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Tom's Lunch: 1930
... a few weeks ago - around the corner from the Palmer House Hotel just west of Michigan Avenue. Phantom sign Color me astonished ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 5:47pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1930. "Store front, 9th Street N.W." Hey lady, it's safe to come out. National Photo Company Collection safety negative. View full size. Tom's DeliOh, yum. What a lousy looking cafe. Maybe she doesn't want anyone to know that she actually ate the "home cooking" there. Please tell me that the three buckets hanging outside the second story windows are not what I suspect they are for: Garde L'eau. Bucket brigadeWhat's with the buckets on the second floor window sills in the alley? Milk delivery system, maybe? Winter FrontThe Ford Model A on the far right has a winter front on the radiator and what looks like a quail radiator cap. BaysBefore computers and maybe even slide rulers, gifted souls were erecting towers like that that don't go to the ground, but appear suspended as if by magic from the side of a building. Barely changedView Larger Map 1926? How do you figure?I am positive the car on the far right is a 1931 Ford. I own one that I have been driving for 12 years [Oops. My bad. The cars are wearing 1930 license plates. - Dave] Shoulda had the meatloafI'm always on the lookout for these dives when I'm traveling on business. I normally don't eat much - maybe eggs or a grilled cheese - I just enjoy sitting in the vinyl booths and reading the paper over a cup of Joe. Found one in Chicago a few weeks ago - around the corner from the Palmer House Hotel just west of Michigan Avenue. Phantom signColor me astonished that the phantom "GROCERIES & PROVISIONS" sign on the side of the building has remained virtually unchanged over the past 80 years. Ghosts of groceries pastDid anyone else notice the faded advertisements on the side of the building in the Google Street View and the 1930 picture? Someone should clean up this joint. Blue EagleThere is an NRA (National Recovery Administration, not National Rifle Association) poster in the window of the business three doors down, so this would have to have been 1933 or later. [1926 ... 1930 ... 1933 ... We are zooming into the future! - Dave] HudsonThe car in front of the diner is a 1931 Hudson Great 8 sedan, the top of the line for Hudson. Check out the horn on the crossbars below the headlights! and the dual sidemounts, hood vent doors, and smaller front visor that Hudson used to look more modern. The 1931 Ford behind it on the right is interesting in that it has an accessory winter front and an accessory horn to replace the near obsolete ahoogha horn. The "Greyhound" accessory hood ornament -- very chic. DivesGreat old places like that are getting harder to find, aren't they? Everything is Starbucks or the pretentious upscale places. RepaintedIt looks like the sign in the Google Street View was repainted at some point because it's brighter than the one in the original, which surely would have faded more by now. Sometimes people like to repaint those things, give the place character? Fur coat?That woman's wearing a fur coat, isn't she? I guess she wasn't hurting for money. Nominated for "Least Changed"Remarkably unchanged! Even the iron fence railing on the left is still there! The painted advert on the brick wall is the same degree of faded! If we had a Hudson, a '31 Ford and a couple of Model Ts for good measure, we could recreate this photo! HopperesqueThis looks like a short story or an Edward Hopper painting. There's enough going on in this picture to serve as the foundation for any number of creative works. Great job (as always), Dave! Gas PriceThere is a good reason the store lady is not coming out. She is peering into our time through our computers, like we are peering into hers. The BP gas station across the street, as captured by Google Maps' photo van, has regular gas at $4.19 per gallon. Just stay where you are, ma'am. It's scary here. Cleaning upThis building is being cleaned up. The old copper is still intact and has been cleaned to reveal its former beauty. The windows which were boarded up have been replaced with new glass and there are plans (I hear) to create retail space on the lower level. I totally agree with the idea of old signage. There are many old buildings in Washington where there are remnants of signs still left than can be restored. Documenting and renewing these signs would be a great grant project for someone. Love the web site. Great work. Keep it up. We are all very appreciative! A Makeover!This building is getting a nice redo. The new owner is apparently very sensitive to the historical nature of the building, although the carriage house in the back had to be torn down. The property was in pretty deplorable condition. RE: What's with the bucketsBeer buckets, left outside for cooling purposes? What's with the buckets?What's with the buckets hanging out the upstairs windows? Look in Any Window YeahIn the front window, there are signs for Camel cigarettes. There is also a public telephone available inside. Plus, according to the signs in the front window, Tom's place sells Coca Cola! Looking through the front window, this is where Silver Dust is sold. Check the name on the box seen through the lefthand side of the front window. Silver Dust was a laundry detergent. Their logo of a woman bending over a laundry tub can be seen on the top corner of the lefthand side of the Silver Dust display box. The woman in the doorway just brought Silver Dust soap to clean that somewhat dirty-looking fur she's wearing. And oh yes -- there are four buckets not three (one more is behind the third bucket back in the picture). Former tenantI lived in this building (1314½ Ninth Street) in the early 1990s, on the second floor. Lisa Fricano was my landlord and I my good friend Joe lived on the top floor. It was a cool place to live. I had a studio/photo darkroom set up in the living room area. Joe had his painting studio in his LR. We had some really good times there. Lisa ran a video store called Ratso Video. There was also a rock band that practiced in the basement. I pass by this place from time to time and always wonder who's living there, what's going to happen in the retail area, etc. I would love to buy this vintage 30s photo. Let me know if you selling. lbradley@lb-design.net Thanks. Larry [Click under the picture where it says BUY THIS PHOTO. - Dave] +81Below is the same view from December of 2011. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
Indianapolis: 1943
... like this. West Market It appears that the Hilton hotel and parking garage to the west of the Hilton occupy the former Traction ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 1:52pm -

September 1943. "Soldiers with their girls at the Indianapolis bus station." Medium-format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley, OWI. View full size. Takin' it all inThat Marine on the bus looks homesick already. DeparturesThese pictures always make me sad. I wonder if the men came back, if their girls were waiting for them ... well, you get the idea. IndyI live near Indianapolis. I wish I knew where this was taken. From the little bit we can see, I'd assume it was taken somewhere near the circle and the circle monument. [It was taken here, at the old traction terminal. - Dave] OwnershipI like how the woman in the dark coat has her finger hooked in the back pocket of her man. UnbelievableThese types of photos always make me think I'm looking at a movie still. I can never believe people actually looked like this. West MarketIt appears that the Hilton hotel and parking garage to the west of the Hilton occupy the former Traction Terminal location. In the middle of the Google map and the image of the soldiers at the bus station is the Illinois Building. View Larger Map 83rd Division GIsThe GI standing at the bus door is wearing the triangular patch of the 83rd Infantry Division, which trained at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The 83rd entered Normandy during the latter part of June 1944 and lost thousands in the hedgerow fighting. ¿Aire acondicionado?Por aquellos años, en Europa los autobuses eran mucho menos futuristas, éste parece de ciencia ficción. Hermosa y magnífica fotografía. ¡ Bravo, Esther ! The Super CoachThe Super Coach, put into production in the spring of 1936, was made until 1939. Close to 1,600 of these buses (Models 719 and 743) were constructed by Yellow Coach of Pontiac Mich., virtually all of them sold to Greyhound or its affiliates. Some of the last of these buses were delivered with air-conditioning in 1939. Many older ones were refitted with AC systems.(From "Over the Road" by Meier and Hoschek). Can't stop staring.I think I've looked at this picture for 20 minutes, at least -- encouraged by thoughtful, relevant information like his unit and/or where they might have gone. I can almost hear the big diesel idling from the back of the bus and smell the musky interior of vinyl seats and frequent use. Foy Las Vegas Bus aromaFoy's olfactory reminiscence inspires this comment. I was recently reminded of what the inside of a long-distance bus smelled like. An acquaintance recently bought a slightly used car that had been briefly owned by someone who was apparently the world's heaviest smoker. Despite the dealer's attempts to deodorize it, the first thing that came welling up within me when I got in it on a hot day was a long-buried memory, and I thought "Greyhound bus, 1955." Bus smellI took a Greyhound bus ride when I was a small child and that smell of diesel and the inside of the bus still comes back to remind me of that trip when I was 5. This picture is amazing. Goodbyes and off to war.I think I am more emotional now seeing these pictures and thinking back to that time when my beautiful bride of two years and I said our goodbyes at the train station in Detroit in 1944 than I was at the time. I do wish we could know what happened to these young people. Re: OwnershipThis makes me unbelievably sad. I hope they got to see each other again. My interpretation of this pictureHis never ending love soothes my aching soul. When his loving brown eyes leave mine my lovely life will become dim. SadAw, gee, i hope they came back... So much emotionI love this picture The TerminalWonderful picture! Some 10-12 years later in the mid-50's (I was about 8 or 9 ) my father and I took a bus trip from that terminal (we lived in Broad Ripple). I recall him reminiscing about the "boys that left from here to go to war." Especially about a neighbor of his in Broad Ripple that he saw off on the bus, bu never came back from the South Pacific. I can sense the sights and smells of that Terminal as if I were standing in it now! Market StreetI believe the interurban and bus stations were on the north side of Market Street between the Civil War Monument and the State Capitol. I recall the electric trolley buses as a child when my dad took me to Indy, about 1959, to pick up a family member coming home. (The Gallery, Esther Bubley, Indianapolis, WW2)
Wabash Avenue L: 1900
... of the second incarnation (1875-1923) of the Palmer House hotel. The front faced State Street, a block to the west. Wabash Avenue L: ... exist. The very tall building in the center is the Trump Hotel and Tower across the river. And yes, Pete is correct, that's the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:44pm -

September 1, 1900. "Wabash Avenue north from Adams Street, Chicago." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Direct connectionThe walkway from the building to the station used to be common; many stops in the Loop on the L and in the subway had a direct connection from some adjacent business; it was a selling point for the business. The ones on the L are all gone now. Most of the subway ones are closed as well, with the exception of the ones that are part of the pedway. GottchaWonderful street scene. Can you find the "Gottcha"? Or what on first glance appears to be a "Gottcha." Signage That is an interesting sign behind the Pilgrim Press Booksellers. The one that has pictures of monuments or crosses on it. It would be nice to have a closer look at that. I did a little more research just guessing it is a monument companies sign and found the Charles M. Gall Company in Chicago at that time. They were also mentioned in the "Monument Mans Handbook" from 1919. The book had illustrations of types of monuments and it seems that some on the sign are military monuments. Of course, I could be totally off base and if anyone has any other ideas let me know. A Story In Every SignBarely visible below and to the right of the Windsor Clifton sign is a sign for Alfred Peats. According to his March 1915 obituary in the NYT, Peats made money so fast he was "crazed by riches" and driven insane. He ended up at the Bloomingdale Asylum. For that total Shorpy experienceI like to play my Scott Joplin CD while looking at these turn of the century street scenes in Hi-Def. It's almost like watching a Ken Burns documentary. It seems odd that his music was used in a soundtrack for a movie set in the 1930s (The Sting) when most of his work was written around 1900. I would have thought hot jazz a better choice for that movie, given the period. The GottchaIs that someone misspelled "gotcha"? How Often ...Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often that you won't even notice it. Are these what are known as "cold water" flats due to the water pipe running vertically from the sidewalk? There seems to be one valve or "tap" for each flat accessible from the veranda. What happened in the winter when the water froze? Got HER!The man walking by the bookshop at lower left appears to be goosing his female companion. GotchaAre you referring to the woman who appears to be scratching her behind? At first glance it looks like the man walking slightly behind her is "taking liberties," but after closer examination I believe he is innocent. [I think she's lifting her skirt a bit to keep it off the sidewalk. Hey lady, you're on the Internet! - Dave] Her Own ParadeAnd believe me, I'd be in it too! PlumbingThose look like standpipes for firefighters. You can see the terminus of one on the top of the building on the right side of the street. Rather than drag a hose all the way up from the street hydrant they could hook on to the standpipe and direct water to whatever floor needed it, or all the way to the roof. Chicago in the mid 1970sAs a HS student and camera buff, I used to go to the photo stores on Wabash Avenue, under the elevated tracks. Altman's Camera was one of the best places to buy equipment, and I would ride the train from Milwaukee with a pile of cash, arrive at the train station and then walk, nervously, east through pimps, hookers and street thugs to Wabash. Then I would walk back to the train station with my purchases, just as nervously. Boy, has Chicago cleaned up its act since those days. Re: SignageMy guess is that it from the florist shop and shows designs for wreaths, possibly funerary. CivilizedI notice not a hint of graffiti on the support beams for the elevated railway. Fire ProtectionI'd guess those tall pipes are dry standpipes for firefighting. They'd be empty of water until hooked up to a pumper during a fire. (And I think the hand on the lady's bottom is her own. The man appears to be carrying a parcel.) Direct Connection, Part 2The bridge connecting the L Station (Madison & Wabash) to the buildings on the left side of the street was designed by Louis Sullivan for the Schlesinger & Mayer department store in 1896, when the Wabash Avenue leg of the Loop L was brand new. This was Sullivan's first work for the department store; he later built an entirely new building for them around the corner at State & Madison Streets (1899-1904). This building is better known by the name Carson Pirie Scott & Co., which occupied the structure from 1904 to 2007. While Sullivan's bridge is long gone, the building that it "plugged into" has recently had its facade restored, and some "lost" Sullivan ornament was recovered in the process. Palmer HouseThe building on the left reads "Potter Palmer" near the top, which makes me think this might be the back of the second incarnation (1875-1923) of the Palmer House hotel. The front faced State Street, a block to the west. Wabash Avenue L: 2010Some of the buildings on the right in the 1900 photo, just past the train, still exist. The very tall building in the center is the Trump Hotel and Tower across the river. And yes, Pete is correct, that's the Palmer house on the immediate left. Between 1923 and 1925, the 2nd Palmer House was torn down while the 3rd (and current) hotel was built. So the hotel never closed during construction! (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads, Stores & Markets)
Islesworth Gardens: 1906
... our trip to Atlantic City circa 1906. "Islesworth Gardens Hotel, Virginia Avenue." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View ... Thank You. Phones in Rooms The Islesworth Gardens Hotel was popular with conventioneers (pharmacists, railroad ticket agents, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:32pm -

Continuing our trip to Atlantic City circa 1906. "Islesworth Gardens Hotel, Virginia Avenue." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Just for a momentI thought the woman in the streetcar was texting a friend. Then I woke up! Great shot!I think the Trump Taj Mahal casino is there now. All GoneI'm about an hour's drive from Atlantic City, though not being a gambler, I don't go there often. With the advent of the casinos, locales such as this, evidently at the Boardwalk, are completely gone. I'll have to make a trip there with a camera and some of these old pictures to see the differences. Thanks for all the great pictures. The Streetcar!At first I was confused with the streetcar having its pole up in the wrong direction for a double track line but then I noticed that there is a crossover (a pair of switches in the street) allowing the car to "turn back" or "short turn" without having to go to the end of the route. The pole has been turned but the seats are still facing the wrong direction. The faded lettering on the sign on the roof also suggests that this car might not be going to the end of the line. InterestingThe only people I see around here using parasols are Asians. Remembering Atlantic City in the 1950sOur family vacationed in Atlantic City for many summers in the 1950s. We would load up our old Buick, include the dog, and take off from Cincinnati for that glorious week on the Jersey Shore. We stayed in an old converted mansion on North Carolina Avenue called the Manlor Guest House. Every morning was an open air breakfast on the Boardwalk, then to the beach and back to the Manlor to squirt off the sand in the backyard and go to dinner at Betty's Restaurant. The Manlor is long gone along with all the other old converted homes but those places had a charm that no Holiday Inn could replace. Look through the windowYoung lady in the window under the letter "N" of the streetcar looks like she just realized she has purchased the wrong ticket. TrumpedIf this is where the Trump Taj is now, I think it looked much better then! Her TownThe sidewalks are full of Mary Poppinses. The End of the Line or Back at 'Go'?The streetcar in the photo is interesting, having just arrived at this location on the track closest to the curb and the horse cabs. The car seatbacks are in position indicating the right end of the car was the front on arrival, the seat backs could be flipped over depending on car's direction. The outer arm rests are on the window ledges. The seats at the front and rear two side windows would have their backs to the window, the patrons facing the aisle. On cars with sanders the sand boxes would often be located under these lengthways seats which hinged up when filling with sand. However, the trolley pole has been moved around so the car will now travel right to left when it starts on it's next journey, the left end now the front. The car is short enough, altho' it has two 4-wheel trucks beneath, that the Motorman or Conductor could walk the trolley pole around with the trolley pole rope still able to hang over the end at either end with the trolley pole stand centered lengthways on the car roof. Without the trolley pole rope overhanging it would be difficult to centre the trolley pulley on the wire. A longer two-truck car would have to have a separate trolley pole at each end. There were also parameters governing the placement of the trolley pole stand on the car roof so that the pulley would track on the wire properly when the car beneath turned at a track switch at an intersection or went straight thru. Now, there are TWO tracks in the street, and this car will cross over to the far track to 'Run on the right' as it moves ahead on it's new journey. The 'crossover' in the street is visible by the man's head above the nearest horse cab and thru the cab behind. Thank You. Phones in RoomsThe Islesworth Gardens Hotel was popular with conventioneers (pharmacists, railroad ticket agents, elevator operators ...) 1908 Advertisement Impossible waistsThe women wearing corsets have those impossibly small wasp waists. I wonder about the young woman walking toward the camera. She appears to have a normal waist. The corset must have exacerbated the heat problem. Give me my smelling salts. And Gracious Sakes, I see a few women without their hats in public! City of the FutureIt looks like a futuristic city of dollhouses. They had some kind of super "green" vehicle that ran on hay and produced fertilizer instead of carbon monoxide... and even mass transit that ran on electricity! Wow, imagine if we could harness that kind of technology. No sunscreen requiredI but none of these people is thinking about sunscreen! Also, its a shame that we don't use parasols anymore. I count about 15 in this picture (if you count both sides of the street). Dress CodeNo shorts or tank-tops allowed! Good MannersNotice that the men use proper etiquette when walking with a female companion. The man walks on the street side, ladies to the inside. By the way, what is the covering on the roofs of the horse cabs? Is it some kind of treated cloth? In praise of ShorpyShorpy is my all time favorite web site ! It's like having a portal to the past. Shorpy lets us see in incredible detail what life was like decades ago. I tell everyone I know about this fantastic site. My problem with this site is that I could spend all day looking at the photos. Thank you for all of the work you do in making these Library of Congress photos look as good as they do. Fastest Way to Ocean CityThat interurban trolley on the right is from the Shore Fast Line connecting Atlantic City to Ocean City, New Jersey. It operated into the 1940s and was immortalized as the Short Line on the Monopoly game board. Car 6812West Jersey and Seashore Type Q semi-convertible, built by the J. G. Brill Co., Phila, 1904-05. Originally single ended, rebuilt as double ended car in 1908. Sold off in 1913-14 when new "Nearside" cars were delivered. The cars, incidentally, are numbered in the Pennsylvania Railroad fleet as the WJ&S was a PRR subsidiary. This is the kind of picturethat deserves the "even bigger" option, or the colorized version. Lovely, absolutely lovely in every detail. Exquisite photo. Speaking of Monopoly RR'sDid we ever find out why Darrow used the B&O railroad for his game? The Baltimore and Ohio never served Atlantic City; only the Shore Fast, Reading, Pennsylvania (later these would merge into the PRSL) and the Central RR of NJ (with it's its infamous Blue Comet) did. From Atlantic City to Ocean CityThe trolley advertises 2 ways to get to Ocean City: "SHORE FAST LINE ELECTRIC FLYERS VIA GREAT EGG HARBOR BAY" "ATLANTIC AVE. TROLLEY AND BOAT VIA LONGPORT" No. 6818 is a local Atlantic City car, maybe even a shuttle out to Atlantic Avenue. It does not have 3rd rail shoes, which Shore Fast Line cars needed, as they used a part of the West Jersey & Seashore RR to get across the meadows between West Atlantic City and Pleasantville, where the electrified railroad didn't use overhead wire. Shore Fast Line ran between Virginia Avenue and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City to 8th Street and the Boardwalk, Ocean City, both on barrier islands, via the Mainland. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Streetcars, Travel & Vacation)
Atwater Kent: 1927
... D.C., circa 1927. "Thomas R. Shipp group, Hamilton Hotel. Atwater Kent standing by radio." National Photo Co. safety negative. ... address the annual Atwater Kent dealers meeting at the Hotel Hamilton, taking for his topic, "How Radio Dealers May Aid the Radio ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2016 - 11:18am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1927. "Thomas R. Shipp group, Hamilton Hotel. Atwater Kent standing by radio." National Photo Co. safety negative. View full size. Fuller is rightthat Kent walked away with big bucks, not a failure. One of the big reasons that he closed the company down when he did was the threat of unionization by his workers. he said that if they persisted in attempts to unionize, he would close the company. They did, and he did. The factory was eventually taken over by Philco and produced enormous number of radio before, during, and after, WW2. Sometime in the late 50s/early 60s, Philco sold at least part of the property to the Government, and it became a Veterans Administration Data Processing Center, full of equipment that, by today's standard, was as about as advanced the radios made by Atwater Kent! Model 33 in a Pooley CabinetThe set is an Atwater Kent Model 33 in a Pooley 1700-R-2 cabinet. Pooley had a deal with AK -- customers could order from their line of radio cabinets, and then pick from any number of available AK sets to go in it. The cabinets cost anywhere from $190 to $240, and the radios $145 to 390. That was a pretty hefty sum in 1927 -- even more so when you consider that the delivered radio-cabinet set came without tubes or a battery, which the buyer had to purchase separately. Mr Kent appears to be showing off the latest model -- the 33 was manufactured in 1927, and the Pooley 1700 started production in 1926. The radio isn't a Model 30 (manufactured in 1926) -- the knobs on the 30 were closer together. Pinpointing the dateThis is one of those photos where, with a little detective work, one can easily figure out what month of the year it was taken. The cover of the Cosmopolitan magazine that woman is holding is clearly visible. [February 1927. - Dave] Attentive StareAlthough obviously a posed picture, interesting how everyone is "watching" the radio set. Replace the speaker grille with a small TV screen and this could be 1949 (at least, if you look more at the mens' outfits). Looking at the radioYou see, if you look at the radio, your ears just happen to be pointing in the best possible direction for you to hear best as well. One of nature's little tricks. Attention pleaseIf you don't look at the radio, you can't hear it. And the lady on the left has taken one of the drapery ruffles and fashioned a hat. What are they looking at?Why is everyone looking at the radio? They have a good 20 years to wait until a screen pops out of that thing. Radio daysThe fact that they're all looking at the radio is hilarious, and reminds me of a line from Woody Allen's Radio Days. "He's a ventriloquist... on the radio! How do you know he's not moving his mouth?" I paraphrase, but you get the idea. The one visible female face has a highly amusing expression on it. Most everyone else appears somber and she's sort of simpering, seemingly unable to get into character. Interesting PieceThe radio cabinet could double as a writing desk. I wonder if the area below the desk is a functional drawer or storage space of some sort or does it have any part of the electronics. Atwater KentAtwater Kent provided radios for various manufacturers to include in their own cabinetry. This one looks like a model 30, produced in 1926 and notable for single-knob tuning: http://www.atwaterkentradio.com/ak30.htm Atwater Kent himself!Funny that I always assumed "Atwater-Kent" was a combination of two names, like "Nash-Kelvinator" or "White-Westinghouse." Unless, of course, the caption actually means "standing by Atwater Kent radio." Note the Cosmo girl to his left--this being the days when Cosmopolitan was like a mixture of Redbook and Literary Digest. RearrangedLooks like they might've dragged some furniture around to better compose the shot. A smart hunter would've swept that plant around to cover his tracks. Play by PlaySteeeRIKE THREEE!! and he's OUT! Thomas Roerty Shipp Washington Post, Aug 20, 1926 Greater Radio Sales Predicted Next Year Dealers, Closing Meeting With Banquet, Base Forecast on Broadcasters' Rivalry A larger business in radio sets for next year was predicted at the annual meeting of the radio dealers of Washington, Maryland, and Virginia that closed with a banquet at the Lee house last night. The high quality of radio programs being broadcast together with rivalry between the broadcasting stations to procure the best talent was the basis for the prediction. A representative of the Atwater Kent factory reported that the Philadelphia plant had already received a sufficient number of orders to warrant the manufacture of more than 600,000 radio receivers this year as compared with a 400,000 order on hand at this time last year. The dealers were the guests of William E. O'Connor, president of the Southern Auto Supply Co., at the banquet. The dealers were welcomed by M.A. Leese, local radio dealer and president of the Washington Chamber of Commerce, followed by greetings from F.C. Ferber, vice president and secretary of the Southern Auto Supply Co. Others who spoke were C.W. Geisner and P.A. Ware of the Atwater Kent Co.; T. Cronyn, S.D. Goodall, G.O. Hamilton and H.W. Jarrett, all of New York and Thomas R. Shipp, of this city. Washington Post, Sep 12, 1927 "Better Broadcasting" Talk By Bullard Today Having explained to listeners, station owners, manufacturers and others the part they must play in the national program for better broadcasting, two members of the Federal Radio Commission today will being to enlist the cooperation of radio dealers in the movement. To this end, Chairman W.H.G. Bullard will address the annual Atwater Kent dealers meeting at the Hotel Hamilton, taking for his topic, "How Radio Dealers May Aid the Radio Commission." At the same time Commissioner H.A. Bellows will address the Atwater Kent dealers in Philadelphia. To day's program in Washington will open with a housewarming this morning at the Southern Wholesalers Inc., distributors, followed at 12 o'clock with a luncheon at the Hamilton. Then will come an afternoon business session, concluding with a banquet at 6 o'clock followed by vaudeville. Washington Post, Feb 11, 1952 Thomas Shipp Dead in Miami At Age of 76 Thomas Roerty Shipp, 76, veteran public relations man and one of the founders of the National Press Club, died yesterday in Miami, Fla., where he and his wife had been spending the winter. Mr. Shipp came to Washington in 1908 to organize the first conference of State Governors during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, who then appointed him secretary of the National Conservation Commission. He was public relations advisor for such corporations as General Motors, Standard Oil Co. of New York, the Pullman Co., Swift & Co., International Harvester and many others. Mr. Shipp organized the first national and international publicity campaigns for the American Red Cross in World War I and headed the national publicity drives of the Y.M.C.A. and United War Work Campaign. A native of Morristown, Ind., Mr. Shipp was nominated by the Republicans for Congress but was narrowly defeated in the election. He then became the Indiana member of the Republican National Congressional Committee and directed the publicity campaign for the party in 1914. In 1914 he organized the Thomas R. Shipp publicity company, with offices in the Albee Building. He lived at 3733 Oliver st. nw. Mr. Shipp was a mason, a member of the Chevy Chase Club, Columbia Country Club, National Press Club, Artists and Writers of New York City and a member of the Indiana Bar. Funeral services will be held Tuesday in Indianapolis, with interment there. AK ClosingKent never "failed" in the radio business or in any other business. In 1936, he was a solvent multimillionaire. He had his son, A. Atwater Kent Jr., sell the factory buildings and other company assets, which were all his personal, debt-free, property. He retired to California, where he became famous for his flamboyant parties. He died a wealthy and reportedly happy man. Atwater Kents were the bestAtwater Kents were the best set you could buy back then. If you ever compare a RCA, GE, or Philco radio from the 20's-30's to an Atwater Kent set of the same era, the AK radio wins by a landslide. Unfortunately the sets were too expensive for them to survive the Depression. 14th StreetI think the street outside the window is 14th, with the cars parked in the alley across from the Hamilton that connects 14th and Vermont (in between the current Continental and and Tower buildings). LusciousI wish I could see all those rich fabrics in color. Velvets, brocades, satins...mmmm!! They're probably in lovely jewel tones. (I also want all the women's shoes, especially the adorable mary janes on the left.) Way Back My grandparents & I used to listen to the radio in the evenings. Amos & Andy, Walter Winchell. This brings back good memories. AK CabinetThe Pooley cabinet is a Model 32. Mr. Kent sells his company.Sounds like he "went John Galt." (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Beware the Lion: 1906
Boston circa 1906. "Hotel Lenox." A number of hazards to look out for here. 8x10 inch dry plate ... can see just a hint of a railroad shed to the left of the hotel. Since the photo was taken the ground level has been extensively reworked ... so idyllic - obviously a large, well-made, high-class hotel. Yet the streets are almost deserted. They must have taken this on a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 6:58pm -

Boston circa 1906. "Hotel Lenox." A number of hazards to look out for here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Next stop, Eternity!I see a couple Ghosts getting on the Trolly, headed for the Holyhood Cemetery no doubt. Hazards1. Wet paint sign 2. Trolley car 3. The lion sentry 4. Fresh horse dookie what else? Red Slept HereThe Lenox was home to Boston Celtics Coach Red Auerbach during basketball season. This grand lady still stands.In 1906 the Lenox was located in the middle of Nowheresville being bound by Exeter St. (front entrance) and Boylston St. The other two sides were bound by railroad coach yards. You can see just a hint of a railroad shed to the left of the hotel. Since the photo was taken the ground level has been extensively reworked to include shops and an alternate entrance on the Boylston St. side. Perhaps someone can find a contemporary photo for comparison. Where is everybody?Everything looks so idyllic - obviously a large, well-made, high-class hotel. Yet the streets are almost deserted. They must have taken this on a winter Sunday morning, when most were still asleep! [I count at least six people in this time exposure. - Dave] Lions and streetcars and wet paint, oh my!The Lenox Hotel is still in operation, although its surrounds have been much altered. The lion has moved on, I think - there's now a modern office building where he was standing. The side of the Lenox that's on Boylston Street (where the streetcar is) has been extensively remodeled and now serves as the main entrance. I wonder why the original entrance was on Exeter (the side street), unless it was to permit more convenient access for carriages. Still aroundhttp://www.lenoxhotel.com/historic-hotels-boston.html Does the "Look Out"sign refer to "paint," or to the name of the horse across the street? And yes, I do see that hurtling streetcar bearing down the avenue. Chestnut HillThe placard on the streetcar states Chestnut Hill was the final destination. Portions of the trolley car run were on the final miles of the Boston Marathon and still are today. The Chestnut Hill trolley, I believe, dead-ended across from Norumbega Park, which has been highlighted here in the past. The Lenox for years was the unofficial home of the Boston Marathon, especially the day of the race and after finishing the run. Many a dehydrated runner came wobbly-legged out of the Lenox after the Marathon! No ShortcutsI like the "No Short-Cuts" fence at the corner of the building at left. The lionCould that lion be one of the lions that are now in front of the Copley Plaza Hotel? Sure looks like him. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Streetcars)
Merry Christmas!
... sign at the extreme right of the picture belongs to a hotel, Hoffman House, which was at 24th Street & Broadway. It's long gone. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2012 - 4:04pm -

New York, December 1913. "Christmas tree, Madison Square." 8x10 glass negative, G.G. Bain Collection. View full size. Happy holidays from Shorpy! All the bestAll the best to my friends!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!Ahhhhhhhh!!! Ohhhhhhhh!!! Merry Christmas!Thank you Dave! Merry Christmas! Merry ChristmasBeautiful! Merry Christmas. Shorpy has brought me so much joy since I found it. Thank you for such a wonderful, ongoing gift. ChristmasThank You Dave. This Christmas seems more special than ever. So many nice things going on in my world. Back at You!Merry Christmas to you as well, Dave! And thank you for such a wonderful Website. - Clint Wow!Some of the most tasteful (and skillful!) colorization I've ever seen. Happy Holidays to all here, and to our Photoshopping friends over at Fark: Eat your hearts out! Merry ChristmasThank you. Merry Christmas, to you Dave and all others. Not So Appreciated Since Disney's Wonderful WorldDave, thank you for the gift of COLOR! Merry Christmas!My very best to you and yours, Dave. Your site is a daily gift to me, and I'll just continue to enjoy it. And a Merry Christmas (or whatever's appropriate) to all my fellow Shorpy fans. HoliDAZE...Not much for the holidays but enjoys Christmas immensely. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Dave and keep on, keepin' on. Early ChristmasShorpy is the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks, Dave, for a wonderful year, and a toast for more in 2009! Autochrome?Could this be an Autochrome image? The National Geographic website describes it like this: "Invented by two brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière of France, the Lumière Autochrome (meaning "self-coloring") process was first marketed in 1907. It featured a glass-plate negative evenly covered with a wash of minute grains of potato starch dyed with the basic colors of red, green, and blue. This, the filter mosaic layer, was then covered with a panchromatic emulsion. To make an exposure, the plate was in effect flipped over so that light entered through the back of the plate, filtering through the dyed, transparent potato starch grains until it struck the emulsion. When the plate was developed, the negative silver image was turned into a "pointillist positive" by a reversal process." [No potatoes were harmed in the making of this picture. - Dave] Merry Christmas!!Thank you so much, Dave, for letting me time trip peacefully on the web. On your site I see things that remind me of being a kid and lowers my blood pressure all at the same time. Have a lovely Christmas and a most wonderful New Year. ChristmasMerry Christmas all. I am not PC. Thank you Dave and Ken for all you do. I remember our Christmas Trees at home and the only thing different was that my sister insisted on solid blue lights.Wish I had a photo to submit but I think that this was before color film etc. John MerryAll the best for everyone on the site and thanks! A Merry ReplyA Merry Christmas To You and Yours and Best Wishes for the New Year. We look forward to yet more great images of time past that, transcending the pages of history, exist forever in the heart of the soul. Thank you, Dave, for Shorpy. Best Regards, Michael & Steffie Hoffman HouseThe vertical sign at the extreme right of the picture belongs to a hotel, Hoffman House, which was at 24th Street & Broadway. It's long gone. I see that of the first seven commenters who are absolute Shorpy fans, none have registered with the site. I think they should show support and join. There will be no meetings or dues but the Shorpy guys (Dave & Ken) deserve it for all their hard work. Best wishes to all for a healthy, prosperous and happy Holiday Season. Colorized or original color?Oh please, tell us that is it a color photo - they did have color in 1913 didn't they? Nice tree, thanks! [Yes, there were various color processes in 1913. But this was a regular black-and-white photograph, with the color added by me. - Dave] Merry ChristmasTo Dave and all the Shorpy-ites. My frequent visits to Shorpy help me get through the day. Every day there are little gifts here that are great to receive. ShorpyPantiesThanks for often being the best part of the my day. It's great to always have Shorpy to look forward to. One complaint...you haven't sent me the Shorpy Plastic Seat Cover (patent pending) for the hysterical comments that crop up. Was hoping to receive it for Xmas Dave! Have a very Merry Christmas and thanks again. Carol OutstandingJust a random guy saying thanks for all the super cool, retro, nostalgic photographs. Your site is the first I check everyday. Merry Christmas. Happy HolidaysThank you so much for this site, it makes me happy everyday. Shorpy's the gift that keeps on giving. Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas to all of you here at Shorpy. Oh!I wondered what the cryptic caption and darkened photo were supposed to be! I should have realized the obvious! Merry ChristmasA happy Holiday to all. Looking forward to another year of Shorpy's Re: Hoffman HouseYour comment about the sign in this photo would still have been interesting and informative, even if you had submitted it as an unregistered guest. I believe that the primary benefit of membership, here, has more to do with sharing vintage photography with those who appreciate it, than it does with "showing support" for the Shorpy crew. Since I have no photos to share, all I can do is greatly admire the contributions of tterrace, delworthio, and so many other members who help make the Shorpy experience the joy that it is. The actual point I wish to make, however, is this: the best way I can think of to REALLY support this wonderful cause is to buy some prints! I've got a wish-list of prints I plan to buy that's getting longer by the week...but THIS piece of work went straight to the top of my list the moment I saw it. The first Anonymous Tipster here "said it all", regarding this photo, as far as I'm concerned! Thank youThank you, Dave. Merry Christmas to everyone at Shorpy, both posters and those like me who are usually lurkers. Merry Christmas everyoneMerry Christmas everyone, and thanks to Dave and all the contributors; whether it's pictures, knowledge, and/or great wit - you know who you are. May whatever God you believe in bless you and keep you this year, and always. Merry ChristmasThanks for this and so many wonderful photos. A Happy, healthy and prosperous 2009 to you! (The Gallery, Christmas, Colorized Photos, G.G. Bain)
Come Fly With Me: 1911
... and Mrs. A.P. Crenshaw in the red room of the New Willard hotel that Lenora, Amparo, and their father attended. No photos, sadly, but ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2012 - 11:45am -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1911. "Senorita Lenore Riviero with Antony Jannus in Rex Smith aeroplane." Please fasten your seatbelts (or skirts) while we prepare for departure. Tony Jannus, the pioneering but short-lived Washington aviator, a few years before his final flight landed him somewhere at the bottom of the Black Sea. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Early FlightDone with "Stone Knives and Bear Skins" Flying:I do believe, if I were in his shoes, I'd see what I could do; to do a wee bit less public "flying" with her too! Knees TogetherIs she tied like a sack of potatoes? Is the point so that her dress doesn't fly up? Was wearing pants totally taboo for a 1911 woman? Surely this should've been the exception to the no pants rule? She looks terrifiedand I would too!!! Great picture! Love it. Thanks. Ignition onMagnetos engaged, fuel pump primed, let's get this beauty off the ground. Great image, Tony looks like he's the cat that got the milk. I hope the Senorita was impressed, she is very pretty. Those Magnificent Men ... and Women!This shot reminds me so much of scenes from the movie. The young lady is very brave; injury or death lurked close-by every time one of these pioneering flying machines were started up, let alone took to the air. I love the "skirt-belt," to keep the breeze from creating a possibly immodest and, for the pilot, distracting view! Eyes and earsNo protection for eyes or ears. The pilot's head is right next to the engine. The roar for both him and the lady had to be pretty loud. Are you seated comforably miss?Now, after seeing this picture, you couldn't possibly complain about economy class airplane seats ever again. Potomac ParkThis is in Potomac Park, D.C., according to the photo caption here. More on the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company here. Airport SecurityI see that Airport Security has already confiscated any bottled liquids, knitting needles, and the like. Perhaps the stripping off of seat cushions and seatbelts (in case one might want to suffocate or strangle the pilot) was a bit much but you can't be too careful when airline security is at stake. Early Fly-By-Wire TechnologyLooks like it might as well be fishing line wrapped around the pulley behind the steering wheel. [Or piano wire. - Dave] ControlsIn addition to the fly by wire technology associated with the wheel there is another channel of wiring connected to the metal bar next to the pilot's upper arm. There is a similar bar by his left arm that is hidden by the wheel. He would bank the aircraft by leaning left or right to warp the wings. With the cute passenger, I would think that banks to the right would be the preferred direction of turn. A third fly by wire channel is attached to the upper and lower ends of the wheel support structure to control the elevator in the rear by pushing or pulling on the wheel for changes in the pitch up or down attitude of the aircraft. The engine is also equipped with an "Armstrong" starter that is about to be engaged. Society Girl Flies Washington Post, Mar 26, 1911. Society Girl Flies Other Washington Social Leaders May Follow Precedent. To Miss Gladys Hinkley, one of Washington's most popular society belles, belongs the distinction of being the first girl to make a trip in an aeroplane in the Capital. Late yesterday afternoon Miss Hinkley prevailed upon Aviator Antony Jannus to take her for a ride over Potomac Park. When the birdlike machine several times circled the field and slowly settled to earth Miss Hinkley most enthusiastically expressed her delight at the experience. … Aviator Jannus, who is making flights almost daily at Potomac park in the Washington-built Rex-Smith biplane, had not only as his guest Miss Hinkley, but Dr. Charles D. Walcott, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution: Victor Emerson, several business men of the city, a representative of the Washington Post, and officials of the company. … Aviator Jannus has perfect control of his machine at all times, and while he has not made an attempt for an altitude record, declares that as soon as he becomes familiar with all conditions of weather he will seek a level higher than has ever before been reached. A squad of officers from the United States engineer corps is detailed to Potomac park daily to watch the flights in the interest of the War Department, and it is the plan of Aviator Jannus to take each of the army representatives for flights that they main gain the experience necessary to make an ascension alone if necessary. Yesterday was not an ideal day for flying, yet more than 50 flights were made in the presence of nearly a thousand persons. After a few practice flights Aviator Jannus took as passengers as many as could be accommodated. He promises to make more flights during the week and has partially promised rides to a number of society leaders. So far no charge has been made for the trips, but owing to the great number of demands upon the aviator the promoters of the company may arrange a schedule of prices. Trips over the city are already being discussed by the aviators, and it may not be long before "Seeing Washington from an Aeroplane" will be the most talked-of attraction for the city's visitors. PerchedIt's interesting to note that more attention was paid to strapping the lady's skirt down than strapping her in the airplane. Unless I'm mistaken, both the pilot and the passenger are essentially just sitting on the wing. I'll bet the experience would get much more interesting if her feet slipped off that makeshift foot rest. Getting It UpSorry to hear about Tony's early and unfortunate demise. By the look on his face, you can bet he would have been a charter member of the Mile High Club. Leaned into a turn?It looks like he would bank the airplane by leaning into the frame beside his shoulders. SuperbHere is a man happy in his work. Just one look at his face tells a story. The hapless young lady grips on to anything to hand, bit of wing, a piece of fuselage, and wears a brave face. The sheer noise, terror, and fear of instant death awaits her. So brave. Friction RidgeThat looks like a fingerprint over Tony's knee. That LookThe expression on the woman's face is the best example of the "Are-you-sure-this-is-safe?" look I've seen on Shorpy! She was disappointed the flight didn't go higherA little digging adds some background. The photo appears in Town & Country magazine's supplement, The Air-Scout for May 27, 1911 (p. 54). She is mentioned as the daughter of Cuba's new minister to the U.S. This was Antonio Martin-Rivero, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary for Cuba, who presented his credentials in Washington, April 11, 1911. Lenore, it seems, wasted no time seeing the sights in Papa's new posting. The photo, by the way, is credited to Paul Thompson, who took many of the magazine's aviation photos. Moreover, the shot caught at least one other editor's eye, as it also ran in the Syracuse (N.Y.) Journal for April 13, 1911, top and center on the front page. According to the newspaper caption, "Senorita Riviero was delighted with the sensation, but disappointed because they didn't go higher." At highest, the paper noted, the flight was about 75 feet up. Scared? I don't think so. You wonder what became of her, and hope she had a good life. A little more about LenoraI think the Town & Country caption writer spelled her last name slightly wrong, as "Rivero" seems correct. And searching on "Lenora Rivero" produces a little more about her. In the Tacoma (Wash.) Times (December 5, 1911; p. 5) she is mentioned, along with a younger sister, Amparo, as one of "Six Belles Who Are To Make Their Debut In Washington This Season". There's a photo of her that's recognizably the same young woman who's sitting on the wing beside Mr. Jannus. Footnote: Another of the Six Belles is Miss Edith Gracie, whose father Archibald had a tragic appointment with an iceberg four months later. He survived the sinking, spending the night clinging to an overturned collapsable lifeboat, but died in December 1912. See here: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085187/1911-12-05/ed-1/seq-5/ And in the Washington (D.C.) Herald's Society column (February 20, 1912; p. 5), there's a note of a dance given by Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Crenshaw in the red room of the New Willard hotel that Lenora, Amparo, and their father attended. No photos, sadly, but the society writer is keen to tell us that "the ballroom was most beautifully festooned with Southern smilax, palms, and ferns studded with spring blossoms, and a string orchestra played for the dancing....Supper was served at midnight." See: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1912-02-20/ed-1/seq-5/ Edith Gracie was also at the Crenshaws' ball, although her father was not. He had just finished a book on the Civil War battle of Chickamauga, and in the words of his Wiki entry, "He found the experience rewarding but exhausting; in early 1912 he decided to visit Europe without his wife Constance (née Schack) and their daughter in order to recharge his batteries. He traveled to Europe on RMS Oceanic and eventually decided to return to the United States aboard RMS Titanic." A photo such as seen here takes just a tenth of a second to capture, but it knits together many lives. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Ready for Occupancy May 1904
... cognac to his fellow survivors in front of the St. Francis Hotel. In 1915, a 30-something Barrymore starred in the title role of THE ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:11am -

New York circa 1903. "New York Times building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Half-OffIs that the granddaddy half-price theater ticket kiosk? Gone to Pot!Look at all the potholes!, and, I thought they were a more-modern phenomenon brought on by the horseless carriage. Thank You again for another great photo from long ago. Solves a puzzleI have always been curious as to what that building really looked like without all of the electric signs and billboards globbed around it. Though I have been there a few times, didn't realize the building was that narrow. A famous unknownThis has been described it as the most famous building in America whose architecture is completely unknown. It was apparently the second tallest building in the world when it was constructed. It was gutted and stripped in the 1960s, losing all ornamentation and most tenants above the first floor due to the high costs costs associated with installing a central air-conditioning system, and was restyled as a boring concrete and marble structure with few windows. Today it's a giant billboard, but makes more money than if it were fully rented. It can be glimpsed in the film Taxi Driver, when only the Zipper was on the building. [One side note -- when it opened, 1 Times Square was the second tallest building in Manhattan (after the Park Row building), not the world. There are many cathedrals, hundreds of years old, taller than 375 feet. - Dave] PBR in 1903!Did not know there was Pabst Blue Ribbon back that far. Very cool. Underground PaperArchitecturally, the NYT tower was a mixed bag ("inspired by the Campanile of Giotto at Florence"). It was more interesting structurally. The basement excavation went 60 feet below curb level, with 2,500 tons of presses in the sub-subbasement, whose floor area was three times that of the street-level footprint -- the underground levels ballooned out past the boundaries of the tower the farther down you went. I wonder what all that subterranean space is used for now. The TenderfootRichard Carle's musical play "The Tenderfoot" (poster partially obscured by the streetcar) opened in Chicago in 1903, and was also made into a movie with Joe E. Brown and Ginger Rogers in 1932. Times Building / Allied ChemicalThe Allied Chemical Building on One Times Square inaugurated in 1965 after "modernisation" of the old 1904-05 Times Tower. A rare picture without any billboards on the building. (Thanks to Wired New York) LogisticsWonderful photo! I wonder what kind of vehicles were used for delivery of steel beams for the construction back then? And looks like there was no enough space to store them, so apparently builders had to lift them up right from the vehicle. Second tallest, but not for lack of tryingThe owners of the Times Tower (362 feet high) sought to gain an edge over the reigning record holder, the Park Row Building (391 feet), by two methods: 1) Measuring from the lowest subbasement to the top of the flagpole (476 feet); 2) Because Times Square is at a higher elevation than downtown Manhattan, the Times Tower "scraped higher clouds" than its downtown competitor. I guess that's all the news that's fit to print. Fuller Construction Co.The same outfit that built the Times Building also built the Flatiron building. I know one poster here had mistaken this building for the Flatiron (on 23rd Street). George A. Fuller is the man considered the father of the modern skyscraper, and in fact the Flatiron Building was originally named the Fuller Building. FlooredCan anyone tell me how the floors were constructed in buildings of this era? It looks like there are wooden planks laid down over the steel floor support members. Was concrete then poured over this sub-flooring? Theatre of VarietiesHere's a link to the history of Oscar Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre, visible on the far right ("Theatre of Varieties"). Built in 1899, gone by 1916 or so. Houdini, Irving Berlin and Will Rogers performed there. The forum comments are interesting for any NY theatre buff. More detailsI love the four tilting windows over the entrance of that building just up from the Theatre of the Varieties. I wonder if the William Collier on the posters lining the side of the Tenderfoot building is this guy. I think that building is what eventually became the Times Square Army recruitment site. Funny to see Times Square looking so simple and small town. Given the theme park it's turned into, I kind of prefer this one. With the help of photoshopI was able to distort these two signs. The big sign says "the new building of the new york times in this site will be made for occupancy in ___ 1904". can anyone make sans of what the small sign says? [The title of this blog post, above the photo, might fill in one of those blanks. - Dave] No need for PhotoshoppeThat small sign appears to have the same text as the lowest sign on the end of the building. William CollierAKA Willie Collier - Looking at the posters closely you can barely make out "Charles Frohman Presents" on the Collier poster to the left of the playbill posted for "The Tenderfoot." Which makes this play THE DICTATOR which, according to IBDB.com opened at the Criterion Theater on April 4, 1904 (barely legible on the left hand posters) and closed May 30, 1904. Looking down the street you can see that THE TWO ORPHANS was playing at the New Amsterdam Theater - Mar 28, 1904 - May 1904. Richard Carle's THE TENDERFOOT was at the New York Theater Feb 22, 1904 - Apr 30, 1904. Which I think may place this photo solidly in 1904 because these don't look to be coming attractions? Interesting that the building is scheduled for occupancy in May of 1904. As a sidebar - one of Willie's young co-stars in THE DICTATOR was John Barrymore who in 1904 would have been a callow 22 years old. According to "The Film Acting of John Barrymore" By Joseph W. Garton, Collier was an intimate family friend of Barrymore's father Maurice and was to be Barrymore's informal theatrical mentor for several years starting in 1903. Two years later, on April 18, 1906, Mr. Barrymore in San Francisco on tour with THE DICTATOR would be thrown from his bed into the bathtub by another event frequently chronicled by Shorpy. One amusing account has him doing his bit by serving cognac to his fellow survivors in front of the St. Francis Hotel. In 1915, a 30-something Barrymore starred in the title role of THE DICTATOR in the silent film version produced by Frohman and Adolph Zukor of the Famous Players Film Company. Floor archesAnswer to a two year old question: they used hollow tile terra cotta floor arches then poured concrete over top. Quick questionIs this view looking south or looking north? [South. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Splash: 1906
... circa 1906. "Bathers, Atlantic City." At right is the Hotel Traymore. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... invention of the jet airplane) or burned down. Below, the Hotel Traymore circa 1930. Demolished 1972. - Dave] Click to enlarge. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:25pm -

New Jersey circa 1906. "Bathers, Atlantic City." At right is the Hotel Traymore. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Grumpy Not-So-Old Man?That guy with the all black suit and dark curly hair in the lower left corner could be a young Walter Matthou! Quite the Fit LotIt would be interesting to see a photo, perhaps taken from the same vantage point, today. I would like to compare the body shapes of 1906 with those of today. The building in the backgroundwas still there in 1977. Interesting experimentI think it would be interesting to take a picture like this on a beach today and compare the differences in the people's reaction to the camera man. There is an awkwardness from the beach goers here that lends itself to the idea of photography being a relatively new technology; or at least the camera as a candid time capsule. I imagine the reaction, or lack of would be quite different. I particularly love the little kid in the lower right that is either "shooting" the camera or mimicking the camera man. Many people seem to be stopping conversation to look over as the picture is being taken, as if they were just rudely interrupted. If anything else, I'm sure the beach attire would be quite a comparison. Women without hose!I've been carefully studying all these 100 year old Jersey shore photos and have been so amazed at how all the women are wearing black hose. It must have been so uncomfortable! In this photo, on the far left (our right) are two women with bare legs. Had they just taken their wet & sandy stockings off? Amazing beach architectureAstonishing architecture! Those towers and balconies are fascinating. never seen anything like them. I can just imagine what's there today. Plate glass windows and boxy bland motel schlock. WHY, why, why does America have such a devotion to tearing down every building once it gets to be 75 years old? [The Atlantic City hotels were razed because they went bankrupt (blame the invention of the jet airplane) or burned down. Below, the Hotel Traymore circa 1930. Demolished 1972. - Dave] Click to enlarge. Every Picture Tells a StoryIn this instance, a story of thinly veiled aggression interspersed with good-natured fun. Ninja alertPlus la change... You lookin at me?The "foot as hand" guy at left looks like he's saying "Heyyy ... I got yer photograph RIGHT HERE." Another funny thing about this picture is the guy on the sand walking along fully dressed in a business suit and shoes. Barnham AttractionHurry! Hurry! Step up and see boy with foot for hand! [P.T. Barnham, I'd like you to meet Walter Matthou. - Dave] The tyranny of monochromeI do not believe for ten minutes that that the people of 100+ years ago went around dressed in lots of black. I suspect the midi-dress style beach clothes were navy, and that what we see as black parasols and black stockings may have been red sometimes. But there is no mistaking that horizontal stripes were the fashion trend of 1906 beachwear. Not one vertical stripe, floral, or plaid in the bunch. Demolished!At 2:01 in this trailer for the movie "Atlantic City" you can see the demolition of the Hotel Traymore. ZombielandSecond kid from the left in the front was a future cast member of Dawn of the Dead. He even positioned his arm perfectly to overlap with the leg and foot of the gent behind him. Creepy. Un dimanche après-midiA few of those women with parasols thought it was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. (I wonder if that kid is smoking a Helmar Cigarette.) Pardon me, Miss.If you could go back into that photo and ask one question, what would it be? For me, I'd go up to some of the women and say "Why are you wearing a dress on the beach"? Was it prudery, or perhaps they knew about the dangers of the sun and were trying to prevent skin damage. I believe back then, a suntan didn't have the status of today. The "lower" class who worked in the fields had the tans. The beach was more a place for the well to do to be seen, despite the dangers of the sun. Of course, Hollywood would eventually change the image of a suntan from low class to sexy status symbol. T-shirtsI hadn't realised T-shirts were that old, especially the one on the boy at the front with 'Gold' on it, it could have been bought today. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
Ah, Wilderness: 1953
Marilyn Monroe in 1953 at the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, among those other majestic peaks known as the Canadian ... was retired from baseball and stayed with Marilyn at this hotel during the filming in this location. Strangest thing I sprained my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2013 - 3:40pm -

Marilyn Monroe in 1953 at the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, among those other majestic peaks known as the Canadian Rockies. She sprained her ankle filming River of No Return. Photo by John Vachon for Look magazine. View full size. MountainsWhat mountains? Rollei perspectiveGreat shot of MM probably made with a twin-lens Rolleiflex which resulted in the low perspective and a square negative. Photographer then had the option to crop for a vertical or horizontal 8 X 10 print. Majestic peaksI got it! I got it! and note a sprained ankle and one high heeled shoe, not a great combination. TimelessEven with a sprained ankle, forever a 'knockout'. Mount RundleIn the background, with the distinctive bite taken out of the top. Majestic peaksI find the wit on Shorpy just as priceless as the photos. "Joltin Joe"Joe Dimaggio was retired from baseball and stayed with Marilyn at this hotel during the filming in this location. Strangest thingI sprained my neck watching "River of No Return." Ah, MarilynThank you, Dave for this and future photos of Marilyn. She was the icon of my childhood (I was born in '47). Aww Poor MarilynLet daddy kiss and make it better. Yowza. Not Mt. Rundle davidk: you are looking at Cascade Mountain, Mount Rundle is to the right, the round Mountain to the right is Tunnel Mountain, Mt Rundle is to the right of it. Many thanks to google maps. Re: Not Mt. RundleI'll be darned. Thank you for the clarification, Ice gang. All these years, I thought that that was Mt. Rundle. So did my parents. We're not from the Banff area, but we did the drive from the prairies a few times. I attach a photo of Cascade Mtn. (top) and the real Mt. Rundle (bottom). It's that bite mark that led to my error. Here's an ideaHow about a "View life size" button? Marilyn Monroe looked goodno matter what she wore. Where's the pool?I took this at the Banff Springs Hotel on vacation a couple of summers ago. Can't remember where the pool was, but this looks like very close to where the pic of Marilyn was taken. The CastThe cast explains the tan line in this photo. (John Vachon, LOOK, Marilyn Monroe, Pretty Girls)
Empire State Express: 1905
... did people stay alive back then? Vacancy The Yates Hotel was torn down in the 50's or 60's to make room for a parking lot. This ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:12am -

Syracuse, New York, circa 1905. "Empire State Express (New York Central Railroad) passing thru Washington Street." Our second look at one of these urban express trains. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. That "plume of smoke"Actually that's steam, which is why it's white and not black. Street trainThe scariest railroad picture I've seen is one I picked up on Flickr of a freight train going down a residential street in small town Georgia. Guess you check the schedule before you back out of your drive, or let the kids out. Strike!I'll bet the only time you couldn't hear the noise in that bowling alley next to the tracks was when the train came roaring through. Mystery CoachWhat is the vehicle beside the awning? Looks like a self-propelled stagecoach. Fresh *cough cough* Air *cough cough*!I can't Imagine being in one of those offices or apartments in "The Yates" with the windows open when the train came through! Egad, How did people stay alive back then? VacancyThe Yates Hotel was torn down in the 50's or 60's to make room for a parking lot. This intersection is gone also. The triangular building is still there. Cover your earsCan you imagine the noise? I'll wager the people working and/or living at The Yates hated to hear that old locomotive approaching. Probably rattled their very bones. Magnificent sight, though. Look at that plume of black smoke! Trains in streetsNew Albany, Mississippi, had the GM&O main line go right down main street. This persisted even after diesels arrived in 1935. There are tracks in the streets of Paris, TN but I don't know if they are still used. You have to remember that the railroads were there first and the towns built their streets later in most cases. Here it is todayStill quite recognizable by the building on the right. View Larger Map It still happensThere are several places here in California that still have some trains running down the middle of the street. I was in Santa Maria a couple of years ago and nearly got in the way of a locomotive meandering down the avenue. It was cool to see. Gotta Lovethose streetlamps. Good stuffMost of that "smoke" is steam. Great photo from a great era! Street RunningActually, trains running in city streets is quite common, even today. The most notable example is the Union Pacific tracks through Jack London Square in Oakland, Ca. It is not uncommon to find long double stack intermodal trains moving through the heart of downtown rather frequently there. There are numerous examples of the railroads using city streets, which were added alongside the rights of way. Be advised though, that the speeds are really slow, and the trains don't go tearing off through the heart of town. Steamed upMy wife and I rode a train (RGSR) last weekend which was powered by a steam locomotive, one of the last standard gauge steam locomotives left in Colorado. They are amazing machines! Our's was an oil burner, rather than coal, but the black smoke and steam was magnificent, not unpleasant to me at all! It pulled La Vita pass like magic. This picture is one of my favorites so far! In UrbanaI saw something similar in the mid-50's. In Champaign-Urbana Illinois. Main line track, right down the middle of the main street. The mystery coach of SyracuseHere, from the New York Public Library's online archive, is a 1909 Babcock Electric brougham, manufactured in Buffalo. [The vehicle in our photo seems to have a tiller for steering. - Dave] MasonryWhat a wonderful masonry masterpiece! Electric SteamInteresting juxtaposition of steam powered train crossing under overhead trolley catenary wires, and over the trolley tracks, all frozen in one moment of time. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Syracuse)
The Heart of Detroit: 1907
... Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square, Wayne County Building, Hotel Pontchartrain. Panorama of three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. ... Even the group of folks standing at the corner of the Hotel have their attention turned in that direction! So much going on here! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2012 - 10:13am -

Detroit circa 1907. "The Campus Martius." Landmarks include the Detroit Opera House, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square, Wayne County Building, Hotel Pontchartrain. Panorama of three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. A calamity?Something big must be going on behind the Pontchartrain! A fire engine speeding left to right and dozens of men appear to be running toward the same destination. Or is it happy hour at the establishment proclaiming Kentucky Whiskey available here? Even the group of folks standing at the corner of the Hotel have their attention turned in that direction! So much going on here! High speed photographyNo Shorpy spirits, except the sprinters already mentioned. Concerning those lights, how much illumination did they actually cast? Is a radio towerin the center of the picture? It appears to be a large tower. [It's a street light. -Dave] Horse SenseThe Motor City with more horses than motors! In back, the classic sign of economic progress -- smokin' chimneys. Rajah CoffeeCan Starbucks be far behind? SeedyJust sayin' Moonlight TowerI believe that the structure in the center foreground of the photo is a moonlight tower. It was an early form of street lighting where there would be one tall tower with bright, probably carbon-arc, lights instead of multiple smaller lights closer to the ground. Austin, Texas is the only city that still has these in operation, although they have been updated to use a modern light source. [A Shorpy favorite, seen in many of our Detroit photos, for example, here, here and here.] re: SeedyThe Ferry Seed Warehouse seen in the background is at the western end of what is now Greektown. It's now an office building. Women downtownI have noticed over and over on Shorpy that almost every city street scene in the northern states features women bustling about, presumably doing their shopping, having lunch with their friends, walking with their daughters, etc. In the photos of southern cities, you almost never see women on the streets. Nearly every southern city street scene comprises pretty much entirely men. Why is this? Heat? No place for "a lady" to be seen? Has anyone else noticed this? "Man of the Hour," againAlso playing on Shorpy at https://www.shorpy.com/node/11486 The NYT called it a "Virile Melodrama," and said: "A youthful Mayor who cannot be bribed or intimidated, a financier who wants to get control of a street railway franchise in perpetuity, and a pair of political bosses, who are at odds with each other and who are fighting to gain supremacy in their organization -- these are the chief characters in George Broadhurst's play "The Man of the Hour."" D.M. Ferry and U of Michigan sportsDexter M. Ferry, the man behind the seed company in this picture, donated the land in south Ann Arbor on which today's U of M athletic venues stand. One of which, the outdoor track and field venue, is named Ferry Field. Before today's Michigan Stadium, Ferry Field was the home of the football Wolverines, and the iron gate with the "FERRY FIELD" name remains in place on south State Street. True CrimeAnother fantastic pic of the Campus Martius area, giving the rare view up Monroe Street where Gies's European Hotel operated (the attached building to the left of the Hotel Fowler, center of pic). In 1894, the infamous H. H. Holmes lodged Mrs. Pitezel there for a few days, the poor woman never knowing her daughters Alice and Nellie were but five blocks away. (Panoramas, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Natatorium: 1938
... indoor swimming pool. Now known as the YMCA's Three Arches Hotel, the complex was designed by New York architect Arthur Loomis Harmon ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2011 - 8:40am -

British Mandate Palestine circa 1938. "Jerusalem Y.M.C.A. activities. Swimming pool on boys' day." Medium-format nitrate negative by the American Colony Photo Department/Matson Photo Service. View full size. Hey! They're all naked!It really is the Y! Just to let you knowI will NOT be colourising this picture :0 The "Nat"The glorious name of our Depression-built swimming pool in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and home of many great memories, especially the first time leap from the 20-foot board. Jerusalem DecoCompleted in 1933, the Jerusalem International YMCA is notable for its romantic exteriors and highly decorative architectural features, such as the mosaics and ceiling stencils in the indoor swimming pool. Now known as the YMCA's Three Arches Hotel, the complex was designed by New York architect Arthur Loomis Harmon (1878-1958), a partner in the firm of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, that also designed the Empire State Building. Here's a photo found online that gives some idea of the pool's colorful decor. Noting The ObviousThe word nattily as in nattily attired was clearly not derived from the word natatorium. Been there. Done that.Back in 1989, I was swimming my daily mile most mornings at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa YMCA. I went to Jerusalem for a wedding and took a bus to the Jerusalem "Y". Apart from everything being in Hebrew Arabic and English, once inside it was just like any other YMCA. Screaming, running kids in "Y" t-shirts, racks of Xeroxed trifold info flyers on colorful Kinkos paper, the smell of gym socks and chlorine. Very ordinary. I presented my Cedar Rapids membership card and without a second's hesitation they tossed me a towel. I guess I hadn't paid attention to the decor, but when I entered the pool room I was stopped by the colorful and intricate mosaic. As it was the water was too warm and brackish and despite a cordon, the pool proved too small for lap swim and the two dozen summer camp kids. Thanks for the memory YMCA Boys' Swimming AttireOr lack thereof. My mom didn't like us to swim there because of that custom, still prevalent in my 1950s childhood. She was a very proper Midwesterner until her 1988 death. We swam naked, tooWhen I went to high school in Chicago in the 1970s (Lane Technical, Class of 1978), we were required to swim naked, but had to wear bathing caps. The gym teachers told us we had too many oily substances in our hair that would mess up the water quality in the pool. Lane Tech had been an all-boys' high school for many years before I got there, and we still had gender-segregated gym classes in the days before Title IX. I guess things have changed since then. Skinny Dippin'Its good to see that others here enjoyed skinny dipping in school. We were not allowed to wear suits from 7th through 12th grade, (late 60s - early 70s in Wisconsin), and none of us grew up to be traumatized by it. Curiously, the only people who seem to have a problem with it are those who didn't do it. I've had odd conversations with younger guys who are shocked when they hear we swam in the buff. I found it to be a healthy activity in that it taught us that there is a wide range of normal and none of us had any reason to be ashamed. (The Gallery, Matson, Swimming)
Norwood Belt Line: 1901
... it all burned (gee, guess you don't have to be a hotel to do that !) The attractive building on the left, which ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2023 - 8:59pm -

Toledo, Ohio, circa 1901. "Summit Street." In what seems to be the home furnishings district. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Fit to be Tied(tke's)The block at right would soon become home to the storied Toledo retailer; eventually it all burned (gee, guess you don't have to be a hotel to do that !) The attractive building on the left, which ultimately housed a branch of Hudson's - yes, that Hudson's - kindled earlier: Perhaps we should call it the "Tinder District". Buy now! Pay Later!"Summit Street." In what seems to be the home furnishings district. — and who would have guessed? Based on the banner farther down the street, they're having a sale! GenerationsSummit runs along the Maumee River through the heart of Toledo. This area of downtown has been prime real estate for a long time, and it has been redeveloped multiple times. The latest generation of buildings have large footprints and are meant to impress. You'd have to head up Adams a few blocks - to less valuable real estate - to see the older retail buildings similar to what's in the photo. Wonderland? Is it an amusement park? If I could walk down a street in a Shorpy photo, I would check this place out! [It was a theater. - Dave] U.S. Mail Streetcars?I knew some railroads ran mail/post office cars under U.S. government contract, some of which were staffed to sort mail being delivered between cities. Some interurbans did similar things, with both dedicated and mixed mail/passenger cars. But an obviously local two-axle passenger trolley bearing a U.S. Mail "badge", that's a new one on me, and the internets seem equally stumped, couldn't find any relevant references in an hour-plus of searching. What wouldKlinger think? (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars, Toledo)
Up Woodward: 1908
... at Central Methodist Church. My Mom and Dad worked at the Hotel Statler. I also went to the Franklin Elementary School and Cass Technical ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:37pm -

Detroit circa 1908. "Up Woodward Avenue from Grand Circus Park." A record number of "moonlight tower" arc lamp standards on view here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Moonlight TowersAnd all this time I've considered cell phone towers a major symbol of our modern crassness, as another reason to long for a return to the Edwardian Era of enlightened tastes! Perhaps we're not so bad after all. Where's a DeLorean when you need one! I wish someone would hurry up and invent a time machine so I can go back and live here. Living in the Detroit area today, and having spent a lot of time in this particular area represented in this photograph, I would give anything to be back "there" today, instead of what we have now. Even if it meant I had to shovel coal, or clean up after horses. View Larger Map Who needs a nifty ESPN smart phone app?When you can get the latest baseball scores posted on the roof of a building! Smokestacks and SpiresIndustry and faith--a winning combination in my book! Also, I wonder who won the Detroit/Chicago game. It got cut off in the fifth inning. Let There Be Light!How many moonlight towers does everyone count? I can see maybe twelve, thirteen or fourteen. If we could enlarge it even further ... Scoreboard!I noticed that just past the first church on the left there's a partial view of a baseball scoreboard showing the Tigers and the White Stockings. That's how folks got the score back then. They were wired from the stadium to various points and posted so fans could keep up in near real-time conditions. Some of these places also served simple food and beer and were generally an all-male gathering spot. High anxietyWho's gonna be the one to go up there and change a lightbulb? [Note that the lights are on pulleys and can be lowered to the ground. - Dave] High (and low) WiresHow are all these tower guy-wires anchored? Two look like they are converging in the small park on the right but I can't follow them to the end. Were they fastened to something right on the ground or perhaps out of reach on a pole? I believe this is 1907In the 1907 World Series, Game 5, the Chicago Cubs scored a run in each inning of the first and second as shown on the outdoor baseball scoreboard in this shot. It didn't match any scores from the 1908 series. Baseball gameWith the trees still bare this is early in the baseball season (April or May). If back then they used the convention of away team on top and home team on the bottom like now then this puts the picture at April 14th (season opener) or April 16th. on 4/14/1908 Sox 15 Tigers 8. on 4/16/1908 Tigers 4 Sox 2. Unfortunately box scores are hard to find earlier than about 1918. [This photo was made in the fall, not the spring. - Dave] And in TimeThis Woodward Avenue, in about 55 years, would become famous for the fact that many Auto manufacturers would come out and compare models by running out Woodward. And that the tradition still lives on. Not that they were "racing," ahem, Officer, cough. The lights and the pulleysThe pulleys are for raising and lowering the work platform, visible near the bottom of the tower. This feature has been disabled on the surviving towers in Austin. Softly glowing celltowersThat would be kind of cool -- big ol' twisty CFL bulbs dotting the modern landscape. Austin transplanted towersIn a March 1964 visit to Austin, Texas, when I first saw some of these Moonlight Towers that had been transplanted there I first thought that they were for some type of microwave relay system. They are plotted on a USGS quadrangle map (1954) of the area and supposedly when viewed from above once made the outline of a five-pointed star. 1907 perhaps? Tigers vs. CubsI think the baseball game might not be the Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox, but rather the Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The Tigers and Cubs played each other in the World Series in consecutive years in 1907 and 1908. I think this might be Game 5 of the 1907 World Series. World Series Game 5 Played on Saturday, October 12, 1907 (D) at Bennett Park CHI N 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 1 DET A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 7 2 The convention of listing the home team on the bottom has not always been consistent, and perhaps DETROIT was always listed on top in Detroit. www.retrosheet.org has box scores going back to 1871. To be sure, I'd have to rule out all the regular season games between the White Sox and Tigers, which I have not done... Off seasonI suppose the picture could have been anytime after October 12, 1907 as that was the last game of the World Series, and therefore the season. I suppose they could have left it up for a while without another game necessitating the change. Time frameNot only do the long shadows indicate a late afternoon time for the picture, the fact that there aren't any people on the balcony where the box score is displayed makes it likely that the picture was taken sometime after the end of the game (and definitely after the fifth inning). Baseball Almanac says that the game lasted 1:42 (hah!) but doesn't say when it began. Look at the mastLook at how the base of the moonlight tower in the foreground is anchored to the ground. It tapers to one ordinary steel pole! The structure has guy wire anchors to support it, but it still it doesn't look very sturdy. I wonder if they had difficulty finding enough maintenance people crazy enough to climb these things. It is interesting to note that thousands of similar structures would be used in the radio era, in the years to come. Game 5First, I think the trees are too bare for October 12. Second, the teams are listed the wrong way -- the Tigers were at home for Game 5, 1908. Moonlight towers: steampunk for real!I would love to see how well those things really worked. A lovely September afternoon!Tuesday, Sep 8 L DET 2 CHW 5 Wednesday, Sep 9 W DET 7 CHW 6 Thursday, Sep 10 W DET 6 CHW 5 Friday, Sep 11 L DET 2 CHW 4 Saturday, Sep 12 L DET 1 CHW 2 So tallThe towers seem so tall compared to our average street lights today. Yet, these are undoubtedly the precursors to the tall, multi-fixture light towers around today's modern expressway interchanges. Today's lights also lower to the ground with pulleys. I wonder how far those old tall towers would throw the light, and how bright they would be compared to today? Towers and TigersDetroit had more of these moonlight lighting towers than any city in the world - well over 100 at their peak - before they were all taken out in the 1910s in favor of modern street level electric lighting. A few of these Detroit towers were purchased and moved and some are still in use in Austin, Texas. More here on the evolution of this form of public lighting. As for the baseball score on the roof on the right, I think it may be from one of the final games of the razor-close 1908 American League pennant race. The Tigers traveled to Chicago for the final series of the season, a 3 game set starting on October 4th, with a 1.5 game lead over Cleveland and a 2.5 game lead over Chicago. Detroit lost the first two games of the series to the White Sox, and I think the scoreboard shown here may be from one of those 2 games, so probably Oct. 4th or 5th 1908. This set up a climactic final game for the championship. The Tigers won that game 7-0 and claimed their second consecutive American League pennant by a game over Chicago and a half-game over Cleveland. The AL race, however, was somewhat overshadowed by the National League race, which also came down to a final game, between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs, necessitated by the infamous "Merkle's Boner" play. The Cubs won, and went on to defeat Detroit 4 games to 1 in the World Series. Austin TowersThe former Detroit towers here in Austin are still used a lighting as well as historical markers. The one in Zilker Park is turned into our "Xmas tree" each year. Austin moonlight towersIn the early days when Austin's moonlight towers had carbon-arc lamps, one city employee had the full-time occupation of driving around in a buggy to each tower once a day, hoisting himself up by the internal lift rigging, and adjusting the carbon sticks to their proper gap for making an electrical arc. I suppose all these towers worked that way In the Day. Three ChurchesThe three large churches visible on the righthand side of the picture along Woodward Avenue are, from front to back: first, the Central United Methodist at 23 E. Adams at Woodward, and built in 1866 (still extant); second, St. John's Episcopal at 2326 Woodward at Fisher Freeway, and built in 1859 (still extant); and third, Woodward Avenue Baptist at 2464 Woodward, and built in 1886 (demolished). Backward TimeI agree with you. My Grandfathers' house where I lived for a number of years is now part of the baseball park (122 E. Vernor Hwy). I attended the Boy Scouts at Central Methodist Church. My Mom and Dad worked at the Hotel Statler. I also went to the Franklin Elementary School and Cass Technical High School. We have a lot in common and your Google Earth is something for me to view. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Teeth Without Plates: 1905
... the curb about a block down isn't for construction of the Hotel Pontchartrain (if so the picture would seem to date from 1906, as that's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/29/2023 - 1:27pm -

Detroit circa 1905. "Woodward Avenue north from Jefferson." A phantasmagoria of signage advertising vaudeville, soap, cigars and the mandatory Painless Dental Parlors (your choice of Laughing Gas or "Vitalized Air"). 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. And there he issitting next to the mailbox (at left) previously seen here, streetcar switch iron at the ready. Buchu ginYou learn something new every day, even at my age. Just What We NeededAccording to Vice President Thomas Marshall (Woodrow Wilson's), the Ben-Hur cigar was "just what America needed," as long as it was "really good." Road houseOne might wonder - this one, anyway - if that shed-like building straddling the curb about a block down isn't for construction of the Hotel Pontchartrain (if so the picture would seem to date from 1906, as that's when building began). If I have a choice I'll pass on the laughing gas or vitalized air but I wouldn't mind a shot of that Caravan Old Special Reserve Whiskey. Ben-Hur CigarsInto the 20th century, cigar brand names were an index of celebrity and popular culture. Wikipedia has a historical list, but it doesn't include 'Ben-Hur', a Detroit brand. Hardly anything was better-known than 'Ben-Hur'. It started as a novel published in 1880 by Civil War general Lew Wallace (who died about the time this Shorpy photo was taken). Its mixture of Biblical piety and sand-and-sandals adventure made it the best-selling novel in American history, overtaking 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and not supplanted until 'Gone With the Wind'. With movies becoming dominant brand names, there have been five versions of 'Ben-Hur' starting in 1907. Rudolph Valentino's and Charlton Heston's versions (1925 and 1959) were huge hits. The 2016 version was a flop. BASE BALL TO-DAYSome rookie named Cobb playing at Bennett Park. O CanadaAcreage for you, FREE! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Washington: 1918
... cars, buildings are all gone. [Not so. The Willard Hotel is still very much there. - Dave] Cough Cough Rally for the ... a sliver of which is visible just behind the Raleigh Hotel, still stands (at least its facade does). Farther down the street in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 3:53pm -

September 30, 1918. "Fourth Liberty Loan." Crowds gathered for a war-bond rally on Pennsylvania Avenue with the Capitol in the distance. View full size. A smoggy dayThose old cars certainly did belch. Looks like LA! Car-cophanyCough! Nothing in the photo remains today Except the Capitol building: people, cars, buildings are all gone. [Not so. The Willard Hotel is still very much there. - Dave] Cough CoughRally for the American Lung Association to follow immediately. My ChoiceI don't know what kind of vehicle it is but I'll take the sporty model in the center with the fine wire wheels and dual porthole rear windows. Anybody know what make that one is? Waiting for Sousa? Washington Post, Sep 30, 1918 SOUSA TO HELP LOAN Band of 300 Pieces Here Today for Parade and Concerts Banks Will Remain Open Tonight and Tomorrow Night Until 9 O'Clock to Encourage Early Pledges - Part Payments of $5 and $10 Monthly on $50 and $100 Bonds Will Be Taken by Banks Led by John Phillip Sousa, the famous Great Lakes Naval Band, which includes more than 300 pieces, will give a series of concerts today to help subscriptions to the fourth liberty loan. The band is bigger and better this year than ever, and will be turned over to the liberty loan committee of the District for the entire day and evening. The band will head a big parade through the streets this afternoon, will give two concerts during the day, and will provide a musical climax for the evening at a mass meeting to be held at 7:30 o'clock in Liberty Hut. ... The Sousa Band will arrive early this morning on a special train, which is used throughout the country on behalf of the fourth liberty loan ... The band will proceed along B street west to Pennsylvania avenue, west along Pennsylvania avenue to Fourteenth street to H, west on H to Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, then east on Pennsylvania avenue to East Executive avenue, and south on Executive avenue to the south steps of the Treasury were a second big concert will be given at 4:30. To offer every facility to the people for entering their subscriptions early all banks will remain open until 9 o'clock tonight and tomorrow. Every bank will help persons of small means own a liberty bond by accepting $5 cash and $5 a month on a $40 bond and $10 cash and $10 a month on a $100 bond. ... Several buildings are still aroundIn addition to the Willard on the far left, the Evening Star Building, a sliver of which is visible just behind the Raleigh Hotel, still stands (at least its facade does). Farther down the street in the mist you can make out the twin spires of the Apex Building, also still standing. On the right side, turrets of the still-standing Old Post Office building appear just above the large tree. Such a Great PhotoI am sure I am not alone as one who has forgone the endless drivel of the day's news to venture into the past with Shorpy, Dave, and the wonderful comments and observations of viewers which lead me to explore things I would have never questioned otherwise. This photograph is one of endless wonderment as there is so much to see and ponder. A short list of what pops into my brain on viewing would include many unfit for comment and some that may be. At first glance I thought it seemed a George M. Cohan production without enough flags. How many people can I find in the crowd obviously aware of the photographer? And of course the cars and trolleys. I am always taken by the lack of front wheel brakes on the autos of this period as I was in later years with the American designers painfully slow adoption of the disc brake and radial tire. Today I explored brake history and found this: http://www.motorera.com/history/hist07.htm As Shorpy was voted one of the best 100 sites this year it indicates that the appreciation for a quality undertaking has not been lost despite all evidence to the contrary. Thanks Shorpy. Ike?I could not help but be struck by the resemblance of the Army officer at the right side of the photo to that of Dwight D. Eisenhower during this time period. I have spent the past couple of days looking up information and find he could well have been in Washington on that date. He commanded Camp Colt, Pa., but was reporting to Washington twice a week to the commander of the Tank Corps, who had his HQ there. I attach a photo of Eisenhower about three years prior to the Shorpy photo. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
The Ryan: 1905
St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Ryan Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... the computer screen. A magnificent memory The Hotel Ryan was demolished in 1962 and the site was a parking lot for the next ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:32pm -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Ryan Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. First skyscraperThe first building in St. Paul greater than 6 floors. Read more here. Short Line to ChicagoBut only if it's on one of those electric lighted trains. CrosseyedTalk about ornate! Oh and Dave, I'll be sending you a bill for eyeglasses -- my search for milk has left me feeling the computer screen. A magnificent memoryThe Hotel Ryan was demolished in 1962 and the site was a parking lot for the next 19 years. I wished I could have seen it, in person, in its heyday. A popular and opulent placeThere are so many images of this luxury hotel on the web. It lasted from 1882 to 1962, and had many, many postcards made of it. But it makes sense that there must be shots like this of hundreds and hundreds of hotels like the Ryan, all across the country. Every large hotel had to have its postcards available for use. What a fascinating book it would be to see the history of hotels in postcards, from various cities. Dave, if we asked you super-nicely, would you put up images from the cities we request, such as our hometowns? Thank you for this one. It originally gives the impression of faceless, ubiquitous homogeneity. But it delights with its small, sudden discoveries. [I guess you could say it was opular. Or populent. - Dave] Grand ViewI wonder who had access to the sitting area above that entrance. Another wonderful spot to sip a whiskey and enjoy a good cigar while watching the busy world pass you by. And not care one whit. Call boxesOn the corner, you can see a police or fire department call box. These were considered a great innovation at the time, and cities spent a lot of money installing them. Prior to the call boxes, policemen would have to summon help by hollering or using whistles. High maintenanceWhen I look at this I think of maintenance costs. It's fascinating to see something with such ornate detail -- but imagine it today and think of all the work that would be required, especially in a freeze/thaw climate. Look at the slate roof -- when one of those shingles lets go, look out below! Modern architecture is very simple and generally uninteresting by comparison, but it's relatively low maintenance. Had this been preserved you would have to be paying $600 a night! A lot of workI can't imagine sitting down at a drafting board and coming up with something this ornate. Then think of the poor masons who had to build it in Minnesota weather. How much would it cost to reproduce something like that today? (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Dept. of Public Works: 1900
... over a year. This is my first post. [Welcome to the Hotel California! - Dave] Is that a water tower in your town, or are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 9:13pm -

Ypsilanti, Michigan, circa 1900. "Water tower." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. StunningNo mature adult can ignore the stunning Freudian symbolism. It lives!I can firm that the Ypsilanti Water Tower still thrusts skyward. It even won a "Most Phallic Building" award in 2003. View Larger Map Sometimes a water tower ...Yeah ... so that's uhh ... hmmmm ... yeah. The Consequence of RepressionIt's Phallic Symbolism Day on Shorpy and I'm lovin' it! You don't have to be a shrink to see that the designer of this innovative structure had some unresolved and repressed "issues". Thank goodness that such repression was more prevalent then, when buildings were built to last for generations, as opposed to today when buildings aren't intended to last at all. I hope this manly tower still stands. Does anyone know? YpsituckyWhen I was at university at Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti was called "Ypsitucky" in reference to all the Kentucky immigrants who landed there. Kalamazoo had a similar water tower. The legend was that it would collapse when the first virgin was graduated from WMU. The lady on the left is... spellbound. Oh, yeahIt's still there. I attended Eastern Michigan University, which is right across the street, in the early '90s. Even though I now live just east of Jackson, I occasionally drive past this giggler to get from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti via Washtenaw Avenue. By the way, I've been enjoying this site for over a year. This is my first post. [Welcome to the Hotel California! - Dave] Is that a water towerin your town, or are you glad to see me? Yay!I grew up in Ypsi and lived behind the "brick ***k" when I was in school a few years ago. I miss it so much! Thank you! More pics of Michigan Normal School Please! SuddenlyI feel so inadequate. Ypsi!It's barely changed in 110 years! I had a good view of it from my ninth-floor dorm across EMU's campus a couple years back -- at Christmas they always put a little lighted star on the tip. Eastern Michigan UniversityBy the way, that's Eastern Michigan University on the right. The building is where the current Student Union is. Continue West on this road for about, I dunno... about a mile, and you come to Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan. The tower today is missing that snazzy little cupola on top, although the base still remains. Sort of looks like a lighthouse or beacon of some kind. Ypsilanti was also the home of the Tucker automobile company, but I think this landmark may be our greatest claim to fame! Welch HallActually, that's Welch Hall to the right, not the McKinney (Student) Union, which would have been directly behind the water tower except that it wasn't built until about 20 years later. (The Gallery, DPC, Industry & Public Works)
A Summer Place: 1910
... again. Where is it now? Trembleau Hall was a luxury hotel and casino in the 30s, from what I can find. I found a newspaper article from 1931 describing the hotel (SYracuse Herald, Morning Edition, August 2, 1931) (The text is not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2014 - 12:38am -

Circa 1910. "Trembleau Hall. Port Kent, N.Y." Old-school rockers. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bored son"Ma, when are we gonna DO something?!?" Looks like any typical kid today, one week into summer vacation! Yep...That's where I would be if forced to wear Victorian attire in a house without air conditioning. Good thing this kiddo is wearing his knickers! Interesting placement of electric lights.The lights are placed around the perimeter of the porch, rather than under the porch's roof. Wonder if this helped keep bugs away from people on the porch. Overall, a nice picture from a peaceful time. One can just hear the quiet in the picture. Dream houseThis is a bit bigger than I would need, but a scaled down version of this is the house I've always dreamed of having, complete with porch and rockers! Well Son,from the looks of this Report Card you're going to be repeating the fifth grade! Under the ShadeWhat a beautiful picture. American elms produce such a stately picture, to bad dutch elm disease got them. Some new types are now disease free producing much needed shade again. Where is it now?Trembleau Hall was a luxury hotel and casino in the 30s, from what I can find. I found a newspaper article from 1931 describing the hotel (SYracuse Herald, Morning Edition, August 2, 1931) (The text is not completely readable, so I transcribed it as best I could): Sports Hold Stage Center at Champlain Trembleau Hall is Scene of Activities in Many Fields Dividing line for two states and two nations, Lake Champlain is visited by thousands of Americans and Canadians during the summer months. It is one of the largest inland lakes, aside from the Great Lakes, on the continent. One of the most popular and most elaborate places are the lake shores is Trembleau Hall, which stands on a high bluff 65 feet above the level of the lake, commanding an expansive view of the historic waters and some of the loftiest peaks in the Adirondack Mountains in Vermont. It is located at Port Kent on Lake Champlain. An overnight ride from New York city and a day's trip from Albany and other points upstate, Trembleau Hall is but a five-minute walk from a steamboat landing, railroad station, post office and telegraph office. In addition to the hotel itself, Trembleau Hall includes a cottage for guests in addition to the 125 or more than can be accommodated at the hotel, a casino for open-air dining and dancing, a summer house overlooking the lake, and private automobile and boat liveries. The hotel sets back from the lake shore with a broad expanse of lawn and towering fir trees to provide ample shade and cooling breezes during the hottest hours of the day. The cottage, casino, and other outbuildings are located back of the hotel, surrounded by tennis courts, golf-putting course and other recreational facilities. In addition, guests are provided bridle paths into the woods for horseback riding, and one of the best fresh water beaches in the country along the shoreline in front of the hotel and surf-board riding. The fishing in shoals a short distance out in the lake is reported the best around the lake. (the last paragraph is unreadable...) I also found an obit for a lady who worked as a waitress there before she married in 1947. Based on her obit information, she came to the US after WWII, so the hotel was still around at least in ‘46 and early ‘47. Other than that, All I can find it a listing for it on this site (http://tupperlake.net/adkhotels.htm) of long gone Adirondack hotels. Who Says There Was Nothing To DoThis ad will give you all the exciting details! (The Gallery, DPC)
Ghosts of Atlanta: 1864
... At the extreme left is the old Trout House, the principal hotel at the time; tracks of three of the chief railroads here crossed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 7:20pm -

"The War in the West." 1864 photo (half of a stereograph) by George N. Barnard. Atlanta Intelligencer newspaper office by the railroad depot. Exposure times were so long that anyone walking appears only as an ectoplasmic blur. View full size. Note tents in background and troop train with soldiers atop the boxcars. where was this in Atlanta?Anyone know where this was in Atlanta? Looking for an approximate street address. Masonic lodgePerhaps the large masonic lodge in the background is still standing ... might be a clue. Try the main PeachtreeTry the main Peachtree Street / locate the address of the Atlanta terminal at the time / try Five Points area / could it be near Kennesaw? good luck--former Atlanta area resident and interested in knowing as well. Masonic Lodge (1864) in AtlantaI have been researching, and it appears that the Masonic Lodge, and another building called The Trout House were on Decatur St. in Atlanta. Click on this link http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/03300/03304v.jpg (Trout house beside Masonic lodge.) Here is a site with several images of Georgia during the Civil War...scroll down to 1864, and you will see the listing for this picture. http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/cwphotos.htm Now I am off to find out if this Masonic Lodge is still standing. Where was this in Atlanta? (answer)I have been checking around and asking around about where this area in this photo might be, and a new friend on an Atlanta school site gave me this information... Quote: "Decatur Street is one of the main 5 roads that leads to Five Points, which basically is the center of downtown Atlanta, and was the center of town at that time. I think, but not sure, based on that picture and some of the other photos of the Union troop encampments, etc, that the Masonic Hall and Trout House were pretty close to what is now 5 Points. Most of that area of Decatur Street now has been renovated over the last 25 years and is where Georgia State University is located. I am fairly certain that neither of these structures is there any longer. When I went to GSU in the 1960's, I travelled almost the length of Decatur Street to get there. I do not recall ever seeing either of them, even back then, at that time, and to date, much of that area was torn down with Urban Renewal funds from the feds. It was mainly run down buildings and older businesses. It is possible that one of those run down buildings may have been one of the structures. However, Decatur Street runs east for a few miles, and they may have been futher east than I think. During the Civil War era, though, most of that area was rural. The actual Battle of Atlanta that is depicted in the Cyclorama painting took place away from the center of town out in the rural area of Decatur St/Road & what is now Dekalb Ave.(same road). At least this clears up a little bit for us all. sherri Underground AtlantaMy guess is that this was taken near the corner of Peachtree SW (then Whitehall) and Wall St. That would put it in what is now Underground Atlanta, I think. Whitehall StreetWAR-TIME CAMP IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, IN THE OLD CITY PARK At the extreme left is the old Trout House, the principal hotel at the time; tracks of three of the chief railroads here crossed Whitehall Street, on which the "Intelligencer" office fronted. http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/gordon/ill5.html Whitehall & AlabamaMy guess is the corner of Whitehall and Alabama Streets looking northeast. Currently Peachtree Street. Back then Peachtree changed to Whitehall south of Five Point. Atlanta DepotNoticed that the same photographer walked a block or so to the right after taking this one. Does that help narrow the location down? Masonic LodgeBy the Masons' own records, the Lodge in the background stood on the corner of Lloyd (now Central Avenue) and Alabama Street, at south angle. So I would guess that if we're one block west it's on what is now Pryor Street or if two blocks Peachtree. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Alabama+Street+Atlanta&oe=&ie=UTF8&hl=en&h... Ref: http://www.ap59.org/html/atlanta_59.html HandbillIf you look on the corner of the building, you can just make out the word "frolic." Can't quite tell what comes before. [Cobblers? Gobblers? - Dave] Atlanta Intelligencer office I have mapped many of Barnard's photographs on this interactive map. This picture is marked as Pushpin 10. The playbill pasted to the building in the foreground advertises a stage show by Union troops to raise money for Mrs. Rebecca S. Welch, whose husband and son (Confederates) were both killed in Virginia. The Bottom of the Playbill Reads: Benefit Night / Maj(?) I. Smith / Leader of the Band / of the 33rd / Mass. / The Laughable Pantomime / The Cobbler’s Frolic / at the Atheneum / tonight / Saturday /Nov. 5th Location of this buildingThis building was located close to where the Peach Drop tower currently is, at Underground Atlanta. Because of the viaduct that created Underground Atlanta, it would have stood below the current street level. It was on Whitehall Street (now Peachtree). (The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard)
Battered Barouche: 1921
... there. However, the backdrop is definitely not the Raleigh Hotel (the old one or its replacement). There's no visible sign ... Avenue and 12th Street, across from the Raleigh Hotel. -Dave] Indeed it is. Here's a detail from this LOC photo ... a $2 fare and ran a route between the Francis Scott Key Hotel (originally the New City Hotel until it was torn down for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/10/2014 - 12:13pm -

        Using the Internets and clues provided by the photo, you should be able to figure out who this is! It took me about 15 minutes. (SPOILER: The mustachioed gent is most likely W.V. Wolfe, proprietor of the Frederick & Washington Bus Line, advertised in the sign behind the car -- which was actually the bus.) Washington, D.C., 1921. "Studebaker car." Surrounded by a number of colorful-looking characters. 8x6 glass negative, National Photo Co. View full size. State of the ArtDriven by a chauffer for hire, who is hoping to garner off-loading passengers from an incoming bus. [You're missing the clue. And a U. - Dave] Bus linesFrank Martz, by any chance? Car may not have been too spiffyBut that man sure knew what a good shoeshine looked like. A shady looking characterIs he a Politician? Is it ...Clement Studebaker? Or one of the Studebaker Brothers? Fred?Can't quite make out the words at the bottom while looking in the mirror. It's a family traditionIn this photo, we see Fred Kramden, father of Ralph. In spite of his jolly persona in this photo, Mr. Kramden was said to, at times, appear almost morose. Accordion gateIs that some sort of gate attached to the side of the car? And if so, what was it used for? Looks like the kind we used to keep kids from falling down stairs. [A common accessory in those days for carrying your stuff, usually luggage, on the running board, like this example here. -tterrace] Easy PeasyIt's either Wilford Brimley, or W.V. Wolfe of the Frederick and Washington Bus Line. Prediction: In 3 years he'll switch to Packards. [Clapclapclap. We have a winner! - Dave] Wild GuessFred K Fox? He was a Studebaker historian, and the photo says it is Fred K. Fred K.Washington Bus Lines. I still don't have a clue who he is though. W.V. Wolf(e)The sign behind the car is the main clue -- a search of the online newspaper archives for "Washington bus" in the year 1921 led me to the ad below (in which the "Wolfe" on the sign loses the E). The backward writing at the bottom of the photo is another clue. William V. Wolfe, USAQuite possibly our busman's father. From the May 9, 1881, Washington Post: 7 LugsHis Studebaker appears to be a 1917 Series 18 ED-6 7-passenger Limousine. There were two similar models: a Town Car with a totally open chauffeur compartment over which a removable cloth top could be placed, and a Limousine Brougham, which had landau irons and an opening roof over the rearmost portion of the passenger compartment. The Limousine originally cost $2,600, and stood over 7 feet tall. There was a similar looking model in 1916, but the presence of seven wheel rim lug nuts was not used by Studebaker until the 1917 models. One reference indicates the limousine model continued into 1918, but I did not find any photos of a 1918 model. Take it to the next levelSo we know who is depicted, but the where remains unstated. It seems unlikely that the National Photo Co. photographer would bother going to Frederick, Md. or taking this photo even if he happened to be there. However, the backdrop is definitely not the Raleigh Hotel (the old one or its replacement). There's no visible sign identifying the clothing store, and "Davis" at upper right apparently refers to some unspecified occupant of the building next door. The broad sidewalk suggests a major downtown DC thoroughfare -- Pennsylvania Ave., perhaps near the Raleigh? What say you, fellow sleuths? [The store is the James Y. Davis haberdashery at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street, across from the Raleigh Hotel. -Dave] Indeed it is. Here's a detail from this LOC photo showing the same "DAVIS" sign and the fan windows under the furled awning. Sadly, the Davis Building (or parts of it, anyway) ended up being pasted onto the facade of the Pepco substation at 422 8th St. NW: View Larger Map Opposites attractEarly on the Wolfe Washington Bus charged a $2 fare and ran a route between the Francis Scott Key Hotel (originally the New City Hotel until it was torn down for the construction of the Key Hotel) in Frederick and the Raleigh in Washington. The bus left Frederick at 8 a.m. and for the return trip, left Washington at 4 p.m. If you wanted to book a seat from Washington you would call the switchboard of the Raleigh Hotel (Main 3810) and ask for the Taxi Desk. You would board across the street. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Detphoco: 1903
... The Brunswick appears to be the opposite of a no-tell hotel. Military protocol Sure the General begins it, but the grunt work ... Before Viagra There was Amolin, Bénédictine and the Hotel Brunswick. Vandals! I love the graffiti on the wall. Very well ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:33pm -

New York circa 1903. "Detroit Photographic Co., 229 Fifth Avenue." Another of Detroit Photo's Manhattan stores. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Toilet issues"Toilet" refers to general dressing, grooming and hygiene, not to what we call "toilet", as in potty. The act or process of dressing or grooming oneself. Dress; attire; costume. The cleansing of a body area as part of a surgical or medical procedure. Archaic: A dressing table. From the French "toilette" for clothes bag, from Old French tellette, diminutive of teile, cloth. Special toilet euphemismsAmolin's most common use was as a menstrual deodorant. And just up the streetThe Museum of Sex is apparently at 233 Fifth Avenue now. http://www.museumofsex.com/ DO NOT go in there!The Brunswick appears to be the opposite of a no-tell hotel. Military protocolSure the General begins it, but the grunt work is usually done by the Privates. The chap with the bowlerKEEP ON TRUCKIN' Forget Abercrombie and FitchI want a Fullencamp and McGonigal sweatshirt. Be wary of generalswho speak in the third person. Fullencamp and McGonigalThe only gentile tailors in New York. Sign of the timesWho could have guessed that this innocuous example of artistic expression was an omen of things to come, a visual plague that would morph from desecration to gallery art? PaleograffitiologyEvidently Kilroy's dad was here. Rumor had it... that the General was a real stickler about making the privates in his outfit stand at attention. Kilroy was thereIn full profile this time; maybe he started peeking over fences in WWII so he wouldn't get shot at? Amolin Deodorant Powder Proceedings of the Annual Meeting North Carolina Pharmaceutical Association 1907 Amolin Deodorant Powder Amolin Chemical Company. The label bears this statement concerning Amolin: "Destroys all odors of perspiration." "Wherever it touches it instantly deodorizes. Its wonderful healing and deodorizing properties combined with absolute harmlessness make it infinitely superior to any preparation hitherto sold. Amolin powder relies chiefly for its antiseptic, deodorizing, and therapeutic potency upon a coal-tar derivative of the phenol hydrocarbon series, which differs from carbolic acid in being agreeable in odor, healthy, and absolutely harmiess." The analysis of Amolin shows it to contain about 29% of boric acid and a small quantity of thymol. Alum and zinc, which are frequently used in preparations of this kind, were absent. No salicylic acid, phenol, or any similar organic substance except thymol, was found present. The statement on the label evidently is intended to refer to thymol, but as there is only such a small quantity of thymol present, the antiseptic properties of the powder must be due to the boric acid alone CoincidentallyThe Museum of Sex is across 27th from where the General's specialty was located. The Graffiti MenaceAs a lifelong New Yorker, I find this to be a fantastic photo. The highlight for me is the little chalk graffito on the wall of a man in profile. Watch out, New York! This is how it starts! Legend has itthat the Brunswick was a hard place to get a room and the General was a real stiff! Analog AdsThe signs are awesome. We have electronic billboards everywhere now, but there is something to be said about old-style advertising. Before ViagraThere was Amolin, Bénédictine and the Hotel Brunswick. Vandals!I love the graffiti on the wall. Very well executed. Graffiti ArtistLooks as if the building to the left has been tagged. OK, it's probably chalk. But if someone doesn't get some water and a rag on it next it'll be soap on the windows! HmmExactly what are those "Special Toilet Uses"? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Main Street: 1920
... many of the buildings seen here, including the Mohican Hotel, the Globe Newspaper building, and the Wilbur. The imposing edifice ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:33pm -

Fall River, Massachusetts, circa 1920. "Main Street." Where Hustle meets Bustle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Took an axeLook for an older lady in the photo. It could be Lizzie Borden, who would have been 60 around the time of this picture. A Hat Company's DreamNary a man, women or child who doesn't don a hat! I have worn "old men's hats" since I was in high school, and it's hard to find fedoras these days. I love studying the people and try and imagine what the conversations of the day were about. Of course, I am a pipe smoker, so my eyes were drawn to one on the sidewalk. Lots to look at in this photo! Weather StationWow! An awful lot going on in this picture! I like the weather instruments perched atop the corner of the building in the upper left. I wonder if that belongs to the drug store below or an amateur meteorologist? Ashes by nowPretty much everything in this photo is gone. A massive fire in 1928 destroyed many of the buildings seen here, including the Mohican Hotel, the Globe Newspaper building, and the Wilbur. The imposing edifice on the right is City Hall, which was demolished in the 1960s to make room for I-195. Fall River had been a massive, highly prosperous textile manufacturing city in the late 1800s. As the mills closed or moved south in the 1930s, the city suffered an economic collapse and never recovered. It's a pretty sad, empty place today. Signs of the Times I'm nostalgic for the civility evident in a photo like this. There is an obvious formality in the architecture and dress but it is balanced by a casual interaction evidenced by the people stopping to chat in the street, walking and shopping. The streets are busy but no one is racing. This was the only "social network"! As a sign painter (rapidly becoming a dinosaur) I'm just staggered by the volume and variety of the work in this and many similar shots. Before the dominance of the computer all this work was done by hand and there was enough work to keep any skilled craftsman busy full time. No corporate plastic indistinguishable from one city to the next. Thanks for letting me time travel back to my grandfathers time -- the upside of the computer! Same womanThe woman with the wide white collar by the Drugstore is also in this photo! Judging by the amount of peopleit must be a Saturday. Long may she waveThere's a little flag on the window of the A.G. Weeks office on the left. I've never seen that in this era of photos. I wonder if it's painted or a decal. Gold Dust TwinsThe fabled Gold Dust Twins! I have heard about them all my life, but this is the first time I've laid eyes on them. Thank you, Dave. [You're welcome, and you can see more of them here. - Dave] Standing on the CornerWatching all the girls go by. Wait, that was the Four Lads. 1953. Some things never change. Standing on the CornerWatching all the girls phweet phwew go by. The guys on the right of the photo are great! As mentioned previously, the interaction between so many of these people on the street is wonderful to see. Now I think they would be talking but not face to face. WowIn all of the hundreds (thousands) of photos I have ravenously devoured since discovering Shorpy just recently, this one has to be the most richly detailed. Wonderful! Your diligent work has had a profound impact on me, Dave. Thanks so much. Re: Took an axeI think Lizzie was a bit of a recluse by this time. She was very big into animal care. The human-nature specialist will give a knowing nod on that fact. RexallI had no idea Martin Balsam's middle name was "Cough." Speaking of signsNote the one for Occident Flour. I'd like to make more and better bread too. (She says while surfing the net at work.) But I'm such a Shorpy addict! Stars and StripesIt's interesting to count the flags; nearly every business seems to be displaying one. Cars & More CarsIt is amazing just how quickly the automobile took over the center of the cities. In pics from 1905 hardly any cars, around 1910 we see a few more, but by 1920 they dominate the scene! I have two very different responses to this photoThis picture brings about two very different responses in me. (1) Being that I'm a huge history buff born and brought up in the U.S., these snapshots of old Americana are so exciting for me. Like others, I love combing through the photo for fascinating details, and can't help but wonder what these lovely people talked and thought about as they went about their day. Likely, save for references to modern amenities and gadgets, I'd probably marvel at how their ponderings don't veer that far from my own every day ones. Soon after, I start wishing I could step into the photograph and walk among these people. I'd love to eavesdrop and interact with them, smell the air around us, take in the warmth of the sun, and just feel the difference a century makes. This rumination however, quickly brings on my second response: (2) As a person of color I wonder how reality would really shape my experience walking down this street. How would I be looked at and treated by these people? I see the joviality and smiles on their faces, but I wonder if I would be shunned and turned away from if I were the one to approach them. Someone mentioned the civility with which these people seem to present themselves, and I certainly understand that it was in response to their clothes and manner of walk, but I wonder how civil they would be when faced with someone of differing color? (Sorry to bring this up, this is just what my damn brain turns to and till now, I've never spoken of it on this site). Apothecary!What are cold and grip pills? [Remedies for people with colds or the grip (also spelled grippe). - Dave] Interesting notethis entire section of main street was destroyed by a fire on February 2, 1928. Gold Dust TwinsIf you're at all interested in advertising before 1960, I recommend hunting down a copy of Frank Rowsome's "They Laughed When I Sat Down: An Informal History of Advertising in Words and Pictures." You'll find the origins of all kinds of things that are still current (e.g., the origin of "Sunny Jim", Pears' Soap, and on and on). Photographer, please wait 15 seconds!Don't shoot yet, I'd like to see the face of this mystery girl more close. Please, wait until she gets the sunny spot. Thanks! My GrandfatherMy grandfather was a young police officer around this time and makes me wonder if he could be among the three or four police officers I can see in this photo. I find it fascinating to think of the possibility. Also, I thought the fire was stopped at the building just before the Daily Globe and then the wind shifted to the east sending it up Bedford Street. And I'll have to check, but I thought you could still see some of the Globe lettering on the side of the building. Perhaps just a memory from my youth. What this place needs -is traffic lights! I count at least five men wearing the hats of officialdom, while amiable strolling overdressed citizens wander anywhere the muse takes them. A different age that looks rather charming. (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
Bellevue-Stratford: 1910
... Sooty Philadelphia circa 1910. "The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... Disease made its first known appearance at this hotel during the 1976 American Legion convention. The bacteria had been hiding ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:22pm -

Sooty Philadelphia circa 1910. "The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A painting?Gorgeous. Perhaps it's the sky and soot (not including what appear to be fingerprint residue at left on the horizon), but the quality of light gives it a painterly quality. Alice in WonderlandAnother wonderful building. Thanks. DetailsIs that a rooftop tennis court in the distance? Or perhaps just a way to have an outdoor venue w/o birds stealing your food. Those Bellevue-Stratford balconies make me cringe a bit -- 15 stories up and just cantilever support. Love to have a high resolution copy of this photo. I love looking at the upper story stonework on these old buildings. MagicalAlmost mystical. Thanks for this beauty. Legionnaire's Diseasemade its first known appearance at this hotel during the 1976 American Legion convention. The bacteria had been hiding out in the hotel's HVAC system. Rooftop SchoolyardMy guess on that enclosure on the rooftop in the distance is a schoolyard/playground atop a school. Even 100 years later, we still have these in Philadelphia and they look just the same today as they did then. I don't think the balconies on the Bellevue-Stratford are cantilevered. It appears to me that they're supported by large stone corbels for the first 14 floors and iron brackets for those 3 uppermost ones. Hey, that's my officeBeautiful. I work in this building. today it houses 11 stories of offices (including governor Rendell's office) and the remainder is the Hyatt. the lobby is virtually unchanged. Budweiser NeonThat very large Budweiser neon sign on the left side of the photo is exactly like the one that was in Times Square, NYC for many years. I guess Philly had enough Budweiser Beer drinkers to warrant erecting such an expensive sign, even in 1910. Only Two LeftI believe only two of the clearly visible buildings are still standing, the Bellevue and the Academy of Music (to the left). It's interesting to see that the Academy of Music has such a pitched roof. From most current vantage points, it appears to be flat. The Budweiser billboard is interesting. Even with all the large breweries in Philadelphia at the time, there was still room in the market for out of towners. The rooftop tennis court (or whatever that is) is interesting. That's not there anymore either. The building is probably still there but with a more normal rooftop. Still Standing, Still BeautifulMy wife and I stayed at the Bellvue for our anniversary a month ago, and the place is still a stunner. I've uploaded a photo showing the hotel as it appears today. If you're ever visiting Philly, I highly recommend heading up to the bar at the top (XIX, or "Nineteen"), ordering a bourbon, and taking in the view. BeautifulThanks for this image, simply amazing. High in the sky at the Bellevue-StratfordFrom a 1907 postcard: Drinking highballs, very high, In a garden near the sky, Up above the world were we, This was the way it looked to me. Then and nowMy parents had their first real date in the tea room on the upper floors here. Now the 11th floor is the Governor's office. It's still as beautiful, but you won't find people making u-turns in the middle of Broad Street! (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
Shady Saratoga: 1915
... New York, circa 1915. "Broadway at the United States Hotel." Looking more than a little like one of those idealized Disney "Main ... "Great American Main Street" awards. The United States Hotel opened in 1874 and had 768 rooms and 65 suites. It was, however, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2018 - 10:40am -

Saratoga Springs, New York, circa 1915. "Broadway at the United States Hotel." Looking more than a little like one of those idealized Disney "Main Streets." 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Everything I loveThis photo in particular just struck me and it has all the elements that keep bringing me back to Shorpy every day. I love the wonderful buildings, horse drawn carriages, early automobiles and well-dressed folks strolling down the sidewalk under stately trees. It could not get much more picturesque. It is a time and place I would trade almost anything for to see with my own eyes. But I am glad there are photos and that we have Shorpy, Dave and the other members sharing them with us. Keep up the great work! Main Street USAIt's interesting to note that when Walt Disney was creating Disneyland, his relationship to the historic period portrayed in his Main Street (approx. 50 years past) would be like ours to the 1950s and 60s. Street lights!I just noticed those wonderful street lights, that look like a little girl holding balloons. Disneyland needs to reproduce those right now! Lewis Hine AlertNewsies at the center. Of course, something tells me that being a newsboy in Saratoga Springs probably wasn't as bad as doing the same job in, let's say, Buffalo or NYC. Yet another awesome image for the colorizers out there! TodayI'll venture a guess that this street view today has virtually nothing remaining from 97 years ago, especially the trees! Can anybody provide a modern view? View Larger Map At the racesA timely photo, as this year's Saratoga race meeting starts in a few days. Some winners of the prestigious stakes from 1915: Alabama Stakes: Waterblossom Hopeful Stakes: Dominant Sanford Stakes: Bulse Spinaway Stakes: Jacoby Travers Stakes: Lady Rotha (A filly in a race usually dominated by males) I dabble in racing history, and have never heard of any of these horses. 1915 was a pretty lame year at the Spa! SpectacularWhat a glorious image; visual poetry. It is filled with so many priceless details. We have lost so much.... It would be an epic job but I hope that someone will please colorize this one. Majestic ElmsWhat strikes me most about this photo and hardly seen in present day are the elms that line the street. Such a sad thing and unique thing to have left us. Quite a bit remainsThey've done a great job of keeping this vantage particularly pretty much the same. There's been some fires and other changes but the "Adelphi" is still there and open (only in the summer). It's worth a visit for a cocktail in the garden. 1906 & today: Great American Main StreetMy apologies to "History Lover", but I do not have a photo of Saratoga's current Broadway to share. However, I can state that a great majority of what is visible in the photo does, in fact, still remain. Yes, much has changed and the Elms succumbed to disease many years ago, but it is a vibrant and rich downtown. Travel and Leisure named it as "One of America's Greatest Main Streets" and the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded it one of five "Great American Main Street" awards. The United States Hotel opened in 1874 and had 768 rooms and 65 suites. It was, however, surpassed in size by the Grand Union Hotel, which in its day was the largest hotel in the world, covering some seven acres. "Lost World" is right - opening day for Saratoga's 144th year of thoroughbred racing commences on Friday, July 20th! Lots of kids, butLove, love, LOVE this image, but where are the babies? The baby carriages? So many people and no little ones? [These are vacationing wealthy people. The babies would be with their nannies. - tterrace] Looks the same to meThe Saratoga Planning Departments should be commended. It still has amazing charm. These were taken in 2010. (The Gallery, DPC, Saratoga Springs)
El Paso: 1903
... and Mills Based on the address of the old Grand Central Hotel and the bend in the streetcar line, this appears to be taken from the ... in the 1980's for the exppansion of the Paso del Norte Hotel. Believe me, Dave has managed to bring up a great amount of detail ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 9:55am -

"El Paso, Texas. 1903." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. DateDoes the overhead banner not say 1889? [1903. - Dave] Telephone cablesWhat a remarkable chapter in the history of telephone communications this photo displays. Notice how the lower six crossarms on the closest telephone pole, which used to hold 36 wire pairs, have been rendered obsolete by the three cables strung in the upper foreground of the photo. I'd guess that those cables hold 25 pairs apiece, but they could be a hundred pairs each. Nowadays there can be up to two thousand pairs in a cable. This marked a glorious transition for a forest of wires to a telephone system with some hope for future expansion. El PasoNot an automobile to be seen. However we can see streetcar tracks and a Bell Telephone sign. What else was going on in 1903.When I see the date on a picture or when a Hymn was written I try to relate the date as to what else was going on in the world. El Paso in 1903 with no cars was to change because in Detroit Henry Ford was starting the Ford Motor Co. Driving through El Paso today on I-10 you do not see much of El Paso because of all the cars you have to keep your eyes on. Great PictureLots to see here. But I keep coming back to the 2nd store from the right. Just beyond the W.G.Walz banner. Does anyone else see two eyes looking at the lens? El Paso Grand Midwinter CarnivalThe El Paso Midwinter Carnival will take place from January 12 to 17 Inclusive, some of the features of which will be: World's championship Miners' Drilling Contest, prizes $2000; Roping and Tying Tournament, prizes $2000: Fraternal and Civic Parade, prizes $1000: free shows on the streets. Oriental midway, music, parades, bull fights, confetti battles and generally a hot old time. Ammunition can be bought on the grounds. Programmes of the El Paso Grand Midwinter Carnival shoot will be mailed on application. -- Sporting Life Oregon and MillsBased on the address of the old Grand Central Hotel and the bend in the streetcar line, this appears to be taken from the corner of Oregon and Mills (formerly St. Louis), looking almost due west. Just to the right of the photographer would be San Jacinto Plaza. 1886 map. [The label in the lower left corner of the photo says it's El Paso Street. - Dave] View Larger Map Mama was a cowgirlMy mother was born in El Paso in 1918 and I imagine it looked pretty much the same 15 years after this photo was taken. Out in the West Texas...Town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl... Night time would find me at Rosie's Cantina...etc... Sign punctuationSomething I've always been curious about - this is the first example I've seen on Shorpy since I signed up. From the pre-Civil War era up through about the turn of the 19th-20th century, sentence fragments on billboards are always followed by periods. See "Antiquities." in this photo for an example. A nineteenth century hardware store might advertise: Tools. Wire Fencing. Lumber. Nails and Staples. You see it in newspaper ads of the 1800's as well. By the 1920's this usage is just about extinct, you never see it today unless intended to create a mock-dramatic effect. Somehow there must have been a change in the teaching of business English that caused every ad agency in America to decide "this usage must go!" [Check out this post, and the comments. - Dave] Sign Punctuation and the Future of ShorpyYears from now, Shorpy.com (or its successors) may generate comments on the ersatz punctuation evident in commercial signage circa 2009. An infamous example is the use of apostrophies to indicate plurals (e.g. "soda's"). Period Signage, Signage PeriodsThe use of periods in 19th-century signage seems to derive from the similar usage on book title pages. The typographic fashion for long phrases and numerous ornamental typefaces on the same page or sign was perhaps thought to be more confusing to the reader without the periods. So in the present photo, the periods help us to sort out the discrete phrases in the "wordy" sign at the far left: "Wholesale & Retail Dealers in All Kinds of Mexican & Indian Curiosities. Mexican Straw, Felt & Fur Hats." As page and signage design simplified in the 20th Century, the perceived need for the periods became redundant and was dropped from designers' and editors' style sheets. The use of a period in single-word signs such as "Office." or "Coalyard." also renders the word into a declarative sentence, as if spoken in an announcement to the viewer. My favorite badly painted 20th-century building sign, with too-evenly spaced block letters, would have benefited from the addition of periods, or at least better spacing. As seen from the road in Beirut in 1973, it read as one word: "GARGANTUADANCINGCREPERIERESTAURANT" Electric streetcarsLooking at the streetcar system I don't see any overhead catenary system, but I am viewing the image on a google phone so the detail might not be as clear. In most cities where I have researched, primarily in the southeast, the electric distribution was handled by the streetcar companies as a secondary service to sell excess power not used in the primary transportation network. Streetcars were animal powered until electric motors were improved to handle the cars; steam powered trolleys were considered undesirable and banned in the franchise agreements needed to operate. In some cities the power was generated by the local mill since they had the hydro power, others it was a municipal system or local business group. Lighting was primarily gas until the late 1890's. The electric system is present with a transformer and service cut-ins but I was curious to know if the streetcar was still animal powered? [The photo shows an overhead catenary line. - Dave] S. El Paso StreetThis same photo (and 112 others from Detroit Publishing, some already seen here on Shorpy) is contained in the Dover Publications collection "Main Street, U.S.A. In Early Photographs" (1998). The book's caption notes this is South El Paso Street's 100 block, looking to the south. At the time the photo was taken, this area was the business center of El Paso, "although that hegemony slipped away in the subsequent decade." The two buildings at the extreme right were torn down in the 1980's for the exppansion of the Paso del Norte Hotel. Believe me, Dave has managed to bring up a great amount of detail from the mud of the original photograph (and I ain't talking about the street.) Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America J.W. HardinThe outlaw J.W. Hardin was killed here 8 yrs prior to the photo. I'd say it was a rather hectic town at the time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley_Hardin CoincidenceHaving just watched the HBO series Deadwood last night, I smiled when I saw "The Gem" and "Billiards" on the same building down the street. Must have been a common name in those days. CURIOUSMIGHT THAT BE A SIGN FOR AN OPTOMETRIST? [I BET IT WAS. ARE YOU HARD OF SEEING? - DAVE] Making it workThe sign painters have also effectively worked the decorative brickwork and windows into their design. It is hard to say if the people who originally designed and built the structure on the left had any aesthetic compunction about using the walls as a billboard - or was this the work of later owners? Imagine spending $50 million to build an office building today and then using it for advertising space. [It is hard to envision. - Dave] 1886 MapThanks Vic for the map. I see those railroads via El Paso. My great-great grandpa went to El Paso from Ohio in 1870's to work on the railroad for few years. I make the connection with family history, personal letters with this map. Thanks so much. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Grand Piazza: 1908
... New York, circa 1908. "Grand piazza, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... of June 24, 1909 at the onset of the summer season, the hotel was completely destroyed by fire." ... The idea that people would go on vacation to an elegant hotel to simply sit on a veranda (and a very beautiful one at that) has gone ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2012 - 8:49am -

Lake George, New York, circa 1908. "Grand piazza, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That "Deck"OK, the veranda needs some work up top but the craftsmanship that laid it down was superb. Just think of the men on their hands and knees putting it together as master "floor people" with planks out of the mill. Obligatory "Burned to the Ground" Statement"On the morning of June 24, 1909 at the onset of the summer season, the hotel was completely destroyed by fire." http://www.fortwilliamhenry.com/history/ But it WorksCorinthian columns, Colonial Revival spindles, Victorian corbels. A beautiful explosion of architecture. No Adirondack Chairs in SightAlthough Lake George is today often (usually?) considered part of the Adirondacks. My how things have changedThe idea that people would go on vacation to an elegant hotel to simply sit on a veranda (and a very beautiful one at that) has gone the way of the horse driven carriages that brought them there. Nowadays people feel the need to "do something" on their vacations, instead of simply enjoying doing nothing. How sad!to hear that this wonderful hotel would be gone the next year. The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego is an all-wooden hotel still in operation since the 1880s, due to its extensive sprinkler system. In case of a fire there, you're more likely to drown than to burn! Passion On The Porch      Prunella, although she has some trepidation, holds back her tears as her mother and Aunt Agatha convince her that the handsome bachelor, Melville Van Korster, would be the perfect husband for her.      Meanwhile sitting in the background is Chasity Corbona who has her own plans for the fair haired Melville. (The Gallery, DPC)
Delicious Tasty Waffles: 1939
...     The Times Square Cafeteria, William Penn Hotel and Washington Avenue -- all located far south of their namesakes, in ... size. What's in names Plus the Blackstone Hotel, sharing the name of Chicago's headquarters of the "smoke-filled room". ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2021 - 12:01am -

        The Times Square Cafeteria, William Penn Hotel and Washington Avenue -- all located far south of their namesakes, in Miami Beach. April 1939. "One of Miami's streets showing varied small shops, signs, and tourist bureaus. Miami Beach, Florida." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. What's in namesPlus the Blackstone Hotel, sharing the name of Chicago's headquarters of the "smoke-filled room". Pretty much unchanged in appearance, the Miami Blackstone is now apartments. My favorite, the Havana Tours/Greyhound Bus sign calls up images of a very wet 90-mile trip. 1D1565 1939 Oldsmobile Series 60 sedan. http://classiccarcatalogue.com/OLDSMOBILE_1939.html The Canadian-manufactured 1939 Pontiac (Series 25) Chieftain was almost identical to the low-price field F39 Sixty Olds, except for the grille and some other exterior trim pieces. I sold mine two years ago. +80Below is the same view from June of 2019. Havana ToursDon't miss that last Greyhound back to Miami. How times changeMy mom, born in the Bronx in 1925, lived in Miami in her late teens and early twenties. This photo is the Miami she remembered when she and my stepdad decided we should move there from Maryland in 1973. Lots of things changed during those 25 years. [1973 is when my parents decided we should *leave* Miami. - Dave] HousedressesThose 1939 ladies with the dog could easily have been my 1960s mother in those comfy cotton dresses; the only difference would be my mom would be in sandals or flip-flops. Same "pocketbooks" and same tightly curled hair. The lack of parking hasn't changed.My father's family came to Miami in 1919, my mom's family in 1940. She told me in the summer time you could shoot a cannon down Lincoln Road sidewalk and not hit anybody. Before air conditioning, South Florida was very seasonal. I see they have 30 minute parking even back then. Not many people know but South Miami Beach was at one time a huge avocado grove. The little canal that connects Indian Creek was dug to transport avocados to boats that could not come to shore because of the shallow water. My dad knew people who hunted rabbits on South Beach. Photos from that eraboth interior and exterior have that special bright glow in them that I am fond of. Piggly WigglyI loved seeing the Piggly Wiggly sign; it brought back pleasant memories of younger days. There were a couple in my college town until as recently as 2009, when all their Texas stores closed due to a franchiser bankruptcy. Despite the funny name, they are also known for being the first self-service grocery store, founded in 1916. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Florida, M.P. Wolcott, Miami, Stores & Markets)
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