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Big Gun: 1917
Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1917. "Military training. Loading big gun." ... Is that picture from Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, in Washington State? The fort (now a state park) has two such guns, brought over ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2024 - 11:02pm -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1917. "Military training. Loading big gun." 4x5 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Disappearing Mount - Coast ArtilleryThat's a coast artillery gun (probably a 12-inch bore) on a disappearing mount. After loading, the gun was pivoted upward by an hydraulic cylinder over the concrete wall for firing. After firing, the recoil compressed the hydraulic cylinder and the gun returned to the loading position. Here's a full view of one in the "down" position: Fashion StatementIn the 1950's, boys' trousers with that belt and buckle arrangement were the fashion. Apparently, at some time, it was actually functional. Cooties Keep OutTheir will be no bugs climbing up into the pant legs of these fellows, although there looks to be plenty of apartment space for them above the knees. Ram It Home, Boys!This photo could have been the inspiration for this not-at-all-suggestive recruiting poster. Disappearing Mount (or Carriage)Is that picture from Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, in Washington State? The fort (now a state park) has two such guns, brought over from Corregidor in the Philippines. The guns show battle damage from WWII. There could be more such guns at other coastal forts but the Fort Casey ones are the only ones I know about. There is a similar fort (Ft. Stevens) near Astoria, Oregon, that had the same type of guns. Fort Stevens was shelled by a Japanese submarine during the early days of WWII. The soldiers manning the batteries were not allowed to return fire because the Japanese gun outranged the fort's guns and were more accurate to boot. It was apparent that the Japanese fire was harassing fire only and they didn't appear to know about the fort. Returning fire would only have alerted the Japanese to a real target and they could have caused real damage. As it was, they blew up the baseball backstop in the fort. Morale is said to have reached new lows after the attack. GunsRailsplitter: If memory serves, those guns came from Fort Wint, on Subic Bay. The guns at the various Manilla Bay forts were damaged a good deal more, but the overly hasty retreat to the Bataan peninsula left the Subic forts intact. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, WWI)
West From Ninth: 1901
Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of G Street N.W., north side, looking west ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2024 - 12:36pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of G Street N.W., north side, looking west from Ninth Street." 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Home of the 5-cent cigarEvery brand of cigar that O. H. Hoover carries appears to be priced at 5 cents. I calculate that to be about $18 today. Five cents was probably the bait price. Once inside, you'd be steered to a 10-cent cigar, rolled on the thighs of ... well, you know. What's in the basement ??You can see the stairs going down at the left of the long railing. That leaves a long distance after going down one flight of stairs. I wonder what was in the shoppes down there? The same site todayToday this site is occupied by the Martin Luther King Memorial Library, headquarters of the DC Public Library. This 1972 masterpiece is the only building in DC designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Basement for rentI suspect that the basement was the former home of the Keystone Laundry -- the sign for which is mounted on the railing at the entrance to the stairwell. I say former because there's a really tiny sign above the one for the 20th Century Cigar that reads "This Basement for Rent". [If the laundry is gone, wouldn't the sign be too? - Dave] Identity LostHey lady, if you move, people in 123 years won't be able to clearly see your face. (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey)
Hoy's Hotel: 1901
Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of Eighth Street N.W., east side, looking ... Shenanigans at the Hoy From the June 19, 1901, Washington Times, p2. That is me! I am sooooooo going to get ... A review of the play as it appeared in the Washington Post (the day after President McKinley's casket arrived by train ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2024 - 1:38pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of Eighth Street N.W., east side, looking north from D Street with Hoy's Hotel on the corner and the U.S. Patent Office building at the end of the street." 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Every part a sentence.Signpainting instruction books up to about 1900 considered every thought in a sign to be a complete sentence, and thus required a capital to start and a period to finish. I have seen signs like "The Jones Co.." where the Co. is an abbreviation of Company and the second period is because the name is a complete sentence. I'm not sure if print shops or penmen followed the same logic. It's a quick rule of thumb for dating old signs. I'd love to know that storyWho was the Foxy Grandpa? Use when a thought or sentence is completeThe sign painter put a period after: Hoy's Hotel, Pool Room, and Hoy's Hotel Bar. Either he was a stickler for grammar, or he got paid by the character. I'm with Sgt McG -- what did they mean by Foxy in 1901, and why did it require one to go through a door at the back of the hotel? ["Foxy Grandpa" was a stage play. - Dave] Thanks for the explanation, Dave. I found two short reels of Foxy Grandpa, here and here, both dated 1902. Grandpa could bust some moves. Shenanigans at the HoyFrom the June 19, 1901, Washington Times, p2. That is me!I am sooooooo going to get a Foxy Grandpa t-shirt! +115Below is the same view from June of 2016. I've heard of Foxy Grandpa!That banner really caught my eye. My Grandpa Reilly, born in NJ in 1898, used to tell me stories in the 1960s, of his "historic" childhood. According to him, "Foxy Grandpa" was a popular newspaper cartoon character, who also had a spin-off chocolate penny candy brand, which the Sisters at his Catholic elementary school used to give to the classroom winners of spelling bees, arithmetic tests, and such. "Foxy", at the turn of the last century, meant clever, tricky, and hard to fool. "Foxy Grandpa"A review of the play as it appeared in the Washington Post (the day after President McKinley's casket arrived by train from New York after his assassination there two days earlier). Click for full text. (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey)
Newport News: 1905
1905. "Washington Avenue, Newport News, Virginia." A lesson in receding lines of ... Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Around Washington and 30th Off in the distance you can see the one "rise" on Washington Street where the railroad goes under at 40th Street from the Newport ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2015 - 10:47am -

1905. "Washington Avenue, Newport News, Virginia." A lesson in receding lines of perspective. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Around Washington and 30thOff in the distance you can see the one "rise" on Washington Street where the railroad goes under at 40th Street from the Newport News shipbuilding yard. ImmaculateNary a horse apple apparent! One need not wonder about the efficiency of this city's street sweepers! 27th and WashingtonYou can just make out the street sign on the corner of the building with the arch on the left. I compared this to an old photo from around that time taken in the same direction from 26th street and the roofs of the buildings matched up. All gone now. Ma Bell?Given all the cables coming out of the building at right I think we can assume the Newport News telephone exchange is located there. Usually such trunk lines are run underground until they get out of the business district. Ma Bell's DomicileIf you use the enlarged photo, then enlarge that some more, on the building on the right where the telephone trunk lines have been identified by a previous commenter (Zoreo), if you look just above the level of the tops of the doors, about transom level, and underneath where those four second-floor windows with the awnings folded back, directly under the second one, there appears to be a "Bell Telephone" logo type sign. And even though I can't make it out very clearly, I get the sense that the word straight across the top is "Telephone." Perhaps someone else can make it out a bit more clearly with better resolution. ["Pay Station"? -tterrace] tterrace - Perhaps a station where you could place telephone calls requiring immediate payment as they are made, before the existence of telephone booths? Or, maybe a place ("station") where one could pay their phone bill if they were fortunate enough to have a home phone, phones in one's business establishment, or something similar? (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets)
The Old Stone House: 1865
... had tangential connections to General Lafayette, George Washington and Edgar Allan Poe. April 1865. Richmond, Virginia. "The Old Stone House -- so-called 'Washington's headquarters,' 1916 East Main Street." Wet plate glass negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2013 - 6:44pm -

      The Ege family dwelling, which had tangential connections to General Lafayette, George Washington and Edgar Allan Poe. April 1865. Richmond, Virginia. "The Old Stone House -- so-called 'Washington's headquarters,' 1916 East Main Street." Wet plate glass negative. View full size. And 148 years later,the building still stands as The Poe Museum. View Larger Map Seven Boys, One WomanI think the boy in the tree is having the most fun. He's got spunk. Otherwise this does seem like a rather dour group. Not having fun? Neither would you......given the fact that the kids are now living in an occupied city. Notice how the kids are also wearing what appear to be cut-down Union Army sack coats, and two of them are wearing Confederate grey kepis. Kind of reminds me of similar photos taken 80 years later of occupied cities in Germany, where a lot of the kids were clad in cast-off military garb. Dour GroupWell, their side just lost the War and there's a very high probability that they each lost at least one brother and maybe a dad in the process. Note the military cut of their jackets. They look like miniature versions of paroled soldiers. One or two may have actually been in one of the city's home guard companies. +159Below is the same view from January of 2024. (The Gallery, Civil War, Kids, Richmond)
National Airport: 1941
... which by then was located somewhere on that balcony. Washington National in the '60s I flew in and out of there a few times ... based in Pittsburgh but moved its headquarters to Washington National Airport in 1941. What with more of its flights being out ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2014 - 1:23pm -

Arlington County, Va., circa 1941. "National Airport. Interior of waiting room showing ticket counter." Safety negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. +75Below is the same view from April of 2016. Old SchoolAnd to some of us, it will always be National. Lovely TerminalI remember flying out of there in 1968 when I was 10, my first time on a plane and first time in an airport. The big bestseller on all the news stands, everywhere there, was "Airport." And I thought, "Yes, airport." All the sophisticated grownups were in the cocktail lounge, which by then was located somewhere on that balcony. Washington National in the '60sI flew in and out of there a few times when I was in the service in the mid- to late-'60s and that's how I remember it looking back then. No relationPennsylvania Central Airlines was not related to the well known Penn Central Railroad. Formed in 1936 through the merger of two smaller carriers, it was originally based in Pittsburgh but moved its headquarters to Washington National Airport in 1941. What with more of its flights being out of Washington than Pennsylvania, the old name didn't fit and the airline changed its name to Capital Airlines in 1948. United Airlines acquired it in 1961. Love the LookA great example of an "institutional modern" look that seemed to peak in the late 50s. This is similar to Dorval Airport in Montreal in the 50s, as I remember it as a kid. It is the national airportI'm an airline pilot and I never have called it Reagan. It's National Airport, period. The terminal in the photo is still there, by the way. I believe it's largely unused now though. I guess it should be obviousBut are the openings in the ceiling recessed lighting or for ventilation or just decorative? To Locals, it's Washington National (forever)It will never be anything but National Airport to everyone I know. We all grew up in DC and that is the name we all know. I watched planes take off from right there in that photo. My then boyfriend worked for the parking lot there and we used to count cars all night, and watch planes for hours. It was so quiet back then. about 1963? It is so huge now, and very busy, with tons of additional buildings and overpasses and underpasses and so much easier to get lost there too. The inside is still beautiful, and the view out the huge window is still outstanding, however it is busy now, so it is different. Great Memories! (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Tales of the City: 1924
... these three early 1920 ads for the Arthur Burt Co., in the Washington Post. Lisle ribbed hose, of fine texture, for women and ... or evening. 1341 F St. : Bartholdi Cafe Washington Post, May 30, 1923: Advertisement This if the first holiday ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:15pm -

Today we're leaving the office and taking the streetcar downtown for some shopping. From 1924, "F Street N.W. from 14th Street." View full size. Swastika Truck IIPossibly made by Detroit's K.R.I.T. Motor Co. [Looks more like an electric truck. Maybe a Walker Electric. There's no radiator. - Dave] Arthur Burt Co.I found these three early 1920 ads for the Arthur Burt Co., in the Washington Post. Lisle ribbed hose, of fine texture, for women and juniors: black, white, brown, elk, gray and navy blue. Just right. Shoes and hose of today, Arthur Burt Co., 1343 F. Dependable military footwear, "Nature-Shape" school shoes. The "Tuiriwun," a slipper in black satin or patent leather that is correct for both evening and street wear and, consequently, much in demand. $9.00. Arthur Burt Co. The BartholdiHey, it's the Bartholdi Cafe, offering seafood and shore dinners, inviting ladies and gentlemen, and open Sundays. I learned this stuff from a billboard next to the Texaco station. I wondered what the "ladies and gentlemen" on the sign meant - no rowdies and ruffians, no wenches of questionable virtue? A 2005 Washingtonian article mentioned the Bartholdi (it was characterized as "early 20th century" seafood, apparently not the best). Truck SwastikaThat truck pulling out near the guy crossing the trolley tracks has a swastika on it. Was there an automotive company that used that emblem before it was abused by the Nazis? [Use of the swastika as a decorative motif or commercial insignia goes back long before the National Socialist Party adopted it as an emblem. - Dave] Health Week starts April 28 1343 F St.: Arthur Burt Co. Footwear for "society affairs," afternoon or evening. 1341 F St.: Bartholdi Cafe Washington Post, May 30, 1923: Advertisement This if the first holiday since we've extended our service to include the ladies. Bring them in and let them enjoy the Bartholdi famous shore dinner or a selection of the Sea Food delicacies served our way. 1339 F St.: H.W. Topham Trunks, suitcases, traveling bags, hot boxes, etc. 1337 F St.: Watters Sterling Boot Shops "The kind of shoes you want at the price you want to pay" 1333 F St.: Adams Building Washington Post, Apr 27, 1924 Health Week Campaign Gets Start Tomorrow "Health Week" starts tomorrow. Agencies participating took possession of the old Y.W.C.A. home, at 1333 F street northwest, to install free exhibits and motion pictures, which will run through the entire week. A large sign advising "Keep the Well Person Well" and "Get the Sick Person Well" placards the building, which is open from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. 1331 F St.: Meyer's Shop "Everything for well dressed Man and Boy" - Rogers Peet Clothing 1329 F St.: Franklin & Co. Opticians 1319-1321 F St.: Interstate Building The Young Men's Shop on ground floor Washington Post, Jan 9, 1912 Plans for the construction of a ten-story office building on F street ... When completed the new building will have cost approximately $600,000. The Interstate Commerce Commission, it is expected, will lease quarters in the new structure. 1315-1317 F St.: Baltimore Sun Building Contemporary Photo Washington Post, Apr 9, 1903 The Baltimore Sun building, 1315 and 1317 F street was sold yesterday afternoon at public auction to Walter Abell.....The Sun building is perhaps one of the best known office buildings in Washington and one of the most substantial in the country. ... It was built in 1887, the jubilee year of the Baltimore Sun by the founder of the paper, Mr. A. S. Abell, ... Washington Post, Jul 12, 1987 The oldest standing skyscraper in America - maybe the first --an exquisite nine-story example of eclectic Victorian architecture, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Although New York and Chicago are normally associated with skyscrapers, the oldest example is in neither city but rather in Washington -- the Sun Building at 1317 F St. NW. ... Now restored to its original elegance, the Sun Building gives a hint of what Washington was like before the homogenizing influence of post-World War II architecture began erasing the city's history. Built by A.S. Abell, publisher of The Baltimore Sun, it originally served as a home for the newspaper's Washington bureau. Upon its completion in 1887, The Baltimore Sun Hershel Shanks, a lawyer and part owner of the Sun Building, is editor and publisher of the Biblical Archaeology Review. declared the building "the most imposing private structure in the national capital." Safety LastDig the scaffolding set up with no safety barrier or safety roof, only a few paper signs stuck to it that probably say "Watch out for stuff falling on your head," or possibly something more appropriate for the period, like "Mind the head." Hey, there was a cop standing on the corner in the Patent Office photo too. At least this street is safe from horse thieves. It looks like a breezy day.It looks like a breezy day. See how the coats and awnings are billowed? WowGreat shot. The crispness and detail in these old photos is still startling. Frederic Auguste BartholdiHotel Bartholdi appeared in the Metropolitan Life 1908 Shorpy photo. In this one he's a Cafe for Ladies & Gentlemen. He was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. It's 1924 and there are no horses in this picture. Were they banned from these streets? Checker CabsBoth of the two-tone taxis are Checkers, made by the Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. of Kalamazoo, as is the taxi in the extreme lower left hand corner. By 1924 Checker was building 4,000 40 hp cars a year at an average selling price of about $2350. The bus's power polesThe bus's power poles are down. It must convert to gas power when overhead power lines aren't available. [That's a streetcar, not a bus. Downtown, where there were no overhead power lines, the electrical supply was under the street. More info in the comments here and here. - Dave] TrolleyI notice there are no overhead wires for the streetcar. Apparently it was powered from a third rail on the ground. Seems pretty risky on a public street. [The power supply is underground. Not a rail, and not risky. - Dave] Third rail again?Oh Dave, you have the patience of a saint. How many times must one answer the same questions regarding streetcar power. I think its overly due time for some default link to background information regarding streetcar engineering in the District of Columbia. A few of the previous explanatory postings on Shorpy: [1,2,3] StreetcarFor those interested, the streetcar pictured in this scene is Washington Railway and Electric Company car number 602. Built in 1912 by J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia it was delivered on September 21 of that year. In 1912 this streetcar cost $6016.17. In 1933 the Capital Traction Company took over streetcar operations in Washington DC and WRECo 602 became Capital Traction Co. car 836. In 1935, 836 was assigned to the Brightwood Division. By 1939, it was assigned to the Navy Yard Division, and in 1942 to the Benning Division. The centre door meant that 836 required two-man operation - a driver, and a conductor - and by the 1940s these older, slower cars were also creating bottlenecks as the newer, faster cars lined up behind them. 836 along with the remaining centre door cars were retired in 1944 and scrapped the following year. With the retirement of these cars retired the last of Washington DC streetcar conductors, as now all the cars were one-man operation. Not only were the cars faster, they were now cheaper to operate. One centre door streetcar, CTC 884 former WRECo. 650, is currently held by the National Capital Trolley Museum in Wheaton MD. It is currently unrestored as far as I know. See it soon for the museum is closing December 1 due to construction of the Intercounty Connector, and it is not scheduled to reopen until next summer. Sources cited: Peter C. Kohler, "Capital Transit, Washington's Street Cars The Final Era: 1933-1962" Bonifant MD: National Capital Trolley Museum, 2001. National Capital Trolley Museum: http://www.dctrolley.org/ Streetcars & Hobble SkirtsThanks James for all the information about car #602. In the photo, it appears that the lower step folds up while the car is in motion. Washington Post, Mar 20, 1923 Order Low-Step Cars W.R.&E. Officials Accede to Demand of Women Fifty are Now Being Built The women of Washington have won a victory in their demand for street cars with lower steps. The Washington Railway and Electric Company has placed an order for 50 new cars with the J.C. Brill Company, of Philadelphia, specifying particularly that the cars be constructed with low steps. The operation of the new style cars throughout the city undoubtedly will meet with the hearty approval of the women, who have been making a strenuous fight for more than two years to abolish the high steps. The new cars are being built as rapidly as possible, and the first shipment is expected to arrive here about April 15. The cars are what are known as the Narragansett type, being semi-convertible from closed to open, of double truck, and capable of comfortably seating 80 passengers. The seats will run crosswise, and the exterior will be painted yellow. It is announced by an official of the company that the cars will be constructed with two steps, affording easy ingress and exit from the vehicle. Upon just what lines the new cars will be operated the officials have not decided yet. A number of the cars, it is understood, will be placed on the Georgetown and Mt. Pleasant lines to replace those recently destroyed in the fire at the car barn at Thirteenth and D streets northeast, in which 80 cars were burned. "We have ordered that the new cars be constructed with unusually low steps," said an official of the Washington Railway and Electric Company, yesterday, "as we realize that the plea of women patrons, who ask for lower car steps, is justifiable. The new cars will be constructed, in so far as the steps are concerned, to meet the approval of the women. Later in the year we will either order additional cars of the low step type, or remodel the cars now in service to comply with the request of our women patrons." Washington Post, Apr 26, 1923 New Car Tested Here Hobble Skirts No Barrier to Improved W.R.&E. Vehicle "Wearers of the hobble skirts," said W.F. Ham, vice president of the Washington Railway and Electric Company, "will have no difficulty in boarding our new car, which we have just tried out for the first time. It has so many features that are new that we are delighted with it. During its trial trip yesterday afternoon, it carried no one but the officials of the company, but within a few days, we will run it in with our regular service, and then ask the passengers for their opinions. If they are favorable, undoubtedly we shall add a great many more of such cars to our rolling stock." Bartholdi HotelMy family owned the Bartholdi Hotel. My great-grandmother was Theresa Bartholdi. There is an old family tale that Vincent Sardi of Sardi's Steak House was a cook for the Bartholdi and met his wife who was a maid there. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Streetcars)
Washington Cadillac: 1926
Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Washington Cadillac Co." A fancy touring car doing its best to keep us from ... to dispose of. Gritty by today's standards ... Washington Cadillac Co. was at 1138 Connecticut Ave. NW. The site's now ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:47pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Washington Cadillac Co." A fancy touring car doing its best to keep us from finding out about the "101 Ranch Real Wild West" show. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Last of the horsesI like the juxtaposition of that shiny new car and the street cleaner who is soon to lose his main job -- cleaning up horse manure. Now, it's cigaret butts and any other kind of detritus people wish to dispose of. Gritty by today's standards ...Washington Cadillac Co. was at 1138 Connecticut Ave. NW. The site's now occupied by looming, sterile office building: http://smithcommercialrealty.com/properties/washington_dc/1140_connectic... Step on it, RochesterTo the Kit Kat Klub! They're Still Like ThatCadillac owners have always parked wherever they please. Indians, or Serbian spies?Wikipedia has some interesting stuff on the Johnny J. Jones Exposition and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. 101 experienced a great mystery while touring Europe that could be a project for someone with better research skills than mine. Lucky for him it is a one-horse townre: Anonymous's comment about the shifting focus of the street cleaner's task: by 1926 the horse manure problem was but a fraction of what it had once been, and twenty-five years later was just a memory, but a persistent enough one to fuel the culminating punch line of the running gag in the 1951 Warner Bros. cartoon "Drip-Along Daffy." The shelf-life of obsolete cultural references is a lot briefer these day, I feel. Some Expository Writing...Interesting to see posters for the Johnny J. Jones Exposition. This was a very famous circus and traveling fair where Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, better known as Elvis' Colonel Tom Parker, got his first job out of the army running "the fat-man competition." I'm hoping there weren't swimsuits involved. 101 Cadillac RanchLooks to be a Series 314 dual-cowl Sport Phaeton from 1926 or 1927. An impressive machine. [What looks like the second cowl is the windshield of another car. Or else there's a steering wheel in the back seat! - Dave] Another juxtapositionis between the Caddy and the nice shiny Model T to the right. How many Fords could you buy for the price of the Cadillac ? That's One HUGE Car !!!The wheelbase was about 150 inches. No power steering. No power brakes. Compared to a Model T at just over 100 inches. (Thanks, Dave, for this website. I'm not sure why you do it, but I'm sure glad you do. I look at it every day and I've recommended the site to more than one young teacher. This is such an amazing window into who we were, and by extension, into who we are.) Price DifferentialWithout getting too technical, you could buy maybe 10 new Fords for the price of that Cadillac. 101 RanchIt sounded familiar and then I remembered that it was recently involved in a segment of "History Detectives" on PBS. A bit of the story here. By Thunder What a Whopper!The Attentive Viewer will note all the latest accessories - extra wide Goodyear Balloon tires for skwooshing small animals, four wheel brakes, more road-holding weight - even comes with "automatic driver" and intruder warning system. Surely the radiator mascot is not really "mooning" the owner however! The Old MathMy '31 Cadillac also cost new about 10 times as much as a basic Ford or Chevrolet. By some quirk of the numbers, I was able to buy it 75 years later for only about 5 times what a Ford or Chevy in like condition would have been. It's still ten times the automobile, though. 101 RanchMy great-uncle was in that show. Charlie Mulhall eventually followed his best friend, Tom Mix, to Hollywood to be his stunt double in silent westerns. He also performed with his his sister, Lucille Mulhall, in his father's own wild west show -- Zach Mulhall's Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers in Ponca City and Mulhall, Oklahoma. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Dogs, Natl Photo)
Flying Wedge: 1937
August 28, 1937. Washington, D.C. "Washington Redskins start training. He-man exercise took the place of calisthenics today as the Redskins, Washington's entry in National Professional Football League, started training. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2024 - 4:29pm -

August 28, 1937. Washington, D.C. "Washington Redskins start training. He-man exercise took the place of calisthenics today as the Redskins, Washington's entry in National Professional Football League, started training. The boys 'flying thru the air' are, left to right: Wayne Millner (former Notre Dame star), Pug Rentner (Northwestern) and Nelson Peterson (West Virginia Wesleyan)." 4x5 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Did they have any right to those feathered headdresses?In the ultimately-unsuccessful effort to retain the team name, former Redskins owner Dan Snyder reportedly claimed that four members of the inaugural (1933) Washington team were Native Americans. Members of Indian tribes had played in the NFL, notably future Hall of Famers Jim Thorpe and Joe Guyon, though neither for Washington. There is another, also conflicted, connection. The team that moved to Washington in 1933 were the Boston Redskins, so named to associate them with the Boston Braves baseball team. The coach of the Boston team was William Henry 'Lone Star' Dietz, who identified as Native American. His heritage had been disputed, however, even resulting in two trials in 1919. Although Dietz did not move with the team to Washington, in 1988 the National Congress of American Indians sought to raise the Dietz issue with the Redskins, but the then-owner declined to meet with them. Flying FormBased on watching my kids in competitive cheer, the guys on the right have the best form. Given the height, those guys released their flyer well, and they're all ready to execute a secure cradle catch. Shorpweeeee!Our airborne players have assumed different mid-air poses. Left-to-right, they are: making an awkward dive into the swimming pool, flying through the air on his way to fight crime, and skydiver. This he-man exercise looks like a 1937 version of what we now call a trust fall. I wonder if the spectators were making bet on who couldn't be trusted? IncomingI love this picture. It looks like the three men are falling out of the sky -- in Superman-in-flight poses, no less -- and the others just happen to be there at the right time, to catch them. Not exactly a brilliant observation on my part I realize, but there you have it. It made me chuckle audibly, and I looked up all three of the airborne ones, to learn more about their lives, so there's that. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Sports)
A Dickey Christmas: 1919
"Dickey Christmas tree, 1919." The family of Washington, D.C., lawyer Raymond Dickey. 8x6 inch glass negative, National ... like smiling. I read they lived at 1702 Kilbourne NW in Washington DC, it can be found on Google Street View. I wonder what it looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/20/2023 - 3:27pm -

"Dickey Christmas tree, 1919." The family of Washington, D.C., lawyer Raymond Dickey. 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Co. View full size. It's Not Christmas Without The DickeysAlways look forward to the latest Dickey Christmas picture. If someone made a book of all the pictures I would buy it. They intrigue me, despite their gloominess! I would love to see what they looked like smiling. I read they lived at 1702 Kilbourne NW in Washington DC, it can be found on Google Street View. I wonder what it looks like inside there now. Happier than they look.I would bet they aren't nearly as gloomy as their pictures suggest. Clearly this is a family that loved Christmas enough to get a tree that all out of proportion to the room, decorate it haphazardly and have the most unflattering portraits made of themselves. This is not the picture of a rigid, organized, disciplinarian father with an iron fist. Children of the DamnedI think the younger Dickey boy is attempting to will them out of yet another Dickey Christmas with yet one more rotund tree. Judging from the molecular disturbance around Dad and Sis, I think his efforts at quantum phase-shifting just might be working. We'll know for sure when the gunboat disappears. Well of course they're upsetThats a Marklin "La Dague" Steam powered Torpedo Boat worth between $18,000 and $20,000. And someone has already broken off one of the smokestacks. I would be upset too! Dickeyensian ChristmasThey may well have been the most pleasant of families, but their consistently disturbing Christmas portraits always seem to hint at some dark, Stephen Kingesque, ongoing abuse; something along the lines of "Sybil." Unanswered prayersKid at center: "Please don't let the mold eat me like it has the rest of the -- oops, too late!" Obviously a lawyer ahead of his time.He and his family are already thinking "This will eventually be Public Domain". Good and EvilThe younger brother's Christmas prayer is that his evil sister and her voodoo doll will leave home and never return. While their older brother, Emilio Estevez, keeps his distance from this entire clan huddled beneath the Griswold family Christmas tree. The doll fits in with the family well.The eyes have it. Meet the DickeysDoing a quick Google on Raymond Dickey, I found that there was a Raymond R. Dickey who was a political intimate of William Casey, late head of the CIA and a "Republican Party Stalwart". He died somewhere in the second half of the Twentieth Century (one of the sons?) Also there is a J. Raymond Dickey (grandson?) still practicing law in the Washington area. Marklin ShipActually the ship is a Marklin USS New York. Count the rear portholes at rear; in the picture there are about 6, the other ship proposed has nine visible. What do you mean? Smile? I *am* smiling. Xmas Lesson #1When the tree is too tall, cut at the bottom, not at the top. The weight of the world -- or something -- seems to be pressing down on this family. Is it the tree? The ceiling? Dickey family informationI found the Raymond Dickey family in the 1910 and the 1920 US Census. In 1910 Raymond and Rose lived at 1358 Otis Place NW with two children, Granville and Alice, and two servants, a 33-year-old woman and her 16-year-old son. The son also worked as a laborer in a store. When the house last sold in 2003, it was 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,776 square feet. In Street View below, 1358 is the house to the right, trimmed in blue and white. In the 1920 Census Raymond and Rose lived at 1702 Kilbourne Place NW with four children (welcome John and Raymond Jr.) and four women lodgers, all in their early 20s, two were sisters. One was a stenographer and three were clerks. When the house last sold in 1996 it was 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,631 sf. In Street View it is the house painted white. Raymond was born in Maryland and Rose in Indiana. Why they chose such an unusual Christmas tree each year is still a mystery. Bah, humbugThe Dickey family's collective ponder of father's comment regarding the cost of photography has been captured for the archives. A good son will pray that he doesn't blur the investment. Remnants of the Kaiser's army may have returned to the toy factory, but shell shock has impacted quality control. Regardless, Marklin models must have been a difficult get in 1919, even for wealthy Americans. The toy museum is worth a visit if you go to Goppingen. I have a treasured photo of my father's Christmas tree circa 1919-1921. The cast iron carbide cannon under the tree now sits on my living room end table. The tree is decorated with dozens of unlit candles in clip-on candle holders. Scary! Six years too early for the Office PartyI thought, by digitally adding some color, that it might would improve their holiday outlook ... but then I realized their real problem. No doubt, they are despondent over the fact that they are six years too early for the Office Christmas Party-1925! Trite but trueI've said it before and I'll say it again, with no judgment or unkindness intended, but merely as an observation: Mrs. Dickey is hammered. More Dickey family informationSome years are a little off, but I think I have the correct family members. Raymond Dickey wed Rose Maxwell in 1901 when Raymond was 23 and Rose was 21. Her father, the Reverend John A. Maxwell performed the ceremony in Washington. Raymond died in 1940 at the age of 62 and is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Prince George's County, Maryland. Rose died in 1967 at the age of 87 and is also buried in Cedar Hill. It appears she did not remarry. Granville was born in 1902. In 1924 he graduated from the College of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he was a member of the varsity swim team, and in his senior year was named a member of the all-American swim team. In 1928 he married La Verne Carnes and the couple settled in Chicago where Granville was an advertising manager for a large wholesale house. By 1942 he was living in Maryland and employed at the U.S. Conservation Corps in DC. The move may have been due to a divorce and remarriage. He divorced in 1941 and an Evening Star death notice said Granville’s second wife passed away April 5, 1945. Granville died in 1948 at the age of 45 and is buried in the same cemetery as his parents. His obituary references his surviving sister as Mrs. Alice Beaton. I could not find Alice. Raymond Jr.'s 1981 obituary referenced survivors included his sister, Mrs. John Beaton of St. Croix, Virgin Islands. I did not find a grave or obituary for John. But in the 1940 Census I found a 28yr old J. M. Dickey, attorney, born in DC. Divorced, he was living at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Clarksburg, West Virginia. I did not find anyone who might be John in the 1950 Census. He was referenced as a survivor in Granville's 1948 obituary, but not of Raymond Jr. in 1981. Raymond Jr. became a very influential Washington D.C. lawyer. His first law firm was Dickey and Dickey in which he was a partner from 1940 (when he was 22) to 1942. This would seem to be with his father or brother, except his father died in 1940 and his brother was in West Virginia. Married three times, twice divorced, Raymond died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 63. A place of internment was not given. AgonyOur family went thru the agony of Christmas pictures every year. Since we lived overseas, my folks would have the pictures taken in September. That gave my mom enough time to get the prints, write the annual missive, and get them in the mail in October. She mailed them via surface mail (would take just about two months to get to the US) since in those days air mail was too expensive for the number of folks the missive went to. I was so thankful one year that I was going to be leaving home in July. I thought I would not have to go thru the agony. Nope, the folks just took the pictures a week before I left. And the following year, when I was not home, my folks had my grandparents take a photo in July and mail the negatives home. I tried to find out when the Dickey photos were taken. Curious as to whether these photos were taken early to share with friends or taken in December just for the family. Unfortunately, at LOC, all I could find is the year taken, no month. Poor Mrs. DickeyHammered or not, she has to put up with Mr. Dickey. And there’s less speculation about his consumption habits, because we’ve seen the outline of his flask in other years. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, The Dickeys)
Leave It to Beaver: 1958
... This had only happened once before in 1925 when the Washington Senators came back with three straight wins after being down 3-1 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2018 - 7:10pm -

I was watching an episode from the second season (1958-59) of "Leave It to Beaver" tonight when I got to the part where Ward reads a note from Beaver's principal, Mrs. Rayburn. If you freeze-frame the note it says: Mr. Ward Cleaver 485 Mapleton Drive Mayfield, State My Dear Mr. Cleaver: This paragraph has absolutely nothing to do with anything. It is here merely to fill up space. Still, it is words, rather than repeated letters, since the latter might not give the proper appearance, namely, that of an actual note. For that matter, all of this is nonsense, and the only part of this that is to be read is the last paragraph, which part is the inspired creation of the producers of this very fine series. Another paragraph of stuff. Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. My typing is lousy, but the typewriter isn’t so hot either. After all, why should I take the blame for these mechanical imperfections, with which all of us must contend. Lew Burdette just hit a home run and Milwaukee leads seven to one in the series. This is the last line of the filler material of the note. No, my mistake, that was only the next to last. This is last. I hope you can find a suitable explanation for Theodore’s unusual conduct. Yours truly, Cornelia Rayburn To judge by the contents (here's the last line, whoops, no, HERE's the last line) whoever did this folded the note first, to mark the middle third of the paper, then put it in the typewriter, started the body of the letter at the first crease and banged away until he had enough to fill out the middle section. The Lew Burdette reference would put the date at October 2, 1958 — Game 2 of the World Series between the Braves and the Yankees, and a month before this episode ("Her Idol") aired. I see where this has been referenced elsewhere on the Web but as far as I can tell no one has transcribed the entire letter. Until now! We now return to our regularly scheduled program. [Postscript: The Jim Letter] Leave It To Beaver, 1958BEAUTIFUL!! :) Thanks for the update. We used to get this show Down Here (Oz) and I can remember watching every episode if possible. Crikey...that gives my age away! BK Canberra Australia LITB on DVDSeason 1 and Season 2 are available on DVD from Amazon. beaver lettertoo funny!!!!!!!!! Ahh...that's awesome. ThanksAhh...that's awesome. Thanks for posting this! I love it.That's FANTASTIC. Awesome!Back in the 50's they never dreamed anyone would be able to freeze frame on the TV picture. How funny would it have been had the writer typed something REALLY embarrassing! Great post!!Great post!! Fan-freakin- tastic!!This is just too cool for mere words. Nonetheless, words must suffice. Excellent!! Marvelous!I wish every movie had stuff like that for us to find. 21 inch B&W TV set.That's what you had if you really splurged on a TV for the living room in those days. No sense buying a color TV, since for the $700 (and up) one of those cost, you got to watch maybe one show a week in color - a variety show "special" with Fred Astaire perhaps. Anyway, you couldn't possibly read the letter from a 525-line video, no matter how big your TV was. Film, maybe, but not video. [I don't know about that. I'm the one who deciphered the letter and created this post, and I used a 10-year-old, 27-inch, 525-line low-definition Sony. The main obstacle to being able to read it in 1958 would have been that it was onscreen for just a few seconds. - Dave] Timely...Canadian viewers who get SunTV will be able to catch that episode this Friday (May 4th) at 12:30 pm... Re: awesome!Don't you know? Back inthe fifties people didn't HAVE embarrassing thoughts that could spill out onto the printed page! Sheesh. Get with the program. So, did a writer on the show type this up, ordid he hand it off to a secretary for her to type? This comment has absolutely nothing to do with anythingit's just here to take up space. I'd use this space to root for my favourite hockey team and thus forever determine the exact time this comment was written but I can't get excited about any of them. I would guessI would guess the tomfoolery is the prop master's work, and he probably made the prop the day before, or earlier in the day, so it's more likely the actual day of shooting was October 3rd. ["The date" means the date the note was typed. My hunch is that the show's producers, Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, are behind it. They slipped written references to themselves into a number of other episodes. - Dave] That's tamer than most propThat's tamer than most prop letters I've seen. In the last play I worked on the prop master ranted for 3 pages about the playwright, added sexual escapades in the characters backstory and other in-jokes. Thank god the audience is 40 feet away and there's no freeze-frame in live theatre! wardi can't wait to get the second season. it's a great show. that is one hell of a letter. obviously Mrs. Rayburn is either on a nice dose of pharm's or desperately needs one. awesome. Rodine, NYC BK Canberra. crikey?For anyone reading BK's reply above, as another resident of australia, let me just assure you that nobody here actually uses the word "crikey". That would be like an american going around saying "dandy", "swell" or even that old chestnut, "geewilllickers". The crocodile hunter only ever used the word "crikey" when teasing an animal or selling something. Thanks, Dan, Sydney. Prop funIn a high school production of the musical Cinderella, the scroll that's supposed to contain all the names of His Royal Highness Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir (and so on) was covered by our props department with just one line, in big bold letters: "DON'T SCREW UP". I use the word Crikey on occasionAnd have been known to utter the odd 'by jingoes', 'cobber' or, my personal favourite, 'strewth'. Anyone who doesn't occasionally enjoy such words (especially when overseas) is quite simply un-Australian mate :) Mark, Sydney. PS: Good work on the leave it to Beaver letter - I love this stuff! LITBGolly geewillikers that was swell. The absolute bees knees. Just dandy. thanks. Egads......So, where's the text for the second page, which contains the *real* "Roswell Press Release"? :) That is so awesome! HowThat is so awesome! How freaking cool...I got chills reading it, because I'm sure that guy never thought anyone would ever read that letter. Sarah Too much like real lifeReading this, I am suddenly transported back 25 years to my American History class in 10th grade. I was supposed to be writing an essay about American gangsters of the early 20th century, and for some reason I became convinced that my teacher would never read everyone's paper every single time. So being the incredibly wise-ass young man that we all are at 16, I dropped in three or four lines, beginning mid-sentence in a paragraph about Al Capone's bootleg whiskey empire, all about how my grandmother's poodles enjoyed riding in cars (or some equally stupid text about my grandmother...the exact words escape me now), and then went on to say that I know that he (my teacher) would never read everyone's paper and that he would never know these lines were buried in my own paper. I then went on to finish the rest of the paper normally, and handed it in with a smile on my face. The day after I turned in the paper, the teacher stood in front of the whole class and read my paper out loud. Had there been a way to drop through the floor at that time...I'd have taken it. 25 years later, I can STILL feel my face get red, just thinking about it! I can commiserate with the author of Beaver's letter... "the typewriter isn't so hot""My typing is lousy, but the typewriter isn’t so hot either" why do I have this sense that in 1958 people weren't saying "the typewriter isn't so hot" [I don't know. Why do you? - Dave] bravo"After all, why should I take the blame for these mechanical imperfections, with which all of us must contend." GLORIOUS. greek to meLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vivamus risus risus, ultrices vel, mollis vel, faucibus sagittis, diam. Nunc dignissim odio in est. In mattis condimentum erat. Nunc ac nunc. Vivamus eget elit. Aliquam pellentesque. Aliquam dignissim tellus vitae tortor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos. Nam tincidunt pulvinar urna. Quisque sed risus. Sed tempus, elit ut tempus iaculis, purus sapien vulputate leo, quis commodo pede magna vel turpis. Cras ac pede. Suspendisse tincidunt, nunc vel ultrices adipiscing, lacus augue bibendum magna, sit amet scelerisque felis nulla eu lectus. Sed sit amet elit. Pellentesque id dui. Pellentesque vel justo. Quisque sit amet mi quis tellus rhoncus blandit. Maecenas arcu. Aliquam ipsum. [More like "Latin to me" - Dave] letter to mr. cleaver I thought it would read: "Gee, Ward. Don't you think you were a little hard on the Beaver last night?" Not a typical American, but...I say "swell" all the time. "Keen" and "Dandy", too. Lew Burdette's World Series HomerDid come in the bottom of the first inning on October 2, 1958. The Braves had already won the opening game the previous day, also in Milwaukee. The bottom of the first inning, after the Yankees got a 1-0 lead in their first at bat, began when Bill Bruton hit a 2-2 pitch for a home run to tie the game. The Braves went on to win the second game and then the Yankees won the third. After the Braves also won the fourth game, The Yankees won three in a row to win the series. This had only happened once before in 1925 when the Washington Senators came back with three straight wins after being down 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ten years later in 1968, the Detroit Tigers came back to win the final three games after being down 3-1 to win the 1968 World Series. Donald F Nelson LITB rocksexcellent "leave it to beaver" rocks!! ward rules! june was hot and i dont mean the month. Common PracticeHaving been a Property Master in the television business for quite a few years, I can assure you that this is extremely common. The text could be the actor's lines if they have a tough scene and the prop guy likes them. Sometimes it is jokes designed to crack the actor up during the first take. Other times it is exactly this kind of stream-of-consciousness rambling serving no greater purpose than filling up the page. My specialty was always the fine print on package labels. The warning on the beer labels in the first "American Pie" movie said that beer could cause pregnancy, cause you to act like an idiot, or just plain F- you up. Re: greek to me"Lorem ipsum" etc. is Latin not Greek. Quasi-LatinSee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum Cheers! Have you everHave you ever noticed the newspapers Ward reads during this series? There is usually some reference to a MURDER or some other catastrophe. Highly unusual for Mayfield. And I thought we were obsessed with Beaver at The First Leave It To Beaver WebSite Stop by and learn about The Complete Unofficial Leave It To Beaver Trivia Encyclopedia Marcus Tee Speaking of Ward's newspapers...... do they ever include my two favorite column headlines: New Petitions Against Tax Building Code Under Fire After watching nearly 200 old films (courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000), these seem to be the two most common newspaper prop filler headlines in films of the '40s and '50s. I wonder if they found their way into '50s and '60s television, too. I adore thisSo far, this is the highlight of my day. Thanks for transcribing this! Love the BeavI love this show. So many great quotes: "Gee Dad, I wouldn't mind telling the truth if so much hollering didn't go along with it." But who knew there were Leave it to Beaver easter eggs? This post made my day. Re: "crikey"@Dan Re: "crikey" That was helpful. I've always wondered when Steve Irwin said that why no one from our Australian offices used the term. You confirmed what I thought. Thanks Lorem Ipsum to BeaverThat is just so much better than the placeholder text one typically sees. Are there jobs out there for lorem ipsum writers? Craigslist has not a one. Excellent post. Thanks. the sobsister http://www.thesobsister.com Building Code Under FireI think I've seen "Building Code Under Fire," & maybe the other headline as well in episodes of Perry Mason. Obviously some prop house printed a zillion front page mock-ups that were used forever. And often the program-specific headlines are in a completely different font than the rest of the mock-op. I also dig when a prop magazine is on glossy paper so it will look real, but the glossy stock it's printed on is so heavy it barely moves, let alone looks real. M. Bouffant Great!I think that is so very cool! interesting interchange!i enjoyed reading this very much. i'm in a library in orlando, florida. Very funny and entertaining!Very funny and entertaining! Gotta love all those old B&W shows!!! It's a pretty common practice.I've read some interesting freeze frames in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell, also. oh?Can you post some BtVS freezeframes you find of interest? That's what I'm alwaysThat's what I'm always scared of! too funny!!! It's like the whole RoswellIt's like the whole Roswell Memo, but more important. Written on 10/2/58I don't know why but I decided to do some research on the date this letter may have been written and I'm pretty sure it's Thursday October 2nd 1958. I tried to go further and find the time of day but I can only estimate late afternoon pacific time (assuming it was written in LA). The Lew Burdette sentence references the first inning of game 2 in the 1958 World Series between the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees. Milwaukee went on to win the game 13 to 5 but the Yankees won the series. Re: Written 10/2/58Another clue would be the caption under the letter that says it was written during Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 2, 1958! Thanks for posting this!It's too, too wonderful. Thank ghod there are people like you in the world who pay attention to details. my quiz for allHi all! You are The Best!!! G'night have you everI have noticed that, even in Mayfield. That was for Ward not the kids, the show was done from a childs view. Marcus your web site is really great, and the encylopedia with its "map" is a lot of fun. Nice running into you on this site. OMGIf you read the letter upside down and backwards, it says that Space Aliens are going to attack the world on May 09, 2007. HEY, THAT'S TOMORROW! RUN & HIDE! Old school Formatting Well, I tried the paper trick (folding it in thirds and starting the body of the letter at the crease) and now my printer is broken and the red light is flashing. Now what? Burdette "hit a homerun"?That's very odd, given that he was not a batter, but was instead famously known as the Braves' MVP pitcher, who won three games in the World Series of 1957! [It's kind of hard to pitch when your team is at bat. Lew hit a three-run homer. - Dave] Lew Burdette's homerunLew's three-run homer came in the first inning of Game 2. Leave it to Beaver, 1958Great photo from the archives. I was only 3 years old at the time. I'm sure that I saw it a few years later. Loved the baseball reference. Keep up the good work. rcisco Cisco Photo Carmel, IN Now you've done it.I always wondered what was written on prop letters, but never did anything to find out. Now I know how, and every movie I watch on DVD gets freeze frame and zoom. Last night it was My Fair Lady and while Eliza is working on her 'H's, just over 1 hour into the film...well, you ought to check it out. My family hates you. Letters shown on cameraSo I guess Ward didn't read this one out loud as others were read out loud. Wally reading the letter from the Continental Modeling Agency and the letter from the Merchant Marines. Also they don't show the letter from Marathon Records but Beav read it out loud as does Ward reading the letter from Mason Acme Products. Scrabby Newspapers on LITBDid you notice how many different newspapers are shown on the show. I had to freeze frame to find them all. Mayfield Times Mayfield Dispatcher Press Herald Courier Sun Mayfield News anymore? Scrabby Newspapers on LITBYou should talk to Marcus Tee at his web site (its posted a few comments down) he is the expert The Beaver LetterWard did read it out loud - the crucial last paragraph. Soapy SudsNotice how one magazine Ward is reading always has a Soapy Suds ad on the back. Lou, The Braves and the Beav...As a Milwaukee kid (then not quite five years old), I got a special kick out of seeing this. Oct. 2, 1958 was my big sister's 15th birthday. At that age she was a HUGE Braves fan-- found and mailed the team four-leaf clovers, etc. So (the '58 Series outcome notwithstanding) a Braves victory and a three-run shot by Burdette was probably a birthday present for her. A better letterHow fun! 100 years from now it'll be easier to find your transcription than to watch the entire episode. Perhaps the episode will have been made famous to future generations because they're hoping to catch a quick view of the Famous Letter. Full circle ironics and all that. P.L. Frederick Small and Big The LetterThis is the greatest letter I have ever read. Thank you. Other Letters on LITBWonder if the other letters that are sent to the Cleavers are written like this one. For instance the letter Beaver gets from the Continental Modeling Company which we only see the address or the letter from the Merchant Marines. Sometimes they don't even show the letter like the one from Mason Acme Co or Marathon Record Company. Lew BurdetteI remember Lew pitching. He had a routine: Adjust hat, lick fingertips, wipe on chest! I later copied the move when I pitched in Little League! BeaverI remember when Beav was playing with a set of trains over at Mary Ellen Rodgers's house. The were marked for the JC & BM railroad. Quite a nice layout, wonder who got to keep it. [Right. JC & BM were Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the series creators. - Dave] Currently #1 on RedditThe Beaver Letter has been the No. 1 post on Reddit since around midnight. Check out the comments. Modern speakWow, they used correct English in that letter. If that letter were typed today it would read: Mr. Ward Cleaver 485 Mapleton Drive Mayfield, State My Dear Mr. Cleaver: tl:dr GTFO. LOL, ur son iz dum. k thx I admit it!I went out with Loren Ipsum in high school and we fooled around behind the stage. Second base only! Those 1960s BirthdaysEveryone here looks terrified. My 7th Birthday Party in La Puente, California. Home Addressshame on that staff writer. If he had only payed paid attention to the opening theme he would know there was a clear shot of front door showing the house number as "211". But .. specifically: 211 Pine Street, Mayfield, Ohio [The Cleavers lived in two houses. The first was on Mapleton, the second on Pine. And as for Ohio, Mayfield was famously stateless. - Dave] Leave it to Beaver - the Skokie ConnectionHere is an update on Leave it to Beaver including vintage stock footage of Skokie, Illinois. I also very proudly deciphered the Beaver letter featured here, only to find Shorpy beat me to it by several years. As you'll see, I give full credit where it is due. http://silentlocations.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/leave-it-to-skokie-and-b... (Bizarre, Curiosities, Kids, TV)
Washington Noir: 1926
"Pennsylvania Avenue at night." A wintry Washington, D.C., scene circa 1926. View full size. National Photo Company ... is likely the owner of this electric sign. They had the Washington market. Hendler was out of Baltimore, and took up the "Velvet" name ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:14pm -

"Pennsylvania Avenue at night." A wintry Washington, D.C., scene circa 1926. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Creme de la CreamVelvet Kind was involved in a trademark dispute between Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing and Hendler Creamery. Chapin-Sacks is likely the owner of this electric sign. They had the Washington market. Hendler was out of Baltimore, and took up the "Velvet" name and much of the product identification, but in Maryland. Once Chapin-Sacks expanded out from D.C., the lawsuits flew. Wallpaper NoirThis is another of the "Shorp" shots that I am putting in my wallpaper rotation. I would be curious about how many people around the world have distinctive wallpapers due to your hard work Dave? I thank you once again. The Willard's fraternal twin The tall building on the north side of Pennsylvania is the Hotel Raleigh, which along with the Willard Hotel (behind the camera) was designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh. Built in 1911 and demolished in 1964, it must have been caught up in the JFK-initiated renewal of the Avenue. It's one more reason why I wish the historic preservation movement had arrived a decade or so earlier. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
The Alarm Desk: 1943
January 1943. Washington, D.C. "Firehouse Station No. 4, one of the separate Negro units in ... of the picture. The Hornet's Nest Although Washington DC had Black firefighters as far back as 1868, Engine Company No. 4 ... this photo three years after the unit moved from Southwest Washington to 931 R Street NW, where its coverage included the U Street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2024 - 1:03pm -

January 1943. Washington, D.C. "Firehouse Station No. 4, one of the separate Negro units in the District. Lieutenant Mills on duty at the alarm desk. Two firemen in the rear quiz each other on the quarterly examinations they must take during their probation period." Acetate negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. Paper tapeHere's an explanation of that paper tape alarm reporting and recording tape that's seen at the bottom of the picture. The Hornet's NestAlthough Washington DC had Black firefighters as far back as 1868, Engine Company No. 4 was organized in 1919 after a petition from all minority members of the force (three of them), who found career advancement lacking. Gordon Parks took this photo three years after the unit moved from Southwest Washington to 931 R Street NW, where its coverage included the U Street “Black Broadway”. Burton Westbrook Johnson, DC’s first Black Fire Chief (1973), came up through the ranks from Engine Company No. 4. (It was Johnson who appointed the first female firefighter, in 1978.) Like other companies, No. 4 had a nickname: “The Hornet’s Nest”, which is emblazoned on the firehouse (moved a mile north) today. There are various theories about the nickname's origin. Smoke 'em if you got 'emAnd the chief clearly did. CigarsNice catch, leightonwalter. That’s one of the many advantages of a cigar over a cigarette: it goes out when you put it down. Say you’ve just lit a cigar, as the chief here has done, but something comes up, and you’ve got to put it down for a while. The cigar will conveniently go out and wait for you till you come back. (The Gallery, D.C., Fires, Floods etc., Gordon Parks)
Iron Horse: 1923
Washington, D.C., circa 1923. "Bethlehem Steel -- Washington Terminal Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. ... doing in a steelyard? [The yard is Union Station in Washington. - Dave] Dressed for the job! Love how the fireman is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:56pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1923. "Bethlehem Steel -- Washington Terminal Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. USRA switcherThis is a USRA (United States Railroad Administration) standard design from World War I. Still available as a model. Really CleanDid they give the turntable operators shack a coat of paint just for this photo? The gravel area in the foreground looks to have been groomed for the photo too. In today's world I would expect to see a lot of clutter and trash. [It looks fresh because it's new. - Dave] Word ChoicesWhat's an "iron" horse doing in a steelyard? [The yard is Union Station in Washington. - Dave] Dressed for the job!Love how the fireman is dressed with overalls and and a bowtie! People took their jobs seriously back then. Spot the signExcellent venue to advertise Coca-Cola! Spinning on the big wheelLove the train photos - thanks Dave. Did a little looking around - this is probably one of 255 0-6-0 switcher locomotives built to USRA specifications starting in 1916. Washington Terminal received three. The man in the loco driving seat is most likely not the engineer, but the hostler who moved locomotives at roundhouse turntables. Looks like a roundhouseDo railroads still use those? Can't say as I've ever seen one. [A roundhouse is a building. This is a turntable -- what would be in a roundhouse. - Dave] Ah! I have a turntable in the entertainment room but I can't fit a steam engine on it. It only plays records. Anyone remember what a 'record' is? Bethlehem is the brandThis is obviously a shiny, new turntable; it doesn't show any dirt, let alone grease or rust.The pit looks like newly-cured concrete. WT's number 34 may well be the first hog to ride this table. This table is electric powered; note the power source above the center of the bridge. The mechanism is under the operator's cabin. Washington Terminal has had at least two turntables in modern times, and I'm trying to figure out which this is. One was located at Ivy City, site of WT's engine facility; the second is almost under the station trainshed. I'm betting this is the latter, though it looks quite different without the former Railroad Express building which would be along the background today. Oh, this is likely a Bethlehem Steel turntable, and Washington Terminal is today operated by Amtrak. [Washington Terminal was the company that owned and operated Union Station. Bethlehem Steel was the client that commissioned the photo. - Dave] Put them on the pitTurntables have long been a thing of the past, as is the routine need to turn an engine. As a practical matter, steam locomotives usually only ran nose first, which frequently required a locomotive to be "turned" before being sent down the main. (An exception was the B & O practice of running their locomotives backward through tunnels out east, to spare the head-end crew the effects of breathing trapped engine smoke.) Most power consists today have engines on each end facing opposite directions, so no matter what the assignment, a controlling engine will be "first out," pointed forward. In the rare event a engine needs to be turned, they're usually passed through a wye. Not insideDave, the turntable wouldn't be inside the roundhouse. Picture a roundhouse as part of a circle (an arc at the perimeter of a circle). The turntable would be located at the center point of the circle. [In other words, "in the roundhouse." The same way football players play "in a stadium." The roundhouse includes the turntable, which can be covered or not. - Dave] Washington Terminal OperationsI would guess this photo was taken at the Ivy City yards looking eastward. The rise in the background could either be Brentwood or Mt. Olivet. Dave, not all turntables were located inside roundhouses. Often the roundhouse circled around the turntable but the turntable itself was not covered. An example is the still-functioning roundhouse and turntable at the Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton Pa. [The turntable is in the roundhouse. The roundhouse goes around the turntable. Moving right along. - Dave] Was this a turntable solely for "heading" engines or is the photo taken after the first stage of a construction project which would see a new roundhouse and radiating tracks added around this turntable? Washington Post, Jan 13, 1947. ‘Fire-Knocker Horses’ Have Hefty Job at D.C. Roundhouse. The Washington Terminal roundhouse here abounds in “fire-knocker horses,” and if you find that confusing, you should visit the place. Located near 12th and New York ave. ne., it is a lustly, bustling, smoke-ridden place where whistles hoot and the smell and sound of railroading is in the air. With the greatest of ease they are currently giving some 200 locomotives a “going over” daily, and during the holiday season the upper the ante by about 40. That means they are often shunting the big engines out every few minutes, ready to highball over the hills and far away. Boucher Explains ‘Huffin’ and Puffin’’ Edward F. Boucher, who bosses the place, a railroader for 42 years, and there since the place opened on November 11, 1907, yesterday explained what the Huffin’ and Puffin’ was all about. First you must realize that when a train comes into the city, whether from the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, the Southern, the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac of the Chesapeake & Ohio, after the passengers are unloaded, the engineer still has a few chores to do. And, incidently, he isn't really an engineer, says Boucher, but an “engiineman,” pronounced “in-jine-man,” not to be confused with either the “inside” or “outside hosteler.” The big locomotive rolls from Union Station northwards, passing through the “T street coach yards” to the “Ivy City Engine House Yards,” near the roundhouse. First Stop is at Inspection Pits First stop is at the “inspection pits” where four inspectors clamber aboard. The “in-jine-man,” fills out a form telling any defects he may know about which developed during his trip, then he checks out. As required by law, the inspectors mark other items that need to be fixed on the same form. Boucher says that almost all the locomotives need some “running repairs” when they come in, tightening up and so on. Others need major overhauls from time to time. With an “outside hosteler” at the throttle, the engine moves from the inspection pits down to the “fire tracks” where the “fire knocker horses” take over. These oddly named men, in the case of steam engines, “clean or draw” the fire. When a fire is “drawn” it is “knocked out,” and when it is “cleaned,” it is about the same as cleaning your own furnace. Horses Put on Coal by Gravity All this goes on over what is called the “ash pits.” Next stop is the “coal wharf,” where the “fire knocker horses” put on an average of six of seven tons of coal aboard the locomotive by a gravity device which does the job in about five minutes. The “coal wharf” itself holds 1200 tons. The tanks are willed with water, anywhere from 8000 to 20,000 gallons, and the locomotive then moves to the turn-table where an “inside hosteler” takes over to move into one of the “engine pits” in an engine house. Actually there are two turn-tables, each 100 feet long and capable of supporting 300 tons, which take the locomotive aboard and spin it in the direction necessary for it to enter the proper “engine pit” in the roundhouse. 25 Engine Pits in Each Roundhouse The roundhouse itself is divided into two parts, the East roundhouse and the West roundhouse, each with 25 engine pits. Around 400 men, representing every trade and some special ones, like a “rod cup man,” work there. Inside the roundhouse the giant engines are very much like an automobile over a grease-pit. There they are lubricated and repairs are made. Once repaired and marked up as “ready for a run,” the engine moves out of the roundhouse, on to the turntable, where it is “headed” and placed on a “ready track,” from which it goes back up the yards to where its train is being made up. Electric trains follow the same general principles. However, because they may operate from either end, there is no need for them to visit the roundhouse, except in the case of major repairs. Still goin' 'round!I work at the Morris Park facility of the Long Island RR. The place dates to the late 1800's and yes we still have a turntable and a roundhouse, both in regular use. Lots of PRR influence in this TT. There are lots of Pennsylvania Railroad influence on this brand new turntable. Notice the PRR standard 2 pipe railing stanchions, and the power arch. I love the PRR standard yard lamps with the ? shaped mounts. The switcher may be USRA but it has a PRR headlight and tender lamp. Maybe someone can research this and see if it was carried on the PRR roster as a leased unit. Not surprising. The PRR was one of the owning roads that shared the WT. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Overturned: 1921
1921. "Washington Rapid Transit Co. wreck." More vehicular mayhem in the nation's ... Okehed Transportation Advertisement, Washington Post, Sep 26, 1921. Washington Motor Bus System Comparatively few people are as familiar as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2011 - 9:15am -

1921. "Washington Rapid Transit Co. wreck." More vehicular mayhem in the nation's capital. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Heated StairsLooks like the extra exhaust plumbing goes into the stairs. Probably to keep the ice off of them. There are holes in the bottom of the steps to let the exhaust fumes escape. PlumbingThat's an interesting assemblage of pipes on the right side of the vehicle from just in front of what appears to be a muffler. The cleanliness of the underside makes me think the vehicle hasn't been in service long. The extra pipeI see what appears to be an exhaust pipe coming from the engine and going into the muffler. What is the pipe that looks to be tee'd off of the exhaust, prior to the muffler, running to the area behind what are probably steps to get into the driver's seat? [The driver's seat is on the other side. The steps are for the passenger entrance. - Dave] Re: The extra pipeI hate to think it's a heater feed, but that's all that comes to mind! External plumbingVery clean undercarriage. Interesting plumbing on the exhaust, very curious. Heater Pipe?I've seen asphalt trucks run their exhaust into the cargo area to keep hot stuff from freezing in winter. Judging from the way the spectators are dressed it was cold that day. Wondering if this wasn't some form of heater. The mufflerIt seems to be a closed tank. Perhaps it is tuned to reflect the exhaust pulses 180 degrees out of phase to muffle the sound. Heat for interior radiatorJust a guess: the piping appears to be too heavy a gauge for exhaust fumes. Perhaps it conveys water to a radiator within the interior, and located by the exit, where the cold air enters the bus. JanusThis section is my favorite in the entire photo: Here's Your ProblemYou don't have any front brakes. This thing pretty much has the suspension of a covered wagon and a two ton tank engine. Slippery When WetThe undercarriage is incredibly clean, especially considering the condition of roads (and occasional lack thereof) at that time. It's like someone took it out for a test drive right of the dealer's lot! "Yeah, I don't think I'll take this one -- it feels a little lopsided." Okehed Transportation Advertisement, Washington Post, Sep 26, 1921. Washington Motor Bus System Comparatively few people are as familiar as they should be with the very marked and singular success of the Washington Motor Bus System. So we wish to give you some of the plain, honest facts about the way all Washington has okehed this most convenient, safe and practical means of transportation. Yet, in pointing out the success of the motor bus system, we do not for one minute wish to convey the idea that the motor bus is going to supersede the street car. No, indeed. The street car has its place, and a mighty important one. So has the modern; properly organized and efficiently managed line of the motor buses! But we do wish to let Washington know what only a part of it already knows — that is, the Washington Rapid Transit System has become a prominent factor in the daily transportation of tens of thousands of Washington folks. This Motor bus system was started only six months ago! Yet in that short time it carried over three-quarters of a million passengers, and mind you, this was when Washington was comparatively empty. How many of you have stopped to realize what enormous profits there are in a properly organized, efficiently managed municipal motor bus system? For example, are you familiar with the facts in connection with London, New York, Detroit and Chicago? In London, even during the war, they paid over a million dollars a year in dividends. New York is the best "at home" example we have. Here they have carried over 40,000,000 passengers a year. … Less than six months ago the first properly organized and efficiently managed system of motor buses was introduced to Washington. The first installation consisted of a fleet of ten motor buses, and they operated on Sixteenth street northwest. So popular were they with the public that April 20th we had to put for new buses on! … So insistent has the demand been for more buses and additional routes that we have decided to expand the system, and will install sixteen brand-new buses. Ten will go into operation during the next three weeks, the balance soon after the first of November. On account of the growing popularity of this splendid motor bus service, the Federal Utilities Commission has granted us two new franchises, which require the installation of these additional buses, First route, starting from Eighth and Pennsylvania to Twelfth street, to Massachusetts avenue, to Sixteenth street northwest, to Harvard street, to Thirteenth street, to Park road, to New Hampshire avenue, to Grant Circle, and return (Petworth Division). Second route, starting at Eighth and Pennsylvania avenue, to Twelfth, to Rhode Island avenue, to North Capitol street, and return. … Washington Rapid Transit Company Fourteenth and Buchanan Streets N.W. Telephone — Columbia 4026 In 1933, Washington Rapid Transit merged with the Capital Traction Company and Washington Railway and Electric Company to form the Capital Transit Company. Route Map of Washington Rapid Transit Company with examples of double-deck and single-deck buses operated by WRT, "Fare 10 Cents" (via): 16th and VLooks like the apartments at 16th and V Street NW. 16th and U is still a pretty treacherous intersection. View Larger Map The Line UpBelow are a photo of the new buses lined up from a Library of Congress photo, and a close-up of bus Number 2. "Built For Business"I turned the original photo from the LOC sideways and it is possible to read, "THE DUPLEX," at the top of the radiator: Another picture from the LOC shows that the entire set of words on the radiator is actually "THE DUPLEX LIMITED." The Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collection states, "The Duplex Power Car Company was founded in 1909 and produced mostly trucks and truck related machinery until it was reorganized into the Duplex Truck Company in 1916. The Duplex Truck Company was a prominent builder and supplier of trucks to private companies as well as government agencies during the years between 1916 and 1955. In 1955 Warner and Swasey Company purchased the Duplex Truck Company and the Duplex division closed in 1975." A picture of a Duplex radiator, their logo, and a truck, all from another LOC photo, are below. Overturned by Big TruckThe Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) of March 10, 1921, page 12, details the accident that is shown in the photo. The Washington Herald, on the same date, page 1, states the ambulance on the way to the accident scene was also involved in a mishap. The full Evening Star article and an extract from the Washington Herald story are below. Other information found confirms that the Washington Rapid Transit Company purchased 20 chassis and bus bodies from William P. Killeen who was the Duplex Power Company (truck) distributor for the D.C. area. Service with these buses began on March 1, 1921 which is probably why the bottom of the bus is in such good condition. The bus fare was eight cents on the route. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Tankar Gas: 1937
... out you can see it in Street View, from 3rd Street at Washington : Re Frost shields Hard to tell from the ad davidk provided ... to be a block or two west of 5th Avenue, around 3rd and Washington. The 1940 map below shows the outline of the gas station office ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2013 - 11:47am -

December 1937. "Gas station in Minneapolis." The Minnesota tropics, where snow dusts the painted palms. Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Love the billboardsI found the billboards very interesting. I grew up 40 miles north of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Journal or Sunday Journal was published until 1939 when it merged with the Minneapolis Star to become the Minneapolis Star-Journal. Other mergers took place and today it's the Star Tribune. The American Weekly was a Sunday Supplement, published by Hearst, inserted into the Sunday Journal. It was published until 1966. The Russell-Miller Milling Company at this time made Occident Flour and was headquartered in Minneapolis. In the early 1950's it become part of the Peavey Co., which in turn was bought by ConAgra in 1982. Awesome trailerHorace T. Water is correct, this is a 37 Ford (Tudor sedan). I have seen trailers like this, but was under the assumption that they were new "retro" designs, not actual period trailers. I found out that somebody is now making fiberglass reproductions. The Gold Medal SignIt turns out you can see it in Street View, from 3rd Street at Washington: Re Frost shieldsHard to tell from the ad davidk provided (or even if that model is what I'm about to describe), but in the mid-30s rectangular defrosters went on the market that were held on the window interior by suction cups. These had exposed thin wires not unlike today's embedded rear window defosters that were electrified either by the car's system or by 6-volt batteries. The ones in the Ford appear to be smaller than what I'm familiar with. Tag Along1937 Ford with a Mullins Red Cap trailer. Frost shieldsThe application of frost shields used to be mandatory in Winnipeg on the windshield (unless the car had a defroster), rear window and front-row side windows from November 1 through March 31. The ad below from my hometown paper, the Free Press, is from 1952. There is still a company in Manitoba that manufactures them for use in construction vehicles, helicopters and outbuildings. Plus 76?After spending far too much time digging, I can offer what might be (approximately) the present-day view, with about 80-90% confidence: View Larger Map The "Gold Medal Flour" sign that's barely visible on the left of the 1937 photograph is a big clue to the location. It's not visible from the Street View above due to new construction - but if you back out to the 45 degree view and head about two blocks southeast and one block northeast, you'll see it. It's also hard to tell from the sometimes-grainy Street View magnifications, but I'm fairly certain that the most of the brickwork is the same as 1937, although they did brick in the upstairs area. [For the depot shed to be on the left as in the 1937 photo, I think we'd need to be a block or two west of 5th Avenue, around 3rd and Washington. The 1940 map below shows the outline of the gas station office facing 3rd, which was a major thoroughfare crossing the Mississippi. - Dave] [I won't dispute your map, but I have trouble seeing how the Gold Medal Flour sign would be both visible and aligned as it is in the 1937 photo if the camera was that far west. There are also some features of the brickwork, including the distinctive offset about 12 feet up on the left edge, that make me go "hmmm."] [The sign, atop a six-story flour mill, is visible from most of downtown Minneapolis. Also, our photo was taken from the second floor as opposed to Google's ground-level Street View. Plus that building at 5th and Washington doesn't look anything like the one in our view, in addition to being set back much farther from the curb. It's three stories tall as opposed to the two-story building in the 1937 photo. - Dave] [I concede. I found a 1937 aerial photo of the area (see below), and the corner of Third and Washington looks far more likely to be the spot than the corner at Fifth. When I'm looking for a historical spot like this, I try not to make any assumptions - such as "in the past 70+ years, they didn't brick in the open second story" or "they didn't build an addition" or "there was no third story hiding behind the billboards" or "that train depot never extended past Fourth Avenue." Now that I have photographic evidence, I'm fine with admitting I was wrong.] [You can tell there's no third floor just by looking at the photo. The cornice is at the bottom of the billboard. Plus you can see there's nothing behind them through the latticework between them. And in any case they're not tall enough to hide a third floor. - Dave] [I realize I'm now beating a dead horse, but your last comment makes it sound unreasonable to think there's a third floor. What I see through the latticework is a brick wall (red oval). That wall appears to be supported by a substantial concrete column (green oval) - either that, or this is an Escherian building. That leaves about 10-12 feet of space to be a "third floor" (cyan oval). With some added brick and a few layers of paint, there is no reason this edifice could not resemble what's currently at the corner of Fifth and Washington. (Note that I am not arguing that it is that location (I agree it's at Third), I am simply pointing out that it is perfectly reasonable to think that there is - or could be - a third floor here.)] OOOH!Free dishes! Thanks davidkI was just about to ask if anyone knew what that rectangle was on the driver's side window. I think Dave is correct.The Milwaukee Road train shed ends at 5th Avenue South and Washington. Gold Medal Flour is at about 700 West River Parkway. The gas station would have to be at 3rd or maybe 4th Avenue South. This area on either side of Washington Avenue from Hennepin to 11th Avenue was known as the Gateway district. About 40 blocks were cleared for urban renewal in the 50s and 60s. Only in the last 10 years has the sea of parking lots started to fill in. One modern convenienceBased on the bare bulb visible through the dirty window, I'm thinking it's not the Ritz Carlton; but somebody in that building has a mighty fine radio antenna on the roof... a fairly long dipole, likely to receive AM broadcasts. Cut-RateTankar was apparently a low-price chain headquartered in Minneapolis. Some of the stations had old tank cars as part of the architecture. F.A.P. May Be The Key.The street sign on the left may hold a cryptic key to the puzzle. The sign post clearly indicates one roadway, but at the bottom, facing the camera is a small sign with "F.A.P." or Federal Aid Primary. That sign indicates this road was receiving Federal money as a primary route and would have to be a fairly substantial route. F.A.S. signs for Federal Aid Secondary are sometimes also seen on smaller routes or further out on primary routes that receive less Federal maintenance money. I know nothing about this area, but I hope that little sign now gives you the intersection. [The sign is pointing you to it -- F.A.P. 92B is to the right. - Dave] TrainshedWhat may be confusing you is that the Milwaukee Depot Trainshed has been shortened and there are cross streets there now that were not there when the photo was taken at which time it was a active depot. [The cross streets are the same. This is Third Avenue crossing Washington, in a view seen here two years ago. The clock tower still stands. - Dave] Re re Frost shieldsNo electricity involved, Don Struke. The classic frost shield is a rectangle of plastic stuck by adhesive at its perimeter to the auto glass. You put them on the inside of the window, and the vacuum created between the plastic shield and the glass kept the window free from condensation and frost. I’ve heard of a fancier kind made of glass with a rubber gasket, but no one I knew used these. Once when my dad was in the Southern states with his Canadian frost shields on, a gas attendant asked him if it was bullet-proof glass. Re: TrainshedThe trainshed always ended at 5th Avenue, but the yard continued to Chicago Avenue where a large viaduct took the tracks across Washington. If you look at the aerial photo in Splunge's comment, you can see that the shed ends at 5th, but only Portland Avenue crosses the yard. Perhaps a chimney?I thought the "substantial concrete column (green oval)" that Splunge mentioned was a chimney for a heater or fireplace in the gas station's office below. BTW, I don't have any horses to be concerned about, but I do enjoy the friendly banter and explanations offered. Sometimes it's very helpful to see something from another's viewpoint. Thanx to all that have commented! TrailerIsn't anybody going to mention that fantastic, streamlined trailer? Homemade or manufactured and its got to belong to that Mark Trail looking guy puffin' on his pipe. [See the very first comment below. - tterrace] Miller millingI would expect nothing else. Along withthe previous busy comments in the scene, note the worst job of bricklaying behind the palm trees, and the Tax Paid sign, AND Glueks Beer on Tap. 3rd and WashingtonThe train shed is the tip-off. If the Google street view were from second story rather than - uh - street level, you could then see the Gold Medal Sign. BTW, the Gold Medal sign has been moved around a bit since 1937 due to a fire at the "A" Mill and restoration of the Mill Ruins Museum. Tax? Which?I'm still bewildered by the sign "TAX PAID 5 FOR 85" I've arrived at no meaningful interpretation for that. Somebody help me out, please. 3rd and WashingtonThis confirms that it was on 3rd and Washington. No doubt that is the Tankar building in a sea of parked cars. How it survived "urban renewal" and the rest of the buildings didn't is beyond me. TankarLooks like they redid the palm tree mural in the 1940s. The photo below is from the Zalusky Collection. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, John Vachon, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Washington Union Station: 1912
Washington, D.C., circa 1912. "Union Station plaza and Columbus fountain." 8x6 ... Around the same time the station was repurposed as a Washington visitors center and in the early 1970s a giant hole, nicknamed The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2022 - 9:24pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1912. "Union Station plaza and Columbus fountain." 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. A beautiful and functional place todayBelow is the original ground floorplan for Union Station. Here are some photographs of the original interiors. Like nearly all train stations, Union Station went through a decline. The two events which stand out in my memory both involve the main waiting room. Around 1967, in an effort to look more modern and deter transient sleepers the mahogany benches were removed, thrown on the depot's scrap pile, and replaced with individual plastic seats mounted on rails on posts bolted to the floor (similar to what you see in bus stations). Around the same time the station was repurposed as a Washington visitors center and in the early 1970s a giant hole, nicknamed The Pit, was dug in the waiting room floor to create a sort of amphitheater. The floor was restored during restoration of the station, which concluded in 1988. Unfortunately, the benches are long gone. Click to embiggen RentalsRental vehicles are returnable around the right corner of the building. I remember the other hole in the floor.The 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 sized one, that resulted from one of said locomotive class (PRR 4876) overrunning the platform area, entering the concourse and coming to rest in the basement. The entrance on the far right in the frontal and floor plan views used to be called the "President's and Ambassadors Entrance", good thing the GG1 didn't try to go in there. The only private citizen ever officially privileged to use it was supposedly Kate Smith. SoThat building held like, what, 5 people? A more perfect UnionOne of the earliest and most visible examples of the District's transformation from a slow Southern town to a City Beautiful, the Station - which is both a terminal and thru-station (see plan below) - replaced an earlier one situated on the Mall. Although picturesque and conveniently located, it became unpopular - President Garfield particularly disliked it - with the movement to restore the capital along the lines of the L'Enfant Plan. Horses to the left of me, autos to the rightI'm wondering about the horse/horseless divide. Could it have been designed to: > keep the horses calm? > make it easier for passengers to chose their preferred mode of transportation? > protect, in some small way, a dying trade? More 1908 PhotosI remember once seeing a photo of a table set in a private dining room in Union Station. It had something like seven stemmed glasses of various sizes lined up for different beverages and I don't remember how many different forks. I didn't find it again, but I did find a labeled floor plan, below, so you can see where the lunch room was, and a photo of the lunch room. Also, another photo of the main waiting room, where you can see recessed areas at the end of each bench for placing a spittoon where it can be used but not accidentally kicked. And the station under construction. Click to embiggen Blueprints aplentyHundreds of these on the LOC website. If you're into that sort of thing. Rocking chairs -- "Pay closets" -- ColumbiaNice to see that cultural Marxism has not destroyed this historical landmark yet. Bouncy!Back 25 years, when I was a communications consultant in the DC area, my partner and I would meet with clients in Union Station for meetings or working meals. It was a beautiful place, no doubt, but after years of being in rock bands and almost daily scuba diving, my hearing was shot. All the hard surfaces in that joint caused the worst reverb I ever experienced. Hearing aids couldn't help. I had to really be on my toes to understand what was being said. Finally, I put my foot down and insisted on meetings at the Post Pub or Sign of the Whale or Ben's Chili Bowl or anywhere other than Union Station. Bicentennial EmbarrassmentI worked for the National Park Service for 25 years, including the Bicentennial era, and remember the National Visitor Center with great embarrassment and remorse. What happened to Union Station in 1976 is still a blemish on the NPS' image. Planning for a National VC began in the late 1960s, but construction didn't really begin until 1974, which was too late to pull off many of the planned attractions in Union Station. The worst feature was an infamous multimedia theater excavated into the floor of the Great Hall -- a literal pit with stand-up "seating" where a bank of 100 Kodak Carousels projected a continuous slide show about DC and its monuments and attractions. I watched the show several times, or rather tried too, but a sizable number of projectors always seemed to be out of sync. And the clacking sound of a hundred 35mm slides being changed simultaneously was hugely distracting. I'm attaching views of the original Great Hall and the Bicentennial "Pit." Thank god the multimedia pit was removed during subsequent restorations of the Station. D.H. Burnham & Co.At the bottom right on the plan provided by Doug Floor Plan is the name of the architectural firm that designed this building. This Chicago-based company also happened to design the 1893 Columbian Exhibition that I happened to read about in the book, "Devil in the White City." Burnham was not the devil. (Panoramas, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Dupont Circle: 1905
Washington, D.C., circa 1905. "Dupont Circle at Connecticut and Massachusetts ... his transatlantic flight. It also spent ~60 years as the Washington Club, before being converted to apartments in the 2010s. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/25/2024 - 2:08pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1905. "Dupont Circle at Connecticut and Massachusetts Avenues N.W. White building at left is Patterson House, 15 Dupont Circle." Not to mention all those pedestrians. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Cast of CharactersClick twice to embiggen. No Exhaust FumesSeeing old photos here dating to 1905-1907, it is clear how very quickly motor cars overtook horse-drawn transport. Here there are no automobiles yet, so no gasoline fumes, just the earthy smell of life, especially in the intersection. The Patterson placeThis building with all the horses started as the Patterson Mansion. It was designed by Stanford White, and had just been completed a couple of years before this photo. The Patterson family only occasionally stayed there and often lent it out. President Calvin Coolidge lived there during White House renovations; Charles Lindbergh used it after his transatlantic flight. It also spent ~60 years as the Washington Club, before being converted to apartments in the 2010s. SurprisedOne feature of note for me is that there are bars on all of the ground level windows. Something I guess I have allowed myself to not notice in my naive thinking that so far back times would have been more honest. Ah ...... the earthly smell of life. So that's what that was. I thought it was low tide. Level of detailI’m very impressed by the level of detail in the embiggened slice that Dave has provided. Once I opened it, I embiggened even more and was further impressed by the facial detail in the old woman crossing the street (center) and the mother and daughter walking towards us (right). Then I noticed the bricks, the leaves, the grass ... amazing. 135I walked a foot-beat here once in the late '70s. The cast of characters included One Armed Johnny and Bad Feet Sam. Fun times. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Horses)
The Fed: 1937
Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Federal Reserve Building, Constitution Avenue. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2024 - 12:53pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Federal Reserve Building, Constitution Avenue. Front and right side." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. "I want to talk for a few minutes ... about banking"Thus began Franklin Roosevelt's first broadcast fireside chat, eight days after his inauguration. FDR's response to the banking crisis was codified in the Banking Acts of 1933 and 1935, which centralized the Federal Reserve System -- and led to this building. The design was chosen in a 1935 competition which -- as can be seen -- resulted in the most grounded, solid-looking building imaginable. Very much part of what, it has been plausibly argued, saved American capitalism. Is Cret in?The building is officially named the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building after Franklin Roosevelt's Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It was designed by Paul Philippe Cret, a Beaux Arts trained architect (Pan American Union building, Detroit Institute of Arts). He later applied modern sensibilities (e.g. reduced ornamentation) to classical forms to come up with buildings like this, the Univ. Texas Main Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library. The style is called Stripped Classicism or Greco Deco(!). If it looks familiar, it was the style used by many of the building built by the New Deal/WPA. It lost popularity, though, when both Nazi Germany and the Soviets under Stalin made it their preferred style. (The Gallery, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Marines vs. Army: 1924
November 1, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Devil Dogs vs. Infantrymen. McQuade makes gain for Marines ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2024 - 6:49pm -

November 1, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Devil Dogs vs. Infantrymen. McQuade makes gain for Marines against Fort Benning at American League park." Jack McQuade, former University of Maryland football star, in a game that saw Quantico's Leathernecks mop the field with Army in a 39-0 rout. 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. You take out that big guy. No, YOU take him out.The Army player with no helmet looks a little long of tooth but the guy's a mountain. As every sports buff knows, the Jarheads went 7-0-1 that season: 33-0 Catholic, 13-13 Vanderbilt, 6-0 Georgetown, 39-0 Ft. Benning, 14-0 Dickinson, 28-0 Detroit, 3-0 Carnegie Tech, 47-0 III Corps. Vanderbilt must have been a powerhouse. No one else even scored against the Marines. Not much of a chance... for that running back to get the ref to call a "facemask penalty" on the defender. You made my day!I was born in the US Naval Hospital, Quantico, VA, 30 years after this football game took place. My father did not retire from the Marine Corps until I was 30 years old so, of course, I am not the slightest bit surprised that the Leathernecks clobbered nearly everyone they played that year! Great sports shot by any standardsPhotographers spend thousands on gear to get shots this good nowadays. I wonder what sort of camera/lens combination was used here. Rails to TrailsThe "Fast Electric Trains" of the WB&A gave way to a nifty bike trail. http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm CamerasIt's amazing how in focus this picture is. Now we have all the digital cameras that are so easy to use, but back then a photographer had to really know how to get a great shot. HeadgearI wondered because there are two guys without - just wondering. It Still HurtsWhen I went to my first duty station after boot camp I was recruited to play in the Annual Navy Marine touch football kegger game. I was only two years out of high school and since I had played varsity for two years as a lineman (offense & defense -- we were a tough breed then), I figured it would be a nice afternoon of sport. I soon found out why no sailor who had played the year before was on the squad. Those Marines were like a team possessed and I still count it a blessing I survived the game. However the beer and bull session post game was well worth the agony. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Washington Street Market: 1952
Night view of the Washington Street produce market, New York City, 1952. View full size. ... TriBeCa, not the Meatpacking District as alluded to. The Washington Market was a huge produce market, as well as the center of the ... the WTC). [Thanks for the info. I have a series of Washington Market photos to post this week. - Dave] The funny part is... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2019 - 5:38pm -

Night view of the Washington Street produce market, New York City, 1952. View full size. Photograph by Walter Albertin for the World Telegram & Sun. NeighborhoodThis would be down in TriBeCa, not the Meatpacking District as alluded to. The Washington Market was a huge produce market, as well as the center of the butter & egg trade, for many years, until development displaced it (especially the building of the WTC). [Thanks for the info. I have a series of Washington Market photos to post this week. - Dave] The funny part is......this is a very expensive nightlife-heavy part of town now. But the cobblestone streets are still there. [Interesting. What neighborhood is it? - Dave] Park there nowThere is a park there at Chambers and Greenwich called the Washington Market Park. photosi am looking for some photos of the market..in particular Cuneo bros. if anyone has any information or photos..it would be much appreciated..thank you...Ach That was a great placeI use to work in the Washington Market after school around 1964. This is the Meat Market DistrictWhat was displaced when the World Trade Center was built were wholesale electronic parts dealers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Noel, Iola: 1944
... Newspictures photo.) Licensed to Marry. From the Washington Post of August 4, 1918: "Gerald Swinnerton, 31, of Williamston, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/24/2023 - 11:31am -

On this Christmas Eve, we travel back 79 years for a visit with the First Lady of Shorpy, Iola Swinnerton. Some two decades after her bathing-pageant days, she is still radiating beauty and cheer. Scroll down to the comments for more of Iola's life story. View full size. "STONE WOMAN" ENJOYS CHRISTMAS PREPAREDNESS         CHICAGO (Dec. 23, 1944) -- Mrs. Iola Swinnerton Warren, who suffered the illness known as myositis ossificans after inoculation for typhoid following a Florida hurricane, watches her husband Theron V. Warren and little nephew Herbert Taylor trim Christmas tree. (Acme Newspictures photo.) Licensed to Marry.From the Washington Post of August 4, 1918: "Gerald Swinnerton, 31, of Williamston, Michigan, and Iola Taylor, 18, of Rockford, Illinois." Iola in 1947Here is part of article from the Waterloo Sunday Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) of March 9, 1947. The Warrens adopted Herbert Taylor (Iola's nephew). Herbert was 13 in 1947. Forever YoungIt would seem, from an earlier comment, that she was born in 1902, so she would have been 19 or 20 in those earlier photos from 1921 and 1922, and 42 here. She has lovely, youthful skin and a radiant smile. [If she was 18 when married in 1918, she'd have been born in 1899 or 1900. - Dave] Not just Christmas celebrationsThis is also the occasion of their second wedding anniversary - I found the announcement from the Suburbanite Economist (Chicago) of December 23, 1942. It sounds like she had a terrible time with this illness -- it started in 1926 and she spent nine years in the hospital! I'm glad she seems to have found happiness with Theron. Based on what I read about myositis ossificans, it seems unlikely that this is what she had. It is normally caused by an injury to a muscle, and from what I can tell, stays within that muscle -- it doesn't spread to other areas of the body. It's probably more likely that she had heterotopic ossification, possibly caused by central nervous system injury or an underlying genetic disorder. *Cringe*I am sure that Herbie really enjoyed being characterized in the newspaper as her "little" nephew. Hope his friends didn't see the story! [He looks like Larry Mondello. - Dave] Carpentry and TweedNotice the nicely done rest for her feet that does not appear to be part of the original wheelchair--not the easiest thing to put together if you're doing it with nails instead of wood screws, which may be the case here. Also, I love the nephew's tweed slacks--sadly, winter weight slacks seem to be a thing of the past, even up north here in Minnesota. They're keeping him so warm, he doesn't need to keep his shirt tucked in. The story that keeps on givingAnother amazing feature of this website. Over the course of eleven and a half years (dating back to April of 2007) we are treated to a series of photos of Iola Swinnerton from a very specific two-year period (1921-1922) in a very specific context (bathing suit beauty contest). No sense of limitation or lack of variety, and every new photo was a delight. Flash forward suddenly 22 years to 1944 and to a whole new context. We find Iola in a wheelchair with a strange and rare disease, and yet she is happy, recently married to a benevolent-looking church organist, and she and her husband have adopted her nephew. The husband "wasn’t discouraged because the pretty invalid was confined to a wheelchair," and she is able to report that her "condition has steadily improved" since they got married. The crowning glory of her positivity: "My dreams during so many years in hospitals have come true." (She writes songs which are published!) "I only hope someone else can take hope from my happiness." This is one of the most truly marvelous stories I've ever come across. Stiff Man’s SyndromeIola may have had what is now called Stiff Person’s Syndrome. It was first diagnosed in 1956. A friend had it. IolatryHere's a few more details regarding Iola. The New York Times, while reporting her wedding, stated that she was earning her living as a seamstress. The paper also said, "She was stricken by the baffling disease after the Florida Hurricane of 1926. At that time she lived in a Miami Beach cottage, the wife of Gerald Swinnerton, whom she divorced in April, charging desertion." In the 1940 U.S. Census Gerald Swinnerton is claiming to have been widowed. He was a camera designer and repairman, as well as a World War I veteran, and he was also known as George Simons. He died in 1961. Regarding her wedding, the Chicago Tribune of December 24, 1942 published the following story. "Smiling from her wheelchair, in a moire taffeta wedding dress and a shoulder length tulle veil, Iona Swinnerton, 40 years old, was married last night to Theron Victor Warren, 42, a shipyard worker and organist in the Wentworth Baptist church. The bride is suffering from a rare disease characterized by hardening of the muscles. "About 100 relatives and friends were present as the Rev. Eugene H. Daniels read the marriage ceremony. L. Duke Taylor, 1918 Cleveland avenue, her brother, gave the bride away. Donald McGowan, 1954 Henderson street, was the best man. "Miss Swinnerton, who lives at 4044 Wentworth avenue, has been suffering from the malady since 1926. She teaches a Bible class at the church, and met Warren while attending the services there." An article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette in December 1945 indicated that she had spent six years at the Cook County Hospital for treatment of her condition. She was refinishing furniture and canning fruit in addition to writing songs. "Theron proposed not very long after I cooked him a duck dinner," she confided. In 1949 Iola won fourth place in a nationwide Army songwriting contest, which earned her a $50 savings bond. The title of the tune was "Three Cheers For the Army." She died five years later, in 1954. Her obituary from the Chicago Tribune is below. "Iola N. Warren, 2642 Barry avenue, June 13, 1954, beloved wife of Theron V. Warren, dear sister of Louis Duke Taylor, dear aunt to Herbert Taylor. At chapel, 316 W. 63d street, at Harvard avenue, where services will be held Thursday, June 17, at 1 p.m. Cremation Oak Woods." Theron Warren died on May 3, 1976. The image below is from the January 4, 1937 issue of the Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times. FOPI presume Iola had fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Story of Two FamiliesLuckily, I accepted an invitation to the Swinnertons' Christmas party before the invitation to the Dickeys' Christmas party arrived. Three cheers for King CottonThe pants of the kid look as if they are scratchy. Ask me how I know. It’s a small worldI’ve been a long-time Shorpy lurker, and have many of the wonderful images saved as desktop wallpaper. I had to comment on this picture -- the Eugene H. Daniels mentioned as the officiant in the newspaper article was my great-grandfather! By the time I knew him, he was just “Grandpa Dan”; it’s neat to be able to read about Iola and Theron some 78 years later. Merry Christmas to all! Eeugh!Theron is a ringer for an ex of mine. I hope Iola had better luck--she certainly endured enough as it was. (The Gallery, Chicago, Christmas, Iola S., Kids, News Photo Archive)
Chariots of Firemen: 1943
January 1943. Washington, D.C. "D.C.F.D. Engine Company No. 4 firehouse. Fire trucks." 4x5 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2024 - 6:36pm -

January 1943. Washington, D.C. "D.C.F.D. Engine Company No. 4 firehouse. Fire trucks." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. Engine House 7/4Checked google maps and found the firehouse is still there. [Sleep like a fireman for $757 a night! - Dave] Somebody Must Know ...What that barrel-shaped device is behind the bumper. Perhaps a winch, generator for the siren, part of the front suspension friction dampers? That barrelI suspect that is simply sheet metal designed to cover the frame and bumper lowering weldment. Many cars of the 1920s-30s share this form of sheet metal cowl. The handle you see is for the 275 lb musclebound super fireman who can hand-crank that beast in case of starter failure. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gordon Parks)
Made for Walkin': 1937
... for two years in order to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington. They left Caracas Jan. 11, 1935, arriving in Washington today." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 7:10pm -

June 16, 1937. "Walk 800 miles to attend Boy Scout Jamboree. Two Venezuelan Boy Scouts, Rafael Angel Petit, left, and Juan Carmona, examining their boots after tramping 25 miles a day for two years in order to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington. They left Caracas Jan. 11, 1935, arriving in Washington today." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. A math problem800 divided by 25 is only 32 days. Either they walked 8,000 miles, or they only walked one day every three weeks or so. [A news item in the Washington Post (which gave Rafael's last name as Betit) didn't say anything about mileage, although it noted that the boys planned to make the trip home by air in two and a half days. - Dave] I want those boots!Does anyone know where to find boots like these? I've been wanting a pair like that for as long as I can remember. Back in the dayI had lace-up boots like Rafael is wearing. It's just that I wore them with miniskirts, and the farthest I walked in those boots was from the bus stop to my junior high. Try 800 daysDistance from Caracas to DC is a little over 2000 miles. At 25 miles a day it would take 800 days to travel. Also Jan, 1935 to Jun, 1937 is a little over 800 days. [Hm. Might want to check your math, Levi. Next! - Dave] Wow!I bet they had some amazing stories. DescansarA few numbers: Jan 11, 1935 to Jun 16, 1937 is 886 days which works out to an average of about 9 miles per day for a 8,000 mile trip. That seems reasonable given the following description of hacking through jungles for part of the trip. Washington Post, Jun 17, 1937 2 Boy Scouts End Long Hike, Ready to Rest Pair Finish 8,000-Mile Hegira From Venezuela to Washington. Descansar. In Spanish that means rest, which is what Rafael Angel Petit and Juan Carmona are going to get plenty of, now that they've completed their hike from Caracas, Venezuela, to Washington. The two Rover Boy Scouts, who had been en route since January 11, 1925, puffed across the Key Bridge a few minutes before noon yesterday to reach the end of a trail that led through snake and malaria-infested jungles, head hunters' camps and brigands' hideouts. They were greeted near the city's entrance by a reception party of Boy Scout officials, legation attaches and motorcycle police but politely declined an invitation to ride. "No, thank you," said Juan, 26, and quite handsome with Valentino sideburns, "we've walked every step of the way to this point, except when we crossed rivers on handmade rafts. We want to walk all the way to the Capitol." At the Capitol were waiting the Venezuelan Minister, Dr. Diogenes Escalante, and Director General Leo S. Rowe, of the Pan-American Union. Much handshaking, newsreel and photograph shooting, more handshaking and South American gesticulating followed. A few hours later the boys were telling a radio audience what it's like to hoof some 8,000 miles apiece without ennui. (The actual distance may be far less but Rafael and Juan often had to take the long way around, not the crow's route.) Hardships were plentiful on the trip but the boys arrived fit and sound, save for a few vanishing malaria symptoms. Carmona was hit the worst and, through an interpreter, said he is going to look up a doctor here. At times the heat was so bad the hikers nearly despaired of continuing. The tropical sun killed a dog companion and another perished of snakebite. Two thousand miles, or about one-fourth, of their journey was through dense jungles. One of them, the Choco Colombiano separating Panama and Columbia, had never before been traversed by civilized man. "We had to cut our way through this territory," the scouts said, "with machetes, not being able to take one step forward through unbelievably luxuriant vines, trees, grasses, without first clearing our path. "We were forced for many miles to lay a constant bridge before us of tree trunks in order to avoid quicksand and quaking marshland. For nearly six months we were wet constantly, as the normally difficult crossing of this jungle was further complicated by our striking it at the rainy season." Malaria, dampness, snakes, insects and heat plagued them. Often they slept in hammocks swung high about the ground for safety. Usually, however, they made their beds on the earth. In Panama they were feted by the San Blas Indians who, more often than not, are hostile to strangers. A few of them spoke a Spanish dialect, which helped. The natives gave a banquet in their honor, featured by a beverage called chucula. "This drink was bad enough by itself," the adventurers said, "but we had to watch the women prepare it, and that nearly finished us. It is made of green plantains, grain and coconut, all chewed up personally by the women, mixed well with saliva and left to ferment." Juan and Rafael said they had a hard time explaining their way out of the clutches of Honduran bandits, then when they were liberated the police placed them under arrest, until their credentials were verified with the Venezuelan government. It was pretty discouraging, too, when they arrived at Laredo, Tex., only to be halted because of passport difficulties. The scouts had to walk all the way back to Mexico City to get their entrance papers in order. The sojourners averaged 25 miles a day, wore out 24 pairs of shoes, and passed through Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Carmona and Petit will make their Washington headquarters at the Roosevelt Hotel. This morning they will be received formally at the Pan American Union Building by Dr. Rowe. Alternate Alliterative Appellation:Sole Searching Scouts? Big BoysOkay, I get Boy Scouts staring at them. But where the heck did they find the sailor!? I wonder what these guys did when they grew up. Although they look quite manly already. Bootsl have a pair that are the same made by Harley Davidson. but if you go on ebay and look up logger boots lm sure you will find what your looking for. Amazing in any ageThat trek would be no less amazing if it was executed today. The regions through which these men walked are still rife with dangers of the same sort, from isolated tribes to snakes to drug lords to marsh and impenetrable jungle. Very cool! I had to wonder though, how is it they didn't have anything better to do than walk all day? Scouts indeed! Try that on your privileged suburbanite boys today! Susan >> I had lace-up boots like Rafael is wearing. It's just that I wore them with miniskirts ... Photos, please! Musical MomentThis is just before everyone launches into a chorus of "Y.M.C.A.," right? The Return TripAnybody know how they got home? Can't imagine the end of the Jamboree a week or so later. Everyone says so long and adios, these fellows look at each other, look southward down the road, then both start crying uncontrollably. [As noted below, they flew back. - Dave] What a story!What a story! Thanks to Stanton Square for finding the article. Imagine backtracking from Laredo to Mexico City to fix your passports! And the sailor looks like he popped right off of a box of Cracker Jack. Jaguars & BanditsAnother accounting of our young amigos adventure comes to us from the student newspaper of the State Teachers College, La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Racquet, Dec 5, 1937: Vol 30, No. 8 Venezuela Scout-Head Writes Exciting Letter Several days ago I received an interesting letter from a young man I met at Washington, D. C., while attending the National Scout Jamboree. This man was Juan Carmona, a scout-master from Caracas, Venezuela, South America, who had hiked with a companion, Rafael Petit of Maracaibo, Venezuela, from Caracas through South America, Central America, Mexico and the Southern part of the United States to Washington. The trip took them two years; they covered over ten thousand miles and each wore out twelve pairs of hiking boots. Three started originally but one turned back. They went through jungle territory never before seen extensively by white man, some days they were able to make good progress; on others the dense jungle growth and swamp bogs limited them to three miles a day. Poisonous snakes and wild animals forced them to be constantly on guard. At night they had to sleep in trees to escape prowling animals. Once they were awakened by a scratching sound. As the scratching came closer they both aimed and fired their rifles in the direction of the sound. It was so dark that they were unable to distinguish a thing about them. At the sound of the shots the scratching ceased and something crashed to the ground beneath the tree. Unable to sleep further they waited for daylight, which revealed a large jaguar lying dead at the base of the tree. For three days the dead beast's mate stalked and followed them; one was required to keep guard against attack while the other cut and broke the trail. Finally the animal left and they were free to advance more rapidly. In the southern part of So. America they were taken captive by savages, the chief of which treated them royally but would not permit them to leave. Finally, he was persuaded to allow them to continue their journey. As they traveled through Central America they were made prisoners of revolutionists (it seems there is always a revolution down there). None of the soldiers could read their letters or credentials and they were kept in prison until the revolutionary general returned, read their identification papers and set them free. In Mexico they were robbed of their rifles and money by bandits but finally after many other interesting and exciting adventures, they crossed the U.S. border and reached Washington, D.C. They have many valuable stamps, seals, letters, pictures and papers from notables of the various places through which they passed. It took them two days to fly by plane back to Caracas. They crossed territory through which they had passed on their two-year journey. The letter I received was written in Spanish as Juan does not wish to attempt a letter in English even though he understands, and speaks it. Mr. Lairx helped me to translate the letter. At the present time Mr. Carmona is writing a book of the experiences and adventures of the trip he made with his companion Petit. Our friendship began at Washington and will be continued through our correspondence. I hope to visit Mr. Carmona some time, and he, in turn, has promised to visit me the next time he comes to the United States. Several scouts of the troop of which I am scoutmaster are establishing correspondence with boys of his troop. Cracker JackThe sailor standing on the right is actually a Sea Scout, as the Scout badge on his cap testifies. For one so young he certainly does have the air of an old salt. Mapquest por favor"In the southern part of So. America they were taken captive by savages"... They made a serious wrong turn if they left Venezuela headed to the USA and ended up in the southern part of South America! [They seem to have roamed a bit before heading north. One news item noted that the Scout Jamboree "was not their original objective." - Dave] A little more of this storyMy name is Carlos Uzcategui Petit, am a member of the Petit family, the history of this pair of young to mid-30 is worthy of pride and admiration of many generations, but to me that for years was a member of the Scouts Venezuela, I am happy to know that today there are those who somehow remembered this story. The ThirtiesThey went when the going was good, a better time than now. I once thought the 'thirties were a dull, dishonest decade, but have since come to think better of it. It was a fine time to be young, a world full of wonders and adventures and you could get there on foot. The law was becoming a bother, but not the villain it has since become. And when they went in wild places they were able to go armed: Heaven forfend. And how nice that some of their descendants remain to remember their excellent adventure. (The Gallery, Boy Scouts, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
War Kitchen: 1941
... and son Bernard Jr. are in the 1940 census, living in Washington DC, where Bernard Sr. is an insurance agent. All 3 were born in ... was listed as "Tool Rpr". In 1950, they are back in Washington DC, where Senior is manager of a service station. Lenore works for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2022 - 10:31pm -

July 1941. "War housing. Mrs. B.J. Rogan and her small son, Bernie, in the kitchen of the Rogans' new war home at the Franklin Terrace housing project in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at a nearby plant which is working three shifts on war contracts. The Rogans pay about twenty percent of their income for rent." Medium format acetate negative by Alfred Palmer for the U.S. Office for Emergency Management. View full size. Light bulb in the trash canThat used to be a familiar sight, as manufacturers held to highly inefficient--thus highly profitable--incandescent bulbs long after alternatives were possible. It took an act of Congress (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) to phase out incandescent bulbs that typically lasted 750-1000 hours, as opposed to today's LED bulbs which won't need replacing for 25,000 hours. That CoffeepotWas my worst enemy after visiting my father-in-law's house for the first time for an overnight stay and being asked by my wife to "make coffee." Of course I had no idea how to make coffee in that kind of pot. We had only been married a year and I had been in the US for the same. Needless to say, I greeted everyone to breakfast with the best coffee sludge a newbie could make. Still thereThe Franklin Terrace apartments are now called the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. The old kitchen was tiny but charming; now, not so much. https://www.hace.org/housing-info/hace-rental-properties/john-e-horan-ga... https://www.hace.org/about-us/revitalization/ Snack TimeIt's about 2 pm according to the clock on the wall. I am just wondering what he did to get a snack at 2 pm. When I was his age, I didn't dare ask for a snack that soon after lunch. I usually waited until about 3 pm. Chances were 50/50. If if got to be 4 pm - it was too late - 'dinner is soon'. There's a busted light bulb in the trash bin. I wonder what wattage it was. Looks peaceful to meEverything spic and span and in its place while Mrs. Rogan whips up something tasty for her family, but I'm sure it reflects accurately on the home front during wartime. Those Servel gas refrigerators always seemed to produce a faint odor, but they did work using a science I never understood of how to make cool with a gas flame. Between 1955 and 1960 with I was in Boy Scouts, we'd spend Memorial Day weekend at a deer lease in the Hill Country of Texas between Kerrville and Medina. The first thing our Scoutmaster did upon entering the asbestos sided cabin was light the Servel refrigerator and that odor lingered throughout the weekend, but we had a lot of fun. [Fun fact: Servel is a contraction of "Serving Electricity." - Dave] Movin' on upIt's new, nice, clean, and not an attic nor a small travel trailer still on wheels. I couldn't find the Rogan family in the 1940 Census, but did find this description of their living arrangement progress: "Defense housing, Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. B. J. Rogan and their small son, Bernie, at home in the living room of their new defense home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at the nearby General Electric Company plant. He earns $42.50 a week, and pays about twenty percent of his income for rent. Before moving into a newly constructed defense home at the Franklin Terrace housing project, he lived in a remodeled attic, and then a trailer. For the latter he paid 6 dollars a week, including all utilities." I'm pretty sure the B. stands for Bernard. The Franklin Terrace housing project is now the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. Horan was/is the director of the Erie Housing Authority. These units are now public housing. PercolatorI suggest Baxado ought to retry the percolator for making coffee. I still have my parents' percolator which is used extensively on camping trips. Makes a great cup of coffee, but be careful of the grounds! Encyclopedias, The seat of knowledge Loco ...... motive on the table. 1941, huh?Since The U.S. didn't enter the war until December, why was this family living in "war housing?" [Yes, huh. Some googling might provide enlightenment. Keywords: Lend-Lease, Battle of Britain. - Dave] Found 'em Bernard J. Rogan, Sr., wife Lenore, and son Bernard Jr. are in the 1940 census, living in Washington DC, where Bernard Sr. is an insurance agent. All 3 were born in Pennsylvania. In 1948 they are living at 2130b Gladstone Ct., Erie PA. Occupation was listed as "Tool Rpr". In 1950, they are back in Washington DC, where Senior is manager of a service station. Lenore works for the Federal Power Commission. Senior died in about 1983. Lenore died in 1992. Junior died in 2016. Let there be (free) light."Light bulb in the trash can" reminded me that here in Detroit (and I assume other cities) the Edison Co. would exchange light bulbs (burned out for new) at no charge. That went on for years until some local store owner sued Edison for restraint of trade because he wanted to sell more lightbulbs. And won! What a yutz. Monday ... is laundry day. And this kitchen appears to have a combination kitchen sink and deep laundry tub. If Mrs. Rogan was lucky she would have an electric wringer washer, otherwise it would be the old washboard. It would lean against the angled portion of the laundry tub. My 1928 house still has its original double concrete laundry tubs. There were also refrigerators that operated on kerosene. Re: Snack Time by Soda_PopGiven his age, the social conventions of the time regarding raising children, etc., it's highly likely that Junior had a relatively early lunch - between 11:30 and noon, followed by a nap. Upon rising from said nap, he could have had a regular snack, followed by playtime in the yard all afternoon. Dad may have been at work until 3 or 3:30, and walked home by 4. Dinner may not have been until 5, so a 2 o'clock snack for Junior wouldn't have been out of place. Kids' stomachs are smaller than adults are, and their metabolism is generally higher. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Kids, Kitchens etc., WW2)
Washington Monuments: 1922
May 5, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Vista of Monument from Lincoln Memorial." National Photo ... the Mall, with the Reflecting Pool in the foreground, the Washington Monument glowing behind it, the beautifully lit dome of the Capitol ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:34pm -

May 5, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Vista of Monument from Lincoln Memorial." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Brand new and timelessThis photo was taken shortly before the dedication of the Memorial on May 30, 1922. Robert Lincoln (79) was there. The Reflecting Pool is not yet in place, though it was part of the original design and was finished the next year. Ironically, if you go to the Memorial today, you'll find bare dirt again while the pool is being renovated. The buildings glimpsed to the left along Constitution Avenue. are no longer there; from the same vantage point today you would see part the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Still, if there's a timeless vista anywhere in the United States, this is it. Timeless, IndeedIf there's ever a listing of the top 100 photos ever taken this must be on that list. Thank you. Speaking of the Reflecting PoolIsn't that where -- oh my God! -- they killed Kenny? Main NavyThe buildings along the left (north) side of the Mall are the "Main Navy and Munitions" buildings. Built as temporary quarters for the Department of the Navy and the Department of War in 1917, they were torn down in 1970. The Old Post Office tower is behind them. Into the MistOn a warm October evening in 1992, I sat with a girl on the top steps right in front of the columns on the left, and looked down the long vista of the Mall, with the Reflecting Pool in the foreground, the Washington Monument glowing behind it, the beautifully lit dome of the Capitol in the far distance, and a big, full moon hanging overhead. She was from California and had never seen any of this before. After a few moments of quiet, she said simply, "Thank you for showing me this." And my heart was hers. I'd relive that moment in a heartbeat. How do you delete a comment?How do you delete a comment? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Washington Shopped Here: 1913
... a video game in sight. Mrs. Stuntz's Counter Washington Post, May 26, 1901 Tales of the Town Famous Penny Counter There's many a Washington man now drawing nigh to the time of life which necessitates the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:26pm -

And Lincoln, too. Interior of the Apolonia Stuntz toy store on New York Avenue, seen from the outside in the previous post. View full size. The Newspaper...on the ceiling fixture. At first I thought it was put there by the photographer to dampen the light for his exposure. But it is a gas fixture. Seems a little dangerous. Otherwise, I LOVE the photo. A real toy store, with real toys. No electronic do-dads. And a whisk broom for every occasion!No home should be without one! Nice to see that they haven't changed a bit through the years! They're simple, effective, practical and inexpensive little gizmos; just the thing for cleaning off dirty children. Just lookingWhat a joy to be able to glimpse inside Stuntz's toy store. The cupboards spill over with toys that only needed imagination to provide fun: dollies in fancy dresses, their furniture and tea sets, push toys that clink and clank, horse heads on a stick to ride upon, and drums. Not a video game in sight. Mrs. Stuntz's CounterWashington Post, May 26, 1901 Tales of the Town Famous Penny Counter There's many a Washington man now drawing nigh to the time of life which necessitates the occasional letting out of a link the waistband, and many a Washington woman creeping along to the period when she anxiously scans her hair in the hand glass for the first gray ones, who must have experienced a tender, if not mournful, flood of memories when the announcement was made in the papers the other day that old Mrs. Stuntz, of New York avenue, had died. For a good deal more than a generation this good old lady had kept a little toy and candy store on New York avenue. Only the quiet old folks of Washington are able to remember when Mrs. Stuntz did not preside over this establishment. And perhaps even the quiet old folks cannot remember when Mrs. Stuntz herself was not a quiet old little lady. Mrs. Stuntz made a specialty of her penny counter for the young ones. On this counter she exhibited an almost unbelievable number of wondrously beautiful articles - some to eat and others to behold and to fondle — for a penny. The young ones of the days long ago would line up with wide eyes in front of those windows and play "choosins," whether they had the requisite penny or not. Sometimes it would take actual hours for those who had wheedled pennies out of the parents to decide how to invest the same. No sooner would a shaver in possession of a penny decide upon a horse-cake — one of those big, brownish affairs, from which it was the custom to bite the head, tail and legs first, reserving the body for the climactic gormandizing — than he would be torn with doubt as to whether a black licorice "nigger head," with red eyes, would not, so to speak, be a better money's worth, because it was an affair to be sucked, thereby prolonging the penny's worth of happiness. Many a little pig-tailed girl — now a mother of children — has stood first on one leg and then on the other in front of old Mrs. Stuntz's window, racked with doubt as to whether she ought to invest her penny in a tiny wooden churn or washtub, or in one of those little paper dolls of olden time, with red or blue tissue paper skirts much spread out. There was always at Mrs. Stuntz's counters the struggle between appetite and the embryotic artistic sense of the patrons. There was something powerfully satisfying in a cent's worth of Mrs. Stuntz's jujube paste, or in one of her hunks of yellow taffy on a stick, or in the three neatly wrapped, old-fashioned chocolate caramels, or even in the two little cakes of pure white sugared chewing gum that tasted like a combination of tallow and wax — and was good at that. Put all these fine things alongside such permanencies as 1-cent glass taw allies, or those exceedingly diminutive and hopelessly nude china dolls, or the terrifying bean-blower, or the ear-splitting tine whistle, or the cute little paper parasol — and the struggle between a yearnful, youthful appetite on the one side and an equally strong youthful desire to get something to have and to hold on the other, often drove the young ones of a past generation to something mighty like distraction. And the worst of it was that when all the doubts had been dispelled and then penny purchase had been made the purchaser almost immediately experienced a feeling of gloom over a sudden conviction that, after all, the wrong thing had been bought. The degree of patience which the kindly little old woman displayed in the many years she dealt with the children is well remembered by her customers who have arrived at an age to apprehend these matters. The penny-clutching, doubting young one was never told to "hurry up" by Mrs. Stuntz. The younger one was privileged to feast his or eyes on the marvelous penny bargains until such a time as a decision was reached, no matter how long it took. Such humiliations as the children of other years ever encountered in Mrs. Stuntz's shop they brought upon themselves. There are memories, for example of a nice red wagon in the window of Mrs. Stuntz's shop, and of an exceedingly little chap who, having been a penny customer of the little old woman's for some time, coveted the wagon, imagining that it couldn't possible cost more than a cent, for the simple reason that he had never bought anything from Mrs. Stuntz of greater value than that. The very little chap got hold of a penny and pranced boldly into Mrs. Stuntz's and announced that he was about to buy the red wagon. Mrs. Stuntz took it out of the window, and the little boy handed her over his cent. "But, sonny, the wagon is a dollar and a half," remarked the little old lady, smiling. The little chap took back his penny, his face flaming, and marched out of the store. It is likely that he has never at any subsequent time felt so utterly cheap as he did at that moment. There was many an eye that, losing the focus and becoming blurred, saw away beyond the newspaper, and far back into the yester-years, over the announcement of the death of Mrs. Stuntz, of New York avenue. Smoke AlarmI believe the paper hanging on the gas heater is a 1913 smoke alarm. If the paper starts on fire, well -- there you go. Light controlThe paper on the gas lamp is hooked on the lamp knob, and is just to control the amount of illumination in the back. The paper was safe as long as it didn't touch the globe. The wall-papered ceiling is a really nice job, an artisan's work for sure! There are several Restaurants and antique shops in my area (upper NY) that look exactly like this, only more cluttered. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets)
Washington: 1918
... what make that one is? Waiting for Sousa? Washington Post, Sep 30, 1918 SOUSA TO HELP LOAN Band of 300 ... looking up information and find he could well have been in Washington on that date. He commanded Camp Colt, Pa., but was reporting to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 3:53pm -

September 30, 1918. "Fourth Liberty Loan." Crowds gathered for a war-bond rally on Pennsylvania Avenue with the Capitol in the distance. View full size. A smoggy dayThose old cars certainly did belch. Looks like LA! Car-cophanyCough! Nothing in the photo remains today Except the Capitol building: people, cars, buildings are all gone. [Not so. The Willard Hotel is still very much there. - Dave] Cough CoughRally for the American Lung Association to follow immediately. My ChoiceI don't know what kind of vehicle it is but I'll take the sporty model in the center with the fine wire wheels and dual porthole rear windows. Anybody know what make that one is? Waiting for Sousa? Washington Post, Sep 30, 1918 SOUSA TO HELP LOAN Band of 300 Pieces Here Today for Parade and Concerts Banks Will Remain Open Tonight and Tomorrow Night Until 9 O'Clock to Encourage Early Pledges - Part Payments of $5 and $10 Monthly on $50 and $100 Bonds Will Be Taken by Banks Led by John Phillip Sousa, the famous Great Lakes Naval Band, which includes more than 300 pieces, will give a series of concerts today to help subscriptions to the fourth liberty loan. The band is bigger and better this year than ever, and will be turned over to the liberty loan committee of the District for the entire day and evening. The band will head a big parade through the streets this afternoon, will give two concerts during the day, and will provide a musical climax for the evening at a mass meeting to be held at 7:30 o'clock in Liberty Hut. ... The Sousa Band will arrive early this morning on a special train, which is used throughout the country on behalf of the fourth liberty loan ... The band will proceed along B street west to Pennsylvania avenue, west along Pennsylvania avenue to Fourteenth street to H, west on H to Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, then east on Pennsylvania avenue to East Executive avenue, and south on Executive avenue to the south steps of the Treasury were a second big concert will be given at 4:30. To offer every facility to the people for entering their subscriptions early all banks will remain open until 9 o'clock tonight and tomorrow. Every bank will help persons of small means own a liberty bond by accepting $5 cash and $5 a month on a $40 bond and $10 cash and $10 a month on a $100 bond. ... Several buildings are still aroundIn addition to the Willard on the far left, the Evening Star Building, a sliver of which is visible just behind the Raleigh Hotel, still stands (at least its facade does). Farther down the street in the mist you can make out the twin spires of the Apex Building, also still standing. On the right side, turrets of the still-standing Old Post Office building appear just above the large tree. Such a Great PhotoI am sure I am not alone as one who has forgone the endless drivel of the day's news to venture into the past with Shorpy, Dave, and the wonderful comments and observations of viewers which lead me to explore things I would have never questioned otherwise. This photograph is one of endless wonderment as there is so much to see and ponder. A short list of what pops into my brain on viewing would include many unfit for comment and some that may be. At first glance I thought it seemed a George M. Cohan production without enough flags. How many people can I find in the crowd obviously aware of the photographer? And of course the cars and trolleys. I am always taken by the lack of front wheel brakes on the autos of this period as I was in later years with the American designers painfully slow adoption of the disc brake and radial tire. Today I explored brake history and found this: http://www.motorera.com/history/hist07.htm As Shorpy was voted one of the best 100 sites this year it indicates that the appreciation for a quality undertaking has not been lost despite all evidence to the contrary. Thanks Shorpy. Ike?I could not help but be struck by the resemblance of the Army officer at the right side of the photo to that of Dwight D. Eisenhower during this time period. I have spent the past couple of days looking up information and find he could well have been in Washington on that date. He commanded Camp Colt, Pa., but was reporting to Washington twice a week to the commander of the Tank Corps, who had his HQ there. I attach a photo of Eisenhower about three years prior to the Shorpy photo. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
Fairview Hotel: 1916
Washington circa 1916. "Fairview Hotel, 1st Street and Florida Avenue." The ... with you sister..." sign. This Quaint Structure Washington Post, September 3, 1916. PLEAD FOR QUAINT HOTEL ... truck drivers and employes about the yards. Corby - Washington's Biggest Bakery Article from October 1915 issue of Bakers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 1:21pm -

Washington circa 1916. "Fairview Hotel, 1st Street and Florida Avenue." The proprietor is former slave and "colored philosopher" Keith Sutherland. See the comments below for more on him. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Room comes with outside bar.I wonder if he ever tried to patent his Pepecual Motion machine? Soup to GoTake a good look at the wooden cart. It has a kerosene container with a tap. It looks like it goes under the "soup" pot. Maybe Mr. Sutherland took his cart around and sold food as a vendor. He has a counter on both sides! Amazing. I don't know why......but I have sudden craving for a delicious CORBY CAKE™. Gold Dust Twins"I will agree with you sister why do they want to break up Fairview for" Cryptic sign. One might assume the city wanted to tear down the, um, stately Fairview Hotel. I can't imagine this was seriously a room for rent, unless it's just the check-in. Looks more like a ramshackle lunch stand. Fair View?Why, I'd say it was better than fair. It's downright byootyfull. Gold Dust Twins"Fairbank's Gold Dust Washing Powder - The Many Purpose Cleaner. Gold Dust products were represented by the Gold Dust Twins, two African-American children surrounded by gold coins. The orange box with the universally recognized twins practically jumped off the shelf. In fact the twins were one of the best known trademarks of the 19th century. Let the Twins Do Your Work was the tag line. The back of the box shows the twins tackling several household chores as well as a list of 34 cleaning jobs made easier by using Gold Dust. http://www.the-forum.com/advert/golddust.htm Wow!Now this is one of the most interesting photos posted on Shorpy in a long time. I would love to know the story behind the "I will agree with you sister..." sign. This Quaint StructureWashington Post, September 3, 1916. PLEAD FOR QUAINT HOTEL Hundred Neighbors Sign a Petition To Save Sutherland's "Fairview." A petition eight feet long, signed by about 100 neighbors of the Fairview Hotel, First street and Florida avenue northeast, will be introduced as evidence against the condemnation and closing of this quaint structure when a hearing is held at the District building Tuesday to determine whether the property shall be razed for sanitary reasons. Keith Sutherland is the aged colored proprietor, and he hobbled to the District building last week and appealed to Daniel Donovan, secretary to the board of commissioners, to save his place. Since filing his appeal the health department has investigated the property. Its report has been turned over to Commissioner Brownlow, and will be heard at the hearing. Fairview is a one-room hotel, opposite the Baltimore and Ohio freight yards. On the spotless whitewashed walls the proprietor, Sutherland, has written some quaint bits of philosophy for the edification of his customers -- truck drivers and employes about the yards. Corby - Washington's Biggest BakeryArticle from October 1915 issue of Bakers Review courtesy of Google Books: The largest bakery in Washington--and model one, too, in every sense of the word--is that owned and operated by the Corby Baking Co., one of the most progressive baking concerns in the United States. The firm was organized twenty years ago, when they started a little bakery down town. In 1902 they bought out a baker at 2305 Georgia Ave., (where their present plant is situated), and then built the first addition. In 1912 they built again, giving the Plant of the Corby Baking Co., Washington, D. C. building its present size. The article even has pictures! Say!I think I stayed there one year Thursday night! Roof GardenFor me a most entertaining aspect of the photo is the three rusty tins being used as planters on top of the shack:     FAIR     VIEW     HOTEL And the whiskey bottles on the stand tell a lot about this place. Those signsKeith Sutherland's quaint signs would qualify today as genuine folk art. Gold Dust TwinsFred Lynn and Jim Rice were known as the Gold Dust Twins in 1975. I figured the name came from somewhere, but I didn't know it was from washing powder. Sage DiesWashington Post, Feb. 21, 1933. Sage Dies Former Slave Prophesied Voters' Landslide for Roosevelt. Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher and prophet whose political forecast won him the thanks of President-elect Roosevelt, fulfilled his final prediction Sunday when he folded his hands about a Bible and died at his home, 1640 Eleventh street. The former slave felt the approach of death Friday, his children said. He called his family together and instructed them to prepare a funeral, saying that he would die on the Sabbath. Last August Sutherland dreamed of a great voters' landslide for Franklin D. Roosevelt. The dream was so "clear" that he wrote Mr. Roosevelt a description of it. Mr. Roosevelt responded with a "thank you" note saying he found the prediction "very encouraging." For the past half century Sutherland has kept a restaurant in Washington where the walls were posted with his prophecies, many of them showing unusual foresight. He was 79 years old. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the P.A. Lomax funeral home, Fourteenth and S streets. Interment will be at Harmony Cemetery. He is survived by four children. The Real McCoyIt actually looks like Grandpappy Amos McCoy's apple cider stand. Hostelry Spared Local News Briefs Upon recommendation of both the health officer, William C. Woodward, and Building Inspector Hacker, the District commissioners decided not to condemn "Fairview," the famous hostelry at First street and Florida avenue northwest , owned by Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher. About a month ago complaints reached the health office that "Fairview" was insanitary and a menace to the health of the city. The commissioners decided to investigate, but before they were ready to take action, an eight-foot petition signed by hundreds of residents of the northeast section, asking that "Fairview" be allowed to remain, was presented to them by Sutherland. Washington Post, Sep 9, 1916 District Building Notes Keith Sutherland, the aged colored proprietor of the Fairview Hotel, at First street and Florida avenue northwest, impressed city authorities so much last week with a plea for the retention of his property, which had almost been condemned to be razed, that it is likely the "hostelry" will be allowed to stand. Sutherland hobbled to the District building and presented a petition for his place signed by about 200 neighbors. Health Officer Woodward investigated the property and it is understood reported favorably on letting it remain. The building inspector, Morris Hacker, has the matter now under consideration. Sutherland is famous throughout his section of the city for his bits of philosophy, with which the walls of his establishment are painted. Washington Post, Sep 10, 1916 Alley Cook-ShopsWashington Post, Jan. 1, 1897. LICENSES FOR ALLEY COOK SHOPS. Judge Kimball Decides They Are Liable To a Fee of $25 a Year. The alleys of this city are filled with colored cook-shops, which heretofore have paid no license fee. Judge Kimball said yesterday, however, that every one of them must pay $25 a year. Only the police and the people who visit the numerous alleys and little streets of the city know how many of these cook-shops exist. The colored people generally resort to these places for pigs' feet, meat pie, and substantial provender prepared by the old mammies and quaint old colored men who run them, and cook dishes to the taste of the people of their race. The police yesterday brought into court, as a test case, Keith Sutherland, who has conducted a cook-shop for many years at 1111 R street. He was released on bonds after he took out a license, and as the matter has now been tested the police will bring all the proprietors of unlicensed cook-shops to the Police Court. Into the FutureThe descendants of Keith Sutherland's little counter 100 years ago were still going strong when I moved to Washington in the 1980s. I was directed by my new colleagues to explore the alleyways around our offices at M Street and Connecticut Avenue for (legal) hole-in-the-wall eateries for lunch and breakfast. It didn't take long for these places to become favorites of mine. I've been gone from D.C. for 20 years now; I'm wondering if these establishment still exist. Sutherland Family 1880 Census 1643 Vermont Avenue Sandy Sutherland, 54 Rach Sutherland, 57, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 12, (son) Keith Sutherland, 25, (son) Hattey Sutherland, 22, (daughter-in-law) Mary Sutherland, 6, (daughter) Willie Sutherland, 4, (son) 1900 Census 1112 R St Keith Sutherland, 46 Hattie Sutherland, 44, (wife) Arthur Sutherland, 3, (son - adopted) Webster Sutherland, 32, (brother) 1920 Census 104 Seaton Place Northeast Keith S Sutherland, 65 Hattie D Sutherland, 64, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 52, (brother) ???, 14, (daughter) Arthur L., 21, (son) Cora, 15, (daughter-in-law) Pinkey ???, 52, (mother-in-law) Just like India of todayHere in India, we still have thousands of "hotels" just like this one. I can walk to the end of the street here and find three of them that in black-and-white wouldn't look so different. Many are even on wheels (carts with bicycle wheels). Most have similar folk-art signs complete with misspellings. And similar records of cleanliness. I always thought it was interesting that restaurants in India are still called hotels. Now I see it's not odd, just archaic. Corby BakeryIt later became a Wonder Bread bakery (last time I was by there, the old "Wonder Bread" sign was still in place). The Corby buildings are still there (east side of Georgia just north of Bryant Street) and now house a strip of retail shops and fast food places. "Arbiter of all Brawls""Keitt" Sutherland was getting towards the end of a colorful life here. Washington Post, February 4, 1900. EX-KING OF THE BOTTOM Once Dominated a Notorious Section of the City. WHERE CRIME AND EVIL REIGNED. Reminiscences of "Hell's Bottom," Which Formally Kept the Police Department Busy, Recalled by "Keitt" Sutherland, the Odd Character Who Figured as Self-appointed Arbiter of all Brawls –- His Curious Resort in Center of that Section. KEITT'S. I, am, going, to, put, my, name, above, THE DOOR. The above legend with its superfluity of commas, inscribed on a piece of board about a foot square, nailed above the door of a tumble-down building at the intersection of Vermont avenue, Twelfth and R streets, marks the abode of the “King of Hell’s Bottom.” The structure thus adorned is the pool room of “Keitt” Sutherland, overlord and supreme ruler of the negroes in the vicinity. Although the encroachments of modern dwellings, increase in the police force, and other accompaniments of growing metropolitan life have somewhat shorn him of his feudal rights and curtailed his former realm, “Keitt” is now, and always will be, monarch of all he chooses to survey. It is still within the memory of the present generation when “Hell’s Bottom” was a fact and not a memory. The swampy, low-lying ground bred mosquitoes, malaria, and – thugs. It was the quarter set apart for and dominated by the tough element of the colored population. A white man with money in his pocket studiously avoided the locality after dark, or else set a fast pace to which he adjusted the accompaniment of a rag-time whistle. Half a dozen saloons congested within the radius of a block served the barroom habitués with whisky as hot as chile con carne and as exhilarating as Chinese pundu. Fights arose approaching the dimensions of a riot, and the guardians of the law had all they could do to quell the disturbances. A policeman or two was killed, and that, together with the growth of the city, led to the rehabilitation of “Hell’s Bottom.” Now it is interesting mainly in its wealth of reminiscence. “How did I happen to put up that sign?” Keitt repeats after the inevitable query. “I’ll tell you. You see my folks used to own that property, and they was sort o’ slow dyin’ off. I knowed I was going to come into it some day, an’ I thought I might as well let people know it. About that time a show came along, and they sang a song somethin’ like this: “I am going to put my name above the door. For it’s better late than never. An’ I’ll do so howsomever.’ It gave me an idea. I just put that sign above the door. After while the folks died, an’ I got the property.” Queer Sort of Place. Guided by the much-be-commaed signboard, the visitor goes to the door of the poolroom and inquires for “Keitt.” He finds the room filled with colored youth of all sizes, the adults of which are engaged in playing pool at 5 cents a game. The balls on the table are a joblot, the survivors of the fittest in many a hard-fought game. The cushions are about as responsive as brickbats. But the players do not seem to care for that so long as they can drive the balls into the pockets and make their opponents pay for the sport. An ancient, dingy card on the wall informs the reader that he is within the precincts of the “Northern Light Poolroom.” The same placard also gives the following warning: “Persons are cautioned against laying around this building.” “Where is Keitt?” inquires the intruder, who finds himself regarded with suspicion. “Two doahs down below. Jest hollah ‘Katy,’ an’ he’ll show up,” is the answer. “Keitt” on inspection justified the right to the title of “king.” He is a giant, weighing 250 pounds, well distributed over a broad frame six feet and one inch in height. He looks like a man who would not shun a rough and tumble fight. He does not have to. A registered striking machine off in the corner shows that he can deliver a 500-pound blow. He might do better, but unfortunately the makers of the instrument did not figure that a man’s fist was a pile driver, and 500 pounds is as high as the machine will register. Many are the tables told of his prowess; of how he whipped in single combat the slugger of the community, a man who had challenged any five to come on at once; of how when only a bootblack in the ‘60’s, he sent three bullies about their business with broken heads and black eyes; of how he used to suppress incipient riots in his saloon by means of his strong arm and without the aid of the bluecoats in the neighborhood. Indeed, the police used to say that “Keitt” was as good as a sergeant and a squad with loaded “billies.” But “Keitt” (the name is a popular conversion of the more familiar “Keith”) has not won his way entirely through the medium of brawn. He is a man of intelligence, and has a keen eye for business. He is the magnate of the neighborhood, with property in his name, money in the bank, and a good comfortable roll about his place of business. He can go down in his pocket and bring out more $50 bills than the average man caries about in the $5 denomination. If one hints robbery or burglary “Keitt” simply rolls his eye expressively, and enough has been said. No one cares to tamper with his till. Plenty of Local Color. The saloon on the outside looks like a combination coal and wood shed. “Keitt” apologetically explains that it was formerly a stable, and that he has not had time to fix up much. Nevertheless, the fish, beans, sandwiches, and other eatables are so tempting that the frequenters of the place do not pay much attention to external appearances. The magic of the proprietor’s name draws as much custom as he can attend to, and fully as much as the customers can pay for. There is a charm about the old haunt that cannot be dispelled by police regulations or the proximity of modern dwellings. On Saturday night the place takes on something of its old glory. In the smoke-begrimed room – hardly 12 by 12 – are found thirty or forty men eating and talking. Through the thick clouds of smoke the lamps throw out a dim gleam, and the odor of frying fish and the fumes of the pipe struggle for the mastery. The crowd gets noisy at times, but any attempt at boisterousness is quieted by a word from the dominant spirit of the gathering. If any one gets obstreperous he is thrown out on the pavement, and it makes little difference to the bouncer whether the mutinous one lands on his head or not. This is the negro Bohemia. They who live from hand to mouth love to come her. The boot-black with a dime receives as much consideration as the belated teamster with a roll of one-dollar bills. Business is business, and “Keitt” is a business man. Consequently there is very little credit given. “Five or ten cents is about the limit,” says the autocrat. But “Keitt” is something of a philanthropist., although he makes his charity redound to his personal benefit. An illustrated placard, done in what appears to be an excellent quality of shoe blacking, has the figure of a man sawing wood. It bears the following words, “Just tell them that you saw me sawing wood at Keitt’s for a grind.” The term “grind” is synonymous with mastication, the wood sawyer thereby being supposed to do a stunt for the recompense of a square meal. This does away with the tearful plaint that is ever the specialty of the hungry and penniless, gives employment to the idle, and increases the size of “Keitt’s” wood pile. The latter is sold to the negroes of the neighborhood at prevailing prices. “Keitt” figures that his method is wiser than giving unlimited credit, and he is probably right. “Keitt” is a mine of reminiscence. He has been in Washington 1862, when he came from Charles County, Md., where he was born a slave. He was a bootblack around the Treasury building, and he remembers seeing Lincoln’s funeral pass by, with the white horse tied behind the hearse. His history of the rise and fall of “Hell’s Bottom” is quite valuable from a local standpoint. Divested of dialect, it is as follows “’Hell’s Bottom’ began to get its name shortly after the close of the war in 1866. There were two very lively places in those days. One was a triangular square at Rhode Island avenue and Eleventh street. It was here that an eloquent colored preacher, who went by the name of ‘John the Baptist,’ used to hold revival services, which were attended by the newly-freed slaves. The revival was all right, but the four or five barrooms in the neighborhood used to hold the overflow meetings, and when the crowds went home at night you couldn’t tell whether they were shouting from religion or whisky. “Then there was what was known as the ‘contraband camp,’ located on S street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth. The negroes who had just been freed stayed there waiting for white people to come and hire them. They got into all sorts of trouble, and many of them settled in the neighborhood. Money was scarce and whisky was cheap – a certain sort of whisky – and the combination resulted in giving the place the name which it held for so many years. The police force was small. There was no police court, and the magistrates before whom offenders were brought rarely fixed the penalty at more than $2. Crime and lawlessness grew terribly, and a man had to fight, whenever he went into the ‘Bottom.’ “The unsettled condition of the locality made things worse. Men used to shoot reed birds where Corcoran street now is. I have caught many a mud turtle there in the 60’s. I saw a man get drowned in the creek at Seventh and R streets. At the point where the engine-house is now located on R street a man could catch all the minnows he wanted for bait. Tall swamp grass afforded easy concealment for any one who wanted to hide after a petty theft or the robbery of some pedestrian. Consequently, it is small wonder that the law was defied in those days. Many Disorderly Rowdies. “A white man never wanted to cross the ‘Bottom’ after dark. If he did he had to keep stepping. Just how many crimes of magnitude were committed there no one can tell. The life of the negro was far from easy. If a fellow took a girl to church, the chances were that he would not take her home. A gang of rowdies would meet him at the church door as he came out. They would tell him to ‘trot,’ and he seldom disobeyed. They escorted the girl themselves. It was impossible to stop this sort of petty misdeeds. “At times the trouble grew serious. I have seen 500 negroes engaged in a fight all at once in ‘Hell’s Bottom.’ That was during the mayoralty elections, and the riot would be started by the discovery of a negro who was voting the Democratic ticket. I have had big fights in my old saloon, but there was only one that I could not stop with the assistance of two bouncers I had in those days. There were fully fifty men in the saloon at the time, and most of them were drunk. They began to quarrel, and when I could not stop them I blew a distress call. About fifteen policemen came, for in those days it was useless to send two or three to quell a disturbance around here. When word came that the police were after them the last man of them rushed through the rear part of the saloon, and I’ll give you my word that they broke down the fences in five back yards in getting away. Not a man of them was captured. “Ah, those were the days. Things are quiet around here now, but sometimes we have a little fun, and then the boys go to the farm for ninety days. I keep ‘em pretty straight in my place, though, let me tell you.” (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Washington Slept Here: 1925
Washington, 1925. "Ford Motor Company. Capitol bedding truck." In a rare stab ... Street- view today is very similar. An ad from 1919 Washington Post reveals that Capitol Brand Mattresses were locally ... Bros 1½ Ton This photo appeared in the May 10, 1925 Washington Post, captioned: "Graham Brothers 1½-ton truck on 158-inch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 1:01pm -

Washington, 1925. "Ford Motor Company. Capitol bedding truck." In a rare stab at whimsy or wit or whatever you want to call it, National Photo shot this Capitol Mattress truck in front of the actual Capitol. Tee hee! View full size. Ford Motor CompanyLovely, brand new, truck, but it's not a Ford. [Ford Motor would have been the client who commissioned the photo. The truck is a Dodge. - Dave] Perpendicular ParkingTypical, even in 1911 these truck drivers think they can park right in the middle of the road! East Capitol MattressPhotographed on East Capitol Street- view today is very similar. An ad from 1919 Washington Post reveals that Capitol Brand Mattresses were locally manufactured and distributed through many local stores including S. Kann Sons Co., 8th and Market Space The Hub Furniture Co., 7th and D Sts. Lansburgh & Bro., 420-430 7th St. Sachs Furniture Co., 8th and D Sts. R.W. Henderson, 1109 F St. Sanitary Bedding Co., 903 G St. W.E. Miller, 7th and E Sts. S.W. Hopkins Furniture Co., 415 7th St. Diamond Bedding Co., 739 7th St. Wilson, Proctor & Co., 717 7th St. Nelson Furniture Co., 508 H St. N.E. Cut Rate Furniture Co., 937 7th St. Palais Royal, 11th & G Sts. The Hecht Co., 513-517 7th St. National Furniture Co., 633 H St. N.W. Julius Lansburgh Furniture Co., 512 9th St. P.J. Nee, 7th and H Sts., N.W. Walker-Thomas Co., 1015 7th St. Cornell's Wall Paper Co., 714 13th St. Baum Furniture House, 2004 14th St. People's Dept. Store, 8th and Pa. Ave. S.E. Globe Furniture Co., 1012 7th St. Thompson Bros., 1220 Good Hope Road Hutchison Bros., 1814 14th St. N.W. Faint praise"Serviceable?" That seems perilously close to damning with faint praise. "Why, yes, our mattresses are deeply adequate!" CleanSanitary is always a good quality when it comes to mattresses. I didn't know you had a choice? Questions, QuestionsI was getting ready to launch a comment about how this isn't a Ford, but fortunately calmed down long enough to read the comments and see it had already been mentioned. I do wonder, though, why FoMoCo wanted the portrait of a Dodge Truck. Comparative study? Also, it looks like the truck driver backed right up to large tree that would block unloading. Lastly, I'll just say I love that old iron fencing in the yard to our left. Fine letteringThe high point of this pic is the lettering on the truck. This was an expensive job rendered by a highly skilled signpainter. Look at the split-blended shading on the main copy, and the detail in the Capitol image. Graham Bros 1½ TonThis photo appeared in the May 10, 1925 Washington Post, captioned: "Graham Brothers 1½-ton truck on 158-inch wheel base with body designed to carry bulky goods." It still makes no sense why Ford would commission the photo. Perhaps a transcription mistake occurred later. [The transcription is correct. Graham Bros. manufactured the chassis. The powerplants were supplied by a third party, generally Dodge or Ford. In 1926 the company was bought out by Dodge Bros. - Dave] How Much?What did a Tempur-Pedic sell for in '25? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
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