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Hungry Jacks: 1937
September 1937. "Lumberjacks at dinner. Camp near Effie, Minnesota." Nitrate negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2010 - 10:12am -

September 1937. "Lumberjacks at dinner. Camp near Effie, Minnesota." Nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. OdoriferousI'm trying to imagine what that dining hall smelled like. The age thingYou kind of expect lumberjacks to be young. Most, if not all, of these seem to be middle age or more I wonder ...... if I can make a grab for them cookies? The Food They AteHere is my all-time favorite forestry article from my years working for the Forest Service (though it isn't one of theirs). It is utterly fascinating, especially one of the statements that a working logger could eat 9000 calories a day. Good 'n PlentyThe food had to be good, filling, and plenty of it, though there were some camps where the food was terrible. A logger needed double the number of calories of a regular worker to carry them through a day of hard labour in the middle of winter. There's a great book called... (wait for it!) "The Lumberjacks" about life in the lumber camps which has a chapter on the cookhouse. Fried pork was such a popular part of the men's diet that in 1857 when the camp bosses decided that the pork should be boiled and not fried (boiling meant that the pork went further so was cheaper) the men put up such a stink that they had to back down. Coffee didn't appear in the in the camps until Norwegian lumberjacks started demanding it. Dig InDoesn't look like much dinner-table conversation going on. In that neck of the woods, so to speak, dinner refers to the noon meal, so they might be too hungry and pressed for time to gossip much. My grandfather was a lumber-camp cook in Upper Michigan back at the turn of the century. He said heaven help you if the men didn't care for your cuisine. Soap, Scrub, Rinse and Towel DryAnd imagine the mountains of dishes, bowls, glasses, cups and cutlery that had to be washed and dried! [No need to imagine -- we saw them a few days ago. - Dave] Probably not the Emo Vegetarian campI don't see any wildflowers being pressed. Muti-useWhat immediately strikes me about this photo is that there is not a plastic fork, paper plate, disposable napkin, or disposable tin casserole dish in sight! Today at least some of those throwaway items would definitely be a part of the scene. Not that I'd want to wash all those dishes, but ... And there's pie too.What a great picture! Imagine the amount of work it took to feed these guys. Not your mother's best china!Long tables and benches and all those porcelain covered steel dishes, bowls and cups (most of them chipped) reminds me of summer camp 30 years ago! ChowhoundsNo chitchat here. Eating is all business for these guys, and the food better be good, especially after a full, hard day at the mill or in the forest. Now drinking -- maybe that's another story! Mr. MannersNot a single hat is being worn at the table - and there are no elbows resting on the table as well. Heck, I don't even see anyone talking with their mouth full! Still, they probably all curse like, uh, lumberjacks. Samoa CookhouseIf any of y'all ever visit the northern California coast, there's a lumber camp cookhouse kept open for tourists. It's located in Samoa, near Eureka. All-you-can-eat rib-sticking food. It's been ten years since I visited, but I do remember enjoying it. (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee)
Parlor Garden: 1937
May 1937. "Mrs. Herman Perry in her home at Mansfield, Michigan. She is the wife of ... Nearly hidden behind the potted plant is a brand new 1937 model year Zenith 5-S-127 radio. These were about $40 new, but due to ... Purchasing Power, or Standard of Living adjustment, $40 in 1937 would be worth $649 in 2014, while one like this recently sold on eBay for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2015 - 3:21pm -

May 1937. "Mrs. Herman Perry in her home at Mansfield, Michigan. She is the wife of an old-time iron miner who worked in the mines before they were abandoned." Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Remembrance Card?I'm guessing that is a remembrance card under the baby photo on the wall. Re: The same age?!I, too, was amazed to see that this old woman with the bun and thick ankles and granny shoes is the same age as my dear wife. When I pointed this out to her, I was lucky to escape with just a mild chiding. Patterns Galore!Patterns Galore! Yet, we imagine these old photos depict a less complicated time. Interior DesignI think she would have gotten along very well with the Tuttles of Minnesota. Yoopers are tough!Marie Perry died in 1955. She has a link on Findagrave. There's a link on there to her husband, Herman, who lived to age 90. Tomato plants?Are those tomato plants in tin cans outside the curtains? And can identify a Christmas cactus, mother in law tongue and a poor ivy in the window? There's a lily but I can't identify it...amaryllis ? CurtainsWhat my cats would do to those curtains. An excellent homemakerEverything neatly in place, and what a green thumb she has. The same age?!This woman in the picture and I are roughly the same age now( but I would've' sworn she was in her mid-late sixties here) I have had the same bafflement in looking at old pictures of my grandmother in the same time era (late 30's) when she was even younger than me-and she also looked about 10 years older! (those buns,frumpy dresses and odd shoes REALLY didn't help, sorry ladies) Grannies Didn't Wear Spike HeelsMy long-departed grandmother wore such shoes for at least the 30 years I knew her. Her preferred brand was Natural Bridge, which presumably afforded good arch support. Standing 5'10" and weighing in at around 210 lbs., she was obviously not a candidate for platform wedgies. Under today's relaxed standards, women of a certain age seem to favor something by Reebok or Nike with their mall-walker suits. Certainly, even fashion doyennes among the over-60 crowd seem to abjure Jimmy Choos. Such informality would not have done for Granny, however. She belonged to the generation that donned gloves, hat, and furs to go out for the mail. Home EntertainmentNearly hidden behind the potted plant is a brand new 1937 model year Zenith 5-S-127 radio. These were about $40 new, but due to their attractive cabinets and big black dial, are considerably more valuable today. Radio valueI was surprised to find that by Purchasing Power, or Standard of Living adjustment, $40 in 1937 would be worth $649 in 2014, while one like this recently sold on eBay for $650. Pretty well at par! (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Street View: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "837 Gov. Nicholls Street." We just dropped by to say hi. 8x10 inch ... So very Blanche DuBois My mother was born in 1937 in Mississippi but reared in Baton Rouge. She lived in the bottom half of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:42pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "837 Gov. Nicholls Street." We just dropped by to say hi. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. A new old favoriteI've written this before, Frances Benjamin Johnston has become my new favorite photographer. I love seeing her pictures here. With interest, I read on the Library of Congress web site: A grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York extended the survey to cover the entire state of Virginia under sponsorship of the University of Virginia. Successive Carnegie grants totaled $26,000 to cover the other States under Library of Congress sponsorship. This was between 1927 and 1929. I used an inflation calculator to translate that sum into 2010 dollars -- $325,763.56. Not bad. As a working photographer myself, I can imagine the freedom this allowed her to work. Another source reported that she was driven around the South in a chauffeured car when she worked on this project. I believe she had a wonderful eye. I would have loved to have met her. Lonely dormerThat single dormer looks like it might be a false one like they have been building in recent years. Wish I could linkBut this Interwebs stuff confounds me. Look up this address in Bing maps (birdseye view), the house has been fixed up right pretty and sits behind a brick wall. Well, hey. Look at that. And nowPlease ring at the gate. View Larger Map Good BonesI'm always amazed to see how these old houses have survived the years. When I first saw the large image of this one I thought that there was no way it could possibly still be standing, but sure enough, the records show that it is indeed still the same structure. So very Blanche DuBoisMy mother was born in 1937 in Mississippi but reared in Baton Rouge. She lived in the bottom half of a house a lot like this one, on Chippewa Street. How I love all Southern architecture but especially Louisiana's unique style. The second-story veranda, the floor-to-ceiling windows covered with plantation blinds, and the stairway on the side are particularly charming. A house dividedThis place looks to have been turned into a duplex. And am I the only person to have noticed the old man watching the world go by? I suppose he's the one with the "street view" of the title! FBJWhat a treasure in photographs she has left New Orleans. Here is Frances Benjamin Johnston in 1904. And the front yard today. DuplicityIndeed it does seem to be a duplex. There are two gas meters - at least I think that's what they are - under the stairs on the right. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
The Candy Man: 1937
August 1937. "Street in Manchester, New Hampshire." The Merchants of Manchester. ... Edwin Locke. View full size. Lake Ave From the 1937 city directory, there was a Red Arrow Lunch at 37 Lake, a barber at 41 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/11/2013 - 8:55am -

August 1937. "Street in Manchester, New Hampshire." The Merchants of Manchester. Medium-format nitrate negative by Edwin Locke. View full size. Lake AveFrom the 1937 city directory, there was a Red Arrow Lunch at 37 Lake, a barber at 41 Lake, and a confectioner at 47 Lake. The block has been 'modernized'. There is still a Red Arrow Diner in town at one of the 1930 addresses where there was a Red Arrow Lunch. I'd like to know more about the 'Red Arrow Lunch System'; seems they had several places. Gum DispenserI'm pretty sure that is a gum dispensing machine in front of the Red Arrow. Can anyone make out the name? [Looks like one of these. - tterrace] Awesome. You guys rock. Red ArrowThe Red Arrow diner is a Manchester landmark,known for it's tourtiere.Open 24 hours a day, it's seen many politicians swing through to meet voters. 1931 PontiacA 1931 Pontiac poking its nose in - the radiator cap looks to be Pontiac, otherwise it could easily be the Pontiac's "companion," a 1931 Oakland, which would have been the last model year before GM retired the brand. White ShoesNice. Clark Griswold would be jealous. Hell I'm jealous! What Is That?Can anyone shed light on what that S-shaped coil is in the window of the storefront on the left side of the picture? I got one for youHow many Candy store owners does it take to change a light bulb? All gone todayAssuming we're looking at the beginning, even-numbered side of Lake Avenue, nothing in this picture remains today. The Verizon Wireless Arena, built about ten years ago, occupies the site. What's in a name?I do believe the title of this photograph would have a whole different meaning to folks like Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Elvis. CopenhagenI didn't know Copenhagen brand snuff went back that far. The advertisement looked all too familiar since this was my father's brand of snuff for most of his life. I grew up seeing a lot of Copenhagen. What that isare pipes for refrigerant to cool window showcase, probably for meats. Red Arrow LaunchHow many potential customers never found the place, following the arrow's direction? (The Gallery, Edwin Locke, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Chalmers Castle: 1937
1937. Charleston, South Carolina. "Old Armory, 8 Chalmers Street. Original ... seat to safety, given the massive crack already in it by 1937. Or it decrenallated itself. I confess I had to look it up. That's ... to the year 1872? But, as the picture is taken in 1937, I suppose they all have something to do with the African American ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2014 - 7:09pm -

1937. Charleston, South Carolina. "Old Armory, 8 Chalmers Street. Original structure dates to 1851. Deutschen Feuer Kompagnie until merged with city fire department, then Engine House No. 1 by 1881; Carolina Light Infantry armory until 1907; then Good Samaritan Hall and Embry Mission. Abuts Old Slave Market." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Of course it's still thereThey don't tend to demolish old buildings in Charleston. [Maybe they don't demolish, but they do decrenellate. -Dave] Decrenellate indeedI suspect the architecture took a back seat to safety, given the massive crack already in it by 1937. Or it decrenallated itself. I confessI had to look it up. That's why I haunt Shorpy--to learn stuff. Gas fixtureIs that what the metal hooked pipe over the front door is? What is it used for today? Slave marketThe bldg. to the immediate right of Charmers Castle seems to read "Old Slave Market". Am I reading that correctly? [Now try the caption. -tterrace] Slave marketYes that's an Old Slave Market. It's now a museum. Technically it was an auction house that sold anything that came off a ship including slaves. It was renamed "Old Slave Market" by the time this picture was taken. 1872"Chalmers Castle," as Dave strikingly calls this building, has been designed by Architect Edward C. Jones, read more about the Charleston Historic and Former Firehouses. As the structure dates to 1851, I wonder why 1872 is the date that is to be seen on the building. I cannot relate the year to the years mentioned in the caption (by Frances Benjamin Johnston, I suppose) either. Apart from that, I tried to find out what sign and text are written on the gable, they are perhaps related to the year 1872? But, as the picture is taken in 1937, I suppose they all have something to do with the African American charitable organizations "Good Samaritan Hall" or the "Embry Mission," who were the most recent users of the building until then. (The Gallery, Charleston, F.B. Johnston)
Uneeda Baby: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "Dumaine Street at Bourbon." Momma's balcony scene. 8x10 inch safety ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 3:55pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "Dumaine Street at Bourbon." Momma's balcony scene. 8x10 inch safety negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. A closer lookThe house on Dumaine in the 21st century. Step Right UpThe steps in front of the doors look as though they were designed to be picked up and carried. In the new photo posted here they look to have been replaced with brick and cement. Any Shorpsters in NO know about the steps? Now the Biscuit Palace Guest Househttp://www.biscuitpalace.com/ Happily, the old Uneeda Biscuit sign remains. Building There, Baby Gone.View Larger Map The oval thingsTerra-cotta foundation ventilators. Lots of em in New Orleans. Stoops, Not StepsI am a Shorpster from New Orleans, and the wooden stoops are attached to the buildings. Some have been replaced with cement analogs over the years, but are still called stoops. I have stood where that lady is standing, a friend of mine owns that guest house. StoopsInteresting that the popular New York-ism "stoop" should be used in New Orleans. The word originally comes from the Dutch "stoep," meaning small front porch or steps. Oval VentsThose grilles are usually cast iron. Before and after KatrinaThis is an area I have spent a lot of time in over the years and the Uneeda sign is one of the best examples of old painted advertising in the French Quarter. Unfortunately as with many things in New Orleans, Katrina wasn't kind to it, but it is still there. I am posting one picture I took in 2003 and another I took in 2006. You can see there was damage to the building and unfortunately, some really crappy reconstruction of the damage. Stoops on the BanquetteA lot of the stoops throughout the city are still in use today and many more are wooden. Some people replace them with brick or cement for aesthetic preferences. The sidewalks are referred to as banquettes in New Orleans. The character Santa Battaglia mentions in "A Confederacy of Dunces" of how in the summer in her childhood the family would often spend all evening on the banquette until midnight when the house finally cooled down enough for them to sleep. In many areas of the city, family and friends still spend evening chatting, drinking, and resting on their stoops or in kitchen chairs on the banquette. The oval vents are still prolific throughout the city and help release hot air trapped under the houses but are horrible when the winter wind blows through. The roof over-hangs that jut out over the sidewalks are referred to as "abat-vents" (a-bah-vonts) creole french for "windbreakers" They helped direct the breeze into the house and kept rain out. Three days ago!I shot this just this week. Biscuit PalaceMy wife and I rented the room that leads to the balcony that that woman is standing on. http://www.biscuit-palace.com/ This Property Is CondemnedI was watching the movie "This Property Is Condemned" with Natalie Wood and Robert Redford, and caught sight of this building. I was kind of excited to recognize a landmark that you all had presented in the site. [You have a sharp eye (and memory). - Dave] (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids, New Orleans)
Generation Gap: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "Courtyard at 1133-1135 Chartres Street." Young and old, hangin' with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 4:08pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "Courtyard at 1133-1135 Chartres Street." Young and old, hangin' with the laundry. The head count here is three, the foot count nine. 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. This is one great photographIn subject and composition. Good One!Is this a shoe of a camera-shy someone? Change of PerspectiveI thought this looked familiar. I'm not sure which I prefer. This one tends to draw me out to the arches across the street while the other draws my focus to the scene in this courtyard. Two good examples of what a minor change in location does to what catches one eye. Soniat House HotelAs mentioned in This thread the building is still there and is now the Soniat House Hotel. It still amazes me how the homes of New Orleans have survived. As a photographer I reallyAs a photographer I really like this shot. There is a very nice balance to the photo. I want to wander through the archway, across the street and into the courtyard in the distance, just to see what is there. The two legs sticking out in the distance are what draw me in that direction. I wonder how much of the interesting detail we see in this image would be lost if the image had been taken with a digital camera. You win!Rip Tragle, I missed that one. But I am still not sure if the two boys really have two feet each, let be it that I could count them! +75This address is now a wonderful hotel called the Soniat House. I stayed there back in Feb, 2012 and here is a shot of what I think is the same courtyard. Missing Socks - The Scourge of MankindI just knew there would be an odd number of white socks hanging on the line (five in this case). Porgy and BessOn seeing the photo I was immediately reminded of the early stage set renditions for "Porgy and Bess" as in the rendition below from the 1930s: StreetcarStanley: Stella!! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids, New Orleans)
Jump-Start: 1937
Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Children's Hospital Rotary." The young man hooked up to a Cambridge ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2015 - 9:33am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Children's Hospital Rotary." The young man hooked up to a Cambridge Instrument Model X900 Thingamambob. Medical technology experts please weigh in. Harris & Ewing glassneg. View full size. Cambridge ElectrocardiographMore here. Obviously This is Nurse Frankenstein carrying on the family business. Last CookieIt's a lie detector. ElectrocardiographyCambridge Scientific was an early developer of the EKG machine. Prior to 1920, patients had to sit, with one hand and their feet, in buckets of salt water. Later, the contact electrode was invented and the buckets of water were used to mop the floors. There are just three leads connected to the patient in the photo. None seem to go to the chest area as do modern EKGs. Still, my money is on EKG machine. Universal Nightmare GeneratorThe murals on the wall were clearly created by someone under that machine's influence. Early EKGThe boy is having an electrocardiogram. He probably had a run-in with rheumatic fever and has developed heart trouble as a result. Don't think it's an electrocardiograph.Yes the machine is similar to the Cambridge electrograph pictured in the submission by vintagetvs, but there are no electrode leads attached to the chest area which would be absolutely required for an EKG, nor does it appear there are enough unused leads for that purpose. The two visible leads are at the wrist and ankle, typical spots to detect the radial and tibial pulse, which causes me to guess that this instrument is designed to detect, monitor, record and/or amplify pulse rate and strength, which is often difficult to detect in children. [These were the standard electrode positions until precordial leads were established as standard in 1938. -tterrace] I stand corrected. Gary Hoff's explanation leaves no doubt as to what the instrument is. Many thanks! This won't hurt a bitThis Shorpy post from 2009 looks like the same setup. Whatever it isit puts out enough voltage to knock your sock off. A vintage ECG machineTo this retired cardiologist and medical history buff, this is easily recognizable as an early ECG machine. The equipment is based on a string galvanometer that vibrates sort of in tune to the heart's electrical activity. The string in this apparatus was photographed through a light and its vibrations recorded as the familiar waves on a photographic plate. These were in turn recorded, cut out and pasted on a piece of cardboard. Before the 1930s there were only 3 leads (to the limbs, as here) that were used. After that another three, called augmented leads, were devised, recorded with the same wiring. Then later on came the chest leads that some posters here commented on. And yes, I'd guess this boy might have had a brush with rheumatic fever. Early modelEarly version of the machine that goes "ping." Its an ECGLong time viewer, first time poster. The device is an ECG that utilized Willem Einthoven's principle of detecting electrical currents produced by the heart. His early system only used three electrodes. Wikipedia has an entry that includes a nice picture that closely resembles the device in your picture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Einthoven Creepy muralsPretty sure those creepy murals aren't sweetening the deal for that young fellow. MaintenanceMy field is equipment maintenance. The first thing I noticed was the tattered looking cord on the floor. It looks like it's been run over many times. I would be changing that out asap as a safety hazard. Early attemptThe stories painted on the walls are an early attempt to make the hospital more welcoming to its young charges. Modern children's hospitals do this much better, with playgrounds, giant murals, and other touches that make them less terrifying for patients and parents. Not using the Cambridge Electrocardiograph also helps with that. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Medicine)
Dishpan Hans: 1937
September 1937. Effie, Minnesota. "Washing dishes in lumber camp." Medium format negative ... are only about 90 people in Effie. Must have been more in 1937, when there were still trees to cut. [This was a lumber camp near ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2010 - 7:04pm -

September 1937. Effie, Minnesota. "Washing dishes in lumber camp." Medium format negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Behind in his workAt least when the young man tired of scrubbing, he could look up and see the nice view! *wink*, *wink* InspirationTacked up on the window frame just above his head is a rather bawdy picture of a young lady. Maybe she is his only company in the kitchen, besides all those huge coffee pots hanging up. Seeing all those big coffee pots makes me want a good cup of coffee too. 199, 198, 197 ...It looks like he had to do a lot of washing by the amount of dishes in the picture. Definition of RusticWow! Now that's a no-frills setup. I'd give my last molar to get a glimpse in the "sink." What do you want to bet he's got a couple of wash tubs in there? Nary a speck of porcelain in sight. [Except on all those dishes. - Dave] Who made this mess?There are only about 90 people in Effie. Must have been more in 1937, when there were still trees to cut. [This was a lumber camp near the town. The lumberjack population being somewhat transient. - Dave] Gotta sayThat he's a fellow with a lot of Pride in his work. Obvious StatementUnless Dave is reviewing a similar comment not yet posted, let me be the first to note that: This young man has a lot of Pride (tm) in his work. [You may groan now] All I can make out on the boxes is Pride Washing Powder. Performing a quick search online I found nothing - but Dave found the following images: I'll show my son this!My 16 YO son works at a restaurant where he usually has to wash dishes. He does it using modern equipment, of course, but is still much happier when they let him do something else. I think maybe this picture might help him feel like he doesn't have it so bad, though! I wonder how many hours this poor young man had spent standing in front of that sink, and how many he still had to go! More than just "pride"I think he probably had a lot of "Pride and Joy" in his work. (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee)
On the House: 1937
August 1937. "A drink on the house. Lumberjacks, proprietor and lady attendant in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/29/2012 - 9:05am -

August 1937. "A drink on the house. Lumberjacks, proprietor and lady attendant in saloon. Craigville, Minnesota." Where everyone knows your name. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Rolling Your OwnOur bartender knows how to save a few pennies during hard times. Like my grandfather, he rolls his own cigarettes. Notice the tobacco pouch string hanging out of his rear pocket. A very popular brand at the time was Bull Durham. Perhaps that's his preference. Nightview Of Bar InteriorPreviously seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/7798 at night and on TV from 1982-1993. What's the number?Do they have a phone? If so, I have a killer Prince Albert joke. Powerless?Strange to see the liquid fueled gas mantle light fixture, hanging over the bar. Didn't they have electricity in Craigville? Always in good tasteRaising your pinkie makes any drink classy. Those Are Some Small GlassesAnyone know what the standard draft beer glass was back then? Those look like they hold about eight ounces. BooniesI think Craigsville is up in the National Forest area of Northern MN. Might have been a little more primitive up there at that time. Looks like a friendly neighborhood bar. The Eyes have itHer eyebrows are extremely well groomed. I wonder if she gussied herself up to go out for a drink. Beer GlassesI work in the restaurant supply business. Those glasses are still made as far as I know, by Libbey. They were in the '70's when I started. I believe they were/are available in 6 oz and 7 oz versions. Noah BeeryThe guy next to the "lady attendent" reminds me of the actor Noah Beery, Jr. Altho he would have been too young for that photo; maybe it's his father, also a famous actor in his day. :-) Hamms would have been the beer of choiceand it was probably poured from a bottle instead of draft. My grandfather ran a bar very similar to this one in the 20's and 30's. He had no electricity yet, so he used a wind powered generator that charged a room full of batteries. It provided just enough power to run the coolers, heat the water, and run a few lights. Rural electrification would make its way in the 40's and business would become much easier. Rural electricity before most"...electricity in Craigsville?..." Early in the 20th Century most large sawmills had their own power plants. The mill itself was usually steam powered, but most everything else was electrified. Since they could make far more electricity than the mill could use, wires were run to the railroad shops, company store and to the company owned houses in town. When the mill ran out of trees and shut down, the power plant shut down with it. In a few rare instances, private individuals purchased the power plant and continued, but many former mill towns that had cheap electricity before the Great War found themselves getting the old oil lamps out before the Greater War. What is the young lady drinking?Yes she is using a beer glass but that ain't beer in the glass. Rare Items on the Door CasingI don't chew snoose but I recognise the two circles on the door casing as label cutters to free the lid of Copenhagen or other brands of snuff cans. Can't quite identify the logo on in either photo but I think these went away when plastic laminate and aluminum became the norm. Half the Message is Better than NoneThe Prince Albert salesman likely gave three free packs of product to the bar owner for the right to hang his sign. And, the salesman must have figured over the door was the best possible place for the sign, even though it meant cutting off the top caption our spokesman was trying to tell us. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
The Good Earth: 1937
June 1937. "Wife of Texas tenant farmer. The wide lands of the Texas Panhandle are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 2:45pm -

June 1937. "Wife of Texas tenant farmer. The wide lands of the Texas Panhandle are typically operated by white tenant farmers, i.e., those who possess teams and tools and some managerial capacity." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Field FashionI believe a scythe would be the more appropriate accessory for this outfit. I guess I'll have to wait for October. No RelationIs there a Mrs. Grim Reaper? Plains JaneThis is a remarkable image. A solitary figure (Dad and team notwithstanding) in a forbidding landscape, with an agricultural implement only slightly more sophisticated than a stick. It helps illumine the enormity of the task which literally thousands of our forebears faced and leaves one wondering, "How did they do it?" Up at dawnLooks like she has a long day ahead of her. Bonnet and HoeReminds me of my grandparents. Gramma would make up a dozen or more bonnets each winter for her and my aunts to wear while working outside. She used flour sacks for the fabric. Notice the hoe handle is extra long. Grandpa would always whittle out hoe handles that would be at least 6 feet long. Much easier on the back. Fond memories now, but hard sweaty work back in the '60s. Now I knowWhat they mean by the phrase "dirt farmer" SodbusterI see what looks like a mule team near the horizon. I guess the woman is finishing the job that they started. Sometimes when I see a mule I wonder how the first guy decided to try mating a horse with a donkey to get that result. Or was it just an accidental discovery. Since mules cannot reproduce, horses and donkeys had to get together a lot in the old days. Help pleaseThere is a famous painting that is very similar to this, I had a poster of it in my room as a child. Can anyone help me with the name of that painting or artist? Spas, gyms and tanning parlorsThis hard-working industrious woman would need a very convincing argument to pay a membership fee to any of those establishments. re: Help PleaseIs this it? Woman with a Rake Jean-François Millet c. 1856-7 The bee's kneesThank you so much Dave. I can not tell you how important that painting was for me. Now I know where to find a print. Again Thank you! [Thank tterrace! - Dave] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange)
Glass Paints Oils: 1937
Circa 1937. "Hardware store, 906 Bourbon Street, New Orleans." Carrying a full line ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2013 - 1:36pm -

Circa 1937. "Hardware store, 906 Bourbon Street, New Orleans." Carrying a full line of protectants and preservatives, none of which seem to be suitable for the store itself. 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Those bucketsI see little sliding doors on the sides, which would appear to cover those holes when slid down all the way. I guess it's easier to slide open a door on a heavy bucket than to tip it over and pour. Seems like there'd be a bit of leakage in these models, though. [I suspect the holes are for ventilation and that the lining is fireproof. - Dave] NOLA native says906 is the not the restaurant with the neon (now) but the business next door (to the right) with the red chairs, which is currently listed as a hair salon. On the corner (going towards Canal St) are the iconic Clover Grill and across the street Cafe Lafitte in Exile which is a really famous gay bar as it claims status at the oldest continuously operating gay bar in North America. Could be the placeView Larger Map Back when the Quarter was a neighborhoodRather than a tourist attraction. Real stuff for real people doing real things like painting the bathroom cupboard or replacing a broken windowpane. My former home town of Carmel, CA, went from three hardware stores, five groceries, seven filling stations, and three drug stores in the '50s to zero, one, one, and one, respectively, by the '80s, but boy did we gain some galleries and boutiques! Three bucketsI thought at first they hold items for sale, but they could have been used to strain the paint that was sold. Holey bucketsI'm curious: what would the three buckets with holes in them hung on the door frame be used for? Saulny's storeIn the 1880 census he is one year old, the son of 2 "mulattos", but listed as black in later census years. He's the son of a shoemaker, Louis Saulny, born 1846. Louis's father is also listed as a "mulatto", a carpenter born 1827. He died when he was 31. Pierre SAULNY was the first Saulny in USA. He was born in Nantes, France. There is a date of birth in 1774. Some data doesn’t match so we take between 1894 to 1800 as his date of birth. He married Catherine DINET (1797-1853) free woman of color native of Pestel on the Island of Santo Domingo, Haiti. They married in New Orleans in 1820 and lived in the Suburb Marigny on Moreau Street between Elysian Fields and Frenchmen Streets since 1822 in a house situated on Esplanade Street between Conde and Royal Streets, until at least 1835. The residence of Catherine Dinet is an area that exists today and was inhabited by many free people of color as well as Creoles of European descent. Another BarYep, that's exactly where it was, just behind Clover Grill. I think Kozel is rightComparing the position of the window (closer to the door on the right), and the shape of the jamb, sills and lintels, I'm pretty sure the building with the neon is correct. The original photo shows a full length porch on top which is now separate balconies, but the side of the building still has porches which may indicate the front had the same ones. Or, it could just be 907 across the street, which still has the upper porch in the right place. [Below, 907-909 Bourbon Street. - Dave] John McCrady School of Fine ArtsI went to art school in that white building that kozel posted. I believe I remember Mrs. McCrady saying that it was a hardware store before it was the school. But that was over 30 years ago and memories fade and Mrs Mac died long ago. Three BucketsMy father would take me duck hunting in the 50's and we used one in our duck blind to stay warm.The small door would let more air into the fire. Worked really good when you were freezing. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans, Stores & Markets)
The Quarters: 1937
1937. Charleston, South Carolina. 7-9-11 Beaufain Street, "The Quarters." 8x10 ... filled with cinder blocks? I was surprised to see that in 1937 New Orleans had drains for rainwater. I suppose there is a correct word ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:40pm -

1937. Charleston, South Carolina. 7-9-11 Beaufain Street, "The Quarters." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. MusingsWhat would have been in the square that is between the steps, that appears to be filled with cinder blocks? I was surprised to see that in 1937 New Orleans had drains for rainwater. I suppose there is a correct word for that, but I can't think of it. And what is on the notice that is tacked to the left pillar? Looks like there have been others. ["Storm drains," and "For Rent." - Dave] CarefulWatch that first step, it's a lulu. VestigesThe wreckage of another fine old house. Look at the molding over the door. Feelgood Pic of the DayI love these -- they make me feel so much better about my own deferred D-I-Y projects. Back on BeaufainThis was the former rectory of St. Michael's Church. Below, a view of the house taken May 25, 1940, by C.O. Greene for the Historic American Buildings Survey. Additional information: "To be renovated 1941." And, from 1975: "Built before Revolution; demolished after 1944." Whereas FBJ gives the address as Nos. 7 through 11 Beaufain, HABS says 56 Beaufain. Click to enlarge. Clean cut kidsInteresting that the kids seem to be dressed so neatly, in contrast to some of the poor kids in other photos. White shirts and pants weren't part of the costume for the Boston newsies for example. https://www.shorpy.com/node/15 FBJI love Frances Benjamin Johnston's work. I need all of her we can get on Shorpy. [Only around 7,999 left to go. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. - Dave] (The Gallery, Charleston, F.B. Johnston, Kids)
Smallville: 1937
August 1937. "Houses in Winton, Minnesota -- lumber bust town." A two-house town, on a ... now match up in both the modern street view and the 1937 photo. I apologize for my previous error. JellyBelly PS: ... What an eye! This photo is so rich in capturing the 1937 moment in far northern Minnesota. (The Gallery, Dogs, Railroads, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2012 - 11:50am -

August 1937. "Houses in Winton, Minnesota -- lumber bust town." A two-house town, on a two-dog day. Another example of prolific shooter Russell Lee's work. Medium-format negative for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Oops, I GoofedAfter reading the comments by mdemming and RadioMattM. I rechecked myself. I originally looked at the Historic Aerials 1939 Topo map which only showed a single line for the railroad. However, I have now looked at Topo maps for other years. On the Historic Aerials 1986 Topo map, it shows the double track railroad lines. The only diagonal street crossing was at where Main Street bisects East and West 3rd Avenues. In this new Google Map view, the first house stood at where the liquor store is now located. The second house in the original photo is still standing, adjacent to the liquor store. RadioMattM, the shadows now match up in both the modern street view and the 1937 photo. I apologize for my previous error. JellyBelly PS: Regarding the Winton depot, it was moved from it's original location. Which by logic would have been at 3rd and Main. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Winton,+Minn&hl=en&ll=47.927425,-91.80057... What It Looks Like TodayAfter consulting a Topo map dated 1939. This is the location of that photo. The dirt road to the left is the old right of way for the railroad. Also, note the light pole on the left. My experience from years of research have proven that utility pole lines very rarely change. Even after a railroad line or public road has been abandoned. The pole lines will still remain. Well maybe notIf you go here http://www.historicaerials.com/ and type in Winton Minnesota you can see where the railroad is and it is about a block north of either map location. If you zoom out of street view you can see where the line used to go. Rail lines even when abandon and pulled up leave tell tail signs. Especially when you have done many years of research on old rail lines like I have. Smallville TodayThis might be the spot: http://goo.gl/maps/0lzA9 The angled gravel drive in the foreground appears to follow the old railbed, and looks like the only place where the railroad might have crossed a street at an angle. Alas, our two handsome little houses are not there. From west to east, the old railbed appears to angle into town along Amazon Drive, then straightens out at West Street between 2nd and 3rd. From there it proceeds to the depot on Lake Street, now the home of Fat Chicken Feed Store. The significance of utility pole lines"My experience from years of research have proven that utility pole lines very rarely change." JellyBelly, thank you for mentioning that - it's extremely interesting. Yet another example of useful information just kind of casually passed on by a Shorpy member. What a wonderful site. Do you think the pole lines stay the same because once utility easements are established changing them is difficult? My very limited experience with utility easements in San Diego was that getting the utility company to abandon one was essentially impossible even decades after they'd quit using it. If you are rightthe road heads due north, meaning the wall facing the tracks faces due south -- but it is in a shadow. A agree that the hill in the background looks right, and the mention of the pole is plausible, but I just can't figure out the shadow. Dog on the line.Russell Lee is more than simply prolific. He's one of the great American artists of the 20th century. What an eye! This photo is so rich in capturing the 1937 moment in far northern Minnesota. (The Gallery, Dogs, Railroads, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Fix-a-Flat: 1937
March 1937. "Migratory agricultural worker family making tire repairs along ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2015 - 8:49pm -

March 1937. "Migratory agricultural worker family making tire repairs along California highway U.S. 99." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Chevy?1928-ish Chevrolet? Wheel wearyI have a friend who is a photographer in So. California. When he finds one of these Depression era cars abandoned in the desert, he captures artful photos from it. I can't help but think of the family, often with children, stranded with very limited funds and a vehicle that just won't budge another inch. What became of them? The woman looks worried and worn to me, putting on a brave face for the camera. SmilingWell, at least someone is happy. Seeing the U.S.A.in their Chevrolet. Rubber CementTires were easy to patch until about the 70s when real rubber cement was withdrawn and replaced with something that didn't work. This causes bike riders today to carry a spare tube instead of a patch kit. Deja vuNow this is where Ralphie says a really bad word. Uh, Dad?We forgot to pack the pump. Hard LifeI look at my own car, that is now 10 years old, with barely a scratch on it. The poor old '27 Chevy has been battered to within an inch of its life. Found all kinds of Patch Kits on GoogleBut not this one. Monkey Grip was a popular brand when I was a kid in the 60's. If you were really hip you had the "Hot Patch" kit where you clamped it on the tube and set fire to the backing. Failure to patch was an option, in fact it seemed more like the default outcome. Good Tread AnywayHe must have punched a hole in it. That's a pretty good looking tire compared to most you see on cars at that time. But the wear on their faces tells a story that we can only imagine and hope we never experience ourselves. Car ID1928 Chevrolet 4 cylinder. Last year of the 4 cylinder for many years; first year of 4 wheel brakes. The emblem surrounded by a fancy gold colored with wings etc. oval is a 1928 unique feature; never repeated. The good old daysIt's not the cement that changed, it was inner tubes themselves. They were real rubber, now they are basically plastic in which rubber cement has no affect. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, On the Road)
Picture Window: 1937
April 1937. "Girl at Gee's Bend. Descendants of slaves of the Pettway family are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:49am -

April 1937. "Girl at Gee's Bend. Descendants of slaves of the Pettway family are still living very primitively on the plantation." Wilcox County, Alabama. Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. The ironing is delicious!Wow, how ironic is it that the "window" to the house is covered by an advertisement for Cellophane. [Yes, delicious ironing. Must be the starch. - Dave] Proud faceProud face the girl has, I like the picture! Girl in the windowI am amazed almost every day by the quality - and qualities - of the photographs. This one reminds me so much of Andrew Wyeth. Fine ShotThere are so many fabulous photos on Shorpy, but once in a while one really stands out. This is one. Gee's BendJoseph Gee, a planter from Halifax, North Carolina established in 1816 a plantation, and named the place for himself: "Gee's Bend." Mark Pettway bought Gee's Bend from his relatives, Sterling and Charles Gee (nephews of Joseph), in 1845 to settle a $29,000 debt. A year later, Pettway and his family moved there in a caravan with a hundred or more slaves. Except for one cook, the slaves literally walked from North Carolina to Gee's Bend. The 10,000 acre plantation retained "Gee" for its name but the name of each of the slaves became "Pettway", a name that has prevailed in Wilcox County until the present day. Today, if someone from Gee's Bend is named Pettway, he or she is a descendant or married to a descendant of those Mark Pettway wagon-train slaves who walked from North Carolina. That is why many of the black tenants Arthur Rothstein photographed (as Annie Pettway Bendolph below) were named Pettway. By the way, the Resettlement Administration reports of the 1930s already emphasized ... the unreliable ferry. This, and more can be found here and here. In the "Will of Mark H. Pettway, Wilcox County, Alabama - July 1860," you can read which of his properties he would "give and bequeath" [un]to his beloved Wife, his eight daughters (depending on their civil status: married, unmarried), his son and his grand children. Among his daughters there was one who seems was married, but practically divorced, because her legacy is given in trust to his brother in law and son in law "to have and hold the same in trust for the sole use & benefit of my said daughter and her children free from the control and management of her husband." Among the properties were: fifty head of sheep, ... negroes and their increase (by name, among which: Peter No 14, Ginny & carpenter tools, Altimare -the ugly- Bett, Bathemia Dempseys and his black Smith tools), ... the gold watch usually worn by myself ... and a gold watch known as the watch with the gold face. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gee's Bend)
Fancy Drainpipe: 1937
Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "Davenport house, Columbus Square." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:05am -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "Davenport house, Columbus Square." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Still Draininghttp://maps.google.com/maps?q=Davenport+House+Museum&near=324+E+State+St... Still SurvivingIt looks like that fancy drainpipe survives, as seen here on Google Street View. Hopefully the brick has been repointed since the photo was taken. View Larger Map InspirationIs this where Gene Simmons got his inspiration for his famous platform Dragon Boots from the "Destroyer" album? Well...Fancy, yes. Also butt ugly. Even a drainpipe was important. Love it. Great times when even a drainpipe was given such a level of details. Love the fish head! I wonder if it was specially crafted for this building or if they were mass produced. Absolutely still there. How ironic. My husband and I just took a trolley tour of Savannah on 9/9/10 and these downspouts are most certainly still on this beautiful home. Our tour guide mentioned that these downspouts are supposed to represent dolphins as dolphins are a sign good luck and prosperity, but apparently the designer had never seen a dolphin! Savannah IronworkingThe great thing about Savannah is that a lot of this kind of stuff is still around. The wrought iron fencing, gates, railings, and downspout decorations like this one are so important to the historical character of the city that there's still people around who know how to repair and reproduce this stuff. Still There!I took pictures of these same awesome downspouts in Monterey Square in Savannah this past May! This corner as of April 2009Some new paint and grout, otherwise no worse for the wear Dolphin DrainpipesWhile these drainpipes don't look like real dolphins, they do bear a stunning resemblance to heraldic dolphins including the ones that are on the insignia worn by submariners in the US Navy. From last monthFrom last month (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Piscatorial Downspouts, Savannah)
Termite Motel: 1937
August 1937. "Old house in Tower, Minnesota, former prosperous lumber town." Medium ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 7:08pm -

August 1937. "Old house in Tower, Minnesota, former prosperous lumber town." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. Handyman SpecialThis fixer-upper only needs a for-sale sign out front! Coming Mother!You couldn't build a creepier looking place on a movie set! Looks like Norman Bates's summer cottage! An Iron TownI know a bit about this town not much as being lumberous but it is the oldest town in the Iron Range. The Iron Range is an area with very much iron ore. Termite TerraceYou missed the obvious play on words. [That was actually the original title, but I didn't want to confuse people. - Dave] Mouse MotelI'm fairly sure termites aren't so much of a problem way up north, but mice and other rodents sure are. A little questionSorry if this sounds too dumb to ask, but I've always wondered why those old-style houses were not built at ground level, but rather high. [The floor of a frame house is elevated to keep it from rotting. And in a cold climate, the earth is a heat sink. The house will be much easier to keep warm if the floor isn't sitting on the ground or if it has a basement under it. - Dave] Those meddling kids and their dog Scooby assisted the Globetrotters in ridding this place of spirits back in 1973. Victorian GemWhen this house was new, maybe in the 1870s or '80s, and had a fresh coat of paint in probably three colors, it would have been a sparkling gem. And with a riot of color in the flower garden in front. When they got old and worn out, they were demolished by the millions, like so much trash. You can't build 'em like that any more! Ah, home crap homeI think this was the inspiration for the film "The Money Pit." Potential is in the eye of the beholderI see lots of easy potential with this place! Mow the lawn, re-shingle the roof, give it a fresh coat of paint and it would look hundreds of times better! Of course, a friend once joked with me that I would buy a house with no roof if I thought it had enough potential! (this was after I showed him pictures of a gutted 1948 Chevy I was considering buying as a daily driver) WhoaOk, now I have a new template in my mind for "haunted house." This place looks terrifying during the day, I wonder what it would've looked like under the light of a full moon. Scary, that's what. At least I can rest assured that it's no longer standing. Or is it??? (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Toulouse Street: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "813-815 Toulouse Street." Watch out for the neighbors. 8x10 inch acetate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 3:39pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "813-815 Toulouse Street." Watch out for the neighbors. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. ChimneyI was afraid it would be long gone. Nice to see it's still there and pretty close to original! Good bonesI'm amazed that building is still standing. It looks like it was ready for "Samuel House wrecking Co." 74 years ago! FBJ's CompositionsJust realized that many of Johnston's photographs include a person in what has to be carefully posed compositions. In this photo there's a person in the left doorway. Also, this is a duplex; notice the mailboxes on the alley doors. House Wrecking Co.Was that a polite term for bordello? Wreckers incorporatedSamuel House Wrecking Company, Incorporated, 1934 Bricks Beneath StuccoThe building appears to be made of block, except that that it is cracking off to reveal brick beneath. I guess they scored the stucco to make it look like limestone or sandstone. Now we appreciate the old brick and I doubt a restoration would include covering it back up for historical accuracy. Bricks R USThe stucco was applied over the locally made orange, rather soft "creole bricks" to protect them from the elements. Removal of stucco from bricks is strictly prohibited in the Quarter by the Vieux Carre Commission. A few older buildings had patches removed to "look more authentic" (gack!) but it has not been allowed for many years. The Eternal City of the USNew Orleans looks pretty much the same now as it does in all these images on Shorpy. Bricks nowStreet view shows all brick exposed --- and looking in excellent condition. Looks the SameMost of these buildings in and around the French Quarter amaze me. My wife and I were first there in the very early 70's and last time right before Katrina stopped in. To us it still all looks much the same, and similar to the very early photos. Yet things built now days seem to fall apart in a few years. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
Rex Theatre: 1937
Leland, Mississippi. June 1937. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Tarzan It's ... movies on the playbills would mark the year as 1935, not 1937. [That's because the movies are two years old. Not exactly a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 2:40pm -

Leland, Mississippi. June 1937. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. TarzanIt's interesting that the main feature is a Tarzan movie - these were pretty racist, showing the "superior" white man among the "primitive" natives. This story is set in Guatemala, not Africa, so Lord Greystoke gets to show his stuff on a different continent. TarzanI wonder what color they were? Powerful photo indeed.Powerful photo indeed. Wrong Year?The movies on the playbills would mark the year as 1935, not 1937. [That's because the movies are two years old. Not exactly a first-run house. - Dave] The mouths of babes.. My grand-daughter saw one of these photos and asked me, 'Gran-pa, did people used to come in different colors?', I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Movies)
Desert Guns: 1937
June 1937. "Oklahoma City. Idle men attend the morning movies. There are three such ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2018 - 11:30am -

June 1937. "Oklahoma City. Idle men attend the morning movies. There are three such movies in one block." Now playing: Desert Guns and The Singing Vagabond. Photo by Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Decisions, decisionsShall we see the Singing Vagabond today, or wait until Wednesday for Desert Guns? Aw heck, let's spend that dime right now on a cold beer! Rooms for RentMan in window reminiscent of a Hopper painting. Idle?No idle women seeing the morning movie! Their work was never done. ChillyAir cooled with "washed air"... NICE! Anti-theftThis is the first time I recall seeing bicycles locked up while parked curbside. It breaks my heartWhen I go to the IMDb, and I read the words, "This film is presumed lost. Please check your attic." Darn those idle men!Why aren't they standing in a bread line like everybody else? (I realize that "idle" was an economist's term of art for describing the unemployed, but it sounds pejorative to our more sensitive ears). And I'll wager a theater was the coolest place to be on an Oklahoma June day. Not lost anymoreThe IMDB must be out of date because you can buy the DVD for $3 on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Desert-Guns-DVD-/400504220688?pt=US_DVD_HD_DVD_B... Isis TheatreThis was the Isis Theatre at 124 W. Reno Avenue in OKC. It was demolished in the late 40's/early 50's. It's now the Chesapeake Energy Arena. See this page. Get back to workThe idle men are one thing, but shouldn't the Western Union boy be off delivering telegrams instead of bathing in the washed air of the theater? Pay no attention to the man in the window.He's likely just an idle roomer. Billiards, Beerlunch and a movie. It don't get any better than this. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dorothea Lange, Movies, OKC)
Americus: 1937
July 1937. "Thirteen-year old sharecropper boy near Americus, Georgia." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 6:52pm -

July 1937. "Thirteen-year old sharecropper boy near Americus, Georgia." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. Brings back memories.That boy looks like my brother Bill. PlowboyHis clothes are falling off, but he looks so proud. Great picture. A powerful photoSeventeen in 1941, I wonder if this boy would or could have enlisted. It looks like he's been working that plow for quite some years, and would be ready to move on, given any sort of chance; though he was possibly the family breadwinner. There is nothing to sayJust look into that face. My grandfather used a plow like this.He was so young, the handles would smack him in the head if he hit a rock. Think about that. PovertyDave, this comment isn't really meant to be posted, but I want to thank you for not posting every comment that's submitted. As I'm sure you've found by now, just a simple photograph of a young black sharecropper will bring all sorts of racist comments. And who needs that? [No such comments for this photo. - Dave] Thanks for the great blog. It's one of my favorites. By the way, I'm live in New Orleans, so I especially enjoy the pictures of old New Orleans. Is it 100% realCertain aspects of the clothes, appearance of the subject, the pose, all these items together just make me feel this is a fabricated picture. They did do those things even back then. [Click here, take a look at the 5,000 or so photos in this series and judge for yourself. - Dave] Hard workMy grandfather used to tell tales of walking all day behind one of these bottom plows, all day, one row at the time. There are still very many of these one-row plows stored away and forgotten sitting under barns all over Georgia to this day. Today we have air conditioned cabs and 10+ row plows that can do in less than an hour what it would probably take this boy the better part of a week to do. From what I can make out it looks like cotton he's plowing. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange)
Detective Shanley: 1937
... and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, 1937. View full size. the notorious Chinatown Charlie She had 1000 ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 1:18pm -

New York City detective Mary Agnes Shanley pulls a pistol out of her handbag. Shanley shows what awaits a pickpocket. She had more than a thousand career arrests. From the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, 1937. View full size. the notorious Chinatown CharlieShe had 1000 career arrests including "Chinatown Charlie" I dont know who he is but he sounds like a tough guy, good work Mary If I'd meet someone likeIf I'd meet someone like that today, I'd have two things to say: "Get yer finger out of that trigger guard" & "Don't carry in a purse that can be forgotten or snatched". Ok, *three* things to say. "you rock, shooterchickie" Cagney and LaceyReminds me of Cagney! Reminds me...of the old song "Pistol packing mama" (lay that pistol down). It was a big hit back when... Southpaw?is she really a lefty or is the negative flipped? [Not flipped. - Dave] Even better!that makes her even more special! Flipped?Are you sure about that, Dave? Women's clothes button right-over-left, and men's clothes button left-over-right. Her dress buttons left-over-right... either it was homemade and someone made a mistake, or the image has been flipped. [This image is identical in orientation to the 60-year-old print it was scanned from, which has writing in the upper right corner. The negative may have been flipped (or, in newsphoto parlance, "flopped") before the print was made to have the subject facing in the desired direction for the layout of the newspaper page this picture appeared on. - Dave] Mme. ShanleyNot exactly my idea of glamour. And quite deliberately soOften criminals seek out female victims who they believe to be less attractive. They assume that bystanders will be less likely to respond to calls for help from a less attractive woman. In the case of a sexual attack, they often suspect that an unattractive woman will be written off as hysterical, stupid, or lying. Flipped?I tried zooming in on the revolver. IF I am seeing what I think I am seeing (the cylinder release latch), then I would say the the picture wasn't "flopped" since most US revolvers have the cylinder latch on the left side of the frame. Love the site. Great work. Mary ShanleyFound this picture of a newspaper page with this photo http://popartmachine.com/item/pop_art/LOC+1166351 that shows the picture flipped the other way (right-handed)... but the site also shows the Shorpy "lefty" picture. Pistol Packin MamaThis picture is perfectly indicative of why I love Shorpy so much. (The Gallery, Portraits)
Gee's Bend: 1937
February 1937. Gee's Bend, Alabama. Descendants of former slaves of the Pettway ... perceptions. The Pettway Plantation was purchased in 1937 by the FSA and a full project was developed there including schools, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:49am -

February 1937. Gee's Bend, Alabama. Descendants of former slaves of the Pettway Plantation. They are still living under primitive conditions there. Meat in sacks hangs from tree limbs to be cured. Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gee's BendGee's Bend was perceived by many of the academics of the day as a pure distillation of slavery. The New Deal saw them like the exotic, mysterious folk found in deepest Amazon or darkest Africa. The FSA project that was created there was entirely different from all the other 1930s projects because of these perceptions. The Pettway Plantation was purchased in 1937 by the FSA and a full project was developed there including schools, store, blacksmith shop and cooperative cotton gin. The photo shows the "swept yard" of the cabins and the China Berry tree where meat was stored as part of the curing process. Gee's Bend still exists as an African American community in Alabama. Gee's BendGuess there wasn't too much to do after dark except.... Gee's Bend and Civil RightsHere is a great article on Gee's Bend and the amazing quilts that come from there. I have been thinking about this article since Shorpy.com published the picture of the Gee's Bend Ferry... This paragraph contains one of the most chilling comments I have ever heard. I don't think I will ever forget it. Many who marched or registered to vote in rural Alabama in the 1960s lost their jobs. Some even lost their homes. And the residents of Gee's Bend, 60 miles southwest of Montgomery, lost the ferry that connected them to Camden and a direct route to the outside world. "We didn't close the ferry because they were black," Sheriff Lummie Jenkins reportedly said at the time. "We closed it because they forgot they were black." I am a newcomer to Shorpy, and I love the amazing photographs...but I am also glad that it provides a forum to remember both the good and bad of American history. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gee's Bend, Kids)
Clean Living: 1937
Washington, D.C. June 4, 1937. "Trailer camp." And what looks like the trailer seen earlier here . ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 7:10pm -

Washington, D.C. June 4, 1937. "Trailer camp." And what looks like the trailer seen earlier here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Griffin Allwhite Shoe Polishis what I used to use to clean my white bucks when they were the shoe of the day. I don't think they have that any more. And if this is a trailer park, where are the flamingos? Camping shoesLook at the moderately high heels they are wearing in a camping trailer park. Plus dresses on an outing. You don't see that level of dress in camping parks of today. What is the table in the infield used for? House cleaning.The only trailer trash I see is the empty matchbook on the ground. White Lead PasteWhat's the Eagle All Purpose White Lead Paste, on the box serving as a doorstep? [White lead paste was a filler that could be thinned with linseed oil and used as a caulk or putty. Mixed with pigments, it could be used as paint. - Dave] A Trailer Camp"Trailer camps" used to be quite common. The trailers (and you can see several in the background) had beds and a small living area, cooking was usually done outdoors or under a shelter, and there was a central shower/toilet/laundry facility. This is doubtless the white building in the background. Check out these vintage postcards for a more complete glimpse into this prewar Vagabond lifestyle! I love stuff like this! State FairThis reminds me of the 1945 musical in which the family takes their little trailer to the fair for a week. Momdoesn't look like a happy camper. Random observationsNever go camping without your rubber floor mat. How about the portal height of that trailer? Mom is standing on the ground, yet wiping near the top of the door. It started way back then: make windows that stick out, so when you walk by they poke you in the eye. (Don't ask how I know about that one.) That TableCould it be a fixed grill for those who don't have a camping stove of some sort? Clean and SpiffyI always wear my hairnet when camping as well. I find that it lends to the overall atmosphere. Departure from the 1930s ordinaryAfter seeing so many photos of Depression-era people on the road, with whole families living out of their cars and trying to get work where it could be found, it's kind of refreshing to see people living on the road because they wanted to. Of course, I'm sure they were in the minority. I guess that white lead paste was as necessary to 1930s RV owners as a tube of silicone would be today, for sealing those rivets and seams that always seem to leak. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Travel & Vacation)
Fresh Up: 1937
September 1937. "Icehouse. Rosslyn, Virginia." Just across the Potomac from Washington, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2013 - 10:08am -

September 1937. "Icehouse. Rosslyn, Virginia." Just across the Potomac from Washington, the home of beer, wine and 7-Up from 7 to 7, as well as one cool cat. Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Eagle SeriesThe car is a 1933 Chevrolet Eagle Series CA but usually known as the Master Series. The entire car was redesigned and the windshield no longer opened up, the window sills had buttons for locking the doors, the rear spare tire was standard, and the wheelbase was now 110 inches. Based on what looks like a single side window with wind vent and the hard top, the Chevy is likely an Eagle Series Sport Coupe like the photos below. AmpersandsNever seen ampersands like these. These also reflect the 7s elsewhere in the photo. Package DealHave a little wine, have a little beer ... then we'll generally haul you home! GopherBefore that dirt pile causes serious damage, someone needs to call CLAR 275 to have it hauled in the general direction of away. They are still in businessBut now they are strictly movers as Henderson's Moving Services. Years AgoAlong the Hudson River there were HUGE icehouses to keep New York City supplied with ice. It was a very big business - ice houses the size of a football field! They are all gone now. That pile of "dirt"Is coal. Hi'ya doll !Q: What is in the second-floor window under "ICE"? It looks like a little toy stroller, but that seems odd. Lucky 7I count fourteen 7s in this photo. Under ICEThat looks to me like an old toolbox. The kind that is open on the top and just has a long handle that runs the length of the box. Under IceIt appears to be a tool box/carrier for an electrician, plumber, etc. Another cool catpeers out from beneath the porch, to the right of the door underneath the 'I" of Ice! I could look at the details of this marvelous photo for hours. And thanks to JellyBelly for identifying the current iteration of Henderson's!! (The Gallery, Cats, D.C., John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Good Coffee: 1937
May 1937. "Post office. Finlay, Texas." Magazine, caffeine, nicotine -- all your ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/18/2018 - 1:29pm -

May 1937. "Post office. Finlay, Texas." Magazine, caffeine, nicotine -- all your basic ines. As well as potted cacti. Photo by Dorothea Lange. View full size. Re: Soft drink dispenserMy grandfather's store also had a cooler for soft drinks - no lanes. But I do distinctly remember its unique odor. Not a bad odor just a little "mechanical"? And, of course, there was always a towel by the cooler for wiping off the bottles. Birch Beer. As it should beI always hate it when fine dining venues take pride in serving _bad_ coffee. Nothing LeftChecking the aerial photos, I see that nothing remains today. There is a clearing with a driveway leading to it. I wonder if this is where the building in Lange's photo was? Seventeen miles northwest of Sierra BlancaThere's not a whole lot left of Sierra Blanca today, even though it has two exits off I-10. Not surprising that Finlay was abandoned only a few years after this photo. I think the cactus pot with legs must have been a kerosene parlor stove in a former life. I see they rejected the knob-and-tube wiring method in favor of "twig-and-no-tube". I'm actually surprised this place had electricity at all. I imagine there are a few shards of glass and chunks of rusted metal to mark the site. Archeology of this place would be interesting, having this one photo to stir the imagination. I can still smell the soft drink dispenserStores like this used to have those soft drink machines that chilled the bottles using cold water and you had to maneuver your bottle along lanes and through gates to get it out. Apparently they never changed the water in those tubs because to this day I can still smell the unique odor coming from those machines. Ghost Townhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlay,_Texas More of Finlayhttp://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvf19 Love that foundationI wonder how many tornadoes passed through before that building was deposited elsewhere? My brother lived in a dwelling supported by cut off tree stumps and piles of bricks. Lockhart, TX, 1990s. Buildings on risersWhy are some of these buildings built above ground on such questionable foundations? Soft drink dispenserDad's store had a drink cooler where the bottles sat in chilled water. No lanes and gates, just reach in and grab. But the water was definitely changed on a regular basis, in his store. As a 5-6 y.o. I did this chore many times. Hook up a drain hose and let the water out while removing all the "pop", wipe down the inside, replace all the pop (it held several cases), and refill with water. When I'm done I get a Chocolate Soldier for my efforts. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Stores & Markets)
Tired Treads: 1937
October 1937. "Used tires -- Minot, North Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2018 - 1:52pm -

October 1937. "Used tires -- Minot, North Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. SomehowThis whole thing just begs for a Laurel & Hardy response. What potential for a really funny short! Re: Ring tossOf course Dave is right. But please note, 1pictureisworth1000words: the stack on the right is on a shorter log than the one on the left, and it is NOT the log directly behind this short one, with wires attached. Look closely: there are three separate logs here. (Four, if you include the really tall one on the far right which is painted white where there are no climbing pegs.) [Executive summary: The stack on the right is in front of a utility pole. - Dave] Good ReceptionMost antennas ever. Ralphie as an adult"My old man's spare tires were only actually tires in the academic sense. They were round and had once been made of rubber." HOW ON EARTH?Just wondering how on earth they got those old tires stacked on such tall poles--especially the one that has utility wires running to and from it. My guess is that they must cut the tires to open them for placing on the stacks. Any other guesses? [Ring toss! - Dave] North Dakota?These were probably used to measure snow depth. VulcanizingGet your ears pointed for free with purchase of four tires. Hi ho the glamorous life Russell Lee must have been a real trouper. He went all the way to Minot, just to capture the majesty of these used tires. I can almost smell the filthy things. Déjà vuNow it all makes sense. Motto of Minot"Why not Minot?" The answer: forty degrees below zero. Backup motto of Minot: "Forty below keeps the riff-raff out." LocatedOpposite the Court House. Mosquitoville!The clouds of bloodsuckers must have been impressive. Pole on the rightIs used when they have to move the stack from one pole to the other while retaining the top-to-bottom order. (Towers of Hanoi -- undergrad recursive programming exercise) Culicidae TowersI can only imagine the number of mosquitoes growing inside those tires during warm, wet periods. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Shawnee Tavern: 1937
April 1937. "The Posey Building of Shawneetown, Illinois, in which Abraham Lincoln ... Shawneetown was heavily damaged by the Ohio River Flood of 1937, and the townsite was moved three miles inland and the town rebuilt. From ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2015 - 11:43am -

April 1937. "The Posey Building of Shawneetown, Illinois, in which Abraham Lincoln and Robert Ingersoll had law offices." Now home to a newspaper and a bar. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Deposeyed.These steps are all that remain of the Posey Building. Wrong addressThe Posey building was in Gallatin 597 Main St Gallatin, IL 62984 [Gallatin is not a town, but rather a county in Illinois; the county seat is Shawneetown. 62984 is the ZIP Code for Shawneetown. -tterrace] Old ShawneetownAccording to Wikipedia, Shawneetown was heavily damaged by the Ohio River Flood of 1937, and the townsite was moved three miles inland and the town rebuilt. From the age of the buildings here, this must be what is now called Old Shawneetown (refer to the previous picture posted here for another building destroyed by the flood). The county seat is now in what is informally called New Shawneetown. Gallatin DemocratThe newspaper is still being published: Fred Murphy is the editor of the Gallatin Democrat. Mailing address: PO Box 545, Shawneetown, IL 62984 There's no website for the paper though. When was it torn down?Does anyone know when or why it was torn down? Seems like such a historic building should have been preserved. Or maybe the flood took its toll on it. Is that the high water mark I see? Ghosts of Old ShawneetownWhen I lived in Southern Illinois in the 60s and 70s, most of the buildings along Main Street were still standing, although not in the best condition. I recall that most of them seemed to house a bar. Old Shawneetown was known as a hard-drinking very rough place. The denizens were commonly referred to as river rats. The decline began after the flood of 37 (which Russell Lee's photographs are documenting) and the Federal government paid to resettle the town on top of the bluff above the Ohio River, today known as New Shawneetown. Today there are only a couple of old downtown buildings still standing. One, the state bank building, shown recently in another Russell Lee shot, is an Illinois Historic site. The exterior is still in fairly good shape, or at least was when I last saw it about 4 or 5 years ago. The interior, unfortunately is crumbling lath and plaster and murals. You cannot go inside. The other major building still standing, on the levee side, is now a big regional biker bar called Hog Daddy's. Same hydrantIt looks like the hydrant in the old photo and the one in the Google street view are one and the same. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Purr Me Another: 1937
September 1937. "Lumberjack at the bar on Saturday night. Craigville, Minnesota." Photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2018 - 5:24pm -

September 1937. "Lumberjack at the bar on Saturday night. Craigville, Minnesota." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Rough With The SmoothSo goes the story of a lumberjack who, Brought his kitty into the bar bearing life's heavy load Without a thought for himself, did with a sigh say, "I'll have one for my baby, and one more for the road" Ohhh I'm a lumberjack!And I'm OK. I sleep all night and I work all day. I cut down trees. I skip and jump. I like to press wild flowers. On Wednesday I pet kitties That hang around in bars. Long Branch saloon?Well, there's Miss Kitty. This picture is incredibly sadI've sat here staring at it for ten minutes, trying to come up with a backstory that isn't totally depressing and tearjerking, and utterly failed. [Spilled milk? - Dave] Looks familiarI would not be surprised if that man is me in a past life. Drinks, please!I'd like a "Catster", and for my little buddy, a "Hair of the Dog". Deja vuBeen there, done that. (several times but without the cat). SadThis picture almost makes me cry. And I'm 65 years old. At leastHe has a job during the Great Depression, spotlessly clean hands, a full head of wavy hair and the friendship of a nice little cat. So there is hope for the lumberjack that he went on to enjoy better days. HauntingLong time lurker here, but had to reg just to comment on this image; like others here this has haunted me. It is incredibly sad. My photo class in college introduced me to the pics in The Family of Man - nothing in there was as profound as this. Why hasn't this image captured all the available awards? Sarting with the Pulitzer & not stopping. Although I have a professional printer which I use to print my art, I'm ordering a print as a Thank You for finding this image. HauntingI enjoy coming to the site every couple weeks and reviewing old photos. Shorpy is a wonderful contribution to the internet. Like previous commenters, this one stopped me in my tracks. What a intimate and revealing photograph, and what an incredible moment that was captured. In a time when twitter posts about what is trending with a hashtag drive a newscycle, this photo, by comparison, arrests the mind of the viewer and depicts a shard of the man's soul. Best, by fur!I nominate the title given to this photo as the "Most Clever" of the many Shorpy titles. (The Gallery, Cats, Russell Lee)
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