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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]
November 1910. Birmingham, Alabama. "John Tidwell, doffer in Avondale Mills." A closeup of the boy seen earlier today, this image was extracted from a scan of the original 5x7 glass negative, as opposed to the print used for the group shot. View full size. From a photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.
November 1910. "Birmingham, Alabama. Workers in the Avondale Mills in Jefferson County. (The Avondale Mills in St. Clair County burned today in Pell City.) Smallest boy is John Tidwell." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
October 1942. "Riveting team working on the cockpit shell of a C-47 transport at Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. The versatile C-47 performs many important tasks for the Army. It ferries men and cargo across the oceans and mountains, tows gliders and brings paratroopers and their equipment to scenes of action." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Happy Valentine's Day from Shorpy!
Shorpy is a year old today! Thanks to the many thousands of visitors and commenters and contributors who have helped make this Web site the remarkable place that it is. And of course we wouldn't be here without the efforts of the photographers whose pictures appear here, and the conservators and archivists who have preserved their work and made it available online through the Library of Congress. This might also be a good time to reflect on the life of our namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham, whose likeness animates these pages and spirit inhabits them. And now on with the show. Only a zillion more pictures to go . . .
May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. Section crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad taking up track. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.
January 1943. "Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. switchman demonstrating signal with a fusee, used at twilight and dawn when visibility is poor. This signal means stop." Calumet City, Ill. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.
1937. Salvaging coal from the slag heap at Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Coal pickers get 10 cents for each hundred-pound sack or two dollars a ton. One man can make from 10 to 20 sacks a day. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn.
Washington, D.C, 1921. "J.E. Wright, Gallaudet Class of 1921." View full size. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company Collection.
1944. Fulton Fish Market, New York. "Orders being loaded at Teddy's." Photo by Al Aumuller. New York World-Telegram and Sun Collection. View full size.
May 9, 1910. St. Louis, Mo. "Newsboy. Little Fattie. Less than 40 inches high, 6 years old. Been at it one year." View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine.
June 1942. Army tank driver at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.
January 19, 1909. Macon, Georgia. "Some adolescents in Bibb Mill No. 1." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
February 19, 1925. Washington, D.C. The Hine Junior High School girls' basketball team. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company. View full size.
August 1908. "Night Shift Leaving for Home. Indiana Glass Works, 8 a.m." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
San Francisco circa 1900. "Chinatown. The street of the gamblers at night." Nitrate transparency by Arnold Genthe. View full size.