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Ford Target Computor: 1922
... Hannibal Ford The Ford Instrument Company, Long Island City, NY, was formed by Hannibal Ford in 1915. It built analog fire control ... which captured Cantigny on May 28, 1918 died Monday in Atlantic Beach, Fla. He was 90. He was one of the first officers sent ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 12:38pm -

October 2, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Ford Target Computor. Capt. H.E. Ely." An electro-mechanical approach to the aiming of large artillery pieces. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Tech SupportAn analog trunk-line call to India was a spot of bother in 1922. Hello? Tech Support?"I've been holding for fifteen minutes ... Oh, wait, they're coming on now. Hello? Hello? Can you speak up please? You sound like you're in India or something. Yes, OK ... I was going along fine and then everything just froze and I got a message about an 'illegal operation.' Right. And now nothing works. Uh huh. You say I should ... restart the computor and that should take care of it? That's it? Wait, hello? Hello?" Model 1?As noted below, Hannibal C. Ford developed target computers for the U.S. Navy. It's odd that Capt. Ely in the photo seems to be an Army officer rather than Navy, because the first applications for target computers were for navies. The British developed the first one, the Dreyer Table and the Dumaresq, prior to World War I and used it during the war. Mr. Ford was somehow exposed to the British technology -- I forget the details of this but it's covered in a series of articles in Warship International magazine. But he also had his own original ideas, and the Ford computer was considerably smaller than the Dreyer Table and looked quite different. Inherently, in the battleship era, guns on ships required calculated aiming because both the firing and the target ship could be moving in different directions at different speeds, and the guns could often outrange the horizon from the point of view of deck level. A "gun director" on a tall tower could measure range and bearing with a powerful binocular range finder, and those measurements were transmitted to the computer mechanically or electrically. The computer then calculated the bearing and elevation at which the guns should fire to score a hit. In 1985, I attended the sea trials of the restored battleship Iowa. I saw the Ford range computer. It was a different model than the one in the photo, considerably larger, but it still had the clear cover (probably glass to begin with and Lexan when I saw it) seen in the photo. Underneath you could see a maze of gears and linkages, color coded, for maintenance I guess. It had its own room with electrical panels on the bulkheads. In the Wikipedia article it explains that the device weighed over a ton, but of course on a batteship that doesn't matter. There was no graph plotter as shown in the photo. Still unresolved is why the Army was interested in this device at a period when its artillery was normally attacking stationary targets from a stationary position. In 1922, could there have been research on antiaircraft fire direction? Possibly. Or maybe Mr. Ford was just covering all his possible customers. Related question: is the civilian in the background Mr. Ford himself? Hannibal FordThe Ford Instrument Company, Long Island City, NY, was formed by Hannibal Ford in 1915. It built analog fire control computers in the pre-electronic days. The company was later merged into the Sperry Corp. Dad's serviceMy father's stint in the Army during WWII (Battle of the Bulge, crossing of the Rhine and Ruhr) had him working as a "Computer" for anti-aircraft artillery. He used some kind of calculating device for aiming the big guns, but I have no idea what kind. I can't ask him because he's in Arlington now. Fire ControlA few months ago I toured the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington and saw the targeting command center. There are several large rooms completely full of enormous computers used to track enemy ships, planes, and also to properly guide missiles and guns. I'd say there were at least 30-40 of these massive vacuum-tube computers paired to walls of controls on either side. The level of complexity was amazing. Field ArtilleryWhen I was in the Army's Artillery School (mid 1970's) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma we had something called a FADAC (field artillery digital automatic computer) to aid in positioning artillery rounds on a target. Was this an early version of FADAC? The Forddid the same job -- providing aiming data for artillery -- but it was not digital like the FADAC. It was an electromechanical analog device. There were precisely machined gears and shafts driving dials/pointers either mechanically or by controlling variable rheostats to drive indicating voltmeter dials. Operators input data on the location of the target and the weapons, as well as factors like wind and temperature by setting voltages or turning shafts to certain angles. The operators then read off the firing data and transmitted it to the appropriate Fire Direction Center personnel who passed it on to the firing batteries. Manual FDCI was likewise in Fire Direction Control, trained at Fort Sill. Never saw a contraption like this while I was there, but we were taught how to find deflection and elevation for the artillery pieces using slide rules, while plotting targets on a grid board and finding range with a range/deflection protractor (RDP). This was in the early 1990's. Of course, once I left the training school I never used such manual devices again; nevertheless, every Marine Corps artillery FDC still packs the manual tools--RDP, chart board with plotting pins, slide rules and books--just in case the primary and backup computers fail. Where are the flippers?And how many points does it take to get a free game? I can't even light up the "special" bumper yet! Back to the Plotting BoardThe October 1923 issue of the Coast Artillery Journal has a report (starting on Page 349) on various mechanical fire-control devices including the Ford Target Computer and Ford Battery Computer, which were tested as replacements for manual plotting boards. Among the findings: a. They are complicated and frequently get out of working order. b. They require very expert operators who should be trained for several months. c. A trained mechanic is required for even minor repairs. d. They operate solely by electric power. e. Too much time is required for changing target and base line, and these operations require special skill. f. The azimuth dials are hard to read, resulting in frequent errors. ... i. They are noisy, making telephone conversation difficult in their vicinity. Tests indicate that the Ford Target Computer, operated by and under the supervision of the Ford Company's engineer, frequently failed and, when in working order, gave results little if any better, either in accuracy or time of operation, than might be expected from a properly designed manual plotting board at ranges which permit a scale of 300 yards to the inch, if the board be carefully adjusted and skillfully operated. It's interesting to note that fire control (i.e. "solving the range triangle" for the aiming of large artillery guns, which involves lots of trigonometry and a spot or two of calculus) was among the very earliest applications for digital computers in the 1940s. A Royal Inspection During World War 2 my mother was stationed on anti-aircraft batteries including one in Hyde Park, which was frequently visited by VIPs. This photo shows Queen Elizabeth (the "Queen Mum," in interesting boots!) inspecting the battery. To the right is a gunnery "predictor." It required two people to keep the target plane on cross-hairs in two sights on the top and lots of cogs, gears and electricity to do the sums of where to point the guns. It looks very like the M7 model described here. Ordnance CorpsWith reference to Captain Jack's question, Capt. Ely is wearing Ordnance Corps insignia, not Artillery, so I assume this was just an early procurement test of some sort. The Queen Mum's Boots - - -aren't boots at all, but galoshes. They kept our feet and shoes dry in wet weather. Oh oh, now I've given away how old I am. Yech. Ely of CantignyUpdate: Upon further inspection of the photo and considering the caption of "Capt.", it may be that the uniformed man in the photograph is Hanson Edward Ely, Jr., son of the "Ely of Cantigny." Both son and father (Major General Hanson Edward Ely, Sr.) are buried at Arlington Cemetery. Washington Post, Apr 30 1958 Gen. H.E. Ely Is Dead at 90 By Dorrie Davenport (Staff Reporter) Maj. Gen. Hanson Edward Ely, USA (ret.), known as "Ely of Cantigny" for his leadership of the 28th infantry which captured Cantigny on May 28, 1918 died Monday in Atlantic Beach, Fla. He was 90. He was one of the first officers sent abroad to study the Allies' trench fighting tactics and was later made chief of staff of the First Division Repeated requests for troop duty gave him command of the 28th Infantry and his leadership in the Battle of Cantigny convinced European doubters of the fighting qualities of American soldiers. Raised to brigadier general, he was head of the Second Brigade of the Second Division when the Americans captured Vierzey, near Soissons, in July 18, 1918. In order to direct the attack personally, Gen. Ely attempted to enter Vierzey before it was cleared of the enemy. Fired on at short range by machine guns, he attacked and enabled his men to take the town despite strong resistance by vastly superior numbers. Gen. Ely was cited for "indomitable bravery, disregard for his own safety and devotion to his men." During the battle of Vierzey, his troops took more than 7000 prisoners. It was "Ely of Cantigny" who, in command of the Fifth Division and promoted to major general, achieved what has been hailed as one of the outstanding major exploits of the Army Expeditionary Force when it forced its way across the Meuse at Dun-sur-Meuse. Gen. John J. Pershing wrote that "this operation was one of the most brilliant feats in the history of the American Army in France." Years before his World War I exploits, he had been given a silver star for "gallantry in action against insurgent forces at Taliahan River, Luzon, Phillippine Islands, March 25, 1899." When soon afterwards Gen. Frederick Funston formed his celebrated mounted scout unit, Hanson Ely was listed as its commander. His 44 years in the Army included serving as a lieutenant in the Spanish American War. Considered one of the most forceful figures in military service, he was considered as a leading authority on modern tactic and battle leadership. After World War I, he reverted to his permanent grade of colonel but Congress, in 1921, endorsed his appointment as brigadier general and his promotion in 1932 to major general. ... Army coastal artilleryIt's odd that Capt. Ely in the photo seems to be an Army officer rather than Navy Coastal artillery was an Army responsibility. For example, Army Fort MacArthur (named for Douglas MacArthur's father) protected Los Angeles harbor. The big concrete emplacements are still there, for guns up to 16". In the 50s the guns were replaced with Nike nuclear missiles. The Fort MacArthur Museum web site has more fun facts. The 14" batteries look like baseball diamonds from above. View Larger Map (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Jacksonville Skyline: 1910
... "Forsyth Street looking east from Hogan." The post office, Atlantic National Bank and Bisbee Building lined up along the city's Bankers' Row, with the Hotel Seminole at right. 8x10 inch glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/11/2022 - 2:09pm -

Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Forsyth Street looking east from Hogan." The post office, Atlantic National Bank and Bisbee Building lined up along the city's Bankers' Row, with the Hotel Seminole at right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. SurvivorsThe two tallest buildings are still there - with several newer buildings between. The one in the distance looks like it has been shuttered for many years. The good news is that it looks like they're planning on refurbishing it into apartments! Ask The Man Who Owns OneThat looks like a brand new Packard Model 30 Touring sitting high and proud out front. And the race is onTwo additions to archfan's comment, 1) on the right -- the Hotel Seminole and whatever else was on this block of Forsyth Street have been replaced by the massive Bank of America building, and 2) the interesting dome in the distance is gone. I wonder what it was? The photographer from the Detroit Publishing Company caught an interesting slice of life. In a quiet niche on the post office steps a couple is having a conversation which I believe includes romance. A small child wanders away from them. The man in white suspenders is sweeping away horse apples so the automobile, which is parked ahead of the carriage, won't soil its whitewall tires as it pulls away from the curb. A bicyclist is peddling towards the photographer as a man in a white Eton jacket runs across the street ahead of him and towards the post office. A collision seems eminent. Dome storyThe building in the distance is the Duval County Courthouse erected in 1902 to replace the one burned in the 1901 Fire. (And not to be confused with the similarly domed Jacksonville City Hall, hidden from view by the Bisbee Building) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
Who Wants Taffy?
... in New Jersey or New York. The concession stand is selling Atlantic City saltwater taffy; the next photo in this series is of a concert at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/12/2008 - 10:32pm -

The Chicago Civic Opera soprano Florence Macbeth circa 1921 in New Jersey or New York. The concession stand is selling Atlantic City saltwater taffy; the next photo in this series is of a concert at Starlight Amusement Park in the Bronx. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Good Clean FunIt appears that teasing children was as much fun in 1921 as it is today. It warms the heartUrchins and Candy. And the man in the back... said everyone attack, and it turned into a penny blitz. His body language seems to rather say "Well isn't this a fine how-do-you-do!" but using lyrics from a band named Sweet seemed appropriate. Looks like an outing with orphans. I love the tricorn lady MacBeth is wearing, a la Paul Revere. The orphans are coming! The orphans are coming! Keep the doctor awayI'm tickled by the caramel apples hanging by clothespins over the counters. Makes perfect sense for them to be strung up that way to allow the caramel to dry evenly. All my life I've only ever seen trays of the apples, with each having the flat spot on the bottom/top. Akimbo Man!I love the arms-akimbo man. He looks like someone who disapproves of candy, children, photographers, and women who go on the stage, not necessarily in that order. Ashes to ashes...The Fatima Cigarette sign reminds me of an old saying, once told to me by a friend who was born early in the last century: Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust; If Camels don't kill you, Fatimas must. FatimasFavorite smoke of Dashiell Hammett's Continental Op. And call me a glass-half-full kind of guy, but arms-akimbo man's expression strikes me more as one of bemusement than of disapprobation.. Fatimas"The long cigarette." That was their advertising slogan when they were the sponsor of "Dragnet" on radio. Do's and Don'tsAlmost every kid in the urchin cluster has the same bad haircut, except for ringletted Shirley Temple wannabe on the right. RevengeLooks like a youthful Robert Blake in the foreground, turning away dejectedly empty-handed. Hope it didn't cause him trouble later in life. Human HandsThis candy is not touched by human hands... Not yet! The Minnesota NightingaleFlorence Macbeth was a coloratura soprano and very famous in her day, like a Beverly Sills. She sang all the great roles all over the world. She even has a variety of peony named after her. Fame sure is fleeting, isn't it? (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Kids, Sports)
Smoke on the Water: 1910
... didn't get mowed-down in favor of new, shiny ones. The city really retains some of its original character (good AND bad. But mostly ... she was sold to the French government and taken across the Atlantic, converted to the naval patrol vessel Apache. In 1926 she was sold ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:44pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1905-1910. "Duluth from the Incline Railway." Another of the eerily depopulated hive-of-industry scenes that seemed to be a specialty of Detroit the Publishing Co. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Chamber of Commerce Kelley North Western Fuel Co. Peerless Laundry R.B. Knox & Co. Stone Ordean Wells Co. Wholesale Grocers, Manufacturers & Importers. Eerily depopulated?I think of it as charmingly high in buildings-to-people ratio. My vision of a prosperous future is lots of built square feet per person. My vision of Blade Runner hell is lots of people per built square foot: "hive of humanity." It's all goneReplaced by the convention center and playfront/bayfront parks. The finger of land betwixt the channel and the lake is still residential though. And tell that kid in the doorway of the house at bottom left to quit staring at me. I spy someoneNot quite depopulated -- there's a figure standing in the side doorway of that ramshakle house in the left foreground. By the way, what is up with the brick flues poking through the house's roof? It looks like every other brick is missing. DepopulatedGuess if you choose your angle so you don't photograph any streets it get easier to not show people. Also helps when folks aren't out on their porches. Too cold to go outThis is Duluth, after all. Where are the Trees?Interesting (and sad) to see Park Point so devoid of trees. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like back then, given its current state of tall pines, and lush, abundant plant life. It should also be noted that most of these buildings are still standing. Unlike other downtown areas of Minnesota, Duluth's original buildings didn't get mowed-down in favor of new, shiny ones. The city really retains some of its original character (good AND bad. But mostly Good). Pop. 1I spy one person, I think, in the side doorway of the house at bottom left. For some reason, I find it amusing that 1910 Duluth had Turkish Baths. Seems so cosmopolitan for the Iron Range. The Two Passenger VesselsThe vessel to the far left, mostly obscured by the warehouse of the Stone Ordean Wells Company, is the Newsboy, a 104-foot wooden passenger steamer built 1889 by F. W. Wheeler & Company originally for service on Saginaw Bay. By 1902 she had migrated to the Zenith City and ran excursions inland on the St. Louis River to the picnic grounds at Fond du Lac. She ended her career on Lake Ontario, abandoned near Belleville, Ontario, in 1913. The larger steamer farther right is the Easton, built of steel in 1898 at Baltimore, Maryland, by Reeder & Company for service on Chesapeake Bay. She was brought to Lake Michigan in 1901 to carry passengers and fruit between Southwestern Michigan and Chicago. In 1903 she began service for the White Line Transportation Company, connecting Duluth with north shore Lake Superior ports, eventually being owned, as shown here, by the A. Booth Packing Company, supplying Booth's various Lake Superior fishing operations and transporting fish back to Duluth. In 1917 she was sold to the French government and taken across the Atlantic, converted to the naval patrol vessel Apache. In 1926 she was sold into civilian use and reconverted to a passenger and cargo steamer, renamed Le Sahel and operating out of Tunisia. She was broken up in 1938 at Bizerte, Tunisia, marking the end of a particularly peripatetic career. Railroad DepotThe railroad depot in the center of the field is still there and now houses an excellent railroad museum. 3 Homes in the foregroundDrove by these houses today, 2 of the 3 houses in the foreground are still there, the middle wooden is gone. You can see them here via Google Street View: http://goo.gl/GQNqa3 (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Multi-Modal: 1908
... in the day, thousands of people escaped the heat of the city via the ferries and numerous passenger trains to Atlantic City and other shore points over the tracks of what would become the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:09pm -

Philadelphia circa 1908. "Pennsylvania R.R. ferry terminal, Market Street." Across the Delaware River we can see the Campbell's Soup factory in Camden. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Campbell's SoupThe company's HQ in Camden, New Jersey. Railroad memoriesI went to work for the railroad on the Camden side of this photo back in the early 1960s. By then, the passenger service was just a shell of its former self due to the Ben Franklin Bridge and automobiles. However, back in the day, thousands of people escaped the heat of the city via the ferries and numerous passenger trains to Atlantic City and other shore points over the tracks of what would become the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. Trains with names like The Seashore Limited, Boardwalk Arrow, Boardwalk Flyer, Rocket, Flying Cloud, Jolly Tar, Shore Queen and many more. Now THOSE were the days! Strange FacadeWhat is the front of this building made of? It's wavy and looks like some sort of metal. Mm-mm GoodThe fellow standing by the mail box looks as though he just finished off one of those towers of soup. The Victor FactoryThe Victor Talking Machine Company factory at the beginning of their huge expansion, before the iconic cabinet factory was built. What's Oliver Hardy up to?The aforementioned man by the mailbox seems to be intently eyeing the conversation between the men under the "Electric trains" sign. I wonder what they're saying?Looks a bit suspicious. Also, in the backround towards the right you can see the outline of a castle. What is that? The "Strange Facade" is Repousse' Copper WorkThe "Strange Façade" of this building is repousse' (sp.?) hammered copper work. The building has a modern steel frame. If this were a color photo, the building would appear verdigris green, just like the Statue of Liberty in NY harbor, which is also copper repousse' Sheet copper is hammered over wooden forms. Skill is needed to prevent the copper from tearing. The Hoboken Terminal, formerly the Delaware Lackawanna & Western terminal, in Hoboken, NJ has a repousse façade, as does the Governor's Island Ferry Terminal. Note that the building has many 3-D architectural details in the copper. Think of what that would have cost in stone. My GrandparentsMy grandparents used this ferry on a regular basis for many years, especially after they bought a cottage in Ventor - just south of AC - around 1912, and commuted from North Philly and then Glenside in the 1920's. Sanborn Fire Insurance map of the buildingSanborn made detailed maps of some cities used for determining fire insurance rates. They often included details like what kind of work went on in buildings, what building were made of, if there was a fire alarm or security patrol. They are fantastic when you can find them. Here's the one for this building. https://maps.princeton.edu/catalog/princeton-3t945s20b And the full set for Camden. http://library.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/sanborn/camde... (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads)
Castle of Commerce: 1905
... That elevated track on the left has got to be the old Atlantic Avenue "L." It would be torn down for scrap 35 years later. ... lanes of dirty, noisy, interstate highway, bisecting the City of Boston from Chinatown to the North End and cutting the waterfront off ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 4:51pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1905. "Chamber of Commerce." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Richardsonian Romanesque at its FinestThis very "Richardsonian" building got its inheritance straight from the source: it was designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, the successors to H. H. Richardson's architectural practice. It was built in 1890-1892 (even though the date over the door says 1891) and was originally called the Flour and Grain Exchange. DiminishedSomehow Google Street View just doesn't do it justice the way the old view cameras could. Beautiful building! The "L"That elevated track on the left has got to be the old Atlantic Avenue "L." It would be torn down for scrap 35 years later. SurvivorView Larger Map GorgeousWhat a great old building. And very encouraging that it still stands. I worked in downtown Boston in the early 90s and I am sure I passed by this building many times, but I am surprised, and somewhat chagrined that I don't recall it. Thanks to Shorpy I get a second chance. Art as ArchitectureIf ever art was architecture and architecture was art, this is a perfect example. It's great for Boston, and the world, that it's still around. It looks just likea five-year-old's party hat. All it needs is an elastic chin strap. Goodbye Central ArteryFor the better part of half a century, the old elevated Central Artery - 6 overhead lanes of dirty, noisy, interstate highway, bisecting the City of Boston from Chinatown to the North End and cutting the waterfront off altogether from the rest of downtown - ran right behind this building (just about where the "Retail Grocers Association" building is located in the photograph). It was so close, you could look inside the windows of the offices in the building as you crawled along the Artery, watching people talking on the phone. Thankfully, the Artery is gone, the highway is now underground (the Big Dig project), and as I sit here in my office on the other side of the former Artery, I have a clear, unobstructed view of one of the 10 best buildings in all of Boston. De GustibusI know that there cam be no disputes about taste, but I must say that, to me, this building is somewhat hideous and a whole lot funny. Just sayin. Xmas BowThe building always had a big red ribbon and bow around it during the holidays. I bet it still does. +108Below is the same view from June of 2013. Flour and Grain Exchange BuildingOne of my favorites. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC)
The Hippodrome: 1905
... must have been a precursor to the Steel Pier attraction in Atlantic City in later years. Old flags There is quite an impressive array of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:24pm -

"The Hippodrome, New York. A Yankee Circus on Mars." Which was the production that opened this 5,200-seat theater, the world's largest, in April 1905. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Old FlagsOne of the games we vexillologists play at our conventions is to see who can identify a folded or rolled up flag the quickest as it is being opened. Here's what I think I see for flags: Starting from the left 1-Possibly the Chinese Dragon Flag 2-France 3-Chile 4-Can't make it out 5-Dominican Republic 6-Possibly Nicaragua (looks like the upper & lower stripes are the same color) 7-Can't make it out 8-Scotland Royal Flag 9-Brazil 10-United Kingdom 11-Can't make it out 12-Can't make it out 13-Germany 14-Japan 15-Guatemala 16-Possibly Crete (blue flag with white cross, red canton with white star) 17-Ottoman Empire (Turkey) 18-Argentina 19-Persia 20-Can't make it out 21-Italy 22-A British Blue Ensign, maybe Canada, India, or South Africa; can't make out the badge. At this point in time, the Canadian Red Ensign was not yet established. 23-Can't make it out 24-Switzerland 25-Greece 26-Can't make it out 27-Possibly the Norway-Sweden Union 28-Ecuador or maybe Columbia 29-Portugal 30-United States of America What's that smell?Strange odors plagued the 42nd Street station of the Sixth Avenue subway for years. Engineers repeatedly checked for gas or sewer leaks, all to no avail. Finally, sometime in the 1950's, the cause was figured out - underground deposits of elephant dung from circuses held at the nearby Hippodrome, by then gone for over a decade. At least this is the story-- suffice to say that my patented Urban Legend Detector is flashing yellow. Dancing girls! Elephants!From IBDB: "A Yankee Circus on Mars" was a 4 hr. production that included 280 chorus girls, 480 soldiers, a parade of cars driven by elephants, an equestrienne ballet, acrobats, & a cavalry charge through a lake. Would have loved to gone there But it was a little before my time. It was between of foyty tuyd and foyty foyd street on sexth avenew. I think this postcard was glamorized from this photo. The Old HippWhen I was just starting out as a stagehand in the late 60's, the oldtimers, in an effort to let us youngsters know how good we had it, would talk about "working at the Old Hipp for a Coke and a hotdog a day." "Plunging Horses"I believe that it was located on the east side of Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Street. Their "Plunging Horses" show must have been a precursor to the Steel Pier attraction in Atlantic City in later years. Old flagsThere is quite an impressive array of national flags on the roof. Unfortunately, most are not furled out enough to seem them well, but besides the US flag, I think I can see ones that are unchanged since then: France (very left), possibly Japan and Mexico (adjacent to each other, middle section), and the Ottoman Empire (the crescent and star, very similar to the flag of modern Turkey). More interestingly, there are also flags no longer used: The rightmost flag on the front looks like the Kingdom of Italy (the modern tricolor plus an added shield in the middle). Two places to the left of that, with a lion holding a sword against a sun, is an old flag of Iran. The horizontal tricolor in the middle of the front may be either the Netherlands (red on white on blue) or the German Empire (black on white on red). There seem to be various British commonwealth flags as well, but I can't quite tell which. The UK flag itself seems strangely absent I'd be interested if people figure out some of the others. Toilets fixedBy the famous plunging horses. On The TownCHIP: My father told me, "Chip, my boy, There'll come a time when you leave home; If you should ever hit New York, Be sure to see the Hippodrome." HILDY: The Hippodrome? CHIP: The Hippodrome. HILDY: Did I hear right? Did you say the Hippodrome? CHIP: Yes, you heard right. Yes, I said the Hip- (Hildy brakes.) Hey what did you stop for? HILDY: It ain't there anymore. Aida sang an "A" And blew the place away! What's in a nameI remember a multi-story parking lot at the NE corner of Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street called the Hippodrome. I always wondered about the name, but never in a million years would I have guessed there was a magnificent 5,200 seat theater on the site before that! Unbelievable! Thanks, Shorpy. Another landmarkDid anyone notice the Algonquin Hotel in the background? Isn't it the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Boardwalk Empire (Colorized): 1910
Atlantic City, N.J., circa 1910. "Boardwalk, Hotel Marlborough-Blenheim and Young's ... 
 
Posted by Dennis Klassen - 11/14/2011 - 3:12pm -

Atlantic City, N.J., circa 1910. "Boardwalk, Hotel Marlborough-Blenheim and Young's Million-Dollar Pier." Dave posted this amazing black-and-white panorama in October. Someone in the comments section suggested that colorizing this photo would be a "Monumental Challenge." I couldn't resist giving it a try. View full size. IncredibleDennis! What a super job. My congratulations for a job very well done. It really brings this marvelous picture to life. Awesome. Dennis Dared!I'm thrilled to see that Dennis accepted my "challenge." It seems as if the color suddenly opened up all of my senses to this image -- I can hear the surf, smell the salt air, and feel the breeze coming on shore. Wondering how many hours it took to complete? Absolutely fantastic! Boardwalk Empire - A Monumental Challenge.The following comment/challenge was posted by NewYearBaby on the B&W original photo a few weeks ago. " Do any of our talented colorizers dare tackle such a sweeping scene? " Nice to see one of our very talented colorizers answering the challenge in spades with this wonderful work. World's Best WallpaperI just set this up as triple monitor wallpaper, and it's completely mesmerizing. This is going to do absolutely nothing for my productivity today, but I certainly appreciate the effort that went into making this. Thanks! ... it must have taken forever !Regarding time spent; I didn't really keep track but it was around 35 to 40 hours. Astounding Eye for Detail!Dennis, your Photoshop skills are amply evident in your awe-inspiring colorization of this photo! The test of greatness lies in the fact that, as I viewed your work, I believed it -- your choice of colors were, in my opinion, realistic and properly overlaid. The hues were spot-on! I had the sense that I was standing with the photographer as he took this photo. The black & white photo was awesome to begin with. The coloring you added to it made it even more awesome! Your work of art is a keeper for me. Thank you for your dedication and attention to detail in creating such a pleasing color restoration. Absolutely stunningWonderful job ... it must have taken forever !!! Wow!Wonderful job, Dennis. How is this done?Yes, please, PLEASE tell us how long this took. I don't know how this is done, but what I picture in my mind is a monumental effort in a Photoshop-like program where practically every pixel is set to a color of the artist's choice. (Yes, if you are doing this the way I imagine it, you are an *artist*.) Oh, NOW I can see SnookiAbsolutely amazing color work. Thanks for sharing this! (ShorpyBlog, Colorized Photos)
La Grande Duchesse: 1901
...       One of six vessels sunk off the Atlantic coast by a German U-boat on the so-called "Black Sunday" of June 2, ... 1901, Ocean Steamship Co. acquired and renamed her the City of Savannah as she plied the route between New York and Charleston. She ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/29/2018 - 8:51pm -

        One of six vessels sunk off the Atlantic coast by a German U-boat on the so-called "Black Sunday" of June 2, 1918. Circa 1901. "S.S. La Grande Duchesse -- Plant Line steamship." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Ship of aliases In November 1901, Ocean Steamship Co. acquired and renamed her the City of Savannah as she plied the route between New York and Charleston. She became part of the New York and Porto Rico Steamship fleet in January 1906 and was now known as the Carolina. The captain of the U-151 allowed the crew and passengers to abandon ship before he sank her with shellfire. Most were rescued even though the lifeboats had to endure a squall that night. Only eight passengers and five crew were lost, possibly when their motor dory was swamped. Not a lucky ship as she had numerous mechanical issues and survived a 1913 collision with the liner Cleveland in New York Harbor. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
The Big House: 1925
... at the American-British Cowdray Hospital in Mexico City from 1900 until his death in 1959, died Monday after a brief illness in ... In 1961 Col. Seeley and Gerald Halpin, a former officer of Atlantic Research Corp., combined land holdings to build a research and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2013 - 6:55pm -

      UPDATE: The location is the old Maplewood estate near Lewinsville in Fairfax County, Virginia; the 1874 Second Empire mansion, at 7676 Old Springhouse Road in what's now McLean, was known as Villa Nuova. The residence was demolished in 1970; whatever connection it might have had to Woodrow Wilson is unknown. Hat tip to Shorpy member Wiggy. Circa 1925. "Woodrow Wilson house." No other information provided. (Not pictured: Tweety and Sylvester in the parlor, going at it hammer and tongs.) National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. No Way!When I showed my wife this photo, and casually commented how nice it would be to live in such a big house, she had one comment: "You better hire a cleaning service, 'cause there's NO WAY I'm gonna be cleaning all those windows!" Masnard roofThe finest quality Second Empire buildings were usually masonry up to the bottom of the top floor, then wood frame on up. The lightweight wood "Masnard" framing allowed for such free-form, Munster-like extravagances as we associate with the style. Unfortunately, such buildings are notoriously leaky and suffer badly from even short periods of neglect. [Ahem. The word is MANSARD, not "masnard." -Dave] Norman and MotherThis house looks perfect for the Bates family. WOW, beautiful Second Empire house!Any ideas as to where this is/was located in DC? Inquiring minds want to know. Wilson connectionInformation on Woodrow Wilson's residences is easily available online. What's not so easy is figuring out when, or if, he lived in this house: it's not the Virginia house where he was born; it's neither of his boyhood houses, in Georgia and South Carolina; it's none of the three houses where he lived in New Jersey; and it's not the house he bought shortly before leaving the presidency and where he died a few years later. Porch ColumnsWhat an interesting detail for the top of those columns. An exquisite house, very handsome. Just need to know the location, nothing else needed. The RingerWoodrow Wilson is always the name that trips up folks when you ask them to tell you the eight presidents born in Virginia. Most quickly think of Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, and may eventually come up with Harrison, Taylor and Tyler. But no one expects a 20th Century president to have been born in Staunton, Va. Maplewood aka Villa NuovaIn the 60s we used to pass this marvelous house on the way to my father's office and it always fascinated me. It was located on Chain Bridge Road (VA 123) between Vienna and McLean, Virginia, near Tyson's Corner (which I just remember as a real corner--the intersection of two, two-lane roads with a junky little country store). The marvelous mansard was demolished 1970, alas -- but at least HABS took photos. I don't know anything about a Woodrow Wilson connection. [Thank you, Wiggy! - Dave] PuzzledWhy have so many of these lovely houses that appear in Shorpy pictures been demolished? [House old and decrepit, land value increases, owners sell out. - Dave] Why, thank you, Thing!Photo brings another family to mind: They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're all together ooky, The Addams Family. Their house is a museum Where people come to see 'em They really are a scream The Addams Family. Snap, snap! MapleWood A 1956 newspaper article below refers to the house as, "the summer home of Woodrow Wilson." I can't find any contemporaneous accounts to confirm that but then it is probably not the sort of thing reported in newspapers. Owners included Brigadier General William McKee Dunn in the 1870s and Charles Brodt in the 1910s. Sidney and Ethel Ulfelder bought the property in the late 1920s and held it for 5 decades. Control of the property was passed to their son-in-law Rudolph Seeley, who quickly razed the building soon after Mrs. Ulfelder's death before it could be declared a historic landmark. Washington Post, July 30, 1956. McLean Seeks U. of Va. Branch A McLean, Va., group came forward with a last-minute proposal yesterday for the location of the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia at the historic Maplewood estate of Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Ulfelder. They also suggested that the proposed Fairfax County Hospital be located on the property. The 500-acre estate, which includes a 24-room mansion which at one time was the summer home of Woodrow Wilson, will sell for $2500 an acre, they said. … The McLean Group, made up of French Trammell, Robert A. Alden and O.L. Brandenburger, met yesterday with Col. Rudolph G. Seeley, manager of the estate and son-in-law of the Ulfelders. … Washington Post, November 12, 1969. Ethel Ulfelder, 84, a major land owner in Fairfax County and the widow of Dr. Sidney Ulfelder, a physician at the American-British Cowdray Hospital in Mexico City from 1900 until his death in 1959, died Monday after a brief illness in Mexico City. She owned the 512-acre Maplewood Farm, part of which is now the Tysons Corner shopping center, the Westgate Industrial Park and nearby sections of what is now the Beltway and Dulles Airport access roads. The old Maplewood house itself is now the Westgate office, on Rte. 123 in McLean. … Washington Post, February 25, 1970. Wrecking Crew Steals March on History Buffs in Fairfax Wrecking crews stole a march on history buffs last weekend. A 100-year-old Victorian mansion the buffs had hoped to preserve was demolished and apparently none of them know anything about it until it was too late. The 24-room, yellow-painted brick home, known as Maplewood, was torn down at the Westgate Research Park near Tyson's Corner to make way for construction of another industrial building. … “We are just terribly depressed, surprised and shocked,” said Joyce Wilkinson, chairman of the Fairfax County Historical Commission. She and other commission members claimed that Rudolph Seeley, executive vice president of Westgate Corp., told them last October that the structure would not be torn down for up to three years and not sooner than one year. Seeley said the demolition was ordered because the “house is standing on very valuable, highly taxed land” and was “not a particularly architectural gem under any stretch of the imagination.” Washington Post, January 6, 1988. Col. Rudolph G. Seeley, 72, a Fairfax County civic leader and developer who helped pioneer the explosive commercial growth of the Tysons Corner area, died of cancer Jan. 4 at his home in McLean. … It was not until after the war that Col. Seeley moved to the Washington area. The family of his wife, the former Martha Ulfelder, had been farmers in the Tysons Corner area since the 1920s, and the colonel became manager of their dairy business during the late 1950s. Construction occurred between 1958 and 1964. There were 14 interchanges on the highway in Fairfax County alone. The idea that major commercial development would take place so far from downtown Washington was thought to be preposterous. Where the Beltway passed near Tysons Corner there was a feed store, a gas station, a restaurant and a general store. Much of the Ulfelder farm was taken for the Beltway right of way. Mindful of development opportunities, Col. Seeley led a group in acquiring more acreage with a view to rezoning it for commercial use. The wisdom of this move was affirmed with construction of the Dulles Airport Access Road. The Seeley-Ulfelder holdings were at the intersection of Rtes. 7 and 123, roads that had existed since Colonial times. With the building of the Beltway and the Dulles Access Road the land was better served by major highways than any location in Northern Virginia. In 1961 Col. Seeley and Gerald Halpin, a former officer of Atlantic Research Corp., combined land holdings to build a research and industrial park and they helped found the Westgate Corp. to carry out their plans. Col. Seeley also was part of a partnership that leased land to Maryland builders who erected the Tysons Corner Center. It opened in 1968 with three anchor stores and about 70 smaller businesses. … Bravo!Best Shorpy caption ever! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Euclid Avenue: 1911
... Supreme Hive, ladies of the Maccabees, now in session at Atlantic City, N.J., will adjourn and come to Cleveland in a special train to take part ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:52pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1911. "Euclid Avenue, east from Public Square." A close-up of the greenery at the base of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument seen in the previous post. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Working on the streetcar lineI love the guy on a ladder, apparently brought by a cart pulled by a horse, working on the streetcar line. I can imagine the old timers complaining about those new fangled electric car lines, as opposed to the good old fashioned ones pulled by horses or donkeys. Problem solvedI had to wonder what the designs of the various flower beds were, they are insignias of different Army corps. Looks like a summer day.I feel sorry for those people, so heavily dressed. Back then the most people had to cool off would have been an electric fan blowing over ice. In that respect, it's much easier to get cool and stay cool now. But, hey, I've always been cool, heh, heh. First Traffic LightIts no wonder the first traffic light was installed at 105th and Euclid Ave. I believe the first electric traffic light was also invented in Cleveland. K.O.T.M.Knights of the Maccabees. A fraternal organization inspired by Judas Maccabeus. Their lodges were called "tents." Eventually morphed into an insurance company. They seem to have drawn quite a crowd to the May Co. [The crowd itself might be the Maccabees. There were signs all over Cleveland, including the banner across the street, welcoming delegates to the Maccabees "encampment" (the first quadrennial and 12th international convention) in July 1911. - Dave] MACCABEES ARE IN CAMP UNIFORM RANK DELEGATES FROM 11 STATES GATHER. CLEVELAND, OHIO, July 16. -- In falling rain Camp Cleveland of the national encampment of the uniform rank of the Knights of the Maccabees was formally opened in Edgewater park here today with about 500 uniformed knights present. They represent 43 divisions and 11 states. The encampment is being held in conjunction with the quadrennial review of the Supreme Tent, the national legislative body. The latter will begin its sitting next Tuesday. In addition the Supreme Hive, ladies of the Maccabees, now in session at Atlantic City, N.J., will adjourn and come to Cleveland in a special train to take part in the social and business features of the convention. An important matter to come before the Supreme Tent is the plan for three big homes and sanitariums of the order. If favorably acted on the first institution will possibly be located in or near Cleveland, and built at a cost of from $200,000 to $300,000. Euclid, Euclid everywhereCan someone please explain to me why so many cities have streets named Euclid? Did the "Father of Geometry" really have that many fans among city planners in the 19th Century? Nice LawnWhat a well manicured lawn. Had gasoline powered lawn mowers been invented yet? [I think the gardeners probably used a reel mower. - Dave] That Euclid really got aroundHere in southern California, I know of streets named for Euclid in Ontario, Fullerton, and East Los Angeles. I suppose the folks laying out roads have a liking for him and his geography geometry. And as a kid I had a die-cast model of a piece of Euclid road-building equipment. Hyperfocal DistanceI've always been impressed at the sharp focus of photos like this. Does anyone who knows more about the mechanics of cameras from this time period know if the photographers focused their cameras at the hyperfocal distance to assist in achieving this outcome? +105Below is the same view from July of 2016. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars)
St. Michael's Episcopal, Charleston: 1865
... South Carolina, in 1865 following bombardment of the city during the Civil War. From photographs of the Federal Navy and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy, 1863-1865. View full size. Left half of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/16/2011 - 2:15am -

St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865 following bombardment of the city during the Civil War. From photographs of the Federal Navy and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy, 1863-1865. View full size. Left half of a glass-plate stereograph negative. CharlestonA lot of the city was destroyed. Notice the building on the right was burned, the sun is shining through the roof and then through the windows onto the road from behind that wall. Historic CharlestonGreat photo. Amazing that the house I live in in Charleston was built before this scene. We still have so many old buildings here. Joan AntebellumIt has all but passed on, but through the first third of the 20th Century there was still animus left in the South over the Total War strategy waged by the North against civilian centers in Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and other areas. The newspaper article obituary on my great great grandmother spoke of her enduring the great poverty following the war and the punitive actions of the Federals in Louisiana. Recent Photo SurvivorsImmensely gratifying to see that three (looks like the one under wraps is the same one) of the buildings in the original photo have survived! +145I was beaten to the "now" view of this shot by about 2 years below, but here is the view sans the wrap on City Hall from May of 2010. (The Gallery, Charleston, Civil War)
Xanadu: 1897
... Also, I understand that these were hotels built by th Atlantic Coast Line Rail in order to build up the area and hence business for ... tentacles of the rail octopus Many of the streets in my city were named for railroad barons, including Flagler. Two Major Reasons ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 7:57pm -

St. Augustine, Florida, circa 1897. "The Ponce de Leon, Alcazar and Cordova hotels." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. In Xanadu"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree, where Alph, the sacred river, ran through caverns measureless to man down to a sunless sea." I stayed here last summer and my room was right over there (pointing at an unseen window on the back of the current Casa Monica Hotel). St. Augustine is an amazing little place with the most fascinating history and architecture, but these three gigantic buildings command the attention of the whole town. You just have to see it for yourself to know what I mean. Check out the lightning rods on the leftNo comment Interesting to me for aInteresting to me for a couple of reasons. I'm from the West and we usually associate Jackson with Western Landscapes. So it's interesting to see pix from the East. Also, I understand that these were hotels built by th Atlantic Coast Line Rail in order to build up the area and hence business for rail. I remember when I was a child in the fifties dreaming of exotic places that Florida was one of the LEAST populated states in America! Gargoles?I like the decorative spouts which I think were used to drain rainwater from the open second floor veranda. They also came in handy for pouring molten lead upon attacking Seminoles. Flagler's Florida East Coast RailwayThe Ponce de Leon and Alcazar Hotels were built by Henry M. Flagler, the founder of the Florida East Coast Railway, the first rail line to reach Palm Beach, Miami, and eventually Key West. He employed the fledgling architecture firm of Carrere and Hastings (designers of the New York Public Library) to design both hotels, as well as two churches and Flagler's house in St. Augustine. The Cordova Hotel was not built by Flagler, but he bought it a few years after it opened. Long tentacles of the rail octopusMany of the streets in my city were named for railroad barons, including Flagler. Two Major Reasons for Florida's Population Increase after WWII-Mosquito Control -Air Conditioning In the last year, though, Florida's population has decreased slightly, presumably due to the recession. (Orange County--Orlando--was originally Mosquito County.) Ponce De Leon is now Flagler CollegeThe Ponce De Leon hotel today is Flagler College. It still looks remarkably the same. Judging by the photo angle, it was taken from the open-air arches outside the 4th or 5th story circular ballroom. I graduated from Flagler College in 1981, and my dorm was was on the third floor, about the same place as where the photo was taken. One day while exploring, several of us tried to make our way up to the ballroom (it was closed off those years, rumor had it that the floor was full of zodiac signs), but we couldn't get past a locked metal gate at the top of the elevator shaft. The once opulent hotel rooms were our dorms. At the time I was in school, each room still had a fireplace with carved cherubs on the mantle, but all the fireplaces were closed off. (would you trust a college student with a fireplace?) Our dining hall was the hotel's dining room, with hand-carved chairs (more cherubs), a gilded ceiling (since restored) and Tiffany glass windows. It's quite a place. It also has (had?) what we were told was the first poured concrete in-ground pool in the country. We students used it between classes and on weekends. Yes, those are gargoyles on the drain pipes, that was the name of our college newspaper. The fountain in the court yard doubled as a way to aerate the water, which otherwise smelled of sulfur. The Ponce was quite the place for the swells to stay during winter until Flagler built his railroad farther south and built other hotels. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Turnaround Time: 1905
... forever - on their way to Army camp, or the even bigger city of New York, or perhaps about to seek their fortunes further West... ... a dollar across the Delaware. But the 55 mile trip to Atlantic City by electric train sounds attractive. Re: Five Minutes Later ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:33pm -

Philadelphia circa 1905. "Pennsylvania Railroad ferry terminal, Market Street." A busier view of the streetcar loop seen here a couple weeks ago. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The stories that saloon-keeper must have heardHow many guys must have stopped there for a quick one after getting back from work, but before heading home on the trolley? (And how many guys must have gotten the cold shoulder at home, because they got off the trolley smelling of booze?) Then there are the tales told by folks about to leave, perhaps forever - on their way to Army camp, or the even bigger city of New York, or perhaps about to seek their fortunes further West... There are always saloons around the train stations of (what is now called) the Northeast Corridor Line. Many a fortifying shot is needed when debarking or embarking on those trips. Back then, a arriving traveler probably called for something to "cut the dust" - those coal engines made the air in the cars pretty gritty. Hatless in PhillyThe two guys are probably with cap or hat, but maybe have tipped them for a lady coming down from a buggy. My ignorance is showingThe boy on the right walking towards the camera appears to have sunglasses on...guess I didn't know they existed back then! Also just to the left of him are two men talking to each other in the background, they appear to be dressed almost like military or police, and have handcuffs or something like them hanging off their backsides and hooked to their belts. Anyone know what those might be? Five Minutes Later According to the clock on the dome, this picture was taken just five minutes after the picture posted here several weeks ago. In that small amount of time it seems that just about everyone and everything has moved! Except for our friend in the light colored cap on the sidewalk on the right side of the street who seems glued to some kind of sidewalk sale. Bon VoyageNot much of a voyage over to Camden, since George Washington was able to throw a dollar across the Delaware. But the 55 mile trip to Atlantic City by electric train sounds attractive. Re: Five Minutes LaterRichietwo makes a great observation. The two individuals on the roof of the ferry building overhang are still there, too. Interestingly, the person and his ladder that were up against the pole are gone -- in the first picture he seemed to be fairly involved at the top. He must've worked pretty fast to finsh, climb down, collapse the ladder and get out of the scene before the next shot was taken. Wrong RiverGeorge Washington never threw a silver dollar across the Delaware; he was alleged to have thrown one across the Potomac River (considered "an impossible feat" by the friendly folks at Mount Vernon). It seems that George's cousin told a story about young George throwing a stone across the Rappahannock River, which is narrower. I've always wondered where Washington was able to find a silver dollar in those days ... At least this tale isn't totally invented, like the one about the cherry tree. Re: My ignorance is showingThe fellows with the "handcuffs" are the lineman and his helper the "grunt". They are holding the ladder vertically. The "handcuff" on the lineman is one of the D rings on his belt, and hanging at his side is his "Scare-strap" or pole safety strap. Maybe that is a roll of tape on the other one's belt backside. Not totally out of the sceneThe ladder guy is still in the scene, he and some helpers are in the process of removing the ladder, it is still vertical but not extended and being held up by several people. The "military or police" looking folks with the handcuffs are actually the linemen. The you can see the safety belt hanging down on the man facing right looking toward the ladder. The "handcuff" looking things are probably part of another line mans tool belt. Amazing what we miss in a photo!!Actually the ladder is still there! I missed it the first time but it seems the man finished his work and now has collapsed the ladder to its smallest size with the help of the "Army" men. They are all holding the ladder! It is still in the frame they have yet to move it off the sidewalk. Funny I thought the same thing, these guys are in the army, or something standing around talking. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Too Much Fun: 1905
... they will be used at other resorts, such as Coney Island, Atlantic City, Deal Beach, Washington Heights and Niagara Falls. … The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:49pm -

New York circa 1905. "Dreamland Park at Coney Island." Among the amusements to be sampled: An observation tower, the Bostock trained animal show, a Baltimore Fire cyclorama, the General Bumps ride, a miniature railway, Will Conklin's Illusions, the Temple of Mirth and Hooligan's Dream. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Oil burnersThese were oil burning steam locomotives. The Miniature Railroad was built by the Cagney Brothers in 1904 to replace an earlier version that was lost in a November, 1903 fire. It made a circuit of the park running underneath the promenade. The locomotives, which could pull three of the two-passenger cars, were built by the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company in New York. Their ad below is from the February 7, 1903 issue of The Billboard. An earlier Shorpy post with a closeup of one of the locomotives has more information here, and a 1903 Edison silent movie of Coney Island before the fire (found here) shows the train emerging out from under the promenade at the 7:44 minute mark. You Can't Miss MeI'll be the one wearing a mustache a hat and a dark suit. The cops must have had an awful time with witness descriptions of the perps back then. Where to look first?There are so many wonderful aspects to this picture, I hardly know what to take in first. I love the "Temple of Mirth" (Can you imagine "mirth" being used on a ride today? How many folks even know what it means anymore?) I also love the "Hooligan's Dream" (but ditto on the meaning being mostly lost on 21st century folk). What REALLY intrigues me however, is what the people in the forefront are looking at instead of the elephants right behind them, which I would be fascinated by. Surely elephants weren't a commonplace sight. [Happy Hooligan, whose image is in the circle on the sign, was an extremely popular comic strip character of the time. - tterrace] Soon to be gone - againDreamland was rebuilt in early 1904 after a disastrous fire destroyed it in November, 1903. Six years after this picture was taken this scene was again destroyed by fire. It made news even in far away Australia where, two days later, the tragedy was reported by The Argus newspaper. FIRE AT CONEY ISLAND. AMUSEMENT PALACE DESTROYED. DAMAGE 3,000,000 DOLLARS. NEW YORK, May 27. A destructive fire occurred yesterday at Dreamland, one of the great amusement resorts at Coney Island, New York. The damage is estimated at 3,000,000 dol. The menagerie was destroyed, 50 wild animals being cremated. The adjoining place of entertainment, Luna park, was saved. [Dreamland and Luna Park practically constitute Coney Island, which is the greatest resort of its kind in the world. The resources of inventors are taxed to provide new thrills, with the result that each season finds some ingenious novelty installed for the New York clerk and shop-girl. Dreamland contains dozens of forms of entertainment. The visitor may travel by captive airship, or glide at fearful speed down the chute, through a cascade of real water. He may "loop the loop" in a car, or travel in a small chariot over an undulating sea of metal, the waves of which are caused by machinery below. The "Rocky Road to Dublin, " a fearful switchback apparatus, and "General Bumps," involving a hazardous slide down a polished wooden surface, are among the joys of the place; while those who desire to visit other lands may take a trip to the North Pole or the wilds of Central Africa with equal ease and cheapness.] A more complete newspaper story with pictures of the aftermath can be found here, and a few more pictures can be seen here and here. The steam locomotivehas been hooked up to some pretty fancy oversized cars, and can you believe observing HYENAS for 25 cents, forget lions and panthers, they've got HYENAS ! Bostock's Wild Animal Exhibition Broadway Magazine, April 1905. Although Coney Island has improved greatly in the character of its shows within the last few years, the same atmosphere of careless holiday-making prevails, and you always have a feeling of jolly irresponsibility as you go from one place of amusement to another. Bostock's wild animal exhibition in “Dreamland,” is again a prominent feature of the summer. The animals are interesting, whether in their dens or in the arena, while the trainers who put the savage creatures through performances in the large steel cage are as impressive as ever. There was one act I saw at Bostock's lately which struck me as particularly good. A young lady in short skirts, who was announced as “La Belle Selika,” skipped into the cage with seven—I think it was seven—lionesses. She made them get up, reluctantly, upon pedestals in different parts of the cage. Then, as the orchestra struck up the music of the “Pretty Maidens,” in “Florodora,” she danced, teasing the animals by pointing her slippers at them one after another, and retreating just far enough to escape the angry paws darted at her each time. They seemed eager to tear her to pieces. She pirouetted about the creatures, always close to them, but just far enough away to avoid being clawed, until at last she struck an attitude immediately in front of the most savage of her pets and smiled in response to the applause, while the lioness growled. It was decidedly the prettiest act I ever saw in connection with trained wild animals, and it looked fearfully dangerous, whether it was so actually or not Live Steam?I would assume that that little locomotive was actually a steam powered kerosene burner... does anyone know? UPDATE: The kerosene assumption was (wrongly) made because I couldn't imagine firing a firebox that small with coal to maintain a working head of steam - Ausonius. Pigmy Locomotive While the Cagney Bros. operated many miniature railway concessions, the actual builder of this engine was the McGarigle Machine Co, of Niagara Falls, NY. Tobbacconist, is there something in the photo that indicates oil as the fuel source? The following article states the originals were built with a 10 inch firebox burning anthracite. I think this engine is coal fired. In 1905, coal was still a widely available and familiar fuel. Also, the trousers on the engineer appear rather well coated in coal dust. [Additional information and photos.] The Railway Age, July 1, 1898. A Pigmy Locomotive. What is claimed to be the smallest locomotive ever made for drawing passenger cars has been made for the Miniature Railroad company by Thomas E. McGarigle of Niagara Falls. This steam railroad is to be operated at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha, Neb., and, in all, six locomotives are to be built for the company under the present contract. It is possible they will be used at other resorts, such as Coney Island, Atlantic City, Deal Beach, Washington Heights and Niagara Falls. … The height of the locomotive from the top of the stack to the rail is 25 inches, and the gauge is 12½ inches. The cylinders are 2x4 inches. The boiler is 1½ horse power, made of steel, and is tested to 300 pounds pressure, and will hold 24 gallons of water. … The firebox is 10 by 10 inches. The weight of this little engine is about 600 pounds, and it will run on a rail three-quarters of an inch square. Hard coal will be used as fuel. The capacity of the locomotive is 10 cars, each containing two persons, or about 4,000 pounds. The locomotive is equipped with sandbox, bell, etc., and has a steam brake between the drivers. One man, whose position will be on a seat in the tender, operates the engine. The scale on which the locomotive was built is about one-seventh that of one of the New York Central's largest engines, and as it stands in the shop it has a very businesslike appearance, as shown by the illustration. Live Steam Model FuelsThere`s no guarantee or requirement that this locomotive is oil fueled. Even today Live Steam enthusiasts operating large scale locomotives are running with a variety of fuels. Propane is popular as is oil or kerosene. However coal is still the most popular fuel for ridable trains like this and can be used at gauges as small as 1.26 inches. So unless there were other considerations, like local laws, there`s a high likelihood that this engine was coal fired. All in the FamilyYes, a great number of the 'Cagneys' (as they were known) were built in the Niagara shop of Thomas and Peter McGarigle; however, since their sister Winifred married Timothy Cagney, it was considered to be all in the family. Peter—an engineer—was mostly likely the one who designed the first of the miniature locomotives, ostensibly in 1885. In the early 1890s Timothy and his brothers David and John, were running a ticket brokerage company known as Cagney Bros. in New York, but by 1898 decided to fully concentrate on marketing the McGarigle locomotives and so incorporated The Miniature Railway Company, of Jersey City. For years the two businesses were nearly indistinguishable from one another, and were in fact interchangeable as far as miniature railways were concerned, as they worked together on various projects. In 1903 the Cagney Bros. Co. was ensconced in the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis—there to build the eight mile miniature railroad that would run through the grounds of the St. Louis Purchase Exposition (the 1904 World's Fair). Timothy Cagney was listed as President, and Peter McGarigle as Chief Engineer. While the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company was selling the vast majority of the McGarigle railroad oriented output, the Niagara firm was still peddling their own product as late as 1915 when they made a proposition to the City of San Francisco to operate a miniature railway in the park. By the 1920s however, the Cagney Bros. had absorbed the miniature railway portion of the McGarigle Machine Company, and McGarigle's—once also known for their gasoline marine engines—appears to have been reduced to being an automotive machine shop. The locomotive building operation was now referred to as "the Cagney Brothers' Amusement Company Niagara Falls plant." By the 1940s the late Timothy Cagney—and not Peter McGarigle—was being given credit as the inventor. According to one report, two of Cagney's "best known installations were two gold-plated trains with steam locomotives built for the King of Siam, and the 'Trip Around the World' exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940." As for the oil burner reference, it's from a list of Coney Island rides and shows complied by Kingsborough Community College Professor Emeritus (and former Brooklyn Borough Historian, director and archivist) John Manbeck. He complied a vast collection of Coney Island ephemera that has since been donated to the Brooklyn College Library. On his list of rides and shows is this entry: A Miniature Railroad built by the Cagney Brothers made a circuit of park beneath the promenade. Each of its three small cars, pulled by a small oil-burning steam locomotive, held two passengers. I do not know what his original source was (but I'll try to find out); however, while the vast majority of the McGarigle/Cagney locomotives were coal-fired, it makes sense that these would be oil-fired as it would have virtually eliminated the fear of sparks from the smoke stack—especially so soon after the disastrous 1903 fire. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Railroads)
House Party: 1950
... like the tag hanging from a beach locker key in a Shorpy Atlantic City photo. [Sweet 17. - Dave] On display: A lot of clavicle. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2013 - 10:59pm -

1950. From photographs by Stanley Kubrick for the Look magazine article "The Debutante Who Went to Work": "Socialite model/actress Betsy Von Furstenberg attending a weekend house party. Includes Von Furstenberg, hostess Sandra Stralem and other young women in ball gowns." View full size. Smoke? Don't mind if I do! (Two women on the left) CharmingOne of the girls is wearing what could be a heart shaped charm dangling from a bracelet with the number 17 on it. That makes it look like the tag hanging from a beach locker key in a Shorpy Atlantic City photo. [Sweet 17. - Dave] On display:A lot of clavicle. I STEPPED on the ping pong ball!This looks the kind of crowd Gloria Upson ran with (Auntie Mame). Is that Muriel Puce I see? Voice Activated Light Stand"Can you hold that light a little higher for me?" Mirrors and other reflective objects in the background cause headaches for all photographers. In this case it clearly shows the guy holding a light and a woman (chaperone maybe?) looking on. I can almost hearthe crinkling sound of all that fabric every time any of our ladies move around, even a little, plus I can almost smell the strange mix of 1950s hairspray and perfumes certainly saturating that room. If I could turn back timethis is precisely where I would be. Great shot! (LOOK, Pretty Girls, Stanley Kubrick)
Grease: 1925
... Boulevard near today’s Rodeo Drive; Cotati, Culver City, Fresno and San Carlos, plus two circle tracks, Oakland and Playa del ... Bridgeville and Uniontown; Akron and Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlantic City and Woodbridge, New Jersey, Charlotte, Chicago, Des Moines, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2012 - 10:54am -

"Bob McDonough, Laurel race." On his ribbon: "Baltimore-Washington Speedway DRIVER. Inaugural Opening. Saturday July 11, 1925." View full size. Just look at those eyesHe's exhausted. He's dirty. His hands and feet are probably still shaking. He could've died this day, horrible and bloody. He might die in the next race. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Error on the boards.McDonough was initially declared the winner of the instant event, but after the scoring cards were checked Pete DePaolo was granted the win. Yum!Nothin' like a lime after a hot, dirty race! About those board tracks(Details adapted from my magazine article "Racing on Wood"): There were 24 board tracks in the U.S. from California to New Hampshire, ranging in size from a half mile to two, with seven in California (Beverly Hills on Wilshire Boulevard near today’s Rodeo Drive; Cotati, Culver City, Fresno and San Carlos, plus two circle tracks, Oakland and Playa del Rey); three in Pennsylvania at Altoona, Bridgeville and Uniontown; Akron and Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlantic City and Woodbridge, New Jersey, Charlotte, Chicago, Des Moines, Miami, Omaha, and Tacoma, plus Kansas City, Missouri; Laurel; Salem, New Hampshire; Sheepshead Bay in New York. Most were designed and constructed by a former self-titled world champion high-wheel bicycle racer, Englishman Jack Prince. Playa Del Ray was the first built, in 1910, and the last major board track race was at Woodbridge on 10/18/1931. Average track life was just four years. Not much was known about protecting wood without using slippery creosote and the stock market crash didn't help. Frank Lockhart did the fastest ride ever on the boards, a race qualifying lap of 147.229 mph in a Miller 91 on the mile and-a-half Atlantic City 45-degree banked track near Hammondton on May 7, 1927. BTW Laurel's track was banked 48 degrees. Bob cleaned up real goodHere's McDonough at Laurel on 10/24/1925 holding a funnel covered with a cloth strainer while his fuel tank is topped off. Below that is a self-explaining Laurel poster. Played byBears a strong resemblence to Paul Newman, who became noted for his sports car racing skills, primarily in Datsuns. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Par Avion: 1918
... and what not, but it was a real challenge to fly from one city to another back then. No radio, no radar, almost no onboard instruments ... trying to fly from Washington to Philadelphia. “The Atlantic Ocean and lack of gas prevent him going further,” Fleet said. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:41pm -

May 1918. Washington, D.C. "Air Mail, inauguration of service, polo grounds. Maj. R.H. Fleet beside Curtiss JN46H plane." Note the map tied to the major's leg. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Reuben H. FleetThe pilot is Reuben H. Fleet who went on to found the Consolidated Aircraft company. The Science Museum and planetarium in San Diego's Balboa Park is named in his honor. Same plane as Lindbergh's!Hard to imagine now, with all the airports and navigational ads and what not, but it was a real challenge to fly from one city to another back then. No radio, no radar, almost no onboard instruments other than a compass, a level indicator and a clock... having to rely on visual references, and praying that there wouldn't be fog or rain in your route... wow. Those early pilots really had to be brave and a bit of daredavils, and the demeanor of this guy clearly shows those traits. Love that leatherMaj. Fleet appears to be well dressed for the cold in his leather flying suit. This outfit would make quite a statement today in Haute Couture society. Fleet's FactoryHow startling to see such a familiar San Diego face on Shorpy. Although there was already a burgeoning aircraft industry in San Diego when Fleet moved here in 1935 (Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" was built by Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego), the vast Consolidated Vultee Aircraft factory he built here and its output during World War II and the Cold War permanently transformed San Diego. The Convair aircraft factory stretched almost continuously for more than two miles along Pacific Highway, adjacent to Lindbergh Field, our airport on San Diego Bay and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Just one portion of the plant's Building One is visible in the 1943 photo below. Most of the factory is now long gone, but Building Two now houses the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR). The San Diego Aerospace Museum in Balboa Park houses the Convair/General Dynamics company papers and photo archives. www.aerospacemuseum.org/library/convair.html 1918 Navaids Back in those days they all flew IFR - as in 'I Follow Roads' (or Rails). Cold up there...One of our neighbours where I grew up had been a gunner on 2-seater WWI fighter/bomber aircraft, and he told me that it got to be -20 F "up there". They were dressed for bitter cold: even their faces were smeared with axle grease to prevent frostbite. As soon as I saw this picture, I remembered my neighbour's words. &*$#!I guess road-maps have always been tough to refold. Plenty of DangerIt was said that the early days of flying the mail was almost as bad as flying in combat. So many pilots were lost that the government had to suspend the program for a time. It sure was dangerous!Lindbergh himself crashed his mail plane twice between October 1925 and February 1927 due to bad situations he got into flying into Chicago. He fortunately bailed out each time. That first day had its adventuresThis was May 15 and until the U.S. Post Office hired its own pilots who took over on August 12, Fleet and six other army pilots carried the load, so to speak. The trips that day were to Philly and continuing on to NYC. Other flights left from New York for Washington. One pilot was Lieutenant George Boyle, chosen not because of his experience (he had fewer than 60 hours) but because his fiancee was the daughter of Interstate Commerce Commissioner Charles McChord. With President Wilson, other high level politicos and, I’d imagine, his admiring girl friend in the crowd, Boyle couldn’t get his Jenny started. Someone forgot to fuel it. That was a minor snag for the young aviator, though, because he got lost en route to Philadelphia and crashed in Maryland about 25 miles from takeoff. Another account says he got lost twice trying to fly from Washington to Philadelphia. “The Atlantic Ocean and lack of gas prevent him going further,” Fleet said. Fleet’s trip that day and the other pilots’ were completed. I wonder if the leaf hanging on the wire or cable held on all the way. He’s got his map folded exactly as I did on long car trips for years before GPS. He's drawn a straight line down to his first destination. Making a folded point at the one end contains the rest of the map underneath. Strangely, his map outline looks quite a lot like an overhead view of the SR-71 Blackbird (Los Angeles to Dulles in 58 minutes). Here is an excellent story about early air mail and its pilots, featuring the central Pennsylvania town of Bellefonte, the first refueling stop established for air mail flights. Lindbergh knew the field quite well; Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Eddie Rickenbacker, Will Rogers, Admiral Richard Byrd had reasons to land there, too. Many early air mail aviators were something special, including colorful pilot Harold “Slim” Lewis, of whom an admirer said, “He was the which than which there was no whicher.” http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Slim_Lewis_Slept_Here.html?... The Air & Space site itself is terrific. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Cures Malaria: 1903
... for, and for the erecting of, a Cathedral Church in the City of Baltimore”. Also he gave his employees the opportunity to become ... are two Bay steamers of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Rwy tied up at their freight terminal. Most of these waterfront ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 7:52pm -

Maryland circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." Along with a word from our sponsor. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Cures by KillingCures Malaria by killing the mosquitoes. The smoke, that is. Then again, the fish may eat the mosquitoes before they can cause more malaria in the first place, thus reducing the need for the "White Pills". Tom O'Neill's bequestThomas O’Neill was indeed the person who made the Cathedral a reality but it was through a bequest, because when the church was dedicated in 1959, he had been dead for 50 years. I was fortunate enough to have been on the Cathedral’s 50th anniversary planning committee (I designed the anniversary logo), and one of the many things I researched was O’Neill’s story. At the age of 33, he went into a brief partnership to establish his own dry goods store at Charles and Lexington Streets, eventually buying out his partner and expanding his business to four adjoining buildings and nearly 500 employees, with branches in Dublin (he was an Irish immigrant), London, and Paris. On February 7, 1904, as the Baltimore fire roared towards O’Neill’s store with flames licking the south wall, the wind shifted and sent the holocaust eastward and his store escaped becoming one of the 1,300-plus buildings destroyed in a 75-block arc. Fire officials wanted to blow up his store to create a fire break if the winds changed, but he refused and, the legend goes, raced off to a Carmelite convent to enlist the nuns’ prayers (his sister was, well, a Sister there). Whether that story is true or not, his gratitude was real and his will contained this bequest: “All the balance of my estate (including, after the death of my said sisters and brothers, the sum so as aforesaid put aside by my trustees to pay the annuities above mentioned)…as a nucleus for, and for the erecting of, a Cathedral Church in the City of Baltimore”. Also he gave his employees the opportunity to become stockholders and joint owners of his business, with each worker who had two or more years of service gaining a sizable bonus. O'Neill was a trustee of St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore. One of its students, who entered the school in 1902 at age seven, spent 12 years there learning, among other things, how to play baseball. His name was George Herman Ruth, later known as "Babe". Burned UpMuch of what is seen here was burned in the Baltimore Fire of 1904. Directly above the "White Pills" sign is a tall white building, which I believe to be the Continental Trust Building. It became so hot in there during the fire, gratings in the elevator shafts melted. To its left is a Victorian office building with a mansard roof. This would be the Baltimore and Ohio RR offices, built in the 1870's and totally gutted in the '04 fire. The prominent mansard roof down the street to the left is Barnum's City Hotel, also lost in the fire. Both of these structures faced Baltimore Street, still a major east-west street. Along the waterfront are two Bay steamers of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Rwy tied up at their freight terminal. Most of these waterfront warehouses, many dating to the early days of the Republic, were burned out. At far left margin is the painted sign of O'Neill's Department Store. At the height of the fire, Mr. O'Neill is supposed to have prayed for the Lord to spare his store, and if He would, O'Neill would build Him a new Cathedral. The store survived, and true to his word, Mr. O'Neill built the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in the northern suburbs of town. Refrigerated boxcarsThe boxcar on the train ferry with "Fruit" and "Ventilated" on its side caught my attention. The answer to early refrigeration in transporting perishable goods was a long time coming. Here is what Wikipedia said: "In 1878 Swift hired engineer Andrew Chase to design a ventilated car that was well insulated, and positioned the ice in a compartment at the top of the car, allowing the chilled air to flow naturally downward. Chase's design proved to be a practical solution." Of course, Swift & Co went on to become very successful. Although I see it is now owned by a Brazilian company. Skeletal ConstructionThe skeleton of a building, to the left of City Hall and faded into the background, appears to be The Belvedere Hotel, built in 1903 and still standing today. Knabe HallNice to see Knabe Hall there. My first piano teacher (after I resumed lessons as an adult) had a Knabe concert grand that was built in the 1890s, and that was a beautiful instrument, on a par with Steinway. Now we knowThat may be where they invented fish oil pills. Two things supposedly good for your health packed in one. I'll have the fish, fillet or steak, and you may keep the pills. Thank you. Mosquito killerCures Malaria by killing the mosquitoes. The smoke, that is. The white liver pills caused smoke to come out that killed mosquitoes? Wow. I'll bet it was deadly to more than mosquitoes! Churches still standingToward the left, you can see the tall pointed steeple of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, completed in 1872 and the twin spires with onion shaped domes of the Basillica of the Assumption, completed in 1821. Both buildings are still standing and in use today. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Corner Time: 1916
... room and freezing in another. A&P The "Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company" visible on the left in the background was ... and explain our rates, which are the lowest offered in the city. Loans paid off and more money advanced. Tel. Main 4373. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 1:58pm -

From now until February we'll be doing hourly updates from the ShorpyCam at Seventh and F. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Re: Open WindowsBig coal-fired steam heaters didn't have a lot of finesse. No "zones," and maybe not even a thermostat -- more likely a guy in the basement and a coal shovel. In the Northeast you can still find buildings from this era and earlier which leave you sweating it out in one room and freezing in another. A&PThe "Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company" visible on the left in the background was the ancestor of A&P supermarkets. They launched the modern grocery store concept in 1912. Within a few years, they had hundreds of stores, using standardized layouts and innovative pricing. Segregation by sexGreat idea! All the men stand on the dry streetcorner, empty-handed, smoking and talking while all the ladies carrying numerous cumbersome packages and wearing long skirts go walk around in middle of the road in the flood of slush. Who's Your Friend?District Loan Advertisements: circa 1906 & 1909. A revealing example of the time when pianos, as opposed to automobiles, were considered prime collateral for a loan. Don't ask a friend for money. You might be disappointed. CALL ON US and BE SURE! Make a business transaction of it, then no one will know of your affairs. We loan on furniture, pianos, teams, etc. Loans paid off and more money advanced at lower rates. District Loan Co., 639 F street NW, Corner 7th & F. If you decide to get a PRIVATE loan on furniture, piano, etc., without removal, and want to get it where NO QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED, where the matter will receive prompt and courteous attention, fill out this blank, mail it to us and our AGENT WILL CALL AT ONCE and explain our rates, which are the lowest offered in the city. Loans paid off and more money advanced. Tel. Main 4373.
Joe's Jungle Bungalow: 1904
... a "rolling chair" along the lines of the ones seen in the Atlantic City photos. [Below: At the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, home of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2012 - 4:56pm -

Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1904. "Alligator Joe's bungalow in the jungle." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Jungle CapitalismOne thing that can be said about Joe, he has the entrepreneurial spirit. He knew how to market his alligators and his residence. Here's the great man himself!Alligator Joe poses at entrance to main pavilion. http://royalpoincianahotel.blogspot.com/ Out of the movies?This looks like Tarzan or Dr. Livingston should live here! Thatch MastersThere is still a solid demand for thatched roofs down here. Every beach hotel with a tiki bar has one, in addition to many inland hotels striving for that "beach" ambiance. The Seminoles build the best ones.They also run a pretty mean casino. I wonderif anyone called it Alligator Joe's Bungalow in the Jungle-O. I know I would have. Soft drinks, cigars, peanuts and piesWhat else would you need, except of course a baby carriage and a duck? [I think that's more of a grownup carriage. And a rooster. - Dave] Before televisionThis is what Captain Kangaroo might be up to. A Rooster?That rooster sure looks to me like it has a bill and webbed feet. [We'll put someone else in charge of the chicken house. - Dave] Rolling ChairThat's a "rolling chair" along the lines of the ones seen in the Atlantic City photos. [Below: At the Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, home of the bicycle chair. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Kittatinny House: 1905
... you like to visit the seaside and see Coney Island or Atlantic City back then and wander up or down the boardwalk? What would it be like to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:37pm -

Circa 1905. "Kittatinny House, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Huh?Excuse me but are those curtains on the outside of the window? Need A BreakThe gentleman to the left looks to be taking a break from the food service area to have a smoke. Natural telephone polesNotice the trees on the right are used for telephone poles. Any trees left after it was built?Wow...what a monster. Imagine the maintenance required....paint...shutters, shingles.....ice. CurtainsThey may have been used to keep insects out - like a screen window Tree powerInteresting use. Trees don't grow upwards their whole length but only at the top. The trees grow in girth. So at least the lines won't move up through the years. The standoffs might evidentially be engulfed in the outer layers of the tree. A stream runs through itOne unique feature of Kittatinny House was the mountain stream that ran through the kitchen (I hope it was planned that way). The road we see with the horses and buggy is now Route 611, with I-80 down below along the Delaware River, which divides New Jersey and Pennsylvania here at the Delaware Water Gap. Nearby is what's described as the best rock climbing in New Jersey. Here's the fountain we see at the far end of Shorpy's photo. Dave, would all this light come from one Mother of All Gunpowder Flashes? NPS informationA user-friendly pdf of the Park Service's Spanning the Gap newsletter provides background and a map of the resort. Just a memoryThe best I could find out is that there are ruins of the fountain and the stone ovens. [It was destroyed by fire in 1931.] Dreaming of a Different TimeI see these pictures on Shorpy of the way people lived and played back in those days and I feel left out that I cannot experience the same. Wouldn't it be great to take a trip on a river boat like the stern and side wheelers we see in these photos? Even just a day trip down river and back. How would you like to visit the seaside and see Coney Island or Atlantic City back then and wander up or down the boardwalk? What would it be like to stay in one of the big hotels or popular inns that are featured in these photos? Actually, a lot of us would not have been fortunate enough to afford a trip or a vacation to some of these places. Money was as tight then, or tighter, than it is now. But it is nice to dream and just imagine that you are there enjoying the sights and sounds. [It was destroyed by fire in 1931.]Well of course it was, was there ever any doubt? (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Motor Check: 1924
... The fellow with the cigar could be cast as one of Nucky's Atlantic City henchmen. BHP Figures could top 50 BHP back in this time. Why ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/28/2013 - 12:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1924. "Havoline Oil Co." Participants in the "Wasson Motor Check" at the Texaco Station on the corner of Florida Avenue and 14th Street. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Just Love It!Nothing more to say. Dynamometer granddaddyThis must be the grandfather of all chassis dynamometers. Checking it outThe fellow with the cigar in his mouth is in charge of checking for gasoline leaks. Quiet Please!Man sitting in window on the right to his wife: "It's hot, there's no AC, and with this window open all we hear is those motors running. We gotta move!" BoardwalkerThe fellow with the cigar could be cast as one of Nucky's Atlantic City henchmen. BHPFigures could top 50 BHP back in this time. Why bother? Excellent, Lo-Tek motor condition checkThey're checking the level of "blow-by" gasses. Modern cars (since 1965 in Calif) re-burn these fumes via the PCV system. In those days, a draft tube spewed them into the air. Higher readings = worn piston rings and/ or valve seats. additional symptoms: Heavy blue smoke & power loss. Solution: Overhaul. much less expensive in those days. With the inferior oils & metallurgy of the day, overhauls could come every 10,000 miles or so. These guys & their device could give you a pretty good idea how much longer your motor would last. Tired"John R. Pendleton," the name on the tire cover, was only a Studebaker dealer for about two years. The cover is interesting because it appears to have been designed to fit a variety of tire sizes (note the extra snaps near the top). In addition to being a Studebaker dealer circa 1923 - 1924, he was a Nash dealer in 1926. Two of his advertisements from D.C. city directories are below. Pendleton was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia in 1888 to Robert and Sophie [Rust] Pendleton. He was a chauffeur and machinist before becoming involved in automobile repair by 1914 until around 1917. His first stint at selling vehicles was with Standard Auto Service Company where he sold Federal Trucks as well as the Truxton truck attachment. This device converted a car into a truck by means of a replacement rear axle and frame extension (picture below). Where he worked between his year or two of selling Federal Trucks and the time he began selling Studebaker's isn't clear. After he stopped selling Nash cars, he was employed by Studebaker Corporation of America in their D.C. office before he moved on to selling cars at Wallace Motor Company in 1929, which sold Nashes, in the District for a couple of years. The 1930s saw him back in the auto repair business, operating a gas station, and a five year run as the superintendent of an apartment building which continued into the early 1940s. By 1942 he was working at a mortgage and real estate firm that belonged to his uncle Harry Lee Rust. Eventually he and his wife Marie moved to Florida where she passed away in 1971. John Pendleton apparently moved back to the D.C. area, and he died at the age of 88 in Maryland in 1976. Free CheckProminent in some advertising was the fact that the Wasson Motor Check was free. While the test may have been free, the cost of the oil was not for the customer. You also needed to make two visits to the check station. The first visit was to have your oil changed and to make an initial test of your engine and record the results. Approximately 200 miles later, you needed to return and have the engine retested. The card below shows sample measurements after the second test. Period documents state that the Wasson Test Stand was leased to the service station/garage. In addition to measuring gas leakage past the cylinders mentioned by "zumma" below, it also had a still for measuring oil dilution, and a flow meter for measuring gas consumption. A close-up of one of the gauges, which was made by the same company that made the MotoMeter radiator temperature gauges, is shown in the Shorpy photo is below. More details of the Wasson Check Station can be found in a November 15, 1924 Petroleum Age article here, and the patent is here. At the same Petroleum Age link there is a short summary of how the whole system worked on page 55 of the August 15, 1924 issue, as well as more details if you search the issue for "Wasson." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Sorry, Full: 1953
... Another in a series of professional 8x10 pictures taken in Atlantic City in August 1953 for Better Living Magazine, featuring my in-laws. View ... 
 
Posted by Born Too Late - 06/08/2013 - 6:37pm -

Another in a series of professional 8x10 pictures taken in Atlantic City in August 1953 for Better Living Magazine, featuring my in-laws. View full size. It's free nowToday no one would pay to park near the Boardwalk, because if there's one universal thing about gambling casinos it's that they have free parking. Times have changed!Nowadays he'd be holding up a different finger to the parking attendant. Maybe we should have driven the PackardThe Cadillacs get in, but when the Buick shows up, the lot is full. I can hear the driver now. Both Lots FullEven the donkey lot is full. Any Idea What Hotel That Is?It looks like one of those pictured in the many early 1900's shots of Atlantic City we see here on Shorpy. The hotelI would say it is definitely the Traymore. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
In the Driver's Seat: 1915
... By fall she was performing fast exhibition driving at Atlantic City and at the Fair in Poughkeepsie, where she ran against Barney Oldfield and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2012 - 2:12pm -

At the wheel circa 1915. "NO CAPTION" is the caption here. Perhaps someone will recognize the insignia on the lady's uniform. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Joan Newton CuneoThe picture is of Mrs. Joan Newton Cuneo, sitting behind the wheel of her race car, a 1908 Knox Giant and dressed in a smartly styled driving suit. It appeared in the April 1910 issue of The Outing Magazine. Mrs. Cuneo was a socialite who purchased her first car - a steamer - and spent the next year mastering the art of driving, whereupon she bought a new White steamer. In 1905 she bought yet another new White and entered the Glidden Tour. By fall she was performing fast exhibition driving at Atlantic City and at the Fair in Poughkeepsie, where she ran against Barney Oldfield and set the women's record for the flying mile at 1 minute and 24 seconds. She bought her first gasoline-powered car in 1907 and continued participating in tour contests; by 1908 she was completing tours with perfect scores and for the Women's Motoring Club run to Philadelphia and back, the Lancia factory asked her to drive their famous Lancia Lampo. Other manufacturers began asking that she race in their vehicles, and she eventually settled on the big Knox Giant racer. In early 1909 she ran this car to numerous victories at the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, at one point even beating the famous Ralph De Palma. She was named the National Amateur Champion and claimed five trophys. Not long after her stunning victories in New Orleans, and despite the fact that Mrs. Cuneo had been a member of theirs since 1905, the American Automobile Association (the organization that sponsored most of the big events) banned not just women drivers from their events, but women passengers as well. Many writers of the day felt it was because too many men drivers would stay away if they were consistently beaten by a woman. Joan Cuneo did not protest; she just more or less retired from racing. She bought a duplicate of the Knox Giant from the factory and continued to run non-AAA sponsored tours, and setting track records in exhibitions. In the March 1908 issue of Country Life in America she wrote an article titled "Why There Are So Few Women Automobilists" that is still quoted today in histories of early woman drivers. Possibly only one (two) comments here:Vrooom ! Vrooom ! Crossed flagsSignal Corps. Women were used to fill positions, did not serve overseas. Lots of Buttonsbut no Bows. Tanks a LotHow big were the gas tanks on those cars, anyway? They look to be about the size of a 55 gallon oil drum. Signal CorpsAs a boy, I polished my father's Signal Corps insignia enough to know them on sight. Fast WomanShe also became the fastest woman with a speed of 111.5 mph on the Long Island Motor Parkway while driving a Pope Hummer on April 17, 1911. This was over 1/2 a mile. She had her own song. O Mrs. Cuneo, O Mrs. Cuneo, The greatest woman driver that we know, She keeps a-going, she makes a showing, Does Mrs. Cuney-uney-uney-O There is a article about her here with additional details of her career and three more pictures in addition to the one below. Her Knox and a Pope Hummer are pictured below. Note: Comment corrected for photo that did not attach. http://dvalnews.com/view/full_story/7418695/article-Those-daring-young--... Two Knox, no PopeBoth pictures below are of the Knox Giant—you can spot the Knox emblem on the radiator in the top picture. Here's a photo of the Pope-Hartford, nicknamed the Hummer (no chain drive): (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Long May She Flap: 1924
... represented the District of Columbia as Miss Washington in Atlantic City and, as Miss Treasury Department, led a fashion revue in "Uncle Sam's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:59am -

August 21, 1924. "Miss Helen G. Sweeney." Helen represented the District of Columbia as Miss Washington in Atlantic City and, as Miss Treasury Department, led a fashion revue in "Uncle Sam's Follies," a musical put on by federal employees. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Scandalous!At least she has stockings on. What's with that flag?It looks awful dingy. Compare the stars and bars with the guy's white shirt. Pick up that Flag!Not very patriotic for letting the flag drag across the ground! I realize that it is a roof but it is the same effect. Miss Treasury Department (!)I wonder who the current Miss Treasury Department is? In these troubled economic times, we need her lighthearted, uptempo revues more than ever. Helen and the GooseI found this on the Society for American Baseball Research site, about Helen and Goose Goslin: A doubleheader was scheduled September 2, 1924, at Griffith Stadium; the first pitch was thrown by Helen G. Sweeney, the reigning Miss Washington, D.C. Between games of the twin bill, she hosted a reception for the players and apparently met Goose for the first time; she and Goslin were considered to be quite an item on the Washington social scene that fall. But Goose remained a bachelor until 1940, when he applied for a license to wed Marian Wallace, a Philadelphia social worker. Stars and Stripes and SootLots of coal soot in the air back then. Slim Pickin'sActually, not slim at all. That's the best they had to crown Miss this and that? Hubba hubbaRemember back then that wearing glasses was a sign of weakness and contact lenses were not yet invented. You know what they say...Good enough for government work. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Patriotic)
Haunted Saloon: 1906
... Grandparents lived in Belle Chase; shopping trips to the City, by ferry, with stop for oysters and hot sauce with Regal Beer in Gretna ... With the AT&T breakup it became part of Bell Atlantic and the name was lost. Bell Atlantic became Verizon. C&P seems ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2017 - 2:35pm -

New Orleans circa 1906. "Haunted House (Warrington House), Royal and Hospital Streets." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Ghost Rider" or "National Treasure?" Between 2006 and 2009, this building was one of actor Nicolas Cage's fifteen homes around the world. Deep in debt to banks and the IRS, Cage lost the mansion through a foreclosure. The sheriff's sale price in 2009 was about $1 million less than Cage's real-estate business paid for it in the 2006 pre-real-estate-crash market. Still There!Hospital Street has been renamed Governor Nicholls Street. You can read the history of the building here. New OrleansSuch wonderful memories! Grandparents lived in Belle Chase; shopping trips to the City, by ferry, with stop for oysters and hot sauce with Regal Beer in Gretna on the way home. Wonderful. Phone Company?What the name of the telephone company on the Pay Station sign? It looks like it is part of the Bell System. The breakup of the original AT&T must have erased a lot of local phone company names. In the Washington, D.C. area the AT&T-owned phone company used to be C&P, Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone. With the AT&T breakup it became part of Bell Atlantic and the name was lost. Bell Atlantic became Verizon. C&P seems like a lot friendlier name than Verizon. Expensive pay phone callsCumberland Telephone Company bought out its competitor Public Telephone in 1900, becoming the only phone company in New Orleans. They advertised rates as low as $1 a month for homes and $2 for businesses. Their ads didn't mention pay calls, however, which were 15¢ per. If that was still the charge when this photo was taken, calling home to tell the wife you were running late would have cost about $3.89 in today's dollars. (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, New Orleans)
Me and My Shad: 1920
... fascinated by the old urban photos, especially of New York City, would likely be fascinated by Mitchell's writing. Bad shad I've ... the most valuable of the migratory river fishes of the Atlantic seaboard, will become unknown in Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 1:33pm -

Circa 1920. "Shad fishing on the Potomac." National Photo Co. View full size. "Gluttonous Springtime Blowouts"Here's a quote about shad bakes from catfish1.com During the shad's Hudson River heyday, virtually every river town could boast at least one big annual shad bake—the Hudson's equivalent of the New England shore dinner. New Yorker essayist Joseph Mitchell, in his 1959 piece "The Rivermen," calls these bakes "gluttonous springtime blowouts" and remembered when huge bakes were given by churches, lodges, labor unions, and local politicians. "The Rivermen" was a long essay for the New Yorker. It was later collected in Mitchell's "The Bottom of the Harbor," which itself was later collected in the masterpiece "Up in the Old Hotel." Joseph Mitchell was from a small town in North Carolina; after graduating from college, he moved to New York, where he reported for several newspapers and eventually began writing for the The New Yorker in 1933. He worked there until his death in 1991, although he effectively stopped writing in 1964. Shorpyites who are fascinated by the old urban photos, especially of New York City, would likely be fascinated by Mitchell's writing. Bad shadI've always thought of shad as a trash fish. Were they considered more desirable in 1920 or is there something I don't know about them? [Planked shad was practically a religion in this part of the country. And shad roe is considered a delicacy by many. - Dave] Blind to their Own InterestsShad were once plentiful in the Potomac, Delaware and Hudson rivers. Overfishing and pollution were greatly reducing their numbers at the time of this photo. Due to efforts to stock the river with fry and roe, the population in the Potomac lasted a few years longer then those in the Delaware and Hudson. There is now an ongoing project to restore shad to the river. On a culinary note, in addition to planked shad for dinner, newspapers of the time mention bacon-garnished shad roe as a popular breakfast treat. Of course making a delicacy of the thousands of eggs in each fish no doubt hastened their decline. Additionally, please don't interpret the title of this post (Blind to their Own Interests, extracted from one of the following newspaper articles) as a condemnation of the hard-working fishermen of the time. Overfishing, as in many exploitations of shared resources, is due to the larger dilemma of the Tragedy of the Commons. Washington Post, Dec 20, 1915 Driving Out Potomac Shad Fish Will be Gone Says Commission, if Greedy Catch Isn't Stopped Unless protective measures are taken at once by the State of Maryland and Virginia there is a danger that the shad, the most valuable of the migratory river fishes of the Atlantic seaboard, will become unknown in Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. A real note of alarm in this respect was sounded in the annual report of the government bureau of fisheries, which was issued yesterday. Not only is it indicated that the fisheries laws of Maryland and Virginia should be amended, but the laws of all the Atlantic coast States as well. "The bureau repeatedly has pointed out the shortsighted and destructive course pursued by some of the States with reference to this most important fish," the report said. "The most serious condition exists in the Chesapeake basin, where in 1915, the fishing was the poorest ever known, following a season that was the poorest in a generation. No limits are placed on the operations of the fishermen, who seem blind to their own interests. Every stream which the shad can try to ascend is literally choked with nets. Washington Post, Nov 27, 1925 Fish Disappearing Commissioner O'Malley, of the Bureau of Fisheries declares in his annual report that the country is at last awakening to the need of conservation if serious depletion of some of the most important American fisheries is to be checked. ... A few years ago shad visited the waters of the Potomac in sufficient numbers to enable the proprietors of the resorts along the shores between Washington and Indian Head to offer a round trip ticket on their steamers with a "whole planked shad and a moonlight ride on the return," all for a dollar. In those happy days fishermen offered the choicest "roe shad " at the height of the season for "a levy," and itinerant peddler would bring one to your door, all dressed, for a quarter. Frequently when the fish were "runnin' strong" they were a drug on the market, to be had for carrying them away. Farmers along both shores of the river salted hundreds of barrels of shad and herring every spring, while "Potomac Robins," as the herring were known, were the staple food of most of the colored laboring class. 1914 Advertisement Washington Post, Jul 22, 1926 Will The Shad Come Back? ... Thousands of citizens not yet out of the "thirties" can remember when the fish peddler cried his wares through the streets of Washington early in the spring when a roe-shad big enough for a family dinner could be purchased for a "quarter." But there has been a gradual falling off in the catch every year for more than a decade and last May, in the height of the season, the haughty fishmonger scorned the dollar proffered for an insignificant "buck." The United States fish commissions has carried on restocking operations in the Potomac during the past nine or ten years. This season the number of fry turned into the river at the hatchery opposite Mount Vernon was the smallest in years. There were 10,000,000 fingerlings released from the hatchery. In some years the number has reached 80,000,000 and the commissioner is still hopeful that results will be shown in the returns from the seine haulers. The falling off in the number of shad caught in Northern waters can only be explained by the growth of cities on the banks of the rivers and the erection of all sorts of manufacturing plants along the shores which have resulted in the pollution of the waters and killed off young fish by the millions. ... Oh, waiterThe popularity of shad roe is illustrated in the Cole Porter song "Let's Do It" with the line "Why ask if shad do it? Waiter, bring me shad roe." Fish storyShad fishing in the Hudson River remained a major seasonal activity until well into the 1950's: the rivermen would live on their boats/barges during the shad run. Some time earlier, large sturgeon were plentiful enough on the Lower Delaware that there was a town (Caviar) built around the harvesting of their roe. The Central Railroad of New Jersey had a freight line serving the town. Not much left of that now. ShadHere on the Tennessee river, shad are used for cut bait on trot lines. You have to cut up a shad and get the pieces on the hooks as they don't "keep very well" in warm weather. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo)
TTerrace Terraces: 1979
... When, at the age of 11, I incorporated the yard as the City of Penton, I named those pathways, left to right: Plum Blvd., Compost Rd. ... who was 74 in 1979. He and my mom both grew up on Norway's Atlantic coast, and my dad was always torn between being a fisherman and being ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 10/01/2011 - 3:18pm -

Actually, my father's terraces, and there he is at the upper right, at age 77 still taking care of this whole place. Pretty much everything you see here exclusive of the house is his doing. The basic grading had been done by the time my folks bought the place in 1941, but over the years he put in all the pathways, stairs, trees, bushes and other plantings, here as well as the other half of the property. This just most of the back yard, site of the orchard and vegetable gardens. He's preparing one of the three tiers of the latter for planting. I think those are strawberries already sprouting. Later there'd be beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini and squash. The fruit trees include apples, peaches, plums, prunes, apricots, figs and cherries. The one in the center casting a shadow on the bank of pink-blossoming oxalis is an avocado that grew for decades before finally producing some finger-sized fruit. A row of blackberries follows the stairway, which is lined by amaryllis. When, at the age of 11, I incorporated the yard as the City of Penton, I named those pathways, left to right: Plum Blvd., Compost Rd. (because the compost heaps used to be there) and Garage Ave. (because that's where the stairs went). The square thing above the avocado tree is the platform of my observatory. This Kodachrome slide was at the end of the roll, hence the phantom image of a batch tag or something at the right edge. View full size. A Natural TalentYour father was gifted as a born landscape architect, although I'm pretty sure he didn't consider himself as such. There is so much to see here, so many facets of gardening are represented and so much hard work that must have taken many years to develop, not to mention the physical effort and time he put in to beautify and create this bountiful backyard. My parents and grandparents did similar cultivation of the earth's rewards, nothing as elaborate as yours, but I did not inherit their penchant for growing things. I wonder if youngsters today even realize that most of their food comes from seeds that require loving care, rain and sunshine to grow into delicious nourishment and/or beautiful flowers (food for the soul). Your father had to be extremely proud of his creation, it is quite magnificent. What a wonderful place!This would have been an awesome playground for an imaginative kid. When I was a kid in the '60s we had a playhouse in our back yard and we made little trails to ride our bikes to and from the "house." It was nowhere near as big as this, though. It was also pretty much barren since we lived in the Mojave Desert. Olde SchoolYour dad was very traditional: you have land, you till it and raise food on it. No square meter was wasted. Classic. It's a great insight into your father and what life must have been like growing up. You were very lucky, Sir. Your beautiful little churchI looked for it but didn't see it in this picture. Was it in another part of the yard, or am I not looking in the right spot? What nice place to grow up. Teensy churchThe area with the church is down the hill beyond the left edge of the picture. It'd be obscured by trees and bushes and probably be too small to make out anyway, being only 18 inches tall at most. Oh, and in my recital of vegetables in the garden, I forgot asparagus. Yuck. A gardening dadTterrace, I love your photos! This reminds me of my dad, who was 74 in 1979. He and my mom both grew up on Norway's Atlantic coast, and my dad was always torn between being a fisherman and being a gardener. So he did both. Our garden was just a little garden behind a little house in a little town in Montana, but I remember sitting out there on summer evenings eating baby carrots, pulled from the ground and washed off under the hose; the Norwegian gooseberries when they were ripe; the beets and turnips and rutabagas and parsnips and all of those things nobody eats anymore. And right next to the garden was his smoker for trout and perch and salmon. Wow. I didn't realize how much I missed it all. Tterrace, you rock!tterrace, my only childhood regret is not having a kid like you with such an active imagination living next door. Or down the road, in my case [I grew up in the country with the nearest neighbor about 1/4 mile away]. I like the idea of making the backyard an incorporated city, and naming the "streets". Were you the mayor of Penton, or was that your dad's job? Anyway, keep those hits coming. Always a treat waiting to see what you'll come up with next. Why the oxalis?What was the reason behind the cultivation of oxalis? (We classify that as a weed Down Under.) Was it just that your dad hadn't cleared those garden beds for crops? Wherefore Oxalis?bhk: My father used to cultivate the slopes of the orchard area by turning over the soil - by hand, with a shovel - each spring in order to control the weeds. A lot of work, especially as one's age advanced. Hell, I griped plenty as a teen when he talked me into helping out. So planting oxalis, and in another area dichondra, accomplished the same thing but without the back-breaking labor. And it looked pretty. Al-Thib: I appointed myself City Manager and Fire Chief, but Mayor and Police Chief were elective offices; Father usually Mayor and Mother Police Chief. There; that ought to reveal something about our family. We also voted in weekly taxes for a while, 10 cents/head, which we later applied to the purchase of a barbecue - er, grill - as seen in an earlier submission of mine. Oxalis againMy mother used to hate Oxalis because when the leaves/stems were tugged from the soil, invariably the bulk of the little bulbs were left behind to sprout again. Poor Mum would get very frustrated if we kids tried to help by pulling out the plants! Continuity As glorious as these stepped gardens are, the emotionally upsetting part is wondering, 'What happens to my life's work once I'm not there to do it?' One can only hope there is a Sancho Panza in the wings to give worth to our endeavours. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Boston Harbor: 1906
... located. Different World I live and work in this City, but the only thing I see in this picture that is even remotely ... Street Station. The El was new in 1906, ran along the Atlantic Ave./Commercial Street waterfront (same street with two names). Last ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:36pm -

Circa 1906. "Boston Harbor from East Boston." Our second glimpse at this bustling transport hub. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. If you are talking about theIf you are talking about the dome to the left of the White Star Line, I don't think that is the state house. I think that is in Charlestown, close to the present location of Bunker Hill Community College. I'm not sure of the name of the section of Charlestown. I think that was a police station. It was located near the old expressway. There was an entrance to the expressway/93 north there. Old Boston This photo apperently shot from East Boston shows the Bunker Hill Monument at the far right located in Charlestown. The Golden Dome of the Massachusetts State House, quite possibly the old North Church of Paul Revere fame, middle right. The black smoke stack and hulking building toward the left is either the Boston Cold Storage Building or the Boston Electric Illuminating Company of Boston, Station # 3. The railroad cars on tracks in the foreground are quite likely about to the cross the harbor channel to railroads yards on the other side of the harbor located not far from where the old Anthony's Pier 4 was located. Different WorldI live and work in this City, but the only thing I see in this picture that is even remotely recognizable is the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, way over on the far left of the picture. If this photo was taken in East Boston, it may have been taken from roughly the location of where Logan Airport is today. Real live Lionel train tracks ....Note the three-rail tracks going into the end of the building in center foreground: honest full-sized Lionel train tracks??? Skip The Electric Company"The black smokestack and hulking building" was a power plant. Now it's a condominium! Note to the right of the building under the Boyle Brothers sign: an elevated train and the head house for the Battery Street Station. The El was new in 1906, ran along the Atlantic Ave./Commercial Street waterfront (same street with two names). Last service was circa 1938, torn down in 1942 when I was 10. I remember it. Looked at the area using Google Earth at street level. Very little left now I recognize from my childhood. But it's a great improvement over what was. After Poking Around a BitAs a couple of folks have noted, the Bunker Hill monument is the one easily recognizable feature. Moving straight down from there to the water was (and still is) the Navy Yard, though I don't see the USS Constitution. Browsing some old Boston Maps, I've matched the "Merchants and Miners Transportation Company" to Battery Wharf, which means this picture was most likely taken near (but slightly northwest of) present day Logan Airport, say the end of Marginal Street near Lewis Street. If that's the vantage point, the domed building looks (agreeing with soupman22 below) to be too far north to be the State House, and is probably still Charlestown, or even the West End(?). The water below the "White Star Line" signage, and passing behind the cranes just to the left of "WHITE" marks the path to the present day locks and the beautiful new Zakim Bridge). The Old North Church is most likely directly behind the structure that looks like a power station, and that tower to the right is tantalizing but I haven't been able to figure it out. One distinctive building I think I can identify (thanks to that cool faked 3D angle view Google maps does): From the water tower in the center right (just to the right of the large rectangular building), go to the steeple a bit further right. I'm 99% certain the lower rectangular building just to the right of the steeple, with the slightly taller left tower and the slimmer column on the right is Saint Mary's Parish, at the corner of Winthrop and Warren Streets in Charlestown. Still there!It's good to see the three masts of the Constitution docked in the Charlestown Navy Yard. It's the only thing I recognize other than the Bunker Hill Monument. Wow, it's an amazing shot and the city was much different than it is today. I wonder if the large brick building is Mass General, it's in about the right spot. And the West End, that the city razed in the 1950s is here intact and thickly settled. Thanks Dave! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
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