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- Washington Rabbit: 1911
- Washington, D.C., 1911. "Mrs. J.R. Band with pet rabbit." Happy Easter from ... key and perhaps a comb.
Sagacious Bunny
Washington Post, Oct 31, 1911
Has the Newest Fad in Pets
Mrs. ... Posted by Dave - 08/18/2012 - 5:49pm -
- Town and Country: 1913
- June 28, 1913. Washington, D.C. "Massachusetts Avenue Heights." Woodland Drive at 32nd Street ... this sylvan intersection looks like today. Thank you.
Washington Monument That property corner marker labeled "LOT 1" is the ... and $8.3 million.
http://www.trulia.com/for_sale/Washington,DC/38.923526,38.928033,-77.066...
Posh Digs This ... Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:16pm -
![June 28, 1913. Washington, D.C. "Massachusetts Avenue Heights." Woodland Drive at 32nd Street NW. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size.
Woodland & 32ndThat corner's crying for a 7-Eleven.
[And a Starbucks! - Dave]
Would crySpeakin' of cryin', I would do so with delight if someone out there could produce a photo that shows what this sylvan intersection looks like today. Thank you.
Washington MonumentThat property corner marker labeled "LOT 1" is the biggest monument I've ever seen a surveyor use. We have a piece of rebar poking up half an inch out of the ground on each corner of our lot.
Woodland at 32nd TodayWoodland and 32nd. Click to zoom.
Slow down!Are those speed bumps laying on the road or did Batman just leave the Batcave?
Re: Slow downLying on the road. Not "laying."
[Another Shorpy Teaching Moment! - Dave]
Tony Neighborhood Today!Two homes on the market: $6.5 million and $8.3 million.
http://www.trulia.com/for_sale/Washington,DC/38.923526,38.928033,-77.066...
Posh DigsThis neighborhood was exclusive from the start. The Washington Post reports that Rep. Martin B. Madden (Republican, Illinois), chair of the appropriations committee, lived at 3201 Woodland Drive in the 1920s.
A tragic location 102 years later.This is the same intersection where the premises on Woodland Drive were the location where on May 13-14, 2015 a quadruple murder took place. Three members of one family were killed along with a housekeeper. Mass killing and then an arson attempt to cover evidence. A suspect was found guilty and sentenced to four consecutive life-without release terms.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Washington,_D.C.,_quadruple_murder_in...
(The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/30645u_0.thumbnail.jpg "Town and Country: 1913")
- Washington Pork: 1925
- ... Another circa 1925 scene from the O Street Market in Washington. Who wants ham? National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View ... old is new I guess.
I love your title -- that's Washington pork that I approve of! Maybe some good Virginia ham, hmmm.
How ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 7:54pm -
- Washington Rubber: 1942
- May 14, 1942. Washington, D.C. "Filling up with gas on the day before rationing starts." 4x5 ... Posted by Dave - 09/05/2022 - 5:34pm -
![May 14, 1942. Washington, D.C. "Filling up with gas on the day before rationing starts." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size.
1940 Studebaker CommanderI don't know my Chevrolets that well but the car facing us, with its driver signing for something, is a 1940 Studebaker Commander sedan.
Under the Hood (and under the table)Less than a year later, this station would be charged with violating rationing regulations on numerous occasions!!
The apartment building(s) in the background are still there, occupying the whole south side of the 1300 block of Clifton.
I need some airI really like the Eco Tirefloater Model 40 from the '30s underneath the Hood Tires man.
[It's a Tireflator, not "floater." Because it's an inflator of tires! - Dave]
Gee, our old LaSalle ran greatThe man signing something is not at a pump, so not sure what he's signing for. But it brings back memories of when you had to have a separate credit card for each brand of gas. This Conoco did not take a Shell card. After the nice man gave you the amount of gas you requested, cleaned your windshield, and checked oil, tires, etc., you handed him your gas card, which he took inside to swipe in a credit card imprinter (they still sell those things?). He returned to your car with your card, a pen, and a receipt for you to sign. Afterward, he tore off one of the carbon copies for you to have for your records and thanked you for your business.
By 1998 that system was all in the past. When my father died that year, my mother had never put gas in a car. And she did not want to learn.
The CatwalkIn automotive design terms during the 1930s, the "catwalk" was the area between the front fenders and the hood. "Catwalk cooling" referred to the insertion of air intakes in those areas. Virgil Exner designed that Studebaker while working in Raymond Loewy's studio. Exner later went on to create the huge tailfinned land yachts for Chrysler in the late 1950s.
Rationing rationaleMake It Do – Gasoline Rationing in World War II https://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-gasoline-rationing-in-world-war-i...
Gas was rationed primarily to save rubber, because Japan had occupied Indochina, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There was a shortage of gas on the East Coast until a pipeline from Texas was constructed to replace the transport of crude oil by sea, which during the early years of the war made it vulnerable to attack by German submarines.
In the vault of the National Postal Museum there are a few of the almost five billion gasoline rationing coupons which were produced in response to the 1973-74 gasoline shortage at the direction of the Federal Energy Office. The government had proposed nationwide gasoline rationing, as had occurred during World War II, but national gas rationing never happened and the coupons were never used.
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/object-spotlight/gasoline-ration...
Neon Flags in MotionThis gas station has a wonderful neon sign. The neon glass tubing is installed so that the uniformed man up on the corner of the building would appear to be waving two flags. The Hood Tires neon flags alternating would really attract attention at night.
The Hood Service ManGo to this link. It has everything you would ever want to know about the guy in that sign on the middle of the building.
http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/126382/153/39.pdf
B.F. Goodrich "Speed Warden"
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, John Collier, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8c26557a1.thumbnail.jpg "Washington Rubber: 1942")
- Shulman's Market: 1942
- ...
1942. "Shulman's Market at N and Union Street S.W., Washington." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Louise Rosskam. ... store. One thing that puzzles me (I live just outside of Washington, and work downtown) is there is not, as far as I can tell, a Union ... Posted by Dave - 04/27/2017 - 4:25pm -
![ This large-format Kodachrome by Louise Rosskam from 1942 first appeared on Shorpy some 20,000 posts ago, back in 2007.
1942. "Shulman's Market at N and Union Street S.W., Washington." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Louise Rosskam. Alternate view. In one of the many comments for this post, an alert FOS (Friend of Shorpy) points out the posters of Axis leaders Mussolini, Hitler and Admiral Yamamoto in the window. Along the bottom of each it says What do YOU say America?
The smiling windowLook closely at the window and you'll see two swirls at the top that appear to be eyes and grinning mouth at the bottom. It's a happy store.
WowI am really loving these pictures, especially the color ones... Its amazing how dirty things were back then. Do you think it was just the subjects the photographer was capturing, or was there less focus on public works back then?
Same Store?I was hoping I had a newer photo of that same store, but it appears the one I took--though similar and also on N St--is not the same one. Here they are compared.
Same Store?Thanks for the detective work! Here is another view of the store. One thing that puzzles me (I live just outside of Washington, and work downtown) is there is not, as far as I can tell, a Union Street in the District. The street sign clearly says N and Union (the S or N in SW or NW is broken off). The street number behind the bars above the door is 485½. I notice that the windows on both the store and car have been soaped.
Harry ShulmanThere seem to have been several Shulman's Markets in D.C. An archive search shows there was one at 1349 Sixth St. NW in 1958, in addition to the one in the picture, and one on O Street NW. Harry Shulman died in 1984. From his obituary in the Washington Post: "Harry Shulman, 85, a grocer in the Washington area from the time he moved here in 1928 until he retired in 1971, died of a liver ailment May 15 at the Washington Hospital Center. He lived in Rockville. Mr. Shulman moved to Boston from his native Lithuania in the early 1900s. When he moved here, he opened Shulman's Market, which he operated at O Street NW for 39 years before closing it in 1967. He worked for several other grocers until he retired four years later."
There are about 250 mentions of addresses on Union Street SW in the Washington Post, with the last one in 1959. The ones I found are in the 1200 block: houses at 1255 and 1271 Union St. SW, the Lincoln Market at 1212, etc. Either it got renamed or disappeared in some kind of redevelopment. (There are 51 hits for Union Street NW, with the last mention in 1990. Those may be mistaken references to Union Court NW.)
In 1908 there are a couple of ads listing merchants who would redeem Sweetheart Soap coupons. One was E. Cockrill, whose store was at 485½ N Street SW at Union.
Re: all the dirt. A coupleRe: all the dirt. A couple ideas: 1) these are pretty rough, poor places. 2) The country was at the end of a very long and difficult depression that made many people poor. Routine maintenance is one of the first things you cut back on when money's tight, and money was very tight.
I sent this site to my grandma, and she told me how they used to love playing with mud during the depression. :)
wonderful siteI am enjoying this site VERY much.
I, too, particularly like the color photographs because they provide a certain immediacy and timelessness. I don't THINK of 1941 as being "in color" (having been born 13 years later).
Anyway, keep up the great work. It's a pleasure to visit here.
More like this one, please!Street scenes like this one are just fascinating to me because the level of detail enables me to imagine that I'm actually walking down the street in 1942. At first glance it doesn't appear all that much different than today, but then you notice all the little details, such as the posters in the window of what I presume to be Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini!
this siteI've only just found this site and am loving it. thank you for doing this...lisavc (from australia)
Window postersYikes. I figured they were baseball players, but you are right. They are Mussolini, Hitler and Admiral Yamamoto (see comment with poster links below). I added your observation to the caption along with a blowup of the posters. Thanks! And thank you, too, lisavc in Australia!
dirt or soot?Did US homes use coal for heating in the 40s? Britain used to be black with soot.
CoalYes, lots of buildings and homes had coal furnaces in the 1940s. I would say the balance tipped in favor of oil (kerosene) heating sometime after World War II. Although I am not sure where people are seeing dirt here. The yellow paint is soiled from where people have been leaning against or touching the wall. You can see the same thing on either side of the doors in this picture.
Window Posters... where Hitler Says:
"We shall soon have our Storm Troopers in America!"
And Yamamoto:
"I am looking forward to dictating peace to the United States in the White House at Washington."
And Mussolini:
"We consider peace a catastrophe for human civilization."
Great site!
Poster LinksAmazing. I am shocked and awed! Thank you, Anonymous Tipster!
AmazingI love the site, especially pictures like this. The colors are so vivid, the image so clear, that it almost takes away the time barriers. I could imagine myself walking right up to those people as if they were still alive today, looking now as they did then.
As for this comment...
"Its amazing how dirty things were back then."
Come take a trip to Philadelphia; the level of filth is exactly the same in 2007.
Re: "Amazing How Dirty Things Were Back Then"Really? That is a very funny statement. When I first saw the photo, I thought it could be from anyhere on the Hill or in Georgetown today. Aside from a few neighborhoods, The city really isn't much cleaner. In fact, the brick sidewalks are actually flat. Now there are so many roots pushing them up that it's difficult to walk at night without tripping.
This 1897 map of DC showsThis 1897 map of DC shows that Union St SW ran from M to O in between 4 1/2 St. (which seems to have been where 4th St. is now) and 6th St. If you look at a current map of DC, there's no trace of the former Union St. in the midst of a bunch of large buildings. If you plug in 485 Union St. SW Washington into Google Maps, though, it does show it being about where Union St. was.
1897 MapThank you so much! Click here for a closeup of the map (which is quite beautiful). Union Street is toward the bottom. Another mystery solved thanks to Anonymous Tipster.
Southwest WashingtonSouthwest D.C. was probably the most destitute parts of town at the time this photo was taken. Union Street SW no longer exists because this part of town was almost completely leveled by eminent domain in the 1950s, in one of the country's first urban renewal projects.
Prince AlbertLooks like Shulman's has Prince Albert in a can... ;-) Seriously, though, it is absolutely amazing how well these Kodachrome images have held up for all these decades. Kodak's scientists came up with a magic emulsion which has never been bettered...
Ninth StreetMy grandparents lived on 9th Street S.E. There was a corner store with the same yellow paint job just down the street (300 or 400 block.) I'm guessing it was also owned by Shulman. As for the soot I'm sure it was from coal, their house was heated with coal until my grandmother sold the house in 1960.
Bernard ShulmanAccording to the 1942 Polk Directory, 485½ N Street S.W. was Schulman's Grocery. That's how it was spelled in the directory. Bernard was listed as the owner. He lived at 1412 K Street S.E. His wife's name was Clara.
Across from Shulman'sI lived directly across the street from Shulman's Market from 1946 to 1949. We shopped there all the time, and not only were the houses all heated with coal (we had a large shed in the back yard to hold it), but most all of us had ice delivered in huge blocks for our iceboxes. Hardly anyone around there had a refrigerator. My mother, who is now 90, remembers discussing the Old Testament with the owner often. They were both very religious.
Union Street SI live at Union and N Streets, SW. Technically. After the redevelopment of Southwest DC, Union Street was replaced by apartment/coop buildings. The streets that still remain off M Street are 4th and 6th. I bought the print with the old car in front of the market for nostalgic sake.
Great PhotosThis series of photos was what first got me looking at Shorpy. Been hooked ever since.
Sad Little GirlThe Commentators so far seem to have skipped over the sad looking little girl sitting under the window. Beautiful child.
The Washington CanalI compared the two maps and managed to trace the route of the Washington Canal. Looks like the canal came down Independence Ave along the Mall, veered a slight right Down Washington/Canal street, Right on South Capitol, another slight right at the RR tracks onto Canal again perpendicular to Delaware Ave, slight left down Third Street to the river. The Fort Meyer complex absorbed and changed Third Street to 5th Avenue. If you go down M Street from South Capitol SW (west), take a left on 4th Street SW, go to N Street, the right on N would go to Union and N Street. Of course the canal was filled in due to outbreaks of disease attributed to the terrible things dumped into it, the likes of which you aint never seen.
[Take a right on what again? -tterrace]
I recall the area vaguelyI was 6 years old, and lived near an old deli (Snyder's?) on the corner. I recall Miss Minnie's candy and variety store I think on the same block. I was able to walk to Bowen school from the "Jefferson Gardens" white 2 story deco building courtyard we lived in. I believe I lived near K and I streets. There were super-old abandoned red brick buildings across from me. Windows removed, and facing the demolitions to come like a tempest. 1953 or so, and then we moved. Later we went back and saw the barrel roofed buildings that emerged. I recall the vegetable man taking his horse cart through the alley.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, D.C., Louise Rosskam, Stores & Markets)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34421u_1_0.thumbnail.jpg "Shulman's Market: 1942")
- Saplings: 1925
- December 1925. Washington, D.C. "W.W. Lodding (tree & son)." Scion of Walter W. Lodding, ... Posted by Dave - 12/22/2023 - 7:52pm -
![December 1925. Washington, D.C. "W.W. Lodding (tree & son)." Scion of Walter W. Lodding, of Office Xmas Party fame. 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company. View full size.
Fatherland ExpressThat little 0-gauge clockwork train has already covered quite a distance -- all the way from Germany, to be precise. It's been made by Bing, a major German toymaker back then. It's not completely surprising that Mr. Lodding decided to buy a Bing train instead of one manufactured by Lionel, Ives or American Flyer -- after all, Lodding is a German name.
Not far from the tree, in two sensesThis charming boy is growing up to look just like his father.
The boy’s futureI wonder what the future held for this boy? I’m guessing his direction may have changed 16 years after this photo was taken. We’ll probably never know, but it’s interesting to reflect.
[More like 15 years. - Dave]
Formidable-looking Dad ... ... darling little boy. That sweet smile warms my heart. Now I want to know how his life unfolded.
Happy Holidays, Shorpsters!
The Ears Ahead.Toys now -- he was 3 here (but like his father, looked older) -- girls later.
In between (1943) was the WWII service wondered about (below). He became a Mason, and -- in contrast to his peripatetic childhood (New York, DC, Atlanta, Chicago) -- seems to have spent the rest of his life in Illinois.(He died in 1982, outliving his mother by just nine years).
Ham and Sam on HandBehind the trike's left wheel I think I spy Ham & Sam the Minstrel Team tin windup...
(The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-15356u.thumbnail.jpg "Saplings: 1925")
- Hidden Washington: 1923
- ... & Ewing plates showing the alleys and backstreets of Washington, D.C. The subject here is a Chaconas grocery wagon. Who can ... another forum I belong to, we were discussing alleyways of Washington. Here's a photo I took right off Thomas Circle, behind the modern ... Posted by Dave - 04/20/2013 - 9:15pm -
!["Produce wagon in city, 1923." One in a series of Harris & Ewing plates showing the alleys and backstreets of Washington, D.C. The subject here is a Chaconas grocery wagon. Who can identify the dome? 4x5 glass negative. View full size.
Time capsulesI love these vintage "back alley" urban street scenes The little details. What's cool is that these back alleys pretty much retain all the architectural details ( windows, gutters, cast iron, masonry) even to this day. If you wander down any old urban area alley-ways it's as if going back in time.
Shades of my childhoodThe ragman cometh!
Window AlterationRight above the double doors to the right of the car there's an arched window that appears to have been closed after the building was built. But the upper floor door/window must have been there from the start which makes me think this was a correction during construction and not after. I wonder if the upper floor was originally designed with a smaller window but a last minute requirement changed that.
Portland FlatsThe dome appears to be that of the Portland Flats apartment building that stood at Thomas Circle bounded by 14th Street and Vermont Avenue, NW.
Alley Shot From Last MonthThis photo is fascinating.
On another forum I belong to, we were discussing alleyways of Washington. Here's a photo I took right off Thomas Circle, behind the modern office building I was working at that month, just off 14th Street and Vermont Avenue, NW.
Evidently this old carriage house is now a bar.
Building on rightYes, the dome does indeed appear to be the Portland Flats, which is often called Washington's first luxury apartments. The only extant building in the photo are the stables on the extreme right, which is currently a bar called the Green Lantern.
Headlight lensThe V in green was unique for early-1921 on the Ford truck.
Looks FamiliarI'm pretty sure the building on the right with the double doors is the Krazy Kat.
Hucksters and arabbersI see in a previous posting, that such a wagon was referred to as a "huckster wagon". This reminds me of the Baltimore "arabbers" who drove throughout the city selling fruits and vegetables. I don't think most of the arabbers were affiliated with any grocery store - just independent businessmen.
As a youngster in Balto during the 1950s, I would see wagons full of watermelons or bananas - unloaded from the docks, and straight to the far-flung neighborhoods.
Arabbers were still doing business in Balto at the turn of this century, but lost their city-provided stables.
Related to this type of business, I remember men carrying grinding wheels on their backs - offering to sharpen ypur kitchen knives. Times have changed.
Hidden IndeedI am sure I just have not paid any attention to it before.
But after looking at around 175 images so far, you would think that I would have seen how that horse is being tied in some other image here as well.
I am thinking almost for certain that is a portable device and not one that is affixed to the ground, and just the weight of that object is enough to convey to the horse that is it indeed securely tied and has not chance of moving.
A simple device that the makers of even took the time to give a distinct shape and form, when any random object of similar weight would do.
One of the reasons I Love this site, is seeing things like this that were common place from that time, and are now extremely rare to see again that the everyday practical use.
That dynamic for me is so clearly demonstrated in this wonderful image.
[There is a "horse weight" in at least one other image here, although I don't remember which one. - Dave]
Hee HawJudging by the animal, I would guess this was a Democratic ward.
Horse WeightsThere is one found here:
https://www.shorpy.com/node/9523
Re: Hidden IndeedRegarding the horse weight, it was noted in this image previously:
https://www.shorpy.com/node/5130
Juxtaposition/ Transitionof/from the old and to the new, the horses/wagons in the front and the Model T truck to the right. Move over, guys, horseless is the way to go.
Horse WeightYou will find one in this image-
https://www.shorpy.com/node/14793
"Horse, Buggy, Tether, Hitch etc. Weight"Weights came in many shapes, styles and heft. Usually always connected, they were simply lifted by the long chain or rope and placed at the drivers feet when not in use. You can actually see one in use by a Doctor in a popular move but I'll be darned if I can remember which one. When the Doctor parks his buggy, he steps off, grabs the rope attached to the weight from the floorboard, walks to the horse and plops the weight on the ground.
About that blocked upper doorThat building probably was a horse stable. Those upper doors were where hay was loaded into the building. There would have been a hole in the upper floor inside the building down through which the hay was tossed when it was Dobbin's feeding time.
+93Below is the same view from May of 2016.
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Horses, Stores & Markets)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_42919a.thumbnail.jpg "Hidden Washington: 1923")
- Washington Maytag: 1926
- Washington, D.C., 1926. "Maytag Co. display at Industrial Exposition." 8x10 ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:26pm -
![Washington, D.C., 1926. "Maytag Co. display at Industrial Exposition." 8x10 glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size.
Gasoline drivenI remember seeing a number of these with a kickstart gasoline engine still running in the 40's
ModernI bet those Maytags made the housewives swoon!!! The latest in 1926 technology. Love these pictures and this site - keep 'em coming! Thanks for the history lessons.
RingersI remember my grandmother still had a ringer washer in the 1950s. I wondered why my mom's Bendix didn't have one of those neat roller things. My mom was probably glad her's didn't since I was much too interested in that finger smashing contraption.
[Unless there's a built-in telephone, they're called wringer washers. Not "ringer." - Dave]
Yes, I spotted that as soon as I saw it posted. Guess my thinker wasn't fully in gear. It's getting pretty old too. :-(
Maytag and MeMy great aunt Beullah lived in an apartment house in Tulsa in the late '40s and kept her Maytag in the basement garage. There was a drain in the middle of the garage and after helping her wring out the clothes I got to hold the hose over the drain to let the water out.
Gasoline MaytagHey, I have one of those gas powered Maytag washers sitting on my carport. Single cylinder Model 92 engine plus I have a Maytag twin cylinder engine, but no washer to go with it.
Maytag in My Living RoomWhat I wouldn’t give to find one of those electric Maytag signs some day. That would look swell in my living room. Beautiful.
Industrial ExpositionMore images from this exposition, please! The company next to the Maytag display is advertising "we resilver mirrors" and they've got some pretty art nouveau examples on display. The NuGrape sign is nice, too. Somebody's offering free Park and Tilford candy with each membership to...something. And exactly HOW do car owners save money on gas, oil, repairs and accessories? This photo is giving me sensory overload!
That reminds me.......I need to do the laundry. *sigh*
More NuGrapeDave, the product placement in this site has gotten pretty shameless.
Now, never mind the electric sign - that "thoroughbred" poster is glorious. So very bold, so timeless and certain. Dave, could you provide a close up, please? I promise to buy a case of NuGrape next time the truck comes by.
[Mmmkay. - Dave]
Through the WringerMy Mom used a wringer well into the fifties. My little brother put his hand through the wringer once and broke his arm. He got so much attention (rare in my six kid family), I tried to do the same. Got mocked and slapped as I didn't have the commitment necessary to complete the task. Best part of this photo is the car though, rather have that than clean clothes.
Arm in the wringerI am glad to hear that I was not the only one to put his arm through the wringer. I was fortunate that I didn't break my arm, but my mother broke the wringer getting my arm free. I still have a scar on my right biceps to remind me of the incident.
Model TThis could be a 1925 or 26 Model T Ford Roadster pickup.
This was probably repainted from the factory black by the Maytag people. Staring in 1928 Ford would paint the truck line to any color the customer wanted for their fleet use.
Maytag AutomobileSince Fred and August Duesenberg were building cars for Maytag, is this a Maytag car on this picture?
Maytag WasherI just recently had a chance to buy a complete working Maytag just like this one for $75. I didn't have the cash on me at the time though.
T-ruckThe car is a 1926 Model T Roadster pickup. It's probably painted the blue/grey color of the Maytag washers. Model T's were offered in colors from 1909 to 1913, "black only" from 1914 to 1925, then colors were again offered in 1926 & 1927. The odd thing about this car is that it has an aftermarket pickup box, not the one that Ford offered.
Any 1926 Maytags in your possession?If anyone still has a working Maytag like the ones pictured above please contact me as soon as possible. I'm interested to know how you use it? (jtrejo@peppercom.com)
Thank you!
Worked Great!My best friend's mom had one of these, and it was running great in the 1960s! I think I would like one of these better than the ones today. They had a huge tub, the agitator was a monster, and the wringers worked perfectly.
The best part though, is the tub was higher, and you didn't have to dig down into it, to get to the clothes. The tub was also very wide, and held a LOT of clothes. Her machine had the drain that went into the sink too, so it may not have been exactly like these, but pretty close for sure.
We had to do the wash for all the kids if we wanted to go to the local drive in Mighty Mo and watch the cars pass by about a hundred times, it was a weekend MUST do.
I had not thought of that in years!
A word you don't hear every day"Gyrafoam."
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Kitchens etc., Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/32283u.thumbnail.jpg "Washington Maytag: 1926")
- Zip It Garage: 1919
- ... District of Columbia, 1919. Willard Service Station, Washington Battery Co., 1623 L Street. The sign: "We respectfully request ... of batteries rather then the name of the service station. Washington Battery Company, originally located at 1621 L street expanded in ... Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:24pm -
- This Desirable Corner: 1901
- Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of E Street N.W., south side, looking west ... Posted by Dave - 12/19/2023 - 12:58pm -
- 535-07-5248 and Wife
- ... 3 (AP) - Richard "Rip" Raappana, 24, well-known southwest Washington athlete, was killed early Saturday. His automobile swerved into a ... at Kelso high. He played college football for Eastern Washington college at Cheney and last fall was with the University of Hawaii in ... Posted by Dave - 08/01/2020 - 3:52pm -
![Oregon, August 1939. "Unemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest. Note Social Security number tattooed on his arm." (And now a bit of Shorpy scholarship / detective work. A public records search shows that 535-07-5248 belonged to one Thomas Cave, born July 1912, died in 1980 in Portland. Which would make him 27 years old when this picture was taken.) Medium format safety negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size.
Wow, and is she hot.Wow. She's kind of hot too. Well, I am not showing proper respect for history either.
Wow. He's kind of hot.Wow. He's kind of hot. I am really not showing the proper respect for history.
She'sno slouch either as long as you're on the subject. I'm loving this series of Dust Bowl era pics. I have known a few people who back then had their number on their arm upside down so they could read it.
Relative?He's my brother's namesake, which makes me wonder if we're related. Can you get more information from Social Security numbers, other than name and d.o.b./d.o.d.? I'm Australian, so I don't know anything about the system.
[The dates and place of death (Portland, Oregon) are the only information given. - Dave]
Hey- Even grandpas were sexyHey- Even grandpas were sexy in their day!
SSDIYou can search the Social Security Death Index (available at Ancestry.com, among other places) and it will tell you dob/dod plus last residence. You can also generate the form to send to the Social Security office to request (purchase) a copy of the original application which will give a little more information.
I'm impressed with how well groomed they both are. Sure he's got stains on his trousers, but his hair is combed and (except for the mustache) he is clean-shaven. In the background, his wife is wearing what looks like a fairly stylish dress and her pose looks like it could have come out of a fashion magazine. They certainly do not look like the tired and downtrodden people we've seen in other pictures. Makes me wonder what he did before and how long they've been following the harvest.
[He was, as the caption says, a lumber worker. - Dave]
Pierce Brosnan?He bears an uncanny resemblance to Pierce Brosnan when he as in The Matador. Or, I guess I should say, Pierce Brosnan bears an uncanny resemblance to him.
See for yourself:
http://tinyurl.com/2gga3j
They managedThey managed to keep clean and she looked pretty good
They're both veryThey're both very attractive! The Depression was tough, even for the good-lookin'..
:)
Hubba!What a babe! :)
There are just so manyThere are just so many awesome things about this photo. The elegant beauty of the woman. The handsome man with pipe. The tattoo on the arm with his Social Security number of all things. Then to be able to search them out by using his social and modern technology. It's just a treat!
Thomas CaveTHOMAS CAVE
born: 02 Jul 1912
death: Jun 1980
last residence: Portland, Multnomah, OR
535-07-5248
Oregon Death Index
Name: Thomas Urs Cave
Spouse: Annie
Birth: 1912
Death: dd mm 1980 - Multnomah
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Thomas U Cave
Birth: 1912
Military: 29 Oct 1942 - Portland, Oregon
Residence: Oregon, Multnomah, Oregon
U.S. Veterans Gravesites
Name: Cave, Thomas U Thomas U Cave
Birth: 2 Jul 1912
Death: 4 Jun 1980
Military: 12 Nov 1942
Military: 4 Feb 1946
Pierce Brosnan?I think he looks more like a younger Treat Williams.
www.movievillains.com/images/xanderdrax.jpg
Well now, he's obviously aWell now, he's obviously a Dapper Dan man!
A treat, indeed!
Wish weA treat, indeed!
Wish we could interview this couple now and ask them about those times.
I'll bet they'd say it wasn't such a bad time of their lives.
They had each other...
Perhaps we people have forgotten what's really important in life.
SmokeIt was a inexpensive pleasure back then
Harder TimesTimes were harder back then, and arguably so were the people. I'm struck by how much older than I he looks as we are both the same age.
Makes me wonder if he had a great head start on life experiences at 27, and I'm lazily slow-poking my way through life. Maybe I should just count myself blessed to live in such times of relative ease and prosperity.
Actually, it probably has more to do with the fact that he could actually grow facial hair at this point in his life...but I think I'm going to stick with the "harder times" thesis : )
Or more smoke?Maybe it was all the smoking those people did that aged them? Imagine being flat broke, having to live under a tarp, and still spending money on tobacco!
Social Security Number? PricelessNot thrilled that so much is revealed with a SSN search. Somebody is probably getting a credit card in his name right about now.
Re: Harder TimesI think that it was a product of responsibility. People back then were given greater responsibility at a much younger age and had a lot more expectations back then.
SSNI asked the Library of Congress to upload the .tiff file so we could read his SSN. It could be a 9, not a 4. The LOC librarian took out the original negative but could not be sure either. I agree, Thomas Cave makes more sense because the other option, Clarence Horn, was born in 1917. That man does not look 22. But, often writing history comes down to this kind of reasoning and, hopefully, corroboration.
Unfortunately, Thomas Cave's 1942 enlistment document lists him as "divorced, with dependents." That might not be accurate for a whole host of reasons, especially he does not show up on the 1930 Federal Census. I'd like to believe she was the "Annie" listed as his spouse on his death certificate. History doesn't kill romance; it just makes sure it's true.
Tobacco was a standard ration in the Depression. Do note the date of death, however. He died at 67. That said, there is no dress rehearsal for life. Times were tough, in a way we can only begin to imagine today. Scurvy: can you give me lists of those tatooed numbers or maybe let me interview you about the people you knew?
If anyone wants to know more about the conditions in which this man and woman lived during the Depression, please do not hesitate to ask. I am teaching the photo tomorrow and am introducing my students to the kind of enterprising research and insight I've seen reflected in this list. Bravo. (And yes, he's hot--my students agree).
Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann
Assistant Professor of American History and Photographic Historian
Georgetown University
School of Foreign Service in Qatar
ksw29@georgetown.edu
Re: SSNThe TIFF is already on the LOC site for anyone to download. Here's the number in question. 535-07-5248. Maybe you are not using the highest resolution file available. (There are two.)
LookalikesUnfortunately I don't have a picture to prove it, but he looks like my brother in law at that age. Rich is Greek and Irish. I wonder what nationality Thomas Cave was.
[His nationality was American. Ethnicity? - Dave]
SSN numberHi Dave:
As a professor of history, the LOC uploaded the highest res photo on my request. The LOC librarian examined the neg with a magnifying glass and could get no greater detail. Unfortunately, writing a 9 with an exaggerated bottom hook was common handwriting practice in the '30s (as it in in Western Europe today). Also, the tattoo was not doen with a gun. A 4 with an open top would have been easier to do than a curved 9. If it is indeed a 4, the tattooist made the job harder on himself by closing the top of the 4. If you notice, the straight lines in the 3 and 7 are more distinct than the curved lines. Quite honestly, it looks like my Dad's handwriting (1924-1991, US Army 1942-1946). In some ways, we cannot believe our eyes when looking at old pictures. We have to see them in their historical context.
Also, the the letters are SSA not SSN. They stand for Social Security Administration. SSN did not become a common acronym until after World War II. The first SSNs were issued in 1935, a year before this picture. The New Deal agencies were referred to back then as "the alphabet agencies" and then "alphabet soup." For example, Lange, a photographer working for the RA, had previously worked for FERA (forerunner of today's FEMA) and later the FSA, took the picture under the auspices of the USDA. Before the New Deal, government was much smaller, and, saving the USDA, these "alphabetics" (as they were also called) did not exist. There were dozens.
For a great read on the Depression (that assumes no prior knowledge of the era), I recommend Robert McElvaine, _The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941_.
We have to take all the facts, inside and outside the image, before making sound historical conclusions. But, engaging in ths kind of dialogue is the best way to learn more of our history. I hope that looking at these amazing artifacts of our national past sparks a greater interest in the history, one that is not dependent on memorization of dates and names (which I hate too). History is about feelings and motivations and all manner of human endeavor. Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this picture with you.
BTW, if anyone thinks he is an ancestor (his middle name was Urs), is the names "Urs" a common name in your family? I think it might be German. Giving a mother's maiden name as a middle name, or the first name of a parent or grandparent, was common practice in the early 20th c. Because "Urs" is textspeak for "yours," I can't do too much with a quick Google search.
Best,
Kate
Dangling modifiersTouché. I wish my students picked up such things.
Kate
[Imagine a fact-checking school of piranhas and you basically have our readership. (Kidding!) - Dave]
The Trap of the Dangling Modifier>> As a professor of history, the LOC uploaded the highest res photo
The LOC is a professor of history? Hmm.
UrsThe name “Urs” is common in Switzerland, but not in Austria or Germany. Only the female equivalent, Ursula, is quite common here.
SmokingMy father once told me that he started smoking during the Depression because it killed his appetite. You know how some folks worry that if they quit smoking they'll gain weight. He smoked so there would be more food for his brothers and sisters. Unfortunately he like his father and several of his uncles, brothers and sister fell victim to emphysema
re: Lookalikes-DaveThanks Dave, that's what I was trying to say. Mind goes blank ever so often and I use the first word I can think of. Old age and drugs are he-- on a mind.
Urs, smoking, and identityI think Urs is also an old Celtic name. I still don't get why he doesn't show up in the 1930 census. Anyone on the list in Multnomah, Oregon? He's buried at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland: Col-2, Row 382, Site B. Maybe they have a next of kin on record to whom the picture can be shown? His 1980 death cert. lists an Annie as spouse, but his enlistment record lists him as divorced with dependents. Don't know if the woman is Annie (before they got married) or the former Mrs. Cave. Every generation thinks it invented premarital sex and cohabitation. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was pretty common in all strata of society. Sometimes in the Depression, the especially hard-hit would not bother to get a formal divorce; people would just leave.
He also might have been a Wobbly. 1935 is kind of late, but they were always strongest in the West: mining and timber.
Another thing bothers me about his "identity": Thomas Cave's enlistment record has him at 5'6" and 156 pounds. I know there are ways to judge height of sitting people with software, but that's beyond me at the moment.
My father used to cup his cigarettes in his hand until he quit in the 1980s, "so the snipers couldn't get a fix." That's why it's "unlucky" to light 3 cigarettes with one flame, so says my Vietnam Vet husband. Remember the old WWII movies, "smoke-em if you got-em, boys." I think I also remember my Dad saying something about the tobacco killing hunger in the Depression. Dad was a tenant farmer 'til he went off to war. Pregnant women were encouraged to smoke to stop morning sickness. Tobacco use was ubiquitous. The Red Cross even handed out cigarettes in the 1931 drought.
Best,
Kate
re: to Kate Urs, smoking, and identityThanks for the info Kate. Maybe he and the woman in the picture weren't really married. Interesting, and I agree about the "premarital sex and cohabitation". I couldn't believe my ears when I finally was told the stories about my family ;o)
My dad used to do that with his cigarettes too. He never said why however, but now I know :)
TattooYou mention that you don't think the tattoo was put on with a machine. As a tattooer for 17 years I can pretty much assure you that it was. That kind of serif style and the continuity of size would be impossible for a novice to achieve using a hand-poke method.
Thomas CaveThomas Cave, 1912-1980.
Kind of WeirdThis is one of my favorite pictures I've seen here on Shorpy. For some reason, these two make me think of Rooster and Lily from "Annie."
Looking Back to NowThere are some historic photographs -- and they are rare indeed -- that somehow manage to look as if they were shot in the present, just yesterday. This is one such. I'm not speaking of the people exactly but the manner in which they enter the camera. Not all of Dorothea Lange's (or other commercial photographers of any era) manage to convey such "magic" but this one does. It took my breath away when I first saw it (elsewhere) last month.
A handsome rakeNot sure if this fits the bill, but I'd nominate this pic for the Handsome Rakes gallery. I'll bet people walked up to him and told him he looked like Errol Flynn. His girl is on the pretty side as well, though I think we have pictures aplenty in the pretty girls gallery!
Movie star looksHe reminds me of Errol Flynn. Maybe it's the mustache?
Two more photos of Thomas CaveTwo more of Lange's photos of Thomas Cave (neither quite so interesting visually as the one here) came up via the LOC's "Neighboring Call Numbers" browser: LC-USF34-020536-E and LC-USF34-020538-E. In the second of these, Cave appears to be deliberately displaying his Social Security number tattoo. Perhaps he was a true believer in the promises that it represented. Other photos from this group of 30 identify the bean harvest locale as "Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton."
"Cute Boys"?We have "Bathing Girls!" and "Pretty Girls" categories; when, oh when, will "Cute Boys!" be created? Along with Mr. Cave, "Powerhouse Mechanic and Steam Pump" should be included! Yowza is it getting warm in here?
[Look at the tags above the photo. The category you're describing already exists. - Dave]
Bean Pickers, Marion County, OregonMy father's family left Oklahoma in 1934 headed for California, and by 1939 would have been permanently settled in Marion County, still picking other people's crops and working odd jobs. None of my family from my father's generation, or the one before his, is still alive, but it does make me wonder if they might have encountered this handsome couple back then.
First Generation LifelockMr Cave's efforts to protect himself against identity theft were, perhaps, not so well thought out.
PragmaticI think he is a pragmatic man, his circumstances make it quite possible that he will be found dead at the side of the road or in a ditch. The number on his arm makes identification possible.
Mofred InfoHere he is, with three wives, on FamilySearch:
Tillman Thomas Ursel Cave 2 July 1912 – 4 June 1980
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GQL8-S8Z
A little bit more about Thomas U. CaveAll this information was found via the newspaper archive at genealogybank.com. (I would have just posted links to save space, but it is a paid site.)
In the June 4, 1949 issue of The Oregonian, there is a birth announcement that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas U. Cave gave birth to a daughter on May 28. Then, on Sept. 22, 1950, another announcement that another daughter (Juanita L.) was born on Sept. 13. An address is included in both announcements.
Then, a tragic story from the May 4, 1952 issue: "Kelso Grid Star Dies in Collision". It reads:
KELSO, Wash. May 3 (AP) - Richard "Rip" Raappana, 24, well-known southwest Washington athlete, was killed early Saturday. His automobile swerved into a Consolidated Freightways truck and trailer a mile north of here on the Pacific Highway, the state patrol reported.
Louise N. Robinson, 21, Longview, a passenger in his car, was injured critically.
The state patrol said the truck driver was Thomas U. Cave, 39, of Portland.
Raappana was an all-round athlete at Kelso high. He played college football for Eastern Washington college at Cheney and last fall was with the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
No Golds Gym HereWhat impresses me most is that his nice body is most likely due to heavy labor, not lifting weights in a gym.
LooksHe looks like David Gandy, one of the top male models of the last 10 years
We know him as 535-07-5248But his wife just called him "5". I think she's got kind of the Dorothy Lamour vibe:
Who knew History could be so HandsomeI love checking out Shorpy everyday, and it's a double pleasure when such a handsome picture pops up.
Service DetailsThe grave marker said he was a Sgt during WWII. One of the lucky ones to have made it to the end after enlisting in 1942. Does anyone have the ability to look up his service record? Would love to know what he did and where he was during WWII.
Reminds me of Freddie MercuryBritish musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Queen.
Late to the game, but --I have a little more information about this man, if anyone is interested.
Anyone looking on a genealogy/records site might have some trouble finding him under the name Thomas Urs Cave, because it looks like his real name was Tillman Thomas Urs Cave.
I initially found a census record for a Thomas U Cave in 1940. At the time he was renting a house in Shasta, Oregon, and stated that he was a truck driver who had an eighth grade education. He was also married - but not to Annie (Ann Kathryn per the grave marker?). His wife was a woman named Vivian, who was a fruit picker on a farm. I believe Vivian is the lady in the photograph.
But that was it, beyond the service records/SSA death record already posted about. But a census record for 1920 caught my eye because the young boy, Tilman T Cave, had a sister called Juanita - the same name Thomas gave his daughter in 1949 per the newspaper announcement. In 1920 Tilman and Juanita lived with their parents, Tilman B and Sarah N Cave, on a farm in Buckham, Oregon. A possible match, but not 100% guaranteed.
Searches for the name Tilman Cave, though, found three good records:
- a 1918 WWI draft registration for a Tillman Benjamin Cave, wife Sadie, both living in Buckham, Oregon
- a 1930 census record for Benjamin T and Sadie N Cave in Los Angeles, California
- a 1940 census record for Benjamin T and Sadie N Cave in Portland, Oregon
I realize the names change during this time. I've known plenty of people who go by their middle name, which would account for Tillman Benjamin becoming Benjamin T, and it's possible that Sadie is a pet name for Sarah given the shared middle initial of 'N'. As for the sudden jump from Oregon to LA and back, I'm guessing a lot of people migrated for possible work.
The clincher record: a 1934 marriage record of a Tillman T.U. Cave to a Vivian Couture (both residents of Multnomah County, Oregon) in Washington State. The witnesses' signatures are Benjamin Cave and Saddie [sic] Cave.
Unfortunately I still can't find Tillman or Thomas Cave in the 1930 census, but we're at the mercy of both the census-takers and transcribers here. I've found faults from both before (a prime example: the census of 1940 says Vivian worked as a picker on a Fruit Farm, but it has been transcribed in the index as a Kunt Farm. I don't even want to imagine what one of those would be.) He's probably out there somewhere.
All of this isn't 100% proof, but that's hard to get without a chain of vital records.
If any of the previous posters are still reading this, or new readers comes across this, I hope you find this information of interest!
Relationship dynamicsHer place on the photo, uncomfortable body language and wary eyes as if the photographer was an attractive woman.
My Great-GrandmaI loved reading all the comments. Yes, this is a picture of my great-grandma Vivian. My grandmother recounted the story to me. A photographer came into camp and because of this, no one was allowed to go work while the photographer went tent to tent taking pictures. Hence the death stare she was giving. They lost out on an entire day’s wages because this guy wanted to take their picture. And yes, my grandma remembers it as a man who came even though it is credited to Dorothea Lange. I know very little of the man in the picture. I do however know that my grandma is not resting in peace next to him. What I remember of Grandma Vivian is how her house was in the middle of the woods and she had a pet deer that would visit her daily and she would let it in the house. She had the most beautiful flowers around her property. And she always wore a head scarf. She died when I as around 3 years old.
My Cooper cousinTillman Thomas Cave was my cousin, he was married at least twice. Vivian Couture (pictured), I have some photos of her and she worked for Kaiser Mills in Portland, Oregon. She had a photo ID indicating she was 5'9", Tillman was 5'6". She was a slender dark haired dark eyed girl and her half brother Melvin was lighter haired with very blue eyes. Tillman's full name is Tillman Thomas Ursel Cave, born July 2, 1912, died June 4, 1980. He married Vivian on July 3, 1934. They were together seven to nine years. He later married Ann Kathryn Bloom. His name Cave had been shortened from Cavendish at some point.
(The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Handsome Rakes)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8b15572u.thumbnail.jpg "535-07-5248 and Wife")
- This Won't Hurt a Bit: 1928
- "Washington Sanitarium. Takoma Park, Maryland," circa 1928. View full size. ... This being a rather military setup, we must remember it is Washington D.C. and that would be the way things would be done.
Thing 1 and ... holders shaped to fit in a drum autoclave.
Washington Sanitarium Patrick wrote: "This being a rather military setup, we ... Posted by Dave - 08/12/2008 - 4:19pm -
- Washington Drank Here: 1913
- Washington, D.C., 1913. "Mullany's Saloon, 14th & E Sts. N.W." More about ... Mazzocchi's fruit stand and cigar store.
Washington Post, December 1, 1929.
By-Paths of the Nation's Capital
... Posted by Dave - 10/05/2013 - 2:09pm -
![Washington, D.C., 1913. "Mullany's Saloon, 14th & E Sts. N.W." More about this venerable watering hole here. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.
Telltale SignI like your ad up there on the National Engraving sign. Looks like it was actually there, or did you go back in time and put it there? Love these old pictures.
[Shorpy got around. - Dave]
Shorpy & Co.National Engraving Co. sign apparently painted by Shorpy & Co. Is it a common practice to hide a Shorpy reference in the signs, a la Alfred Hitchcock's cameos? If so, I've been totally missing them.
[Watch for when the bus pulls up. - Dave]
Quiet DrinkersNext door at 502 Fourteenth St. NW, Jerome Mazzocchi's fruit stand and cigar store.
Washington Post, December 1, 1929.
By-Paths of the Nation's Capital
By Buck Bryant
… Dennis Mullany had a small, unpretentious place, south [sic] of Pennsylvania avenue, on Fourteenth street. He did not cater to an eating crowd but knew his liquors. Every man with an educated taste for strong drink found his saloon and liked it. Quiet, modest and businesslike, he appealed to the fellow who sought a beverage but no conversation.…
(The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_03177a.thumbnail.jpg "Washington Drank Here: 1913")
- Washington Yard: 1917
- Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "U.S. Capitol dome from rail yards in Southeast ... vantage looking north east. By the time of this photo, Washington Union Station had been open for nine years. The passenger train is ... Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 5:59pm -
![Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "U.S. Capitol dome from rail yards in Southeast section." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
Dangling thingsPlease tell me what the dangling things are off of the pole in the left center of the picture and what purpose they served.
[Overheight telltales for any brakemen on top of the cars. To let them know that a bridge, tunnel etc. is coming up. - Dave]
Fallen FlagsI find it very interesting that out of all of the railroads represented by these freight cars only the Florida East Coast still exists with the same name.
Team TracksThe brick paving and the variety of railroads represented leads me to believe these are what were known as "Team Tracks," or "Public Tracks," meaning cars (mainly boxcars) were spotted on them for loading and unloading by shippers using their own "teams" (as in teamsters) without railroad employee assistance. Team Tracks were ubiquitous in the pre-highway era, and they didn't completely disappear until around 1970. A large percentage of carload freight shipments were handled this way. The shipper obtained a lower rate, and you were not required to have your own rail spur ("Private Track").
This service was available to anyone, including individuals. When my great-grandparents were moving between cities in the early 1900s, they ordered a boxcar to be placed at a local Public Track, arranged to have their household belongings loaded into it, and then reversed the process at another Public Track at their new town of residence. Of course, for more prosperous clientele, moving or transfer companies would take care of all that for you, and such companies probably would have their own warehouse and private tracks.
This was how transportation worked before paved roads.
For train loversThis doesn't have much to do with this photo specifically, but I think the train enthusiasts who are likely to like this picture will also very much enjoy this link.
This is a sort of documentary made in the 40's about the Southern Pacific Railroad. It gets shown on a cable access station here quite a lot (probably because Tucson has a large rail yard and some of the film was shot here), and I always find myself getting sucked into watching it when it's on.
"This Is My Railroad," Part 1:
http://www.archive.org/details/ThisIsMy1940
Part 2:
http://www.archive.org/details/ThisIsMy1940_2
It's a great record of the attitudes and mindset of the period (though it comes across as laughably sexist at times!).
Southern Railroad yardsThis is the Southern RR yards located in the Southwest section of DC. The view of the Capitol is the West Front with the Library of Congress dome to the right of the Capitol. The passenger line from the south ran under the mall in front of the West Front of the Capitol to Union Station
Horse headPeeking out at the very end of the longest line of freight cars. Maybe there to take a load of something off the waiting cars.
Making a mark on societyThankfully, the spray can hadn't been invented yet.
Ninth and DThis would not be the Southern yards, which were in Alexandria. This is a small PRR (I believe ex-B&P) yard that occupied the land bordered by Ninth and D streets SW. This Google Street view is as close as one can get to the photographer's vantage looking north east. By the time of this photo, Washington Union Station had been open for nine years. The passenger train is headed that way on the present elevated alignment which was built concurrent with Union Station.
View Larger Map
About the B&P RailroadWhile I don't think the yard pictured was owned by the B&P, that railroad did have facilities nearby at one time. Attached is a bit of an 1886 map showing the pre-union station arrangements. Note the B&P station between 6th and 7th streets on the north side of the mall. An d of course, the B&P did eventually become part of the PRR.
The yard in the photo is in th eblock marked 386, right at the left edge of the map snippet.
About those dangly things and ownershipI sinned, in that I submitted a too wide image. This is a repeat of the message, with a suitably edited copy of the image. I apologize.
I found a panoramic drawing on the Library of Congress web site, dated 1921 which shows the area in question, but looking in from the east south east, I've attached an snippet from that view.
I believe the photographer was standing on the 10th Street SW overpass, and that bridge was the reason for the telltales seen in the photo.
As to the owner of the yard/team tracks, the panorama marked the tracks approaching the area as "Southern Railway System." Look between 6th and 5th streets. There is another such notation just out of the frame on the top.
The dome peeking out between the bare tree and the three story building appears to be the Library of Congress building, what they now call the Thomas Jefferson Building.
SwaybackMost of the boxcars in this picture had wooden frames. To help support the center of the 40' long cars, two to four metal rods were run between the ends and below "queensposts" at the center of the car. The rods were called truss rods as they provided support similar to the trusses of a bridge. One rod is visible below the "Georgia" car. The rods had turnbuckles at their centers to provide some adjustment of their tension. Many years of heavy loads and hard use overcame even the ability of the truss rods to defy the law of gravity, and cars gradually developed the swayback appearance seen here. Iron, and later steel, underframes and sides eliminated the sag in all but the most abused cars.
Model railroaders who model this period spend many hours building that sway into brand new models.
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/10149a.thumbnail.jpg "Washington Yard: 1917")
- Thompson Dairy: 1927
- Washington, D.C., circa 1927. "Thompson Dairy wagons." National Photo Company ... & Va. Milk Producers plant on Leishear Road.
Lost Washington Lost Washington: Thompson's Dairy .
The wall today. Größere ... Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:56pm -
![Washington, D.C., circa 1927. "Thompson Dairy wagons." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Horsepower vs horse powerA nice display of horse-power on both sides of the street.
I am actually surprised that a whole company was still using horse-drawn wagons as late as 1927. I would expect it of a lone farmer or single vegetable merchant, but not a commercial concern that could use the investment in new trucks as a tax deduction.
My mother (born in late 1929) tells of a produce salesman who used a horse cart to travel through the streets of Brooklyn shouting "watermelons, 5 cents a pound" and whatever else he had that day. He was still around when I was a child (1960s), still shouting the same songlike advertising chant, but in a very old truck (1946 or 47 vintage) by then.
Wonder when Thompson Dairy went to motorized vehicles, or if they did have some by 1927, and only took the photo of the remaining horses, knowing these were the last horses the company would have.
Got Milk?Sorry, I couldn't help it.
Where milk came fromWhen I was little, living in a freshly-minted development west of Laurel, we got milk delivered from Thompson's; you can still see "THOMPSONS DAIRY" painted on the roof of the old King Farm barn on Rockville Pike. By the time my parents and I moved in, the future was already running, right around the corner: the mammoth Md. & Va. Milk Producers plant on Leishear Road.
Lost WashingtonLost Washington: Thompson's Dairy.
The wall today.Größere Kartenansicht
Urban Legend Is it true the horses would remember the routes?
The supply chainCow milk being delivered by horses for consumption by humans. I'm not sure what to think.
Health in Every BottleAnyone know the location? Is that The Cairo in the background?
Washington Post, Feb 18, 1924
"Health in Every Bottle"
The most careful handling of our milk from the cow to the consumer guarantees a very wholesome and healthy product. Our Health Department rating has been above 93 for several months.
Guaranteed Quality and Service
Thompson's Dairy
Established 1881
2008-2026 Eleventh Street N.W
Phone North 5996 or 5997
A Thompson's Dairy Wagon Passes Your Home
Every Morning Before Breakfast
Great Wall of FloridaThis was taken from Florida Avenue, where that wall still exists. You can still see the same building on the corner in the distance today. Cardozo (Central) HS in the background.
Re: LocationI'm a bit stumped on the location as well stanton-square. The wall looks a bit like the wall in the Lower Senate Park, but I don't think it is.
Lasted a long timeIn my home city in the Midwest, we still had a horse-drawn milk wagon up until almost 1970. The driver would bail off the wagon with milk for several houses and the horse would keep going until the next stop where he would wait for the driver to catch up to him. Yes - the horses did know their routes.
Skip
Clever HansThe horse learns the route and the stops, is one of the advantages.
The driver becomes a passenger most of the time.
Hans, of the "Clever Hans Fallacy," was a milk truck horse.
Where?I think it's Meridian Hill Park at W St.
CardozoIt looks like that is the 1200 block of Florida Avenue NW, looking northwest toward the Cardozo High School football field. You can see the top of the school building in the distance behind the balustrade.
LocationI'm stumped as well, but the building in the background looks like a school, if that helps.
Mr T must have been old fashioned. By 1927 most businesses were using motorized transportation.
Mr Thompson, or his son, must have liked the way things were done in 1881, and saw little reason to keep up with the times. I am curious about how much longer they were in business.
[The dairy used both horses and motor trucks. Below, a Thompson delivery van circa 1925. - Dave]
The chocolate milk was the best!It was the best tasting milk ever! And the freshest. They have been gone for a long time now and I still remember the glass bottles.
Horses were quietI remember reading years ago, I forget where, that dairies and ice houses persisted in using horse-drawn vehicles long after most businesses had moved entirely to motorized vehicles, because they made their deliveries early in the morning, and they were afraid of waking someone up with an ill-timed exhaust backfire. They are said to have been early adopters of rubber tires for the same reason, but these wagons appear to have steel tires. There were horse-drawn dairy and ice wagons until World War II, according to some sources.
Bat DayThompson Dairy sponsored "Bat Day" for kids at D.C. and then renamed RFK Stadium in the 1960's for The Washington Senators Baseball Team. Each baseball season, children 12 years of age and under entering the ballpark on a specified date would receive a wooden baseball bat engraved with The Washington Senators and Thompson Dairy names on the spot where a players name would be engraved on the bat today. I still have one of my bats from those days.
Nav systemIt's true. My grandpa was a milkman in Connecticut during the 20s and 30s -- and used a horse to pull the wagon. At each house he'd take the products off the wagon and deliver to the porch. By that time the horse had already walked up to the next customer's house and they'd repeat. He really missed that part of the system when he bought a truck.
Gone?If you had asked me, I would have sworn we were still buying Thompson's milk at the store today!
City Park DairyIn the 1940s, the City Park Dairy in Denver CO delivered milk by horse drawn wagon. I can remember looking out the window of my bedroom and seeing the milkman coming in the back yard from the alley.
Horses - semi-autonomus vehicles of the dayYes - horses do lean the route, and a good one could be trusted to walk and wait as appropriate while the milkman zipped up to the address. They were also quieter during pre-dawn rounds compared to the no muffler trucks of the time. The narrow wagons also were better for use in tight mews-style alleyways, and over the unpaved rights of way behind row houses.
Horse Trumps Horsepower From "City Milk Supply" 1917; Use of Motor Vehicles in Collecting and Delivering Milk
"They (motor vehicles) have been tried for regular house-to-house retail delivery but have usually failed in this field because of the continual starting and stopping, because two men are required for reasonable speedy delivery, and because they cannot move unattended from door to door as the ordinary intelligent horse does, while the driver is delivering bottles."
Milk HorseSaskatoon is considerably smaller than Washington but the largest dairy here was using horses on some routes as late as 1962 or 1963. Their old horse barns were still standing into the early 1970s. The horses knew their accustomed routes and they worked them on a daily basis. We didn't take milk from that particular company but as a young child I would see a milk horse in the neighborhood on a daily basis.
Thompson Dairy is deliciousThe wall is at the base of Cardozo High School. Thompson's was on route to the pool for us, If a milk man was outside we would beg for milk, sometimes it worked, most of the time not. This was so long ago I hope im remembering right. After all we begged everybody, watermelon man, fruit man, milk man etc. You can no longer put milk in a box outside and expect it to be there when you get back. High Dairy stores also delivered quits a blow to the home milk industry.
(The Gallery, D.C., Horses, Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/33497u.thumbnail.jpg "Thompson Dairy: 1927")
- Washington's Finest: 1927
- 1927. "Skinned frankfurts, made in Washington, D.C." What Bismarck said about laws and sausages: It turns out you ... I thought baloney was the only product coming out of Washington!
Wipe that grin off your face mister. Sadly, Margaret was the ... Posted by Dave - 07/18/2013 - 7:32am -
- Miss Washington: 1922
- 1922. "Miss Washington in bathing suit." Concealed yet revealed, Evelyn Lewis at the ... Posted by Dave - 04/30/2013 - 11:01am -
- Ask Mr. Foster: 1924
- ... Reynolds, exterior." The National Remembrance Shop in Washington circa 1924. View full size. National Photo Company Collection ... Edwards boy who appears in numerous photos around Washington DC?
Count the Times We could almost make a game of how many ... Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 3:36pm -
!["Foster & Reynolds, exterior." The National Remembrance Shop in Washington circa 1924. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.
Ask Mr. EgoI want to ask Mr. Foster how he got to be such a Mr. Knowitall.
Question for Mr. FosterWho was the ever enigmatic Edwards boy who appears in numerous photos around Washington DC?
Count the TimesWe could almost make a game of how many times the phrase "Ask Mr. Foster" appears in this shot.
Mr. Foster's ShopWashington Post, Apr 17, 1922; advertisement
Every one visiting Washington wishes to take away something as a remembrance of the visit to the Nation's Capitol or as a gift for friends at home. It is the aim of the National Remembrance Shop to supply such things in souvenirs that shall have some artistic merit.
Our wares are of gold, silver, wood, china, leather. There are picture books of views of Washington, and all sorts of things suitable as gifts. Many of these things cannot be had elsewhere. We mean that the prices shall be reasonable, the goods well and servicable, and pleasing to the eye: even the most inexpensive articles (and there are many such) being of a character to appeal to persons of cultivated taste.
National Remembrance Shop
(Mr. Foster's Shop)
503 14th St., One Door from Pennsylvania Ave.
Opposite Willard Hotel
Wallace NuttingA number of the framed images in the window were made by Wallace Nutting, a Congregational Minister turned photographer and entrepreur. In particular, the images in the top of the central window appear to be very similar to "A Plate of Cookies - Studio #67" by Nutting.
http://www.wallacenuttinglibrary.com/wnp00067.htm
A.M.F. CountI come up with 10 readable Ask Mr. Fosters.
National Remembrance ShopThe following appears as an advertisement in the Washington Post in 1915:
Remembrances of Washington that are attractive yet inexpensive. National Remembrance Shop,14th St. and Pa. Ave.
Pre-GoogleAsk Jeeves' great-granddad.
On the SillIn the left window, there are five publications, one with the Statue of Liberty on the cover. Are these atlases, maps, or travel magazines?
[Travel guides ("Standard Guides") to Washington, Boston, New York, Chicago and Illegible. - Dave]
Reynolds' Standard Guide Washington Post, Nov 11, 1940; obituary
Charles Bingham Reynolds, editor of a sightseeing guide of Washington and brother of Burnet Reynolds of 1411 Crittenden Street Northwest, died yesterday at his home in Mountain Lakes, N.J., at the age of 84.
Mr. Reynolds was one of the founders of the B.S. Reynolds Co. here, a wholesale souvenir and postcard company. He was editor of Forest and Stream from 1879 to 1906. He was the author of a number of travel guides including "Old St. Augustine, a Story of Three Centuries" and "Standard Guide to Cuba." He founded the Foster and Reynolds Travel Service more than 50 years ago, and served as secretary and treasurer.
Standard Guide of Washington at Google Books
That hill!Ha! I was going to guess 14th Street, because you just don't see streets slope that way too many places in downtown Washington.
How Could I Miss It?I didn't get to Illegible on my trip to the US! Bummin' looks like a fine town.
Ask Mr. FosterWard G. Foster started the "Ask Mr. Foster" travel agency in St. Augustine, Florida in 1888. The store was part of a building recently restored as the Casa Monica Hotel.
If anyone has a copy of the 1937 publication of "Ask Mr. Foster" by Charles B. Reynolds. Please contact
gary@adlibtours.com
National Remembrance ShopI have just bought a jug here in the UK. 9.5 inches tall, Treacle Brown Glazed, with a print of the White House on one side and the Congressional Library on the other. On the bottom it is marked "National Remembrance Shop Washington DC." It looks very like the jug in the window. Far left above the second plate from the left behind the two tankards. More pics here.
(The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets, Travel & Vacation)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/31653u.thumbnail.jpg "Ask Mr. Foster: 1924")
- Old Hat: 1920
- Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "814-816 Ninth Street N.W." Moldy negative of a ... Indian in the window next door.
One please, to go !
Washington Redskins While the out of business hat store has its decrepit ...
[December 6 is the performance date in Washington. The Broadway Database dates are for performances on Broadway, in ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 12:01pm -
![Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "814-816 Ninth Street N.W." Moldy negative of a decrepit storefront, with many musty details. National Photo Co. View full size.
Motocycles?I just learned that the folks at Indian didn't know how to spell "motorcycle."
The Indian Motocycle shopI find the partial view of the Indian Motocycle shop more interesting than the almost-derelict storefront that's the subject of the photo. Here's a photo of a 1920 Indian Motocycle; the "Indian" name and the fuel tank (I assume) it's on look the same as in the window of that shop.
http://parkerindian.com.au/1920PP.html
"Silent" OlsonThe poster above the For Rent sign is for a wrestling match between Joe Turner and Silent Olson, a deaf-mute.
"Christmas night he beat Joe Turner, for ten years champion middleweight wrestler."
They came and went.BEAUTIFUL Indian in the window next door.
One please, to go !
Washington RedskinsWhile the out of business hat store has its decrepit charm the store to the left has much more to offer. Indian brand motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles are all on display. What a treasure trove. Also,the reflection in the hat store window shows cars in the street and what looks like someones legs on a ladder or scaffold rung. I wonder if it is somebody in the store working or perhaps the reflection of the photographer in the street getting a raised perspective. The Gold Medal Flour sign up above states "Why Not Now?" No time like the present indeed.
Elementary ParticlesNot sure, but that curved white line with the little black teardrop at the top ... I think it's the Higgs Boson!
New HatIt's all gone now, replaced by the U.S. Mint Headquarters.
View Larger Map
Lady of the Lamp Looks like she left it on the sidewalk in front of the Indian dealership. Also looks like the rear of the hat store has collapsed.
Sniper!Top window, second floor! Or maybe it's some sort of Rube Goldberg drainage system.
The Lady of the LampThe sign in the window to the right is a play by Earl Carroll, closed November 1920. The sign states Dec. 6. Seems it never made it to that date.
http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=8963
[December 6 is the performance date in Washington. The Broadway Database dates are for performances on Broadway, in New York. - Dave]
Motocycles and motorcyclesThe corporate name was always "Indian Motocycle Company" but it made motorcycles and advertised them as such. Well the nearly new 1946 Chief I owned was called a motorcycle, but company name was still "Motocycle." Dang, I sold the thing for $75 in 1958 to a guy who had never ridden one. I had to drive the bike into his pickup truck and he said he was going to unload it in a 40 acre pasture and learn to ride. He figured there weren't many things to hit in a pasture except for the cow patties.
Too dark to see in the daytimeWhat's with the kerosene lantern on the sidewalk?
Now a Parking LotNo, not the U.S. Mint headquarters; that's on the east side of Ninth Street, the odd-numbered side. Where 814-816 Ninth Street was is now a vast parking lot, where the old new Convention Center used to be, till it was mercifully torn down. Even a parking lot is preferable to that awful building. If the Hoover FBI building and the OPM building at 20th and E could go the way of the old new Convention Center, even if they became nothing but parking lots, Washington would be a better place.
F.L. Leishear, Indian MotorcyclesThat's F.L. Leishear's motorcycle shop to the left, also seen in Shorpy post Wireless Apparatus: 1919. The previously open D. Neufeld Hat Manufacturer has since closed and lost its most prominent signage.
Washington Post, Jun 23, 1921
Motorcycles
PRICES reduced 20% on new 1921 Indian motorcycles and side cars; also used machines at exceptional prices. F.L. Leishear, 812 9th st. nw.
A LeopardIt seems strange that there is a leopard skin in the Indian window.
One item that Indian made that does not appear to be on display is a canoe and trailer that can be used with a motorcycle.
(The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/29720u.thumbnail.jpg "Old Hat: 1920")
- Red Cross Car: 1922
- ... Durant, the founder of General Motors. - Dave]
449 Washington Street This is 449 Washington Street , now the site of a 1960s firehouse.
To Go That's one ... Posted by Dave - 12/29/2014 - 8:00pm -
![San Francisco, 1922. "Official Red Cross car." Being loaded with sacks of something outside the premises of Rex Products Co., Jobbers. Also note the studio of Rovere Scott, Photographer. 6½ x 8½ glass negative. View full size.
1922 DurantI'm going to consider the signature, go out on a limb, and call the car a 1922 Durant B-22 with nonstandard wire wheels and hood straps. Durant was just starting his post-GM Durant Motors, so supplying the car would have had some promotional value.
Paint JobBetween the doors, is that the signature of the person who painted the car? Can't make out the name. Must have been an important product or event to have drawn the dignitaries in full suits to load.
[The signature is that of racecar driver Russell Clifford "Cliff" Durant, whose father was William C. Durant, the founder of General Motors. - Dave]
449 Washington StreetThis is 449 Washington Street, now the site of a 1960s firehouse.
To GoThat's one large order of Fries!
Sheridan's RideThe Red Cross car appears to be a Sheridan.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-181-01.thumbnail.jpg "Red Cross Car: 1922")
- Batista en Washington: 1938
- ... has risen to the heights of Caribbean Dictator, arrived in Washington today. This is the first time the Cuban Dictator has set foot ... invitation of Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles. In Washington, Batista met with Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Roosevelt. ... Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 6:18pm -
- Washington Flyer: 1921
- January 29, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Herbert Bell and Joe Garso." Evidently lost to history. Does ... interesting act.
Joseph Garso I've scoured the Washington Post archives using all the name variants and keywords I can think ... Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:09pm -
- Let George Do It: 1942
- ... Hawaii. He continued as a cartographer with the Corps in Washington, D.C., from 1945 to 1979, when he retired.
He moved from ... Posted by Dave - 10/28/2023 - 2:48pm -
![September 1942. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. "Army Sgt. George Camplair on kitchen police duty." Last seen here, 10 years ago. Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
Door Color ConventionsWould they have painted the area around the handle which also extends to the trim for avoiding dirty handprints, or is there another reason for doing that? Low light contrast for the 0300 KP arrivals, maybe?
For crying out loudA sergeant peeling onions? Must have been as rare then as it has been during my time in another army.
Well, at least now I know what "kitchen police duty" means.
The Life of GeorgeFrom www.findagrave.com
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71018696/george-hans-camplair
George Hans Camplair
BIRTH
27 Jun 1919
Berlin, Germany
DEATH
2 Dec 1999 (aged 80)
McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon, USA
News-Register, McMinnville, Oregon, December 4, 1999
A memorial service for George Hans Camplair of McMinnville will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in Trinity Lutheran Church, McMinnville.
Mr. Camplair died Dec. 2, 1999, in Willamette Valley Medical Center, McMinnville. He was 80.
He was born June 27, 1919, in Berlin, Germany.
He and Mary Jane McNutt were married in 1946.
He worked with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II in Africa and Hawaii. He continued as a cartographer with the Corps in Washington, D.C., from 1945 to 1979, when he retired.
He moved from Virginia to Portland in 1993 and had lived in McMinnville since 1994.
Mr. Camplair was named Volunteer of the Year in 1998 by the Oregon Alliance of Senior and Health Services. He had worked as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Loaves and Fishes and the McMinnville chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
He was a master gardener and worked many hours on landscaping projects as a member of the garden committee at Hillside Manor, McMinnville. He was a hike leader for McMinnville Senior Center. He belonged to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Survivors include two sons, Christopher Camplair of Portland and George M. Camplair of Nashville, Tenn.; a daughter, Nancy Phelps of Portland; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1981; and a brother, Peter Camplair, in 1971.
Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity, McMinnville Chapter, 342 N.E. Third St., McMinnville, OR 97128.
Arrangements are under the direction of Heritage Memorial, Portland.
Who wore the apron in this family ?Sgt. Camplair (1919-1999) eventually made it out of the kitchen and got married in 1946:
On a side note, it can be pointed out that as the family had actually emigrated from Germany - George was born in Berlin - fate might well have found him in another kitchen, peeling Zwiebeln for the Wehrmacht.
SurpriseI do wonder that an NCO gets this kind of KP duty. Are there no privates?
Peeling potatoesWhy bother doing it at all? I grew up in a household that peeled potatoes and carrots, but now I peel neither. I just wash them first, then move on to the rest of the prep without peeling. Even for mashed potatoes. There are nutrients and roughage in those skins – why waste time and food removing and tossing them?
[Those are onions in the photo! - Dave]
More on doorsI suspect Eventerguy is correct; I've seen similar black-painted areas on doors in other military structures, like these doors at Camp Reynolds on Angel Island. Makes me wonder if this was a standard military practice for high-traffic doors, or if each army post came up with the idea on their own.
KP duty? I was this many years old when I learned KP duty was "kitchen police" and not "kitchen patrol" duty!
Let George do it?Doesn't look like Bob Bailey to me. Probably very few would get that reference.
TimelineThanks to Rochester for researching George Camplair's history.
It really adds weight to an image to know a little more about the people in it.
Interesting he was born in Berlin but was ultimately in the US Army. Not that was necessarily unusual, but worthy to note.
Thanks also to Notcom for the 1946 news story on George's wedding to Mary McNutt. Probably the girl shown in the 'Sarge At Large' photo 10/20/23 (1942)
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kitchens etc., WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d08167a.thumbnail.jpg "Let George Do It: 1942")
- Lock, Stock & Barrel: 1942
- ... which at 50kw power would have come in well in greater Washington.
Nice & Toasty I'll bet that's a warm bed to sleep in ... Posted by Dave - 11/05/2023 - 1:48pm -
![September 1942. "Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Sergeant George Camplair cleans his rifle regularly." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Best wishes, Sgt.Hopefully the Sgt. made it home safely and had a good, long life.
"This is my rifle,... this is my gun." The immortal scene from Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."
PatchesIt won't be his mom complaining about oily patches on the bed, as might have happened to this young man https://www.shorpy.com/node/24096.
Seems he has the warmest spot during winter months.
What's taped to the inside of the drop-down radio lid?(And I'm sure someone out there knows what station it's tuned to.)
[It's a girl! Hugging a pillow! - Dave]
The Zenithappears to be tuned to 1090 kilocycles, WBAL in Baltimore, which at 50kw power would have come in well in greater Washington.
Nice & ToastyI'll bet that's a warm bed to sleep in with that radiator right there.
What is the purposeOf the large magnet, also sitting on the radiator? I hope the answer has something to do with attracting attractive women.
J W Wright, thanks for the answer and the link. So, the Zenith Radio Wavemagnet is today what we call an antenna? I wasn't even for sure it was attached to the radio.
Zenith "Wavemagnet"Click image for more information than you wanted:
Aught-SixLooks like a WW1 surplus 30.06 rifle?
Chutist Looks Vaguely FamiliarEschewing his sleigh, Santa parachuted into Vietnam so as not to grab unwanted attention. Sgt Camplair's radio attachment is, however, somewhat familiar.
M1 GarandThe rifle is an M1 Garand, in 30.06, semiauto, fed by a 8 round clip.
The fact that these new front line rifles were being issued stateside as early as 1942, rather than being reserved solely for the overseas theaters, shows the power of US industry.
M1 GarandFor missing link - that is not a WWI surplus rifle. It is an M1 Garand. It is in .30-06. I've cleaned many of them.
M1 Garand RifleThe rifle is actually an M1 Garand semi-automatic. Shoots 30/06 ammo out of 8 round clips.
M1 IDIt is an M1 Garand. An unmistakable profile. The M1 replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the U.S. service rifle in 1936 and was itself replaced by the selective-fire M14 rifle on March 26, 1958.
ShinyIt appears that the dark finish of the gas cylinder on Sergeant Camplair's M1 has worn off, exposing the stainless steel (can't tell for sure though). If so, it's odd that it would wear off so early in the conflict. Shiny bits on oneself is not a good thing in combat.
He'd also better be careful in cleaning the bore so as not to damage the muzzle, as he might at the angle shown. The cleaning rod has to be in direct line with the bore.
On a side note, it's great to see that fellow Shorpyites own M1s as well. Now if M2 ball ammo was readily available again...
WW2 M1It has all the earmarks of a WW2 M1 Garand. I remember stripping them down followed by the reassembly process from ROTC training in 1963. It is definitely an M1 receiver by his left knee on the edge of the bunk.
DownrangeU.S. ‘Rifle, .30 Caliber, M1’ AKA: M1 Garand, a .30-06 caliber, gas operated, magazine fed, semiautomatic rifle once described by General George S. Patton as "the greatest battle implement ever devised”.
When the USA entered World War 2, mass production of the M1 rifle began at the Springfield armory and at the Winchester plant. During the war, both companies produced between them approximately 4 million M1 rifles, making them the most widely used semi-automatic rifle of World War 2.
M1 Garand "stripping" for cleaning and inspection here.
M-1 Garand semiautomatic shoulder weaponGen Patton called it the greatest combat weapon ever invented.
I have one I bought from the CMP.
Ping!
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d08444u.thumbnail.jpg "Lock, Stock & Barrel: 1942")
- Wartime Washington Monument: 1943
- November 1943. "The Washington Monument." The "tan line" a third of the way up shows where ... in the ground, and it doesn't look anything like George Washington anyway!"
Georgia marble Growing up in Georgia we were always ... Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 5:53am -
- Washington Gas Light: 1937
- Washington, D.C., 1937. "Washington Gas Light Co., 10th Street N.W." Current tenant: The FBI. 8x10 ... Horydczak. View full size.
Tradition The Washington Gas Light Co. remains the utility's name today.
Main St USA ... Posted by Dave - 12/28/2015 - 2:10pm -
- Aerial Washington: 1911
- Circa 1911. "Washington from Washington Monument." Points of interest in this first installment of a ... Posted by Dave - 04/09/2014 - 1:24pm -
![Circa 1911. "Washington from Washington Monument." Points of interest in this first installment of a six-segment panoramic view include B Street (today's Constitution Avenue), running diagonally from the Potomac Electric powerhouse at lower left; Louisiana Avenue, branching off in the general direction of Union Station at upper right; the Old Post Office and its clock tower at left-center across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Raleigh Hotel under construction; the Agriculture Department greenhouses in the foreground with a corner of the Smithsonian "National Museum" at far right, just below Center Market; Liberty Market at upper left, below what looks to be a vast tent encampment; and, at right-upper-center, the Pension Office north of Judiciary Square and the District Court House. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
"Tents"All those tents are actually slate turret roofs on top of rowhouses. Very typically, a pyramid shaped slate turret would top off the projecting bay of a DC rowhouse. All four sides would have been slated. Slate, because of its mineral content (lots of mica) can be very reflective at certain angles, hence the white appearance.
[Conical was also popular. - Dave]
SurprisingSurprising lack of motorized vehicles for ca. 1911.
[Here are seven. - Dave]
Cargo TramNow there's something I had never really thought of: street cars for freight; a forerunner of today's semi-rigs I suppose. There's one being loaded/unloaded in front of the lumber yard.
First of six?Great! Bring them on!
Kann's Busy Corneraka Kann's Department Store. A good history of the life and death of the buildings can be found here.
[More here. - Dave]
+86Below is the same view taken in December of 1997. (Please excuse my still-limited scanning talents - this was before I switched to digital.)
DC in 1911What a great photo. More of these buildings than one would think are still there. The "District Court House" south (right) of the great Pension Building on Judiciary Square is the original DC City hall, started in 1820. After a several-years-long redo, it now houses in grand style the DC Court of Appeals (the state supreme court for the District.) Peeking around the office building to the left of the City Hall on 5th Street NW is the then-new US Court of Appeals building, which housed what is now the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit until 1952, when it moved to the new federal courthouse on Constitution Avenue (now the Prettyman Courthouse.) The old US Court of Appeals building now houses the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, on which I am privileged to sit. It is an exquisite little building, quite well-preserved, with many of its original furnishings.
Ford's TheaterI had a thought that Ford's Theater was off in this general direction, so I took a look. Not being all that familiar with D.C. I'm wondering if that is the peak of the theater with porthole just above the scaffolding atop the hotel under construction.
(The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Railroads, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_4a10391a.thumbnail.jpg "Aerial Washington: 1911")
- Oysters Hot Waffles: 1920
- ... View Larger Map
Gus Blechman
Washington Post, Dec 5, 1965
Washington Storekeeper, Gus Blechman
Gus Blechman, owner of Blechman's ... Posted by Dave - 10/05/2022 - 5:21pm -
![Circa 1920. "Herald, Seventh and H streets N.E." Continuing our culinary tour of the nation's capital, we present the New Olive Cafe, next door to H. Bennett, Barber, and Blechman's Fashion Shop. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
GoneThe building housing the Laundromat is still there, but the turreted building on the corner is long gone.
[Wrong corner. See above. - Dave]
View Larger Map
Gus Blechman
Washington Post, Dec 5, 1965
Washington Storekeeper, Gus Blechman
Gus Blechman, owner of Blechman's Fashion Shop on H Street ne. until his retirement 20 years ago, died Saturday at his home, 4201 Cathedral ave. nw. He was 94.
A Russian immigrant, he lived for several years in Richmond before coming to Washington in 1916. He was an H Street merchant for more than a half century. Mr. Blechman was a member of Adas Israel Synagogue.
Surviving are his wife, Mary; three sons, Sylvan of 4000 Massachusetts ave. nw.; Nelson, of 5034 Reno rd. nw., and Milton, of 6410 Western ave., Chevy Chase; eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren
I'm amazedwhenever I look at photos of these beautiful old buildings and then go to Google Streetview and see what is there now. It seems these beautiful old buildings are, for the most part, replaced with sterile, ugly boxes, and the neighborhoods are trashy. Dave, thanks for these glimpses of a beautiful past.
Blechman to McBride'sBlechman's store was at 700 H street which makes it the northeast corner of the intersection of 7th and H (note that H. Bennett next door is #702.) The "Fashion" store currently seen in Google streetview occupies the rebuilt McBride's building. A bay window of one of the brick row houses down the street appears to match a surviving structure as well. The McBride's chain shut its doors in 1986.
View Larger Map
Washington Post, Feb. 3, 1977
McBride's: High fashion, low
prices made a family's success
By Robert F Levey
Come, and get it, gang. A plastic banana for 49 cents. A statue of Buddha for $19.99. Records and soap dishes and earrings and peanut brittle. When they call them McBride's Variety Departmental Stores, they mean variety.
They also mean relatively low prices. That is the hallmark of a department store chain that has been a fixture in Northeast and Southeast Washington since 1918. While the "big boys" have chase the big incomes into the suburbs, McBride's has sought and established an image as "the city's black department store.:
Except that it isn't black.
Oh, the customers are, almost all of them. And all but a handful of the 250 employees are. And more than half the toy dolls have black faces. And all the background music is big-band soul.
But the owners are whites named Blechman. A third generation of them runs the three McBride's stores as well as the family's two Kopy Kat women's clothing shops.
If the last name sounds somewhat less than purebred Irish, Barry Blechman, the 40 year-old president of McBride's, offers this explanation:
"People couldn't pronounce Blechman," he said. It rhymes with Fleckman. "So my grandfather decided to mix Murphy, his chief competitor, with Blechman. He came up with McBride's."
Whatever you say, Grandpa.
But let us not make light of Gus Blechman. He opened a five-and-dime in his own name in 1918 at 701 H St. NE [ sic, other newspaper reports list address as 700 H St ne.]. It prospered until 1945, when a fire leveled it But it reopened in 1949 as McBride's, and it has been the chain's flagship store ever since.
Gus Blechman's three sons, Nelson, Milton and Sylvan, ran the McBride's chain from the '40s in the '60s. Since then, the torch has been in the hands of Barry Blechman; his brother Richard, 36, the executive vice president; and a cousin Arlen. Nelson remains chairman of the board, and Milton is treasurer.
...
McBride's strong image as a "black" store was nailed down in the late '60s, in a television advertising campaign that featured a 6-year-old girl. She was black and smiling and winsome, and she revealed endlessly that "my mommy shops at McBride's."
The store had a black following well before that, however. It emerged as the neighborhood around the H street store changed, in the middle '50s, from white to black. The image was nurtured when McBride's became the first store on the H street commercial strip to permit integrated seating at its lunch counter.
But the '60s brought the seeds of trouble. "I started seeing the horror story on H Street," said Barry Blechman. "All the hate, with the underlying pride." Just after the 1967 riots in Detroit, "I looked out the store one day an realized, "This is a riot street."
It became one the next April, of course. But the H Street McBride's suffered only a few broken windows. The fact that a security guard was standing in the front window with a shotgun had a lot to do with that, but Blechman likes to think that McBride's would not have been pillaged anyway.
...
Thanks for this postGus Blechman was my grandfather. I've never seen this photo of his store as it once was. As a young boy in the '50s I worked in the H Street store during school breaks. By that time it had a facade similar to a Woolworths. Thank you for posting this.
DatePlease check the date attributed to that Bob Levey column on McBride's...I don't think Levey was born when it claims it was written.
[Oops. 1977, not 1918. Thank you! - Dave]
Stafford's PharmacyPrior to Blechman's this building was home to Stafford's Pharmacy. Not sure the actual dates but Stafford's advertised this address circa 1906-1909.
1968 RiotsAs mentioned at the end of the quoted article, much of H Street and the neighborhood around it burned in the riots that followed Rev. King's assassination in 1968. It sounds as though this building was spared by the rioters. The ensuing exodus and economic downturn in the neighborhood and city likely left these shops without customers -- and must have led to the monstrosity that exists on that corner now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Washington,_D.C._riots
On a brighter note, I live only a few blocks from here and am happy to see significant revitalization is finally happening. Lots of interesting restaurants and bars have sprung up, and a new streetcar line is being built.
(The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/29841u.thumbnail.jpg "Oysters Hot Waffles: 1920")
- Washington Sleeps Here: 1922
- Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "New Jersey Avenue S.E. from B Street." Lodgings ... and President hotels (sign at left), as well as the George Washington Inn. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full ... Posted by Dave - 05/14/2014 - 12:01pm -
![Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "New Jersey Avenue S.E. from B Street." Lodgings in this view from the House Office Building include the Potomac, Congress Hall and President hotels (sign at left), as well as the George Washington Inn. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Always One in Every CrowdAll the cars parked left to right except one. That owner backed in.
Even Then --Looking at the car parked at the end on the bottom right, I see that pulling in straight and taking only one spot was not all that important even in 1922.
Hotel PotomacThe Hotel Potomac across the street retains at least some of the structure, and sits on the same site, of the old Conrad and McMunn boardinghouse, where Thomas Jefferson lived while he was vice president. Alas, that whole block would be razed in 1929.
What a beautiful sidewalkThat would be the envy of any city today.
There it isWhat would a Shorpy photo be like if there were no milk bottles on the window sill?
Interesting vehicleAnyone know what kind of car the 3rd car from the right is? Unusual as it has no front radiator.
[It's a circa 1916 Franklin, which used an air-cooled engine. - Dave]
Car ID's suggestionsFront row R to L: Studebaker; Star; Franklin; Velie; unknown; Ford; Studebaker; Studebaker; Haynes; Ford; Dodge(dirty); Pierce-Arrow; Studebaker; Buick; 2 Ford coupes; hidden car; Ford sedan etc. Back row two cars in front of bus and three directly in back are all Fords including one converted to a truck. Car with plate 10845 with knife edge styling is a Hudson. Others need more study.
The House SideThe hotels are on the present site of the Longworth House Office Building. The Cannon Building, from which the photo was taken, was built about 1908. B Street is now Independence Avenue; the photo looks toward C Street SE. South Capitol Street, which divides the quadrants, is a block west (right) between Longworth and the Rayburn Building, which was built in the early 1960s.
Something's WrongIt's actually several years past 1922.
The District of Columbia license plates seen on the cars indicate that this photo was actually taken in 1925. The format of the 1925 D.C. plate, with "Dist. Col. 1925" between the bolt slots is a one year only feature.
Confirming the date is the presence of a late 1924 or 1925 model Pierce Arrow Model 80 (12th car from the right).
Other cars at the beginning of the row:
1920-1921 Studebaker Big 6 (Model EG)
1922 Star (made by Durant Motors)
1914 - 1916 Franklin Series 8 (note electric lights)
1925 Cleveland Six Model 43
1920 - 1922 Oldsmobile Model 46
Ford Model T
Note how few cars have front wheel brakes.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-31742u1.thumbnail.jpg "Washington Sleeps Here: 1922")
- Washington à Go-Go: 1917
- ... the 1300 block of Pa. Ave NW. Visible at top left is the Washington Post building (1339 E St.) and the Munsey Trust Building (1327-29 E St., housing the Washington Times), seen previously on Shorpy here and here .
Haynes ... Posted by Dave - 05/06/2014 - 8:44am -
![1917. "District of Columbia -- traffic Stop & Go signs." From the birthplace of that musical genre, perhaps the earliest visual representation of "go-go." Raleigh Hotel in the background. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
One fine motor carI sure hope one of our eagle-eyed regulars can ID that auto!
Newspaper RowForeground is the 1300 block of Pa. Ave NW. Visible at top left is the Washington Post building (1339 E St.) and the Munsey Trust Building (1327-29 E St., housing the Washington Times), seen previously on Shorpy here and here.
Haynes RoadsterThe Haynes was manufactured in Kokomo, Indiana, from 1905 until 1924 by Elwood Haynes and brothers Edgar and Elmer Apperson. Before that, they produced the Haynes-Apperson from 1896 as the first automobile manufacturer in Indiana and one of the earliest in the United States.
Another pic of the same car is here.
License and registration, pleaseAs seen from a different angle, this car has license number 41441. According to the Sept. 17, 1916 Sunday Star, that tag was issued in early September 1916 to the Haynes Motor Company for use on a demonstration vehicle.
HaynesThis is actually a 1917 or 1918 Haynes Light Twelve Cloverleaf Roadster.
Newspaper Row, ctd.And don't forget the Evening Star, in the background.
That hotelI believe the hotel in the background is the famous Willard Hotel, not the Raleigh. It still stands.
[It's the Raleigh. -tterrace]
Test-TestThe Evening Star reports on the go-go experiment in October 1915 and its implementation in November of the same year.
Same architect.I understand FloridaClay's confusion. Both hotels were designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh who apparently liked the style. The Willard is a decade older and a floor shorter than the Raleigh.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Streetcars)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_13275a.thumbnail.jpg "Washington à Go-Go: 1917")
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