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Green Detroit: 1942
Detroit, July 1942. "Looking north on Woodward Avenue from the Maccabees ... transparency by Arthur Siegel. View full size. Detroit Institute of Arts In the foreground, the building to the right (cut off) is now the home of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The building on the left is the Detroit Public ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:52am -

Detroit, July 1942. "Looking north on Woodward Avenue from the Maccabees Building with the Fisher Building at the distant left, and the Wardell Hotel at the right." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Arthur Siegel. View full size. Detroit Institute of ArtsIn the foreground, the building to the right (cut off) is now the home of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The building on the left is the Detroit Public Library. It's strange to see all the trees in the photo. Those are sadly not there anymore. My Old NeighborhoodI went to college and lived in this neighborhood about a block out of frame to the right. Most of the major buildings in the picture are still there today and look much the same. The Detroit Institute of Art has just finished up a Michael Graves redesign of the 1960s and 70s additions that wrap around the back of the original central building seen here. The DIA atrium contains Diego Rivera's famous Detroit industry murals. The main branch of the DPL on the left is by Cass Gilbert with a later rear addition by his son. The streetcars are gone of course, but there are groups working to bring them back to this part of Woodward Avenue. Charles Lang Freer's Mansion is hidden behind the three-winged Wardell (now Park Shelton) Hotel. The Freer Mansion, one of the most important Shingle Style residences in the country, once contained the famous Peacock Room designed by Whistler, later relocated to the Freer Gallery in Washington. The smokestacks next to Woodward just at the horizon were at the now demolished powerhouse of Ford's Highland Park factory. Old Detroit87 years ago today I was born in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit was a tree city. I remember going to the top of the downtown sky scrapers and was surprised at seeing so many trees in the city. [Happy birthday, Seattle Kid! - Dave] Parade routeDitto anonymous tipster, I worked at that library, attended Wayne State University which is (will be) off to the left, and this side of the photographer. Site of the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Still a Jungle Out ThereSeattlekid, you still can see the treetops from many buildings. I went up in the abandoned Michigan Central Station and after looking at the pictures, you'd think Detroit was all trees. On another note, look at how nice Woodward Avenue actually looks. Nowadays, if you try riding your bike on it you're certainly taking your life into your hands. Home Sweet HomeJust across Woodward from the Wardell/Park Shelton, in that grove of trees, you can see a roof with several chimneys. 14 years after this picture was taken, I was born in that building, Called the Art Centre Hospital. It later became part of the Detroit Historical Museum, and is now, I believe, part of Wayne State University. DetroitI was one of the artsy folk over at the College for Creative Studies, but several of my cousins went to Wayne State. The Public Library is really something. My film-major roommate used the grand stairway and second-floor hall as sets for as a fairy tale style palace in a short film he was making. Clang Clang ClangI lived about a half mile south of there on Woodward a few years back - walked to the library all the time, but it's the trolleys that get me - how cool that must have been. The Pontiac SignMakes me think of all the GTO's that will help turn this avenue into a street racing legend 20 odd years later. Or was it Woodward Boulevard? Well, what does a hick from Georgia know about Michigan? Foy Las Vegas Woodward AvenueAerial view. Although MS Live Maps doesn't allow me to view at the same angle, it's still interesting to look at the layout of the area ~66 years later. Detroit trees and streetcarsSadly, most of Detroit has lost the beautiful American elm trees over the last few decades due to Dutch Elm Disease. I remember the early a.m. spraying helicopter flights over our northwest Detroit neighborhood in the early sixties as the city tried to control the blight. I wonder how many later sicknesses and chronic conditions were caused by all of us breathing the aerial sprays. In 1970 while working for the DSR (Detroit's bus company), many old time executives told me detailed stories about the streetcars' demise in the 50's. Most of the tales had to do with the auto executives refusing to allow room for tracks within the newly planned expressways (freeways) to the Willow Run auto plant during WWII. One was quoted as saying that he'd be damned if his employees would be taking a streetcar to work instead of buying and driving one of the cars that they made. I think they were sold to Mexico City where they still faithfully ply the rails. The City BeautifulA few months ago, I was on a road trip from Toronto to Ann Arbor. We went south instead of north (can't remember the road) and ended up driving into Detroit. I was thrilled. The architecture is amazing. I plan a trip soon to visit and photograph these incredible buildings. I'm putting the DIA, the DPL and the Freer Mansion on the top of the list. I'm rooting for those tracks to be brought back too. Streetcars and treesA lovely pic of Detroit; if you want to actually be in a city with hard-working streetcars and a blanket of trees go to Toronto, just a few hours east of this view. With a few glass skyscrapers now added one gets the impression of a prosperous, pre-1940 American city, with a dose of peace, order and good government -- sort of a motto there. Woodward Dreaming CruiseWe used to ride the streetcar down from the 8-Mile Palmer Park area by the State Fairgrounds to go shopping at the big J.L.Hudson department store in downtown, farther south from this photo. The last day of service of the streetcars they put on several extra cars for a "one last ride" experience. My father took me along and we rode that last trip into the sunset. I got to see Canada across the river and was tremendously impressed at being able to actually see a whole different country. Still don't know how we got home, if that was the last trip! About those GTOs on Woodward Avenue. That all happened way farther north from here off into the distance at the top of the photo, starting at 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak (where I lived later on) and racing from stoplight to stoplight (about every half mile) up to about 15 Mile Road in Birmingham. I learned to drive a half mile at a time -- but very quickly. Detroit, my hometownWayne State University was (and still is) located to the left of what this photograph shows. When this photograph was taken, however, the university was known as Wayne University and was actually operated by the Board of Education of the city's public school district. The word "State" was added to the university's name in the 1950s when it joined Michigan's other main state-supported schools--the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. In the upper left-hand corner of the photograph two of legendary architect Albert Kahn's edifices can be seen. The tall building is the Fisher Building, so named for the Fisher brothers (of Fisher Body fame) who commissioned it. Immediately in front of, and to the right of, the Fisher Building is what was then known as the General Motors Building. This edifice, which was the world's largest office building when built in the late 1920s, housed the carmaker's main offices until the late 1990s when the automaker moved to its present home in downtown Detroit. Today, the former GM Building is known as Cadillac Place and houses various State of Michigan government offices and courts. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Streetcars)
Factoryville: 1910
... scene from the early 1900s. What is this gritty city? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Rungs on the ... Company was based there. Henkel's Flour was out of Detroit, but I think there was an outpost in Cleveland, too. Gritty City ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2014 - 5:10pm -

An uncaptioned industrial scene from the early 1900s. What is this gritty city? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Rungs on the smokestackAre those (barely visible) rungs on the right side of the smokestack? If so, what a harrowing climb that would have been. Also, why would anyone need/want to climb that smokestack in the first place? Cleveland, OHThe Stowe-Fuller Co. in the lower right is the clue. Cleveland?I'm gonna guess Cleveland. The Stowe-Fuller Company was based there. Henkel's Flour was out of Detroit, but I think there was an outpost in Cleveland, too. Gritty CityCleveland. Stowe-Fuller CoLooks like the origin may be Cleveland. Could be the Cuyahoga River. There's much railroad infrastructure along that river still. DetroitJudging from the Henkel Flour mill, I'd guess Detroit MI. DetroitI'm going to take a wild guess and say Detroit, Michigan. That looks like Henkel's Flour mill sign in the background. Before the river caught fire (I think?)Cleveland. Was my first guess based on looks alone, but this picture of the Henkel's Flour elevator would seem to confirm it: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994021768/PP/ I also found info indicating that there was indeed a Stowe-Fuller Co. in Cleveland. Stowe and Fuller Co.Cleveland, OH? ClevelandCould that be the Cuyahoga? On 11/27/1899, the Stowe-Fuller Co filed a U.S. federal trademark registration for a brick called Alumnite. Wow! The cityIt's Cleveland. It's ...Cleveland! ClevelandStowe-Fuller seems to have been a Cleveland Ohio Cement and Brick maker so I'll guess Cleveland? Cleveland?The Stowe Fuller name is all over google as a Cleveland business. Where Are We?Detroit? Henkel's Flour mill was there. Detroit?Since there is a Henkel's Flour building and since the negative has a Detroit Publishing source, I would guess that it is Detroit. FactoryvilleThe Flats. Cleveland, Ohio. The old Superior Viaduct can be seen crossing the Cuyahoga River off in the backgound. On Lake ErieCleveland, Ohio. Henkel's Flour had a grain elevator on the river and another photo is attached showing the freighter North Star tied up next to their dock. Also, theh Stowe-Fuller Co. was based in Cleveland too. The Stowes tell itCleveland, Ohio Looks like it might be Detroithttp://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270836777233&item... Stowe-Fuller FirebrickThat would be Cleveland, Ohio, no ? ClevelandHere's another angle on the Henkel's sign. On the far right is an ad to visit the Likly and Rockett showroom at 405 Superior Ave. Taking an Educated Guessat Cleveland, based on the Stowe-Fuller Company building in the lower-right corner of the picture. Why this is Cleveland The clue is the Stowe-Fuller Co., who made fire brick among other products, on the river bank. Possible I.D.I think it is Cleveland, Ohio. Henkel's FlourQuick search revealed the plant was located in Detroit on Atwater Street. Also known as Commercial Milling Co. Detroit's Commercial Milling Co.A search for "Henkel's Flour" (seen from the reverse of the sign in the distance) returns results for the Commercial Milling Co. from Detroit. I tried searching for Stowe-Fuller Co. too, but did not retrieve many results. Cleveland, OhioPossible taken at the same time as Detroit Publishing Co. no. 500408? http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/det.4a25417/ Based on that picture, which shows a warehouse at 405 West Superior Road, the Henkels factory was at the tip of the elbow in the Cuyahoga river where Carter and Scranton Roads meet today, and this picture would have been taken from about where Route 10, Carnegie Avenue, crosses the Cuyahoga. Use Henke's FlourAlong with Pillsbury, Henke's Flour was produced in Minneapolis. The faint image of a stone bridge in the distance also looks like one still standing in Minneapolis. Google leads me to think it's ClevelandBoth Fuller-Stowe and Henkel's Flour seem to have been located there. Cleveland OhioWhat do I win? ClevelandCleveland, shot northward from Franklin Ave., just west of where the big Cleveland Union Terminal RR viaduct would be built in the 1920's. Here is a streetview from almost the exact location. It was shot on Franklin Ave, just east of W 25th street: https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.488721,-81.705558&spn=0.007756,0.016512&t... Streetview is difficult, as there is now thick vegetation between Franklin Ave and the river. The coal dumper was Erie RR (NYPANO). The farthest flour mill is still there, modified. The low swing bridge is Center St., still in daily use. The stone part of the Old Superior Viaduct still stands. The replacement Detroit Superior viaduct would cross about where the Erie coal dumper was. Henkel's Flour building still thereThe Henkels flour building is still there - you can see where the sign was taken off the roof. And the swing bridge just past it on the opposite bank is still there too, it looks like - you can see it in red behind the overpass. View Larger Map Absolutely ClevelandAs a Clevelander, here's what I can add: The 1910 Cleveland City Directory showed Henkel's Flour mill at 1636 Merwin Ave., and Stowe-Fuller nearby at 1722 Merwin Ave. The Center Street swing bridge in the river was built in 1901. Construction of the Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge, shown in an earlier aerial photo, was substantially complete in 1917. There is no sign of that construction project. So, the general date range of the photo is after 1901 and before 1915. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Belle Isle Bridge: 1911
The Detroit River circa 1911. "View of Belle Isle Bridge, taken from East Jefferson ... and looking toward Belle Isle." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Boat House Survives? ... Looks like it certainly could be. [That's the Detroit Yacht Boat Club in both images. - Dave] Low-flyer ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2024 - 4:56pm -

The Detroit River circa 1911. "View of Belle Isle Bridge, taken from East Jefferson Avenue and looking toward Belle Isle." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Boat House Survives?Is this the same boat house as in the photo? Looks like it certainly could be. [That's the Detroit Yacht Boat Club in both images. - Dave] Low-flyerIt's difficult to believe, especially if you see a side view of the bridge, but in 1913 William Edmund Scripps, publisher of the Detroit News and future founder of radio WWJ, flew a Curtiss Model F flying boat under what was officially the George Washington Bridge but forever known by its island destination. If there's a photo of Scripps's feat, I haven't seen it--but would a newspaper publisher lie? [It wasn't "officially the George Washington Bridge" until that span was completed in 1923. The Belle Isle Bridge seen here burned in 1915. - Dave] Tale of Two ClubsThere are two clubhouses on Belle Isle. The Detroit Yacht Club is at the eastern (upstream) end of the island; it is still active. The former Detroit Boat Club is farther to the west, near the bridge. That is the large building in the picture. The Detroit Boat Club started as a rowing club and claims to be the oldest yachting club in the Americas (1839). They built the DBC clubhouse in 1902. The DBC abandoned the building in 1996 and seems to operate without a clubhouse of its own now. The DBC's rowing program split off, and continued using the DBC building until 2022, when it was deemed dangerous and closed. Discussions of rehab vs. demolition continue. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Kids)
Detroit of Detroit: 1904
Ecorse, Michigan. 1904. "Steamer Detroit , Michigan Central transfer, stern view from under." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Wow One of the Monitor class ... no doubt. Don't forget the bunk boards The Detroit operated as a railcar ferry between Detroit and Windsor on the Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 1:21pm -

Ecorse, Michigan. 1904. "Steamer Detroit, Michigan Central transfer, stern view from under." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. WowOne of the Monitor class of ships, no doubt. Don't forget the bunk boardsThe Detroit operated as a railcar ferry between Detroit and Windsor on the Detroit River. She had twin screws and a rudder on each end, all of which operated in both directions. As well as propelling the vessel, the bow screws also functioned to break winter ice. The deck portion of her bow was straight across, allowing it to fit against the loading apron. The Detroit was built with three tracks on her deck, with a capacity of 24 freight cars. The foregoing is from an excellent summary (with great pictures) of the Detroit in George W. Hilton’s book, “The Great Lakes Car Ferries, “ page 34. (Available online as a Google book.) The picture brings to mind my experience in the mid 60s of working on the GTW car ferry, City of Milwaukee. Never did get seasick, but was scared like never before during a storm. I cherish those memories now. PerspectiveWhat a grand shot. I hope there's a shot somewhere of this steamer so we can get a better idea of the design. Two neat touches: the tiny DANGER sign; today, you're talkin' temporary chain link, at least, and, the depth markings are Roman numerals; today they'd probably be Arabic. A new favourite shot. A biased Story"Funny how all these timbers are on a slant. I wonder what this chock is for? YIKES, the whole ship is sliding sideways! SOMEBODY STOP IT!" Old growth forestI'm amazed at the beam that forms the sloping rail of the slipway: 18-24 inches square and about 50 feet of unbroken length that I can see. Good luck finding a piece of lumber like that today. Detroit of DetroitA ferry so nice, they had to name it twice. Better Than... a Detroit steamer. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
The Detroit: 1905
The Detroit River circa 1905. "Transfer steamer Detroit. " 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Exceptional Ice Breaker ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:27pm -

The Detroit River circa 1905. "Transfer steamer Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Exceptional Ice Breaker Bulletin of the International Railway Congress Volume 19, 1905. Car-ferry steamer "Detroit": Michigan Central Railway A four-screw car-ferry steamer of exceptional size and power, designed to serve as an ice-breaker and maintain communication through the heaviest ice, has been built for the Detroit River service of the Michigan Central Railway (between Detroit, Mich., and Windsor, Ont.). The railway company has four car-ferry steamers, and all but the new one are propelled by side wheels. The distance across the river is half a mile, and the time allowed for crossing is ten to twelve minutes, including landing. The new steamer has been in service through the latter part of the winter, and in January performed successful work in contending with very heavy ice and ice jams. The Detroit is 308 feet long, 64 feet beam of hull, and 76 feet beam over the guards, with a molded depth of 19 ft. 6 in. and a displacement of 3,850 tons. Its average speed is 18 miles an hour. The draft is 10 feet light and 14 feet loaded. The engines and boilers are placed below the deck, from which rise four smokestacks. On each side is a deck house about 90 feet long, with accommodation for the officers and crew (34 in summer and 55 in winter), and for the American and Canadian customs officers, as well as special quarters for the superintendent and superintending engineer of the railway company's marine department. The top of each deck house forms a promenade deck. There are three tracks, the two outer tracks being spread so as to clear the smokestacks, and the vessel can carry 24 freight cars or 12 Pullman cars. The cars are secured to the tracks with clamps and chains. The vessel had rudders and screws at both ends, for use in manoeuvring, but it is not double-ended; one end is normally the bow and has a high steel bridge spanning the tracks and carrying the pilot house. At each side of the river the boat is run with its bow against a pier or slip having three tracks. There are four compound engines of the marine type, with cylinders 24 X 33 and 48 X 33 inches. The crank shafts arc 10 3/4 inches diameter, of the built-up type and with counterbalanced cranks. There are two twin vertical compound air pumps, and duplicate compound boiler-feed pumps. As the vessel may stay in the slip for several hours, and the hot-well supply is then cut off by the stoppage of the air pumps, a special feed system is used. Two of the air pumps discharge into the bottom of a large feed tank, from which the water is pumped into an open Cochrane heater connected to the suction pipes of the feed pumps. The tank pump and feed pumps are fitted with pressure governors, and the feed-water supply is controlled entirely by the feed valves at the boilers. When the feed pumps are stopped, the water rises in the heater and by means of a float closes a valve in the delivery pipe of the tank pump, which pump is then shut down by its governor. The exhaust steam from the engines of the pumps, dynamos, fans and steering gear is passed through a separator and thence to the feed-water heater. Two direct connected dynamos supply current for the lighting system, including a large searchlight. Steam is supplied by four Scotch boilers; they are built for 150 lb. pressure, but except when the vessel is working in the ice the working pressure is 100 lb. Forced draft on the closed ash pit system is provided in case of necessity. There are four oblong smokestacks rising 35 feet above the deck and surrounded to a height of 14 feet by casings which serve as ventilating trunks for the fire rooms. The bunkers carry 300 tons of coal and are supplied by hopper bottom cars standing on the outer tracks over deck openings 40 feet long. The steel hull is very heavily built, but the keel is straight from end to end instead of being curved upward as in most ice-breaking steamers. The vessel is therefore designed to cut and drive a way through the ice instead of riding upon it and breaking it by the weight of the vessel. In 1910, the Michigan Central Railway completed a tunnel under the Detroit River and no longer needed use of transfer ferries. The Detroit was sold to the Wabash Railroad in 1912 (along with two other ferries: Transfer and Transport). She served the Wabash line until the 1960s. The above photo appeared in a 1905 news article in the Bulletin of the International Railway Congress. It was one of two included figures. The other figure is shown below. Detroit dispositionThe most recent info I could find on the Detroit. It was converted to a barge around 1970. Prolific GLEWCarferry Detroit was built by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, in 1904. Converted from 3 tracks (24 cars) to 4 tracks (32 cars) in 1927. Reduced to car float at Detroit, summer 1969. -- Bowling Green State U. A Brief Trip to the SouthwestThis book has an account of a man traveling by train which was transported across the Detroit River From Canada to the US by the Transfer Ship Detroit in the late 1800s. Our trip in Canada terminates at Windsor Here we are confronted by the Detroit river about a mile in width which flows between Canada and the State of Michigan. To continue on our way we must pass this barrier This is successfully accomplished by means of an immense ferry boat Our lengthy train made up mostly of sleepers is broken into three sections placed on board of the boat and firmly secured Thus we are ferried over to the American shore The trip across this river is most interesting Steam and sailing craft plying in either direction are numerous while the shores on sides representing as they do the two foremost nations the world as well as the rippling sparkling water of the river charm and hold the eye with constant delight. From the ferry we are landed at Detroit Michigan. Pinch Points Old and NewWon't see any pinch point warning signs on the bow of this ferry. Nice pair of capstans to snug the ferry to the dock. Hope for the crew's sake they are steam powered and the holes for the capstan-bars at the top are for emergency backup purposes only. Tunnels under the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers now handle the rail traffic while the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan and the the Ambassador Bridge near downtown Detroit, Michigan handle the truck traffic. The steady increase in traffic flow at these border pinch points over the years, together with the wear and tear of decades of use has Michigan and Ontario governments scrambling to fund the billions it will cost to replace them. Real Example of ForeshorteningAt least I think that is the correct term, the head on shot makes it look much shorter than the side shot! The Detroit may still exist!After seeing this photo I remembered that I had seen something similar in a Bing aerial view -- sure enough, there it was. Its very reasonable to assume that the Detroit, with its very sturdy icebreaker hull, would have been converted from a steamer to a barge at some point in its life (probably right after WWII), and had additional track laid to carry more cars once the funnels were gone. The outline, size, and general arrangement, particularly the long deckhouses on each side, convinces me that this is the old Detroit. Bing aerials are usually 2 to 3 years behind, so I'm sure its gone by now. The location is in Ecorse, on the Detroit River, south of the city itself. Recent ViewHere is a recent view just off the Detroit River in Ecorse. It is still there, but not floating. Train ferry Detroit and its rare 2 pairs of propellersMost people comment about the large size of this ferry, its fortress, its resistance to the ice, its operative life for nearly 60 years, but nobody use to comment that this train ferry was one of the few (or maybe the only one) to have a double pair of propellers to navigate. It is rare and their function would surely be to facilitate the "go and return" with the trains, avoiding the need to make the turn to direct the bow to the destination pier and then to turn the ferry again to put the bow back toward the first dock. All with the trains over the deck. Of course, it is a rare mechanism, that of having two quiet propellers in the bow which would mean to have a small brake and resistance to the free slip of the ferry over the water. And in addition, also to have a double rudder system, one at each end. What a problem should have been driving this ship, my God!! I can´t upload a picture because it was not taken by me, (and this is not allowed in this site) but I may send pictures to the person who is interested on this point. OLIVERIO // oliverio.1@g.m.a.i.l.com (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Detroit Electric: 1921
1921 or 1922. "Detroit Electric car at the State, War and Navy building in Washington." View ... was wondering what type of performance the owner of a 1921 Detroit Electric car could expect. Detroit Electric Car I understand that someone has bought the rights to make ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/31/2012 - 8:18pm -

1921 or 1922. "Detroit Electric car at the State, War and Navy building in Washington." View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Ghost and the MachineAll that's left is a well turned ankle and shoe. Some poor woman wandered into the shot on the left, stopped for a second, and most likely turned around and left. ReflectionI love how you can see the old brick gutter reflected in the side of the car. It's too bad the photographer wasn't caught too. Viable option?Finally found that "well turned ankle and shoe", anyway now that gas is nearing the $3.50 a gallon mark, electric cars are starting to sound better. I was wondering what type of performance the owner of a 1921 Detroit Electric car could expect. Detroit Electric CarI understand that someone has bought the rights to make the Detroit Electric Car again. They will be making some that look like this one and then there are others that are designed for right now. I tawt I taw a ...I can't look at this without thinking of Tweety, Sylvester, and that little old lady... Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Detroit ElectricLooks like I'll be trading in my Beetle: "After 100 Years, Electric Brand Revived" http://www.nbc26.com/news/business/15404341.html Electric CarThis is a Milburn 27L. Kinda nervousThanks Dave, kinda nervous about going near the White House nowadays. Might be why I missed it. [When I worked downtown I'd drive by this building every day. - Dave] The building in the backgroundLiving in the District as I do I often go searching for a "modern" view of the buildings shown on here. I cannot find this building however. Can anyone tell me where it is or what became of it if it is no longer standing? Did it become part of the LOC? [Did you try Googling the name in the caption? State, War and Navy Building. This D.C. landmark at 17th and Pennsylvania next to the White House is now called the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Formerly Old Executive Office Building, and before that the State, War and Navy Building. - Dave] Not todayDave, Automobile traffic is expressly forbidden on that whole section of Penn. Nowadays the biggest thing you could drive through there is a skateboard... [Yes, today. It's the humongous building on 17th Street across from the Corcoran Gallery. Hard to miss. - Dave] Now post...a picture of Pennsylvania avenue in front and beside the white house - where you said the building was, "right beside the White House" - showing the barricades preventing automobile traffic. [It is next to the White House. But I never said anything about driving on Pennsylvania Avenue. - Dave] Nice linesI like the upsweep at the back of the car between the body and the windows. I don't think I've ever seen a sweeping line like that on an old car before. I Won't See Your Detroit Electric but I'll Raise You a MilburnThis is a 1918 - 1921 Milburn Model L Brougham. Can we please update the title now? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Bank Shot: 1910
Detroit circa 1910. "People's State Bank, Fort and Shelby Streets." Designed by ... Mead & White. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bank Saving Originally ... of The Architectural Review called this building the Detroit State Savings Bank. I don't know what the interior looks like now, but ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2024 - 12:08pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "People's State Bank, Fort and Shelby Streets." Designed by McKim, Mead & White. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bank SavingOriginally the State Savings Bank, the building was almost torn down for parking by a Toronto developer in 2012. For once, the city denied the request. Still thereI've been in the building a few times. Bedrock uses it as an event center. It's mostly just empty space inside except for the vault. Women's Commercial DeptThe March 1905 edition of The Architectural Review called this building the Detroit State Savings Bank. I don't know what the interior looks like now, but it was beautiful then, even with spittoons. Here's the floorplan. To the right, as you enter, is the board room and president's office. And, to the left, with its own tellers, bathroom, fireplace, and vase of flowers, is the Women's Commercial Dept. Interesting to know a demand created the need for this. Street lifeLove the street life in the old photo. Looking at today's photo everyone is in their car, not a pedestrian in sight! More better viewsAre here. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Dentist Dentist: 1927
Detroit circa 1927. "Dr. Higgins, exterior bldg." At the corner of Warren ... and Manor Street. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Drugs and Hookahs The building survives! That's not always a given in Detroit - the population dropped from a high of 1.8 million to about 700K ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2024 - 8:36am -

Detroit circa 1927. "Dr. Higgins, exterior bldg." At the corner of Warren Avenue and Manor Street. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Drugs and HookahsThe building survives! That's not always a given in Detroit - the population dropped from a high of 1.8 million to about 700K today, so the city has a much smaller need for buildings. The original drugstore has evolved to a hookah supply shop today. Looking at the Street View history just since 2009, it was also a grocery store and a dollar store. The original building also had a beer supply store, for all the home brewers during Prohibition. Finally, I see the building to the right which appears to be under construction also survived. High WireThat's a LOT of electrical wires hanging up there! Looks dangerous to my modern eyes. [Streetcar catenaries and their web of supports. - Dave] Hops ShopThe Malt & Hops Supplies store is vacant and for lease. Was this a store for commercial brewers before Prohibition? A thinly veiled resource for the do-it-yourself home alcohol maker? [There were hundreds if not thousands of these stores during Prohibition, serving those thirsty souls wanting to make (near) beer at home. No veils required. - Dave] The doctor will see you nowEnter Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. Open wideWhen I was a young boy in the early ‘60s my family went to an old dentist who was close to retirement, so he didn’t have the latest and greatest equipment. The drill was operated by a foot pedal. The old guy had arthritis in his knee from pumping the pedal all those years. I still remember the belts and pulleys rotating. His knee would lock up and right in the middle of drilling a cavity, the drill would slow down and speed up. I didn’t go to the dentist again until I got married. My wife’s dentist advertised he was good with children so I went. Had 14 cavities. Now I go every 4 months because if you aren’t true to your teeth, they will be false to you. Just came home from a dentist appointmentVery up to date modern equipment, high speed drills, X-rays, well staffed. The days of drill 'em fill 'em and pull 'em are over thank you Good Lord. So many good names!There is a plethora of possible titles for this post. Van Loon and Creedon? Arctic Ice Cream? United Cigars? Permanent Marcel Wave? The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., Saks Dept Store and so on. Dentist Dentist is fine. Save a PennyMy grandfather owned a similar drugstore back then and I recognize some of the signs and products in the window. It also had a corner entrance with a scale. He showed me how to stand on it and weigh myself, then another person could trade places, but if you didn't do it just right it would click closed. 48 yearsThis picture was taken 48 years from the year I was born and its now been 48 years since I was born in late 1975. Was there more of a change from 1927 to 1975 or 1975 to 2024? (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
The Train Shed: 1911
... Railway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Twins reunited, and a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:42pm -

Chicago circa 1911. "Train sheds, Chicago & North Western Railway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Twins reunited, and a challenge!I took the liberty of joining the two views we have of this exquisite train shed. Alas, the geometry suffers in my feeble attempt. However, a great deal of information about the soul of the space is nicely recovered, if I do say so myself. I know there are better panorama stitchers than I on this forum, and I challenge you to attempt a stitch worthy of a full sized post! Warning...this is a very tough stitch! The scales of the 2 photographs are different, and there is precious little overlap from which to establish the lens parameters. I suspect the original lens was 210mm on an 8x10 camera. The above is Photomerge's best shot, which required resizing the right side to 3080 pixels high. It simply defaults on correcting the geometry at the top, but in so doing does retain more details there than a normally stitched panorama. Here's the righthand photo, which is a little smaller than the left, above. So nice and cleanThe station is amazingly clean in appearance, but it looks like they have some peeling paint problems or corroding iron. Absolutely,Stunningly gorgeous photograph. That is all. Train Now LeavingTrain now leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim ... Azusa ... and CUC-amonga! Next stop, EternityNow departing on Track 1, The Train to Forever! Somebody cue the Twilight Zone music, thanks. Just follow the light at the end of the tunnel. What a gorgeous image! Where was this?I would love to know where in Chicago this was and what became of it. Do tell, Shorpy Nation. [The former North Western Terminal, renamed Ogilvie Transportation Center, is at 500 West Madison Street. - Dave] No Smoking!Centered above each track is an opening in the shed roof running the lenghth of the building. From here, exhaust smoke from the locomotive passes directly outdoors, making the platform area livable. Idea applies to today's diesels too. ExpectingThe Silver Streak on Track 2 in 5 minutes. RUN! Still aroundUnion Pacific trains now depart from here to Chicago's west, northwest and northern suburbs. Minus the trains, it looks pretty much the same, right down to the trainmen's uniforms. Not Gone NowGone Now's information is erroneous. That train shed has not been demolished. I exited a Union Pacific train into this exact shed this morning, as did 10's of thousands of others. C&NW RyWow. If I were to see this scene in a movie, I would be complaining that it looked like the typical backlot street scene - pretty, but too clean to be believable, not 'lived-in' enough. And in Chicago, no less! North-Western TerminalThe tracks and sheds may still be there, but the beautiful waiting room ("Head House" building) was demolished in the late 1970s/early 80s to make way for something new. It had a beautiful green/yellow marble interior. There was a valiant effort to preserve it, a la Grand Central, but alas, to no avail. Gone nowOther than the equipment, the CNW shed looked pretty much the same through the late 1970s when I first began commuting to downtown Chicago. It has since been demolished and replaced, just like the old CNW terminal. The new shed now deposits you into the Citibank Center building. Thank goodness Union Station is still in use! I love the look and feel of an old-timey big city train depot. What are these?I see more down the track so I assume they are above the other tracks as well. [It's electrical power for the train cars after they've been disconnected from the locomotive. See this thread. - Dave] Job SecurityParty scene from the 1911 version of The Graduate: "I want to say one word to you Ben -- rivets!" Yes it is GoneThe train shed has been completely rebuilt, as have the platforms and tracks. The actual "building" of the train shed remains, like the exterior walls and the overall structure below, but all the concrete and steel has been replaced at this level. What's there now is a much more angular canopy structure, without the curving beams. Unfortunately, because the Metra commuter trains that operate into this station back in, there's no need for the smoke shafts to extend very close to the head house, so it's quite a bit darker now. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41278935 Great detailsThese old photos amaze me with details you can see. Nice shine on that conductors shoes! All GoneNothing in this image exists today. In the early 1980s, the North Western Station head house was demolished, to be replaced with Citicorp Center. In the mid 1980s, the train shed and the trusses supporting the tracks were removed, replaced with completely new structures. Only the outer walls were repaired. Metra wanted to replace them to look like Citicorp Center but balked at the extra expense. Obviously the current train shed looks nothing like the one from the 1911 station. Those concrete lined openings in the roof above the tracks to allow smoke from steam locomotives to exhaust was a unique feature of this shed, but for the last couple of decades of its life, the concrete was badly cracked and deteriorated and chunks fell off regularly. Inside, Outside It was a wonderful time to ride the trainI used to use this terminal every day as a young adult since I rode the train into the C&NW terminal Monday through Friday. It does exist on film since they used it for the last minutes of the movie "Silver Streak." That is that train yard they are "rushing into". I think they used parts of it for the last scenes, too. Anyway, best times I ever had going to work was when I rode that train. Great pictures. Another image stitchingI resized the smaller image so that objects in the overlap were roughly the same size, then stitched the two in PTGui Pro 9.1.2. It did a little better in the area near the ceiling, although the lens parameters created some pincushion distortion near the center of each image. A little bit of Spherize distort in Photoshop cleared most of that up. Really enjoy these panoramas from back in the day. I stitch 360x180 images in the modern day. Still there ...I came in on track #2 this morning. I started riding August 11, 1979. The train shed still looked like the image back then. It was completely rebuilt in the 1980s. I remember during the remodeling process, they had disconnected the electrical from the train shed. The CNW backed a freight engine into the train shed and ran some train shed power off the locomotive for a couple of weeks while they pulled the new wiring. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Busyness District: 1907
Detroit circa 1907. "A glimpse of Woodward Avenue from City Hall ." A slice ... by the Majestic Building and Michigan Avenue at left, and Detroit Opera House on the right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Say what?? Campus ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/16/2024 - 7:01pm -

Detroit circa 1907. "A glimpse of Woodward Avenue from City Hall." A slice of the Campus Martius bracketed by the Majestic Building and Michigan Avenue at left, and Detroit Opera House on the right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Say what??Campus Martius? Opera House? The Majestic?? Am I the only person who can't see any of this? There's a tiny patch of lawn on the far right ... is that the park? Where's Waldo??? Hudson’s Big StoreOne day, a visit there completely and permanently changed my life for the better. I never knew JL Hudson’s flagship downtown Detroit department store was ever called “Hudson’s Big Store”. There she sits in the center background. Spent many childhood days there. It was its own town, almost completely self-contained/sustained. Everything anyone needed, goods or services. That place remained quite robust for decades. I met the missus there when she was one of the last four Hudson’s employees in that massive building, late 1983. By then it was way spooky there, but still very cool. While sorry to see the building go, I am quite happy to still be with Hudson’s ex-fledgling Assistant Buyer for Children’s Wear who once again is busy buying children’s wear -- just not for a living. Recent viewHere's the best shot I could get from Street View. Campus Martius is to the right - if you swivel over you can see the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a frequent Shorpy guest. The greenish building on the far left was built on the site of city hall. The black buildings are where the Majestic Building stood, and the beige and green building is where the Opera House was. The building rising in the background is the new, recently-named Hudson Building, on the same footprint as the old Hudson's. The 100% CornerAs in, every building in this picture has gone to building heaven (or perhaps Hell, for those not fond of Victorian bric-a-brac). That's not really surprising, of course -- it is well over a century ago, after all -- but what may surprise is how long they've been gone: Kern's replaced its building just a few years after this picture, while the Hudson's structure was replaced in the late '20s. Woodward Drag-a-Way I seem to recall that at some point about 50 years later Woodward Avenue would become a notorious dragstrip. Subway construction?I can't think of what else this particular activity would be -- it seems as if there's a rectangular hole being dug in the street here, but the corresponding shot in the google earth photo shows only a surface light-rail track. [Is there a Detroit Subway? Let's do some exploratory digging, and try not to hit that water main! - Dave] No Detroit subway, alasDetroit does not have a subway, despite multiple attempts. Motown just couldn't give up its love of the auto, perhaps, or the streetcars and interurban were sufficient until commuting by car became feasible. The earliest proposal for a subway I could find was a feasibility study in 1915, That's well after this photo, so whatever they're digging for, it's not a subway. Darn. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Detroit River: 1900
Circa 1900. "Car ferry 'Transport' entering slip, Detroit River." Railcar steamer on an icy, windy day. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Brrr. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 3:18pm -

Circa 1900. "Car ferry 'Transport' entering slip, Detroit River." Railcar steamer on an icy, windy day. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Brrr.Great Photo! Truly captures the feel of winter yet to come. I have to have a cup of cocoa after looking at it! Re:Brrr.My sentiments exactly. It's a great photo of something I hate (Winter). Two thoughts:1. You mean this isn't a Delano? 2. Does this remind anyone else of Dali's "Soft Construction with Baked Beans (Premonition of Civil War)"? WowThis photo is incredible. Very aliveThis photo is very dynamic and alive. Love it. Ferry 'cross the DetroitThe Grand Trunk was still running railroad ferries that looked a whole lot like this, if not this one, across the Detroit River until 1975. I rode on one of these once when I was a kid, because I had an uncle who worked for the line. It was old, loud, shook like hell, and since it was November, was good and cold. Greetings from DetroitYou can almost feel the arctic air and the sting of icy droplets on your face as the wind blows across the water. Definitely not a pix that would be used by the local chamber of commerce. Rib freezing coldFrom 1953 to 1970 I lived on Grosse Ile. In winter the chill from the river would go right through your clothes to your ribs. Yes, there is a reason millions of people live in Southern California. Eek! I'm freezing!Amazing how this photo evokes chills in my bones! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
City of Detroit: 1912
Circa 1912. "Steamer City of Detroit III , pilot house and bridge." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Beholder's Eye ... the starboard stern. The brand spanking new City of Detroit III This was a larger sister ship to the City of Cleveland, pictured ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:24pm -

Circa 1912. "Steamer City of Detroit III, pilot house and bridge." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Beholder's EyeI find the way they stow the fire-hose interesting. But I am really interested in the sailing rig off the starboard stern. The brand spanking new City of Detroit IIIThis was a larger sister ship to the City of Cleveland, pictured here a couple of days ago. The City of Detroit III was also a side-wheeler and sailed passenger trips and excursions on the Great Lakes for nearly 50 years. This picture of the ship was taken when it was brand new. In fact, the Detroit Shipbuilding Company that built it can be glimpsed on the right. Although the ship itself was scrapped in the 1950s, the beautiful wood paneled and stained glass windowed Gothic Room from this ship can still be seen at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit. My grandparents may have sailed on this ship (or the City of Cleveland) on their honeymoon cruise from Detroit to Cleveland in 1922. Shipshape and Bristol styleVery nice vessel. It took a lot of work to keep that much white painted woodwork clean and scuff-less. I'll bet the brasswork gleamed too. I believe the sailing ship in the background is a gaff-rigged topsail schooner. Also on shoreI have seen similar fire hose stowing on shore on Navy sites. Tradition is big in the Navy, aided by a philosophy of enough coats of paint will keep anything from collapsing. The ignored sense As to the fire hose, the pin hanger accordion hose box had yet to be invented, they laid hose just like sailors faked rope, so it wouldn't tangle whilst unspooling. The greatest disappointment I have is in being unable to convey the aroma of these vessels. Modern steel and polymers have nothing on the early use of wood, canvas and grease paint. Even the cushions were filled with horse-hair, redolent with the aroma of it's source. My great-uncle owned and operated a tug in NY harbor, Ole was a taciturn Swede, but his ship was a wonder of sights and smells to an eight year old landlubber. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Huge: 1943
April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. A huge pipe section loaded on a flatcar." 4x5 inch ... on the next car beyond. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2024 - 12:37pm -

April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. A huge pipe section loaded on a flatcar." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. Plus our old friend the gasometerAs seen previously on Shorpy - Gasometers Standing GuardThe soldier seems fascinated by the man doing something to the rails. I wonder what branch of the Army the soldier is? And why is he standing guard? Don't try anything funny with that torch!Under the watchful eye of the soldier on the left. This scene is at the 'RIP' track (Repair In Place) so perhaps some of the blocking or load tie downs needed attention on the precious cargo on the flat car. Since the load is longer than the car it is mounted to an 'idler' car is needed at the far end which also provided added space for additional lading. Flatcar loadPipe, schmipe, I want to know what the load on the following flatcar is. Looks like the backbone of a giant monster- perhaps a new secret weapon that explains the soldier and his rifle off to the left. It's a column, not a pipeIt looks like a distillation column. The flared section at the near end of the flatcar is the skirt that will support the column when vertically installed on its pad. You can see a series of flanged necks on the sides of the straight sections that either correspond to internal plates in the column when components of the feed mixture are removed or where feedstocks are added for refining. Saturn V section?And the state of the art 1940s refrigeration. The ice car's right behind the booster ... "Pipe, Schmipe", IndeedI concur "hugely" with OVBuckeye that we see a brand-new distillation column on its way to who-knows-where -- any of a number of Great Lakes region petroleum refineries would be my guess. I've worked in the fine chemical industry for decades and I know a distillation column when I see one. In fact, I think there are some smaller diameter columns on the next car beyond. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads)
Sideways: 1943
April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. A section of a boiler on a flatcar." Our third and final ... The two flats were owned by small railroads, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton and the Florida East Coast. In the background we ... on the ferry bridge. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2024 - 12:21pm -

April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. A section of a boiler on a flatcar." Our third and final look. 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur S. Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. Under pressureYou can clearly see the spring compression on the loaded flatcar compared to the not so loaded car. This is a simple way to tell if a train car is heavily loaded or not. Pier side observationsThe two flats were owned by small railroads, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton and the Florida East Coast. In the background we see another flatcar set up as a spacer car to keep the locomotive from putting any weight on the ferry bridge. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads)
The Shape of Things to Come: 1912
August 31, 1912. "Dime Savings Bank and Detroit City Hall." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What a Contrast between ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 10:05pm -

August 31, 1912. "Dime Savings Bank and Detroit City Hall." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What a Contrastbetween old and new! The Second Empire style city hall building was completed in 1871 and demolished in 1961. A palm tree in DetroitI doubt landscape architects or workers would put palm trees these days outside public buildings in such northern latitudes. [But they do. Then as now, it's in a a big planter. - Dave] Tropical DetroitCity Hall front lawn corner. Are those palms and yucca plants I see? Peeping TomSo what is the guy on the first window ledge doing? I love the untold stories in these snapshots of a time long lost. Tombstone Folks in TownDon't make a misstep on the girders -- but if you do, the National Retail Monument Dealers Association is in town. Yucca, YuccaBelieve it or not, here in Ottawa, many people grow yucca. It is hardy enough to withstand an Ottawa winter. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Miss Amphibious: 1943
April 1943. "Detroit. Transportation of U.S. Army equipment. Amphibian jeeps waiting to be ... (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, Pretty Girls, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2024 - 4:34pm -

April 1943. "Detroit. Transportation of U.S. Army equipment. Amphibian jeeps waiting to be loaded on trucks." Photo by Arthur Siegel, Office of War Information. View full size. She’s got a Lauren Hutton smileAnd she can float my boat anytime. Retrofitted WillysIn high school, I worked for a lady who had a Willys Jeep like this one: It had a sealed engine that could be retrofitted with a snorkel. Other features included windshield wipers that worked by a passenger swinging a lever back and forth, and a super-low gear that could make the Willys climb at a very steep angle. (I always hoped to buy the Willys from her, but she sold it before I got my driver's license.) I grew up in the Toledo area, and we passed the Willys Overland Administration Building! many times before it was imploded in 1979. Ford GPAIt's a Ford GPA. Was too slow and heavy on land and wasn't great in lakes or ponds. In moving water it was very poor. Too slow on water as well and sat too low. Some friends of mine have five military Jeeps, two or three of them made by Ford. One odd thing about them is that most of the bolt head have the Ford script raised on them. When they show it, they're amused by how many people walk to the back to see if it has a propeller. They always joke that they should charge a quarter each to go back and look. I'd tell you if it does or not, but you're going to have to look if you see one at a show. Pardon my ignorance,but I had no idea that the US had an amphibious Jeep! The most famous "seep" of WW2 is the German "Schwimmwagen", but this looks like a much better vehicle! Half-SafeIn 1951, Ben and Elinore Carlin set off on their wedding journey, circumnavigation of the globe in a surplus Ford GPA amphibious jeep he named the Half-Safe. George completed the journey in 1958, but the marriage was finished three years earlier. "Ducks in a Row"Alternate title, even if a bit inaccurate. More about amphibious vehicles ...As always, Wikipedia has more -- because that is what they do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GPA Also ... The Amphibious jeep story http://www.m201.com/GPA.htm (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, Pretty Girls, WW2)
Passenger Portal: 1911
... Western Railway." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 500 West Madison Street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2024 - 4:13pm -

Chicago circa 1911. "Passenger terminal, Madison Street entrance, Chicago & North Western Railway." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 500 West Madison StreetThis terminal occupied the north side of West Madison, between Canal and Clinton, until 1984, when it was razed and replaced by the 42-story Citicorp Center (now Accenture Tower). But the station survives as the Ogilvie Transportation Center. The terminal was new when this 1911 photo was taken. It was designed by the Chicago firm of Frost and Granger, both talented architects who designed multiple stations for their mutual father-in-law, the president of the very successful Chicago & North Western Railway. Knowing TimeMy grandfather always said that the only person that can tell the correct time is the person with only one timepiece. Railroad Time(s)Is it 1:50 or 1:51? Combine Norma Desmond with Ingrid Bergmanand you'll get a gaslight that's ready for its closeup. Tho by no means a novelty in this time period - the last gas street lamps in Chicago weren't extinguished until 1954 (!!) - they were nonetheless becoming unusual. But how many looked like this? With an elaborate - and seemingly unnecessary - hood. Or maybe it's something else entirely: can anyone ... uhm ... shed a little light on the matter? [That's a carbon arc (electric) streetlight, not gas. - Dave] I'll buy that - joke ruining as it may be - but what a weird and fussy design! The last one to be outed here on Shorpy looked quite different. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Mass. Transit: 1912
... ways to get from here to there. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not much has changed The ... anywhere nearby. It reminds me of seeing I-75 south of Detroit being built at the end of my street in the mid 1960's where there was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2024 - 12:23pm -

Boston circa 1912. "East Cambridge Bridge." A visual compendium of ways to get from here to there. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not much has changedThe trolley track viaduct is still there. The building on the left with the tower still exists. It overlooks the Charles River dam. It still has a drawbridge over the connection lock between the river and Boston Harbor. Farther up on the left past the tower is now the location of the Boston Museum of Science. Beauty lost to timeView Larger Map Sensational!Remarkably, much of what is depicted in this photograph, which looks from Boston back across the Charles River to Cambridge, remains in place. Most prominently, the poured concrete viaduct for the trolley (today, referred to as the Green Line) running along the right side of the photo, is still there. I have often looked at the "1910" date engraved on the arched pediment above the column at the far right, and wondered what this part of town must have looked like when this structure was new. There is currently a drawbridge in the location where the police officer is standing in the middle of the road, in order to let sail boats get through from the Charles River (to the left) out to the Boston Harbor (to the right). The drawbridge is currently being rebuilt, and this section of road is actually closed for traffic for the next several weeks. The buildings on the left are still there as well. The tower is used (I believe) to control the drawbridge, and the lower building serves as a State Police station. A few weeks ago, a car was passing underneath the archway at the far right of the photograph, and a large chunk of concrete fell from above and shattered the driver's rear windshield. The whole structure still has a wonderful look to it, but it does need some attention. Bridge over the River CharlesI was surprised to see that the arches of this bridge were originally much narrower than they are today. (Although you can see the 1910 date has been retained.) Trolleys still run on that bridge, although it's now the only section left of a much longer elevated track that was mostly put underground during the Big Dig. There is also a drawbridge on the roadway now for boats to pass through, although it very rarely goes up these days -- mostly only on the Fourth of July when yachts come in from the harbor to watch the fireworks. The building on the left is now a State Police outpost (perhaps it was then, too.) The Museum of Science now occupies the open space behind it. Five out of sevenpossible methods of transportation shown here. Steam powered rail, electric trolley, horse-drawn vehicles, motorized vehicles, and walking! Surprisingly, I couldn't spot anyone on a bicycle, nor could I see any boats in the water. [Let us not forget the aeroplane. - Dave] "New" HistoryHow cool it must have been to witness a construction project of this scope knowing that there probably isn't another of its type anywhere nearby. It reminds me of seeing I-75 south of Detroit being built at the end of my street in the mid 1960's where there was never a freeway before. 101 years and still on the moveThe location is in Boston, at the old Charles River Dam, which is visible as an earth rampart at the left, behind the tower with the weathervane. The trolley viaduct is in current use as part of the MBTA Green Line service. At the viaduct's end, you can see the still-existing ramp down across the roadway to Lechmere station. In the roadway below, currently known as Monsignor O'Brien Highway and Route 28, it looks like they haven't yet installed the Craigie Drawbridge (though they've installed the traffic control gates for the streetcar, the sidewalks look like they're still solid instead of part of a drawbridge). Also interesting is the high drawbridge built into the trolley viaduct, to accommodate sailboats entering the Charles River. The Metropolitan District Commission building on the left (which now houses state police) has the control tower with the weathervane on top. The viaduct drawbridge is no longer operational (but the ironwork is still there), and the one in the roadway is being rebuilt right now, in a project running November 2010 through April 2011. The two buildings at the left edge of the photo, just in front of Wellington-Wildwood Coal, are an MDC stable and boathouse. The stable is now used for work trucks by the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, which is the renamed MDC, and the boathouse at far left is empty and deteriorating. The view of these buildings would now be blocked by the Museum of Science and its garage. Behind the coal company building and a little to the right is the square tower (with peaked roof) of the Clerk of Courts building in Cambridge, with the main courthouse next door not visible. Everything to the right of the viaduct is gone and changed, though there's still a major railroad crossing there for traffic to North Station. The polesThe trolley viaduct opened in June 1912. The draw in the Cragie bridge is there, it is just hard to see. Those poles in the middle of the road are to lift the trolley wire when the bridge opens, and to realign it when span closes. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Hotel Ste. Claire: 1906
Detroit circa 1906. " Hotel Ste. Claire , Randolph and Monroe streets." ... Buffalo Wild Wings in the U.S. We lost a lot of downtown Detroit character when in the 1950s a program was enacted to remove cornices and "gingerbread" in the name of modernization. Detroit Electric "Looks like an interurban car preceding the other 2." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2016 - 9:30am -

Detroit circa 1906. "Hotel Ste. Claire, Randolph and Monroe streets." Completed 1893, razed in the 1930s. Note signs advertising CHOP SUEY and CHOP SOY. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size. Going Round the Bend!Looks like an interurban car preceding the other 2. A Bit Changed TodayWhile the hotel is gone a few others down the block are still there. The building next to it has been modified and is now (well, as of opening in 2012) the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the U.S. We lost a lot of downtown Detroit character when in the 1950s a program was enacted to remove cornices and "gingerbread" in the name of modernization. Detroit Electric "Looks like an interurban car preceding the other 2." Most likely a Detroit Electric interurban. They operated a 600 mile system centered in Detroit. Went as far north as Flint and Port Huron and south to Toledo, Ohio Beal BuildingThe 8 story structure to the left is the Beal Building. Permitted in 1905 costing 120,000 to build,it was nearly new in this picture.The masonry outer column window treatment looks overwrought in the photo but better in other light conditions. It must cost a fortune to HVAC the place. Clarification for Detroit Tony Must interject that the Victorian cornices and gingerbread on Detroit's downtown buildings were largely removed in the late fifties/eary sixties, due to the fact that they were falling off and beaning passers-by. I seem to recall at least one fatality. Whatever, Detroit's freezing and thawing winter weather boded ill for the fancy stonework up above. Goodbye Detroit!My great-grandparents left Detroit in the winter of 1906 for Santa Barbara, Calif., because my great-grandmother suffered from TB and couldn't take the harsh winters. It's not difficult to imagine that they are in this neighborhood somewhere doing some final errands before their departure. My great-grandmother died that year at the age of 28. My great-grandfather returned to Detroit only once over the next 40 years. He just had no use for the city. HopeWhoever had to run the flags out on those topmost flagpoles got extra hazard pay. They look impossible to reach. Henry the HatterThe store offering men's hats and caps, in the extreme lower left of the picture, may be the current location of Detroit's oldest hat store, Henry the Hatter. They started in 1893, the same year the Ste. Clair opened. At the time of the picture, though, they were still several blocks (and several moves) away from opening in this location - makes me wonder if it was always a hat store. Chop SoyPresumably, the vegan version of chop suey? And in the distanceYou can see the straight, proud spire of St Josephat Catholic church which was opened in 1901. Only now it's sometime known as St Bananaphat due to high winds a few years ago nearly taking the spire down. After a large money raising effort to save this landmark for many travelling down I-75, it is standing proud again, but not *quite* as straight. At certain points when travelling toward Detroit, the tall spire and two minor ones line up perferctly with the RenCen(GM headquarters) giving one a kind of "now and then" feeling. Chop Suey signsI also notice Finster, Zanger, Kratz and Mittenthal. Flag PolesWhy does the hotel have 4 flagpoles near the top? is that to display banners? (Panoramas, Detroit Photos, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Stores & Markets)
The New Raleigh: 1912
... Raleigh Hotel. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. On this site In 1865, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2024 - 4:13pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1912. "The New Raleigh." The recently completed Raleigh Hotel at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street N.W., built on the site of the previous Raleigh Hotel. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. On this siteIn 1865, 12th & Pennsylvania NW saw historic events that might have been even more historic. On April 14, Vice President Andrew Johnson was asleep in the Kirkwood House hotel on this site when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated three and a half blocks away. The next morning, Johnson was sworn in as President on the third floor of the Kirkwood House. In fact, John Wilkes Booth's plot included killing Johnson, but George Atzerodt, the designated assassin, after hanging around the hotel most of the day went to a nearby bar and got drunk. Had Johnson been killed that night, a constitutional crisis would have ensued. Under a 1792 law, Lafayette Sabine Foster, president pro tempore of the Senate, would have been "acting President" until a special election could be organized. There were few if any guidelines for any of that. AwningsThey’re gorgeous and I miss them, but I can’t figure out why some windows have them and others don’t. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC)
From Above: 1943
April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. Freight cars in railyard seen from above." 4x5 inch acetate ... column, perhaps? (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2024 - 2:31pm -

April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. Freight cars in railyard seen from above." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. What's that long cyiinder? A refinery distillation column, perhaps? (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads)
Southern Exposure: 1908
... looking south." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. (The Gallery, DPC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2024 - 12:53am -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1908. "Bull Street and the Chatham Academy, looking south." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. (The Gallery, DPC, Education, Schools, Savannah)
Philadelphia: 1909
... two young friends center stage. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Architectural Beauty I am ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2024 - 3:06pm -

Philadelphia circa 1909. "Broad Street north from Walnut." With City Hall, William Penn and two young friends center stage. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Architectural BeautyI am always amazed at these turn of the century photos. Unlike most of our buildings constructed today, these were done with lovely details and much architectural interest. I become very sad to learn that most of these are gone or on their way to the scrapheap. It must have been wonderful to walk the streets back then to take in the beauty of these grand buildings. Seems as we progress, the further away we stray from the details that were pretty commonplace then. Just an old soul here wanting to go back to that era for a visit. And thanks timeandagainphoto for your pic. Its so nice to see most of the buildings still stand! +97Below is (almost) the same view from July of 2006. Tallest buildingFrom 1901 to 1908, Philadelphia's City Hall was the tallest inhabitable building in the world and until the 1980's it was still the tallest building in the city. Thanks for the photo Dave! TrafficThis brings to mind a recent viewing of the 3rd episode of "Downton Abbey": "Why would you want to go there? - the traffic is terrible - when I last was there there were 5 cars parked and two or three drove past in the same day" -- 100 years laterI unwittingly took this photo again in 2009 when visiting this beautiful city. The trees seem to have grown a little bit! +104Below is the same view from October of 2013 (from the proper perspective unlike my initial comment, +97, further down). (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
Boston Public: 1912
... Cemetery at right. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Width of The Passing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2024 - 12:57pm -

Boston circa 1912. "Public Library, Copley Square." Completed in MDCCCLXXXVIII -- which, in Roman numerals, requires more characters to write (13) than any other year to date. Also of note: The R.P.O. (Railway Post Office) at left, and streetcar to Holyhood Cemetery at right. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Width of The Passing YearsCould have narrowed the building by 10 feet if it wasn't for the Roman numerals ... [C%! - Dave] I visited during the building's sad yearsIn Boston on a business trip in the 1990s, I had one hour to play tourist before catching a flight. The library looked like a good bet for a quick look. The active library was in the modern 1970s wing. The 19th century building was rather disused. Wandering through a narrow doorway, I arrived in a storage room crammed with file cabinets and, astonishingly, murals by John Singer Sargent. The library's web site shows the old structure has been restored and the murals are no longer neglected and forlorn. Boston Public Library - McKim Building Points of Interest The Rest is HistoryComedian Fred Allen got a job as a book runner at the library as a youth. A patron would go to the desk to request a book, a slip of paper would be sent upstairs and the runner would fetch the book and send it down. This gave Allen time for reading where he found a books on juggling and the history of humor. And the rest, as they say -- Completed in 1888... for the Roman-numeral-challenged among us. Actually *began* in 1888... and completed in 1895 (MDCCCXCV), according to the McKim Building Points of Interest page cited by JeffK. Love this photograph.Ornate streetlamp and lightning rods. Not much better than those. That inscription ...looks like it extends all around the building. And are those authors' names under each window? The stone carvers must have had good, steady income for a long time! InscriptionIt’s possible to read the beginning of the inscription under the cornice on the side facing the streetcar (not under the windows), and Google provides the whole message: ""The Commonwealth Requires the Education of the People as the Safeguard of Order and Liberty." Beautifully kept and expanded.In case you're thinking of visiting Boston, here is an image of the BPL today. You can visit through the modern expanded building which includes a live studio for a popular radio show on the local NPR affiliate. A curious history fan can spend days in the map collection room alone! You can also see some images of the interior of the McKim Building (the Shorpy image). The correct link to the BPL page is now below. Yes, this is one of the gems in Boston! https://www.bpl.org/mckim-points-of-interest/ Beautifully kept and expanded.In case you're thinking of visiting Boston, here is an image of the BPL today. You can visit through the modern expanded building which includes a live studio for a popular radio show on the local NPR affiliate. A curious history fan can spend days in the map collection room alone! You can also see some images of the interior of the McKim Building (the Shorpy image). The correct link to the BPL page is now below. Yes, this is one of the gems in Boston! https://www.bpl.org/mckim-points-of-interest/ Modeled on the Bibliotheque Sainte-GenevieveMcKim, Mead and White used the famous Ste-Genevieve Library (built 1843-1850) in Paris as the model for their design. This Parisian library, designed by the great architect Henri Labrouste, has the same arrangement of windows and inscribed panels on the upper floor of the front facade that we see here. Labrouste famously included a list of over 800 authors under the big arched windows, forming what was subsequently called a "monumental card catalogue." This example was then adopted by the designers of art museums and concert halls who carved the names of artists and composers on their front walls, usually in the frieze of a Classical entablature. The interior layout of the Boston Public Library also follows Labrouste's example very closely in every respect. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Streetcars)
Dime Bank: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Dime Savings Bank building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Competition Looks like ... on the right. The ornate rooftop at lower left was Detroit's old City Hall, demolished in 1961. But the Dime Building is still ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2024 - 12:31pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Dime Savings Bank building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. CompetitionLooks like the crew on the left has a one story lead over the crew on the right. The ornate rooftop at lower left was Detroit's old City Hall, demolished in 1961. But the Dime Building is still there. Happy centennial, Dime. Current LookThe beautiful Penobscot building replaced the smaller building on the far left of the photo 15 years later, sitting nicely next to the tallest building on the left edge of the photo, the Ford Building. View Larger Map MaterialsHard to imagine that everything on that building was hauled there by horse teams and freight wagons! Sure would like to see some SHORPY photos of that procedure. [Don't forget trucks. By 1910 there were thousands of motor trucks and electric trucks on the roads. Below, an ad from 1911. - Dave] Working the steelI'm not sure if I could handle working on those stage platforms like those guys that are cladding the structure. What is the process here? Is it concrete, brick or some other rendering over the steel. It sure is a handsome building. ConstructionThe steel insides don't seem all that different from contemporary construction, but it's shocking to see the lower unfinished levels - airy and open with all that massive (granite?) density above. With older buildings I tend to believe the that the external skin is structural even if I know better and this messes with that illusion. Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971)Would have been only seven years old in this year, but I'm sure this vista would have inspired her immensely. Her late 30's Chrysler Building gargoyle picture still gives me vertigo! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Going Up: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Dime Savings Bank building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Danger Mason fears nothing ... corner is apparently an undertaker. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2024 - 12:24pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Dime Savings Bank building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Danger Mason fears nothingSome of the workers on the mezzanine(?) level look to be in peril of falling boards on the ledge above and any dropped bricks from the men farther up. In turn, some of those fellows look to be in peril of falling junk from the man working several stories above them. "I knew I should have worn my derby today instead of a cloth cap." PricelessWhat would the white collar guy in the middle window on the top floor of the building on the left pay for a pair of noise canceling headphones? TrackageThe rails in the photo -- would they have been built to ferry supplies to the building or are they exposed streetcar tracks? I agonizeat the poor guys who had to pile all those bricks and blocks inside the lower floors. I also surmise the cement(cinder) blocks are not a recent invention. Do the twistNot a single diagonal cross-brace anywhere in sight. Unbelievable. A fearless worker having a breakI wouldn't have selected the seat as the guy on the top of the building! Due to many visible risks on the site, the man standing at the street corner is apparently an undertaker. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Olden Lab: 1911
Detroit circa 1911. "Frederick Stearns and Company laboratory from southeast." ... Minus the ivy. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lofty addition The ... from the top corner window. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2024 - 9:23pm -

Detroit circa 1911. "Frederick Stearns and Company laboratory from southeast." This pharmaceutical manufacturing plant and office building, at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Bellevue Street, has since been repurposed into the Lofts at Rivertown condominiums. Minus the ivy. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lofty additionThe original, 3-story brick building was designed by William Stratton around 1899. Business must have been good, because first they added a fourth floor to the brick building and then, around 1910, Albert Kahn plopped a concrete tower in the building's courtyard. I was going to embed a google maps view, but this picture from the Detroit1701 site gives a similar view as the original photo, plus shows the tower looming above. It's easy to see howThe window washing business came into existence. The elusive "face in the window"I've been surprised that very few architectural photos and cityscapes feature someone looking out a window. This one features someone looking, possibly at the photographer, from the top corner window. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories, Kids)
Pearl Street: 1914
... street level, a decade earlier. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Two readily identifiable ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2024 - 2:02pm -

1914. "Pearl Street from State Street -- Albany, New York." Last seen here at street level, a decade earlier. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Two readily identifiable survivorsIn both photos, we are looking north along Pearl Street. Everything in the foreground is gone. In the distance, two buildings are easily identified: a building with a witch's cap dome at 79 N Pearl, and The First Church in Albany at 110 N Pearl. The First Church is part of the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Protestant denomination and one of the oldest active denominations in North America with a continuous ministry since 1642. The church beyond that, with the impressive steeple, is gone; replaced by a block-shaped building in the modern international style. Swing to your left to see the NY state capitol. BuriedImpressive how they buried those telephone lines shown in the 1904 photo! The dome skylightI wonder if it lit a grand staircase spreading natural light through each descending floor, like the ones found on early 20th century ocean liners. if so, it must have been spectacular to see. I was always really impressed by the skylight of the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles, I'm surprisedat the number of horse-drawn vehicles on a main street of the state capital. Not just delivery wagons, but small, two-seat transportation buggies (?). I've never been to Albany; was it still surrounded by countryside in 1914? [There is nothing unusual about city horses in 1914 (or even in 1917). In 1920, the horse population of New York City was around 56,000. - Dave] (The Gallery, Albany, DPC, Streetcars)
Erie Slugger: 1900
... by fence)." 6½x8½ inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bat Boy Looks like that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2024 - 1:13pm -

Circa 1900-1910. "No caption (boy in 'Erie' baseball uniform standing by fence)." 6½x8½ inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bat BoyLooks like that bat is for an adult slugger, not one of this boy's size. Also, I cannot quite determine the leather item that he has dangling at his side. If anyone can tell me, I would appreciate it. Thanks ChrisL: [Baxado] Maybe the “N” fell offAnd it’s a picture of Ernie. Sunday best!It appears that the young man has put the baseball jersey on over his wool suit coat. Must be the church league. Clear to me nowWhy it's called a "sport coat". The NaturalThis could be Roy Hobbs in his younger days, from the great baseball movie "The Natural." The leather item at his side would be his mitt.Mitts looked a little different at the turn of the 20th Century. Here's an example that doesn't look too different than his. Re: Bat BoyThat leather thingamabob is his fielder's glove. Also, I have seen a number of major and minor league players, and most of them wore a heavy shirt under their uniform shirt. I wonder how this lad's career went. Erie SeawolvesOur player, a century later: The odds favor a gloveBut if you look closely he's carrying it by a thin strap. I'm thinking it could be a catcher's mask. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, Sports)
Ghost Riders: 1913
... this flash-powder time exposure. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Now we know I always ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2024 - 8:55pm -

Manhattan circa 1913. "Suburban concourse with ramp, Grand Central Terminal, New York Central Lines." Phantom commuters and ectoplasmic pedestrians populate this flash-powder time exposure. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Now we knowI always wondered where those 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' ended up. Stan Jones didn't say. Neither did Vaughn Monroe, or Burl Ives or Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson. Or Bing Crosby or Peggy Lee. Or Lawrence Welk. That concourse is emptyAs Oda Mae Brown would say, "They's just stuck." Eventually, they'll be joined by Patrick Swayze and Vincent Schiavelli. Spitting ImageStill have the strategically placed spittoons on the floor. Aim leaves something to be desired. Foreign visitors were appalled by this American habit. Some things never changeAmazing photo - Thanks for sharing! I pass through that exact spot every day on my commute, and I love that it's still exactly the same 115 years later. That area on the left now features a Shake Shack, and it's always packed. If Grand Central Terminal It is no earlier than 1913, the year it opened. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
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