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Jean: 1937
Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Jean Wallace." The daughter of Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:03pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Jean Wallace." The daughter of Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture and future Vice President, at the Wardman Park Hotel pool. Harrs & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. VP KidsIt's obvious that Henry Wallace's daughter was a lot hotter than either of the two Nixon or Johnson girls. Non-Skid SurfaceThis image nicely depicts a sensible (if no-frills) non-skid poolside surface application. [It's certainly what caught my eye. - Dave] Do not let your children look!Obvious propaganda for her father's socialist agenda. Super-absorbentHer hair's dry and her lipstick's intact. She's not about to get in the pool, not with that knitted swimsuit. It looks like it can soak up fifty gallons of water. Still with us.Jean Wallace Douglas, now 89 years old, was named one of Forbes Magazine's 400 Richest Americans in 1998. Spy kidBefore long, Miss Wallace would graduate from Connecticut College and accept a wartime position in, of all places, the OSS, predecessor to the CIA. According to Elizabeth McIntosh's book "Sisterhood of Spies," Jean and Henry Wallace would walk to work together from their apartment at the Wardman Park, Henry eventually turning left to the White House and Jean right, to her office at the OSS's temporary quarters near the Reflecting Pool. Wardman Park: Tower of PowerAny doubt about whether the Wardman Park apartment towers were an important axis of power in the FDR years is resolved by this excerpt from the 1940 census for that building. In successive entries are the families of Robert H. Jackson, (then the Attorney General and soon to become a legendary Supreme Court justice); Judge Fred Vinson (then on the D.C. Circuit, and the next Chief Justice of the United States); and Henry Wallace (then the Secretary of Agriculture and a few months from his selection as FDR's next running mate, and a one-term Vice President). Further down on the same page is Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenberg and his family, and on the next page, future U.S. Army General Matthew Ridgeway. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Swimming)
Papered Over: 1937
February 1937. "Negroes at Gee's Bend, Alabama. Descendants of slaves of the Pettway ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:41pm -

February 1937. "Negroes at Gee's Bend, Alabama. Descendants of slaves of the Pettway plantation. They are still living very primitively on the plantation." Here we see one of the celebrated Gee's Bend quilts. Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gee's Bend QuiltsHere is one of the famous Gee's Bend quilts. The skilled quilters of Gee's Bend have achieved international recognition with ongoing exhibits of their needlework. Their quilt designs were featured on U.S. postage stamps in 2006. NewsIs that the Dionne quintuplets on the wall? It looks that they replaced their newspaper wallpaper fairly often, it looks so clean and fresh. NewspaperIt helps insulate against drafts coming through the boards. Quilt and...That's a very nice quilt, I wonder if the family still has it. What's the use of putting up newspaper on the walls? Why not just leave it bare? Studebaker$695 for a Studebaker? Awesome! Newspaper WallpaperNewspaper on the walls was very common back then. Most houses for lower income people were just boards nailed up to the studs with no insulation at all. If you were lucky you got boards on the inside of the studs too. These were rough sawed and the gaps were large. The newspapers made the house much warmer in the winter. I should be gratefulHow did they endure this, their faith must have been strong. However a fine job of wallpapering and the newseum. A testament to the human spirit. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gee's Bend)
Broke, Baby Sick: 1937
February 1937. "Tracy (vicinity), California. U.S. Highway 99. Missouri family of five, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2013 - 9:19pm -

February 1937. "Tracy (vicinity), California. U.S. Highway 99. Missouri family of five, seven months from the drought area. Broke, baby sick, car trouble." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I hopeI hope that the baby got better, the car was fixed and the man found a job. So sad...I hope life got easier for them. Highway 99Seems like everyone got stranded on that Highway. Fancy ropeworkSomeone spent a lot of time making sure eveything on that trailer stays in place, but I expect that a few miles down the road they're going to hit a bump and eveything will blow away, because one of the lengths of rope is frayed. The Quality of MercyI wonder if Dorothea Lange or any of the other photographers of the dispossessed ever shelled out a little spare change to their subjects. You know, to help a brother or sister on the road. HumblingThere are numerous photographs depicting this kind of scene on Shorpy; yet if there were a thousand, each would bring a lump to one's throat. To see people in this predicament; the woman, with her jaunty hat, inappropriate for the situation, with a half smile on her face as she gazes on her child; plunged into the depths of poverty, and almost entitled, given her circumstances, to despair; that so many didn't despair is astonishing, maybe; but we know that so many of you Americans are exemplars of a stout and stubborn breed. That was obvious after the recent tornadoes. I didn't see many people whingeing - just picking themselves up. As we once coined, and you, on so many occasions, have practiced; "Keep Calm, and Carry On". There's a song in there somewhere"Broke, Baby Sick, Car Trouble" Hope everyone made it okay.Whenever you see a picture like this, it puts your problems right back in perspective. IndomitableSick baby, broken down car, no money. It must have been tempting to simply give up in the face of all these obstacles. But I'm sure these folks kept going and somehow overcame the situation. That seems to be the typical story of Depression-era families, including that of my grandparents. "Never give up - better times are ahead" is a guiding principle I was raised to believe, and it's proven to be true in my life. I applaud the sympathetic commentsAs we might hope to expect, this photo elicits much sympathy for the family's plight, which is clearly no fault of their own. Would that the same were true of every Depression-era photo on Shorpy. All too often, there are claims that folks are reaping the wages of their own bad choices; that they should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps". Those comments are curiously absent here. I might advance a theory as to why. Obviously this woman is wearing a fashionable hat, or recently fashionable, anyway. Her collar and cuffs are fur-lined. She has been to a hairdresser sometime in the last six months. Her clothes are as clean as could be reasonably expected for somebody living in an old car. This family clearly had stable employment, and money in the bank, until very recently. I might look at her and think, that could have been me. (Actually, I am thinking that.) And if you are thinking that, you are realizing what my grandparents' generation knew, from bitter firsthand experience: None of this was their fault. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Bachelor Miner: 1937
March 1937. Scotts Run, West Virginia. "Employed bachelor coal miner at home in Sessa ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2013 - 12:12pm -

March 1937. Scotts Run, West Virginia. "Employed bachelor coal miner at home in Sessa Hill. This scene is typical of hundreds of bachelors who belong to a group of immigrants whose family was separated by immigration restrictions. This man may, or may not, have a wife in another country." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. Decor by Coca-Cola. Large format acetate negative. View full size. 3 calendarsOr maybe he's covering something up? Art is where you find itI think our miner just wanted something on his walls, and calendars were free. Maybe he's a Welshman and the picture reminds him of the ocean. Maybe he just wants a scene with sunlight. I have a miner friend here in Utah who just hates to go to movies, because he's in the dark all day and wants light. Another possible reasonOften, you'll see several calendars up, with current plus succeeding months displayed, but why a lonely miner would want that kind of scheduling, and why it would be last year's calendar, I can't guess. Better timesMaybe he has three of them because the subject matter of the calender reminds him of better times. Coca Cola fanThree copies of the Coke 50th anniversary calendar! Wyeth calendarThe Coca Cola 50th anniversary calendar hanging on the wall is done by the renowned illustrator N. C. Wyeth. It's a pretty picture, though why this miner wants to display three copies of the same calendar is a puzzle. About that helmetMy paternal grandfather, who emigrated from Europe in 1893 (naturalized in 1906), was a coal miner in Pennsylvania. Here’s his May 27, 1899, miner’s license, cropped and reduced to get under the Shorpy Rule of 480 so I hope it’s reasonably legible. The misspelled last name was not uncommon when non-English speaking immigrants were processed through arrival ports such as Ellis Island back then. His son Joseph, my father’s younger brother, was killed in 1928 by a falling rock in a coal mine, just as this site’s namesake died five months earlier. He was 20 and at best would have been wearing a cloth cap similar to young Higginbotham's. The helmet in the photo, known as a turtle hat, was made either of boiled leather, canvas or a composite, glued and shellacked to create some level of protection. I think the fluted areas were meant to deflect what falling debris they could. The front plate held a carbide lamp, ignited by gas given off by dampened carbide pieces. I know from personal experience if you pour a handful of carbide in a big paper bag filled with cotton waste (a thin strand byproduct of cloth manufacturing), add a little water, tie it shut and let some gas build up, the resulting explosion that happens a second after dropping a sparkler on it will blow out a neighbor’s garage window in the alley not too far from your house where your parents are trying to listen to "Fibber McGee and Mollie". He should have keptthose calendars, one sold for $4,000 at an auction, they are extremely collectible May have ... May not have ...As my former professor of rhetoric might say, "Guess that covers all the bases." Garrison Keillor's bachelor Norwegian farmers could view this scene and have cause to rejoice in their own relatively less miserable surroundings. Mr. Struke -- thanks for sharing your ancestors' stories. I suspect that the ribs or ridges on the improvised helmet were meant to give it more rigidity, making it less likely to deform under impact to the detriment of the wearer's skull. The account of the conditions under which your forebears labored (particularly the poignant death of your uncle) help explain to a largely union-averse world of today the appeal of past labor movements and pugnacious leaders like John L. Lewis. Cap LampDon Struke is correct about carbides nature. It gives off acetylene gas when wet. I believe that even today all acetylene for cutting and welding comes from this process. As a collector of carbide lamps one of the first things I noticed was the cap lamp on the shelf behind the stove. Unfortunately the resolution of the image, my screen or my eyesight prevents me from seeing what brand of light this is. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Lewis Hine, Mining)
Green Acres: 1937
July 1937. "White sharecropper family, formerly workers in the Gastonia textile ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/26/2017 - 5:00pm -

July 1937. "White sharecropper family, formerly workers in the Gastonia textile mills. When the mills closed down seven years ago, they came to this farm near Hartwell, Georgia." Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. Women had(/ve) it harderAssuming that Mr. and Mrs. Croppy are roughly the same age, or he is a bit older (as was the norm then), she aged even worse than her husband. Good old times? Thanks, but no thanks. Not much Green there a single weedBy the look of that family. Appears to be desperate times. MomMom lost a finger somewhere along the line. My money would be back at the cotton mill. Not Much Nostalgia HereWe moderns tend to forget just how poor so many people were during the Great Depression. We fixate on the "Improved Lincoln Logs" that fit so neatly on the building's façade, without noting the family's generally ragged and worn-out condition. The men/boys are barefoot, the wife/mother's shoes look like they are about worn out, and even one of the boys has a lined face -- probably a solar overdose in that age before sunscreen. And these are an "intact" family -- not one that has broken up from the stresses imparted by poverty or suffered the death of one of the adults. They're working the land not because their ancestors did so but because their factory work evaporated. Tough times indeed. FutureSeems to be a hard working family. Wonder if Dad ended up with a war job; did life for the family improve in 1941/1942? Oldest boy might have been a bit young for WWII, but he might have made Korea. The other two might also have made Korea. Collateral DamageI've yet to see a single photograph of a Depression era migrant family that doesn't evoke in me poignancy and sadness. Only an assumption by me, of course, but I'd be willing to bet the Salt Of The Earth wife and mother pictured here will live out the rest of her days with only three fingers on her right hand due to the horrific and dangerous working conditions she encountered in the textile mills of that time period, all in the pursuit of an (un)livable wage for her family. Barefoot familyIt's not unusual to see barefoot kids in these photos, but it's sad that even the Dad couldn't come up with a pair of shoes to have his picture taken. Both parents look prematurely aged. One can only hope that the economic boom created by WWII brought them some factory work that lifted them up economically. August, I thinkI'm guessing it's not penury, but August. Notice that the only clothing with holes is the little boy on the right. They don't have a ton, but they bought new overalls that spring for all but the little one. Update: regarding Naveeks' question about the haircuts, scissors have been around for a long time, and Wahl made their first home haircutting kits in 1919. Also, the culture at the time was that men got their hair cut even if they were poor--barbers have told me that their profession was one of few that did OK during the depression. Two bits per shave and a haircut for men put food on barbers' tables, really. The Third KidAlways in the hand-me-downs! I'm amazedthat in each of the Depression/Dust Bowl pictures that we see, the family, no matter how poor, always seems to have the children's hair trimmed and cut. Don't know how they did that. [By Mom or Dad with a scissors, and sometimes a bowl. -tterrace] Poor PrideMy family hails from Gaston County, where the above mentioned Gastonia - in spite of sounding like an intestinal ailment - is actually the county seat. Many of my family worked, at least briefly, in one or more of the mills that abounded in Gaston County, and gained international attention in 1929 due to the Loray Mill strike. There is a good-natured competition among some in the area where they try to outdo one another as to who was the poorest. My stepfather, in my opinion, holds that “honor” with his haircut story. While some claim they were so poor that there mother would put a bowl on their head and then trim around it with scissors, my stepfather claims they were too poor to even own a pair of scissors. This meant they could only get haircuts in the winter, when they would wash their hair in ice-cold well water and then sit on the back porch until their hair had frozen solid. At this point his mother would place a bowl on their had and break off the now brittle hair against the bowl. He claims to have not even known any other method of hair cutting existed until he entered the Marines at age 18. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
Migrant Mother colorized, 1937
This is the coloration of Dorothea Lange's iconic 'Migrant Mother' photo. The stark reality of Dorothea's original photograph is actuated by the addition of color, which I think brings out detail not apparent in the black & white original. V ... 
 
Posted by Kenny - 04/11/2017 - 2:30pm -

This is the coloration of Dorothea Lange's iconic 'Migrant Mother' photo. The stark reality of Dorothea's original photograph is actuated by the addition of color, which I think brings out detail not apparent in the black & white original. View full size. Just not the sameVery good job, I like it. Just not the same feeling to it as in the B&W. Awful. Leave it alone.This is sacrilege. How about I come over to your house and spraypaint your white car purple? If you have any respect for the artist--keep your hands off. If you want to express yourself creatively, create your own work. Doesn't do it for me.This is why some photographers still use B/W. Colour dilutes the drama. Fantastic. Keep it up.Oh how I love the over-the-top expressions of outrage! Kenny, this one is very cool. I would really have trouble identifying this as a colorized photo. I enjoy the highly stylized colorizations that hint at tinting or the idiosyncrasies of early color film. But this one really stands out for its stunning realism. Thanks. I AgreeI do agree that some images lend themselves to colourising & some do not. This one falls into the "do not" category. As for colourising in general, the skintones in particular are very flat - for a more natural result, have you thought about using a gradient map adjustment layer? In conjunction with painting in subtle colour graduation, I use them for skintones, hair, etc when colouring b&w images. It removes that flatness & artificiality. I also find that your skintones are often too saturated & peachy. La belleza de la tristezaQue tristeza en su mirada perdida, que foto mas significativa, toda la pena del mundo , su hambre y necesidad a cuestas, con sus niñas siempre a su lado ¿alguien sabe que le ocurriò a ella y sus niñas?. Miles de Doroteas circulan cada dìa por Sudamerica y USA, y nunca las vemos, son invisibles a nuestra mirada, y aun asi Ds nos pedira cuentas de todas ellas, de las miradas que no quisimos ver, del hambre que no mitigamos, del pan o la moneda que negamos, de la puerta que cerramos en las narices, de todas las faltas de oportunidad que negamos. Actualmente la crisis hace aparecer Doroteas, desempleadas, que deben alimentar a sus hijos. Ojala nos sirva de leccion esto y seamos mas sensibles al dolor humano. "Dorothea"Here an "o", put it where you want. Sometimes your fingers get ahead of your thoughts and you miss your mistakes. Hey You are Pretty Good!Shame about the "artistic" overtures. As long as the orginals are intact I fail to see a problem with your "talent" being exhibited here. I've seen both, and both pieces of work have merit. I like it. NiceI like it in color. It makes you realize those people are just like us - not from another world where everything is b/w. Missing the messageSomething about putting this in color takes away from how I've always seen it. Technically, the coloration is alright, but it shouldn't be done on this photograph. It's like if Picasso had painted the Old Guitarist with something other than blue. It's just not the same. So much more impactful in B&WThis is a prime example of why things shouldn't be colorized. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Colorized Photos)
Hung Out to Dry: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "Courtyard, 620-621 Gov. Nicholls Street." Potted plants and underpants. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2014 - 3:59pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "Courtyard, 620-621 Gov. Nicholls Street." Potted plants and underpants. 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. No more clotheslinesThis appears to be the building in question - evidently the neighbourhood has gone upscale. ThreadbareThe term 'threadbare' is often used in literature. Now I have a stark visual display. Vesuvius StreetSlightly reminiscent of Pompeii, except parts of Pompeii are better preserved. Holy, holy, holyThe underwear, I mean. BreezyThose undergarments seem to be quite well ventilated. An interesting abodebut I don't think I'd want to live there, especially with the bad luck horseshoe. Blown outThe holes in those undershorts attest to the absolute power of New Orleans cuisine. In the days before building codesa lucky horseshoe would get you by. I hear the overtureBut I don't recognize it. Surely, an opera is about to break out. OvertureIt's the wrong state, but the overture would surely be Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." The courtyard immediately reminded me of the set of the New York City Opera's production that I saw about 35 years ago. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
Crossville Loafers: 1937
1937. "Men loafing. Crossville, Tennessee." View full size. 35mm nitrate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:22am -

1937. "Men loafing. Crossville, Tennessee." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. LoafersThe Rexall drugstore was the hangout in every town back then. In fact, out west they had a name for fake cowboys who never saw a cow but dressed the part: "Rexall Cowboys." They usually had a soda fountain in these stores, so the proprietor wanted people hanging around. In a small town, everyone knew everyone else, so there was no fear entering the Rexall through the crowd. Vacation SpecialIt was a toothbrush and carrying case combo. Both only 50 cents! Ex-LaxI like the Ex-Lax clock (or thermometer?) on the left side. [It looks like a clock. So the sidewalk loafers had no excuse for not knowing when it was time to, um, go. - Dave] Window ShoppingKinda hard to do any window shopping at that drug store with a group of men sitting in front of the display windows. It's almost like running the gantlet to enter the store. Wonder why the architect/builder intentionally put those ledges in front of the show windows? Surely they must have known people would promptly sit down on them. Dr. West and his vaccination special I am guessing that Dr West went to medical school with Dr. Scholl and Dr Pepper, but what is the "Vaccination Special"? [It's what you get before going on vacation. - Dave]
Cam Ham: 1937
November 1937. "Mrs. John Baker and baby on steps of farm home. Divide County, North ... 1940 Census data suggests the mother is Rosa (about 47 in 1937) and the child is Lois (1). Additional family members photographed in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2018 - 12:02am -

November 1937. "Mrs. John Baker and baby on steps of farm home. Divide County, North Dakota." Photo by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. Still joy breaks throughDespite the obvious signs of poverty and a truly hard life being depicted here, the beautiful baby in this photo is genuinely smiling at the wind in her hair and the photographer. Hope springs eternal. BadlandsNow I have a good idea why my mother would never, ever speak of her life on the prairie in Saskatchewan during the Depression. Hormel? Armour?Getting old isn't easy. I took a quick peek at the photo's title and immediately began searching for the "can ham", something I haven't seen in years. Only later, after searching futilely for the tasty treat's container, did I reread the title. Cute kid. Cutie PIEThat little one is a doll. DarwinismMy gosh, those steps leading off the porch are more terrifying than the porch itself. Talk about survival of the fittest -- I am in awe of these folks! Scary StairsThose crude stairs look dangerous. I hope the happy and well-cared for baby went on to live a more prosperous life. BrrrI'll bet that cabin was a cold place to winter in ND. Looks like a good wind would wipe it out. The John Baker family, Divide County, North DakotaThis is Joe Manning. I located one of the grandsons of Mr. and Mrs. Baker. He lives in Montana. I talked to his wife. The family recently discovered this photo, plus nine others taken by Russell Lee, and shared them with most of the other living descendants. She told me that the old house is still there. She said that she would tell her husband about my phone call, but that he may not have time to get back to me for several months. It's haying season! Good looking family1940 Census data suggests the mother is Rosa (about 47 in 1937) and the child is Lois (1). Additional family members photographed in the series by Russell Lee include children Clarence (16), Rose (11), Perry (9), Pearl (6), and Virginia (3). (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Stoddard's Upper Range: 1937
Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "Stoddard's Upper Range. Italianate structure built 1859 by John Stoddard ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:05am -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "Stoddard's Upper Range. Italianate structure built 1859 by John Stoddard on bluffs above the river, used for cotton factor's offices and warehouses." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. +73Below is the same view from July of 2010. [Amazing! Not to mention a little spooky. - Dave] Vics on the RiverJohn Stoddard's building was saved and is now an upscale restaurant. It also was used in the Civil War as a planning office. MasterstrokeIn each and every one of Johnstons photos, you see the a master at work. The composition, light, shadow, and subjects are wonderful. And something else I have noticed and wonder if anyone else senses it. There is a slightly dark or macabre and foreboding undercurrent in the work. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but I feel it. Oh, the light!Since discovering Shorpy, I've become a huge F.B.Johnston fan. Her eye for composition is excellent, her exposures are perfect, and the rendition of highlights is IMHO second to none. So delicate, so silvery. [The detail is thanks to FBJ's use of an 8x10 view camera. As for the highlights, a lot of that is thanks to the Shadows & Highlights filter in Photoshop, which is used to adjust all of the images I post here on Shorpy. Below, a before-and-after comparison of the original archival image (grayish circles) and the Shorpy version. Click to enlarge. - Dave] Once again, an utterly evocative image by JohnstonOf course, these buildings were never unoccupied. They were commissioned by Stoddard from the New York architect John Norris, who has forever stamped Savannah with the range of public buildings he constructed there between 1845 and 1860. He left Savannah as soon as the Lower Range and the Upper Range were finished, to return North before war broke out. During the Civil War - umm "War Between the States, as it's called there - these buildings were occupied by Sherman's officers. Today they are full of offices, businesses, and even a fine restaurant. They are listed on the National Register. PreservationExcept for the cars and those two exhaust fans, here is 1859 in color. re: +73Best ever then-and-now shot. Congratulations to timeandagain photo and also to the passage of time. PricelessIt's the 'then and now' shots alone that make Shorpy worth the price of admission...er, submission...oh, never mind. Anyway, I like them. Factor's WalkThere's an archaeological dig going on at the time I write this, that is investigating an urban legend that the crypts on the left side of the walk (left side of this photo, but unable to be seen) were used for slave trading. However, as yet, all that has been turned up is evidence of some shops and storage. For more info, contact the Civil Rights Museum in Savannah Georgia, they are partly funding the dig. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Savannah)
Guinea Pig: 1937
July 10, 1937. "Testing cosmetics. The Department of Agriculture is making tests every ... bottles? It would be interesting to see just what's in a 1937 lab. [They are mostly out of focus. Below: A jar of Mallinckrodt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 7:09pm -

July 10, 1937. "Testing cosmetics. The Department of Agriculture is making tests every day in order to get cosmetics under the Pure Food and Drug Act. Mrs. C.W. West, seated, is helping Mrs. R. Goodman make a test on cold cream and other facial creams." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Thank GoodnessThat these were NOT tested on animals! U.S. TowelsIf we could see all of that towel, would it say "Stolen from United States Government"? "Tell me, what is this stuff?""It's called White Lead Paste. I assure you, it's completely safe!" So...Any of those labels legible on the various bottles? It would be interesting to see just what's in a 1937 lab. [They are mostly out of focus. Below: A jar of Mallinckrodt anhydrous calcium chloride. - Dave] A Little Dab'll Do Ya"...and be sure to slather on a generous amount, so that in the event of an allergic reaction, the maximum effect is achieved..." Welcome to my labImagine, she (or someone) once had an intimate day-to-day working knowledge of that whole rather disorderly-looking collection of variously sized bottles. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Industry & Public Works)
Corner Store: 1937
May 1, 1937, New York. Grocery at 1028 Third Avenue and 61st Street with Salvatore ... 
 
Posted by z396z28 - 09/15/2012 - 1:31pm -

May 1, 1937, New York. Grocery at 1028 Third Avenue and 61st Street with Salvatore Campanelli far right. John J. Campanelli Collection. View full size. Glass block cement floorMain entryway appears to have glass block inserts in the concrete. Similar to the waiting room floors in the original ca. 1910 Pennsylvania Station, where light passed through to the floor below. UpstairsUp over the "dairy" sign, the window seems to be advertising some kind of dancing. Pretty good bargain prices in this store. I'll take a case of everything. As Times Goes By1028 Third Avenue through the years in the pages of the New York Times. 1899: Tode & Co. 1943: Service Food Market 1955-present: Isle of Capri Ristorante Food is still sold thereBut it's now the Isle of Capri, an Italian restaurant. SugarIt would seem sugar went from 27 cents for 5 lbs. to 24 cents. The ElThe Third Avenue elevated train ran in front of Mr. Campanelli's store until 1955. Noise levels dropped and property values soared, perhaps explaining the Isle of Capri in its place. Where is the collection?Went looking for the John J. Campanelli Collection without success. Google search just brings me back here. Is the collection accessible to hoi polloi? There's a First Time for Everything!I have NEVER seen caviar listed as an "everyday" item in ANY store before. I assume it was a big seller since there is a permanent sign for it. DancingOTY: It looks like the top line of that dancing sign says "Marques Studio." Hand-painted sale price signs......possibly on butcher paper, hanging in the display windows. Haven't seen these since c.1972. Love the font. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Stores & Markets)
Twig Trimmer: 1937
August 1937. "Barbershop in village of Twig, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/12/2015 - 9:34pm -

August 1937. "Barbershop in village of Twig, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Barber poleThere’s either the elegant rotating pole inside a glass tube or, uh, this. [Not to mention the traditional barber building corner. -tterrace] At Least It's HeatedExcuse me, may I use your washroom please? Looks like no water or shampoo in this place. Nor a light switch. Oh and by the way, the washroom shack is a few steps out out back, unheated. [There is, however, free parking. - Dave] The Old Fashioned WayJudging by the lack of electrical wires and windows (at least from this angle), it looks like this barber does things the old fashioned way: Comb and scissors by lantern light. Hope you're not too picky! [Half of the storefront is a window! - Dave] Floyd's Barber Shop in Mayberryis looking positively palatial compared to this. TwigTwo Minnesota photos in as many days. But whereas Twig is way up near Duluth, Blue Earth (of Minnesota Kodachromes fame) is south of Minneapolis on Interstate 90, almost at the Iowa border. Pole MatchingIn case a potential customer misses the barber-pole, this barber has a matching barber-corner-of-building. One ChairLots of waiting, bet many tall tales were heard within those walls. All GoneScissors and comb have been replaced with propane and nightcrawlers. Out in the sticksWhen I lived in Minnesota, the joke was "Twig - oh yeah, it's out in the sticks." Looks like it still is. To add to the interesting place names, Minnesota also has a Fertile and a Climax. In journalism class, we were shown an actual headline: "Fertile Woman Dies in Climax." S. Todd, Barber -> Twig Store Propane and nightcrawlers… I guess you'll see no cries of gentrification here. Electrical system in a suitcase? You bet.In June, 1938, the "modern" electrical system in my Great Uncle and Aunt's, "The Walton's" style, rural general store in the Missouri Ozarks, consisted of a few light-bulbs, wire, batteries, and a hand-crank generator; all of which would fit in a suitcase. My father, a 12-year old farm-boy, powered the generator as people from all-around listened-in on a new, floor-mounted, upright electric radio to the "fight-of-the-century" between Germany's Max Schmelling and America's Joe Louis. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Five-Tube Chassis: 1937
March 1937. "Camden, New Jersey. RCA Victor. Five-tube chassis assembly line." Radio ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2013 - 7:57am -

March 1937. "Camden, New Jersey. RCA Victor. Five-tube chassis assembly line." Radio like Grandma used to make. Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size. Designed for mass productionCompare these to the Atwater Kents of the twenties. The A-K radios were more like an Erector set, all the little fiddly bits held together by screws and nuts. Every assembler had a tray of hardware from which to build the tuning assembly. The tuning capacitor and IF coils in these radios are made of stamped steel pieces, designed to fit together like puzzles and held together by bent-over tabs in slots. This style of construction was used through the sixties, when the Japanese replaced it with little molded plastic pieces. 1936 designed hardware ?Looks like a 5T7 model: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_5t7.html CuriousWhy were all the workers women? This looks more like a shot you'd see from 5-ish years later in the midst of the war. Not all womenThat is either a man in the background leaning over with his thumb to his nose, or the lady needs an apology from me. Women were better suited (no pun intended) for these types of jobs since their hands fit the gloves better. And when you aren't working, you can pose like a model and no one will suspect your true ambitions. Female workersWomen in the workplace was not a WWII invention. Women entered manufacturing at the dawn of the industrial revolution. In Lowell, MA the mill owners recruited young women and built living quarters for them. When food processing evolved, it was common to see plants full of women performing the cleaning and canning operations. By the turn of the last century, most apparel sweatshops employed girls and women - remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911? Still using a power transformerThe venerable five tube concept would not long after this abandon the big power transformer on the right for a direct, non-isolated connection to the AC mains. Saved a lot of money, but could be a surprise for an unwary tinkerer. "Miniaturization" during WWII would shrink the light-bulbish tubes and large coils to something about 1/3 the size of what we see here. That lead way to legions of bread-loaf sized radios in the 50's on, some of which are now considered art pieces. Should have held on to those things! Ah, the All-American Five!The five-tube chassis was a classic, and many versions graced American homes. These seem to have a power transformer that made the chassis safer than the cheaper models that ran directly off 110 volt AC power lines. A touch to a transformerless chassis and a good ground could deliever quite a shock! Atwater-KentsAnd, nixiebunny, the Atwater-Kents were tuned radio frequency (TRF) receivers that were cranky to tune and pretty unstable. These radios used superheterodyne technology invented by Edwin H. Armstrong that made using a radio easy, stable, and reliable. Armstrong also corrected faulty vacuum-tube theory, invented the regenerative receiver, the Super-regenerative circuit, and FM radio. Five-tube CrosleyThe lady wearing glasses in the foreground seems to operating with a decent chassis but more importantly when I was a lad Pop owned a 5-tube Crosley superheterodyne receiver. We were on Long Island but at night that beast could pull in the race results from Bowie in Maryland and River Downs out in Ohio. (Technology, The Gallery, Factories, Lewis Hine)
Sun Belt: 1937
January 1937. "Deerfield, Florida. Migrant agricultural worker from Oklahoma." Photo by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2014 - 3:21pm -

January 1937. "Deerfield, Florida. Migrant agricultural worker from Oklahoma." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. FlashbackMany times Shorpy pics remind me of past events, people and places. This man's face and expression brought me back to sometime in the early 60's. I had stopped and parked to get a burger and beverage at a drive in and park, Sonic like place. A guy that looked like our subject in the photo was leaning on his car playing a guitar. A drunk came up to him and all that I could hear from the "stewed" man was "I'm not afraid of you". I saw our guy slowly put his guitar down and next thing the drunk was lying on the ground knocked out cold. Picks More Than a GuitarSome good eyes here. He's well set up for playing a guitar or banjo, but if you'll look closely at the pinky on his left hand you'll notice that he can also pick his nose ambidextrously. Nothing is more frustrating when you find that you've broken your only pinky nail and you need to scratch that itch or do a little cleaning out. And having two increases the angle options for doing same. A familiar faceLooks like Richard Widmark is taking a break from the film set today. Tough Guy?Those are mighty long fingernails for a fieldworker! Bet he has a night job with a banjo. Guitar ManRight hand fingernails long for picking, left hand trimmed short for fretting. Great shotOddly long fingernails for an agricultural worker. Tough GuyBelt to the side, studs on the belt, leather wristband, sneer, and the cigarette. James Dean before James Dean. The Glowering InfernoAnd keep your cotton pickin' hands off my cigarette! Tough Guy, YesBut he always keeps his pinky up when smoking. Follicularly EnviousEven years ago when I had that much hair I didn't have that much hair. Outstanding!And they are mild! Admittedly, one tough image, except for the extended pinky. With earth-shattering events just over the horizon, one wonders how he made out. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Florida)
Squatter Camp: 1937
March 1937. "Water supply: Open settling basin from the irrigation ditch in a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2009 - 11:12pm -

March 1937. "Water supply: Open settling basin from the irrigation ditch in a California squatter camp near Calipatria." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. SickIt is easy to see why typhoid ran rampant in these camps. Out of PlaceThe boy looks like he belongs in today's world. His hair is well styled and he was a clean appearance. I bet he has a cell phone in his pocket.. The times, they aren't a-changingChange the year of the car, and maybe some clothes, add plastic junk, et voila, it's Calipatria today. Dignity by DorotheaAn insight gleaned from the excellent new biography by Linda Gordon, and put into my own words: Dorothea Lange spent the 1920s as a fashionable portrait photographer in San Francisco. When she began photographing Depression-era migrants, she continued to honor a subject's dignity and sense of worth, regardless of their physical and social situation. In praise of strong women.Washday goes on, no matter that your life is falling apart. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Texaco Test Car: 1937
June 15, 1937. Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. "Texaco Test Fleet auto at Joe ... he finished with a .306 BA with 46 RBI. On June 15th 1937 the Seals were due to play hometown rivals the Mission Reds but the game ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2015 - 11:20am -

June 15, 1937. Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. "Texaco Test Fleet auto at Joe DiMaggio Grotto. Driver of Pontiac with restaurant manager Tom DiMaggio." 8x10 film negative from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. More degrees of separation In 1958 while I was in the Navy and my ship was tied up across the bay at Alameda I probably had a blind double date with Tom's daughter. She at least claimed to be Joe DiMaggio's niece. As I recall we ended up going roller skating at Playland. So, niece of Joe if you're still around and reading this.......Hello again! Degrees of SeparationTom is either the father or uncle of a man I worked with summers during college. We were the two young guys working with a group of old geezers, maintaining a golf course. Now I'm an old geezer myself and no longer remember DiMaggio's first name, but only that he was Joe's nephew and wanted to be a golf pro. What I do remember was the feeling of getting hit by golfballs in the knee and more sensitive places. That memory might be why the new set of clubs, bag and balls in the garage have never been used yet. What is it ?Is that a horn mounted on the port-side bumper ? If so, it looks like one worthy of respect. Can't Knock ItSome more information here on the Texaco Test Fleet. The purpose of the fleet was to gather test data including "ant-knock" work. The Little ProfessorTom was 32 when this photo was taken, his 20 year old brother Dominic was in his first season with the San Francisco Seals where he finished with a .306 BA with 46 RBI. On June 15th 1937 the Seals were due to play hometown rivals the Mission Reds but the game was called off due to rain, however they did beat them 4-2 the next day. My mistake the score was the other way round This time I think we can agree.He's wearing jodhpurs. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
No Money, Ten Children: 1937
March 1937. Stalled in the Southern California desert. "No money, ten children. From ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:38pm -

March 1937. Stalled in the Southern California desert. "No money, ten children. From Chickasaw, Oklahoma." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. No Money, 10 KidsYou'd think maybe the guy with the camera could help him out. [That would be the gal with the camera. I've wondered about that too. - Dave] Stranded FamilyI would give anything to know what became of them. Stranded OkieThe composition here is epic. I feel like there's an entire novel conveyed in this one image. Compassionate, not "Immune"Ms. Lange stopped beside a car full of children that had stalled in a waterless desert. Anybody who stops for a stalled car is stopping to help in some way. At the very least she would carry the news to the next town that there were ten children and their parents stuck in the desert. It's easy to imagine that if she had any money at all to spare, she gave some to this family. (Wouldn't you?) These people were not in the safety of a migrant labor camp. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere. It is obvious from Ms. Lange's photographs that she was not "immune to poverty." She chose to document the suffering and the humanity of people in poverty. She must have had a good rapport with her subjects, or else their faces would not be so expressive. See myhero.com (http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=d_lange ) for a short biographical essay that stresses her sensitivity and compassion. See also the Wikipedia article about her (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Lange). "Immune to poverty" is exactly what she was not. DorotheaLange was contracted to this work from 1935. I suppose she was quite immune to poverty by that time. GivingYou know, in those days it wasn't easy to give money to a man like that. Most people wouldn't accept charity. It was considered an admission of failure, defeat. He might have accepted a loan. If he did, I'm willing to bet he paid it off with the first money he came by after feeding his kids. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, On the Road)
Stuck in the Kitchen: 1937
September 1937. "Hired girl washing dishes on the McNally farm. Kirby, Vermont." The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2017 - 6:26pm -

September 1937. "Hired girl washing dishes on the McNally farm. Kirby, Vermont." The kitchen last seen here. Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Utility SinkThe big utility sink, covered in this picture, reminds me of "the cement sink", as my grandmother referred to it, that was in her basement. It was originally used as the laundry sink. It was cast cement and had a divider in the middle making it a double sink. You'd wash in one section and move the clothes to the other to rinse. The one in the picture may well also be a double. There is a faint trace of a seam in the middle. Dual use roomSince there is a razor strop, shaving mugs, a mirror and many possible medicine bottles on the shelf - could this be the only point of running water in the house? I also found it interesting that the taps are above the counters and not over the sink. [That's not a counter - it's a utility sink with a cover resting atop. -tterrace] Crude but effectiveLooks like the fly paper strip(s) are a very popular gathering place on this particular day! Not that there's anything wrong with that. As a former health inspector I can say that fly paper was a cheap, effective, and non-toxic method of pest control, approved for use in a commercial food preparation area. After a few days they do get pretty gross, though! Multifunction KitchenIf I am looking correctly, I think I see shaving mugs and razors on the shelf. Would make the mirror have more of a reason for being there. A Better WayIf you have cows you will have flies and we have had our share of both. Years ago we discovered a Virginia farmer who runs free range chickens behind his cows. The chickens eat the fly larva in the manure and so very few ever make it to the adult stage. We have tried this and it works great! Very effectiveI use flypapers to this good day near my kitchen compost bin, which breeds clouds of fruit flies if I don't empty if often enough. As Rute Boye says, they are really effective for kitchen use. Pattern Hellor pattern heaven, depending on your decorating sense. Then add two more patterns for the dress and apron, and the eyes reel. Anonymous womanLet's hope this unknown woman, whose face we don't see, got some decent work on the home front during WWII. Being a hired girl on a farm seems like a sad and isolated life. Even the WPA photographer declined to name her. Razor stropI wonder how many recognize that thing hanging in the doorway all the way to the right is a razor strop? Primping in the kitchenAlong with the shaving mugs and mirror, notice the old fashioned curling iron almost directly under the wall clock, I have one exactly like this in my collection and it is not electric, but one that was manually warmed. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kitchens etc.)
Family Trip: 1937
May 1937. "Migratory family traveling across the desert in search of work in cotton ... that there would have been cotton in the desert in 1937, but what do I know? There are enough people in that family that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2013 - 11:22am -

May 1937. "Migratory family traveling across the desert in search of work in cotton at Roswell, New Mexico. U.S. Route 70, Arizona." Where are the cupholders on this rig? Dorothea Lange / Resettlement Administration photo. View full size. The Clampetts PrototypeThe Beverly Hillbillies, minus the laugh track. Probably very little laughter happening at this moment in this family's life. CupholdersI see eight of the old fashioned kind, if you include the 2 kids. There's cotton in Roswell?A quick look at the Google sat shows many center-pivot irrigation machines in the Roswell vicinity. I'd expect cotton there today. I was a little skeptical that there would have been cotton in the desert in 1937, but what do I know? There are enough people in that family that there is no way they could have all ridden in the cab of that pickup. It's a good thing the top speed of a Ford Model T is only about 40 mph. Even then, that mattress would have been a "thrill ride". Hard times?No doubt, but I'll bet those kids told the story of their adventures to their kids, and their grandkids until they were sick of hearing it. Like a lot of things that seemed terrible at the time it probably becomes a bit more of a romantic adventure years down the road. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, On the Road)
Tommies Too: 1937
Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "38 Price Street." Beer sign by Acme Radio & Neon. Our second look at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:03am -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "38 Price Street." Beer sign by Acme Radio & Neon. Our second look at this mom-and-pop establishment run by Tommie and Clifford Whittington, whose children commented on the first post. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. More historyI wonder if the Whittington family has any more history on the business and the people who ran it? Such as years of operation, etc. The Dark SideA more depressing angle on Tommie's place, with the "colored entrance" on display. I clearly remember "colored" water fountains and entrances as a child in the early 1960s, and being puzzled by my parents hustling me away on a hot summer day when I only wanted a cold drink of water. Ah, the innocence of youth. +73 TooBelow is the identical view taken in July of 2010. Family BusinessThanks for the additional pics of our parents' shop -- yes, Tommies did serve a lot of sailors, boat yard workers, and other industrial workers of both races who lived and worked in that area. Times were very hard for most people, including our family. Thanks again. "Welcome"Well, at least it was CORDIAL segregation. What a changeThe building is remarkably unchanged over the years--yet, interestingly enough, looks completely different in its different lives. In the old photo, it looks appropriately like a place of business from its time. It does not look like a house. Yet, in the newer photo, it looks appropriately like a house and nothing like a place of business. It's amazing how much signs and different styles of doors can change a place. "Real" 7up?As opposed to "Simulated" 7up, I suppose? American Pickers delightThanks for the updated photo of Tommies. I wonder if Mike and Frank from TV's "American Pickers" got there in time to grab those great Sterling Beer signs. While in the Air Force, I would stop occasionally in Terre Haute, Indiana when going home to Cincinnati on leave and have a cold Sterling. Not a bad brew. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Savannah, Stores & Markets)
Beer Here: 1937
Sept. 1937. "Barber shop and pool hall. Berwyn, Maryland." Between rounds, you can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2013 - 2:03pm -

Sept. 1937. "Barber shop and pool hall. Berwyn, Maryland." Between rounds, you can get a haircut. Medium-format negative by John Vachon. View full size. Clever sloganFree State was located on Baltimore's Hillen Street, I believe; the site is now occupied by a Baltimore fire house. Their slogan was one of the neatest going: "Your Thirst Choice". Unfortunately for them, their beer WASN'T Baltimore's first choice [or second or fourth...]. Shaefer took over Gunther's and dropped the name, dropped the recipe and thought Baltimoreans would flock to Shaefer. It didn't happen. Globe Brewing had a lineage dating back to the late 18th Century. All gone todayArrow Beer was a brand of Baltimore's Globe Brewing and lasted until 1963. Gunther Beer merged with Schaefer around the same time, with the Baltimore facility lasting about another decade. Free State closed in 1952; there is now a popular Kansas microbrewery of the same name but I don't believe they are related. I Wondered What The Good Head Was OnNow we know. I only need a shave.Make mine a shorty and a shot. Handled CorrectlyYou could stay there forever. No need to go home. Trolley Tripper?With one or two transfers John Vachon could have easily traveled from his Rosslyn, VA photo locations to this one. Most of Berwyn's business district was within a block or so of the trolley line. In fact, I have a dim memory of my dad and I visiting a barber shop there in the 50's that sat right next to the track. Old Hopfheiser (Hop-Hi-Zer)Hopfheiser Beer was contract brewed for a distributor in the Washington, DC area by the Globe Brewing Co. The beers may be gone, butThe building lives on at 5000, 5002 and 5004 Berwyn Road, Berwyn Heights. Berwyn Road is of of US Route 1 just north of the University of Maryland. Short walk to trolleyThe trolley ran on what is now the College Park Trolley Trail that is approximately 50 yards away. The correct current address is 5002 and 5004. 5000 is corner building not pictured in Vachon image. Growing up a GuntherGrowing up in Baltimore with the last name of Gunther could be hazardous. I was always subject to any juvenile humor that would turn around a jingle to my disadvantage. The ad in the comment below was before my time thankfully but I still remember being playfully taunted by my friends whenever a new campaign would roll out. My bearing the brunt of the jibes was finally paid off when in 1954 the Baltimore Orioles came to the American League and Gunther became their TV sponsors and out in left field was a big scoreboard with my last name along the bottom. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Family Truckster: 1937
May 1937. "One of three related Oklahoma drought refugee families on the highway ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/24/2014 - 9:11am -

May 1937. "One of three related Oklahoma drought refugee families on the highway near Lordsburg, New Mexico, going to Roswell to chop cotton." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Homestead HeadgearTwo things jumped right out at me. The Texas license plate with the word "Farm" on it. Might it be that the state charged the farmer or the farm workers less than a regular tag or that juveniles could drive them on the property? The other is that ten-gallon hat. I never realized that people, other than the actors in the 1930s cowboy films, wore them. Hat's OkayBoys wore all kinds of interesting hats in the 1930s. Some of the male characters in the OUR GANG films wore leather aviator helmets with goggles, cowboy hats and beanies, kind of like a baseball cap without a bill. But the migrant farm workers in the picture really needed their big-brimmed hats for protection from the blazing sunshine of the fields. That Hoot Gibson lookFor a true cowperson, the hat is always the last thing to go during hard times. All God's children got shoesWell, not all of them. The people in this picture resemble the parched, weather-beaten landscape shown in the background, stripped and hanging on for dear life, barely alive, struggling for a shred of hope that things will get better. These 1930's dust bowl photos do remind us not to feel sorry for ourselves. Even the poorest among us today are living a luxurious existence compared to these down-trodden families. Texas Farm PlatesIntroduced in 1934 with discount registration, still used today. Vehicle is supposed to be used off the farm only for "farm business." When I was in the Air Force in Texas in the 1960s many of the civil servants had farm plates on their pickups and a permanent hay bale or such in the back to prove "farm business" to any overeager State Trooper. This poor family's "farm business" has taken them a looong way from home. In perspectiveThis picture has really touched me. Think this poor family has run out of gas - in more ways than one. I'd love to have it on my wall as a reminder to keep everything in perspective. StetsonThe hat reminds me of Elmer Keith who wore the same style Stetson for most of his life. The second thing I noticed is the boy in bare feet and robe. I am having trouble matching up the reflection in the window with the rest of the photo though. [It's not a reflection; we're looking through the windshield to the back of the truck. -tterrace] Movie TriviaIsn't Lordsburg the town that The Ringo Kid was heading for in the movie 'Stagecoach'? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Dust Bowl, Great Depression)
The Tree of Libity: 1937
June 1937. "Mississippi grocery store." Another of Dorothea Lange's quirky-sign ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2014 - 9:16pm -

June 1937. "Mississippi grocery store." Another of Dorothea Lange's quirky-sign photos. Resettlement Administration nitrate negative. View full size. YARD. BIRDS.YARD. BIRDS. BY. THE STEPS. PresumablyM. ARK was the gifted painter of this sign? Belly LaughJust a quick thank you for the picture and the hilarious comments. Haven't had a good laugh in a long time. What a bunch on this one! That signwould sell handsomely today at auction, listed as a "Period Piece". [LOL. -Dave] Perhaps M.ARKis "The Man Who Shot Libity Valance"? Not Built To LastI do a lot of work researching historic sites, and photos like this make me understand how entire communities of wooden structures can disappear seemingly without a trace. Check out the store's "foundation," which appears to consist of floor joists set on top of rough hewn sections of tree trunks. A few decades of dry rot or termites, followed by a quick shove by a tractor, and a structure like this would be a memory. Only archeologists would be able to find evidence of its existence. Give me libitybut don't give me debt. And Justis For AllIs it possible that the grocer's name was Libity? Easy access to the wine cellar. The artist known as M. ARK?Possibly taking a break (face down) in the doorway? (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Stores & Markets)
Hard Times: 1937
March 1937. Scott's Run, West Virginia. "Johnson family -- father unemployed." ... full size. Atomic Heat Nuclear powered stoves in 1937. Who'd a thunk it? I know where that stove ended up 5 years later ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2013 - 9:15am -

March 1937. Scott's Run, West Virginia. "Johnson family -- father unemployed." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Atomic HeatNuclear powered stoves in 1937. Who'd a thunk it? I know where that stove ended up5 years later https://www.shorpy.com/node/14850 PowerfulI find this to be quite a beautiful and powerful photo. It has good composition, and many details that enhance the subject. The tattered clothes, the worn shoes (patched with rags), the runs in the stockings, the old beadboard walls with newspaper pasted on for additional insulation, the crack in the stove, a missing door knob, a broom that has been so worn that hardly any bristles remain, etc. You can tell that they're not overly dirty, though, (aside from the threadbare clothes). The two women have nicely braided hair, clean faces/hands, and the boy appears to have a half decent pair of shoes and a nice coat/jacket. It makes you appreciate what we take for granted today. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Washington Gas Light: 1937
Washington, D.C., 1937. "Washington Gas Light Co., 10th Street N.W." Current tenant: The FBI. ... At the top of my first hot rod wish list was a 1937 Ford coupe. That was in '53 and I still haven't found one. Dic A Doo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/28/2015 - 2:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1937. "Washington Gas Light Co., 10th Street N.W." Current tenant: The FBI. 8x10 acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. TraditionThe Washington Gas Light Co. remains the utility's name today. Main St USAThat's a great photo. Well exposed, wide tonal range and tons of detail. The clouds make it pop. B&W is still hard to beat. Back to the 50'sAt the top of my first hot rod wish list was a 1937 Ford coupe. That was in '53 and I still haven't found one. Dic A Doo"Cleans like magic!" No Moving Parts Electrolux Gas RefrigeratorGas-powered absorption refrigerators are still used in RVs and remote homes off the electrical grid. Every spring I help open a friend's cabin the north woods, and "did you light the refrigerator?" always makes me laugh. (The Gallery, D.C., Stores & Markets, Theodor Horydczak)
Green Acres: 1937
September 1937. "Cabin of Steve Flanders, cut-over farmer near Northome, Koochiching ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2018 - 12:57pm -

September 1937. "Cabin of Steve Flanders, cut-over farmer near Northome, Koochiching County, Minnesota." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Ned's Grandpa?Hens love roosters, geese love ganders: Everyone else loves Ned Flanders! What's the R value of tarpaper?Looks like it could be mighty cold in that cabin in February. Tough Pioneer StockThin wood tar paper shack for a home in a place that nearly every winter gets down to 35-40 below zero! Lace Curtain... Belgian? Dutch? Radio Antenna?That single glass insulator attached to the roof peak is more likely a one wire telephone, ground being used for the return part of the circuit. It does not appear that they have electric service. Telephone was likely dry cell battery powered. The birch trees in the background are about a decade old, the 200 foot white pine virgin forest having clearcut. What is the older girl's uniform -- CCC? Northolm Northome weather today? A balmy high of 27 F. How they kept warmAt this point in time, many homeowners actually used newspaper to insulate their homes--a guy I used to work with was fascinated as he pulled old insulation/newspapers out of his 1930s era home in suburban Minneapolis. You will also hear stories of not heating the 2nd story of a home (frost on the blankets, yes), and even today, owners of older homes will put bales of straw around the base of their homes to avoid pipes freezing in the basement. I am guessing these guys did about the same. Worked 70 hours Last WeekAccording to the 1940 US Census, Steve was 59 at the time of this photograph. He had worked 52 weeks in the past year and 70 hours in the week before the census enumeration. His wife Lottie was 53, Richard was 27, Leonard was 15, Opal was 12 and Ilene 10. I'm guessing that we see Opal and Ilene. Steve owned his farm and valued his home at $150. Not an easy life to say the least. Where's Steve?He must be plowing the back 40 on the ol' Hoyt-Clagwell Opal Only Lived to Age 25Opal Irene Flanders 1924–1950 BIRTH 15 JUL 1924 • Rollag, Minnesota, USA DEATH 12 APR 1950 • Bemidji, Minnesota, USA That old patched up rowboatmust have brought fish home for dinner from Bartlett Lake. (The Gallery, Cats, Kids, Russell Lee)
Bachelor Shacks: 1937
March 1937. Paterson, New Jersey. "Textiles. Bachelor shacks in outskirts of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2013 - 7:31am -

March 1937. Paterson, New Jersey. "Textiles. Bachelor shacks in outskirts of Paterson, on Molly Jan Brook. About 25 men live here now (some of them old silk workers) and stay here all winter. Man in one view worked in silk up to 5 years ago. On relief now." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Paterson & LouLou Costello was from Paterson, New Jersy and even did "asides" in some of his movies to mention his home town in New Jersey while Abbott wasn't looking. I Live in a CastleThis makes me appreciate our little bungalow a lot more. Paterson over the yearsThe last half-century or more hasn't been kind to Paterson. In the 1970's the residents of next-door East Paterson spent a considerable amount of money and waded through a great deal of red tape to change their community's name to Elmwood Park. The reason for this effort, which the residents weren't embarrassed to mention, is that even 40 years ago the very name Paterson had become synonymous with poverty and economic decline, and they feared their community would suffer if its name weren't changed. There are ongoing efforts by the residents of West Hempstead, New York to change their community's name to Mayfair Park, for pretty much the same reason. Molly AnnThat's the Molly Ann Brook, not Molly Jan. The Molly Ann Brook is a tributary that enters the Passaic River upstream of the Great Falls and just a few blocks from historic Hinchliff Stadium. Where it enters the Passaic the brook is the boundary between Westside Park and New Bridge Landing Historic Park. What's The Address?I'm still trying to figure out how the street signs got there. Urban EconomicsThe citizens of West Hempstead would be wise to forget "Mayfair Park" and choose more pragmatically... maybe "Wuthering Hills", or "Whiskey Hollow". That's the formula both East and West Paterson used: Keep the initials the same, and you'll save a bundle on re-embroidering cheerleader uniforms ("EPHS") or changing the initials on traffic cones and road barricades. Now THAT'S the Joisy way. Paterson still has that effectFollow up to Peter, West Paterson, NJ changed its name to Woodland Park, NJ about 2 years ago citing the same reasons as East Paterson/Elmwood Park did. That said, Paterson, NJ is a very large city and has seen some improvement in many areas in the past 40 years, which is something I suppose. Re: What's The Address?Upon further research, it appears that a major intersection in Paterson is Market Street and Park Avenue. I'm thinking that someone moved the signs as a bit of humor in an otherwise dreary environment. (The Gallery, Great Depression, Lewis Hine)
Royal Castle: 1937
New Orleans circa 1937. "1300 Royal Street." Longtime residence of A. Fern. 8x10 inch acetate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2014 - 3:42pm -

New Orleans circa 1937. "1300 Royal Street." Longtime residence of A. Fern. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Royal and BarracksThe 1300 over the door at left is on Royal and 641 is on Barracks Street. This house looks much better now. View Larger Map What is it?What's the contraption on the upper porch? Something to rock a baby? Lese majesteDespite its shabbiness, the place has a sort of grandeur, a touch of mystery of the type that could kindle literary inspiration. The current image looks like a comfortable, refurbished building. Yet, if we compare the angle at which the old photo was taken and the street view, the latter is - at least in my opinion - definitely inferior. No thanksAll the years I've been coming to Shorpy every day and I've really never felt this before -- what a dump! The New Orleans Fern FamilyLikely relatives of the famous Boston branch of this fine old family, whose offspring are seen everywhere. Not quite DesireBut I swear I can see Blanche DuBois gazing out from yonder windows. Perfect locationThree blocks to the Old Mint, four blocks to Frenchmen Street and the best traditional New Orleans Jazz. At the edge of the Marigny, headed down river toward the Bywater. The quiet end of the Quarter. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids, New Orleans)
Filigree: 1937
New Orleans, 1937. "Le Pretre Mansion, 716 Dauphine Street, built 1835-6. Joseph Saba ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:36pm -

New Orleans, 1937. "Le Pretre Mansion, 716 Dauphine Street, built 1835-6. Joseph Saba house." Another look at the so-called Sultan's Palace, last seen here. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Stripped down archictureIf you take off the wrought iron latticework, you would have a very plain looking building. No detailing around any of the windows, no cornicework. It would pass as some other warehouse down by the river. The owners must have blown the project budget on all the iron scrollwork. Harem ScaremThe original source of the bizarre ghost stories and "legends" attached to the Le Pretre Mansion appears to be a nutty little book written in 1922 for the tourist trade by Helen Pitkin Schertz, "Legends of Louisiana," published by the New Orleans Journal. A photo of the mansion in this book is captioned "The House of Tragic Mystery," accompanying Schertz's story "The Brother of the Sultan." Although the house was built and added to by two owners in the 1830s, Schertz dated her almost unreadable story to 1792. Unreadble? You decide. Here's an excerpt from a typical paragraph: Thus it came about that in the grandiose mansion where Christian piety was domiciled, whence conventional young women issued for daily Mass at the Cathedral three squares away in direct view, little shrines were removed and benitiers that had purified thoughts for holy themes. A steamboat bore the always expectant, always happy sons and daughters to the plantation with their horde of slaves, the most zealous care of the daughters being the preservation from sunburn of their creamy skins. What had been the horror—or, perhaps, the interest,—of these convent-bred damsels to learn that into their chaste quarters, converted into a haremlik, were borne palpitating bundles, which, unrolled, revealed lovely, veiled children younger than themselves: Nefysseh of Alexandria ; Mihrima of Stamboul; Sitta of Aboukir; Djumeila of the Nile and, fairest among them, Butheita the daughter of the Bedouins, raped from the desert for a Caliph's beguilement. Still there, etc.Covered in the previous post (scroll down to the comments). I ain't afraid of no ghostThe gents on the banquette don't seem to mind if the house is haunted. They look very relaxed. Restrained ArchitectureWithout the cast iron, the house would appear as it was built - a subdued but grand chunk of Greek Revival. Notice that the stucco has been scored to resemble ashlar blocks. The cast iron was added later... probably in the 1850's when New Orleans was obsessed with the trend. The entablature is missing above the capitals along the length of the ground-level ironwork, and appears to be still missing today. Yes and N.O.Still looking great for a 174-year-old structure. Man, I love New Orleans. For all of its warts, the city draws me back, time and time again. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
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