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The Accident: 1957
... in 1911, and his son H.W. bought the business from him in 1937. Originally at 530 Broadway, it moved to 716 Broadway some time by 1951. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2015 - 12:46pm -

Oakland circa 1957, and another car crash involving an early-1950s Buick. Conven­iently close to the offices of the Oakland Tribune. Not the mention the 704 Cafe and Hotel Richards. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Archive. View full size. Little Dutch BoyThe "big" little boy painter on the side of the Simon Hardware building looks like the Dutch Boy Paint logo. DB seems to be a subsidiary of Sherwin-Williams these days, but I remember that little kid from paint my folks used to buy when I was a kid. Guy on gurneyOww, my head! I need a law--ahem--doctor! Much has changed...but a few of the old buildings remain. Here's today's view a little closer to the remaining buildings. H.W. Starr"The Saddle Shop." Charles Starr bought Lemon Saddlery in 1911, and his son H.W. bought the business from him in 1937. Originally at 530 Broadway, it moved to 716 Broadway some time by 1951. Closed in the early 1960s. Photos of both stores and many saddles are available for viewing, but not downloading, at the collections website of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). Minor crashIt looks like it didn't take much to produce an injury in those days. Good Old Curley'sAt the corner of 8th and Broadway. Accident was at 7th. FramedThe cops were after me; I was hiding out at the Hotel Richards. My troubles started when I met her at the 704 ... Cut-rate accidentGets only a Chevrolet ambulance rather than a Caddy. PontiambulanceThe ambulance is actually a 1953 Pontiac with Chevrolet taillights. In those days Pontiac and Chevrolet shared the same basic body shell and it was not unusual to see low production models such as this with odd combinations of trim. The ambulance is definitely a Pontiac as identified by the side trim and hubcaps. See attached pic of 1953 Pontiac "Tin Woody" with '53 Chevy taillights. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)
Double Feature: 1950
... this be older? Both movies shown in reverse are from 1937 and Victrolas were last sold in 1929. I wish there was a car or something ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/29/2014 - 2:28pm -

        UPDATE: More Waffle Shop here and here. Washington, D.C., circa 1950. "Waffle Shop on 10th Street. Exterior from side angle, day. For Bernard L. Fishman." Photo of the now-defunct eatery, shortly after it opened, by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Re: Could this be older?Note date on trim high above entrance: 9-11-50. Could this be older?Both movies shown in reverse are from 1937 and Victrolas were last sold in 1929. I wish there was a car or something to show this as newer. [The Waffle House opened in 1950, so it can't be older than that. The Victor and Victrola brands were used on phonographs made by RCA into the 1970s. The double bill of San Quentin and Alcatraz Island played at the Metropolitan in October 1950. And there is a car in the photo! - Dave] Prison DramaOld-school. After my waffleYou'll surely find me next door, at "The House of 1,000 Tools". Across the street from Ford's TheaterI ate lunch there at least a hundred times in the late '50s to early '60s and never had waffles (it was also a burger joint). This original Waffle Shop closed in 2007 and the deteriorating facade was still there years later. Some of the iconic interior fixtures were saved, and Waffle Shop version 2 recently opened a few doors down the street. Mystery number on marqueeThat's the permit number for the sign projecting into public space. DC construction code still says today: "Marking of signs. Every sign for which a permit is required shall be marked with letters not less than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in height, giving the permit number and date of permit issuance (DCMR12, Section 3107.5). Nice of Waffle Shop to so precisely follow the regs. The building was built in 1950. The business is still there, two doors downI don't know what actually led them to leave the awesome deco-licious Waffle Shop space, but the business is still in existence a few doors down in a much less photogenic space. It's still one of the few breakfast joints in that area, however. I learn something new every day.Now I know that the plural of Victrola is Victrola. I love the font, ( or should that be script? ), used for the sign 'Waffle Shop'. Very elegant, and stylistically extremely appropriate. Hanging OnOnly the S survives. The Help Shop "popup store" in 2012. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Movies, Theodor Horydczak)
The Device: 1938
... it at a conference on "fever therapy" in New York in 1937. Water at 130 degrees is sprayed on the patient in such fine droplets ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2015 - 9:16am -

Washington, D.C., 1938. "Marie Passapae, C. Coy Honsaker" is all it says here. Are there enough clues to tell us what's going on? 4x5 glass negative. View full size. Details.The nameplate. Honsaker Sauna CabinOr cabinet. Iron LungEarly prototype. [At first glance. But iron lungs aren't top-loading. - Dave] Spa TreatmentShe's lying on a towel from the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. The towel and fan and neck seal suggest some spa treatment. Apparatus for and method of inducing pyrexiaLooks like it was patented by Charles C. Honsaker: http://www.google.com/patents/US2203263 "This invention relates generally to the art of "hydrotherapeutics and more particularly to an apparatus for and method of inducing pyrexia in the treatment of various diseases and disorders of the body." Hot Fog BoxThat's what the inventor, Mr. Honsaker, called it when he exhibited it at a conference on "fever therapy" in New York in 1937. Water at 130 degrees is sprayed on the patient in such fine droplets "that it feels like the sensation of drifting fog," claimed Mr. Honsaker. SleekPretty nifty, sleek design, and notice the pinstriping too! Someone took pride in their work! Hot FlashRaising body temperature was an accepted treatment for syphilis before the discovery of penicillin. Typical article from the Western Journal of Medicine, March 1934: (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Medicine)
Grande Stand: 1946
... full size. Pocket Book x 2 Trial and Error (1937) by Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) and The Bellamy Trial (1927) by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2015 - 9:40pm -

New York, 1946. "Garcia Grande newsstand." With the freshest issues of FLIP, NIFTY and LAFF. 4x5 acetate negative by John M. Fox. View full size. Pocket Book x 2Trial and Error (1937) by Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) and The Bellamy Trial (1927) by Frances Noyes Hart (1890-1943). A study in retailDour clerk has no customers, Cheerful clerk racking up the sales. We can officially change the "Circe 1950" to 1946this issue of "Zoo Funnies" (That is hanging over the counter) is listed as Feb. 1946. [That tricky word is "circa." - Dave] ChallengeLooks like another challenge for the person who colorized the last newsstand photo. Newsstand LocationI don't see enough clues to make a determination as to where this newsstand was located in Manhattan. Perhaps Grand Central Terminal, based on the name "Grande"? Perhaps Rockefeller Center? Maybe the lobby of a large building? ["Garcia Grande" is a cigar. - Dave] And who wouldn'tbuy a magazine titled "NIFTY" ? Presidential newsstandIs that LBJ in the dark suit behind the counter? The latest issue of EbonyHowever, Jet weekly is still about a year away. Flip not very freshIf this is truly 1950 then that edition of flip is a back issue. It's listed on a couple eBay auctions as 1946 Issue #1 The hair of the woman on the cover looks more like 1946 than 1950. [Evidently it's time for our annual refresher course on what "circa" means. - Dave] (The Gallery, John M. Fox, NYC)
Tire Service: 1942
... there. Here is an earlier image, probably taken in 1937. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Los Angeles, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/01/2015 - 11:04am -

1942. "Hollywood, California. Tire service station." Mosher Tire, next door to the Dix Hotel. Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. TopperSomething older is parked at the curb to the right of the frame and it appears to have a So Cal AAA license plate topper attached to it! DeluxeNice 1938 ford Deluxe Tudor sedan parked in front of the bargain rack. I have a '38 Standard Tudor...but not that nice. Don't bump your head3rd floor room/special rate. Draft registrationMr. Mosher would be registering for World War I not World War II. His age was 57 in 1942. [Age requirement for WWII draft registration was 18-64. -tterrace] I stand corrected. Thanks tterrace as I dropped the ball you picked it up. MotorolaMotorola was the big name - if not the only one - in auto radios at that time. The company had a large stock of auto radios at the war's beginning. Since auto manufacturing was suspended for the duration of the war, Motorola sold "chairside" radios, which were auto radios converted to 110-volt AC power and installed into end tables. Rubber RoomsToo bad the tiny top floor room doesn't provide a view of all those luscious, war-rationed tires. Still going in 1968... according this post in a forum discussion. It says: "The founder of Mosher Tire Service was Lewis Dean Mosher, born in Illinois on September 26, 1885. His obituary says he was a pioneer in North Hollywood beginning in 1927 and that he had founded his tire business in Los Angeles in 1905 . . . When he filled out a draft registration for WWII he . . . lists his business address as 1534 N. Cahuenga Bl, North Hollywood." Ah, those daysWhen a half a dozen sizes fit ALL cars. Today, it seems tire shops must have hundreds of sizes, let alone brands. Part of my family history!This is where my grandfather, Lewis Dean Mosher worked. Later in 1942 the business moved to 12117 Burbank Blvd in North Hollywood. My father and my uncle ended up working together with my grandfather for some time. Eventually my dad, Merrill D. Mosher operated it until he retired. The original structure on Burbank Blvd is no longer there, but the house next door, where my grandparents lived starting in 1927, is still there. Here is an earlier image, probably taken in 1937. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Los Angeles, Russell Lee)
Bumper Buddies: 1940
... Two different truck years The guys are sitting on a 1937 Chevrolet Half-Ton pickup. What's throwing me off is the position of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2019 - 5:26pm -

December 1940. "Camp Livingston, Alexandria, Louisiana. Construction workers from Monroe sitting on car in front of their shacks before leaving for evening shift." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Here's looking at me, kid.Bogie on the fender. Pitching a TintAnyone colorizing this? The 1940 Louisiana license plate featured beautiful dark blue characters on brilliant orange background, a striking contrast. And yes, that is a little map of the state inserted between the banks of digits. You can leave your hat onThat was an easy car quiz. The pickup truck is a mere 1941 Chevrolet AK 3104. His new pickupJudging by the hood vents and cab, the truck is a brand new 1941 Chevrolet Series AK pickup. 1941 was the first model year for the AK, which was replaced by the Advance Design trucks in June 1947. Two different truck yearsThe guys are sitting on a 1937 Chevrolet Half-Ton pickup. What's throwing me off is the position of the wipers -- they ought to be on the top of the windshield frame, not the bottom. The truck to the left appears to be a 1941 Chevrolet Half-Ton. Both are classics! [That thar is a car. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)
Uneasy Rider: 1931
... 64% in 1932. Auburn production finally ended in August of 1937. The rights, tooling, castings, etc. for the V-12 engine Auburn brought ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2016 - 12:57pm -

San Francisco, 1931. "Auburn at Golden Gate Park." Similar to the car seen earlier here. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. OffhandedHe should have had the stitches holding his pocket closed removed before he posed for the picture. He would then have been able to get his whole hand into it! WorrywartThe guy looks a lot like Bob Crosby on a bad day. Similar, but DifferentThe earlier Auburn is a sedan with a canvas covered roof. This one's a convertible. [So it is! I thought they had the same tag number, but not quite. -Dave] Not an easy clean.Imagine crawling underneath That Auburn to scrub those B.F. Goodrich double whites. Serial NumbersNote that they are both dealer plates. I'd be happy with either car today. That gentleman needs a shoeshineThen there would be a smile in his heart--even if the scowl on his visage remained the same. Knockoff HubsWheels, use a hammer to spin the hub cover. If you look carefully, you can see the arrows on the front wheels hubs that indicate which direction they spin. Auburn was quite sporty. This example is interesting in how the height of the windscreen is used to make car look bigger. HubcapsHow did they get them off. They are only flat on one side to pound them on/ tighten them. You would have to hit on an angle to loosen them. Auburns looked so great!Like many teens of my generation, I first became aware of Auburns and Cords when Olds introed the Toronado, which hit me (as Nicky-Nick-Nick would say) "Like the hot kiss at the end of a wet fist." My wife and I are shopping right now for what will likely be our last new car, and they all look like bars of soap. Re: Knockoff HubsYou used the hammer on the flat side of the 'wings' to loosen the hub (hence, 'knockoff'); the threads on the hub tightened with the rotation of the wheels when the car was moving forward, so the hubs only needed to be hand tightened, with maybe a love tap or two from the hammer. The hammer, incidentally, was wood or leather, to avoid damaging the hubs. Re: Re: Knockoff HubsBack in the day I owned a 1962 MGA 1600 MkII equipped with wire wheels with knockoff hubs. Rather than wood or leather, the mallet had a solid copper head to avoid damaging the hubs. Wish I had that car today. HeterogeneityNot readily visible in the photo are the contrasting colors that were in vogue on the 1931 Auburns. The photos below provide much more vivid illustrations of the blatant color schemes available. One of the people assisting the design staff was Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky who was known for his use of extravagant color schemes. He was, at the same time, also the body designer of the more subtlety colored DeVaux cars seen here. The Auburn shown is a model 8-98A Custom Phaeton Sedan which cost $1,345 and weighed 3,700 pounds. The freshly styled Auburns were three inches lower than the previous year which was possible by the use of underslung semi-elliptic springs and 17 inch wheels. The bumper with the drop in the center was a covert allusion to the reduced height of all Auburn models. The windshield on this model could fold down over the cowl. Safety glass was optionally available, but radios from the factory were still not offered. This was Auburn's best year for sales with 32,301 cars produced, and the firm rose from 22nd place in the industry in overall sales to 13th place. It was the only time Auburn broke into the top 20 of U.S. automobile manufacturers. Sales would fall more than 64% in 1932. Auburn production finally ended in August of 1937. The rights, tooling, castings, etc. for the V-12 engine Auburn brought out in 1932 were purchased by American LaFrance, improved, and then utilized in their smaller fire trucks until 1963. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Roney Plaza: 1939
... Arts architecture and up-to-the-minute 1939 1938 1937 Buick. Missed It By That Much That '39 Buick is actually a '37. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2019 - 9:50pm -

April 1939. "Collins Avenue. Entrance to one of Miami Beach's better hotels." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. America at its bestI can’t decide what’s better: the building or the car. Arrest that man!Imagine! Appearing in public without a hat! It didn't burn downI guess it wasn't flammable enough. They had to demolish it in 1968 to build the 'Roney Plaza Apartments'. Re: America at its bestI do! The suit and the two-tone shoes. Torn Down on July 17, 1968Well, it didn't burn, anyway. https://www.facebook.com/miami.history1896/photos/a.471091646291054/1103... Both beautiful examples of their erasLovely Beaux Arts architecture and up-to-the-minute 1939 1938 1937 Buick. Missed It By That MuchThat '39 Buick is actually a '37. The Other Car in the PhotoWhat is that car lurking in the hubcap? Pampered '37Rare though it may be to see a Depression photo of a pristine 2-year-old car, that Buick is actually a '37 -- not a '38, which differs from the '37 only slightly by virtue of a more aggressive grille consisting of heavier chrome bars terminating in a radial curve as they meet the hood side panels. Queen's Black Tiara -- A Film NoirHouse detective Bill Laaw stands guard at the entrance as the notorious jewel thief Eddie "High Pants" Lowe looks for a weak spot in the hotel's defenses. To the left stands femme fatale Maude Merry, another jewel thief, who plans on compromising Bill Laaw to allow her the run of the hotel. However before she sets her plan in action she meets Eddie at the Pink Flamingo Bar and they start a furious romance that may bring down Billy Laaw who put Eddie's father in Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit and reward them with the fabulous Maltese Queen's Black Tiara. Will our two lovers escape the fate of most Film Noir characters and retire to Bimini with their treasure instead of one being brought down by a hail of bullets and the other off to Sing Sing to join his father? (The Gallery, Florida, M.P. Wolcott, Miami)
Aerial Omaha: 1938
... was an apartment building offered for sale in January 1937. Directly across the street from it was the “Hummel Auto Shed” and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2017 - 9:05pm -

        UPDATE: Our vantage point for this view north along 14th Street is the Woodmen of the World tower at 1323 Farnam. November 1938. "Omaha, Nebraska." Gateway to the West. Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. FansAnyone aware of what the contraption is on top of the building on the left. I see fan units. Was this an air conditioning system? If so it is very narrow. Three Corner TavernsInteresting to note the small corner taverns in the Omaha photographs: in the “Omaha Suds” image, in the Theodore's Place image, and the Oaks Tavern in this image. Three corner taverns, each about the same size and height, although some more decorated than the other. I wonder how many others existed? Across the street is the Paris Bar and Billiards. Oaks and Paris advertised together. What Depression?For a small city during the worst of the later Depression years, this photo portrays an impressive proportion of late model vehicles. As opposed to the trucks, the great majority of the cars seen here are within 3 or 4 years of age if not newer -- a mix probably not excelled in most U.S. localities today. Brand new Ford TudorThe car almost directly in front of the "Nebraska" is a new 1938 Standard Ford V8. I've had one of these since the late 1970's. Once considered the ugly duckling of the 30's by almost everyone is now kinda good looking. Kinda. Scorch marksSo what was the commercial establishment that burned at the corner of 14th and Capitol? Whatever it might have been, the fire appears to have thoroughly gutted the place. Pay no attentionI'm assuming that this picture was taken from an airplane, so it's interesting that none of the many people on the street are looking up at the photographer. It seems like an airplane flying low over the downtown area would attract a lot of attention! [The photo was taken from the Woodmen of the World building at 1323 Farnam Street. - Dave] Gateway to the WestJust a minute, that nickname belongs to my native city, Winnipeg, Manitoba. But wait, Wikipedia points out that it also refers to no fewer than 6 cities in the US (Fargo, Fort Wayne, Omaha, St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, Kansas City, Pittsburgh) and one whole state (Oklahoma, although particularly Tulsa). Location, Location, Location?I believe this photo was taken from a building on the southeast corner of 14th and Farnam. In an aerial photo from the early 1950s I can see a tall building located at that corner. Furthermore, in that aerial photo I can clearly see the Hotel Fontenelle a few blocks to the west at 1806 Douglas and I can positively identify the fronts of the buildings in the 1300 block of Douglas where Palace Billiards and the Oaks Bar were. [You are correct about the location (my first guess, the Hotel Fontenelle, is on the wrong block). Which means our vantage point is the 19-story Woodmen of the World headquarters, at the time of its completion in 1912 the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast. - Dave] No Apartments AvailableThe three story brick building being demolished was an apartment building offered for sale in January 1937. Directly across the street from it was the “Hummel Auto Shed” and the Omaha World Herald delivery truck garage and parking lot and the vacant space diagonally across the street was the site of the Jefferson Hotel, demolished in 1935. Win some, lose someBetween the Oaks Bar and the Nebraska theater is a campaign office with banners for 19938 candidacies of (James T.) English for (Douglas) County Attorney, and (Frank) McGrath for (Douglas County) Clerk of Court. English won, and later became a state-court judge. McGrath, an incumbent mired in scandals, lost. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Railroads)
Rust Belt Riviera: 1941
... for the FSA. View full size. High Water In 1937 there was a devastating flood. So my guess is that there is not a whole ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2019 - 1:36pm -

January 1941. "A section of Rochester, Pennsylvania, on the Ohio River. Photographs show Ohio River town in western Pennsylvania -- bridges, houseboats, coal barges, railroad yards. Abandoned stove and glass works. Automobile graveyard. Cemetery and gravedigger. Substandard housing occupied by Negroes." Photo by Jack Delano for the FSA. View full size. High WaterIn 1937 there was a devastating flood. So my guess is that there is not a whole lot close to the river. I live in Leavenworth, Indiana. A town that was moved uphill after that flooding. Prime Real EstateOther than that gaggle of railroad tracks that property right next to the river should have been prime real estate. So why was it a slum area? Did it flood often? What is it now? Inquiring minds want to know. Beaver Valley BowlingThe tall building has been repurposed as a bowling alley, and a Goggle street view spin around Rochester shows it has survived in the Rust Belt better than many places. Mostly Highway NowIt's difficult to approximate exactly where the original photo was taken. The area now has a divided highway and a jumble of access ramps running though much of it, but my guess is that the photographer was standing somewhere along Pleasant Street at the top of the bluff. The large building in the center of the photo still (mostly) stands, and appears to now house a bowling alley and pool hall. It's available!https://www.timesonline.com/news/20181211/beaver-valley-bowl-building-fa... Hollywood beckonedThe large brick building was the Beaver Valley Brewery, and is now home to the Beaver Valley Bowl. The bowling alley appeared in two movies: Wonder Boys and Kingpin. You can see the exterior and interior in this clip: https://youtu.be/gO0VwzCuuBM Update: Beaver Valley Bowl also appears in the Netflix series: I'm Not OK With This. Looks uninvitingA short distance behind the photographer is the Beaver River, where it joins the Ohio. Across the Beaver River is the town of Beaver, where my grandfather died 5 years to the month from when this was taken. There's little wonder why my grandmother packed up dad and his brother and moved back to the Philly area where she had family. Still StandingThe large building in the upper center of the frame and the smaller buildings farther away from the camera are still there as are all four mainline tracks. The Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridge has been replaced by another one a a few hundred yards west of this location. This view is looking east toward Pittsburgh from Rochester and likely was taken from the bridge crossing the tracks and then the Ohio River. Small Town, Big Railroad"The Standard Railroad of the World" - The Pennsylvania Railroad (Now part of Norfolk Southern) looms large in the town. Tony Dorsett (Footbal) and Christina Aguilera (Singer) hail from here. (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Here's Lucy: 1908
... on the Allegheny River at 51st St, it was dismantled in 1937. The Romance of Steel, 1907. By Herbert N. Casson ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 2:42pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1908. "Carnegie Steel Company, 'Lucy' furnace." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Recycle 1908 styleThat is a very up-to-date string of coal cars in the background. All steel cars show Keystone Coal to be a very modern operation. In the foreground is several stretches of disconnected narrow gauge plant track, with a string of cars and wheelsets nearby. These plantracks would change location quickly, as needed. But what really interests me is that arch-roof former baggage car lettered American Bridge of NY. That car could easily be forty years old here.It likely was used by AB to carry rigging and supplies for their projects, although it may no longer be in use. To its right is a short ex reefer. [The hinged doors give away its former occupation. The windows cut into it indicate other uses by ABNY.] Its odd, double archbar trucks were popular on New York Central lines for a time. Broken WindowsWell, I guess bridges shouldn't have windows, anyway. The tradition at U.S. SteelThe tradition at U.S. Steel is to name furnaces after wives of the President/Chairman. Lucy Coleman Carnegie was wife of Thomas M. Carnegie. Where was Pittsburgh, anyhow?The Lucy Furnace was named in honor of Andrew Carnegie's sister-in-law, Lucy Carnegie. Located on the Allegheny River at 51st St, it was dismantled in 1937. The Romance of Steel, 1907. By Herbert N. Casson The Rise of Andrew Carnegie … In 1873 two new furnaces had been built, now famous in the iron world as the Lucy and the Isabella. The Lucy belonged to the Carnegie company, and the Isabella to a combine of Pittsburgh iron men. These furnaces were of equal size, and belonged to rival owners. They began at once to race in the production of iron, and their amazing achievements for the first time attracted the attention of all countries to Pittsburgh. The average output of a furnace was then fifty tons a day. There were wild hurrahs at the Carnegie company's works in 1874, when, for the first time in the history of ironmaking, the Lucy turned out a hundred tons of iron in one day. In England the news was received in silent incredulity. To believe that a single furnace could pour out twenty-two thousand dollars' worth of iron in a week was too much. Where was Pittsburgh, anyhow? And who was this Carnegie who made such preposterous claims? … A second Lucy furnace was built in 1877, and the Carnegie company operated both until the organisation of the Steel Trust. During that period of nearly thirty years they produced more than three million tons of iron—enough to give four pounds apiece to every man, woman, and child on the globe; enough to pave a road seventy feet wide with iron plates an inch thick from New York to St. Louis. … There is nothing idyllic about the Lucy furnaces. They have received no honours, no medals, no monuments. They have inspired neither artist nor poet. Yet for thirty-three years, for every hour of the day and night, they have been untiringly making the useless into the useful, magically transforming the ore into a ceaseless stream of that metal which is immeasurably more precious to civilisation than all the gold and silver and rubies and diamonds. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
The Annex: 1940
... unknowns...the sedan moving away on the right is a 1937 Dodge. space Jim Dandy, not sure what you are seeing as wasted ... tall. The Unknowns The forward unknown car is a 1937 Oldsmobile Series F (I think. High-mounted, bullet-shaped tail lights, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/24/2017 - 7:00pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1940. "Bureau of Engraving and Printing Annex, C Street S.W." 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. When the government gets money for nothingI wonder how the architect justified the huge waste of space in that building. Shorpy Vehicle Identification ImperativeL to R: 1939 Buick, 1935 Oldsmobile, unknown, 1935 Ford, then a couple of VERY interesting unknowns...the sedan moving away on the right is a 1937 Dodge. spaceJim Dandy, not sure what you are seeing as wasted space. As far as I know, the building was fully occupied with a short time of it being completed. If it's voids between the wings that you're looking at, they exist to provide light and air to all parts of the building. This is pre-A/C Washington DC, and summer can be stifling. No wasted space hereThe type of architecture is common for large office buildings, apartments and hotels of the pre-air conditioned world. There are other examples in DC and other cities all over the US. To allow ventilation and daylight to reach as many people as possible, floor plates above the main floor (or two) were kept narrow, with operable windows all around. What's good for General Motors is good for the countryThere was no "huge waste of space" to justify in this building. It has a common type of design that allowed offices to be laid out so that no one was too far from windows. Look at the old General Motors Building (now Cadillac Place) in Detroit. It has a very similar design to that of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Annex, although it is about twice as tall. The UnknownsThe forward unknown car is a 1937 Oldsmobile Series F (I think. High-mounted, bullet-shaped tail lights, trim on the side of the hood). The rearward one is a 1938 DeSoto. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., David Myers)
Reliable Shoe House: 1920
... store was destroyed by a five-alarm fire on December 12, 1937. Luther Reason Ray I found a design by architect Luther Ray while ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 11:52am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. Hahn's shoe store at Seventh and K streets N.W. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Hahn'sThe building still exists, and the shoe store closed only about 10-12 years ago. I used to buy all my shoes there, including my first grown-up shoes for my first job, for a law firm across the street. That is neatI would give my bottom dollar to have seen what new-old-stock they had available when they closed down. Size 8 please... Hahn Shoes: 1891 The Washington Post, Oct 13, 1891 William Hahn & Co. Formally Open Their New Establishment William Hahn & Co. celebrated the occupation of their new place of business at 930 and 932 Seventh street yesterday and last night be a formal opening, that was attended by great crowds of people. The new building, which was demanded by the increasing trade of the firm, was built expressly for them. It is a beautiful structure, three stories high, and every available foot of space is devoted to the large assortment of goods handled by the firm. The fixtures are of oak, and the office cashier's box, and wrapping counter in the front of the main salesroom are an innovation on the usual methods of construction. The fixtures, for both gas and electricity, are black and form a pleasing contrast to the thousands of white boxes containing shoes. ... Hahn Shoe DCThe corner occupied by Hahn is the SW corner of Seventh Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. K Street goes west to Seventh and stops at Mount Vernon Square, where Carnegie City Library was built. K restarts west of Ninth Street all the way to Georgetown. [This is Seventh and K, not Seventh and Mass. - Dave] Hahn'sHahn shoes ware the best. Someone should start a Facebook for all Hahn's-related stuff. You Are HereThe address is also in the medallion on the corner of the building. The old hotfootHahn's shoe store was destroyed by a five-alarm fire on December 12, 1937. Luther Reason RayI found a design by architect Luther Ray while researching him in the Library of Congress archives. It appears to have been either a plan for a remodel of a this building or one for a replacement. Do we know if it was ever built? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Church of the Nativity: 1940
... stylish among British women of a certain age between about 1937 and 1940. (Referring to the late Queen Mother, of course, who became ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/16/2007 - 8:05am -

Christmas in the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem circa 1940. View full size. 4x5 glass-plate negative, G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection. So, what are those?What are the things hanging in the picture? Incense? [Answer above. - Dave] So, what are those?The hanging things are oil lamps, not censers. Just above the lamps themselves are oval ostrich eggs -- a symbol of hope and the Resurrection. The lamps are lowered during the day to be refilled and have their wicks trimmed. Orthodox churches in Jerusalem and elsewhere have dozens of these lamps, many of them donated over the centuries by Christian pilgrims. [Thank you! - Dave] DateJudging by the western ladies hats the date would be more like 1928-1930 I think. [It's not. - Dave] HatsThat's a Queen Elizabeth Hat, very stylish among British women of a certain age between about 1937 and 1940. (Referring to the late Queen Mother, of course, who became Queen Consort at the end of 1936.) I'm sorryBut Anonymous Tipster is right, all the ladies clothes date from between 1928 and 1930. [The dating comes from the photographer's logbook. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Christmas, Matson)
Parked for the Duration: 1942
... Chevrolet; 1940 Oldsmobile; 1941 Dodge; 1938 Plymouth; 1937 Ford; 1938 Buick; 1941 Oldsmobile; and a 1939 Buick. No SUVs or ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2014 - 9:55am -

1942. "Effect of gasoline shortage in Washington, D.C." Medium format nitrate negative by Albert Freeman for the Office of War Information. View full size. WhereaboutsThis is the 1400 block of New York Avenue NW, looking north. Behind the lot are the rear of the buildings fronting on H St. These include 1416 H St. NW & its distinctive rounded bay, seen below in the 1921 Baist Atlas. At center top, note the back (eastern facade) of the Southern Building, 805 15th St. NW. Spotter's Dream Come True!Who going to name all the cars in this photo? The Trans-Lux TheatreThe "Theatre Exit, do not block" sign is for the Trans-Lux.. The Trans-Lux was at 14th and H Streets NW the screen end of the auditorium was behind the pictured doors. The Trans-Lux was torn down in 1974. ProgressIt is interesting to note how few years separate the little '32 Chevy from the rest of the modern iron in the lot. It still has styling cues from the twenties. All the rest have streamlined bodies, pontoon fenders, big, powerful engines and so on. The late 30's was a period of huge automotive advances My Kind Of PictureAwnings and old cars. Spotted for the DurationI recognize a number of the cars in the lot, numerous Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Fords, Dodges, etc., but for now I'll just highlight that 1938 Lincoln Zephyr front and center in the parallel-parked row. It could stand a wash, but meanwhile reminds me of the similar 1941 Zephyr 4-door fastback my family drove during my earliest years. That car's wonderful streamlining has determined my aesthetic toward automobiles (and pretty much everything else) ever since then. Parking feesI know I am from a different age and country for that matter, but are the parking fees a little expensive for that time? I am drooling...I wish I could select even one of those beauties.. ok, let's say two! American cars made around 1940 really appeal my eye. They simply look like cars. Parked for 9 or 10 Hours?I think these cars have only been parked for the work day. Too many of them have open windows to have been parked for the duration of WWII. Along with many open door vent windows there are several cars with open hood vents that surely would have been closed if this was a long-term storage lot. The location, in the heart of D.C., also seems like a strange place to locate a place to store cars for a lengthy period of time. I think the photographer's caption is erroneous or someone else mislabeled the photo. [The caption comes from the LOC catalog card for a collection of negatives mainly depicting parked cars in a variety of situations about Washington, D.C. -tterrace] The car parked front and center is actually a 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr, not a 1941 model. The two most easily identifying features are the comet tail trim on the side of the hood and the exposed running boards. In 1939, all the way through the 1942 model year when the last Lincoln-Zephyr was built, the running boards were concealed by the doors on Lincoln-Zephyrs. The Zephyr name was dropped when Lincoln production resumed after WWII, but the same basic models continued in production. Parked in front of the Lincoln-Zephyr is a 1941 Plymouth, and parked behind it is a 1941 Hudson Commodore Eight. From left to right, parked in the front row, are these cars: 1941 Chrysler; 1936 Plymouth; 1932 Chevrolet; 1940 Oldsmobile; 1941 Dodge; 1938 Plymouth; 1937 Ford; 1938 Buick; 1941 Oldsmobile; and a 1939 Buick. No SUVs or trucks are in the lot, but there is one 1938 Ford Station Wagon, Type 790, behind the 1939 Buick. The Station Wagon was marketed as a passenger car for the first time, but also continued to be sold as a commercial model. To lighten the tailgate the spare tire was stored inside the vehicle behind the driver's seat. (The Gallery, Albert Freeman, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., WW2)
Baby Vegetables: 1940
... the ground! 1940? The calendar on the wall reads "1937." [Being used for decor. Below, a shot a few frames away on the same ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 4:54am -

July 1940. "Canning beans in farm kitchen near Bristol, Vermont." Photo by Louise Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. All growed up - and then someOur cheerful baby would now be 73 years old. It would be nice to see a photo of her (him?) today. Google People View? Old things!Oilcloth and enamel pots and pans. Two neat old things you just don't see anymore. May I join you?This is one of those pictures I sure wish I could walk into and join the action! It brings back lots of memories of canning various fruits and veggies, with my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and various friends. It's a big job, but a lot of fun, if there is good company, during it. Not much is so gratifying as seeing rows of filled jars, from the Summer and Fall bounty, knowing that one's family will benefit from it when there is snow on the ground! 1940?The calendar on the wall reads "1937." [Being used for decor. Below, a shot a few frames away on the same roll. - tterrace] BabyThat's about the most gleefully happy baby I've seen in one of these pictures. Must be thinking about eating those beans. Let's see that calendarCan you zoom in on that calendar? It almost looks like it says "C. A. Donah" on it. [Alas, it's not clear on the the full-size original. - tterrace] Well-ShodMom and Grandma wearing some nifty shoes. (The Gallery, Kids, Kitchens etc., Louise Rosskam)
M.I.T.: 1901
... in use as the School of Architecture into the 1930s. In 1937 it was purchased by the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:37pm -

Boston circa 1901. "Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rogers Building." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Check outCheck out the nearly-identical image. [A Detroit Publishing Co. postcard] Man in frontHe's just scratching his eye. Really. 1866 - 1939MIT's First Building, 95 feet wide by 140 feet long, consisting of five stories and one half story. Biological Laboratory In 1883, one year after the death of William Barton Rogers, the MIT Corporation voted to name the facility “The Rogers Building.” Already, however, the Institute had started to outgrow the building. By the early twentieth century MIT had spread to a dozen or so buildings in the Copley Square area and the need for more space was obvious, foreshadowing the Institute’s 1916 move of most operations to the current Cambridge campus. The old Rogers Building continued in use as the School of Architecture into the 1930s. In 1937 it was purchased by the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and razed in 1939 to make way for their new home office. M.I.T.'s first building. More on The Rogers Building. Cambridge?That would be Cambridge, not Boston, no? [Prior to 1916, M.I.T. was located in Boston.] BreezersInteresting how many photos of cities in the temperate zone show those open-air streetcars or "breezers," as they're sometimes called. Wonder what they did in winter time. Did they put them away and bring out more of the enclosed cars? That would sure require an extensive overall fleet investment. I've enjoyed riding on breezers at an Iowa location, and they don't look like they could be fitted with any kind of enclosing protection. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Real Simple: 1936
... from 1934 to 1938. The first families moved in in October 1937. This picture claims to have been taken in November 1936, 11 months ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2013 - 10:54am -

November 1936. "Interior of house. Greenbelt, Maryland." One of three planned "Green-" communities midwifed by the Resettlement Administration during the Great Depression. Luxe amenities included indoor plumbing and electricity. Medium-format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Don't blow a Fuse!I first noticed the cover off of the fuse box just to the left of the distant door, then... a fuse laying below on the floor? I wonder what that's all about? Every Shorpy photo has a back-story to tell, or a riddle to solve! Today?My Dad has lived in Greenbelt for 40 years. He says he will never move. He loves the small town feel, and the planning that went into the community. PG County is a rough area in general, but Greenbelt has the old town feel even today. Besides, He is right across the street from the police station. Probably a spareI'll bet the fuse on the floor is ready for replacing the next one that blows out. Our fuse box hung on the basement wall, so we put extra fuses on top of it, because they'd need replacing probably twice a week or so. It didn't take much to exceed capacity. I was probably seven when I was taught to replace them. We had friends who used pennies instead of fuses, to save money. It's not an old urban legend, it really happened! Old Fashioned Window BlindsFor those as old or older than me, remember tugging on them a little more than was necessary and it would go flap flap flap all the way to the top scaring the bejeesus out of you? There was a real skill in pulling them down or up to the desired position. [Yeah, exept we called them shades, not blinds. - tterrace] About that fuse.I would bet that the photographer's lights are taxing the limited power supply and they've already swapped out a 15 amp for a 20 or 30. Just a guess. StagedGreenbelt was constructed from 1934 to 1938. The first families moved in in October 1937. This picture claims to have been taken in November 1936, 11 months before the community opened. It was likely staged and taken for the promotion of the community by the Resettlement Administration. The house may not have been completely finished yet, and that may explain the fuse issues. Zen kitchenOr maybe it's kitchen by Ingmar Bergman. Either way, it's a bit austere, but certainly not without its charms. Re: Probably a spareI remember the extra fuses sitting just inside the fuse box at home, while growing up. I also remember stories of friends and neighbors using the pennies in the place of a fuse; and a few of them actually survived the house fire to tell about it. Gotta love EbenezerRexford Tugwell, the designer of Greenbelt Md, got his inspiration for Greenbelt, MD. from the esteemed Sir Ebenezer Howard. Howard was the first to plan Garden Cities, which Greenbelt, Md. is derived. It's too bad that future federal efforts at housing abandoned this idea and instead utilized ugly, almost Soviet Bloc styles of construction. Garden cities are wonderful. We need many more of them. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kitchens etc.)
The People's Favorite: 1917
... go elsewhere. The Reason for the March Date Until 1937 Inaugurations were always held on March 4, unless it was a Sunday. From 1937 on the date has been our traditional January 20 (unless it's a Sunday, in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2017 - 1:29pm -

March 1917. Washington, D.C. "Cosmos Theater, Pennsylvania Avenue. Inauguration Week bill." The home of "Refined Vaudeville," with Woodrow Wilson over the marquee. 8x10 inch glass negative, National Photo Co. View full size. Last seen herewith the "Wonder Dog" Gyp. https://www.shorpy.com/node/6278 Highest priced bill of the yearFunny, if a doctor or plumber advertised that you'd go elsewhere. The Reason for the March DateUntil 1937 Inaugurations were always held on March 4, unless it was a Sunday. From 1937 on the date has been our traditional January 20 (unless it's a Sunday, in which case the Inauguration is in the White House followed by a public ceremony the next day, the 21st). Those were the daysNot many places left today that "cater to their patrons" but instead we hear the "buyer beware" mantra continually. Also the sign says "Show never stops" (until closing). Isn't that a little deceptive, since it does stop when they close. The Cosmos BillHere is the Cosmos program for Inauguration Week, as reported in the Washington Herald on March 4th, 1917, the day before the ceremony and parade. 921 Pennsylvania Ave NWBuilt 1907; Closed late 1920s; demolished (diagonally across from National Archives) (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
New York, New York: 1941
... with my mother. We sailed on the 23rd of December 1937, Cabin 320, second class. The ship stopped overnight on Ellis Island to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 7:29pm -

December 1941. "Lower Manhattan seen from the S.S. Coamo leaving New York." View full size. 35mm negative by Jack Delano. Office of War Information. Sinking of the CoamoSS COAMO (December 9, 1942) US freighter of 7,057 tons, built in 1925 for the Agwilines of New York. The vessel was en route from Gibraltar to New York when it simply disappeared without trace. It was later discovered that the ship had been torpedoed by the German U-boat the U-604. The Coamo was carrying 186 persons including the crew. The entire merchant marine crew of 133 men plus 37 Armed Guards and 16 Army personnel were lost, in this, the greatest tragedy to befall a single crew on a US Merchant Marine ship in WWII. Interesting account and pictures here. [Fascinating. And tragic. On a related note, the Coamo rescued 71 people from the Canadian liner Lady Hawkins after it was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat in January 1942, with the loss of some 250 lives. In our photo, the ship is departing New York for Puerto Rico (it was named after the city of Coamo there), where Jack Delano took hundreds of photographs on assignment for the Farm Security Administration. He liked the island so much that he made his home there after the war. Three of his shipboard photos are dated November 1941; December 1941 is the LOC's "published/created" date, so it's hard to say exactly when this was taken. - Dave] From Puerto Rico to New YorkI arrived in New York City on the Coamo. The ship was part of the Bull Lines, or the Porto Rico Line. I was 7 years old, traveling with my mother. We sailed on the 23rd of December 1937, Cabin 320, second class. The ship stopped overnight on Ellis Island to disembark immigrants from Europe and South America. The trip was uneventful, although I was seasick. I never thought I would see a picture of the Coamo. I do know that Mr. Delano lived in P.R. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Jack Delano, NYC)
Product Placement: 1938
... Tjaarda was (again, if I am correct) responsible for the 1937 Lincoln Zephyr which strongly influenced the "look" you see here. My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:49pm -

November 25, 1938. Washington, D.C. "Ford Motor Co. New medical center parking garage." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. A pain to cleanIt appears that the tires on these cars have white sidewalls on both sides. Was that common in 1938? Line 'Em UpNo parking stripes yet -- although it's been my experience in situations like this that the first vehicle to park tends to set the geometry for how everyone else parks. Left to Right1939 models of Lincoln, Mercury and Ford. Cars of Detroit1939 Lincoln Zephyr, Mercury 8 (1st year) & Ford Deluxe Tudor look great. Yes, double sided whitewalls were a dealer option. Wish I could get these new today! Too bad they didn't use color photography. TjaardesqueThese are probably my favorite Ford stylings, which I believe were from the pen of Tom Tjaarda. Tjaarda was (again, if I am correct) responsible for the 1937 Lincoln Zephyr which strongly influenced the "look" you see here. My grandpa had a '39 Tudor Deluxe which is recalled as being what could be best described as a shade deeper than "Crest Toothpaste" green. It was a lovely machine despite the color portrayal. Oh! To go back into time!Just the ability to go back into time and retrieve what is today we call relics or artifacts, and then magically bring them into the present day. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Fiesta Class: 1930s
... that transition. I would place this picture around 1936 or 1937 by the hairstyles, and I see nothing in the clothes to contradict that. ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 10/08/2011 - 4:28pm -

I'm going to say this is the 1930s as this negative was rather large (the large ones typically being older). It's also probably San Diego. This picture goes along the same lines as a previous one I've posted. View full size It makes one wonderout of these approximately three dozen kids (I keep losing count) how many were labeled as dyslexic, hyperactive or attention-deficit disordered. I'm guessing none and I'm not looking for a fight, I'm just letting my mind wander. Late '40s?They sure aren't the usual bunch of glum-looking tykes school pictures back then ran to. But I'm going to say '40s because the guys' hair and clothes remind me of how guys looked in my own class pictures circa 1948 or so. I could easily be wrong. Nose-pickerI see you. No one flipping the bird?I guess they're a little too young for such hijinks. Another vote for the '40sJudging from the shoes and hair it's early 1940s. How fascinating to see a very, very diverse school photo from that time! Voting for 1930sI am voting for the 1930's because my mother has a picture of her and her sister where my mother's sister has almost the same outfit and hair as the girl in the white slacks (third from the left). I know the date on that photo to be 1934. Another clue are the shoes on the crouching girl at the far right edge of the first row. They look very 1920's. Such shoes would not have lasted as costume hand-me-downs into the 1940s. Helping make dating this picture hard is that over half of these children are in costumes rather than their daily clothes. It seems they were doing some kind of play or pageant about the old days of gauchos and adobes and had the group shot taken specifically as part of that. Fistful of DollarsCould that be Clint Eastwood standing alone in the serape? Thirty-somethingThere was a real change in female hairstyles in 1938 to longer hair, rolled to have fullness at the bottom. These girls have not started to make that transition. I would place this picture around 1936 or 1937 by the hairstyles, and I see nothing in the clothes to contradict that. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids, Tonypix)
Re-Tirement Home: 1940
... full size. Carbonated Coke It seems that this 1937 Ford sedan's flathead V8 is getting a de-coke job. The engine ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2018 - 10:17pm -

March 1940. "Secondhand tires displayed for sale at service station in San Marcos, Texas." A leading candidate for the first Krispy Kreme franchise. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Carbonated CokeIt seems that this 1937 Ford sedan's flathead V8 is getting a de-coke job. The engine compartment's side panel has been removed for access and is resting against the Ford tire rims along the wall, with a new head gasket lying on it. The cylinder head has been removed and the gent who is just visible behind the right side of the car is scraping the carbon that has built up inside the head's combustion chambers (called decoking or decarbonizing). This was a common procedure on older cars, given their low compression and the poor quality of fuels. Buildup of carbon (coke) led to a drop in engine performance, so it had to be cleared out from time to time. Indeed many owner's manuals even had the procedure detailed for the owner to perform himself. Why I follow ShorpyThe wonderful titles, hilarious takes like the "first Krispy Kreme franchise" in descriptions, and that the very first comment is a detailed explanation of what some guys working on a car 80 years ago were really doing. Major repairsAt the time it was common practice to do engine overhauls, including the aforementioned carbon removal, cleaning out the oil pan and passage, and replacing the main bearings. In many cases, the main bearings were poured in place - the bearing material (babbit or something like it) would be melted and poured into place in the journals. This was something a good service station would do, maybe in less than as 50,000 miles. This was before detergent oil, so crud would just fill it up eventually. I have seen cars from as late as the 60s where oily sludge had built up to the point that it filled up the engine, so you could take off a valve cover, and have a 6" deep layer of sludge in the shape of the interior of the valve covers, with small gaps where the oil was forced out of the passages. Now it is normal and expected that an engine will run 200,000 miles with no internal failures or significant wear, and no real maintenance aside from oil changes. To the point that everything else in the car has been destroyed long before the engine goes bad. The "good old days" sucked, for the most part. Wheeling in more ways than oneThe building is at least partially clad in Wheeling Corrugating Company's "Cop-R-Loy" steel, as we can see by the imprint above the side garage. This brand of sheet goods consisted of a mild steel with a small amount of copper added to reduce corrosion. It was quite popular and used in a great many water-contact steel products of that era. I still have a bucket in the garage with the same brand ... and still no rust! It's 1939 and 1940The month is March, and the Model A coupe is wearing a 1940 license plate, while the '37 Ford sports a 1939 plate. Until 1975, vehicles in Texas had to get new plates every year, and drivers had from January through March to register. This usually meant long lines of procrastinators at county tax offices at the end of March each year. Third row, second from leftand put it on my new-fangled Sinclair credit card. Just off the squareWithout going to stand on the spot I can't be 100 percent positive, but I believe this station stood on West Fort Street, also known as Texas Highway 80, maybe half a block west of the courthouse. (Fort Street was later renamed Hopkins.) At the far left of the picture, one of the cornices of the Hays County Courthouse (still standing, now with a New Improved Historic Designation) is visible. Sinclair Credit CardsI didn't know there were credit cards of any kind back in those days. Sinclair Gas Credit CardThe card was not a credit card but a GAS CARD, that you pre-filled before a trip that you could use to pump gas at their stations. The research on Sinclair's Website only turned up data about the company here. [Like the sign says, it's a credit card. You charged your gas, then the company mailed you a statement at the end of the month. Pre-filled cards had to wait for the computer era. - Dave] [Ah! I stand corrected] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Are We There Yet?
March 1937. "Four families, three of them related with 15 children, from the Dust ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2013 - 12:04pm -

March 1937. "Four families, three of them related with 15 children, from the Dust Bowl in Texas in an overnight roadside camp near Calipatria, California." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Quite a crowdThe face of the little girl being held by her mother (sitting on the milkcan) is heartbreaking. It also looks like child #16 might be here soon. Everything is RelativeAlthough most families displaced by the dustbowl and hard economic times had it rough, some apparently faired better than others. As opposed to other Shorpy submissions from the era, at least these boys are wearing shirts with their bib overalls and everyone has shoes! A new meaning to the term "Depression"At an elevation of 184 feet (56 m) below sea level, Calipatria, California is the lowest elevation city in the western hemisphere. Hopefully the didn't stick aroundCalipatria in Summer is unbearably hot. Heartbroken? Nah, nap-broken.The little girl on mommy's lap looks more grumpy than heartbroken. For that matter, all the kids look like they need some quality time on that cot. Hope Ms. Lange didn't wake them up. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Dust Bowl, Kids, On the Road)
Washington Pork: 1925
... absolutely delicious. Thank You Sylvan Goldman In 1937 an Oklahoman named above dreamed up the first design for a shopping cart ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 7:54pm -

"D.D. Collins." Another circa 1925 scene from the O Street Market in Washington. Who wants ham? National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Market BasketEveryone has one! I went shopping last night for groceries, bringing along my reusable bags -- what I really like about them is that they carry a lot and decrease the number of bags I have to lug home. Everything old is new I guess. I love your title -- that's Washington pork that I approve of! Maybe some good Virginia ham, hmmm. How can this be?Whites serving Blacks? Whites standing in line behind Blacks? Blacks and Whites smiling? All seemingly getting along? What gives here? Re: curing hamAh, dry-cured ham! If you've only ever had the wet-cured (likely brine injected) variety, do yourself a favor and splurge on a dry-cured ham. They're absolutely delicious. Thank You Sylvan GoldmanIn 1937 an Oklahoman named above dreamed up the first design for a shopping cart on wheels with two wire baskets, one high and one low. It was patented on March 15, l938. His hunch was that people would buy more if they had an easier way to get their groceries to the checkout counter and that proved to be 100% accurate. Later, other people got patents for their version of a similar object, but Sylvan was first. He was born in 1898 and lived to the age of 86 (1984). This WILL BE on the test. Achh! The smell of that aroma!Just by the way the photo looks the smell of all that beautiful meat brings tears to my nose! It's almost like walking past a house in the wintertime and someone is burning cherry wood in the fireplace. You just have to stop for a few moments and absorb the smell. Aunt IzzyYes, my Aunt Izzy had a smokehouse out back where she cured hams and sausage here in Georgia. Very tasty, and wonderfully low-tech. Kosher? No.Yummy? YES! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Santa Fe Trailways: 1940
... Sailing Along https://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/1937.html Pie Town The vehicle appears to be a 1937 Plymouth DeLuxe seven-passenger sedan. For those who didn't know, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2020 - 2:10pm -

June 1940. "Stage in front of the post office at Pie Town, New Mexico. This stage comes through daily except Sunday. It takes in cream for the Pie Town farmers to Magdalena and Socorro and then returns the empty cans." Our second look at the Pie Town stop of the Socorro-Springerville Express. Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Nice touchI notice some light colored pinstriping on the wheel wells of the fenders on this great vehicle. Car 1403, Where Are You?I wonder how long it took them to cover the 150 plus miles between Socorro and Springerville. And if that was the load always carried, how many miles between flats, breakdowns, and other assorted mechanical problems. Hoosier Taxi jump seatsWhen I was young, circa 1963, my hometown had a few taxis that looked just like this. What I found most interesting was that on the back of the front seats there were four little round seats, each about the size of a dinner plate, that folded down; sitting on one meant you were facing the folks on the rear seat. Every Tuesday in the summer, my mom and aunt would call a taxi, and shovel all nine of the kids (aged 4-12) they had between them into the back. As the smallest, I ALWAYS managed to grab one of the little fold-down seats. And off we'd go, without adults, to the New Moon theatre to watch a double header matinee for 25 cents each. Who needs seatbelts when there are nine little bodies packed in like sardines? And the taxi would be waiting a block away for us every time, what days those werec... Oh, and my brother managed to open the suicide door once and almost fell out as we were moving along! I just remembered that! Sailing Alonghttps://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/1937.html Pie TownThe vehicle appears to be a 1937 Plymouth DeLuxe seven-passenger sedan. For those who didn't know, the road between Socorro and Springerville is Highway 60. The Continental Divide at 8,000 feet is just east of Pie Town and the highway at that time was unpaved. Anywhere but hereWho's the young man inside the door, dreaming of life somewhere else? Picked up a rockLooks like one of those unpaved roads threw a rock into the windshield in front of the passenger. If someone was seated there at the time it must have been a shock. Parcel PostThe taxi company must also have a contract with the Post Office Department. That's a #2 Parcel Post sack being carried into the building. How do I know? 36 years with the Postal Service. I recognize the hasp. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Orphan Excursion: 1923
... worm or chain drive. The AB model was produced through 1937 (with coninuous modifications, of course), and over 55,000 were made ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 1:41pm -

Washington, August 1923. "Star orphan excursion." View full size. 4x5 glass negative from the National Photo Company Collection. Orphan Bus I have never seen a bus like this one. It seems to have no headlights except what appears to be a lantern on the driver side. I can see the horn sticking through the cowl below the windshield. What kind of bus is this? LightingEarly vehicles used carbide lamps, similar to those used in mines, which generated acetylene by reacting calcium carbide with water, while later vehicles carried canisters of acetylene dissolved in acetone that saturated a filler material, and the gas was piped to the lamps. I'm not that familiar with auto lamps, but to me the pictured lamp doesn't resemble either of those above, and may in fact burn kerosene. Orphan Motor CoachLogo on the radiator cap looks similar to this. A late-teens truck listed as a Mack (International Motor Co.). Must have been before there were bulldogs! Doubt that Mack built the actual bus, but a truck body company probably used their chassis. International Motor Co.I think Anonymous Tipster is correct. Mack made trucks under the International Motor Company name in the 1910s. I think that logo is an "I" and "M" together. The bulldog as the corporate logo wasn't used until later. 1922 I think. Orphan Motor CoachThe Mack AC line of chain-driven trucks was nicknamed "Bulldog" by British engineers. Bulldog trucks eventually let to the English Bulldog logo in use to this day. This vintage vehicle had solid rubber tires. ----- A late-teens truck listed as a Mack (International Motor Co.). Must have been before there were bulldogs! Doubt that Mack built the actual bus, but a truck body company probably used their chassis. Loads of FunThose kids look like they are having the times of their lives. The driver even let a few up to the front to play with the wheel. MackMack Trucks, Inc. was formerly known as Mack Brothers Motor Car Company (1900 - 1911). It became known as the International Motor Truck Company (1911 - 1922) when it purchased the Saurer Motor Truck Company. Mack Trucks, Inc. became the official name in 1922. Today Mack is a subsidiary of AB Volvo (since 2000). This looks like a Mack Model AB, built by the International Motor Truck Company, starting in 1914, as shown in the pictures below. All early AB trucks could be ordered with either worm or chain drive. The AB model was produced through 1937 (with coninuous modifications, of course), and over 55,000 were made during this timeframe. One of those changes was a much larger radiator starting in 1923, so this truck is from 1922 at the latest. The bulldog logo was first introduced in 1921 and it was made the offical corporate logo in 1922. The bulldog hood ornament was first introduced in 1932. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Shirley Temple: 1928-2014
... styling there were 315 manufactured in 1938 (up from 50 in 1937). Sales fell rapidly with only 138 sold in 1939 and 61 in 1940. General ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2014 - 9:30am -

Shirley Temple Black, Screen Darling, Is Dead at 85 June 24, 1938. "Shirley sees her old friend the president. Shirley Temple leaving the White House today after a very important conference with the President. Shirley told Mr. Roosevelt about losing a tooth last night, and he told her about Sistie and Buzzie losing their teeth. Shirley expects to be in Washington a week checking on the affairs of state with different government officials." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Squeezed outLook at the little girl's arm between the woman and man on the left. Famous children get the attention, but others are just in the way. Squeezing people out?In response to the comment about the children being squeezed out, I believe the woman and the man are Shirley's mother and her bodyguard, who are holding the crowd back so that Shirley can get into the car. A V-16 and BeerShirley looks like she is getting into a 1936 - 1938 Cadillac V-16. It is probably a 1938, but without seeing the grille and fender profile it is hard to be sure. The V-16 was produced by Cadillac from 1930 - 1940 with a total of 4,403 made. Most were made during the very first year of production (2,887), but with a brand new engine and slightly updated styling there were 315 manufactured in 1938 (up from 50 in 1937). Sales fell rapidly with only 138 sold in 1939 and 61 in 1940. General Motors probably lost quite a bit of money on the V-16 program, but it also highlighted their engineering ability and public image. Marmon, the company that won the first Indianapolis 500, also built a V-16 from 1931 - 1933 with 390 built. Peerless produced one V-16 car in 1931, but additional production never materialized because the firm switched over to beer production (Carling Black Label) just as production was beginning. A Sense of PrioritiesIt is not often that a President gets an audience with the most famous person in the world. It has probably happened only a few times. Shirley was busy during her week in DC"Shirley Sees How Kidnappers Trailed Shirley Temple of the movies squints into a comparison microscope, used in firearms identification, with help of chief G-man Edgar Hoover during her tour of Federal Bureau of Identification headquarters in Washington, D.C. June 24, 1938. This was just one of the many stops Shirley made during her visit to the G-men's laboratories, gymnasium, museum and rifle range." Associated Press Photo Collection of Washingtoniana, DC Public Library Total ProfessionalAll the interviews I've read with people who worked with her claimed she was always prepared, didn't demand special attention and showed respect to all. Very different from so many other "child stars" that bemoan their fate. She also used her work ethic to carry on as an adult with so many activities, not the least of which being her ambassador posts. So sad to see so many of that generation leaving us, with so few replacements here now as an example. She amazed meShirley Temple amazed me because she was a hugely successful child star who transitioned to adulthood gracefully, and then led a very successful life as a diplomat. She was an intelligent and graceful lady. ImmortalsThe singing, smiling, and tap dancing little girl performer will live on forever, even though her real-life adult has died. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Movies)
Cabin in the Sky: 1940
... well. Squeezed car I think it is a Plymouth, about 1937. It's a 1938 Plymouth The car wedged between the '40 Buick and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2013 - 10:59am -

HOME EXHIBIT PLANNED Dwelling Rises on Terrace in Rockefeller Center         NEW YORK -- On the second-floor terrace of the International Building at 51st Street near Fifth Avenue, a seven-room dwelling is under construction as the focal point in what is designed to be a home-building center and exhibit. It is being erected by the Rockefeller Home Center, successor to the Permanent Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Crafts (PEDAC).         The dwelling is of modern design by Edward D. Stone and the exterior is of redwood. In the first floor is a "three-purpose" room with a glass-enclosed side opening onto a terrace. Construction of the exhibition house, which is sponsored by Collier's magazine, is under direction of Irons & Reynolds, contractors. -- News item, May 16, 1940 July 15, 1940. "Collier's House at PEDAC, New York City. Exterior from below. Dan Cooper, decorator; Edward Durrell Stone, architect." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Hip house design.....even for todayLook through any issue of Dwell magazine and this home design would be featured as contemporary. Entrance seems modifiedView Larger Map WedgeeThe car, I believe a Pontiac, sandwiched between the Packard and the Buick is going to have a tough time getting out of that tight space. His only hope is that the Buick leaves first. We can't tell if the Packard isn't landlocked as well. Squeezed carI think it is a Plymouth, about 1937. It's a 1938 PlymouthThe car wedged between the '40 Buick and the '39 Packard. Maybe we oughta rethink that nameThree of the four lower wings of the Rockefeller Center buildings facing Fifth Avenue are named after foreign countries. You have the British Empire Building and La Maison Francaise on the other side of 50th Street from the International Building. On the International Building itself, completed in the late 1930's, the south wing was the Palazzo d'Italia, while the north wing - the one pictured here - was supposed to be called Deutsches Haus. What with the rise of Hitler and the deteriorating situation in Germany, however, that name became a complete non-starter, and this wing is rather uncreatively called the "International Building North" instead. Lower Portion RebuiltIt looks as though the lower portion has been rebuilt or modified. The original was squared off. The current is angled out to the corner of the building. Hemmed In? No Problem.When I was a kid in the 50's, if my Dad was hemmed in like that Plymouth, he would just gently push up against the Buick and push it a few feet to make room - that was when cars had real bumpers and most cars were manual transmission so you wouldn't risk breaking the parking pawl in the automatic tranny. Of course you had to worry about possibly locking bumpers! It's always SOMETHING, eh? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Private Ambulance: 1927
... reward for the arrest and conviction of defacers. In 1937, during Federal Trade Commission hearings on complaints about some of his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:02pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1927. "W.W. Chambers Co." An outside view of the funeral parlor at 1400 Chapin Street N.W. National Photo. View full size. Progress1400 Chapin today. Lovely. View Larger Map Packard BellI will admit it, I have never seen a hearse with a fire bell on it. Here is your Packard hood ornament; they called them "mascots." [Note that the lady on the ambulance lacks wings. - Dave] For Whom the Bell TollsVery reminiscent of the type of ambulance Hemingway was in when he served in the American Red Cross in Italy in 1918 which gave him fodder for one of literatures greatest novels. Isn't it amazing what fueled some writers' imagination. Hearse RaceIn the small town I grew up in, the local undertaker also provided the ambulance service. For years the owner of the funeral parlor also served as the local coroner. Perhaps now we would consider that a conflict of interest. Ask the undertaker who owns onePackard aficionados will recognize the hood ornament as the "Goddess of Speed." [She's more like the Aftermarket Knockoff Goddess -- no wings. The ambulance is a Cunningham. - Dave] Nehemiah Shopping CenterThe strip mall in the Google Street View has been completely leveled. The plan is to put up an apartment building right out to the sidewalk, with street-level retail, which will be a big improvement. Not a GlumbunnyThe following obituary is a real gem: from the story of "innovative" advertising techniques to the quote "Anyone can be a large undertaker in China." The tale of W.W. Chambers' shockingly risque calendar, "Beautiful Bodies by Chambers," has crept into quite a few books about corpses and such. Alas, I have yet to find any images from the calendar on the internet. Additional article and photos at findagrave.com. Also, a 1947 Time Magazine article which refers to the calendar controversy. Washington Post, Apr 22, 1954 W.W. Chambers, Sr., Dies Unexpectedly At 60 After Short Illness at Home W.W. Chambers, Sr., 60, colorful Washington undertaker who embalmed his first body in a livery stable 46 years go and went on to make a fortune as "one of the largest undertakers in the world," died yesterday. Mr. Chambers, who succumbed after a short illness at his home, 5803 Cleveland ave., Riverdale, Md., was founder of the W.W. Chambers Co., a more than flourishing concern with three funeral homes in the District and a fourth in Riverdale, near his residence. A native Washingtonian, he was a lively and unorthodox figure, in marked contrast to the usually conservative members of his profession. His father and grandfather before him for many years operated a livery stable at 1227 R st. nw., renting turnouts for the funeral trade. It was there that the budding funeral director performed some of his earliest professional services before opening his first funeral parlor at 1400 Chapin st., nw. in 1911. The main office and chapel are still at the Chapin st. address. In later years, as the business thrived and branch funeral homes were established, Mr. Chambers son, W.W. Chambers, Jr., became associated with the business. Mr. Chambers was one of the founders of the Advertising Funeral Directors of America a quarter century ago and had served as president of that national organization. A pioneer in developing less conventional advertising techniques in the funeral business, he was a times criticized by members of the profession that favored a more staid approach. During a controversy in 1947 over one of his advertising calendars, featuring an attractive young woman au naturel, Mr. Chambers reported that he received 60 and 70 calls a day regarding the advertisement. "No one wants to read an undertaker's ad," he explained, recalling that "when I advertised caskets they called me casket-crazy and when I featured the religious theme they called me a glumbunny." Commenting on the size of the 22-by-45 inch reproduction, Mr. Chambers explained that he had always considered "newspaper advertising my first line of defense against oblivion. Next, it's the billboard and how many billboards can you find in the downtown area?" One of the biggest problems, he once remarked, was keeping his picture and that of his son before the public on advertising cards in streetcars and buses. Vandals, he said were continually defacing the cards and at one time he offered a $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of defacers. In 1937, during Federal Trade Commission hearings on complaints about some of his advertising claims, Mr. Chambers issued a statement as to the size of his firm. "I say I'm still one of the largest undertakers in the world," he declared. "There are eight others in this country larger than the Greater Chambers Co.: two in Australia and an American in Chile. Anyone can be a large undertaker in China." ... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
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