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The Pontch: 1910
The Hotel Pontchartrain in Detroit, seen earlier today around 1907 in this post ... Detroit, Seattle, Pearl Harbor My father worked at this hotel. Detroit was at one time a beautiful city, a safe place to go downtown ... neighborhoods. The burlesk shows were to the right of the hotel. Detroit's main street, U.S. 10, started at the Detroit River and ended ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 9:42pm -

The Hotel Pontchartrain in Detroit, seen earlier today around 1907 in this post. Now it's circa 1910-1915 and it has a few extra floors trimmed Second Empire style to look like a giant mansard roof. Not too many years later it was torn down to make way for a bank. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Monumental RespectEmbedding is beyond me but the monument remains: The Civil War dead getting a tinch more respect than below! That addition...is an architectural muffin top. Goodbye Motor CityIt's too bad Detroit went to hell in a handbasket, and now the whole state of Michigan is going down too. The difference a few years makesTo me, the main difference between this photo and the one taken in 1907 is the presence of so many more automobiles and a bit fewer pedestrians scattered throughout the scene in the later photo. Assuming a date of 1915 for this photo, this gives an insight to the rapid progress of automotive technology. It's probably not unlike the number of household computers that sprang up between 1996 and 2004. Detroit, Seattle, Pearl HarborMy father worked at this hotel. Detroit was at one time a beautiful city, a safe place to go downtown after dark. The first-run movies were shown downtown first then out to the neighborhoods. The burlesk shows were to the right of the hotel. Detroit's main street, U.S. 10, started at the Detroit River and ended in Seattle. Have pictures of my son and older daughter at the Seattle end. 67 years ago today I drove up to Bay City, Michigan, from Detroit for a Sunday drive with my future wife. We heard about Pearl Harbor on the drive back. Horses and carsActually the interesting thing about this picture is the street on the right side of the picture has only cars, but the street on left has at least 8 or 9 horse drawn carriages. The horses outnumber the cars on that street. Soldiers & SailorsThe Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated in 1872 and sat in the same spot until 2002, at which time it was moved south a hundred feet or so for a park layout in the area. A copper box was discovered beneath the monument at that time, but alas, all the papers had been rotted away by seepage. A medallion was also discovered and it is now in the Detroit Historical Museum. MotownBelieve it or not, there are a few of us who are still managing to live, work and even recreate after dark in Detroit! The lights in this city aren't exactly out yet. Nice! You can see the edge of the roof of old City Hall in the right foreground and the still standing (and still beautiful) old Wayne County Courthouse in the background on the left. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Knickerbocker Trust: 1904
... " Knickerbocker Trust Building and Waldorf-Astoria Hotel , Fifth Avenue at W. 34th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit ... something else there now The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was torn down in 1929 in order to erect the Empire State Building. Is the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2024 - 1:59pm -

New York, 1904. "Knickerbocker Trust Building and Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Fifth Avenue at W. 34th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. We're just dust in the windIf you look at that first column of windows closest to the Knickerbocker Building & go up five windows, there appear to be two people there (possibly kids). A shame we'll never know who they were. [Phantoms! - Dave] There's something else there nowThe Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was torn down in 1929 in order to erect the Empire State Building. Is the Knickerbocker Trust Building still there? ¾ ain't half badWithin a few years, three of the four corners of this intersection would be occupied by buildings bearing some of the most famous names in New York (Astor, Knickerbocker and Altman). The Knick -- did anyone dare call it that when it was in its prime ? -- was widely publicized in the architectural press, and survives today, expanded and simplified ... a Faustian bargain that spared it a Penn Station type date with the wreckers. Earlier KnicksKnickerbocker Trust failed amid the Panic of 1907, although a year later it reopened for a few more years under that name. By 1912 it was an acquisition target, and the "Knickerbocker" name disappeared from the firm's title in 1914. Its building at 358 Fifth Avenue, however, was never torn down, but was expanded, then modernized to the point that it's impossible to see Stanford White's magnificent columns. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/realestate/08scapes.html (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
The Willard: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Willard Hotel, 14th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue." National Photo Company Collection ... adjoining neighbor in the 1921 photograph, the Occidental Hotel, is long gone (as are the streetcars). However, the Occidental's famed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Willard Hotel, 14th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. +89Having escaped the "redevelopment" of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1970s and '80s that claimed other buildings, the Willard still stands at the corner of 14th Street and remains one of Washington's premier hotels. Its adjoining neighbor in the 1921 photograph, the Occidental Hotel, is long gone (as are the streetcars). However, the Occidental's famed restaurant found a new incarnation a few steps west on Pennsylvania Avenue. Below is the same view from April of 2010. [A big round of applause for timeandagainphoto, whose ability to come up with current versions of 90-year-old views at a moment's notice is nothing short of uncanny. I posted this after dark, so you HAD to have taken this beforehand. From the same vantage. With the flag blowing in the same direction. Brrr! - Dave] Re: Dave and tterraceTo be praised by both Dave and tterrace on the same day is indeed deeply humbling. As to my ability to "prepost" a "now" shot, well, Shorpy has been referred to as a time machine afterall. Actually, I'm just trying to keep up. Fabled WillardAbraham Lincoln stayed at the Willard before his inauguration--however, it was the earlier, 4-story version at this location. A major fire damaged the Willard in 1922. Guests who had to be evacuated included Calvin Coolidge, John Philip Sousa, and Adolph Zukor. The hotel was closed in 1968 and sat empty for 18 years, which is my first memory of it. Its survival is indeed miraculous. After the FireThe scaffolding was put in place after the 10th-floor fire of April 23, 1922. The hotel's owners decided to turn the top-floor ballroom into a roof garden. It opened to much fanfare in June 1923. Nice SaveWhen I was a student at Catholic University in the late 1970's, the Willard was a boarded-up, rat-infested dungeon, of obviously distinguished pedigree, but also obviously soon to become a victim of the wrecking ball. The fact that it is standing today, in all of its old, restored splendor, is one of the great saves of local D.C. preservation. By the way, what's all that scaffolding up on the roof in the old photo? Doesn't look OSHA-compliant to me! FoliageThe trees in front of the hotel are obviously new, but I wonder if the ones on the right and left are the same, 89 years later (just not quite full of foliage yest this spring, so looking a little sparse compared to the old photo). timeandagainphoto, if you had just managed to arrange things so that there were buses in the same positions as the streetcars and a dapper-looking man with an umbrella (traffic conductor of some kind?) Sad to see that the interesting looking building in the distance on the right is now gone (the one with the cool roof). A streetcar namedUnion Station? No, perhaps I shall be better inspired when I reach N'ahlenz. Those little round windowsDid anyone ever get into the rooms behind those nifty round windows, always my dream to have an apartment up there, what is the wooden scaffolding for? timeandagainTo my applause I add mystification over those instances in which timeandagainphoto has come up with "now" shots taken from identical perspectives, but dating from well before the "thens" were posted on Shorpy. Time travel is the only explanation I can come up with. Meet our staffNotice the man standing at the base of the flag. Competing WillardsWhile they were renovating the Willard, they were also planning and/or building the JW Marriott across from it on 14th Street. The original plan for the Marriott was for it to be named the J. Willard Marriott Hotel, but folks were worried that visitors would confuse the two hotels, so it's known as simply the JW Marriott Hotel. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Streetcars)
Hop In, Honey: 19xx
... in its decrepit state in 1958 portrayed the "McKittrick Hotel" in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo . Then a year later it was torn down. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/12/2015 - 9:25pm -

From somewhere in San Francisco comes this undated, unlabeled photo of a lady in a fancy-looking phaeton with a glass headrest. Who can tell us what she's driving, and when? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. "Ask the man who owns one"Packard. Not sure what year, but guessing late teens or so. Hitchcock cameoI can't ID the car, but I can the big house across Jefferson Square Park at the upper left: it's the Fortmann Mansion at 1007 Gough, which in its decrepit state in 1958 portrayed the "McKittrick Hotel" in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Then a year later it was torn down. Behind the trees at the upper right, St. Paulus' German Evangelical Lutheran Church, built in 1893 at the corner of Gough and Eddy, also made a brief appearance in the film. It was destroyed by fire in 1995. Circa 1928 Cadillac?Dual cowl phaeton/ oops i'll change that to a similar vintage Hudson; didn't know they had their own "flying lady." HybridIt appears to be a 1924 Packard, but the hood ornament looks like it's from a 1928 Hudson. So they lost the Packard's rad cap and replaced it with the Hudson's? PackardI am fairly certain that this is a Packard of about 1930/31. The 'Glass Headrest' is in fact a windscreen for the rear passengers. It has fold-out 'wings' to deflect the rush of air, similar to the wings on the front windscreen. With the roof erected, it also provides a separation for the rear passengers from the lowly chauffeur up front. 1922–1933I think that this high-style cruiser is a 1922-1923 Packard Model 126 Sport Phaeton with custom body by Pullman Co. The car is a 1929 Hudson The hood ornament is the only thing to give you a hint. ID? MaybeAccording to Google "Images for hood ornaments guide", second picture in, it could be an Auburn between the years 1928 to 1931. That's based on the hood ornament, but photos of the actual car (compared to the Shorpy picture) don't really match. Flying Lady.The hood ornament looks like it belongs on a Rolls Royce. 1923-ish Packard Sport TouringAll the salient parts match. The Buffalo wire wheels are a conversion—you can see the original holes on the brake drums. The radiator mascot, bumpers, spotlight, and side-mounted spare are contemporary accessories, or cadged from other cars. The rear windscreen may be the same, but with its wings folded in. Edit I forgot to attach this photo earlier-- the radiator-shell shape, matching headlight bezels, the hood louvers and latch, windshield frame, belt moulding, long radiator neck, and access port for greasing the rear spring shackle, all point to the Packard. Their Model Series didn't line up exactly with the calendar, so the year model is not completely unambiguous. Ask the Lady Who Owns OneSome model of Packard, maybe 1926 Touring? Should be plenty of experts out there. I guessit's a 1928 Cord. On the MarquePackard; note radiator top. A Lincoln I'm ThinkinMaybe around 1925 and might be the Model L. Excuse My Dust!It's a mid-1920s Packard, not a factory dual-cowl phaeton. The rear windscreen appears to be an add-on accessory. Back then it was quite popular with the higher end automobiles to accessorize the hood ornament with something other than the factory job. Packards at the time came with Motometers. Hudson Hood OrnamentThe hood ornament is the "winged sea goddess" radiator cap from a late 1920s Hudson: ModifiedPlacing the model year as 1924 due to the drum headlights but the spare wheel mounting seems to be after-market as it is not recessed into the fender. Four wheel brakes narrows the field but positive as a Packard would be iffy. Car IDI'll say it's a 1923 Packard SportPhaeton. I agree with WatchwayneIt's a Packard. Around '23. The radiator cap has been swapped out and I don't blame them. This cap is beautiful. If you look at the radiator, the top has a curved slope that was found on the Packards. Above the running board towards the rear, you can find an oval access hole. These items are the same on both vehicles. Kind of a jalopyA little hard-used. Top is missing, running board is distorted. This could have been taken in the late 30s or even the 40s. [The license tag, tires, and fact that the photo is a 5x7 glass negative, point to an earlier time frame. - Dave] License to dateI'm going with 1927. Special KNote the "K" tread design and monogram (which may be the reason the picture was taken -- retrofit your ride with modern Kent Balloon tires). 1927?I am interested in the reasons why tterrace concludes for 1927. In the reverse picture detail I only see: 1 - 99[.-...] 19 CAL[IFORNIA] .. So why 1927? Tterrace, please make me wise. [The plate format shown in the photos in my comment was used only in 1927 and 1928; 1927 was a guess based on what seems like thicker characters in that year. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Russell House: 1900
... and Cadillac Square." Razed in 1905 to make way for the Hotel Pontchartrain. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. ... site. Here's the timeline: 1836 - 1857: National Hotel 1857 - 1905: Russell House (pictured) 1907 - 1920!: Hotel ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2021 - 4:14pm -

Detroit circa 1900. "Russell House, Woodward Avenue and Cadillac Square." Razed in 1905 to make way for the Hotel Pontchartrain. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. We'll never knowOn the far left of the photo, approaching the street corner, is a gent who seems to have a generously hatted Gibson girl slung over one shoulder while he propels a smallish child with his other arm. Or maybe he was just toting something unwieldy -- oversized oars? tent poles? dinghy masts? -- while the kid trotted patiently by his side. On third thought, the youngster is more likely a fire hydrant, and in the gent's free hand is a giant pinwheel. At any rate it looks to have been an interesting day for him. Moonlight Tower Sighting!It's been a while since we've seen one. TimelineTIL there were three hotels on this site. Here's the timeline: 1836 - 1857: National Hotel 1857 - 1905: Russell House (pictured) 1907 - 1920!: Hotel Pontchartrain 1922 - now: First National Building (see below) Signs of the TimesThe hotel is a billboard of its own. As the world speeds by, two boys stand to pose for the camera while two men, almost identically arm-in-arm, walk past them going the other way. It looks a bit poetic. Is that a pipe ladder reaching above the top of the hotel? Re: QuestionMark P - Here is an example that may address your question https://youtu.be/b3rE3zimt4Y QuestionBack then in 1905 how did you go about taking a building this size down and dispose of it? How many times have posts on Shorpy said that the building pictured was replaced but this time my question came to mind. Was steam wrecking ball equipment available? Was it shoveled into carts and hauled away by horse power? Lots of questions. Neatness doesn't countWow, nice video find, TimeAndAgainPhoto! They didn't so much demolish that building as un-build it. I bet most of those bricks could be reused, too. Safety MinusIn answer to the amazing video clip of the 1902 time lapse filmed of the demolition of the Star Theater NY, and posted by TimeandAgainPhoto. Not much effort went into safety. No gantry or any public protection, workers hardly ever wore gloves, let alone hard hats, goggles, safety harnesses etc. The life of many buildings is surprisingly short as evidenced by the first three incarnations on the Russell site. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Cat Park: 1958
... pic today, but an approximation that shows The New Yorker Hotel, 225 West 34th Street on the right (now known as 14 Penn Plaza) and the ... in the background. That, along with the New Yorker Hotel, places this at the current location of the One Penn Plaza building, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2021 - 1:43pm -

October 1958. New York. "Cat sitting on car in parking lot with skyscrapers in the distance." 35mm acetate negative by Angelo Rizzuto. View full size. E-Z ExitI love Mr. Puss in this photo, but I immediately think that the person parking this car benefitted greatly from what is likely a nice, relatively friction free bench seat upon which to slide in order to exit out the passenger door. Risky ParkingYes, you can park close to the fence and scoot out the passenger door. But if the Mercury parks too close, you may have a long wait before the driver returns. [This would be a pay lot where an attendant parks the cars and keeps the keys. - Dave] NYC TuxedoNo relation to Tennessee Tuxedo, obviously. BuickMildcat. Too easyDarn! A great photo like this with all the windows and signs was begging for the SHORPY to be embedded in some hidden location. I looked forward to the hunt, but there it was in plain sight. Sweetness!My tuxie is nearly identical to this. Her white chin fur does not extend up beside her nose, but other than that, her markings are the same. Except my Sweetness kitty is sleek and smooth and soft and pampered and petted and never goes outside. Approximate LocationIt looks like the fence of this parking lot runs along the 33rd Street side of the street, across from the north side of Penn Station. Of course, with more recent buildings in place it's impossible to get the same pic today, but an approximation that shows The New Yorker Hotel, 225 West 34th Street on the right (now known as 14 Penn Plaza) and the top of the tall chimney on 494 Eighth Ave can be seen here. The side of 494 Eighth continues to function as a painted signboard. Cat gonna Ride The DogThat's the old Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal in the background. That, along with the New Yorker Hotel, places this at the current location of the One Penn Plaza building, across the street from Madison Square Garden ... Eighth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets. We are not amewzed!You look bemewzed; should I repeat the question? It's Cat SeasonPussy is blissfully unaware of the hound running full speed behind it. Cat On A Hot Tin ... uh ... Fender(?)Methinks kitty was pretty used to the valets Parking is underground nowThe New Yorker Hotel is still there, as is the narrow building whose windowless wall was and is used for advertising. The cat, parking lot, and surrounding one and two story buildings are now the site of the Penn 1 office tower, encased in black glass and opened in 1972. 1955 Buick Super Riviera hardtop coupeJust enough cues to differentiate it from the top line Roadmaster, which shared the same body. Parked next to a 1957 Mercury. He's a real hepcat in the jargon of the day. For a not so brief momentI thought that fence "graphics" were part of a car design. Just North of Penn StationBecause of the strong visual clues in this photograph - the Greyhound Terminal and the Hotel New Yorker - I hereby declare that the location of this parking lot is the north side of West 33rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. This would be directly across the street from the north side of Penn Station; it is now the site of the skyscraper called One Penn Plaza, completed in 1972. As hard as we tried to book a stay at the New Yorker ...there were just too many setbacks. If you can find a better Bourbon ....Buy it! Nikola Tesla Tesla lived and died (1/7/43) in room #3327. The cars look so oldbut the cat looks so modern! (The Gallery, Angelo Rizzuto, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cats, NYC)
The Tuller: 1914
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1914. "Hotel Tuller, Grand Circus Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... streets of Detroit, sporting the name of a locally famous hotel that may be familiar to regular Shorpy followers. Re: Quick Lunch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:39pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1914. "Hotel Tuller, Grand Circus Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Half-ironed pants"More on the Tuller from Forgotten Detroit. [Also has its own Wikipedia entry. - Dave] The Ol' Lunch WagonThese antecedents of modern-day diners and catering trucks were common features on the streets of large cities at this time, and were often left at construction sites or in places where lots of people were working late shifts in order to quickly feed the workers there. Here is a picture of a similar "night lunch" wagon on the streets of Detroit, sporting the name of a locally famous hotel that may be familiar to regular Shorpy followers. Re: Quick LunchSure looks like a diner. Those steps look treacherous. They also look like they could be mass produced. Right across the street.Is that the corner of a diner on the right? I'd like to see pictures of that. Windows without glass?In the first level beneath what might be a penthouse, there appear to be several windows without glass or sashes. Also, is that a church next door? [The side-hinged casements open in. On the left is the Universalist Church of Our Father. - Dave] AfterthoughtThat top floor looks like they added it after the building was completed.You can't say they didn't get full use of their site! Every square inch is occupied! [The top floors were added in 1914. - Dave] Here in DetroitTwo 1914 period Detroit Electrics, identified by their stylish curved front corner windows, at home in their city. Is the intriguing "Qui..." on the right some kind of circus wagon? ["Quick Lunch." Grand Circus means "big circle," which was the shape of the park.- Dave] ElectricLooks like two Baker Electrics in this picture. If I am wrong I am sure there will be an immediate correction. Go for a ride in one with Jay Leno. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Palm Court Cafe: 1903
New York circa 1903. " Hotel Gregorian -- Palm Court Cafe." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... Quarter-Full. I followed the link to read about the Hotel Gregorian, and learned that the building still stands, now serving as a ... peeks through. Ladies’ Room In 1903, did NYC hotel cafes have restrooms for their patrons? Call the maître d' ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/15/2020 - 3:55pm -

New York circa 1903. "Hotel Gregorian -- Palm Court Cafe." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Fern barAnticipating by 70 or 80 years. Glass Half-Full? Maybe Quarter-Full.I followed the link to read about the Hotel Gregorian, and learned that the building still stands, now serving as a Comfort Inn. Both interior and exterior have changed, not for the better, but the original glory peeks through. Ladies’ RoomIn 1903, did NYC hotel cafes have restrooms for their patrons? Call the maître d'Missing glass on Table 1. Everything is perfect and wonderfulAnd beautiful. Then you notice the humble clay pots on the bus table. They seem strangely out of place. "Carry Out Only"Another poignant reminder of "social distancing' rules, circa 1903! What a delightfully elegant cafe. I feel like I need to put on a coat and tie just to look at this wonderful photo! So much depends on who owns itDon't neglect to click on the link provided in Dave's description. In 1913 the proprietorship changed and the new owner "emphasized affordability rather than elegance." Today this hotel is a Comfort Inn. Parts of the original elegance are still visible. It Would Look Like this TodayThis is what all restaurants are experiencing during today's crisis - no customers allowed in. So soothingI should order a print of this (no, that's not a plug!) to hang over my home office desk. There is something about it that is just so soothing. I can imagine a small string trio playing hits of the day (quietly, so as not to intrude on conversation) ... sigh. Apparently now The Gregoryhttps://www.thegregoryhotelnewyork.com/ (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, NYC)
Lucky Ducks: 1927
... of the circle. It's now the site of the Dupont Plaza Hotel, formerly known as Jurys Washington Hotel. Links: photo of the mansion exterior · blog post about the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:25pm -

April 21, 1927. "Do ducks swim? Misses Eugenia Dunbar and Mary Moose." The main focus here is of course the horse trough, once a common item of street furniture in many big cities. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Ducks in a RowMiss Eugenia sure is lovely, no denying, but Miss Mary looks like a better time on a 1927 Saturday night. Bathtub GinnyGreat photo. It sums up the dissipation of the 1920s just about as well as can be done. Absolutely Gorgeous!The girl on the left is STUNNING! Man I'm hooked on this website! Puts Marilyn to shameI am captivated by Miss Dunbar's feminine charms; her beauty is that of Pallas Athena and Venus together. The TroughPutting aside the obvious va-va-voom comments for the cutie on the left, I'd like to ask about the trough. (God I must be getting old!) Did someone have to fill these daily? (I'm guessing the Fire Dept.) It looks like there's a compartment on the end, maybe for ice to melt slowly through the day? It's strange to think that may have been someone's job once. [These were plumbed and self-filling, with what looks like a covered float valve at the far end. - Dave] Wow!Two beautiful women, especially Miss Dunbar. You mean there are ducks in the picture? Fun FactDipping a hat in a horse trough is a crime in Mayberry, North Carolina. Eugenia's PoetryEugenia won a poetry contest in the Washington Post. I can't find any other information about her. The listed home address, at 1755 P NW, was close to Dupont Circle. The curved curbstones in the photo suggest that might be where the photo was taken. Life's Stage. (Winner of $1 Prize.) The dance is on, and the dancers      Drift out in the hall As leaves are blown by the west wind      In autumn after they fall. Some look o'erjoyed and carefree      And smile and laugh as they talk While others look overburdened and careworn      Like a withered rose on the walk. The music begins and the joyous      Float into the lands of dreams. And the sad shake their sorrowing heads and say:      "Life is not what it seems." Why be so withered and careworn,      Thinking only upon your sorrow; Why not join in life's little play      And think not yet of tomorrow? So let's help build this wonderful stage,      Let's aid in this great erection, And let each actor in life's game      Play his part to perfection Eugenia Dunbar (17) 1755 P street northwest. Washington Post, Sep 26, 1926 A Great ShotWOW -- Then as now, a photographer will use any pretense to photograph a beautiful woman! Re the horse trough, in the late forties and early fifties there were still horses hauling goods around D.C., and these cast iron troughs were all over the downtown area. Lor' luv a duck!These are a pair of nice-looking birds! Where's the SPCA?Ya daft preeverts! Everyone's looking at the girls and not the poor ducks with ropes tied around their necks! Ms EugeniaNo question here, Eugenia is a timeless knockout. "Nanny"Sometimes it's hard to get a decent guideline as to how old a person truly is from these older photos, but this one hits just right. My wife's grandmother, Nanny, is about to turn 100 at the end of March (yes, there will be a big party); my daughter will be turning 18 in June. It just so happens that Miss Mary and Miss Eugenia here would be the same age as Nanny, give or take a few months, having been born in 1909, as these two were. They are at the same age in this photo, roughly, as my daughter. Those are a couple of cuties, all right, but they both might, like Nanny, have now over 80 descendants. But as cute as they both were, I bet they had some fun times for the next two and a half years, with no lack of male attention during that era of copious money and speakeasy gin. Duck on a leashThose are some strict leash laws! I wish Toronto had a law like that. Nothing is worse than trying to walk down a street and having your ankles accosted by ducks amok. I haven't seen a horse trough in years. The city tore out the last ones back in the early 90s near St. Lawrence Market when the condo dwellers complained about hobos bathing in them. In love with a ghostMiss Eugenia Dunbar, wow! I think I am in love. Born in the wrong time. Does anyone else have any info on her? [She rhymed. - Dave] Big Ol' LoveShe's a spitting image of Jeanne Tripplehorn, or vice versa. QuackedWhat I see here are four real "flappers." Nice. Thanks. What time of year is this?I notice the attractive young ladies have coats and it appears the wind is blowing but the two younger girls in the back are wearing sundresses. The trough reminds me of my paternal grandfather. He drove horse drawn beer wagons for many years because not for tradition; his brother-in-law owned the warehouse and he was a drunken Irishman. My other grandfather was a railroad conductor, luckily I caught the train bug and not the drinking bug. There is so much to notice about our history in everyday photographs. Thank you for cleaning up and sharing these unique glimpses into history but also allowing us to comment. If you subtract everything ...from this photo except Miss Eugenia - dressed just as she is - it looks like a photo of a young woman taken only yesterday. I have seen my own 30+ year old daughter-in-law dressed nearly identically, and the hair style is in no way dated. Now that is rare in a photo that is 80 years old. A new dimensionBeautiful and talented, our Miss Dunbar was. I think it's interesting to see another dimension of someone who was never a celebrity (not that I'm aware of, anyway), but just a regular person. Do you think she imagined that a poem she penned for a newspaper contest to win a dollar would be read 80-odd years later? Not Dickinson, but pretty darn good for a 17-year-old. There's some really good imagery there in the first stanza. It is certainly better than anything I might have composed when I was 17. Of course, one now wonders what sort of hidden talents did her friend Mary have? Eugenia and MaryEugenia Dunbar, born April 18, 1909, died September 13, 2000, Pasadena California. Eugenia was living somewhere in Wisconsin during the mid 1930s or early 1940s. Mary Moose: This might not be her, but it could be. Mary Moose, born April 27, 1909, died sometime in January, 1981 in Tennessee. That Mary fits a lot of the patterns, but she was both born in Tennessee, was again living in Tennessee in the late 1930s-1940s period, and died there. If that's not our Mary, then I think her name is slightly misspelled, and it's actually Mary MUSE, born November 20, 1908 (in Northern Virginia), died (still in Arlington, Virginia), July 27, 1998. She seems to have lived most of her life in the DC area. [After these girls got married, which seems likely, they'd have different names. Which is the reason it's hard to dig up reliable information about women when all you have to go on is a maiden name. Dunbar and Moose are mostly likely the married names of Pasadena Eugenia and Tennessee Mary. - Dave] Eugenia and Mary againDave, I looked them up by their birth names. This was the only Eugenia Dunbar that came up, so I'm pretty confident in that one. [Where was Eugenia born? - Dave] Right for meIt looks like I am the only one more smitten by the girl on the right. A real ringer - MaryIf I didn't know better, I'd swear that Mary Moose above was the woman I dated for nearly 2 years at the beginning of this decade. Her name was Marie - she was 24 years old when we started dating, 5' 3", about 110 pounds, short light auburn hair, big piercing blue/gray eyes and identical features to Ms. Moose. Shoot, they even dress(ed) the same when stepping out. What a jaw dropper seeing this picture - Marie passed away from throat cancer at the age of 29 in late 2007. Just a touchingly timeless image, at least for me. Thanks again for the wonderful work, Dave. Eugenia DunbarI also found Eugenia Dunbar's Pasadena death record, so I immediately requested the obit from the Pasadena library. They said it takes three weeks. Who knows, maybe she didn't get married, or otherwise kept her maiden name. I am hoping the obit will confirm whether she's the one. From ducks to flamingos?The Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal of April 21, 1999 each had an obit for a Eugenia Dunbar McCall, age 95. Obviously I don't know if she's the same person, but "she was a retired Flamingo Hilton showroom waitress of more than 30 years." Somehow I can picture this Eugenia ending up at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. Birds of a FeatherEugenia is too young to have been the Flamingo dancer. If she was 17 in September 1926, she was born in 1908 or 1909. Your showgirl was born in 1904, and I don't believe any showgirl would add five years when telling her age! Lucky Ducks Take 2I found another photograph of Misses Dunbar and Moose here. The second picture was taken just before or after the one here on Shorpy; their poses (including those of the ducks) have barely changed. What has changed is that both ladies are looking into camera with rather sultry expressions – oh you kid(s)! It is interesting that the quality of this second picture is far poorer than Shorpy’s standard (it’s fuzzy with too much contrast) despite the site’s rather pleasing magnifying feature. It just goes to remind me what an outstanding site Shorpy is – cheers Dave! [That image was made from a print, as opposed to ours, which comes from the original negative. - Dave] Wow, and double wowI wouldn't mind a date with either one of these beauties, although I'm kind of partial to Eugenia. Pick her up in the old Essex for a malt at the corner drug store, a couple of hours at a dance (maybe the one mentioned in her poem?), and then down to the local motion picture palace to catch the latest Clara Bow movie. Eugenia DunbarThis is Joe Manning. A few weeks ago, I requested the obituary for a Eugenia Dunbar, who died in Pasadena, CA, and was born in 1909. Bad news. The obit is not available. The only other scrap of info is this: In the 1920 census, there is a Rossie Dunbar, born in 1909 in North Carolina, attending the Industrial Home School in Washington, DC. That's the only Dunbar, born about 1909, in the 1920 DC Census. Anybody got any ideas? Eugenia graduatesIn the June 23, 1923, Washington Post, Eugenia is listed as graduating from the Peabody-Hilton School to Eastern High. Photographer?Does anyone know who the photographer was? [The National Photo Service. - Dave] Dupont Circle / Leiter MansionThanks to research by Wikipedia user AgnosticPreachersKid, we can confirm the location is definitely the east side of Dupont Circle. The building in the background is the left side of the Leiter mansion, which until 1947 stood at the northeast corner of the circle. It's now the site of the Dupont Plaza Hotel, formerly known as Jurys Washington Hotel. Links: photo of the mansion exterior · blog post about the mansion · blog post about the site · Levi Leiter bio @ Wikipedia. I suspect the streets have been widened since 1927; Google Street View today seems to show a narrower sidewalk at the location where the ladies would've been positioned: View Larger Map The sidewalks on Sheridan Circle, a few blocks away, are twice as wide, and more closely resemble the one in the photo. But there's no denying the photo was taken at Dupont Circle; too many details match up - tree branches, railed fence, fence column, balcony, position of street lamp; the shrubs were missing in 1927, but that's about it. Olivia Eugenia "Gena" Dunbar Snell (1909-1967)Many thanks to Erin Blakemore, professional genealogist Shanna Jones, and Gena's nephew Edward H. Dunbar, Jr. and his mom for their assistance with this research! I'd love to be able to say "Gena loved to..." but unfortunately, Edward Jr. says the relatives who could've filled in the gaps in her biography and told us more about her life & interests have all died. Olivia Eugenia "Gena" Dunbar was born in Augusta, Georgia, on March 25, 1909, to William M. Dunbar Jr. and Carrie Eugenia Johnson. Gena was the first of six children (three boys and three girls), none of whom are living now. She turned 18 just one month before the photo was taken. Her youngest sibling, Edward, was about two years old at the time of the photo. He died at age 83 at the end of 2008, a mere two weeks before the photo was posted on Shorpy. Gena's mom, Carrie, was from a well-respected family in Gainesville, Georgia. Carrie's father, Fletcher Marcellus Johnson Sr. (1858-1914), was a judge, and her mother, Elizabeth Eugenia Sullivan (1861-1893), was a college professor. This branch of the Dunbar family was from Richmond County, Georgia (Augusta area), and nearby Barnwell & Edgefield counties, S.C. In the mid-1920s, Gena's parents had temporarily settled in Washington, D.C., where William was working as a Maxwell House coffee salesman. Gena's nephew, Edward H. Dunbar Jr., says, "I was told that part of his job was the introduction of an 'instant' coffee product ... an endeavor which did not meet with success at that time," but concedes "I don't know about the accuracy of this. My father, who had a genuine interest in family history, also could exercise a rather impish sense of humor from time to time." His mother, though, confirms the story. Instant coffee existed but didn't really catch on until after World War 2. Gena eventually married William Edward Snell (b. Sept. 21, 1905), whose family was from Gwinnett County near Atlanta, home to Snellville. Thereafter, Gena was known as Gena or Eugenia D. Snell. On May 19, 1932, she gave birth to their only son, William Edward "Bo" Snell, Jr., who eventually graduated from the University of Georgia and became a lawyer. Gena's mom died at age 69 on June 5, 1955, in Augusta. Gena's husband died in Cobb County (Marietta area) at age 56 on Dec. 22, 1961. Gena herself died in Atlanta at age 58 on Nov. 17, 1967. Her son Bo died in Bar Harbor, Maine, at age 63 on Feb. 26, 1995. Melancollic StrangerBy lucky I get into this site, found this photo and suddenly I feel rarely sad and ... small (pequeño). I don't know how to explain, I don't even speak english very well. And is just this picture, I was captivated by it, it's so clear, so close. And then I see that date, and is so hard for me to accept that everything is gone, that she is not there, right know, with that smile. I'm not even suppose to be here, doing this, there is so much work to do, however I can't help my self, I needed to write this. Duck speed on landIt just struck me as funny that these girls have leashes on the ducklings. Back on the farm I would often see our two ducks waddling toward the barn, as I set out to get the cow and take her into the barn to milk her. By the time I was headed back to the house with the milk, or about 20 minutes later, the ducks would have waddled about five yards. Had those ducklings decided to make a run for it, I don't think the girls would have had much trouble catching them! SHE IS MY TWINOkay, the girl on the left looks just like me, it's crazy! Quacking another Mystery.The ducks are named "Diddles" (Dunbar) and Tommie (Moose), according to the caption from Acme Newspictures. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Animals, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls)
Times Square: 1943
... The building on the right has been replaced by the W Hotel and the Marriott has replaced the building just south of that. This is ... on the Times Tower on the south end. Notice that the Astor Hotel is on the left, or west, side of the Square. The Astor Theater was a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:35pm -

New York, March 1943. "Times Square on a rainy day." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Color me grayThis would be fun to see in color: the brightness of the billboards and the taxis would really stand out against the steely cold damp drabness of everything else. Colorizing after the fact wouldn't quite capture the atmosphere, but maybe I'll try anyway. Unless someone else wants to...? Saludos Amigos en la Plaza del TiempoThe Globe Theater on the right has put up a lavish display for Walt Disney's "Saludos Amigos," a 42-minute feature cartoon that encouraged our wartime "Good Neighbor Policy" with South America. Here's the Disney lobby poster that the Globe copied for its building-high banner. March 1-17, 1943Well, the only way I can narrow down the date is to find out that the movie at the Globe changed beginning Thursday, March 18 (Saludos Amigos had its last showing on the 17th). Are there any other little hints in the picture to help date it? Blackout!Check out the blackout headlights on the taxicabs. My mother remembers those. Taxi!Those taxicabs look particularly strange, kinda like a 1930s front plastered on a 1940-ish body shell. And the coupelet back makes them even stranger! Any idea what they are? [Circa 1940 Checker Model A. - Dave] Mother & Father DuffyAt the far left, you can see the Father Duffy Statue. Here's the statue in 1944. The pretty woman in the middle is my mother. BeerSchaefer is the one beer to have...when you're having more than one! Now you know the rest of the jingleSchaefer is the one beer to have...when you're having more than one! Schaefer's pleasure doesn't fade even when your thirst is done. The most rewarding flavor in this man's world, for people who are having fun. Schaefer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one. I wonder how long it's been since that was on the airwaves... Stop n GoIs that one of the old-fashioned stoplights that only had red and green lenses? I would have thought those were all gone by 1943. BroadwayThis picture shows Seventh Avenue, which looks like it was a two way street then. Out of the photo, to the left, would be Broadway. Mayor Bloomberg has shut off any traffic between 47th and 42nd Streets on Broadway. It is now a mall, complete with folding chairs and is mobbed on the nicer days. GloomyIt makes me shiver just to see this photo. How gray and cold that rain must be. I also notice the "Buy War Bonds" sign on the Flatiron Building, and the WAAC sign. Is that a recruiting station or something? Also visible above the marquee is an Orpheum sign, presumably from the old Vaudeville days. A real step back into America's past. I wonder if it was Sunday, with so few people on the street. [That's not the Flatiron Building. Which is taller, and not on Times Square. - Dave] Laffmovie Here, a 5/15/43 NY Times entry about the theater to the right of the Astor. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802EFDD103CE03ABC4D52DFB... Parts of the 42nd Street sister-theater mentioned in the article have been put to good use as the AMC Empire 25. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/255/ Depression That brilliant facade of the night, the signs that scream see this, drink this, buy this, are stripped of their promise by the harsh drab light of day. Across the street is the Orpheum. A gilded palace where baggy pant top bananas tell stale jokes and cheap B girls shimmy and strip to the cat calls and wolf whistles of the lonely and desperate. I pull up my collar against the wind and start across. My feet make pearlescent rings in the oil drenched street. It's a cold rain, but not enough rain to wash the dirt from this city. Depression is daylight, and rain and Times Square. Crossed StreetsPerhaps Mr. Mel has Bway and Seventh reversed. In the foreground Broadway is on the right -- a two-way avenue at the time, one-way going south when I moved here, no-way as of last month (pedestrians only). Seventh Avenue is out of view on our left. In the distance where the Times building is (with a V for "Victory" and War Bonds), the two cross and Broadway goes away down the canyon to the left and Seventh Avenue continues down the canyon to the right. WAAC = Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, soon changed to Women's Army Corps (the famous WACs of the WACs, WAVEs, WASPs, and SPARs). Re the Flatiron Building misidentifications, I myself got the Times tower confused with yet a third building in the Central 40s (still standing) in another Shorpy last week. It's too easy to get confused because with the ugly sheathing obscuring all the turn- of- the- century beauty, the Times tower shell we see today isn't recognizable to its appearance in photos. This is wartime and the neon signage is a sad subdued shadow of its peacetime glories. Admiral -- Canadian ClubNot only is that not the Flatiron, it's the building Times Square was named after -- the old New York Times headquarters. Known mainly for the past 60-odd years as the building that holds up the big billboards at the end of Times Square. It's encased almost entirely in signage. Now that's Times Square!Mysterious and alluring, rain or shine, night or day. Not the sterile, Disneyfied pedestrian mall that's closed off to traffic now. Red and GreenI'm not sure when New York replaced all the older two-color lights, but I can remember them still being around during my childhood in the mid- to late-1950's. As I recall, at one point they had them showing both red and green to mean "caution" in place of the yellow light. Some things never changeThe manhole covers look the same today. The potholes, too. Taxi grabThat shot of the Checker Model A taxi is a frame grab from the film Kiss of Death (1949). The one where Richard Widmark pushes the old lady in a wheelchair down the stairs. Trash basketsI love the wire trash cans. They're right out of a Looney Toons reel. Do these still exist? 47th StreetThis is looking south from 47th Street. The building on the right has been replaced by the W Hotel and the Marriott has replaced the building just south of that. This is where the TKTS booth is nowadays. And as a matter of fact, my office window (where I am sitting right now) is on the left -- just to the right of the letter A in "State". MasterpieceAlso visible is a billboard for "The Human Comedy," a superb movie, a bit maudlin now, but still a classic and well worth watching. Admiral-Canadian Club ReduxThat Admiral - Canadian Club stack of signs was at the north end of Times Square and not hung on the Times Tower on the south end. Notice that the Astor Hotel is on the left, or west, side of the Square. The Astor Theater was a favorite with my family, when we were in town just to see a movie, and not to go to the Paramount, Roxy or the Music Hall (or to the Center Theater for the ice show), all of which complemented their movies with stage musical and comedy shows, such as The Phil Spitalny All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and Her Magic Violin, Phil Silvers, and Danny Kaye. Wow! There were giants (managed by Bill Terry and Mel Ott) in NYC in Those Days! And weren't those funny-looking cabs DeSotos? [The ones in this photo are Checkers. - Dave] Movie schedule"The Human Comedy" opened at the Astor Tuesday, March 2 so that eliminates one day. The Lonely CrowdI love the complete anonymity of the few people in this photo. You can't see their faces. They could be anyone, lost somewhere in the sprawling metropolis. Horn and HardartThe building just to the right of the Globe Theater (partially shown) is Horn and Hardart Automat. If this is 1943 it may not have been the Automat yet, as I didn't get to New York until 1947, at age 15, but by then it certainly was the Automat as I was in it a lot. Coming from Boston and all alone I was a scared kid to be in middle of Times Square. The Palace theater was across the street showing "The Spiral Staircase." I believe to the right of the Astor was the Victoria Theater, probably yet to be where the Laff Movie seems to be in 1943. I think the Globe was later to be the Times Square Theater or something like that. I remember seeing "An American in Paris" there around 1953. Times bldg. & Flatiron bldg.Sorry, Dave, but according to emporis.com Times is taller than Flatiron (110.64 m vs. 86.87 m). Funny thing is that I too misidentificated these two buildings before I started read more about Manhattan skyscrapers. Now I'm old NYC highrise fan and I love your site. [Maybe you're still a bit confused. The Times building is behind the "Buy War Bonds" building, which is just 16 stories tall. - Dave] The 1943 Father Duffy area in 2009As of 2009, the large Celtic looking stone cross to the left in the 1943 pic is now directly at the bottom of the steps of the TKTS booth in Times Square. The other side of the cross has the statue of Father Duffy so the 1943 pic is facing south. I think that spot is still called, Duffy Square? Interesting how the subway entrance used to be in what is now pavement in the middle of the two streets. Here's an example to compare it to. "Times Square: 1943" http://www.nytix.com/repository/broadway/TKTS/times-square-steps1.gif And the ladies under the Father Duffy pic in 1944. "Mother & Father Duffy" http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2008_10_tkt18.jpg +66Here is the view from the identical location and angle from August of 2009. As Azelzion noted, the Horn and Hardart Automat is visible on the right of the original photo (my father told me that the one time he visited New York City was when he was in the Marines in the early 1950's and had Thanksgiving dinner at that automat). The Grand Slam souvenir shop now occupies that site. I believe it is the same structure but under a new facade (no traces of the automat can be seen inside, either). The Globe Theater, which also has an "Orpheum" sign, next door to the automat was replaced by a Howard Johnson's restaurant in 1955 and was a Times Square landmark until it closed in July of 2005 (I was fortunate to have had lunch in the aged but still charming restaurant in November of 2004). The site is currently undergoing construction of a new building to house a retail store. WAAC BoothHere's a closer view of the WAAC booth with my Mom and her friends. Taken the same day as the pic below with Father Duffy. Locus of creativityThis wonderful image adds another dimension to the descriptive work from that era left to us by Kerouac; it is the Times Square of Edie Parker, Huncke, Lucien Carr, Burroughs, Ginsberg, and late-night camaraderies that inspired some of the best writing of that generation. Almost exact location, 11 years laterAbout 11 years later, my grandfather took a picture on a very similar, rainy day. He was about half a block farther south, and little bit to the left. One thing that surprises me is that the first movie theater just south of 46th has a Planters ad over the marquee, and not an ad for what's showing, like in the 1954 image. Other little changes, like light poles are different, no WAAC globe in 54, and many more pigeons! In Living ColorA large full colorized version can be found here. More on the Checker Model A here. About that traffic lightA couple commenters noticed the traffic light with only red and green; New York City didn't start using red-amber-green until the early 50's, and the transition took about 40 years to complete. I remember seeing some red-green signals still hanging on here and there in the city through the 70s. The other interesting thing about this particular light is that you can see here that the lenses are masked for war-time darkening. There is only a very small cross of light visible for each indication, rather than the whole 8"-wide ball that would normally be visible. I find it amazing that anyone could see these signals darkened like that. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, NYC)
Expert Truss Fitting: 1900
... point after the horrific fire that destroyed the Richmond Hotel, which stood on the same site until 1887. Mirror Writing? The ... all of the surrounding buildings, including the Iroquois Hotel, have all vanished. View Larger Map No heritage ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:35pm -

"Main Street, Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1900." The merchants of Buffalo, aside from making that fine city a haven for the herniated, also offered a wide range of "deformity appliances." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. Fireproof indeed!The fireproof tiles on the roof of the Iroquois were a big selling point after the horrific fire that destroyed the Richmond Hotel, which stood on the same site until 1887. Mirror Writing?The reverse lettering above the motorman's head looks like the back of a glass sign that says SMOKING ENTRANCE REAR SEATS ONLY, whatever that means exactly. [The signs says "Smoking on three rear seats only." - Dave] Safe CityThat is one safety-conscious city. Note the pedestrian catcher mounted on the front of the trolley. Niagara Falls!!!!Niagara Falls! "Slowly I turned...step by step...inch by inch..." From the Three Stooges short "Gents Without Cents" Oh MyWhat a picture. This is definitely a downtown scene. I am curious about the rides to Lockport, Lewiston and Queenston. Are they entrance cities to Canada? Perhaps they are tourist destinations like Niagara Falls. This photo will take a while to gather it all and to understand Buffalo as a major U.S. city at the time. [Those cities were excursion destinations. - Dave] Shuffle off to Buffalo...So much detail to take in. Wonder what a "Deformity Appliance" is. [I am thinking something along the lines of a super-dangerous cake mixer. - Dave] Bustling BuffaloNothing is more depressing than seeing the once-bustling major city that is now Buffalo. Interesting that the streetcar was the main mode of public transportation, and yet the newer "metro" line (consisting of one short rail from HSBC to the University of Buffalo) has contributed to the death of downtown. Martha!And "I Love Lucy." Your neighbor the sign painterBesides the five (or six or seven) signs of his own, Mr. Scott seems to have painted all the other signs on that building. I wonder if he traded signs for trolly rides, cigars, or deformity appliances. Trolleys Then and NowThe open-seat single-truck trolleys seen in this picture (with smoking allowed in the three rear seats only) have long been absent from the City of Buffalo. The line is now the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's Buffalo Metro Rail light rail line. Interesting that the tracks on Main Street have survived, while those on Church Street, and all of the surrounding buildings, including the Iroquois Hotel, have all vanished. View Larger Map No heritage hereSo, is this was were the Main Street Mall now resides? Seems all these blocks were demolished. The Iroquois Hotel was torn down in 1940. The Perfect VignetteWhat a great photo! The "Signs" signs, the omnipresent hats, the fancy streetlight. I love the advertisement for the "tobacconist"--that would make a catchy little business card, I think. Some people are dentists, some are salespeople, and then there are the tobacconists. And I wonder what got thrown into the wires crossing the street? I also love the trolleys in the picture--somehow, my daily bus ride doesn't seem quite as cool as this. One question. What is the net in front for? I would guess it's for luggage or large packages? [The net would be for inattentive or careless pedestrians. - Dave] LockportLockport was and is a neat little city in NW central New York State where canal boats travel down a series of locks. It's fun to watch. The city is also the home of an American standard in every kitchen: Jell-O! Cars?Sign says "cars leave every 15 minutes"...I don't see any cars, it's 1900 (or so) What do they mean by "cars"? [Streetcars. - Dave] The GlobeSure would like to be able to see more detail on that globe painted on the left side - looks like the continents have been anthropomorphized into pinup gals. BuffaloCool! I stayed a night in Buffalo early last month. Had it still been standing, I would have chosen the Iroquois over the Holiday Inn for sure. Looks like a fun city, but you've never seen anything more depressing than Niagara Falls (the town) in winter. You Are HereIn response to the many requests seen in comments for a time machine: here you are. Absolutely fantastic picture. Pan-American ExpoThat's the logo for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, held in Buffalo -- where President McKinley was shot and later died. Trolly carsThey mean Trolly cars. [Or maybe trolley cars. ("Cars" = streetcars.) - Dave] Look out above!The top three floors of the Iroquois were "superadded" for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. In 1923, owner Ellsworth Statler opened another hotel, and the Iroquois became the Gerrans Office Building. The building with the tower was transformed into one of the earliest movie theaters, the Strand. Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Leroy not LockportLeroy is the home of Jell-O, not Lockport! Visit the jello museum in Leroy to learn more about the product invented by a man named Pearl. CSI: BuffaloNice Cigar Store Indian on the right. Oh that logo The Pan-American Exposition Company chose Raphael Beck's design from over 400 entries, awarded him $100. They copyrighted it as the official logo in 1899. At first the design was to be used only for "dignified purposes," but due to its popularity, the decision was made to license its use. The logo was soon available on souvenirs of every conceivable description and was plastered on "everything that didn't move and some things that did." Some unscrupulous vendors ignored the licensing process and sold unofficial souvenirs with the logo. Here is a plate and a watch souvenir (both official): Beck made sketches of President McKinley when the president toured the fair and made a speech there. After McKinley died Beck completed the painting titled "President McKinley Delivering His Last Great Speech at the Pan-American Exposition, Sept. 5, 1901." Beck went on to design the logo for the 1905 Portland, Oregon Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. His father Augustus—who designed the bas relief at the base of the Washington Monument—named his son after the famous painter Raphael. +122Below is the same view from September of 2022. (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Streetcars)
Baron's Cocktails: 1958
... it. The net's pretty remarkable. I found out that the Manx Hotel is now the Villa Florence, then used Google Maps/Street View to get a ... that was left of the O'Farrell-Jones-Hyde Street line? Hotel Manx I stayed at the Hotel Manx for one night with a college friend in ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 07/22/2012 - 2:36pm -

Somewhere in San Francisco circa 1958. The film is Anscochrome and the colors are well preserved. Note the Billy Graham Crusade Headquarters on the second floor! View full size. Baron's corner todaytterrace beat me to it. The net's pretty remarkable. I found out that the Manx Hotel is now the Villa Florence, then used Google Maps/Street View to get a picture of the actual intersection. The facing on the building above Baron's (now above Starbucks) is still the same. View Larger Map Make mine a doubleVery nice. Who took the picture? Cocktail locationThis is Powell at O'Farrell. Baron's is now a Starbucks, and Lefty O'Doul's big baseball is gone, too. Hits the SpotThat's the last really good logo for Pepsi. The next two were OK, but it's all quickly downhill after that. The decadent '70sI can't help but note that the same office that housed the "Billy Graham Crusade" in 1959 had by 1973 been transformed into the "Executive Suite Sauna & Massage"! Locally knownFrieda Benz Oakley was a professional organist who, in the late 1940s, had an organ music studio in San Francisco. By 1952 she had moved her studio and home to San Mateo. As a professional in the mid-1950s, she gained a not inconsiderable reputation as a regular performer at the famous Domino Club in San Francisco, playing popular and semi-standard tunes. She was also sought after for more public venues, such as the San Mateo Fair. This slide shows her still playing local gigs in the late 1950s, and also tells us that Baron's had a Wurlitzer organ on the premises. In the early 1960s she was living in Southern California and teaching in Glendale and at the Hammond Organ Studios in Pasadena. She also was accepting invitations to play for such groups as the San Gabriel Organ Club, the Women's Association of the Congregational Church of the Chimes, and for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Theater Organ Enthusiasts—of which she was a member. Her last public performance on record seems to be at the grand opening of the new Baldwin Piano & Organ Center on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, in July, 1966. What's following the cable car? Check out the red (Dodge?) truck immediately behind the cable car. It seems to have an unusual bed and a red beacon on the roof. Perhaps it's a fire truck or tow truck? DAVE - The photo was taken by my father. We lived just south of SF, in San Mateo, from ~ 1954 to 1961, and this is from that era. I have cases of color slides that were a part of his estate and I'll try to find the best and most interesting to scan and post. Thanks very much for hosting the venue that allows others to enjoy them! On The StreetIn the foreground we have what looks like the right front fender of a 1958 Buick. On the right hand side of the street appears the taillamp and bumper of a 1957-58 Mercury. On the left hand side of the street is a red 1947 (Third Series) - 1953 GMC cab over engine (COE) truck. The white over green vehicle behind the GMC looks like a 1957 Ford Custom 300. The black car behind might be a 1956 Ford. Push me pull youThe red Dodge truck following the cable car is almost certainly a repair vehicle sent out by the Municipal Railway (MUNI). Check out its oversize pushing bumper and tool boxes at rear. It appears to be assisting cable car 502, which has undergone some type of mechanical mishap and is now out of service. Witness the "Take Next Car" sign in the front window.. The cable car is headed for the Powell Street turntable, and if it can't be fixed there the Dodge will most likely have to push it all the way back to the car barn at Washington and Mason Streets. It will be a long push -- mostly uphill. Cable cars were (and still are) notoriously finicky and tend to go flooey at inconvenient times. This car could have 'lost its grip,' meaning the mechanical device that grips onto the moving subsurface cable that pulls the car along. Alternately, it might have suffered some sort of brake malfunction. Whatever the case, MUNI didn't want any riders on this trip. All still thereSurprisingly, every building visible in the photo -- and both streetlamps -- still stand. Photogenic CornerA few more historic photos of this street corner I found via google image search. Baron's cocktail bar was still there in 1973. In the 1940s it was Lynch's. Jimboylan points out above that the 1940s photo is a different corner. Higher resolution images available at the linked sources: 1940s (the Tender), 1959 (roger4336), 1973 (Leroy W. Demery, Jr.). When the city was cool Until the mid 60s, the fare was the same as for buses -- fifteen cents. Alas, I admit defeatI was hoping someone would post info on the cocktail lounge names. I found Baron's was owned and managed by S. Baron Long. There was a vintage ashtray on line with his image in the center. He also became owner manager of the Hawaiian Garden's Restaurant in San Jose in 1938. They had floor shows and trained bullfrogs. There is also a mention of Baron Long's Ship Cafe in Venice Beach but don't know if it is the same person. However, I had to admit defeat on the sign front and center advertising someone named Benz and the last three letters of the first name "eda", I was thinking Freida, at the organ. Guess that was one organ player who never made it big. [Googling "Frieda Benz" + organist returns hits relating to a performer who had some California appearances during this general period. - tterrace] HitchcockThe image has the feel of the film Vertigo. Rail remnantsI noticed the remnants of other trackage crossing in the middle of the intersection. Was this all that was left of the O'Farrell-Jones-Hyde Street line? Hotel ManxI stayed at the Hotel Manx for one night with a college friend in 1976; it was dingy and scary! We were on our way to a summer of indentured servitude at a summer stock theatre in Santa Rosa. We had just received our BAs in Drama from UC Irvine, and as college graduates we were happy to make $40 per week. What, and give up show business?! Lynch's isn't Baron'sThe interesting 1940 photo of Lynch's and its link shows the competing California Street Cable Railway Company's Jones St. Shuttle car at the corner of O'Farrell and Jones Sts. Lefty O'Doul'sLefty O'Doul's is on Geary now. Does anyone know when it moved? GMC Contact TruckThe contact (pusher) truck is a circa 1950 GMC not a Dodge. The GMC logo is visible just above the grille. A 1951 example with a set of extra lights and windshield visor is shown below. Lefty O'Doul's vs Lefty'sThe only thing I know for sure is that Lefty's and Lefty O'Doul's were two different establishments. Both Lefty's Cocktail Lounge on Powell and Lefty O'Doul's Restaurant are listed in the 1960 San Francisco City Directory. Seeing the baseball sign, you would think that both were owned by Frank O'Doul. Wonderful TownI was going through U.S. Navy Electronics School out on Treasure Island throughout most of the summer of 1958. Used to go on liberty in San Francisco and always thought that, if I had to live in a big city, I would choose S.F. as my first choice. I didn't leave my heart there but will always remember that city as such a vibrant place. Many happy memories. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Regatta Day: 1908
... New York, circa 1908. "Regatta Day at Fort William Henry Hotel." Some fried chicken and lemonade would hit the spot right about now. ... View full size. Great location Beautiful hotel and I bet this lake has some deep places because of the surrounding hills ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:17pm -

Lake George, New York, circa 1908. "Regatta Day at Fort William Henry Hotel." Some fried chicken and lemonade would hit the spot right about now. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Great locationBeautiful hotel and I bet this lake has some deep places because of the surrounding hills and mountains. I could see "The Shining" being filmed here. Jack Nicholson chases his son out on the frozen lake and the little kid leads him on to the thinner ice area. Jack drowns and they find him later face up under the ice. TwinsI see the Coors Light Twins made it out to the event, though dressed a little more conservatively than these days. Sunday in the Park with GeorgeLake George, that is. CleverI like the one fellow that was smart enough to bring his own chair. Foresight and Planning ahead. Fire destroyed it the next yearaccording to historical info at the Fort William Henry Hotel site. The beautiful building in the background, originally built in 1855 and subsequently enlarged to accommodate over 900 guests, burned on June 24, 1909. It was replaced by a much smaller hotel that opened two years later. The second hotel was demolished about 1970, but a third one was later built on its "footprint" and opened for business in July 2004. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Drugstore Noir: 1940
... brick facade underneath! It's the Claire Hotel building Yes, this is Santa Fe, New Mexico. If you want to see a good ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/04/2014 - 6:09pm -

July 1940. "Street scene at the fiesta in Santa Fe, New Mexico." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Manhole coverI think the manhole cover in the 1940 Shorpy photo is the same manhole cover of on the southeast corner of the Santa Fe Plaza shown in the Google Maps street view link below: http://bit.ly/JUMJEu Yes, Santa Fe - Stowe's Drug StoreFrom the Wednesday, September 5, 1934, Santa Fe New Mexican. Stowe's Drug Store, located on the SW corner of the Plaza. Santa Fe?I lived for many years in Santa Fe, New Mexico and I doubt VERY HIGHLY that there has ever been that type of archetecture in that city. [Yes, Santa Fe. And the word is "architecture." - Dave] Just making comment according to my experience from having lived in Santa Fe. I see little need in you making "nasty" about my spelling, Dave... Getting a bit burned out, are we? [VERY HIGHLY. -Dave] I don't care! It isn't Santa Fe. You said on Facebook that it probably isn't Taos, but Santa Fe. That means you don't really know, now do you? [Scroll up. -Dave] No questionThe building in the picture no longer exists as it burned in 1946 and was eventually replaced by the building that now houses Ortega's. The new building retains the 'bevel' in the corner seen here. One clincher is to go to street view and see the manhole cover in the same place. cf. Hammett, 'Santa Fe, A walk through time'. This reference contains a photo showing the identical brickwork above the entrance, as well as the information given above. Just SayingNow that we've settled on Santa Fe as the location. Am I wrong or is this photo not in focus? [Motion blur from camera and subject movement due to slow shutter speed. -tterrace] Santa Fe has changed a few timesThe adobe-covered Santa Fe we know today is mostly a deliberate 20th-century creation inspired by a citizens' movement in the 1910s or so. If you peruse photos from a hundred years ago, you'll see Santa Fe looked like any other Western town of the era with buildings like this drugstore on every corner. We would consider the styles quaint today, but at the time they were derided as cookie-cutter architecture that could have come from anywhere and didn't honor New Mexico's history. Laws were actually passed around then requiring new and renovated buildings to adopt a pueblo-like adobe (usually stucco in reality) facade. In fact, pretty much any adobe-style building in central Santa Fe that was built before the 1920s now looks nothing like its original appearance. I've seen older buildings under renovation near the Plaza, and it's always jarring when the stucco comes down to reveal briefly a Victorian brick facade underneath! It's the Claire Hotel buildingYes, this is Santa Fe, New Mexico. If you want to see a good shot of the building as it was, here's a link to our online catalog. The previous poster is correct; the building burned in 1946, and the replacement building is much smaller and less notable than the historic one. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Springfield: 1905
... Street and Main. Next to it is the Phoenix Block, with the Hotel Worthy (look for the awnings on upper floors) at the far end of the ... picture below it on the same page of the booklet, labeled "Hotel Worthy and Busy Main Street looking South on East Side" shows the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:23pm -

"Main Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, circa 1905." Detroit Publishing Company 8x10 inch glass negative. Library of Congress. View full size. DogsThe funny thing is that dog in front of the hot dog cart staring something inside the building. Gorgeous Young BabesWhenever I look at the women of this era in these old photos, I always have a hard time getting it through my head that some of them are actually gorgeous 20-something babes who would really blow us away if dressed in today's styles, but you would never know it, the way they were always covered up with the clothes of the day. [Women walking down the street covered up with clothes -- the bane of civilization. - Dave] A noble spirit embiggens the smallest manStill, it's no Shelbyville! Hot diggityI see a hot dog cart, but no Chief Wiggum anywhere. Anyway, I just love these period piece streetviews, there's so much to see. And the eyes of Dr. T.J.And the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are watching it all on the right side of the photo. Great photo. Seems like a pretty busy place, which gives us many wonderful things to look at. That roof with the moon on top of it is pretty unique. Any idea what the building housed? I see a sign on it that is for a life insurance company, but I'm not sure if that's for the whole building or not. In the eye of the beholderWhenever I look at the women of our current era in new photos, I always have a hard time getting it through my head that some of them would actually be quite lovely young ladies who would really blow us away if they just excercised a little restraint and exhibited some grace and class. I don't think the females in "Girls gone Wild - Daytona Beach edition" have any edge on the likes of Evelyn Nesbit, Lily Elsie, or Louise Cromwell. Beautiful ShotI'm trying to find this location on Google map and it's not easy. Either this area has been completely demolished or I'm on the wrong Main Street. As far as gorgeous girls being covered up, similar to what we have in winter here in Mass. Cobblestone StreetsThe cobblestones which dominate the foreground of this photo remind me of an interesting statistic: in 1908, three years after this photo, in the entire United States there were only 144 miles of paved roads. Given the tremendous labor necessary to lay the stones (generally granite), and the resulting bumpy ride due to the natural irregularity of the pavers, it's not so hard to understand why there weren't more. Tarmac, a turn-of-the-century development, would soon displace the cobblestones and pave both city and countryside. [Asphalt paving of city streets was well under way by the 1880s. - Dave] Dr. Grady, SpecialistI wonder what he specialized in? Maybe that's why he gave his advice free; you had to go in and consult with him to find out exactly what part of your body he was going to treat! I guess he's a step up from Dr. Nick Riviera, anyway. Fancy RoofI don't have time to do too much digging, but I see references to a life insurance building on Main St. in Springfield that had a Masonic hall in the upper stories - I wonder if that's what we're seeing here. PerfectWonderful picture. Perfect as a movie set. No construction. All stores open. Vibrant scene full of hustle and bustle. Several generations of technology present. Nice snapshot in time. Good old daysAnd I thought some European cities had been badly ravaged over the course of the 20th century. But look at this in comparison to Google's present day pic of the same corner. It's gone from beautiful to pitiful. At 150.000 inhabitants nowadays at least this corner of Springfield looks like any boring outskirt. At a third that population around 1900 it had a very urban and sophisticated feel to it. Vive la differenceIt's the architecture that makes this photo absolutely splendid. Every building is a little different and, to my eye anyway, gorgeous. Walk down any main street in the U.S. and they're all glass and steel. Talk about borrrring. Fuller BlockFrom the 1988 book "Main Street, U.S.A.": The "eccentric, onion-domed" Fuller Block is at the intersection of Bridge Street and Main. Next to it is the Phoenix Block, with the Hotel Worthy (look for the awnings on upper floors) at the far end of the block, at the cross with Worthington. Women and OystersTwo topics: one, on the debate about women and period clothes, I think the "hourglass" ideal of the late 19th early 20th centuries was very sexy...if you think about it, it was very concerned with accentuating or even exaggerating women's curves; sexy, even if not much skin was showing. Compare above photo to a current view of women in jackets and jeans. Second, can any culinary historians tell us why oysters were so omnipresent in these days? I see photos of rough and tumble Western towns with oyster menus prominently shown. They must have been as popular as fast-food hamburgers are today. [NYT article on the oyster craze of the 19th century. - Dave] Picturesque SpringfieldAha! Found it! I did a search on "Haynes and Co Clothiers Springfield", attempting to locate the large store at the far left of the photo, and found another photo of the same area with better location information, in this booklet of Springfield photos from 1912: http://www.archive.org/details/picturesquesprin00grav. On the top of page 12 (or thereabouts, there aren't page numbers) is a photograph labeled "Busy Main Street, West Side, Looking South from Bridge Street", and the building on the street corner is clearly the one behind the "H. G. Moore, Photographer" sign, recognizable by the distinctive arched windows. The picture below it on the same page of the booklet, labeled "Hotel Worthy and Busy Main Street looking South on East Side" shows the insurance-company building with the interesting onion-shaped roof decoration, but somewhat in the background. In Google Street View, you'll find that the insurance company building is still there (minus the fancy roof, and only barely recognizable), but everything else is completely gone; much of it flattened into public squares. Main and Bridge streets today.The onion dome building is still there, minus the dome. View Larger Map Back to the FutureI wonder what kind of TVs they sold at the "Television" store (leftmost store). [Back when TV was known as "Levison." - Dave] Native SpringfieldianI was born and raised in Springfield but I haven't been back in over 20 years. I used to spend every weekend wandering downtown and was crazy about all the wonderful old buildings. It was a very vibrant city in the 1960s. But shortly after I left in 1970 they had a major "urban renewal" project that decimated the entire downtown area and turned it into a stark, uninviting desert of ugly slabs. It sure looks grim in the Google Street View, especially compared to the old pictures. So what's up with Edward J Murphy?I just realized that almost EVERY single business establishment that states the name of the proprietor does so in the "initial, initial, last name" format: Dr. J.W. Grady (specialist) H.G. Moore (photographer) W.L. Douglas (shoes) W.S. Clark (clothes) W.E. Maguire (dentist) C.W. Atwood (printing) E.A. Whipple (optometrist) But Edward J. Murphy gets to use his whole name. What makes him so special? Television?Extreme left side, bottom half- is that a sign for a television store? I know it can't be, but wonder what the sign actually said. [There's no "I" between the "S" and the "O." - Dave] Amazing photoThe original photo could've been some organic metropolitan city: France, London ... The modern bland look immediately puts it down as (any) Mainstreet USA. Shorpy is quite depressing sometimes. [France is certainly one of my favorite cities. - Dave] What a vibrant scene!Lars, I agree. In fact, this scene reminds me a lot of modern-day Oxford Street in London. SpringfieldThe contrast between the LIFE on this street and the dreary bleakness of Main Street in Springfield in 2009 is utterly depressing. The left side of the street in this photo is dominated today by the (old) U.S. Courthouse, a drab, faceless, early 1970's monstrosity that just sucks the energy out of the neighborhood - although "energy" is in very, very short supply these days in Springfield. Re: Women and OystersBy sheer coincidence, I just recently finished reading Mark Kurlansky's The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. "Craze" is not really the correct word to describe the history of oysters in the American diet as it implies that their consumption owed to a "fad" or "fashion." Rather, oysters were a staple of early 19th century menus merely because they were cheap and plentiful. New York Harbor, the estuary of the Hudson River, was fantastically productive of oysters, once producing close to 50% of the world's harvest. A meal of oysters in New York cost but a few cents - one of the least expensive sources of protein at the time. Pollution doomed the New York oyster beds, transforming what was once a poor man's staple into a rare delicacy. Hotel Worthy in the 50sI was born in Springfield & spent my childhood there. The Hotel Worthy has a place in my heart as the site of "The Accordion Mart" run by a family named Kuznierz on the second floor of the old Hotel. Took lessons there for a couple of years, you haven't heard the Din of Hell until you've heard 30 kids playing accordions next to a stairwell in a space paved with marble & ceramic tile all around. Just up off Stearns Square was the Breck Building -- at the age of 11, I dragged my box up Worthington past the Breck to a bus stop, headed up State Street for Pine Point. Ottoman standardThe Fuller Block has an Ottoman military crescent moon standard at its top. Does anyone know the history of that? (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
The Alvin: 1905
... center. The imposing stone structure next to it is a hotel, the Renaissance. There's still a theater next to the hotel now, the Byham, a small, ornately decorated venue with frescoes on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:11pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1905. "Alvin Theatre." Coming soon: Eva Tanguay, "The Sambo Girl." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "America's Prettiest Theatre"Apparently, even the dressing rooms were well-appointed. The conservatory on the main floor featured a fountain that sprayed "Lily of the Nile" perfume. While all the public areas were well-appointed and luxurious (a diamond collection, reputedly worth $100,000, owned by Charles L, Davis, the Alvin's owner), a special lounge for ladies was especially so. It featured a white grand piano, white upholstered furnishings, and white satin pillows. Davis, himself, handed out silver spoons and photos of the male stars to unattended ladies at the ladies' matinees. Below are photos of the "Green room" at the Alvin, and the "Bridal Eve" painted curtain in the theatre. "Pittsburgh in stages: two hundred years of theater" By Lynne Conner Seats all of 12Careful walking in as you may hit not one but both sidewalls. The adjacent buildings are like a Play-Doh machine squeezing out the Alvin. Lady Gaga circa 1905Slate did a story on Eva Tanguay a couple years ago, calling her the first rock star. From the article, her costuming sounds intriguing and yet familiar in 2011. She was a clothes horse, famous for her lavish wardrobe budget, whose details she leaked to the press. Her performances were fashion shows as much as concerts; in the course of a 30-minute vaudeville appearance, she would change outfits 10 times. The costumes, which Tanaguy claimed to have designed herself, were avant-garde and architectural: hats that rose several feet above her head, constructed from ribbons, bells, leaves, ostrich plumes; gowns made of feathers, beads, dollar bills, seashells, coral. A particular cause célèbre was Tanguay's "$40 dress"—a garment fashioned from 4,000 pennies. (It weighed 45 pounds.) When "Salome-mania" swept vaudeville in 1908, Tanguay made sure that her Dance of the Seven Veils was the raciest, her dress the skimpiest. "I can fit the entire costume in my closed fist," she told reporters. http://www.slate.com/id/2236658/ Common floor plan for theatres of the dayThe ill-fated Iroquois Theatre in Chicago was built on the same principle, with a narrow storefront and an L-shaped extension curling around the adjacent building. Still There, Sort OfThe building next door under construction is what would eventually become the Gayety Theater and still stands. The Alvin Theater was located at 119 6th Street. Interestingly, the current building at that location has retained the distinctive type of sign above the sidewalk (it is unclear whether the same structure exists under a more modern facade). View Larger Map Make way for EvaOr rather, stay out of Eva's way. The eccentric music hall performer (1879-1947), whose fans included Aleister Crowley, once was fined for shoving a stagehand down a flight of stairs. Her signature song was "(They Say I'm Crazy but) I Don't Care": http://www.archive.org/details/EvaTanguay. Other hits included "That's Why They Call Me Tabasco" and "I'd Like to be an Animal in the Zoo." The last was featured in "The Sambo Girl," so the lucky patrons of the Alvin Theatre got to hear it. She is said to haunt the Cohoes Music Hall near Albany, New York. GloriousIt looks like it would specialize in "short subjects." Fit as a fiddleThis building is now a fitness center. The imposing stone structure next to it is a hotel, the Renaissance. There's still a theater next to the hotel now, the Byham, a small, ornately decorated venue with frescoes on the ceiling. Highly recommended. Alt-AlvinThe Alvin's roof collapsed in 1940 and the building was either remodeled or rebuilt as the J. P. Harris Theatre, eventually renamed the Gateway Theatre. In 1980 it was remodeled as a health club. It was bigger than it lookedBuilt in 1891 at 119 6th Street, the Alvin seated 2000 and had a stage that was 48 feet deep. Sometime in the late 30s, the auditorium roof partially collapsed. The theatre was rebuilt on a plan by famous atmospheric designer John Eberson and reopened in 1941 as the 2100-seat J. P. Harris Theatre. It was renamed the Gateway in 1961 and operated until 1980. The building is still there, most recently housing the City Club. The building still under construction at left in the pic contained two theatres on its completion. It's now the Renaissance Hotel and still houses the Byham Theatre. What's your bid?For the 1905 issue of Scientific American in the Barbershop window, mint condition. Commercial HotelWhat sort of "commerce" might be conducted at the Commercial Hotel (on the right)? +111Below is the same view from July of 2016. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Bar Car: 1955
... I would travel with his family, he wold pull it out in the hotel room and make himself a martini or two (or three). It had all the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2023 - 3:46pm -

September 1955. Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. "Arden field trials for spaniels." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Sporting Look: Field Trip at Marshall Field's Long Island Estate near Cold Spring Harbor." View full size. Action, pleaseThis could easily be a still from a forgotten comedy with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. In one second, Rock and his friend, played by Tony Randall, will enter the frame and a wacky situation will develop quickly. Non-Bar CarLeading the way is a green and white 1954 Buick. Car bottleMy dad always kept a car bottle in the trunk, and I now do, as well. But neither of us had a setup like this! MoviesMovie I think of re this scene is "Man's Favorite Sport" with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Bar CarA 1955 DeSoto is bringing up the rear with the good stuff! Booze, cigars, cigarettes, cars (and maybe some guns). What can possibly go wrong? Booze in the TrunkMy uncle had a little liquor suitcase like that, about half that size. When I would travel with his family, he wold pull it out in the hotel room and make himself a martini or two (or three). It had all the ingredients and a shaker too. His brother, my father, didn't drink, probably because of his older brother's booze fueled escapades when they were younger. What can go wrong with an Old Fashioned?Just press the button marked B for Booze. Park HereSix years later this Marshall Field estate became a New York State Park. It is called Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Ain't no party like a Lloyd's Neck partyGuns, cars, and alcohol. What could go wrong? The License PlateIn those days, New York State would issue new license plates, with new numbers, to each vehicle every two years. The color scheme would be reversed, so one year you'd have orange ("gold") plates with black numbers, which would be replaced by black plates with orange numbers. It was a real pain having to change those plates and send the old ones in (the screws tended to rust badly), so by the mid-'60s the state began issuing stickers, and you would put them on the old rear plate. You weren't supposed to turn in your plates until they became unreadable. Now part of Caumsett state parkI grew up less than 5 miles from here. The Marshall Field estate house is now part of Caumsett State Park. It's a nice place for a walk. CaumsettOne of the largest (1700+ acres) of the Gilded Age Long Island estates, Caumsett (as the Marshall Field estate was known) is now a state park occupying a third of Lloyd Neck: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Top of the Line DeSotoThe bar-car is a 1955 DeSoto Fireflite. The Fireflite was introduced in 1955 to be the premium DeSoto model. The model was built until 1960 when the DeSoto brand was discontinued by Chrysler Corporation. [We actually can't be sure what model this is. The script next to the taillight says "PowerFlite," the name of DeSoto's automatic transmission. - Dave] SI in the 1950s - Documenting a different worldSports Illustrated used to cover hunting and card playing (a lot). Watching others play sports was a much smaller part of life back in the day, it would seem. It's Field Trials for spanielsFor all you people saying firearms and guns what can go wrong. It's just field trials on pointing out ring neck pheasants for hunting dogs. There are NO firearms involved at this event. [Um, no. Field trials involve shooting and retrieving. - Dave] I beg to differ Dave …No firearms no hunting license visible. Any responsible hunter does NOT mix alcohol and ammunition. [Can you not read? Can you not see the photos accompanying the article about this event? Hello?? - Dave] What could go wrong?Guns, alcohol, cars (and tobacco, besides)- what could go wrong? Fortunately, this was Long Island, not Harlan County, Kentucky. Shooting involvedThe dogs were retrieving birds shot down to order. I did enjoy reading this for the colorfulness of the language and for the emphasis on testing the dog: “The dog stopped instantly, dropping to his haunches, and sat marking the game bird’s flight, every muscle aquiver with intense eagerness. ‘Ride it out,’ signaled the judge, and the gunner held his fire in recognition of the request for a ‘long fall.’ At the crack of the gun, the pen-raised bird crumpled and slanted down into the high cover which bordered the woods, foretelling the difficult retrieving task for which the judge had hoped.” Black and White Scotch whisky Makes sense to drink that for people who like dogs. My mistake.Read? Yes. The article? No ... I based my postings on the bar car picture and missed the 'read article here' Begging for a thousand pardons Dave. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, Toni Frissell)
First National: 1921
... The building that replaced the enormous but short-lived Hotel Pontchartrain , a favorite subject of the Detroit Publishing Co. along ... correct. Below is a detail from a circa 1918 photo of the Hotel Pontchartrain showing an Altes Lager sign that was across the square from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2017 - 3:44pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1921. "First National Bank." The building that replaced the enormous but short-lived Hotel Pontchartrain, a favorite subject of the Detroit Publishing Co. along with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, another landmark seen here in the vicinity of Cadillac Square and the Campus Martius. Note the traffic control tower and the tally board labeled DETROIT STREET TRAFFIC KILLINGS. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Traffic deathsIt's no wonder so many people are killed. That intersection is nuts! Almost DoneYou can move right in just as soon as we finish putting up those fancy little doodads on the roof! The building is still there, but, sadly, the doodads are gone. And you can hardly see the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument anymore for all the shrubbery and new age beautification in the square. Municipal lipstick, I s'pose. Impressive LobbyThe architecture firm for which I used to work was planning to occupy the second and third floors (the tall windows with the colonnade). The original bank lobby was in this space and was a beauty: marble columns, gold leaf ornamentation, huge chandeliers and such; you definitely got the feeling that this was an institution to be reckoned with. Sadly, in 1974 they gutted the entire space and divided it with a floor, the better to have more space to lease. When our firm made plans to move in, all the modernizations were removed to reveal some interesting features: the original vault, intact original elevator annunciators, original doors that were walled off for decades and a few surviving ornamentations. Our firm created plans to preserve as much as possible while still having an ultramodern feel; sadly we were not able to go through with the lease at that time. The intersection is now replaced by Campus Martius Park. Still not any safer, though. Sandwich anyone?Can anyone make out the sandwich board on the sidewalk in the lower left? [Left? - Dave] Sorry, I must've been looking in the mirror. The GayetyI am always loving all the extra research everybody does on the monuments, people, and locations in the pictures, so here's something I found about the large burlesque theater in the background. The Gayety, designed by Fuller Claflin, seated 1,362 and opened Sept. 15, 1912. For the theater's entire career, it held burlesque. It was once operated by Frank Bryan and Frank Engel. The Gayety closed April 10, 1958, and was demolished soon thereafter. Today, a parking lot resides on the property. More pictures here. [And another view here. - Dave] Doodadsbryharm's comment sent me questing for technical verbiage of the architectural kind. What we have along the edge of the roof, unfinished, could be described as a cresting of finials. Guarding their young. Sandwich BoardI think you meant: "the sandwich board on the lower RIGHT." Looks like an ad for something. Can we get any closer Dave? [It says "Where Marines T____" - Dave] Drink Alle____ in Green BottlesCan anyone identify the tasty drink that "hits the spot," that was advertised on the partially-obscured roof sign between the bank and the Gayety theatre? (It's in the same spot that a baking powder was advertised in the 1918 photo of the Pontch.) Since Michigan had in theory been dry since 1918, and the sign wasn't up before 1918, it wouldn't be a brand of beer or other booze. It seems to start with the letters "Alle," so it's not Vernor's. Architectural ThingamabobI'd call that a cornice. Acanthus leaf motif. In the name of all humanityI think it's useful to keep a tally of traffic deaths, but cheese Louise, did they have to hang the most recent body right there on the sign? I wonder if his dear mournful widow found a ticket stub to the Gayety in his overcoat. BrewskiThat sign may be for Altes Lager Bier from Detroit's Tivoli Brewing Company. It came in green bottles. [You are correct. Below is a detail from a circa 1918 photo of the Hotel Pontchartrain showing an Altes Lager sign that was across the square from the where the other sign would be a few years later. - Dave] Green bottled beerIt's Altes Lager (German for "old lager"). You can just see the crossed "t" in the sign. Altes (motto: "Tastes like Fassbier") was a old Detroit brewery that passed the Altes brand to various successors. I picked up a case circa 1982. Here's a label, whose lettering looks quite similar to the sign. [Thanks to you and Alex for solving that mystery. Evidently one of the breweries that survived Prohibition. - Dave] Acanthus leaf, huh?I bet you're both right, but I liked the "Cresting of finials guarding their young" better! Thanks tterrace. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Mardi Gras: 1900
... overhead wires down the center). Plus, there's a St. James Hotel on Magazine St. just off of Canal St. nowadays. But I can't say for sure. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 5:01pm -

"Mardi Gras, New Orleans, the Red Pageant," circa 1900-1910. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Mob SceneCan anyone tell me why the only woman on the street facing the camera is masked. This is one of the greatest mob scenes photos ever. [Ever been to Mardi Gras? Lots of masks. - Dave] Derby HatsBy the thousands! Great photo Young Barack Obama??Lower right quadrant - he looks skeptical and concerned about the future of New Orleans Kerfuffly There does seem to be a slight kerfuffle around the masked woman. Perhaps the other woman by her side is also wearing a similar mask. They certainly are dressed alike and calling some attention to themselves. There is a uniformed man facing them. Some of those around the two women are looking questioningly at them. What about the woman (closer to the parade) who appears to be wearing a pillowcase over her head? Bon TempsDo they call out "Show us your...ah, um...corsets?" I noticed that every man is in a suit, sporting a hat. Was Mardi Gras a more cultured event back then or is the clothing deceptive? C Bennette Moore , Photographerhttp://www.bergeronstudio.com/cb_moore/cb_moore.html On this site, his ad card lists his studio at 314 Royal, however, this is Canal street, so the billboard is an advert and not a tied to that location. I am seeing more Stetsons on men in this pic than we see in the Northeast at this same time. The bowler was the ball cap of the early 1900s, just about every man wore one. Better times?We hear that alot around here, how things were better back in the day, and this photo is an interesting example for the discussion. Everyone looks well dressed and well behaved, not too drunk or rowdy. Not at all like today's Mardi Gras- all the women are dressed in layers upon layers and there's not a bead to be seen anywhere. (On second thought, maybe these days weren't that great after all!) Eye on the parade?What is the round thing under "GEN'L ARTHUR CIGAR"? It looks like some sort of futuristic parade security camera ... or maybe an eyeball? This is like a bizarre Where's WaldoLots of derby hats, yes, and the occasional Stetson and fedora. But lots of those uniform hats that sit on top of the head -- I think there's quite a police/military presence in the crowd. Very interesting. I wish the floats were clearer. I can't tell if the guy sitting up there is in blackface, or is a real person of Native or African ancestry. It could be either or both, of course. The School of DesignHere is a link to the website for the Krewe of Rex, or as it is more properly known, The School of Design. The history pages and particularly the sections on the traditional design of the floats is fascinating. http://www.rexorganization.com/ If you threw these ladies some beads......It looks like they might take off their hats! Scandalous! Where's the beads?Mardi Gras couldn't have been much fun back then . . . They are all fully dressed and not drinking! Such CivilityWHAT?!? No "show us your....."? Compare this picture with what goes on today. A contrast of mores. Looks kind of like CanalLooks kind of like Canal Street (mostly due to the width of the street and the overhead wires down the center). Plus, there's a St. James Hotel on Magazine St. just off of Canal St. nowadays. But I can't say for sure. Laissez Les Bon Temps RoulezThis picture simply justifies my complete addiction to this wonderful site. Not only is the subject near and dear to my heart, but the clarity of the picture is breathtaking. I can't help but scan the crowd for my great-grandmother Sophie. Mercy me, she might be the one in the mask, God bless her Southern belle soul. The Red PageantThis photo clearly shows Rex, the King of Carnival, so I would guess that someone made a mistake labeling the photo as the "Red" pageant. It would more correctly be labeled "The Rex Pageant" or "The Rex Parade", as the Krewe of Rex would have their pageant (or more correctly, their Ball) after the actual parade. The theme of this year clearly was "In Utopia" and I imagine that Mardi Gras and Krewe of Rex scholars could use that information to put an exact date on this photo. ClassyWow. This is a lot classier than the photos my roommates took when they went to Mardi Gras in college. For one thing, I don't see any... beads. Love the signageI'm just absorbing all the wonderful signage. There are a few typefaces that look surprisingly modern among all the other wacky stuff. I love these kinds of photos because I can really imagine myself walking down the street, past the storefronts, smelling the wood, boot polish, etc. I would really love to be able to spend just an hour back in the late 1890s-early 1900s just to see what an average day was like. Just think......Louis Armstrong was just a kid in this city at this time. Canal At RoyalThis looks like it's a shot of the Northeast (French Quarter) side of Canal Street, at Royal Street. The dark stone building behind the front float and the three buildings next to it (on the right) are all there today. Where the dome more or less is now occupied by the Marriott, I think. View Larger Map Good job VicI could tell it was Canal and therefore thought there was a good chance that some of the buildings remained, but I wasn't as skilled as you in using Google street view. In addition to more conservative dress, the patrons are not all reaching up for beads and trinkets. When I rode in the Baccus parade in 2005, after a couple of hours it almost seemed to me that the float was being attacked by zombies as the entire crowd shuffled forward with arms outstretched! Godchaux'sJust found out that the ornate white building with the dome, in whose spot now stands the rather less inspiring Marriott, is the Godchaux department store building. It is, indeed, the only building between Chartres and Royal that is not still here today, a century later. http://www-sal.cs.uiuc.edu/~friedman/canal/Pic203.htm 1900I would like to go back and see what it was like around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, also Rob. Nearly all my favorite literature is from that era; even Russian literature. In UtopiaThis was the 1906 Rex Parade (February 27). On first float is Captain Alexander M. Halliday who reigned as Rex that year. Rex BeadsMy guess as to why they aren't reaching for beads is because Rex beads suck. Rex parades are also some of the more, um, calm parades now. I can't imagine that it was any different in the early 1900s. Can we get rid of tourist traps already?I wish New Orleans looked like this again, it'd be far less disgusting. Funny that a lot of people that live around here hate Mardi Gras so much. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans)
Death Star: 1902
... was completed in 1897. The two were soon operated as one hotel, but it's apparently possible to separate them back into two distinct ... Astor Court) that separated it from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. All of this became part of the site of the Empire State Building. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/25/2023 - 12:40pm -

Circa 1902. "The Waldorf-Astoria, New York." The original, and somewhat forbidding, Waldorf at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. Complete with the obligatory windowsill milk bottle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. OK - I give up.What's an "obligatory windowsill milk bottle?" [A familiar sight on these pages. Left out to chill. - Dave] It stood for less than 40 yearsTorn down in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building. The storks also deliver milk!It's amazing that, in addition to tiny babes, the storks are also adept at delivering windowsill milk bottles.... 7 stories high! 34th StreetThe street on the north side, the one with the trolley, appears narrower than it is today. It may be an optical illusion but it seems to be missing a lane on both sides. Today 34th Street is one of the busiest in the city, leading east to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Long Island and west to the world's largest store, Macy's, and continuing to the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey and points beyond. This of course, takes nothing away from the magnificent old Waldorf or its successor, the landmarked Empire State Building. Police HatAlways a little tip-off on the season to check the hats of the cops. The gray ones were worn in summer, blue in Winter. Likewise with the straw hats. There was a season for them, much like we used to say about white pants. There was the famous "straw hat riot" in 1922 where a bunch of street toughs started ripping the skimmers off men who'd worn them after the agreed-upon cut-off date. [Probably the best seasonal tipoff: Windowsill milk bottles! - Dave] v = ?(2gx)Given the generous "no walk" zones at sidewalk level, do you suppose the engineers took the milk bottle "Oops Factor" into consideration? Movie SetLooks like Sigourney Weaver's apartment building in "Ghostbusters." [Which was on Central Park West. - Dave] It may be cold outside but it's sure hot in here!I guess the steam heat was cranking because there are an awful lot of open windows. It Hyphened One NightThe Waldorf-Astoria was originally built as 2 separate hotels by feuding members of the Astor family. The Waldorf on the left (the shorter half) was built in 1983 1883, and the Astoria on the right was completed in 1897. The two were soon operated as one hotel, but it's apparently possible to separate them back into two distinct entities if needed. One assumes that ..you could get a Waldorf Salad here. And screwdrivers. The Waldorf SaladIt seems like Doghouse Riley has been watching too many Fawlty Tower reruns, as well as myself. The Waldorf Salad episode is one of my favorites. Astor CourtThe banner on top of the short building on the right probably reads "Astor Court" - not "Astoria." The Astor Court Building stood just west of the private alley (also called Astor Court) that separated it from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. All of this became part of the site of the Empire State Building. Tricks of the House WreckersModern Mechanics featured the demolition of the Waldorf Astoria in the June 1930 issue. Click to enlarge. Penthouse ViewsWhat would the uses of the top several floors be in this building? They are very unusual; the arrangement, size and shape of the top floor windows. Actuallythe name was the Waldorf=Astoria! The "=" sign was put in because the cousins who built the two side by side hotel couldn't agree on whose name would be first in the new name! I would have loved to have stayed here, even in the smallest room. The old family homesteadAccording to an old family legend, an ancestor of mine once had his farm at this location in the early 19th century. I'm sure he'd kick himself If he could see what the property values were now! What a beauty!I'd like to live there those times and see it with my own eyes! Maitre d' MarcosMy grandfather Marcel Burgos was maitre d' for this Waldorf for many years during the 1920s. My dad told many stories about him. Anybody out there have any records of any employes from there? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Heart of Chicago: 1901
... You can also see the original version of the Morrison Hotel , which eventually was expanded to 40 stories. The building was razed in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:37pm -

Circa 1901. "The Heart of Chicago." An amazingly detailed (and smoky) tableau. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Yes, it is a Spiral Staircase (or a Half-Spiral)That building, seen from the back, is the Hartford Building (Henry Ives Cobb, architect, 1893) at the southwest corner of Dearborn and Madison Streets. The early skyscrapers of the day usually had only one staircase, and it was not fire-protected. The Rookery in Chicago (Burnham and Root, 1885-1888) has a similar semicircular spiral staircase rising up one side of its interior light court. Clark StreetArnheim the Tailor places this picture roughly at 155-157 South Clark Street. You can also see the original version of the Morrison Hotel, which eventually was expanded to 40 stories. The building was razed in 1965 and is now the site of the First National Bank. Fantastic View!The street running along the left side of the picture is Clark Street, looking north from approximately Monroe Street (Madison Street is the cross street with the blurry cable car train whizzing by). The notable tall buildings visible include: the Ashland Block (at the far left), the Schiller Building (to the right of the Ashland Block and partially obscured), the Unity Building (behind the "Boyce Building"), the Masonic Temple (the tallest one in sight) and the first Champlain Building (at the far right, next to the smaller building marked "Boston Store"). Needless to say, all of these have been demolished; the Champlain was the first to go - in 1916 - for the expansion of the Boston Store. The Boston StoreSeems a little misplaced. Otherwise, I think the Boyce Building is still there. If yer feeling ambitiousFor anyone wishing to re-create this view today, the photographer's vantage was the current site of Harris Bank at 111 West Monroe. Do we still need Kodak?For the photogs who visit this site: are there digital cameras capable of capturing this scene, or do we still need large format cameras? [A large- or medium-format digital camera would be more than up to the task. - Dave] Too darn hotWith the obvious lack of AC units on the roofs, it's plain to see why so many windows were open. Offices with a window must have gone for a premium. Try to imagine the people in the inner offices trying to work wearing the heavy clothing of the time. "Of course you can use my fan, Myrtle." [Inner offices in large buildings would have windows opening on an air shaft - Dave] The JungleI can imagine Jurgis Rudkus walking aimlessly through these streets. What is it?Does anyone have any idea what the part of the building is that has spiraling windows just to the left of the three awnings in the right third of the photo? I'd guess it houses a spiral staircase, but have never seen anything like it before. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Streetcars)
The Palace: 1906
"Palace Hotel, New Montgomery Street." San Francisco in the aftermath of the earthquake ... away even the plaster from the brick walls inside the hotel. The Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum hosts an excellent online presentation of Palace Hotel photos and commentaries. Here's an 1895 photo of the hotel's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 10:52am -

"Palace Hotel, New Montgomery Street." San Francisco in the aftermath of the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Before at the PalaceAs seen here, the fire was so intense that it scoured away even the plaster from the brick walls inside the hotel. The Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum hosts an excellent online presentation of Palace Hotel photos and commentaries. Here's an 1895 photo of the hotel's exterior, and a 1904 photo of the newly remodeled carriage court entrance, transformed into a vast atrium lobby. Color Quake AgainThe Smithsonian has posted larger versions of the recently-discovered natural-color post-earthquake photos here. Not only are they possibly the earliest color photos of San Francisco, they're also 3-D. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
Pabst Over Chicago: 1943
... sure about the Playboy Towers.... might that be the Drake Hotel? 33 to 1? Blended 33 to 1? That sounds like a strange formula to ... and converted to condominiums. It sits between the Drake Hotel and John Hancock Tower at the end of the Magnificent Mile. The Drake is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2017 - 2:11pm -

May 1, 1943. "South Water Street freight depot of the Illinois Central Railroad, Chicago." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. DirectionalityI believe this photo is facing north. Quite a few of the skyscrapers are still there. All the way to the left, the black & gold building is the Carbide & Carbon (or is it Carbon & Carbide?) building on Michigan Ave. I seem to remember something about it being the "first" skyscraper. Just to the right, with the little cupola on top, is the original Stone Container Building at Wacker & Michigan Avenues. Off in the furthest distance in the center of the photo you can see what was originally called the Pamolive building (it became Playboy Towers, and is now a condo building). I think the building behind the Pabst sign at the right edge of the sign is the Chicago Tribune building, and across from it (underneath the main part of the sign) you can see the white building that is the Wrigley building. They flank Michigan Ave. just north of the Chicago river. Fellow (ex-)ChicagoanDefinitely facing North, definitely the Carbon & Carbide building - my dad used to have an office there. Not sure about the Playboy Towers.... might that be the Drake Hotel? 33 to 1?Blended 33 to 1? That sounds like a strange formula to me...but of course I'm not informed on the whole beer and beer history thing. 33 to 1Here's a 1940 Pabst ad that explains it. NorthThere is no question about it, this photo is facing north. Good Railroad ShotThe blue flags placed on the cars would be a violation of federal regulations today as they now have to be located at the switch providing access to the track. Also, note that several of the cars are on "yard air" in order to test the brakes on each car prior to movement. Finally you can see that this photo provides good images of several different types of car ends all together in one place. As I am from Milwaukee, I have no clue as to which buildings are which! I do know that the photo is definitely facing north as I now work for the South Shore commuter railroad and am familiar with the lakefront. I also know that the original Santa Fe railroad corporate headquarters was almost directly to the west of this photo and is still there today with the Santa Fe sign on top. It is now an historic landmark. Bootcamp BeerI went to Navy bootcamp in Great Lakes Il. in 1983 and after spending 10 wks. without beer our first chance to have a brew came. Unfortunatly for me the ONLY beer avaliable to us at the time was Pabst Blue Ribbon. Now, not being a Pabst fan I was very unhappy about that but after 10 tough weeks I said "what the heck" and ordered a couple of beers. I'll tell you what, that was the best beer I've ever had. I got so drunk the rest of the day was blur. I'd like to say "Thanks you Pabst" for the best beer ever and day I don't remember. Water Street DepotIt appears we are looking north from either Monroe or Randolph. I want to say we're looking from Monroe and that bridge spanning the width of the pic under the sign is Randolph. The row of low-rise buildings on the left side of the pic that are ~6 stories tall and have the water towers on top of them would then be on the east side of Michigan Ave and sitting directly on the north side of Randolph. I believe these trains are in the area east of Michigan Ave and north of Monroe, but south of Randolph as it used to be a railyard (now Millennium Park, north of the Art Institute). Furthermore there were never any buildings previously on this spot, as it would have either been a rail yard or part of Grant Park (where no buildings were allowed to be built, except for the Art Institute). This leads me to believe that we are looking north from Monroe towards Randolph and beyond. The vast empty space behind the Pabst sign spanning the whole width of the image would now be occupied by Illinois Center, the Prudential Building and of course the tall white AON Building (3rd largest in Chciago at the moment), or whatever they call it these days. Pabst SignCan anybody tell me if this sign was was animated and are there any night time shots of it? [The nighttime shot of this neon sign is here. - Dave] AnimationThanks Dave, do you know if the sign was animated in any way? [The hands on the clock moved! If you mean did various parts of the sign blink on and off, I don't know. - Dave] ChicagoI see the tallest building to the far left when I'm going to and from school. It's surrounded by a bunch of other buildings now. Chevrolet SignThis is a film clip of another Chicago sign. It shows how animated signs were operated. I can't find any date, but the technology looks like 1940 or so. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/410104.html Chevrolet SignAfter viewing this clip of the Chevy sign, I'm fairly convinced that it and the 'Pabst' sign are one and the same. Shown in the clip of the Chevy sign is the same tall building that is located to the left of the Pabst sign in the photo. There are other similarities as well, like the circular design of the sign, the clock at the lower right, etc. It's my guess that Pabst took over the sign after Chevy and made the slight changes to suit their logo. South Water Street TodayThis photo is facing North on South Water Street and intersecting roughly what is now Columbus Drive. The ground level of this photograph is now covered by an elevated roadway in this area. If you went to this spot today, the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park designed by Frank Gehry would be just behind you. The Playboy Building is visible in the background, now once again called the Palmolive Building and converted to condominiums. It sits between the Drake Hotel and John Hancock Tower at the end of the Magnificent Mile. The Drake is not tall enough to be in view here. The Allerton Hotel and Northwest University Law School in Streeterville are also visible here, which they wouldn't be today from the site, although they are still standing. Several of the mid-rise buildings in this photograph are no longer standing, in particular the large red-brick warehouse at the center mid-ground, to the right of the Playboy/Palmolive. This is where the NBC Tower now stands, just north of the river. Driving and DrinkingThis was indeed the Chevy sign. Pabst took it over. You can still make out the Chevy logo in the superstructure of the sign. The lower left hand corner of the "B" in Blue and the upper right hand corner of the N in "Ribbon" served as the edges of the classic Chevy "bowtie" logo. Going to ChicagoIt's interesting to think that Muddy Waters would have just arrived in Chicago when this photo was taken. Pabst signThe Pabst sign was next to Randolph Street Bridge; refer to the 1922 Zoning map that is available at the University of Chicago library site - the Illinois Central may very well have called the yard the 'Water Street Yard,' but Water Street moved to the South Side when Wacker Drive was created after 1924; the Pabst sign was located nearest the Randolph Street bridge and is the current location of the Prudential Building, not the Pritzker Pavillion. Warehouse full of booksI believe the red brick warehouse-like building on the right (east) of the photo survived into at least the 1980s, serving as the temporary home of the Chicago Public Library's main branch after it moved from what is now the Cultural Center (location of many shots in DePalma's "The Untouchables" and just out of camera range to the left) and before the opening of the Harold Washington Library Center. I used their manual typewriters and xerox machines to peck out and photocopy my resume. Why Boxcars are blue-flaggedThese boxcars are blue-flagged because they have both their doors open and gangplanks spanning the openings between cars on adjacent tracks. This is also why they are all 40-foot cars and are all lined up with each other. Less-than-Carload (LCL) freight is being handled here! This something that US railroads have discontinued; for decades, they haven't accepted any shipment less than one car load. As effective highway trucks were developed, they took this trade away from the RR's for obvious reasons. But, back in the 1940's, RR's would handle a single crate! This required sorting en route, which is what is being done here. There's a large shift of workers shuffling LCL from one car to another by way of the side platforms and the above-mentioned gangplanks. The LCL required local freight crews to handle this stuff into and out of the freight stations, and required station agents to get the cargo to and from customers, collect charges, etc. Very labor-intensive, yet somehow the trucking companies do it at a profit. From Pabst To Rolling Rock Beer "33"This photograph has also added another “answer” to the question: “What does the “33” on the label of a bottle of Rolling Rock Beer mean?” http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/rolling.asp One person seeing this photograph concluded on a Rolling Rock Beer forum that the Rolling Rock "33" may have referenced the smoothness of blending “33 to 1.” http://toms.homeunix.net/toms/locFSA-OWIkodachromes/slides/blended33to1.... Makes you feel like a heroEven now, when I get a color transparency (2 1/4x2 1/4 or 4x5) and look at if for the first time, it is stunning. I can't imagine what it must have looked like to someone seeing it color for the first time ever! Sign BackgroundIf you look closely at the superstructure of the sign you can see the slogan "Blended 33 to 1" in the framework, which is seen far better in the nighttime shot Dave linked to. As to whether this would be considered animation I don't know, but a typical setup would be to light the Pabst Blue Ribbon sign, then switch to the "Blended" slogan, then light both. Don't know if that was done here. Those catwalksThe "down-the-throat" shot of those catwalks atop of the freight cars gives the viewer a good idea of what the brakeman had to deal with while setting the brakes. The uneveness of those platforms, even at a standstill, is enough to make the average person think twice about climbing up and traversing these planks. Before airbrakes became the norm, this had to be one of the most harrowing jobs a railroad worker had to face. And this would be on a nice calm day. With rain, wind or snow, even the most seasoned brakeman must've had second thoughts. Blue Flags?Mr. Leaman pointed out the blue flags were being displayed incorrectly by todays rules. But not being a train enthusiast, what did they indicate in the first place? Blue-FlaggedAny rolling stock or engine that is "blue-flagged" cannot be moved unless the person who placed the flag removes it. It's a safety rule, and for the protection of the workers, many of whom are between or under the cars. The iconic "Santa Fe" sign referred to in earlier posts is now on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL - not too far from Chicago and well worth the trip! http://www.irm.org The early brakeman's plightJKoehler, I read somewhere that a conductor remarked about brakemen in the days when cars used link-and-pin couplers, "If they still have their thumbs after three months, they must be really lazy!" Phantom Memory of a huge Chicago Phillips 66 Sign?For decades I’ve had a childhood memory of seeing a huge Phillips 66 sign atop the Chicago skyline, while driving with my family in the “wayback” of the family station wagon on the way to visit our grandparents in Iowa. We were coming from Michigan, and driving on Chicago streets because the still-under-construction Interstate Highway System still had gaps. (We were probably driving on/towards westbound US-30.) I remember being in awe of a big neon Phillips 66 sign receding in the distance as my dad drove west. It was a wide straight street, very busy. The sign had lots of neon motion, even in the daylight. This memory (if real), would have been somewhere between about 1963 - 1968. But am I mistaken? Did the Phillips 66 sign never exist, and could this Papst sign be the one I saw? (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Ormond: 1894
... 1894. "The Ormond." At its peak, Henry Flagler's Hotel Ormond was reputed to be the largest wooden structure in the United ... a link to a great site that has numerous pictures of the Hotel Ormond in 1992 before it was demolished. http://www.historic-structures.com/fl/ormond_beach/ormond_hotel.php Why it didn't burn Look through the pictures that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2019 - 1:18pm -

Ormond Beach, Florida, 1894. "The Ormond." At its peak, Henry Flagler's Hotel Ormond was reputed to be the largest wooden structure in the United States, with 400 rooms connected by 11 miles of corridors and breezeways. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. All that woodand it did not burn! A Thing of BeautyWhat a beautiful and gracious building. One That Slipped ThroughDidn't burn?? How did this get past the Shorpy censors?? A Very Big Place!Here's a link to a great site that has numerous pictures of the Hotel Ormond in 1992 before it was demolished. http://www.historic-structures.com/fl/ormond_beach/ormond_hotel.php Why it didn't burnLook through the pictures that Vonderhees linked (thank you); you will see that the kitchen (and boiler I'd guess) are in a separate, masonry building, and throughout the hotel, there are sprinklers. The neatest part is that in the ballrooms--I'd presume in the older, nicer sections of the hotel--they are built into the plasterwork. If it had been a 1960s or 1970s retrofit, those pipes would likely have been visible. So I'm guessing that from the start, or soon thereafter, somebody knew what he was doing and took safety seriously. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Little Falls: 1941
... County Trust building (Adirondack Bank) and the former Hotel Snyder and tavern (Happen Inn). Looks good to me. No, you have the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2023 - 3:42pm -

October 1941. "Looking toward the Mohawk River. Little Falls, New York." Which is at least a two-stoplight town. Medium format negative by John Collier. View full size. The Bank is still there?But either I'm wrong or they got bombed during the War because almost nothing else still stands. It's not near that badWhat got razed was the east side of that one block of South Ann Street. While the cigar store and the ... train station? ... are gone, along with everything between, Little Falls National (Berkshire Bank) is still in place, as is the Herkimer County Trust building (Adirondack Bank) and the former Hotel Snyder and tavern (Happen Inn). Looks good to me.No, you have the right corner. If you go to N. Ann street & Albany street and look back up Ann, you can see the same triangular roofed building on the right. I googled "little falls" "city cigar", and got back a book on Little falls. It said they cleared the buildings in the 1970s for urban renewal. (The Gallery, John Collier, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Dave: 1953
... University) made it a popular place. The Shamrock Hotel , opened in 1949 by wildcatter Glen McCarthy and used by Edna Ferber as the model for the hotel Conquistador in her novel Giant, was about a mile away. Tree growth ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2013 - 6:12pm -

"Dave in backyard - 3510 Gannett Street, Houston, 1953." Dave, in addition to watering, you need to fertilize. The grass is greener on the other side of the banana plant. Our latest from the "Linda" series of Kodachromes. View full size. SadCurrent view across the street. Wow, what a sore thumb. Houston 1953I grew up very close to here and in the same time period and yes it was a good more tranquil time as long as you were a middle class white family. The world of separate but equal didn't have the same meaning for others. This neighborhood was where many of the workers of the Texas Medical Center settled in. A couple of minutes from the med center which was just beginning its phenomenal growth and close to Rice Institute (now University) made it a popular place. The Shamrock Hotel, opened in 1949 by wildcatter Glen McCarthy and used by Edna Ferber as the model for the hotel Conquistador in her novel Giant, was about a mile away. Tree growthToday's view of the house and its neighbors shows just how much trees will grow in 60 years. View Larger Map RememberIn 20 years or so, this will all be mine. Home sweet home! Get off my lawn! Google's limitationsI'm guessing "Dave's not here" any more. Pardon my sappiness.But I almost feel sorry for folks who have no recollection of this country, especially suburbia, during the period of about 1950 through 1964. Life in the postwar suburban baby boom was really something else! I remember it to be as pleasant and tranquil as the photos always show. Is that you, Dave?Could this possibly be the one and only, famous (or perhaps infamous?) Dave, of Shorpy fame? [This photo of a 40ish man was taken 60 years ago. Do you think I'm 100 years old? - Dave] Did I forget to include my smiley face? ;-D Remember, you're only as old as you feel. Still a cute neighborhoodThanks to Street View, we can see that Gannett Street hasn't changed much in 60 years - it's a well-maintained, charming, midcentury 'hood. Well, except for the monstrous McMansion plopped down amid the tidy little houses. Complicated DecadesI, too, have lovely memories of the 50's and 60's, when I was a little girl--but those decades weren't great for everyone. Few African Americans lived in the same suburban calm I did, and I'd much rather be a woman of any race now than then. I can wear 1950's retro now when I want to be stylish, but I don't have to put up with 1950's rules, limitations, and girdles. It's also been a long time since I had the urge to make a salad of cottage cheese in a canned-peach half on a limp lettuce leaf. But my nostalgia for my childhood persists, and I'm fine with that. "Dave"?Looks like Hank Hill to me. My hometownThis pic was taken a good 15 years before I was born and my parents moved to H-town. Mom and dad would have still been in school up in Ft. Worth. I've lived in various neighborhoods in Houston and its suburbs, but not where this was taken. At first glance of a map, I expected it to be in a really bad area, but looking at that street view, it's not too bad. Quite nice, actually! The area south of the med center is kind of a patchwork of crime ridden ghetto and somewhat decent older hoods. (Linda Kodachromes)
Cunningham Drugs: 1942
... Street seems to be a good main drag downtown to put hotel on. St James Hotel counters my reasoning but you can’t have everything. At the far ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/23/2021 - 5:37pm -

    UPDATE: The view here is of Douglas Street in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia! The slide mount for this street scene -- the latest (and earliest) Kodachrome from hotrodder-shutterbug Don Cox -- is bereft of notation regarding location. Where are we? View full size. Cunningham Drugs, based in Detroit MichiganCunningham Drugs was a chain of stores founded in 1889 operated primarily within the state of Michigan. I remember them well from my childhood in Detroit. They had a soda fountain and served a great hamburger. Michigan locations closed and reopened as Apex Drug in 1982 and were later sold to Perry Drug Stores. They finally sold to Walgreens in 1991. Tip of the hat to Wikipedia. [Wrong Cunningham Drug. - Dave] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunningham_Drug_(Canada) Northwest Corner of Douglas and Yates, Victoria, BThe building is still there, minus the top of the turret: https://goo.gl/maps/kPwwNQzq1MXjcAM2A Location for 3/21 photoI found mention of a Cunningham Drugs in Victoria, British Columbia. There was a postcard on ebay with the words "Peter-Pan-Cunningham-Drugs-Douglas-St-Victorai-British-Columbia-postcard-1950s". The bus' destination in this photo says "Burnside Marigold" which is an intersection in Victoria. Never ...ever step back to admire your work. Victoria British ColumbiaAppears to be 1300 Douglas Street. We're in CanadaTo be more precise, we're in Victoria, British Columbia. Cunningham Drugs on the corner was located at 1300-1306 Douglas Street; the building still exists, the drugstore does not. Victoria, B.C.Next to Cunningham Drugs is McLean's Bakery, which was located at 1304 Douglas Avenue in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Here is the Google Street View of these storefronts as they appeared in May 2018. Something tells meThis is British Columbia's capital city, beautiful Victoria. Victoria BCDouglas and Yates in Victoria, B.C Canada! Tags + KodachromeThese two together narrow the probable date range to 1946-47. Almost all photographic film and equipment, at least in the US where Kodachrome was made, was reserved for the "war effort". Consumers had difficulty purchasing any photographic materials until well into 1946. When my dad came back from the war, he wanted to buy a new camera to replace the one he inherited from his father who used it during WW1. He had to wait until 1947 before the Kodak Vigilant 620 was available with the faster f/4.5 lens he wanted. Only the version with the simpler f/6.3 lens was available earlier, and that not until 1946. [This exposure is from a batch of slides taken in the Pacific Northwest, many of them dated 1942. Don Cox was a Navy photographer's mate. One of his previous images is this Kodachrome from 1943. - Dave] Good info. A Navy photographer's mate would have had access to materials, Kodachrome in this case, that the average civilian wouldn't have had. Victoria, BCI believe this to be Victoria, British Columbia - Cunningham Drugs was a well known chain in BC during this time and Burnside/Marigold on the bus is another clue - Burnside Rd, Marigold Park. Location Victoria Island Coach Lines LTD. The street sign Points to Sidney, BC. Looks like it's Victoria BCThe bus company initials - Vancouver Island Coach Lines Ltd. (15 November 1928 - 1950) and street sign pointing us to Sidney, which is where the BC Ferries now dock, tells me this is probably Victoria, BC. Not Danforth & Pape... but rather Douglas & Yates, in Victoria, British Columbia: Douglas Street runs concurrent with Trans-Canada Highway 1 in Victoria. In fact, the Zero Mile Monument is not far from this intersection. North of the BorderA quick search for that Burnside-Marigold bus brings up an archival photo from Victoria, B.C.: https://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/burnside-marigold-bus-on-b... Victoria, British ColumbiaThis picture is taken at the corner of Douglas and Yates in Victoria, B.C. Google streetview shows that most of the block is still there. Names like "Copp the Shoe Man" and "Cunningham Drugs" were well known B.C. companies. I worked for Cunningham Drugs for a while as a teenager in the 1970s. The bus in the picture is Vancouver Island Coach Lines and its route is Burnside - Marigold. And the dark blue sedan in the middle of the street looks like it might be a 1929 Auburn. Looks to me like ...Vancouver, B.C. Found itThe location is 1302 Douglas Street in Victoria, British Columbia (corner of Yates and Douglas). The spire and the some of the parapet on top of the Cunningham Drug store are gone now but otherwise the street is remarkably the same. "For the unrelated Canadian chain, see Cunningham Drug (Canada)." TagsThe only years B.C. did not use front license plates were 1942 thru 1947, as a wartime metal conservation effort. So we can date this photo from during World War II or just after. Douglas Street, Victoria B.C.Cross' Marketeria was at 1310 Douglas in Victoria, BC. Here's what it looks like today: Douglas Street, Victoria, BC, Canada?Just a guess. I know United Cigar Stores LTD was a Canadian retailer, V.I.C.L., Ltd on the bus I guess to mean something like Vancouver Island Coach Line, the direction sign points to Sidney which is a town near Victoria, Douglas Street seems to be a good main drag downtown to put hotel on. St James Hotel counters my reasoning but you can’t have everything. At the far right ...... we see the Douglas Hotel at 1450 Douglas Street and the Victoria City Hall at the corner of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue, an example of Second Empire-style public architecture. That 'scaffolding'The day before OSHA was created. Accident waiting to happenWow. Two men on a sagging scaffold with people under it. Rock steady!Is there any way to know whether Don Cox used a tripod for his photos? If not, then he could certainly hold still when he needed to. Laurel and Hardy on locationI don't recall Cunningham's signs being any color but green, maybe it is a Canadian Thing. The sign painters' physiques, the bow in the scaffold plank, the can of paint and the pedestrian below in trench coat and hat. It is a fine line between tragedy and comedy. Curiously familiarThis looks very much like R Crumb in Kodachrome. (Most) Trades workers of YoreSeemed to survive: No hard hats No gloves No safety harnesses No safety goggles No ear protection No high visibility jackets No steel capped boots No traffic and pedestrian control monitors No pedestrian bypass barriers No proper scaffolding No safety inspectors No license (usually) required to close off part of street/sidewalk No dust or chemical spill controls (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Don Cox, Stores & Markets)
The Cordova: 1891
Florida circa 1891. "Cordova Hotel, St. Augustine." 8x10 dry-plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. ... size. America with a few states less Beautiful hotel complete with fountains, gardens and a 44 star American flag. Casa Monica Now the Casa Monica Hotel . Whose website has a nice history page . View Larger ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:04pm -

Florida circa 1891. "Cordova Hotel, St. Augustine." 8x10 dry-plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. America with a few states lessBeautiful hotel complete with fountains, gardens and a 44 star American flag. Casa MonicaNow the Casa Monica Hotel. Whose website has a nice history page. View Larger Map 1891I've been in the coffee shop at the base of that tower many times. One of my favorite people watching places. I would have guessed a little later then 1891. The safety bicycle and the men's boaters look more like 1901 to me. [That 44-star flag would have been a tad out of date by then. - Dave] Great placeI got engaged at the Casa Monica in 2000. It's hard to imagine living in Florida before AC. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Grittyscape: 1900
Circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Cleveland." Home to the Colonial Arcade . 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 11:10pm -

Circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Cleveland." Home to the Colonial Arcade. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. And the sign says ...Can we get a magnification on the sign the lady at far right is holding? Thanks! [Looks Salvation Armyish. - Dave] InterestingBuilding has a modern feel to it, except for that grand entry, but it all works quite well. Does anyone know when it was built and who the Architect was? re: InterestingThe Colonial Arcade was built in 1898. Architect was George Smith. It recently underwent a $60 million restoration which incorporated a Residence Inn into the complex, along with food courts. It connects to another Cleveland landmark arcade, called, oddly, The Arcade. Very nice places to eat or just stroll downtown when the winter winds whip in off Lake Erie. Still There!Still there, still a big lunchtime hangout in downtown. I used to walk thru it and the adjoining arcade across the street during my lunch hour back in the 90s. View Larger Map Where is everyone?Only three guys and a woman holding a sign. Oh, to be able to read it. The real McCoyIn the lower left of the storefront, there are rows of jardinieres and planters, probably made in the JW McCoy factory in nearby Zanesville, which later became the Brush Pottery. Ohio had long been one of the main homes of American pottery manufacturing because of ample natural clay deposits and a central location to railroad (aka cheap) transportation for the heavy goods. What would have been, at most, a dollar for a matching set of column and pot, now would probably set a collector back several hundred dollars for more exotic pieces in perfect condition. Two arcadesThere are actually two arcades in this building. The Colonial Arcade is behind the fancier entrance. The Euclid Arcade is located behind "Walk Through Our Store" sign. From Prospect Avenue (the street in this photo) you can walk through either one of these and get to THE Arcade, the grand multilevel beauty that's been featured before on Shorpy. These two arcades are linked by a perpendicular hallway in the middle. Here's a photo of this other arcade. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Horses)
Western Union: 1931
... the sending of a ceremonial last telegram. Internet hotel During the late 80s I was the account executive for the electrical ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/16/2013 - 8:39am -

New York, 1931. "Western Union Telegraph Building, West Broadway. Ralph Walker, architect." The hulking Art Deco pile now known as 60 Hudson Street, a TriBeCa landmark. Photo by Irving Underhill. View full size. Technology changing with the times.Ralph Walker designed two buildings for old-economy telecommunications that are still being used for new economy telecommunications over 80 years later. The Western Union telegraph building here is now a major internet hub for NYC and the entire world. His other masterpiece, the Barclay-Vesey building, was designed for AT&T long distance traffic in 1926 and is now the world headquarters for Verizon Wireless. Sixth Avenue ElThe elevated train in the foreground is the Sixth Avenue El, built around 1880, which ran over West Broadway in this part of lower Manhattan. Service ended in late 1938 and the structure was demolished soon after. While New York had an unfortunate habit of closing elevated lines when no replacement subways were available (Second Avenue El 1940, Third Avenue El 1955, Jamaica Avenue El 1977), that actually wasn't the case with the Sixth Avenue El, as the IND subway under Sixth Avenue made it largely redundant. In addition, while the other els were perfectly serviceable despite their ages, the Sixth Avenue El was in rough physical condition and would not have been usable for much longer without massive renovations. For years after their demolition, rumors persisted that scrap metal from the Sixth and Second Avenue els had been sold to companies in Japan, which incorporated the steel in weapons used against the United States in World War II. It got to the point that the city actually had to hold an official inquiry into the issue. The rumors turned out to be about as true as the rumors that full-grown alligators live in the city's sewer tunnels. 2 Black HolesAnyone know what these two asymmetrical openings are for?: 1. About halfway up the facing side of the building, between the 3rd and 4th windows, is a small black rectangular opening. 2. To the left of the 2nd row of windows from the top is another rectangular opening, with a small window in it. Neither of these has a balancing twin in sight. Metropolis of TomorrowStrongly evokes the work of Hugh Ferris, the man who made chiaroscuro poetry out of the New York 1916 setback law. Dual Addresses60 Hudson occupies the entire block bounded by West Broadway and Hudson, Worth and Thomas streets. Other buildings in this category have street addresses on both major streets. The AT&T Long Lines Building of the same era started with an address of 24 Walker Street and when expanded the address (for the same building) was changed to 32 AOA ( Avenue of the Americas) but the Church Street side shows an address of 316 Church Street over the entrance. Thus the West Broadway vs Hudson Street addresses. 60 Hudson is part of the Lower Manhattan communications/Internet hub. AT&T's 33 Thomas Street is two blocks away. Verizon's 140 West Street and the former AT&T Long Lines "NY-2/NR," now also a "telecom condo" at 32 AOA, are also a stone's throw away. Black hole solutions?The one on the 10th floor appears to be a vent of some sort, probably to exhaust heat from electronic equipment. It has been closed now, but the repair is clearly visible from the street with Google Earth Street View. The one near the top of the building is a small window, maybe for a top executive's bathroom judging by its location. Companion Buildingthis is a cell phone picture of the at&t building on sixth ave. it is shot from the street in front of the western electric building. the fiber optics that connect the two buildings were threaded through the old pneumatic tubes that used to carry the telegraph traffic between the at&t and western union networks. Speaking of telegramsIndia has the world's last operable telegraph service. But not for much longer, as it is scheduled to be shut down next month following the sending of a ceremonial last telegram. Internet hotelDuring the late 80s I was the account executive for the electrical contractor that did a large share of the renovation of 60 Hudson from a public utility communication building into a large Internet and private telephone (Sprint and MCI) hub. I watched with great dismay as Western Union was slowly dismantled and finally put out of business both by corporate stupidity on the part of WUTCO and by corporate raiders. Western Union was way ahead of its time in communication technology. They basically invented the fax machine, were the first to use fiber optic for communication, home-built the first digital telephone switch (it looked like something out of Star Trek ) and were the first private entity to launch communication satellites (Westar 1-6). That building holds a lot of memories for me. One last comment: in my exploration of the building I came upon the roller skate repair shop; at one time they employed young women as skaters throughout the building to deliver messages. They were truly the Google of the 1920s. I ApproveThe Bull City Boy likes the Bull Durham painted wall sign on the right. (The Gallery, Irving Underhill, NYC, Railroads)
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