and purpose" as stated by Alfred P. Sloan, one time president of GM. What about the other Ford ...... the one behind the Cadillac. I've never owned a Ford but I think I can tell the difference between the grille on a 1953 model and the one on a 1954 model. OopsGood catch Dave! LOL (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, News Photo Archive)
Over to Owego: 1901
... That's kinda nice. Ailanthus? While it's possible trees in the bottom right are Ailanthus, it is also possible that those compound-leaved trees are the native sumac (genus Rhus). While Tree of Heaven is an invasive ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 9:25pm -

Tioga County, New York, circa 1901. "General view of Owego, N.Y., and the Susquehanna." At far left, a tantalizing glimpse of Hamilton's Novelty Works. Bottom right, J.C. Kenyon and his Low Prices continue to beckon. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. A very orderly town.Apparently General Henry Martyn Robert found Owego so, as he resided there while producing his epic 1915 revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order. Just had to... put it together. En gardeWhat are the plentiful fern-like plants in the bottom right of the picture, just on the other side of the fence (see what I did there)? Are they sword ferns? [Looks like ailanthus, a.k.a. Tree of Heaven. - Dave] Fine detailIncredible. Plus 121 Years Hey!Who scraped the meringue off the pie? Spray paint hadn't been inventedOther than J. C. Kenyon's advertisement on the foreground rail, I don't see any graffiti. That's kinda nice. Ailanthus?While it's possible trees in the bottom right are Ailanthus, it is also possible that those compound-leaved trees are the native sumac (genus Rhus). While Tree of Heaven is an invasive ornamental that was widely planted in cities (which later came to regret it), sumac is a native that is distributed throughout New York (and the rest of the East. Their leaves are very similar, and I have known botanists who have mistaken one for the other. Sumac doesn't grow into a tall tree though, and, if the plants in question are as old as the trees to their right, I suspect they are sumacs. Hamilton's Novelty WorksSomewhat fire-prone, it would seem. Click to embiggen, then click again. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Small Towns)
I'm a Lumberjack: 1941
... boots have long given way to tennis shoes. Most trees are harvested and processed by machine these days. Most likely a ... [This lumberjack, working at a yarding area where the trees are felled, is miles from the mill. The logs are transported by rail to a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2022 - 9:00pm -

October 1941. "Lumberjack ready to sink the hook into a log. Long Bell Lumber Company, Cowlitz County, Washington." Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Safety LastI believe "forestry" has the highest on-the-job fatality rates, and this pic handily illustrates why: Head protection: nope Slip-and-fall: Check Getting KO'd by moving machinery: Check Tho this gent would assuredly be passed on by now regardless, one can only wonder how soon it was after this was taken that he went to that big 'log roll' in the sky. Caulk, Not Cork BootsIf you look carefully you can see the nails on the soles of his "caulk" boots. As late as the 1950s there were diners and taverns with signs over the door that said "No Caulk Boots." ThanksNow I've got the early Monty Python song stuck in my head. Keep up with the awesome HD pics of old!! Roll 'em upBack then everybody rolled up their pantleg cuffs. This man is tall enough to have no need to do so; I guess it was just the fashion. At the end of every day those cuffs would be full of debris - dirt, chips, whatever. And I'm okayDave's title inspire this response: 14 minutes ...To cut it down. Took 400 years to grow to that size. Matter of parallax?Is that a matter of perspective? Or is that one hell of a log? Everybody Rolled Them Up in those days.We did not have the luxury of going into a store and choosing a pair of pants in my specific leg length. You bought them and rolled 'em up. The rolled up cuffs did make a nice ash tray. Higher end pants had their leg length set by the store tailor. I'm no longer a lumberjack. The term "jack" was dropped when logging moved to the Pacific coast and especially the Pacific NW coast. No more cuffed pants. They are now completely cut off to eliminate the hem from catching in the underbrush. Caulked/cork boots have long given way to tennis shoes. Most trees are harvested and processed by machine these days. Most likely a mill worker ...Not a "lumberjack". Those are the biggest set of log tongs I have ever seen. [This lumberjack, working at a yarding area where the trees are felled, is miles from the mill. The logs are transported by rail to a rafting ground on the Columbia River, and then floated to the sawmill. - Dave] Still not a "lumberjack". A yarder does not cut or fell trees. But, seeing this photo, I agree, he's not a mill worker. Still a very dangerous area to be working. [The man in our photo did fell trees, and the photographer's captions are correct. - Dave] (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, Russell Lee)
The Squeaky Wheel: 1924
... wails, calling out to anyone within earshot. Above the trees a plume of smoke and steam begins to appear and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 11:41am -

Washington, D.C., June 1924. "Congressman John C. Schafer of Wisconsin." Who seems to have been something of a railfan. National Photo Co. View full size. Size DID Matter!This photo shows how massive steam locomotives got before they were eclipsed by internal combustion (notably diesel-fired) technology. Locomotives couldn't get much bigger than what's shown here because of tunnel clearances and the like. Diesels presented greater thermal efficiency, allowing smaller engines to perform a prescribed level of work. There's a lesson here. While conventional wisdom demands that we drill our way out of today's fuel supply shortages, the scientific community pursues a paradigm shift in motive technology not unlike the steam to diesel conversion. This includes not only alternative fuels, but alternative materials that reduce vehicle weight without compromising strength. Speaking of size...He must have a massive bundle of rasta dreds under that hat! Lightweight Locos?The implication by Chollisr that it would be desirable to reduce locomotive weight is incorrect. The function of a locomotive is to haul passengers/freight. The pulling ability of a locomotive is proportional to locomotive weight, wheel - track friction, and locomotive torque. Everything else being equal, reducing weight reduces pulling ability. Railroad manJohn Charles Schafer, Republican, WW I veteran, was a former locomotive engineer for the Chicago, Northwestern Railroad and member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. Elected to congress at the age of 29, he would have been 31 at the time of this photo. While in Washington he lived at 800 North Carolina Avenue SE. Schafer weighs 200 pounds and clings to the ancient idea that tobacco was made to "chaw." He practices at it on or off the floor of the House. He has a magnificent pair of lungs and, after he delivers a speech in the House, acoustics experts have to be called in to make repairs. They call Schafer the "Firpo of the House." He is at his best when he is thundering against prohibition. Washington Post, Nov 8, 1931 Locomotive BreadthWhat amazes me most about old steam locomotives like this is their size and their massive construction: you know, really thick plates, exposed rivets, lots of pipes and tubes running all the length of the locomotive, gargantuan pistons and rods, wheels bigger than a man. I wasn't lucky enough to ever have a ride on a train pulled by one of those; that would be like making a childhood dream come true. Of course, it would be better if I could step in the cab and pull the whistle cord; who didn't want to do that as a kid? Too bad the only examples of steam locomotives I can see where I live are stored away in museums, and then in a very improper (and I would say disgraced) state of preservation: the two or three locos stand idle on some length of dead track, outdoors, exposed to rain, sun, and the corrosive atmosphere of Mexico City. Last time I checked those, I could even spot some small plants growing among the boiler plates, in places where corrosion had made the rivets disappear. It was a pity - those locos are not only beautiful, they are also historical, since they used to pull the Presidential train in days gone by. Sometimes I wish there was a better culture of preservation down here. Anywho, Shorpy provides us again with a very interesting picture, something really worth a thousand words. Motive Power Writ LargeActually, my comments about weight-to-power ratios were focused on all forms of motive power that we use in everyday life. That includes things like sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The "utility" is puzzling: the larger the vehicle, the more power is required to move it (and the fuel that it carries). The horsepower required to move the vehicle itself increasingly dwarfs the power needed to move its passengers. A point is reached when people start serving their machines, instead of the other way around. Diesel enginesDiesel engines do not drive trains nowdays -- electricity does. The modern locomotives we all see pulling trains today utilize electric motive power. The diesel engines merely turn the generators which provide the electricity to drive the engines. A direct link from a diesel engine to the drive wheels would require a transmission and differential. Electric motive power requires none. This is why you will never hear a locomotive shift gears like a semi. And Miguel: Someday, if you visit the United States, you will find several places with live steam engines still working. One of my favorites is near Baraboo Wisconsin, where each year their coal-fired Baldwin locomotive hauls a train load of circus wagons to Milwaukee for an annual parade. Chaw vs. CigarSchafer may cling to the ancient idea that tobacco was made to chaw, but that appears to be a cigar in the hand that holds the oil can. Having restored a small (0-4-0 saddle tank with slope back tender) steam locomotive, I can testify that a steam engine is the closest thing to a living machine there is. A diesel doesn't even come close. Operational Steam LocomotivesMy goodness, Miguel, how I wish I could transport you to experience one of these living, breathing behemoths – you’re right, there’s nothing like them! It does seem Mexico has few operational steam locomotives, as seen in this list of survivors. However, if you ever chance a visit to the US, there are a great many more operational steamers of all shapes and sizes. I agree with your observation that static locomotive displays, no matter how well-cared for, cannot match those actually under steam. In my mind, steam locomotives are multisensory experiences unmatched by just about anything else. Imagine yourself on a damp, cool fall morning. In the distance a whistle faintly wails, calling out to anyone within earshot. Above the trees a plume of smoke and steam begins to appear and the chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff of steam exhausting from engines slowly becomes recognizable. Soon the glow of a single large, yellow headlight appears from around the bend. Louder and louder and louder the sound climaxes as the ground shakes from the locomotive's tremendous weight rolling over the rails. Instinctively, you take a few steps back as rapidly turning wheels and gleaming side rods suddenly flash by and you catch a brief glimpse of the firebox conflagration that makes this all possible. The thunderous noise of the locomotive rapidly gives way to the gentle click-clack click-clack of passenger car wheels traveling over rail joints and the lingering scent of coal smoke and steam oil hangs in the air as the train fades into the distance… Sigh ... pretty amazing stuff for a big chunk of iron that boils water, I think. Some folks are pretty captivated by this stuff and have dedicated their lives to steam preservation and operation. Knowledge shared by steam-era railroaders like Congressman Schafer is utilized by a relatively small but dedicated force of young people diligently working to keep steam alive for this and future generations. So please, by all means, seek out these places toiling to keep steam alive and support them by buying tickets and riding behind a working piece of history! I'll step off my soapbox now. Thanks for listening. Small piston, top rightWhat does that small piston above right of the greaser do? I don't recall seeing anything like that in Finnish locomotives. Or maybe there are, but located differently. -- Cheers, Jari from Finland A big sighOh, how I remember these monsters. As I approach 70 at a more rapid pace than I like, the times shown here and into the '50s still hold a treasured place. If I were blindfolded with earplugs right now, I could immediately tell you if a steam locomotive went past. That smell of hot oil, cinders and soot are unforgettable. One of my fondest memories is from a night my uncle, a B&O dispatcher, allowed me to hold up train orders a mere couple of feet away as one of these monsters roared past. Finnish TrainsJari, You should go find a Finnish train and take a photo for comparison. It shouldn't be difficult to find a well-preserved example, since Finnish trains last nice. (Dave - sorry about this "frowned-upon second post of the day" but I couldn't resist the pun) Goober Pea Small piston may be I don't doubt that someone will know exactly what it is but going by its position it looks as if it might be a servo to ease the driver's movement of the regulator or the reversing gear. He would be a long long way from the sharp end and I'd imagine there would be lots of lost motion even through rigid rods and links. Woohoo! Got one right! Power ReverseThe small piston above Congressman Schafer's head is the "power reverse." On early steam locomotives, the valve gear was directly controlled by a "johnson bar" in the cab. This lever set the valve gear to forward/reverse and on some more modern engines controlled the cutoff or the length of the piston stroke that received steam. As engines and valve gear grew in size, so did the job of adjusting the johnson bar. Various screw drives and other controls were tried, and in the early 1900's steam power was harnessed through a piston to do the job. The Pennsy, being very conservative, was among the last to adopt the power reverse and many of its largest engines still used the arm-busting johnson bar at the time of the photo. Cylinder on the K4See that rod toward the right end of the picture, maybe 2 meters long, inclined upward left to right? To throw the engine into reverse the engineer needs to lift the back end of that rod until it's about horizontal; the cylinder you asked about is an air-powered piston to help him do that. My QuestionWhy is a U.S. congressman occupying himself with locomotive maintenance? [Mussolini wannabe? - Dave] Reverse PsychologyPower reverse gear was never widely used outside of North America, which is why it appears unusual to non-US viewers. Two great books of railroad photosMiguel - I would recommend "Steam, Steel and Stars" and "The Last Steam Railroad in America" by O. Winston Link. B&W photos of outstanding quality, documenting the Norfolk and Western in its last few years before converting from steam to diesel. Both available at the major online bookstores at a reasonable price. Thanks a lot for the tip!Thanks a lot for the tip and information! I had heard of such live steam trains in Britain - the National Railway Museum (http://www.nrm.org.uk/home/home.asp)runs several steam-powered trains on tracks around York, and I thought it would be one of the places I wanted to visit at least once in my lifetime. Now knowing that there are also places in the States where it is still possible to experience the wonders of riding a steam-powered train, I will certainly make sure to include them in my long list of beautiful and interesting places I want to visit sometime. Dave, you know what would be great, on this same subject? To see a good picture of a famous station like Grand Central in the days of steam locomotives; either a view from the street, or a picture of the hectic movement of people in the grand hall inside, or a view of the tracks, perhaps showing one of the famous express trains of the '20s or '30s... Man, I can almost hear those famous words, "All aboard! All aboard!!" [There's also the Steamtown National Historic Site in Pennsylvania. As for photos, we already have lots of pictures of steam-era train stations, including Grand Central. Click the "Railroads" link above any of the train photos. - Dave] Reminds me When I was a kid we went in a school trip to the National Railroad Museum here in Buenos Aires, where they have these steam locomotives (some of them from the XIXth century) and I can still remember how they were neatly exposed side by side. The thing that I clearly remember after almost 30 years is when we were walking in between them and how I was amazed at the enormous size of the wheels, and how I then had nightmares where I fell behind them and under the heavy machine. Looking forward to visit that museum again, after seeing this photo. Pennsy PowerCongressman Schafer is oiling the side rod on one of the finest steam passenger locomotives of all time, the Pennsylvania Railroad K4s. From the teens to the 1950s these engines pulled the finest "varnish" on the fastest schedules. Daily they raced the New York Central class J Hudsons between New York City and Chicago. Before electrification they handled the heavy traffic between NYC and DC. In the early 1950s it took three diesel units to replace one K4s. But replace them they did, because of the diesel's much lower maintenance costs. Wish we could see the number on the headlight, but whichever engine she was, she wears her Juniata builders plate proudly. CigaraptureCigars are superior nicotine conduits -- smoke 'em OR chew 'em. The nicotine buzz from a dead cigar resting on one's lips as saliva darkens and attends the tissues in one's mouth is intense. Congressional ZealotOn top of his other charming qualities, Schafer promoted an anti-semitic, fascist agenda. This phrase in the following account is particularly amusing: "He was easily emotionalized by the power of his own oratory." Schafer had fought every measure which tried to bolster the American defense and had proved himself an obstinate obstructionist to national defense. ... Washington newspapermen often refer to Schafer as "bullneck." When angered, which was often, his neck became red and "glowed like a stop-light." ... I met Schafer at his home and my impressions of him are indelible. He had once weighed 300 pounds, but was now a mere skeleton of 250 pounds - a huge, ferocious-looking fellow, with layers of fat bulging around his chin and neck, a shock of blond hair falling over his face. He had the appearance of a zealot about him. He was easily emotionalized by the power of his own oratory and as we talked, he got into the habit of swinging an enormous, club-like fist only a few inches from my face. I found Schafer no different from the "patriots" back home in his prophecy of Hitler victory and its natural consequences of a revolution here against Democracy. "What kind of revolution?" I asked. "The BLOODY kind," he roared. "There will be purges and Roosevelt will be cleaned right off the earth along with the Jews. We'll have a military dictatorship to save the country." He leaned toward me and his fist swung like a pendulum grazing my face. "How about the Constitution?" I asked. "Oh that? That'll be set aside temporarily until they get some law and order in this country. A revolution is no picnic." Under Cover - My Four Years In The Nazi Underworld Of America John Roy Carlson, 1943 PsssssstOddly contemplative stance and expression: is the engine speaking to the congressman? Could he be an iron horse whisperer? Steam Is Not DeadTwo engines of this class still exist. Number 1361 was removed from display near Altoona, Pa., in 1985 and restored to operating condition. You could have ridden behind her in the late 1980s. She is at Steamtown USA in need of another major overhaul. The only thing keeping her from the rails again is money, LOTS of money. A sister engine is on static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, where on any sunny summer afternoon you can ride behind one of four operating steam locomotives. Thanks guysThanks for the info about the cylinder, everybody. In Finnish engines direction changer is indeed "non-assisted", as they are/were smaller and lighter than these US-behemoths. I do have a pics of a live Finnish HR1 taken in last summer. It made a stop here in Salo due to normal train traffic and really attracted a big crowd. Maybe I should post the best ones somewhere. Cheer: Jari Big WheelsI can't believe how big this locomotive's wheels are (or, how small the legislative representative from Wis. is). It would be interesting to see a contrasting image of a man standing next to the wheels of a modern train engine. Thanks for posting this great image. The K-4The K-4 Pacific in the photo isn't a particularly large locomotive for the time--it's slightly larger than average for a passenger locomotive, but the freight haulers of the day, as well as the modern steam locomotives to be built in the next few years, would dwarf her in size. Nevertheless, she is one of the greatest feats of railway mechanical engineering ever. Designed and first built in 1914, the class would eventually number 425 locomotives. The last one was retired in 1957. Drivers are eighty inches in diameter, a standard size for passenger service. Big Wheels keep on turnin'The wheels were large for a couple of reasons.....large drivers translated the smaller-diameter stroke of the connecting rods from the pistons into a lot of forward motion and ground covered for a given amount of energy. Plus, the larger driving wheels gave a smoother ride to passenger trains. Locomotives intended to pull freight had markedly smaller drivers. Massive?K4 Pacifics were marvelous passenger engines, but hardly anywhere the top end of steam size-wise. Drop by our museum in Sacramento and see the SP Cab Forward #4294 - that weighs at least three times what a K4 does. http://www.csrmf.org/doc.asp?id=162 (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Old Dixie Down: 1864
... Kennesaw, north of Atlanta, but those are all covered with trees. The mountain in this photo is bare. Can't imagine what else would fit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 2:45pm -

1864. A passel of Yankees in repose. "Federal picket post near Atlanta, Georgia." Wet collodion glass plate negative by George N. Barnard. View full size. Worn-outI'm always amazed when seeing old photos like this, that the movie companies haven't realized that clothing was stretched, worn, and wrinkled, that hats were soggy felt instead of "crisp clean stetsons," and boots were worn through! In our theater company, we do a "breakdown" on almost all our wardrobe (sometimes with belt sanders), but I don't think even that can match the reality of the era! YankeesI hate to be one of those grammar people.... but since we are talking about the South ... The word "Yankees" should always be prefaced with "damn," or similar pejorative. Stoneman's cavalry, tired from tearing up the tracks?I swear, I don't know which I enjoy more -- the amazing Shorpy photos, or your clever titles for them. How Many Liveswould have been saved if they only had steel helmets, even like those used in WWII. There were a lot of head injury deaths back then. Makes you wonder why they never thought of a helmet of sorts. SkinnyThe other thing I always notice is how very lean these men all were. They spent their lives marching; their diet was meager, even on the Union side. The stress level in their lives was tremendous. That's one thing war movies and reenactors never get right. They were scrawny little guys. FootlooseThe lone shoe tells of the "horrendous loss" war demands. Missing in ActionWhere's the fellow who is usually shown lying across the bottom of all the other group photos. Defensive positionIt looks as if these men have built a small defensive position here. It seems to be a low wall built of logs, debris and mud, with the building built into it. The porch has bricks stacked to continue the breast works. If attacked they could shoot from behind a pretty solid wall. This would have been the Civil War equivalent of digging a foxhole. And another thingNo one ever smiles! I know the exposure times were much longer in those days, and posing was a chore, but everyone looks so solemn all the time. This particular day doesn't look very joyous, but still. Hold Your RazorsHalf of these boys ain't even of shaving age yet! Helmets Obsolete in 1860The helmet had been discarded along with chain mail and suits of armor once they were rendered useless by gunpowder and bullets. The tradeoff was increased mobility and a major change of tactics over the centuries. The American Civil War was largely fought with concepts introduced during the Napoleanic war where massed infantry closed and fired face-to-face at virtually point-blank range, a result of the less powerful, short-range weapons then in use. The musket of the 1860s however had a much higher velocity and longer range, and was a far cry from any squirrel gun, muzzle-loader or shotgun with which recruits might be familiar. As such, the musket "kicked" hard when fired, causing the shooter to pull up involuntarily while the ball was still traveling down the barrel — early on, many Federal troops wore approximately 3" brass or fire gilt buckles over the chest as part of their uniform that proved an excellent aiming point for even the most inexperienced Confederate infantryman — and as the shooter's weapon moved upward a foot or so, the ball would most likely strike the head of his opponent. Later, the American Civil War introduced the concept of fixed fortifications, including trenches, and re-introduced stalemate/siege warfare. This again changed the role of artillery from largely defensive to offensive. Exploding shells designed to dislodge and eliminate dug-in infantry were a novel idea in the 1860s. By WWI however, they had advanced considerably and were designed to burst in the air over enemy positions, filling the ground below with deadly shrapnel — the early hardened steel helmet with its wide brim was designed to protect the head from this, but offered little protection from bullets, a shortcoming that was realized during WWII when the sides were extended downward. Stone MountainAny idea how close to Atlanta? If we're talking CLOSE to Atlanta I know of only one mountain as big as what is behind them, and that is Stone Mountain. Amputee?The soldier leaning against the tree looks as though he lost his right arm. [Something tells me his limb is behind the tree. - Dave] Federal Picket PostI suppose picket duty would mean they're guards or sentries. Picket -- An advance outpost or guard for a large force was called a picket. Ordered to form a scattered line far in advance of the main army's encampment, but within supporting distance, a picket guard was made up of a lieutenant, two sergeants, four corporals, and 40 privates from each regiment. Picket duty constituted the most hazardous work of infantrymen in the field. Being the first to feel any major enemy movement, they were also the first liable to be killed, wounded, or captured. And the most likely targets of snipers. Picket duty, by regulation, was rotated regularly in a regiment. Stone MountainThat does in fact look like Stone Mountain to me - I can nearly see it from my house. There are some mountains of about the same size in Kennesaw, north of Atlanta, but those are all covered with trees. The mountain in this photo is bare. Can't imagine what else would fit the bill. PicketersBased on the definition below of the picket unit, we have here, possibly, the Lieutenant, with officer piping on his trousers, center right and facing left holding rifle; two Sergeants, one on the left side leaning against a tree and the other sitting in front of the Lieutenant and facing left; and the four Corporals, with taller hats. Bringing a knife to a gun fight...On first glance when this photo was first posted I also thought the officer in the center was holding a rifle with the muzzle facing down. Upon closer inspection he actually has his hand on the handle of his saber. The fence post behind him gives the illusion of the stock of a rifle, especially in the small image size. Muzzle down would be a weird position while seated, as it could easily contact the dirt and clog the muzzle with the resulting dire consequences the next time it was fired. A saber, isn't that like bringing a knife to a gun fight in this case. Knives and gunsThe bayonet was invented because sometimes a knife is just what you need in a gunfight -- particularly with the slow rate of fire on muzzle-loading muskets. Stone Mountain or Arabia Mountain?It could be Arabia Mountain. It's part of the same rock vein as Stone, but significantly smaller. EarthworksIt is not a mountain in the background, but rather an earthen fort atop a hill. You can see sandbags along the parapet and also used as cribbing near the shoulder of the man standing to the left. Although barely discernible in this picture (I have a higher resolution copy), a little ways above the head of the fellow in the center of the shot, are abatis. They form sort of a regular pattern just beneath the horizontal branch on the left of the tree whose top has been knocked off. Barnard took quite a few pictures of the earthworks that enclosed Atlanta, but never ventured far from the city when photographing that place. Another version of this photo claims it was taken just prior to the Battle of Atlanta (July 22, 1864), however that is highly unlikely. It is hard to imagine Barnard setting up his camera within easy sniper and artillery range of what at the time would have been an enemy-occupied fortification. Invisible chevrons?Apart from the officer all the enlisted men in this photo appear to be privates. Not a sergeant or corporal in sight. The ChevronsIn 1864 the war was still raging. Many non-coms and officers did not wear insignia of rank in combat. They would, understandingly, be singled out by snipers. (The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard)
Service in a Flash: 1952
... seasons on opposite sides of the street? On the left the trees are bare, but on the right the leaves are all out. [It's spring. When trees can come into leaf weeks apart, depending on the species. - Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2015 - 12:17pm -

Columbus, Ga., circa 1952. "Radio Cab Co." A fleet of two-door taxis -- Ford Mainline Tudor Sedans. 4x5 negative from the News Archive. View full size. Don't be like this guyNotice how the cab with the bent bumper is parked all by itself. Are there some other shots of this scene? I'm trying to figure out the name of the Ford dealer behind the cars - there's a Ford V8 emblem on the side of the building, and it looks like at least one on the front, and probably two, flanking the entrance. Which season?Are there two different seasons on opposite sides of the street? On the left the trees are bare, but on the right the leaves are all out. [It's spring. When trees can come into leaf weeks apart, depending on the species. - Dave] This must be a southern phenomenon with which this northern boy is unfamiliar. Up in Canada, trees come into leaf pretty much simultaneously, with a light green fuzz appearing overall, followed by full leaf. The autumn situation is more like this photo, where one tree can be bare of leaves while another is still full, albeit in glorious fall color. [If it were early enough in autumn for the tree on the right to still be in leaf, there would be leaves all over the ground, and a few still in the big tree. - Dave] Oh, I agree this is not fall. It's just a spring I'm not familiar with. The further south I go in life, the more disoriented I become. 1st Ave and 16th StreetThis is looking north toward the Southern Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) bridge, which then proceeds across the Chattahoochee River. This remained a car dealership until the late '90s, when everything for several blocks along 1st and 2nd Avenue was demolished to make way for a corporate campus. Today the day-care facility for the company sits on this site. Aerials?Being "Radio" dispatched, wouldn't these taxis all have aerials? Radios!I'd like to see a picture of the two-way radios used back then. Before solid state, and VHF they must have been low-band and would require fairly long aerials. Why?A two-door taxi fleet would certainly keep the back-seat fares from leaping out and running away without paying, but otherwise the logic escapes me. [Tudors cheaper than Fordors. - Dave] Well, that. But it must have cost them dearly in the less-than-lithe rider market. Must have cost a fortune.I counted 22 cars in that photo. All 1952 Fords equipped with two way radios. Add in the cost of a base station, dispatchers, etc. Even in 1954 dollars, the cost must have been astronomical. [Those are 1952 Fords. - Dave] Regarding the radios High-band VHF was available in 1952. Taxicabs were typically around 152-Mhz. A quarter-wave antenna for that frequency is thin and short, about 16 inches long and usually mounted in center of roof for best radiation pattern. The transceivers, being all-tube, were the size of a small suitcase and were located in the trunk with only the control console with mike and speaker on the dashboard inside. Hi-bandWould be the right era, if new, for Motorola "Research" line radios. http://www.wb6nvh.com/Moto42/Moto42.htm Also, just a thought, perhaps this photo is a delivery shot from a nearby dealer/paint shop where the radios and antennas haven't been installed yet. Lots of businessWith a massive army base next door (Fort Benning with the Infantry School and paratrooper training) I'm sure they had a lot of business, especially on weekends. I took basic training at Fort Benning at the height of the Vietnam War, in old WWII wood barracks at Sand Hill that had been taken out of mothballs. Being a basic trainee, I never had the privilege of actually seeing Columbus! A Big InvestmentBase price of a 1952 Ford Tudor = $1629 Times 22 cars = $35,838 Adjusted for inflation = $321,791.43 in today's prices. Even in the 60`sAs Zoreo commented the radios of the time were pretty cumbersome. I invested in a cabbing company in the 60`s in the UK (using Fords too!). Our PYE brand radio equipment had its box of tricks in the boot (or trunk if you prefer). In built up areas the range was limited, barely adequate, but was very useful. Next stop, the radio shopInstallation of the 2-way radios would be a job of an FCC 2nd Class or 1st Class Radiotelephone license holder not the factory or dealer. Re: Bent BumperThat vehicle just came in from Oakland, Calif. Radio in the trunkIn the first summer I ever worked as a cab driver (1977, age 19), I was hit from behind by a new driver (he looked 14, but had to have been at least 16), and he crumpled my rear end. I wasn't as freaked as he was (he literally could not speak, and so I gave his version of the story to the cop, who wrote it down!), but I was fairly frantic in repeatedly calling in the accident on the cab radio, frustrated by the lack of response from dispatch, until I realized the radio was disabled by the wrecked rear end. Radio DazeEch. As a former Second Class Commercial Radiotelephone (now General Class) licensee, I've done many installs of remote-controlled, trunk-mounted radios. Not much fun, they could take two to four hours to complete and could be dirty work. The worst were dynamotor-powered hundred-watt units. Thank heaven solid-state radios soon replaced the tube-type boat anchors! DealerThe dealership was Hardaway Motor Company at 1541 1st Avenue, Columbus, Georgia. In 1939 Strickland-Rogers Motor Company had a Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln-Zephyr dealership. Within a year the Ford dealership was split off and Hardaway Motor Company came into existence as 1216 - 1222 1st Avenue. This was previously Strickland's main location. Strickland continued at 1227 1st Avenue which was previously Strickland's used car lot. Hardaway was Benjamin H. Hardaway, Jr. who also owned Hardaway Construction Company. By 1941 he had relocated Hardaway Motors to the 1541 1st Avenue location. By 1960 the president had beome Hardaway's son, Benjamin H. Hardaway III. The business continued at least into 1966. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Skyscraper: 1909
... also saw the Flatiron as a kind of steamship: "With the trees of Madison Square covered with fresh snow, the Flat Iron impressed me as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 10:52pm -

New York circa 1909. "Panorama of Madison Square." This glass plate, part of a nine-exposure panorama, affords yet another view of that enduring architectural icon, the Flatiron Building. 8x10 dry-plate glass negative. View full size. SprintLast time I was there in 2005, Sprint occupied the first floor of the Flatiron Building. Kind of sacrilege, really. 6 E. 23rdThe FDNY suffered its largest loss prior to 9/11 on the site of the Bartholdi Hotel. On October 17, 1966 a fire spread from an adjoining property on 22nd street to the basement of 6 East 23rd street. Twelve firefighters were lost that night when the floor of the Wonder Drug Store collapsed. http://nyfd.com/history/23rd_street/23rd_street.html Manure guyIn the foreground, white uniform, big shovel. Awful AwningsBeautiful building, but the aesthetic is somewhat spoiled by the awning obsession of the era. S.S. FlatironWith that puffy plume at the top, it looks like it's steaming up Broadway. Deja Vu All Over AgainWe return to Madison Square Park (bottom left) and the back of the statue of William H. Seward, he of the folly. Also we see the Hotel Bartholdi, named after the Statue of Liberty sculptor. The corner storefront of the Flatiron Building appears to contain our old friend the United Cigar Store. On the next block, East 22nd Street, the corner is occupied by the VanGaasbeek Oriental whatever. That corner now houses a usually deserted Restoration Hardware, which appears to be in the original building that we see in the photo. 1 of 9Please don't leave us hanging; we want to see all 9 negatives! As always, thanks for this. And I wouldn't describe it as an awning obsession, more like a necessity on those hot New York August afternoons. Ahhh summer!I am sure that the awning helped to keep the stores and offices cool in the summer. All the open windows (at least even one with a curtain blowing in the breeze) in skyscrapers! How odd to today's eyes of closed up buildings. That sign selling cordial sure gave me a start. Look at the TimeThe first thing that stuck out to me was the standing clock, which is very recognizable. It still stands there today. Also interesting is that that 200 Fifth Avenue, or International Toy Building (to the right of the Flatiron, next to the clock), was just built in 1912. It recently underwent an interior overhaul. Awnings were a necessityThis was long before air conditioning was prevalent so awnings were a common method used to cool down a building while still maintaining the view out the window. 23 SkidooLegend has it that the unique winds created at this intersection (Fifth and Broadway at 23rd Street) would lift many a lady's skirt, much to the delight of the male audience that would congregate here (at least when women still wore dresses). Awnings againThe main advantage of awnings (as opposed to, say, shades or venetian blinds) was that they let you keep the window open in the rain. Open windows were necessary probably as much for ventilation as keeping cool. [Although they do seem more prevalent on the sunny side of the building. - Dave] American ParthenonAlfred Stieglitz also saw the Flatiron as a kind of steamship: "With the trees of Madison Square covered with fresh snow, the Flat Iron impressed me as never before. It appeared to be moving toward me like the bow of a monster ocean steamer, a picture of new America still in the making. The Flat Iron is to the United States what the Parthenon was to Greece." 98 Years AgoIn the great span of history, 98 years isn't really all that long, and the march of history in centuries past wasn't all that brisk. But here we have a 1912 street scene from midtown Manhattan, less than a century ago (almost), within living memory of at least a few souls still among us, and the horses still outnumber the motor vehicles. I'm guessing that in another five years, by 1917 or so, the cars would outnumber the horses, and that in 10 more years -- 1927 or so -- the number of horses would be very small indeed. This is really a glimpse at the very last days of the pre-automobile world. We haven't lived with these infernal, gas-guzzling contraptions for very long. M&L Hess Real EstateSign was still somewhat visible as of 2003. http://www.14to42.net/20street1-2.html From 1 to 9, slowly.If I look at the panorama too quickly, I may get dizzy. Hotel BartholdiI am fascinated to find that this is the location of the Hotel Bartholdi. A few weeks ago I posted an image in the members gallery, of an electric charabanc parked, I assume, in front of the hotel. The streets are full of peopleThat's something you don't see these days. People are afraid of speeding cars. I assume that horse-drawn carriages weren't quite as dangerous. EntrancesComparing this picture with StreetView, the building entrances in the middle of each side seem to have been remodelled. Instead of the pillars supporting the canopy being proud of the main building, they are now just a relief on the surface. White WingThe Department of Sanitation's "White Wing" sweepers did their level best keeping those NYC streets clean. I don't know if white was the best color for their uniforms though! Google Clock ViewView Larger Map The streets are full of streetcars, too!Including the blurry end of one on the extreme left, and off into the distance, I count no less than 20 streetcars. Is it 1912 rush hour? OmnibusOk, I'm the first to spot the motorized bus! It looks more like someone chopped the back off a 1920s bus and shoved an open cab on the front with an engine. Neat! Also, notice the peculiar way of routing with a lampstand in the middle of the open street and ropes and posts in a line from it. The clockWho maintained it? I know there were lamplighters during the times when gas lamps lit city streets, but the clock must have been mechanical. Did someone wind it, or were they electric even back then? Pach Brothers StudioIf you look close at the building behind the Flatiron you can see a billboard (on the roof) for Pach Brothers Studio. I took portrait classes from the last owner of Pach Brothers, Oscar White. When he closed the studio it was the oldest operating studio in North America. He had an amazing archive of famous clients' images. President Ulysses S. Grant was involved in getting the studio started. Re: S.S. Flatiron and American ParthenonSomething as glorious as this had to appear sooner or later. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
The Colonel's Cottage: 1865
... too. It certainly helped to have stands of straight trees to pick his logs from, but this guy was an artist in pine. [It is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 12:50pm -

1865. Petersburg, Virginia. "Cottage of Col. Nathaniel Michler, U.S. Engineers, at Bryant house." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865. Wet plate glass negative. View full size. Sweet!Nice digs, and a lady with attitude! Feline physicsAs my Louisiana kin would say, "couldn't swing a cat in there." But what a work of art! Notice how all of the logs that form the walls are exactly the same circumference and how the notched joints at the corners allow the perfectly straight logs to fit together without gaps. Look at the straight pine sapling poles at the ridges on the roof and see the perfect proportions of the stick portico. Col. Michler was not only a good engineer -- but a pretty fair woodworker, too. It certainly helped to have stands of straight trees to pick his logs from, but this guy was an artist in pine. [It is well put together, although we don't know if the colonel built the cottage himself. It is, as the caption notes, on the grounds of the Bryant house, a much larger abode. Federal officers occupied various residences as needed as they advanced through the South. - Dave] Damp DigsDid the U.S. Engineers think a round log would be a good idea on this rugged little cottage's ridge? I bet it leaked. I'll be tinkering out back if you need meOur first home in Freeport, NY had a little shed out back. Inside we found old magazines, a guide to the 1939 World's Fair, old radio parts and one or two empty liquor bottles. Sometimes a man just needs to get away. Cramped QuartersJust those dresses alone would fill that cabin! Wow - craftsmanship! What a beautiful piece of work! I hope there are still people with the skills to build houses like this. Privileges of an OfficerAnd while the enlisted lived in dog tents or shebangs, and worrying about the wife far away. Floor PlanI'm guessing the the Colonel and family occupied the west wing and the servants and guests were put in the east wing. Equal access to the dining room and ballroom, don't you know. FollyThis is almost certainly a garden folly. PlayhouseThis charming little structure looks more like a child's playhouse you'd find behind a substanial main house rather than someone's full time abode! Cannot Have Been an Entertaining SeigeNeither of the ladies pictured looks exactly pleased. They could have been "left on the sidelines" to their boredom. Not their full-time home?I would think that this was something they built to allow them to be closer to the Colonel while the war was going on. I would bet that they had a much larger home, elsewhere. This cottage is adorable, though, and obviously very lovingly built. I don't remember seeing such a nice window in a log cabin from this era, before. I wonder if there was another, on the other side? Being the wife/children of a military officer has always been a challenge, and still is! You go wherever his career takes him. (Nowadays, it is sometimes where her career takes her.) Why Bother?These elegantly gowned and coiffed ladies and even the youngster remind me of an old 50's story from my beatnik days. Being an elderly person who lives alone and rarely has visitors, I sometimes wonder why I bother to shower, get groomed and dressed every morning since nobody would know if I did not do it. These people living way out yonder and seemingly isolated were also all gussied up, even the little fellow in his white shirt and tie. So perhaps they were not as alone as they appear and there were visitors or people to see, since they seem very presentable and ready for company. Anyway, back to my story: It seems there was this distraught, lonely mental patient living in a psychiatric hospital who absolutely refused to wear any clothes at all, just a nice hat. The staff pleaded with him to clothe himself but he just reiterated "Nobody comes to see me, nobody has ever come to see me and nobody will ever come to see me, so why should I wear clothes?" One day the doctor asked him "Okay, I understand what you are saying, but then why do you wear a hat?" to which the patient replied "Well, ya never know, somebody MIGHT come." A familiar faceIs the woman in the middle of the porch from this picture? Lincoln LogsI think I built the same house when I was a kid. Re: Damp DigsConsidering how nicely engineered the structure is, it looks to me that rather than a fully-round log atop that roof, it in fact is the top, say, three-quarters of a log with the bottom quarter skillfully dished to fit over the shingles. The round tip we see (with a matching tip at the back of the roof) was left on the log to help hold it in place. No damp bedstraw for the Colonel and his Missus. Take a look at my arrow. You should be able to just make out where the first shingle goes under the log (at arrow) and the log bark continues on back, overlapping the shingles. The round end appears to drop lower than the rest of the log because the wood from behind it to the other end was removed. That chair hardly looks like it goes to this rustic cabin. In this case, size doesn't matterSmall or not, it's a hell of a lot better than a pup tent. Rank does have its privileges. Well-builtthe cabin too. Flipped?'scuse me if I'm ignorant - Might this image be flipped? I say this because of the apparent reversed number 485 at the bottom. [It's reversed because it's on the other side of the glass. - Dave] Bungalow BivouacMy apartment in Boston is only slightly larger. Creativity with space, or lack thereof, is a must. However, the needs of inside space for one person for temporary use might be minimal with such beautiful outdoors to take rest in. For the other times when the weather stops by, a nice fireplace makes up the difference (and one might assume a writing desk, to take the mind off the doldrums). Perfect little cabin in the woods. Wish there were more pictures of it. DetailsThe ridge pole isn't round. On the ridge of the dormer on the left you can see it's a cross-section nailed onto the end. Dry DigsThe craftsmen and engineers knew what they were doing. Download the image and zoom in on the ridge and you will see a proper cap. The craftsman took the time to leave the circular feature on the end of the ridge cap as a decorative element. Nice!! Bryant HouseI see in the other picture the little boy up front and to her right. Also the woman with the umbrella is just behind her. (The Gallery, Civil War)
My Home Town: 1957
... every Sunday. Our house was a block away, hidden by the trees. Farther along, the steep-gabled building is the old St. Patrick's, where ... same view were taken today - which it can't because of trees - the only thing missing would be old church, which was replaced with St. ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/16/2012 - 3:58pm -

I was 11 when my brother took this Anscochrome slide of Larkspur, California, where I grew up. Around then I might have gone to the twin-towered City Hall at left, either to the Library to satisfy my curiosity about freeways, dinosaurs, coins or, believe it or not, peruse collections of New Yorker cartoons, or to the city offices to bug the clerks for copies of city forms I could adapt for the make-believe city I incorporated our yard into. Alongside is the fire house, where I might take pictures of the trucks. Across the street is St. Patrick's church, where I'd fidget during Mass every Sunday. Our house was a block away, hidden by the trees. Farther along, the steep-gabled building is the old St. Patrick's, where once a week fellow Catholic kids and I on religious instruction release from our public grade school would attend Catechism classes where stern nuns would attempt to drill dogma into our little souls. Below the church, the Ford woody is in the parking lot behind the Rainbow Market (red roof at left), where earlier my father worked for a few years. Down center, the small roof with the flag pole is the then-new Larkspur Post Office building. And then, a 1956 Pontiac. View full size. Learning from New Yorker cartoonsI believe that you avidly read the New Yorker cartoons. I did likewise. Learned a lot about the world from stretching to understand them. I still seem to learn the most interesting things by reading cartoons and, believe it or not, these Shorpy pictures! Example: Watching the progression of motor vehicles taking over the streets from horse-drawn vehicles in the first 2 or 3 decades of the 20th century. Shorpy pictures are a window in to the when, where, and why of that progression. Or: Look at the roofs of buildings. Mostly out of normal sight, they tell you the limits of building engineering of the time. Or: Look at the wiring in city shots. Same limits, including business and social organization limits - are on display. Tiny LarkspurBeautiful scene. It seems that every time it's mentioned in the paper, "tiny" has to be alongside. Idyllic Small TownThanks Tterrace for this peek and please tell us that you can go back there and it hasn't changed. Larkspur todayWell, jiimylee42, today Larkspur looks pretty much the same as in 1957, except for vegetative growth, some different paint jobs and the streets being clogged with cars. If this same view were taken today - which it can't because of trees - the only thing missing would be old church, which was replaced with St. Patrick's school in the early 60s. Downtown is exactly the same, except trees have replaced power poles and the grocery, drug, hardware and other everyday stores have turned into boutiques, art galleries and gourmet dining experiences. Except for a few scattered McMansions, the old neighborhoods still have their eclectic mix of early-20th century home and bungalow styles. Culturally, though, as the previous suggests, it's a whole different world. Our old house, which my folks bought in 1941 for $3000 last sold a few years ago for $1.5 million, and that wasn't simply because of inflation. Marin County"Culturally, though, as the previous suggests, it's a whole different world. Our old house, which my folks bought in 1941 for $3000 last sold a few years ago for $1.5 million, and that wasn't simply because of inflation." As usual, unless we inherited our parent's home, we are unable to live where we grew up. Details Since I first started looking at Shorpy I have been impressed with your memory of small details. I do not have that talent. It is fun to look at an old photo and then have someone take us back in time explaining it. Memory probeI'm curious about the hip roofed building between old and new St. Patrick's. Is it a convent or rectory? Probably not a school or the nuns would have used the classrooms rather than the old church for religious ed. [Rectory. - tterrace] A lot of my exposure to the world beyond also came from The New Yorker cartoons and David Susskind's talk show that came to me on NET (now PBS). Twin Cities@tterrace - Love all your posts - keep them coming. Larkspur is an idyllic little town. I remember the fellow who worked in the post office was named Panda Bear; always got a kick out of that name. Another named oddity was the 'Twin Cities' as Larkspur and Corte Madera hardly qualified as cities by my definition. Back in the 70's you could possibly run into Ken Kesey, Huey Lewis, Bill Graham, Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Steve Perry and Journey, etc etc as lots of musicians called Larkspur home at one point or another. Also, I believe Larkspur is credited as where the mountain bike was invented by Gary Fisher who rode from Madrone Canyon up to the Mt Tam watershed and Fairfax. Again, thanks for sharing your photos. Why tterrace?Why do you publish all of these tterrace submissions? These do not fit the theme of the Shorpy site and are not nearly as interesting as the 100+ year old photos. The rich kid's antics do not interest me. [We weren't rich. - tterrace] [Because they are wildly popular and much beloved. - Dave] Why Not tterrace?tterrace is a most valuable asset for Shorpy. His photos of the 1950s,60s &70s are a memorable history lesson to many of us. He shows me pictures of life a continent away in an era that I remember very well. American History doesn't end in 1912 or before, it is an ongoing process. Who is or isn't rich is in the eye of the beholder. My parents' houseUnlike Shorebreak, I could easily afford to buy the home I grew up in. Whether I could afford the medical bills from the periodic gunfire is another matter. 8900 block, south Morgan street, Chicago. I like ALL Shorpy photosI like ALL Shorpy photos, from the mid to late 19th Century through the 1970's. I especially like tterrace's photos, but then again, my brother and I and family moved to Marin County in 1957. Keep 'em coming! My brother, who still lives in Marin, and I look at Shorpy EVERY morning. I love 'em allYep, whether they're from the 1800's or the 1950's, these Shorpy pictures are ALL fascinating. Especially with interesting commentary. Keep it up, tterrace! Well done! Thanks as always for your photos and comments, tterrace.And of course thanks to Dave for providing us with an amazing array of photographs spanning a wide timeframe and variety of subjects -- completely free of charge! Although I usually find something of interest in the photos on Shorpy, there are occasional examples that don't do much for me. In those cases, I move on to the next one. "Rich" with All Things VernacularWere it not for tterrace's submissions, my vision of the 1950s would be pretty much confined to "I Love Lucy" reruns. Another thanks to tterraceI am about two years older than tterrace and I can certainly relate to his photos. I have been following them ever since I found the Shorpy site about four years ago. Recently when he became a moderator (or at least able to add his knowledge about a subject to the comments) on this site I sadly noticed that his weekly postings diminished in frequency a bit. I always looked forward to his family photos as they seemed to parallel my life in numerous ways and certainly resurrected a bunch of good memories for me. Lately he is posting more again. tterrace, KEEP EM COMING!!!! What Gets PublishedI'm always amazed at people who seem to think that they are owed some explanation of what gets posted to a site that they aren't paying to see. tterrace's photos, and his sometimes incredible remembrance of the subjects, circumstances and equipment used to make them are one the great joys of this site. Also, from the site description (right there at the bottom of every page, just below "The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog" line: "...vintage photo blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago." Thanks for your dedication and hard work, Dave (and tterrace too). Regarding the "rich kids antics" from Marin.I have lived in Marin for nearly sixty years, and my parents grew up here as well. That's over eighty years ago. I can tell you, Marin county was not always considered rich or even liberal for that matter. Marin was just another place for normal, average, middle class people to raise their families. Yes, there have always been enclaves of those who were wealthy, but what place in this country doesn't? This photo was taken from that time. I will also add, that those children from the higher class families lived just like everyone else did back then. Pretension was hard to find. That has indeed changed over the last 30 or so years in a major way, and I have no doubt that the average income of those living here are in some of the highest brackets in the country. The shift in demographics did make it difficult for many, if not most, of those that grew up here to afford to live here later in life. Some left because of the change in lifestyle. T's photos bring back an era that has long since passed, just like all the other photos presented here. Look, listen and learn. Thanks, TTerrace!I greatly enjoy your photos and history, and they were a big motivator and influence when I decided to create my own lesser blog. And Dave's comments are always something to look forward to. Shorpy.com is one of the two or three blogs I visit multiple times a day. I've learned a great deal from it and derived hours of enjoyment from the wonderful photos and comments. There are some learned people who live in ShorpyWorld! The stuff they know never ceases to amaze me. The Way-back Machine This is a period of time that is especially dear to me. I am a big city boy, born and raised on the other side of the country from Tterrace; New Jersey to be precise. I grew up in the City of Newark, in the area called Forest hills. And while Tterrace lived in a private home, I lived in apartment building with 39 other families. Other than that I would imagine that our lives were rather similar. He had a back-yard where he could play, I had an entire city Park to explore at my leisure. (Branch Brook Park) My family was not rich, by any means, but I had a full and interesting childhood. There are times I wish that I could go back to that era but it's gone now. And all I can do is look at photos from that time and smile, sometimes with a tear in the corner of my eye... Dave, you and Tterrace do a wonderful job! Thanks... I, too, enjoy TTerrace's contributions.Look forward to seeing them. Lived in Monterey for a year in the mid-70s and certain pics bring back memories. I just would like some more pictures of the sister-in-law. Regarding RGraham's CommentVery astute about those who grew up in small towns that later became fashionable or wealthy or both. I grew up in Naples, Florida, in the late 1960s when it was just an out-of-the way spot on the map with a smattering of wealthy winter-time residents. Not so anymore. Luckily, thanks to the Net and Facebook, those of us who palled around in those days are still having laughs together almost daily, even though we're scattered all over. Only a few still live in Naples. And we cherish the old photos we can find. I want more.I hit this site daily hoping for tterrace photos. Comfy house, amazing garden, well-cooked-in kitchen, long lived and interesting grandparents, hard working dad, brainy mom doing NY Times crosswords in ink,curious and tech-head brothers, and beautiful sister. It wasn't my life, but it was the one I wanted. And never once did I think them rich except in each other. Oh yes,and those gorgeous drapes. It Happens Every YearIt seems like once a year or so someone complains about tterrace and his posts, although this is the first time I've seen him referred to as a "rich kid." Which in turn inevitably releases a flood of support for tterrace's posts. Which inevitably includes something from me. So here goes. This blog isn't, and shouldn't be, restricted to photos that are a hundred years old or older. That would eliminate so many great photos like pictures from the Roaring 20s, the Farm Security Administration photos from the 1930s, the OWI pictures from World War II (some of which were - shock - in colour). And we can't restrict the blog to the works of professionals, because some of the most interesting photos in this blog were the works of amateurs. The photos that tterrace has posted over the years have been a portrait of a time period as seen by a talented pair of amateurs - tterrace and his brother. Their work is at least as evocative in its own way as the works of professionals in earlier eras. And like a majority of people here, I like it. My VisitTo San Francisco last month featured lots of driving by my hosts. Imagine my surprise when we went past an exit marked "Larkspur". I insisted on a drive through this town that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. Lovely place, still a lot like the photos. Thanks, tterrace, for sharing so much with us. I, too, am from Newark, NJ. My 'hood was leveled after the riots of the 1960s. Everything disappeared like an A-bomb blast. Now it's all Section 8 housing. It's charming to see someone's childhood home that still abides. 1860 or 1960, I love 'em all.The only thing that changes is the way I relate to the picture. Pictures from 1860 have me thinking about how they fit into the history I've read. Pictures from 1960 have me comparing the view to my memories from childhood. Looks like a great place to grow upAs always, Mr. TT, your comments match the pictures. Sharp, sensitive and revealing. Thanks! My houseI lived in Larkpur in 1960, on Post St. behind the Lark Theater where my mom worked at the time. I later lived in the yellow house in the lower left hand corner, and my grandparents live in the house to the right of that. My grandmother worked at Rainbow Market from WWII to 1970. I went to H.C. Hall School, before it became a middle school. Practiced riding a skateboard on the corner where the Blue Rock was. I love these pictures! Miss this era and the little town that was Larkpur. The comments made about the rich and Larkpur (Marin) are accurate. My grandmother knew Nelle Dougherty (Dougherty Dr.) and Charlie Young who later went on to be the oldest living resident of Larkspur. William Frizzi owned the house I lived in, if I am not mistaken; did the electrical work for the old Rose Bowl. The 4th of July, Twin Cities Little League - all memories of mine. I left Larkspur when I accidently started a fire in that old house. Would love to exhange info, or receive more pics of this place. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
tterrace Then and Now
... they? Limerick Inn Today The place is obscured by trees in the 2011 Google street view below; Magnolia Ave. near intersection ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 8:13pm -

1955 and 2002 (OK, so it's not quite "now"). A gag shot my brother and I arranged with an empty beer can found nearby, and a reenactment shot by my sister 47 years later. The building is the shell of the c. 1894 Limerick Inn in Larkspur, California. View full size. Next Stop, WilloughbyYou can go home again. Thanks so much. I quite like all your amazing photo-facts and find them fascinating documents of a time, often lost times. I also enjoy watching old 8mm family films of other people/families. And it's more than just the nosy voyeur in me, although I'm sure that's part of it. It's the marvel of that shared experience between generations. I find it curious that those persons who obviously can't appreciate the interconnectedness between themselves and your selves, regardless of not knowing you or your family other than through these images, still feel the need to whine about how they're not being served to their delight. Then and now This is absolutely brilliant. Well done! You've Only Grown TallerI love these pictures you are posting, tterrace. Keep 'em coming! Time Lapse PhotographyThat's pretty cool! I don't think it's too often that you get to take your picture with a building that appears to be a ruin, then come back to the same ruin 47 years later and do it again. Why has this building survived in this state of disrepair for so long? Limerick InnI see someone painted the bricks red. Not that it did much good. Fascinating photo. Limerick Inn limerickThere was a young boy named tterrace Who held a beer can aloft in the same place ‘Oer fifty years apart He’s still making art With a similar look on the same face. Goober Pea tterrace, Together AgainHere you are superimposed. After futzing around a bit I got the 1955 and 2002 mortar joints to line up almost exactly. VacancyRemarkable that a building that was obviously quite vacant in 1955 is still standing. And apparently still vacant. Aren't there any voracious real estate speculators in Larkspur? Too Cool!What a fun thing it is to see you in both photos. Go ahead and tell us what that little boy was doing there back in '55. 47 Years Later You still have a fantastic sense of humor ---and it's still time for Pabst. Things really don't change, do they? Limerick Inn TodayThe place is obscured by trees in the 2011 Google street view below; Magnolia Ave. near intersection with Ridgecrest. It's on the property of the old Escalle vineyards and winery, which date back to the 1880s. Since then ownership has changed only once, and it's been in the hands of the current family since 1940. Luckily, there's quite a bit of Larkspur that still looks remarkably like the town I grew up in, but this particular area is unique in having survived well over a hundred years almost literally unchanged. Just across the street, though, is the entrance to a big condo development from the 90s on what was open wetlands in my day. My brother and I liked to walk all over town and in the hills above, with our dog and our cameras. A year later, after I got my own camera, I took a similar picture of him in the same spot, beer can and all. Fabulous job on the overlay, Dave. It was driving me nuts. Love the photo...but the phrase, "Next stop, Willoughby" really brought back some great Twilight Zone memories!!! Thanks Tterrace for the great photos and thanks 'Rod Serling' for the flashback!! I love this site - the pictures and the comments! Thanks everyone. Time travelI especially enjoy seeing photos taken of exactly the same spot many years apart. Years ago my hometown newspaper ran a weekly series where every Sunday they had a old photo of some place in town next to a current photo of the same place. It was interesting to see what had changed and what hadn't. Photography is the closest thing we have to time travel. From HungaryFantastic! I love your pictures! This is breathtaking! Call me a Grouch!SHORPY has "jumped the shark" with this entry. OY VEY! Yeah right...."SHORPY has "jumped the shark" with this entry" I guess we can all now stop visiting Shorpy for all these varied examples of photography now...glad you cleared that up.... I think Shorpy is a lot more popular each day. There are no sharks to jump, this is photography not television. Jump the Shark?I've been a lurker for a few weeks now, and I am consumed by this site. You bring class back to the i-net. I've been going through the archives, but I've been satisfied with all the comments, so didn't see a need to comment myself. I grew up in the 50's & 60's, and I love those pics, but I'm fascinated by the ones from earlier in the 20th century, too. But "jumped the shark"? I don't think that can happen on this site, by its very nature. I too love the then-and-now comparisons, and I enjoy seeing things in these photos that were in my life, but lost, 50+ years ago. Zoreo said the most profound thing I've seen in a long time. It should be up in your masthead every day: Photography is the closest thing we have to time travel. Hurrah!Tterrace is my new hero! The amount of talent on Shorpy is CRAZY!Your brother's original picture, your sister's reenactment, Dave's overlay & Google map insert, and Goober Pea's limerick MADE MY DAY! I doff my cap to the collective Shorpy crowd! A suggestionNice! You really should submit these photos to this site: http://colorwar2008.com/submissions/youngnow This really is a brilliantThis really is a brilliant photo. I wish as a kid I had an interest in photography; I would have loved to do something like this. De-colorizingSince I don't possess Fredric Falcon's colorizing skills, I decided to attack the problem from the other end and Lewis Hine-ize the Kodachrome panel of my then-and-now submission. 1955, Larkspur, California. Looked 8 or 9 years old. Found loitering outside abandoned speakeasy, said it wasn't his first time. Said he was called "T. Terrace," probably not his real name. When asked how he got can of beer said, "I found it." Hmmmm?Actually well done. Shows the beggining of life and the end of life. As we gaze upon the eternal steps of life, we see the end, not in the distance, but as real. [The "end," huh? You must be a riot at cocktail parties. - Dave] The end?Well, the "now" pic was taken seven years ago, and so far all indications point to my still being alive. Album Cover locationCoincidentally, this building was also featured on the front and back cover of the late guitar virtuoso Tony Rice's album "Church Street Blues," recorded in the early '80s. Tony blazed a wide and influential path in bluegrass and new acoustic music with his flatpicking guitar skills. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids, tterrapix)
Far Hills: 1900
... Nothing looks plumb in this photo... but the trees. Yes I know, trees are plum. Girl power Looks like young ladies rule that roost. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:12pm -

Far Hills, New Jersey, circa 1900. "Old country road." Probably not in Google Street View. (Update: How wrong I was!) Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Time of the yearI would also like to estimate the season (as Dave said, it cannot be around midsummer): 1. There are freshly fallen leaves on the ground, also on the road. It is Autumn. 2. In the photo sun shines from South-West. The shadows are in 35-40 degrees. Now I must estimate the angle at noon: It would be about 45-50 degrees, which is a bit less than the angle at the time of equinoxes (50 deg). 1 and 2: The photo is taken slightly after autumnal equinox (23.9.), let's say, 30th of September. The well-dressed boyAdd me to those that think this is a fantastic photo. The multiple buggy tracks in the road drew me into it, but the child apart from the three girls caught my eye. Looks like a boy in a dress. I have a photo of my grandfather, born 1911, with long curls and wearing a dress. Couldn't believe that they dressed boys that way, but since have seen many photos of it. Strange custom. Anyway, great find! Sleuthing...I just love hunting down some of these places! I had just found it when I checked back and found I was right! There are a number of historical markers, one just shy of the location (for the Peapack Brook Rural Industrial Historic District). The longitude and latitude brought me within a short distance of the spot. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=18574 "The confluence of Peapack Brook and the North Branch of the Raritan River became a rural industrial center during the 18th century when a saw mill, grist mill, tannery and bark mill were located nearby. The Peapack Brook Rural Industrial Historic District includes five houses, several outbuildings and mill structures that reflect the industrial and agricultural development of the area, ca. 1750 - 1900." Michael L found itI grew up in Far Hills -- this is Main Street, which runs between Far Hills and Peapack. Hot DayI guess is it's quite a hot day in June or July. There's haze out in the field and they have a warmish look on their faces. The side window is open to get some air. [Leaves on ground, bare branches, etc., do not say June or July. - Dave] Nothing looks plumb in this photo... but the trees. Yes I know, trees are plum. Girl powerLooks like young ladies rule that roost. I would hate to be the little boy that had to tell them otherwise. Railroad CrossingA couple of clues lead me to believe that the little stone bridge in the background goes over a railroad right of way. Any idea whose line it might have been? [You just might be on the right "track." Stay tuned. - Dave] Definitely a railoadI checked "10 Main Street, Far Hills NJ" on MapQuest and it clearly shows a railroad crossing the street a little southeast of the address. It really isn't very unusual for a rail line to be below the grade of another road (or house) in hilly country. And, as Dave from MN commented, you can definitely see the old truss bridge for the rail line, and possibly part of a signal post, just to the left of the bridge. [You are maybe a little late to the party. The next post shows the rail crossing. - Dave] Thanks Dave! LOL, I was a tad late and did see the photo of the trestle bridge after I had posted this. Day late and a dollar short as usual. HillsThe bridge doesn't look high enough for a RR, and anyway they'd just have a level grade crossing. There's no great traffic on the local line as it dead-ends a few miles north. A better cue is the hill, probably, but I don't remember the topography well enough at a distance of 30 years. I used to bike through Far Hills every weekend as part of my regular century route. I failedI spent a few minutes trying to find this place in Google. Far Hills, New Jersey is a small burg, with few streets, most of which are covered in Street View. The apparent stone bridge in the background should narrow it down to just a few possible locations. Sadly, no success for this tipster, but hopefully someone more resourceful can take on the challenge and win. Hey! There it is!The hint that it is a railroad, not a stream, helped mightily. This seems to be the place: [Kudos to Michael and the half-dozen others who managed to find this place. Color me impressed and amazed! - Dave] View Larger Map StuccoThe first thing I noticed was the stucco on the house. When the house was new, it must have looked really nice but it just seems kind of upscale for a country house which appears to be out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe Papa had something to do with the railroad? There's a muddy road ahead...The hooves of draft animals and the wheels of the buggies or wagons they pulled have cut into the dirt road when it was wet. Looks like it's drying up a little now. The house is only about a dozen feet off the road. I'll bet it caught a lot of road-dust when the weather was dry. Definitely a railroadThe raise in the road is tall for the time period. Also note the narrow, single track, truss bridge to the left. It is a rail line. Now for the New Jersey folks to ID it. EvocativeThis strikes me as one of the most evocative photographs I have seen on Shorpy. It would take me the proverbial thousand words to explain why. They are spinning around in my head: about all the unseen creatures and things whose existence is so evident, including the world beyond the bridge. Punto de vista.Google hace las fotos desde un punto de vista bastante más alto (desde el techo de una furgoneta) aproximadamente a la altura de los antepechos de la planta primera, que aparecen en una línea casi horizontal. En la imagen antigua el fotógrafo intencionadamente, para resaltar el barro del camino, quizás, puso la cámara mucho más baja, aproximadamente a la altura de los ojos de las niñas y, para captar las copas de los árboles, inclinó ligeramente la cámara hacia arriba. Magnífico, gracias a todos. Una cosa más, lo que se ve a la izquierda de las niñas ¿es una señal del ferrocarril? Did we make her a Saint yet?Beginning in 1908, Mrs. Ladd had provided a convalescent facility on the Natirar estate, originally at “Maple Cottage,” a large residence that once stood along Peapack Road where “deserving gentlewomen who are compelled to depend upon their own exertions for support shall be entertained, without charge, for periods of time while convalescing from illness, recuperating from impaired health, or otherwise in need of rest.” Natirar gatehouseI believe this is the gatehouse to the Natirar estate. [Natirar -- "Raritan" spelled backward! - Dave] The stone abutmentThe truss bridge for the rail line has been replaced, but one of the stone abutments for the overpass is still there and looks as good as new. Quite a tribute to some long-gone stonemason. Wow wow wow! ChangedFar Hills looks mighty hardscrabble in this photo, a far cry from the hoity-toity zip code it has developed into over the years. Home MakeoverIn the "Bird's Eye View" in Bing Maps, there is what appears to be a large dumpster behind the house. Perhaps some renovation work was ongoing at the time. Far HillsianThis is awesome! I live in Far Hills and take NJ transit into the city on that train line over that bridge. It is indeed the gatehouse to Natirar, soon to be Richard Branson's Virgin Spa, but through part of the leasing agreement, plain folks like us can walk around the grounds. The train trestle in the first picture is down behind the white house. It takes you over the Peapack brook which runs through Natirar. The tracks run under that dirt road and alongside the brook before terminating in Gladstone. Supposedly during the Revolutionary War a tunnel was dug under this road and it's still supposed to be there. If I can find more on that I will post. This is a really picturesque area and the train line (the old Erie Lackawanna) was used often in movies. Gladstone station doubles for Tuscumbia, Alabama, and Boston in the opening of the Patty Duke movie "Miracle Worker" (although they use a Black River train). Thank you for this! WOWI crossed that bridge many many times on the way to Bernards High. Used to live in Peapack. We all took the Erie Lackawanna train to school, ages ago. Wish to see a lot more pictures people. Bring them on. Thanks! Art (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, Rural America)
Up Woodward: 1908
... scores from the 1908 series. Baseball game With the trees still bare this is early in the baseball season (April or May). If back ... in the years to come. Game 5 First, I think the trees are too bare for October 12. Second, the teams are listed the wrong way ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:37pm -

Detroit circa 1908. "Up Woodward Avenue from Grand Circus Park." A record number of "moonlight tower" arc lamp standards on view here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Moonlight TowersAnd all this time I've considered cell phone towers a major symbol of our modern crassness, as another reason to long for a return to the Edwardian Era of enlightened tastes! Perhaps we're not so bad after all. Where's a DeLorean when you need one! I wish someone would hurry up and invent a time machine so I can go back and live here. Living in the Detroit area today, and having spent a lot of time in this particular area represented in this photograph, I would give anything to be back "there" today, instead of what we have now. Even if it meant I had to shovel coal, or clean up after horses. View Larger Map Who needs a nifty ESPN smart phone app?When you can get the latest baseball scores posted on the roof of a building! Smokestacks and SpiresIndustry and faith--a winning combination in my book! Also, I wonder who won the Detroit/Chicago game. It got cut off in the fifth inning. Let There Be Light!How many moonlight towers does everyone count? I can see maybe twelve, thirteen or fourteen. If we could enlarge it even further ... Scoreboard!I noticed that just past the first church on the left there's a partial view of a baseball scoreboard showing the Tigers and the White Stockings. That's how folks got the score back then. They were wired from the stadium to various points and posted so fans could keep up in near real-time conditions. Some of these places also served simple food and beer and were generally an all-male gathering spot. High anxietyWho's gonna be the one to go up there and change a lightbulb? [Note that the lights are on pulleys and can be lowered to the ground. - Dave] High (and low) WiresHow are all these tower guy-wires anchored? Two look like they are converging in the small park on the right but I can't follow them to the end. Were they fastened to something right on the ground or perhaps out of reach on a pole? I believe this is 1907In the 1907 World Series, Game 5, the Chicago Cubs scored a run in each inning of the first and second as shown on the outdoor baseball scoreboard in this shot. It didn't match any scores from the 1908 series. Baseball gameWith the trees still bare this is early in the baseball season (April or May). If back then they used the convention of away team on top and home team on the bottom like now then this puts the picture at April 14th (season opener) or April 16th. on 4/14/1908 Sox 15 Tigers 8. on 4/16/1908 Tigers 4 Sox 2. Unfortunately box scores are hard to find earlier than about 1918. [This photo was made in the fall, not the spring. - Dave] And in TimeThis Woodward Avenue, in about 55 years, would become famous for the fact that many Auto manufacturers would come out and compare models by running out Woodward. And that the tradition still lives on. Not that they were "racing," ahem, Officer, cough. The lights and the pulleysThe pulleys are for raising and lowering the work platform, visible near the bottom of the tower. This feature has been disabled on the surviving towers in Austin. Softly glowing celltowersThat would be kind of cool -- big ol' twisty CFL bulbs dotting the modern landscape. Austin transplanted towersIn a March 1964 visit to Austin, Texas, when I first saw some of these Moonlight Towers that had been transplanted there I first thought that they were for some type of microwave relay system. They are plotted on a USGS quadrangle map (1954) of the area and supposedly when viewed from above once made the outline of a five-pointed star. 1907 perhaps? Tigers vs. CubsI think the baseball game might not be the Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox, but rather the Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The Tigers and Cubs played each other in the World Series in consecutive years in 1907 and 1908. I think this might be Game 5 of the 1907 World Series. World Series Game 5 Played on Saturday, October 12, 1907 (D) at Bennett Park CHI N 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 1 DET A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 7 2 The convention of listing the home team on the bottom has not always been consistent, and perhaps DETROIT was always listed on top in Detroit. www.retrosheet.org has box scores going back to 1871. To be sure, I'd have to rule out all the regular season games between the White Sox and Tigers, which I have not done... Off seasonI suppose the picture could have been anytime after October 12, 1907 as that was the last game of the World Series, and therefore the season. I suppose they could have left it up for a while without another game necessitating the change. Time frameNot only do the long shadows indicate a late afternoon time for the picture, the fact that there aren't any people on the balcony where the box score is displayed makes it likely that the picture was taken sometime after the end of the game (and definitely after the fifth inning). Baseball Almanac says that the game lasted 1:42 (hah!) but doesn't say when it began. Look at the mastLook at how the base of the moonlight tower in the foreground is anchored to the ground. It tapers to one ordinary steel pole! The structure has guy wire anchors to support it, but it still it doesn't look very sturdy. I wonder if they had difficulty finding enough maintenance people crazy enough to climb these things. It is interesting to note that thousands of similar structures would be used in the radio era, in the years to come. Game 5First, I think the trees are too bare for October 12. Second, the teams are listed the wrong way -- the Tigers were at home for Game 5, 1908. Moonlight towers: steampunk for real!I would love to see how well those things really worked. A lovely September afternoon!Tuesday, Sep 8 L DET 2 CHW 5 Wednesday, Sep 9 W DET 7 CHW 6 Thursday, Sep 10 W DET 6 CHW 5 Friday, Sep 11 L DET 2 CHW 4 Saturday, Sep 12 L DET 1 CHW 2 So tallThe towers seem so tall compared to our average street lights today. Yet, these are undoubtedly the precursors to the tall, multi-fixture light towers around today's modern expressway interchanges. Today's lights also lower to the ground with pulleys. I wonder how far those old tall towers would throw the light, and how bright they would be compared to today? Towers and TigersDetroit had more of these moonlight lighting towers than any city in the world - well over 100 at their peak - before they were all taken out in the 1910s in favor of modern street level electric lighting. A few of these Detroit towers were purchased and moved and some are still in use in Austin, Texas. More here on the evolution of this form of public lighting. As for the baseball score on the roof on the right, I think it may be from one of the final games of the razor-close 1908 American League pennant race. The Tigers traveled to Chicago for the final series of the season, a 3 game set starting on October 4th, with a 1.5 game lead over Cleveland and a 2.5 game lead over Chicago. Detroit lost the first two games of the series to the White Sox, and I think the scoreboard shown here may be from one of those 2 games, so probably Oct. 4th or 5th 1908. This set up a climactic final game for the championship. The Tigers won that game 7-0 and claimed their second consecutive American League pennant by a game over Chicago and a half-game over Cleveland. The AL race, however, was somewhat overshadowed by the National League race, which also came down to a final game, between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs, necessitated by the infamous "Merkle's Boner" play. The Cubs won, and went on to defeat Detroit 4 games to 1 in the World Series. Austin TowersThe former Detroit towers here in Austin are still used a lighting as well as historical markers. The one in Zilker Park is turned into our "Xmas tree" each year. Austin moonlight towersIn the early days when Austin's moonlight towers had carbon-arc lamps, one city employee had the full-time occupation of driving around in a buggy to each tower once a day, hoisting himself up by the internal lift rigging, and adjusting the carbon sticks to their proper gap for making an electrical arc. I suppose all these towers worked that way In the Day. Three ChurchesThe three large churches visible on the righthand side of the picture along Woodward Avenue are, from front to back: first, the Central United Methodist at 23 E. Adams at Woodward, and built in 1866 (still extant); second, St. John's Episcopal at 2326 Woodward at Fisher Freeway, and built in 1859 (still extant); and third, Woodward Avenue Baptist at 2464 Woodward, and built in 1886 (demolished). Backward TimeI agree with you. My Grandfathers' house where I lived for a number of years is now part of the baseball park (122 E. Vernor Hwy). I attended the Boy Scouts at Central Methodist Church. My Mom and Dad worked at the Hotel Statler. I also went to the Franklin Elementary School and Cass Technical High School. We have a lot in common and your Google Earth is something for me to view. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Autumn Leaves: 1899
... not sure why there are SO many leaves on the ground (the trees are far from bare) but no matter-if I lived there I would probably shock ... photo -- the perspective of the the house, fence, dog, trees & the sidewalk. If only we could see it in color. This kind of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:59pm -

Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Gratiot Avenue and Church Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Wonderfuldepth of field, the tree lined alley just seems to go on forever and all pin sharp. ColorfulWould colorizing this be too much to ask? Beautiful PhotographGreat shot! The dog is perfect and I love the wooden sidewalks. It is all strip malls and offices now. No resemblance at all to this scene. Google won't let you down Church Street so maybe it gets better. At least someone seems to have raked up the leaves! Lovely dogWe had a dog like this one and if this one was like ours it would have been rolling about in those leaves. What a beautiful dog and Avenue. I want to jump in those leaves!I'm not sure why there are SO many leaves on the ground (the trees are far from bare) but no matter-if I lived there I would probably shock my tasteful Mount Clemens neighbors by hitching up my skirt and happily clomping down that avenue of delightfully crunchy autumn leaves (and I would absolutely invite that nice dog to go with me!) So Beautiful!Everything about about this photo -- the perspective of the the house, fence, dog, trees & the sidewalk. If only we could see it in color. This kind of viewalways reminds me of the end of "The Third Man." Mission: Impossible Would anyone like to take a stab at colorizing this one?? Not much here to comment onso I guess I'll just say that the dog is sooo dead by now. Existential sadness... upon looking up this location in Google Maps :*( My Mama Told MeMom grew up in Grand Rapids and would frequently tell us kids stories about "beautiful Michigan". I think this photo is exactly what she had in mind. Me? I'm thinking there must be some money to be made with all those leaves. Don't rakeJust have that lovely Border collie herd those leaves into a nice, neat pile. I LOVE this neighborhood! the current picture is horribly depressing. Burning Leaves...I can vaguely recall in my youth, the aroma of burning leaves when these would all be raked into the street and burned in piles. The idea of bagging them and putting them in a dumpster hadn't yet entered our radar. Looks like early morningMaybe it's Sunday. A little fog appears to be still hanging. Nobody out and about yet except the photographer and the dog who's investigating him. It's a gorgeous shot. Another in the long Shorpy chain that makes the heart ache a bit at things too far past to be experienced outside one's imagination. The New Yorker in meI am so moved by such bucolic scenes that turn up here, just melting into the time and place; the vanishing point of the tree corridor here is particularly transporting. But then there's that freakin' dog, daring you to step around the bombs he's left in the leaves. Here's my attemptSomeone said this would look good colorized. Here is my attempt. I have been coming here for a long time. I enjoy Shorpy very much. Have a great day all. How many lanes and what forWhat's the purpose of the lane we're seeing in the middle of the picture, bordered by trees on both sides? There looks to be a larger lane to the right, and maybe a third lane at far right, each bordered by trees on both sides. Mount ClemensThrough a very odd coincidence, I found this gorgeous picture online (while looking for something else) only five days after I walked Church Street to Gratiot. I live 1,500 miles away, but was on a walking vacation in my old home town. Mt. Clemens has many houses left from this era, most of them now boasting historical markers. SharpI can't get over the exposure latitude and sharpness of this picture. It's just amazing Re: Beautiful PhotographStreet View Update now shows much of the rest of downtown. However, I think your previous GSV was about a block off, as the modern Gratiot Ave. splits into a loop. I'll bet when the photo was taken Gratiot and Main Street were the same thing. There's still no denying a big change in scenery, but if you cruise up and down Main Street there are echoes of the past in the street trees. From the ultra-modern bank a block north to a sweet Craftsman down at the south end of Main there's still some interesting sightseeing. (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC)
Streetcar to the Sky: 1913
... discovering a photo, of a lady standing near some oak trees, labeled "On Mt. Lowe" in my late Aunt Mary's album. (This is the same ... Avenue. Bare Naked Bulb Love the light bulb in the trees, so simple yet so definitive. A campground now Did an overnighter ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 1:37pm -

Mount Lowe, California, circa 1913. "Electric car at Ye Alpine Tavern, Mount Lowe Railway." This Swiss-style chalet in the San Gabriel Mountains was the upper terminus (elev. 5,000 feet) of an 1890s scenic and incline railway that started in Altadena, with streetcar connections all the way to the main terminal at the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles. The railway and associated resorts, including the 70-room Echo Mountain House, were gradually obliterated by fire and flood until, by 1940, nothing was left. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Can't be all that greatThis young lady doesn't seem too thrilled by the experience. And what's the streak in the background? Gauze curtains, smoke? A ghost? [It's a flutterby. - Dave] Mount Lowe videoI first became interested in researching Mount Lowe after discovering a photo, of a lady standing near some oak trees, labeled "On Mt. Lowe" in my late Aunt Mary's album. (This is the same Aunt Mary featured in my brother tterrace's photos.) There were cousins in Los Angeles, and Aunt Mary apparently went by train to visit them often. It would have been in this era. Anyway, my searches have found many links to info about the mountain and the railway. Here is a video from an old film clip. Shows amazing history.Although obvious, it seems incredible to see the flag only having 48 stars! Very interesting. Born Too LateHardly a soul can still be alive who rode the Mount Lowe Railway, especially in its golden age. It must have been a magical trip. The links tell the main story; other sites show open cars stopping to let riders admire the fields of poppies adorning the open plains in the spring. California mountains in the summer can be somewhat parched, but still refreshing compared to the warm stagnant air of the basin. The Tavern evidently preserved as many oaks as possible, with their small crackly leaves and hard acorns. Regrettably the enterprise never really covered its costs and succumbed to a series of disasters before I was born. It was a rather long trip, taking several hours each way. I, like many, regret the passing of the trolley cars, but old timetables show that it took well over two hours even to run the 50-some miles from central LA to Huntington Beach, and the tracks could never achieve the coverage of even a mediocre bus service. My StarsIt all depends on your perspective. With my little hand over my heart, I pledged allegiance to a 48-star flag on many a morning in grade school. I'm not used to the newfangled 50-star flag yet. Stars and StripesI also remember saluting the 48 star flag. Lets not get too upset about this, had this picture been taken 2 years earlier, in 1911, we would have seen a 46 star flag and 4 years before that, in 1907, old glory showed 45. I was always a good history student but grammar and punctuation were a problem, mainly because of run-on sentences. "Sunrise"Funny this is posted today! I happened to catch part of a silent movie recently on TCM called "Sunrise" and wanted to see the rest of the film. I got it from Netflix and watched it yesterday. There is a scene where Janet Gaynor is running from George O'Brien and hops something that looks just like this going through the woods and up into the mountain. I'll bet it was this trolley line. Oh, and I would highly recommend the movie - it was great and I usually don't like silent movies. Very Peaceful.Oh, I would love to have been there. Just looking at pic relaxes me. A boring place perhapsbut I bet the ride getting there would have been a blast! I thought of "Sunrise" as wellGenerally in Silent Film circles known as one of the best silent films ever made. When I saw this picture I immediately thought of that movie. I thought at the time it was unusual to have a trolley in the woods like that. Understanding the budget of a 1927 movie, I figured they would not have built that trolley and track just for the film. Just wondering if it really was the same trolley from the movie. Does the right of way still exist?Just wondering. Sort of reminds me of the trolley to Glen Echo Park in Maryland, although more dramatic. Trolleys are making a comeback. That's nice, but they are pretty useless. Mount Lowe rail trailFor hikers: http://www.mtlowe.net/MtLoweTrail.htm I camped thereAs a Boy Scout growing up in nearby La Canada Flintridge, we used to hike to the top of Mount Lowe and camp at the ruins of the old hotel. The view of Los Angeles at night was spectacular! When a fire damaged the trail to the top, my Eagle Scout project involved rebuilding the upper portion. We lugged a wheelbarrow and all the tools up to the top to complete the job. Fond memories! Thanks. The Great Circular BridgePlease post some views from the "high" side, a favorite of the postcard makers- lots of air below the car. Another favorite was taken from the opposite side of the canyon at the bottom of the incline, plus apparently group shots were taken of each incline carload an sold s souvenirs to the passengers- I'm told this is available today at amusement parks where the water toboggan plummets near the finish and most passengers are screaming. [and apparently young jaded women lift their shirts] Civil War aeronautThaddeus Lowe, who incorporated the railway and is the mountain's namesake, had been a balloonist during the Civil War as an observer for the Union. His daughter, whose name I'd have to look up, lived into the latter part of the 20th century. She was an accomplished aviator and is recorded in recent history in "The Right Stuff" as proprietor of the Happy Bottom Riding Club, the bar that stood near the end of the original runways at Muroc/Edwards AFB. Then she was known by her married name Pancho Barnes, and it may have been one of her rental horses that broke Chuck Yeager's rib the evening before he flew the X1 to Mach 1. SunriseBrookeDisAstor mentioned the movie Sunrise. I own the DVD of Sunrise, which is a remarkable film and I remember the scene where Janet Gaynor takes the trolley running through the woods to go into the city. According to IMDB, the film was shot at three outside locations: the Columbia River in Oregon, Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, both near San Bernardino. But of those two locations, only Lake Arrowhead had a Pacific Electric line nearby. So not the Mount Lowe Line, but somewhere similar. Raise a glass to Mount LoweThere's some Mount Lowe Railway memorabilia at a little bar in Altadena called the Rancho, on Lake Avenue. Bare Naked BulbLove the light bulb in the trees, so simple yet so definitive. A campground nowDid an overnighter there with the Boy Scouts recently. The old right of way makes for an easy grade. I tried to replicate the location of the historical photo. Mine is the blue tent. Dandy http://dan-d-sparks.blogspot.com Great hikeI grew up in Sierra Madre in the 1950s early '60s. The roadbed of the railway was one of my favorite hikes, even found some spikes on occasion. The river rock foundations were still there at the hotel; a great place to camp for the night and a rad view. I still fantasize of time traveling back and taking the rail trip to Mount Lowe. Present Day FunicularsIt's a shame this streetcar line is long gone, but there are still some very spectacular funicular style rail trips available. I would be very remiss if I didn't mention the Lookout Mountain Incline in my old home town of Chattanooga. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Icecapade: 1921
... Still very dangerous. Man -- They sure don't make trees like they used to. Time to upgrade. If Senator Penrose insists on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2020 - 11:00am -

January 1921. Washington, D.C. "Penrose car, accident." Beside Senator Boies Penrose's car, casualties here include a mailbox, emergency call box and a lamppost. The tree survives with a dented trunk. View full size. Sharp rideI used to work in automotive and the last company that I worked for, before heading into my new field, was in automotive glass. Check out the windshield on this car. It was plate glass; no safety glass but just plain old window glass. Can you imagine what would happen to your face if you went through such an accident? Even in this photo, it looks as though the front glass just broke up on impact. Still very dangerous. Man --They sure don't make trees like they used to. Time to upgrade.If Senator Penrose insists on driving on the sidewalk, maybe he should look at the FWD from an earlier photo. Fatal crash?I noticed that this crash was not listed on his Wikipedia entry, so I added it and cited this photo as a reference. I also noticed that he died in 1921. If this photo is circa 1920, perhaps this crash was fatal. [This crash had nothing to do with his death, which came from pneumonia after a year or so of declining health. - Dave] It's a wonderful lifeGeorge Bailey, you been drinking? Got Mail?That has to be the biggest mailbox in town. He must have been admiring it when he crashed into it Early ExcuseI understand the USPS is still using this crash as an excuse for undelivered mail. OuchYou can see, quite clearly, that car windshields did not have safety glass in those days. Was it the Senator's head that broke the windshield? Accident ProneCan't find any info on this specific crash but Penrose had a history of automotive mishaps. Washington Post, Aug 22, 1917 Penrose in Peril When Auto Blazes Senator and Friends Leap from Car to Escape Death. Senator Boies Penrose returned to Washington from Philadelphia yesterday after a perilous experience near Baltimore, when the senator and two friends were compelled to leap from a blazing automobile. The car is believed to have taken fire from a lighted cigar which had been tossed from a passing car and which lodged in the top, which was down. IN an instant the car was ablaze in the rear and directly over the gasoline tank. The senator and his friends escaped injury owing to prompt action by the chauffeur, who brought into play and extinguisher and put out the blaze. The body of the car was badly scorched and the top entirely destroyed. This is he second experience of this kind Senator Penrose has encountered within two years. In 1915, while motoring from Pittsburgh headed for Washington, his car caught fire near Greensburg, Pa. and became a total wreck, the senator and his party having a narrow escape from the flames. A feature of the campaign of 1914 in Pennsylvania, when Senator Penrose was a candidate for reelection to the Senate, was his large red touring car, which became well known throughout the state, as it took him into nearly every country. The senator is considered the most enthusiastic motorist in the Senate. In the last three years he has crossed Pennsylvania along the Lincoln highway and other routes from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and return more than 100 times. WikipediaPenrose's Wikipedia page has already been updated to add a link to this picture and note the possibility that the crash may have been related to his death the following year. [The senator's death came from pneumonia after years of declining health. - Dave] Text messagingIs it possible the Senator was text messaging with the window open that caused him to have the accident and while awaiting EMS caught pneumonia ? Winton SixAccording to the following delightful story in Boies Penrose, Symbol of an Era, by Robert Douglas Bowden (1937), Penrose's auto was a Winton Six painted "screaming red." The senator's driver was one Walter Mancer. Colorize this Winton Six, please!Shorpyite stanton_square's post, with the embedded book preview on the life of Boies Penrose, details on page 209 that the color of Mr. Penrose's touring car was "screaming red" with a bright red leather upholstery. Could someone please colorize this photo to show the bent automobile in all its red glory, and post it to Shorpy for all to see. When I zoomed-in to the radiator emblem on the wrecked auto, it does seem to be a Winton Six medallion. Attached below is a photo of a Winton Six radiator emblem that I found on the internet. Multiple dangersIt's not just the lack of seat belts and the non-safety glass (though those alone were good enough to kill). The steering column in those days was essentially a harpoon, and any head-on collision was likely to spear the driver. Red WreckA red Winton Six for Fellow Oakie. Re: Sharp RideIn 1923 when my mother was 3, she was in a car accident in the D.C. area that put her through the windshield. The left side of her face was cut from temple to lip. It must have been pretty bad because she said the hospital doctors weren't going to do any repairs. However one doctor took on the task and saved her life. This photo has answered questions I have had for so long. Quote"I believe in the division of labor. You send us to Congress; we pass laws under which you make money...and out of your profits, you further contribute to our campaign funds to send us back again to pass more laws to enable you to make more money." -- Senator Boies Penrose (R-Pa.), 1896, citing the relationship between his politics and big business. An honest politician! Not Necessarily RedThe circa 1920 Winton shown in the photograph is not necessarily painted red. Page 209 of Bowden's book is mentioning events from 1913 or 1914. The car Senator Penrose purchased back then was red. This car, built around 1920, is not the same one as described in the book. Both cars are Winton Sixes. Senator:"Ugh, thanks God I am not some James Dean." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Duluth Incline Railway: 1905
... poles. This was before the advent of the chainsaw, when trees were felled by sturdy men with axes. The poles all sport the telltale ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2018 - 2:20pm -

Circa 1905. "Minnesota Point from Incline Railway, Duluth." Our third look this week at the Zenith City. Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. Gravity: Duluth's frienemyBeautiful photo and great choice, Dave. Would there happen to be any side shots of the car? Too much to hope for, I suppose. [Fraid not. - Dave] UpdateWe need an update of these wonderful pictures to see how things have changed. Does the Incline Railway still exist? If not, when did it stop operations. Great shot. Is Detroit Publishing Co. still around or have they been absorbed by someone else? DuluthLike many good movies these pictures sent me googling to learn what I could about this place.. Duluth I had never heard of.. more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world. Largest Finnish population outside of Finland.. a port larger than New York.. the place has quite a history. Like so many American cities it has suffered a precipitous decline due to the decline of our manufacturing base, suburbanization, etc. Nowhere but ShorpyOnce again, Shorpy makes me gasp. Nowhere else would I see such a spectacularly unexpected viewpoint from such an out-of-the-way time and place. The full view has something dreamlike in its details: the figures on the bridge near the railway car, the angles and brilliant white of the house on the right, the rough slabs of rock and the conic rooftop beyond them, the blurred buildings and shipping in the distance... I am almost lost for words (but not quite, as you see). You look familiar.Two people wearing hats peering over the top of the funicular. On the right between the poles. Same as the Radio School building. Something fishy here. Superior Street to Skyline DriveA Duluth Public Library page has two photos and some commentary. It dates the railway from 1891 to 1939. The "Incline" ran uphill from Superior Street at 7th Avenue W. to Skyline Drive. Two sets of tracks were elevated on concrete footings. The cars were pulled by a steam engine at the top. Hi Def imageThanks to the HiDef image - What I thought was birds on a pile of wood in front of the house at the right side of the Railway turned out to be a man either holding a long stick or resting his hand on a rail while a woman and child are exploring the slope near the rocks. The two persons between the crooked poles just about to walk under the railway now, because of the hats, look like ladies on thier way to ride to rail instead of a couple of men out for a stroll. Thank you for the pictures and the opportunity for us to get acquainted with our history and heritage. Duluth SkyrideThere are some other photos that show two cars, and trolley wire over both tracks, and very narrow stations between the tracks. Click to enlarge. so apparently the incline's operation changed over time. Possibly this was before or after the big 1901 fire that destroyed the summit pavilion and sent the flaming car flying down the incline. Another photo from the Duluth Transit site, showing trolley wire on both tracks: The old postcard posted recently shows the single-car operation, with the station platforms bridging the counterbalance car track. One wonders why the trolley wire, since the cable was apparently driven by the head house. In some photos, the poles are down. I suspect the trolley wire just ran the car lighting. The right side of the tracksCan't help but note that the dwellings on the right seem in a tad bit better condition than those on the left. The house in the right foreground, in particular, seems to have a fresh coat of paint and seems to be in much better repair than its counterpart immediately across the tracks. Could also be because it's newer construction, though. Also take note of the utility poles. This was before the advent of the chainsaw, when trees were felled by sturdy men with axes. The poles all sport the telltale wedge-shaped tips made by the blade of an axe. I love this site! Superior ViewWhat I like so much about this picture is the sense of distance. The Incline Railway sets the tone, of course, with its straight lines heading away down the hill. The foreground, with the geometrical black and white shadowing, and the car with the figures, are in clear focus. Look down the line to the docks in the middle distance and you can see the distance haze, with the muted greys. Further off, past the spit of land, the far shore is barely visible at all. Wonderful. CounterbalanceA funicular usually has two passenger cars, cabled together - one goes up when the other goes down. This one just has a dummy car on the left, low enough to fit under the pedestrian bridges. Double the wait times, half the capacity. Detroit PublishingThe company went into receivership around the late 1920s and never recovered. An excellent history of the company can be found here. FunicularsPittsburgh has two funicular railways that are in operation and heavily used. The other well-known funicular is Angel's Flight in downtown Los Angeles, which has been out of service for several years but may reopen at some point. Look What I SawRegarding the comment on the utility poles not having flatly sawn ends (as if by a chainsaw): human-powered saws have existed for hundreds of years. These particular poles were shaped with pointed ends (probably by an ax) so that they would shed snow and rain and therefore not deteriorate as quickly. [There were of course also the circular and band saws found in sawmills powered by water, steam or electricity. - Dave] Side View hereSide view of the incline car from AmityCreek.com Lone sailorIn the midst of all this, see the lone sailboat out in the harbour? If he only knew he'd been caught on camera and seen by us. 7th Avenue West InclineAfter the 1901 powerhouse fire and resulting crash, the incline railway was rebuilt with only one car between 1902 and 1911. More here. Grandma's House!From 1915 to 1960 the white house to the right belonged to my grandmother Clara Oleson Landstrom Magnuson. She was from Sweden and had three boys who all grew up in Duluth. The house is still there, but in horrible shape. My houseThe white house was my home from 1961 to 1972. My 5 children were born there and went to Emerson school; now it's apartments. We were married at St. Peter's church, now closed. Do not live in Duluth anymore but still make a trip up there to visit family. (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Street Life: 1938
... between then an now is how so many of those great trees have gone (Dutch Elm Disease) and simply not been replaced by anything ... that anyone will take it. What a hot summer day! Trees in full leaf, a guy with rolled-up shirtsleeves and no hat, strongly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:58pm -

August 1938. Urbana, Ohio. "Street scene." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Everyone celebrate!It's a Festivus pole. What's the pole?I wonder what the pole is for — the one to the right of the lamp post, sticking up next to the curb. It doesn't seem to have a bracket on it that would suggest something else is supposed to attach to it. Ideas, folks? Re: Angle-parkingAngle-parking (especially down the centre of the road, either in two rows facing each other or a single) was always easier with horse and cart than parallel or right-angle parking. Towns where you still see angle parking are usually ones where the streets have never been narrowed to accommodate several lanes of traffic and/or where horse and cart transportation hung on longer. Smaller rural towns and cities in the mid-west are more likely to still have angle-parking than the bigger cities. I can name only a few towns that I have been in in the last few years where angle parking still exists. ==== COMPLETELY forgot Smiths Falls, south of Ottawa. How could I forget when I am there at least once a month? Angle parking down both sides of the main drag, but mix of parallel and right-angle everywhere else... DepressingWhat I find depressing about the comparison between then an now is how so many of those great trees have gone (Dutch Elm Disease) and simply not been replaced by anything except concrete. Pole mysteryPossibly used to hold a stop sign, replaced by a traffic signal that may be suspended by cable over the center of the intersection. Interesting to compare the faux-olde streetlights in the Google street view to the real things. Presumably the former supplanted the ubiquitous mercury-vapor standards that proliferated starting in the mid-fifties. Ah, UrbanaI grew up in Urbana in the sixties. If I am correct, that is the north side of the square looking north. AND, if my memory serves me, everything was in black and white back then. [We're looking east along Scioto Street. See the Street View below. - Dave] Another angle on angle parkingAngle parking in our small community main street was eliminated many years ago by the state much to the chagrin of locals. Despite the outcry, MDOT claimed that "because your main street also serves as state highway M69, the change from angle to parallel parking is because of safety factor." Love the vintage highway shields!But is this really Washington Court House? US 36 doesn't go anywhere near it. Could this be Urbana? Ohio 29 and US 36 both go through it, and Ohio 54 begins in that town. [I think you're right. The adjacent frames are labeled Urbana. - Dave] AmericainGreat photo! Makes you automatically look for Andy Hardy. Great way to begin year #4! Dr. Weaver's Nasal FilterNow that's something you don't see much of anymore. I'd like to see how that works. [It "air-conditions the nose" and guards against the scourge of "loose nose muscles." The Nasal Filter (1930s retail price $12.50) was the brainchild (nosechild?) of Ohio Wesleyan alum Harrison "Doc" Weaver, trainer and traveling team physician for the St. Louis Cardinals. There are hundreds of ads for this nasal nostrum (which held a pair of oil-soaked lambswool pads inside the nose) in the archives from 1936 to 1972. Below, ads from 1937, 1940 and 1967. Dr. W seemed to feel that his "gadget" would benefit distance runners if used without the filter pads: "After a runner travels about a mile, and starts losing strength, the muscles in his nose loosen and he is unable to breathe fully. The gadget would hold the nostrils slightly distended, allowing free breathing, and holding up the athlete's vitality." - Dave] Looking EAST? I don't think soThen the sun is casting an impossible shadow to the southeast along a street that itself angles towards the east-southeast. This seems to be looking west, very early on a summer day, with the sun low in the sky and at a high latitude. [Evidently not that impossible. East-facing Street View below. Buildings and church steeple match. - Dave] Angle parkingYou used to see more of this type of parking available in the downtown areas of small towns. It allowed easier in and out and you could get more cars parked on the street, but I guess it took up more road space. The view to-dayLooking east along Scioto Street. Same two-story building on the left. View Larger Map Things Go BetterAgain, Coca-Cola, the only real advertiser in this photo.. They are right there at The Oak, a pool hall, and we see them again at Wilson Drugs. Americana is almost defined by Coke, its presence is part of our 20th century history. A Lazy Summer DayAh, to step out onto this sidewalk on a lazy summer morn. Fresh from a $1.50 room, then grab a bite of breakfast next door, and stroll into Oak Billiards to greet the morning boys, and while away the day with friendly games of 8-ball. It is indeed UrbanaSpent my early years there. The two buildings to the left right of the monument in this picture are the same two buildings on the opposite side of the street in the Shorpy picture above. Anytown, USAThis could be almost any small town in the US in 1938. Notice that a kid has left his bike leaning against a wall, and he undoubtedly isn't afraid that anyone will take it. What a hot summer day!Trees in full leaf, a guy with rolled-up shirtsleeves and no hat, strongly delineated shadows -- that sidewalk must be glowing warmth. Thanks for the trip to the summer past of our parents and grandparents. See U.S. Highway 36!Interstate highways have replaced large sections of the best known US highways, such as U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway), U.S. 40 (National Road -- Main Street USA), U.S. 80 (The Old Spanish Trail) and of course the immortal U.S. 66 (Steinbeck's Mother Road). The "in between" routes offer glimpses of a smaller-town America. U.S. 36 (like all even-numbered highways, an east-west route) reaches about 120 miles east of Urbana but seems to end in Uhrichsville, due south of Akron. Heading due west, the road passes through many small towns whose names reflect the pride or hopes of 19th century settlers. Cities of note include Indianapolis, Decatur, Springfield, St. Joseph and Denver, but the road misses larger cities served by U.S. 30 and 40. After passing through Boulder, U.S. 36 loops up into Rocky Mountain National Park, joining U.S. 34 to form the highest altitude through road in the nation (elevation 12,090 feet). U.S. 34 has its own charms, running back east about 80 miles above 36, but eventually slanting up to terminate in Chicago. I invite Shorpy readers to find either road on Google Maps, then zoom in till the small towns are visible and just start reading off the names as you "travel" the road. Give me the family-owned store any day!When we traveled by car visiting small towns, I loved to check out the family-owned drug stores. Some were like general stores. I also liked to check out each town's library and family-owned hardware stores. Feed and grain stores were also fascinating. They are throwbacks to this era. Its hard to find a non-chain anything any more. In the old days, we could chat with the owner. Today everything is owned by out-of-state corporate offices. Give me the family owned store any day! Drugstore AromaI wish I could walk into that corner drugstore and smell that wonderful, mysterious aroma that was an intrinsic part of the drugstore of my childhood. I don't know, but I've always thought it must have been the commingling of the smells of medicines, the soda fountain, tobacco, and the newspapers and magazines. It's been decades since I last experienced that wonderful aroma, but I'll always remember it. I think anybody of "a certain age" will know what I'm talking about. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Aliquippa: 1941
... by the sad state of affairs with many vacant homes, large trees growing along the elevated craneways in the steelyard and the once-proud ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:06pm -

January 1941. "Street in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania." Medium format safety negative by Jack Delano. Office of War Information. View full size. Times Have ChangedAliquippa is the location of the long-closed Jones and Laughlin Steel Company -- presumably seen in the background. On a day off in 1987 I drove through the town and was taken by the sad state of affairs with many vacant homes, large trees growing along the elevated craneways in the steelyard and the once-proud Carnegie Library closed. Ups and DownsThose hills have to be great for sleds and torture for drivers. Reminds me of "The Deer Hunter"The streets in these industrial sooty towns in Pennsylvania are very reminiscent of the neighborhoods depicted in that unforgettable movie. I have not been to "Pennsy" since the middle of WW2, but assume it must be more modern and hopefully a lot less dreary today. Anyone? Anyone? Thank you Shorpy for posting these pictures, they are eye-openers for sure. ReptilianWhat kind of siding is on that darkish building? I've never seen it before. [Looks like asphalt or asbestos shingles. - Dave] Pennsyl...eh, whateverStill depressing. Less drearyI'm a Pennsylvania native, and my state never looked that dreary to me. Then again, I came from the ridge-and-valley part of the state, where agriculture and lumber were the top industries, so I never saw these old coal and steel towns. AliquippaAliquippa is still pretty dreary and abandoned. I haven't been there for about 5 or 10 years, but I doubt it's changed much. The city of Pittsburgh, on the other hand, isn't the pollution-filled abandoned hole it was in the 70s and 80s. I grew up there in the 80s, and saw it go through the transformation from a depressed, dirty, abandoned town to a gorgeous city with a great arts center. Older than Yoda, you should certainly go visit if you can and see the gorgeous city it's become! And yeah, the hills are pretty terrifying. On snow days, we used to go sled riding down some huge hills with pretty steep inclines (I lived in a neighborhood with little traffic.) Good times! Beautiful ShotSay what you may, but this shot catches the quiet dignity of people capturing the best of what they have. Clean with apparently well maintained homes, they took what they had and tried to elevate it to a better level. Bless them. Very evocative photoWhat an interesting picture! It almost looks like the person walking down the street is from a more recent time (no fedora, plus his jacket looks like an olive-drab military jacket that people have been wearing for the last 30 or 40 years). It could be Robert De Niro after he just got back from 'Nam! Truth and BeautyJack Delano was one of the great unsung heroes of photography in the 1930s and '40s. His compositions were impeccable and his images seduced you into the "there" that was there. This is not a depressing photograph. Home sweet homeI grew up in Aliquippa. When I saw you posting the Pittsburgh and Beaver Falls photos I wondered if you would get to the ones Jack Delano took in Aliquippa. (Aliquippa is a short distance down the Ohio river from Beaver Falls and almost directly across the river from Ambridge, which you've shown in earlier pictures.) I'm pretty sure this is somewhere on Superior Avenue on the hill above downtown. The houses in the middle distance are a neighborhood called Logstown. Regarding the earlier comment, that is indeed the Jones & Laughlin mill, which closed in about 1986. But Aliquippa never had a Carnegie library. B.F. Jones Memorial Library is on Franklin Avenue and still very much open. This view probably looks much the same today except that the mill is completely gone, nothing but dirt. Dreary is as Dreary SeesSay what you will about the so-called dreariness of these photos of the old steel mill towns along the PA rivers, you'll never see the likes of them again in this country again. Where will we get our steel if we ever need it now? My Pastor was born and raised in Aliquippa and still follows his instincts back to his old home during the Holidays. Good for him! [We'd get our steel here. The United States is the world's No. 3 producer. The industry has shifted from Pennsylvania to the Great Lakes states. - Dave] Henry Mancini, Aliquippa nativeIn January 1941 Henry Mancini was just months away from graduating from Aliquippa High School (his dad worked in the steel mills there)--and he eventually went on to the Juilliard School and then quite a musical career. Potential Hot Rods!Look at all that potential Hot Rod Material. Yeah with 350 or 454 Chevy High Performance with 350 Turbo Automatic. Lowered and customized, nice paint job, 21 inch wheels. If only we can go back into time and bring them forward before rust got to them. Winter is dreary everywhereI lived in a nearby town, Beaver, for a couple of years. This scene probably wouldn't look very different today. The landscape is always dreary on those gray winter days, no matter where you live. Rough sleddingSledding was great until the ash trucks spread ashes all over our sledding streets. But then Dad could drive all the way home. AliquippaI live a few miles from where this picture was taken. Aside from the belching steel mill in the background that used the Ohio River as a sewer, it's still pretty much the same. Streets in my HometownThis is my home town where I was born and raised. Winters looked like this then and now. This street no longer existsThis street is Irons Hill Road (Iron Street) in the Logstown area of Aliquippa. People in the area will know the area as the "Baker Street" area. If you look at Google Maps, this street ran up a hill above Baker street. The buildings on the street in this picture were basically abandoned by the early 1980's and they were torn down. The only homes left in the area today are below on Baker Street. The demolition really began when the Highway (route 51) was widened into a four-lane highway in the 1960s. Lots of hard-working, first generation European immigrants, many blacks who moved from the South, and other hard working people lived in this neighborhood and worked in the massive Jones & Laughlin Steel mill you can see in the distance. My mother grew up in this neighborhood in the 30s and 40s (and lived on Iron Street). She described it as a safe place where doors were unlocked and people looked out for each other and their children. When we drove through in the 1980s and she saw what it looked like, she was so sad! Great picture of a past time and place! (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
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