Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Vintage photos of:
Our holdings include hundreds of glass and film negatives/transparencies that we've scanned ourselves; in addition, many other photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs) in the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) They are adjusted, restored and reworked by your webmaster in accordance with his aesthetic sensibilities before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here. All of these images (including "derivative works") are protected by copyright laws of the United States and other jurisdictions and may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise used for commercial purposes without permission.
[REV 25-NOV-2014]
December 1940. Corpus Christi, Texas. "Sign announcing new grocery store in community springing up about five miles from the naval air base under construction." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size.
I thought about titling this "A Study in Kodachrome Blue and Red" but didn't. I took it on a trip to the historic Nevada silver mining town in August 1965. The building now houses the Comstock Fire Museum, and the steeples are St. Paul's Episcopal and St. Mary in the Mountains. I was going to identify the cars by make and year, but why should I spoil all the fun? View full size.
January 1914. "Second Annual Washington Automobile Show, Convention Hall." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Boston circa 1910. "Boylston Street." The place to go for corsets and riding habits. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Circa 1910. "Michigan Central R.R. -- Electric engine, Detroit River tunnel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Sherman House." And its Sample Room. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Chicago circa 1911. "Under the tracks, Washington Boulevard, Chicago & North Western Railway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.
1908. "University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio -- Case Western Reserve University." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, circa 1901. "Pocono Mountain House and Springs," a popular summer resort at the turn of the century. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
April 1941. "Houses and grocery store on Federal Street in the Negro section of Chicago." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size.
San Francisco, 1939. "International truck and Reliance trailer on Dolores Street." At left, the tower of Mission High School. 8x10 inch nitrate negative, late of the Marilyn Blaisdell and Wyland Stanley collections. View full size.
April 1941. "Booth in Negro tavern on southside of Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Circa 1941. "Wrecking yard at Irwin, Pennsylvania." Spitz Auto Parts, east of Pittsburgh. Farm Security Administration photo. View full size.
September 1940. "Distributing newspapers off the morning train to newsboys at the railroad station. Montrose, Colorado." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
August 1940. Box Elder County, Utah. "Farm Security Administration cooperative tractor." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size.