Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this relatively short-lived hostelry on Woodward Avenue, whose downfall was a paucity of private bathrooms. Familiar landmarks include the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square and the Cadillac Chair. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

I'd be turning 13 later in the year, and so presumably would most of my 7th grade classmates. Typically though, we see variations in the state of puberty onset. I can't speak for the dog, who I imagine was some neighborhood mutt who stopped by for the laughs. Two of the guys have the garb and coiffure of typical "bad boys" of the era - back then we called them JDs - but these were more like wannabes. One is smugly displaying an empty pack of Benson and Hedges cigarettes he'd found - or at least that's the story. Chance - or possibly some attractive force emanating from the patterns - seems to have gathered the check-shirt boys into an eye-warping cluster. Also, one-in-every-crowd guy has star position.

I'm in the sweater standing next to our teacher, who was not only my first male one but the first to engage me intellectually. A man of varied interests, he fascinated me with his lectures - much of which he'd write out on the blackboard for us to copy while he spoke extemporaneously, occasionally punctuating it with flashes of his wry and ironic wit. There was an upright piano in the classroom from which he led us in sing-alongs of old songs - "Red Sails in the Sunset" was one of his favorites. One day, coming back from recess, one of the guys in class sat down at it and started pounding out the "Peter Gunn" riff. I was mightily impressed.

Rockville, Maryland, circa 1925. "Montgomery County Motor Co." Our sixth look behind the scenes at this car dealer. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.

New York circa 1911. "Broadway at night from Times Square." With a phantom or two loitering at the subway entrance. Companion to the night view of Times Square posted here on Monday. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.

Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "Main Street north from Sixth." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Upstate New York circa 1905. "Billiard hall at Paul Smith's casino, Adirondack Mountains." Note the pinball table in the corner. 8x10 glass plate. View full size.

"Nob Hill from roof of Ferry Post Office." San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.

Circa 1896-1899. "Berth deck cooks aboard cruiser U.S.S. Brooklyn." 8x10 inch glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Miami, Florida, circa 1910. "The shores of Biscayne Bay." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1917. "Camp cooks." Now where'd we leave that salt shaker? Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

New York circa 1905. "Flatiron Building, corner after snow storm." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

New York City circa 1900. "Jewish market on the East Side." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

May 14, 1910. "Detroit Shipbuilding Co. yards at Wyandotte, Michigan. Launch of bulk steel carrier E.H. Utley." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.

New Orleans circa 1908. "New Hotel Denechaud, Poydras Street." A century later, it's the hotel Le Pavillon. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.

1865. Petersburg, Virginia. "Cottage of Col. Nathaniel Michler, U.S. Engineers, at Bryant house." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865. Wet plate glass negative. View full size.