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Super Chief: 1943
... at least 3 grand old railroad lines, the Harvey House hotel (upper left behind the station) was torn down, and the beautiful Mission ... across the street from the Harvey House in some old, cheap hotel. You can get back to me, if you wish, at majskyking@gmail.com ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2024 - 9:58pm -

March 1943. "Santa Fe streamliner Super Chief being serviced at the depot in Albuquerque. Servicing these Diesel streamliners takes five minutes." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the OWI. View full size. WowThis is EXACTLY how I want my model railroad to look like! yepI toatally agree execept mine will be built using lego bricks! Super ChiefI rode the El Capitan and the Super Chief back in 1967 it was a wonderful trip and a great way to really see the country. I rode Amtrak's Southwest Chief in 1999 to and from Calif on my honeymoon, my wife enjoyed it too. FuelingThe fact that they're fueling from two tank cars on a siding shows how relatively new this technology was in the area - there wasn't a permanent facility available as there would be for coal fired locomotives. And yet in the Southwest in particular diesels were the perfect engines since they didn't need the scarce water. Wartime TriviaDuring the World War II years, some train headlamp openings were reduced in size to prevent Axis spies from seeing them traveling through the night. The E6 model pictured, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1941, has the shroud covering the larger headlamp opening. The number board above the cab and on either sides of the nose appear to be dimmed as well. This AT&SF E6 No. 15 was paired with a matching cabless booster unit E6A, and both were retired in June 1968 after several million miles of travel (and no doubt washed many, many times) since this great photograph was taken. Longest stop on a long rideI rode the Super Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles and back in 1970. I remember that, at least westbound, the stop at Albuquerque was long enough that passengers were allowed to get off the train to stretch their legs on the platform, and was the only such stop on the whole trip -- which may explain that large gaggle back by the station. And I remember being impressed, as a youngster, by the Old Spanish architecture of that station, which was like nothing we had in the Midwest. AlbuquerqueGee whiz, I remember getting arrested on the exact spot right below the camera by the AT&SF "Dick" one fine overcast day in July 1970. This was while we were moving out to California when I was 16. "Trespassing" was the charge. Just wanted to see some Warbonnets before returning to the motel and my folks then back out West on to THAT road, Route 66 the next a.m. Somewhat different world these days, huh? The Atchison, Topeka and Santa FeWhat a great photo. Even though I (like most I suspect) have gone all digital, I still believe that the pinnacle of color photography was Kodachrome transparencies. I remember when they doubled the ASA rating to 64, woo-hoo, great color and fast film! Unfortunately, there is little still in existence from this photo. Passenger rail travel is close to extinct, the Santa Fe is now part of a conglomeration that includes at least 3 grand old railroad lines, the Harvey House hotel (upper left behind the station) was torn down, and the beautiful Mission Style station burned in 1993. Ready to JumpPrep the Atavachron, I've decided where I want to go. AlbuquerqueFrom Fritz Lang's "Human Desire" (1954). Oh the Fabulous Memories!When I was 12 years old I got to be the baggage guys' "helper" at the Hutchison, Kansas, stop. The biggest thrill was the night, like every other night, the Santa Fe Chief pulled into the station, and as always I got far enough down the tracks to be where the ABBA units would stop. This one night the engineer, I assume, recognized me as being a "regular" at that spot, opened the cab door, and let me climb up in the EMD F3 engine. He then opened the rear door, and I was looking down the long cabin, at the biggest engines I had ever imagined existed, in the middle, with walkways down both sides. I will never forget the deafening roar the second the engineer opened that door. Every time I see pictures of these EMD F3 setups, I get chills. Beyond a doubt, works of timeless rolling art. Now I am the proud owner of a G scale model RR set, ABA units, that are so realistic, you could almost climb aboard! Texas 1947Look out, here she comes, she's comin', Look out, there she goes, she's gone-- Screamin' straight through Texas like a mad dog cyclone. "Big and red and silver, she don't make no smoke, she's a fast-rollin' streamline come to show the folks. -- Guy Clark, "Texas 1947" Santa Fe / AlbuquerqueYou the Ron Beck I was in the AF with? Don't think so, but it'd sure be wackily weird if you were! My dad worked at a baker at the Harvey House Restaurant in Albuquerque in 1944-45. We lived directly across the street from the Harvey House in some old, cheap hotel. You can get back to me, if you wish, at majskyking@gmail.com Enjoyed your comments. Railroad days were phenomenal!! Let's share some RR stories. LogoThey've chosed the American Flyer over the Lionel paint job for the Santa Fe logo. SquintyNote the wartime shroud on the headlight. Service StopThe four hoses feeding the locomotives are not only providing fuel but also water for the diesel-fired steam heat boilers. See the wisp of steam at the rear of the lead unit. The water fill was located in the side of the carbody forward of the cab ladder. Albuquerque is located on a secondary route mostly used by passenger trains that is no longer owned by Santa Fe successor, BNSF. That railroads still fuels its transcontinental trains in nearby Belen, NM. Harvey HouseYou can still stay at a Harvey House hotel: La Posada, in Winslow, Arizona. My daughter and I did just that, as we drove from LA to Massachusetts a few years back. It was a wonderful stay, we ate at the restaurant and there were complimentary earplugs on our pillows. Necessary, because of the train yard immediately behind the hotel. The hotel was almost torn down, and the story of how it was saved and restored is worth reading. Winslow is an interesting town, and not to be missed if you're out that way. http://www.laposada.org Not the only Harvey House leftThere are still a few of the former Harvey House hotels in operation, one not that far from this photo. The La Fonda in Santa Fe was acquired by the AT&SF in 1925 and promptly leased back to Fred Harvey to run. It operated as a Harvey property until 1968, when changing conditions led to a forced sale, though it remains a locally-owned property to the present day. Where's Shorpy ?Ah, I see what you did there, Dave. Very clever. Keep up the good work ! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Albuquerque, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Savannarama: 1915
... of Savannah, Johnson Square, Savannah Bank Building and Hotel Savannah." 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... as it may be, wreaks havoc with navigation. The hotel was nothing extraordinary, perhaps, but made the April 1913 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2024 - 5:48pm -

Savannah, Georgia, in 1915. "View of Bull Street from Broughton Street showing the National Bank of Savannah, Johnson Square, Savannah Bank Building and Hotel Savannah." 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Straight ahead (right, left, left, right)This view illustrates well how Savannah's city plan of Public Squares, innovative as it may be, wreaks havoc with navigation. The hotel was nothing extraordinary, perhaps, but made the April 1913 Architectural Review; the floorplan shows a creative notch in the inner corner of the upper floors - an effort to coax sunlight into rooms that otherwise wouldn't have any. Notch shotI see the two most prominent buildings have survived, but everything else has changed. In this view you can just see the Hotel Savannah's notch. The Hotel Savannah became an office building - the Manger Building. It is now being transformed back into a hotel. The taller Savannah Bank Building is now the Johnson Square Business Center. National Bank BuildingThe loss of the National Bank Building in 1975 irreparably marred the beauty of Broughton and Bull Streets, despite the robust and decades old historic preservation movement active at the time. Parking innovationThis is probably the oldest instance of diagonal parking I've ever seen. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Savannah)
Grand Central: 1900
New York circa 1900. "Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan." The coming decade would see the replacement of this structure ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/10/2024 - 3:21pm -

New York circa 1900. "Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan." The coming decade would see the replacement of this structure by the current Grand Central Terminal. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. The eagles of Grand CentralA search for Grand Central Eagles yields interesting stories. The couple who found one in their back yard. And the story of one that ended up Upstate. Poor Grand Central Station only lasted 12 years: from 1898 to 1910. Electric TrolleyIt's surprising to see electric trolleys and horse-drawn trolleys sharing the same set of tracks, but also surprising to see an electric trolley with no overhead wires -- how did it pick up the electricity? [Through the slot between the rails. - Dave] A streetcar named electricThe last of Manhattan's cable cars were converted to electric power around 1901. The car draws its current via a "shoe" that extends down through the slot seen running between the tracks. Same system used by electric streetcars in Washington, D.C., many examples of which can be seen on these pages: Cable car?I'd be pretty confident saying this is a "cable car." The Metropolitan Street Railway operated cable trolleys. http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccnynj.html#msry San Francisco wasn't the only place that had them. [In 1898 the Metropolitan Street Railway began converting its cable traction lines to underground electric power. - Dave] Eagle on the ballIt is speculated the that eagle below the dome ended up in Essex, NJ at the Space Farms Zoo and Museum. http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1113715013034126691DiLhTm Greg American ExpressWikipedia tells me AmEx started as an express mail and shipping operation. What do you think this wagon's delivering, and to whom? White Wing!The man lower right in the white suit and pith helmet is a "White Wing." These were the first street cleaners in New York. Lone HorsemanThis is the first urban horse & carriage era Shorpy picture in which I recall seeing a (civilian) man on horseback, rather than drawn in a wagon or carriage (he's right above the streetcar). Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, though!! I wonder if he ever took his horse up to Central Park for a lively canter. Broncs to BikesUrban horseback riders at the turn of the last century were regarded in a similar way to how we view motorcyclists today; traveling light, moving fast, a bit intimidating (ex: mounted police), a little daredevilish & somehow just a touch less civilized. I mean, you never see the very Edwardian Sherlock Holmes mount a horse except in an emergency. In many ways, today's bikers have adopted the horseman's accoutrements and lingo: leather chaps, buckskin and fringe, saddles and saddlebags, triple-trees, trick riding, trail runs, etc. "I'm a Cowboy, on a Steel Horse I Ride!" - Bon (yech) Jovi Sharing the tracksIn the lower right, under the American Express horse, are the remains of the railroad tracks crossing the horse car track. They joined the trolley track on Fourth Avenue or Park Avenue South, as shown in other Shorpy photos. Even after the 1st Grand Central was built about 1873 and steam locomotives were banned from the streets of lower Manhattan, the New York, New Haven & Hartford RR still insisted on using horses to pull its passenger cars farther downtown over these tracks. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Hotel Netherland: 1913
New York circa 1913. "Hotel Netherland, Fifth Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... they tore it down. Its successor, the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, opened in 1927. William H. Hume, architect WILLIAM H. HUME, ... in New York, among them the Emigrant Savings Bank, Hotel Netherland (built 1892), Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Scotch Presbyterian ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 3:38pm -

New York circa 1913. "Hotel Netherland, Fifth Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Double-DeckersWhen I was growing up in the 50's my mother used to tell me about the open-top double-decker buses on Fifth Avenue that she remembered from her childhood. This picture would be taken about ten years before she was born, but they were still using those buses (or some very much like them) in the 20's and 30's. Long gone by the 1950's, alas. Ward's "Tip Top" Bread...was a staple in our house back in the 1940's. The bread wrapper featured a field of 5-pointed stars on a dark field at either end. It was as good as any, and possibly better than some, such as the competing Silvercup, Bond, Sunbeam, Holsum and other brands sold in the NY Metro area. ImpressiveNow THAT is a building. Panic in the StreetsI wonder what the drivers of the horse-drawn vehicles thought during that year? Were they bitter, anxious, worried about their living? When you look at Shorpy street scenes of say, 1910, the ratio of autos to horse-driven vehicles is reversed; here only a scant three years later, only a half-dozen or so horse carriages can be seen. How quickly the era of the horse faded! Oh, and that electric delivery wagon is really cool. Thanks for another great one. What a Great Design!I love the way the round turret just kind of grows out of the truncated corner! From the NetherlandsThat building is indeed the most beautiful thing I've seen. And I'm not saying that because I was born in the Netherlands. Aural HistoryWouldn't you love to hear the sounds emanating from this scene? Ward's BreadTheir vehicle (I hesitate to call it something more specific) looks like a like a horse-drawn wagon, but where's the horse? Could this thing have been converted to self-propulsion? [It's an electric delivery wagon. Note the battery box. - Dave] No two alikeWow, what a facade. No two storeys alike. On a 16-storey building, I count 11 cornice lines. "Exuberant" hardly begins to cover it. And then of course in the 1920s they tore it down. Its successor, the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, opened in 1927. William H. Hume, architectWILLIAM H. HUME, architect, died in New York, November 11, 1899, aged sixty-five. He designed many important buildings in New York, among them the Emigrant Savings Bank, Hotel Netherland (built 1892), Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Scotch Presbyterian Church, and Colonial Clubhouse. Wow!Such amazingly clear focus and wealth of detail in these old photographs. They are indeed a time machine allowing us to see back to an exact moment and place from the past frozen for us to view forever. A chapter in a book could not convey all that is captured in this photograph! And suddenly, trafficWhat a difference seven years makes. The wide-open streets of 1906 are now thronged with automobiles, although parking is still easy. Hotel RobberyIn those days, stealing architectural styles was good. And, of course stealing from multiple sources was even better. But, don't get me wrong -- I just love this over-the-top stuff. Good taste is so boring! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, NYC)
In My Room: 1941
June 1941. "Untitled (Hotel room, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)." Medium format acetate negative by John ... all these give a feeling of the time and place. The Hotel Wisconsin A July 5, 1941 letter to Vachon from FSA's Roy Stryker indicates Vachon was staying in the Hotel Wisconsin on this visit. That 500-room hotel, constructed in downtown ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2020 - 8:01pm -

June 1941. "Untitled (Hotel room, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The everyday worldI like some of these photos by Vachon - no drama. no pathos, no unusual point to be made, just a document showing how things were and what they were. The "stick" telephone, the sink, the style of furniture, all these give a feeling of the time and place. The Hotel WisconsinA July 5, 1941 letter to Vachon from FSA's Roy Stryker indicates Vachon was staying in the Hotel Wisconsin on this visit. That 500-room hotel, constructed in downtown Milwaukee in 1913, survives today as a renovated apartment building. Chicken wireIs that what was used for a screen? Can't imagine it would keep too many insects out! [Zero chickens here, so it must work. - Dave] That ashtrayDAMN that's a big ashtray. I assume that's what the flat glass object on the dresser is. High-capacity, perhaps, as a safety measure, to reduce the frequency with which it would be dumped into the trash, with the attendant fire risk? Signs of the TimesI love the placement of the faucet spout. So high up the wall. It would be great for washing your hair. Although the splashing from so high up could be messy. With his wallet out and so close to the pillow, do you think this could have been for police evidence? Taken just after his room was broken into? And a soon to be a vanishing relic from the past. The telephone book. It was such a basic necessity back in the day. Now you can hardly find one. Dang I love this site. Thanks guys. Welcome to the Hotel WisconsinLooks like John Vachon is staying at the Hotel Wisconsin, which is now the Grand Wisconsin Apartments. The view is looking east toward Waldheim's Furniture, and that building also still exists. ChickenwireThe chickenwire was embedded in the glass to prevent it from shattering. Used to be quite common. Re: Chicken wireI think that is that kind of glass they used to have in old schools that had wire embedded in it to keep it from shattering. re: Chicken WireLooks like a kind of safety glass. It had 'chicken wire' embedded in it. My grade school had this in all the ground floor windows and doors. Nothing missingSteam heat, operable window with shade and drapes, dresser with mirror, ashtray the size of a wading pool, comfy bed, Ameche with directory, nightstand with lamp, sink for morning wash & brush-up, mystery ellipse on floor under sink, wallpaper that won't keep you up at night. Wisconsin was a home game for the Gideons, so that is certainly covered also. All you could expect of a downtown hotel room in 1941. I'm guessing that it's about a $5 room. 700 Block of North Plankinton AvenueI don't think the hotel is still there, but the building across the street still is. It is the old Waldheim's Furniture Building. Now loft condos. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM47664 https://www.corleyrealestate.com/idx/listings/river-front-lofts/ Where's the Beer?I guess some things are best kept out of sight. re: Chicken WireThe wire mesh glass is more fire-resistant than regular glass (but less tough). And Shorpyites know all about hotels and fires... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Milwaukee)
Hotel Meade: 1942
April 1942. "Bannack, Montana. Old hotel." The supposedly haunted Hotel Meade . Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm ... town, while Bannack was rated "pure"). Restored The Hotel Meade has since been restored and was recently used in the 2017 movie ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2022 - 11:20am -

April 1942. "Bannack, Montana. Old hotel." The supposedly haunted Hotel Meade. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Historic PlaqueIn case you're wondering what the plaque mounted on the rock says, here it is. 'Cook's Tour'? No: Carter'sShorpy's latest photo sets seem like they've been guided by Sunset's "Ghost Towns of the West" (And IIRC, Central City was listed as a "tourist" town, while Bannack was rated "pure"). RestoredThe Hotel Meade has since been restored and was recently used in the 2017 movie "The Ballad of Lefty Brown." It is one of many original structures of the ghost town of Bannack, now a state park in Montana. Eerie vibe.Would absolutely love to go back in time and see the workings inside the hotel. Thank goodness it was preserved! Arrested DecayThe first time I visited Bannack in the 1990's the Park Ranger/Guide said that the State of Montana kept the buildings in a state of "arrested decay". I revisited the town again last year. All the buildings looked the same - so "arrested decay" is working. The Hotel Meade still looks just the way it did when John Vachon photographed it. Bring your snowshoes!Winter visit to Bannack? https://nwtravelmag.com/bannack-state-park-ghost-town-montana/ (The Gallery, Frontier Life, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Hotel Rochester: 1908
Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Rochester, Main Street and Plymouth Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative, ... Company. View full size. Mostly Gone While the hotel is gone, the building mostly hidden behind it with the steep roof still ... the mansard roof, just barely visible to the left to the Hotel Rochester, is the Rochester Free Academy. It still stands, but has long ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:42am -

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Rochester, Main Street and Plymouth Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mostly GoneWhile the hotel is gone, the building mostly hidden behind it with the steep roof still stands. View Larger Map 1907 - 1999"300 all outside rooms" that rented for $1.50 a night. Later it was turned into a dorm for RIT, but it was torn down in 1999. Mostly goneAnd even the old building that still stands is in disrepair. Curved RoofDoes anyone have any idea what the building at the next corner, to the left, was? That roof area looks like glass panels, an enclosed garden room, perhaps. It is gone, I think, the "slanty" roof building is still there, as noted, but I don't think they were connected. Interesting. Curved Roof Bldg.The building with the odd curved roof is the Rochester Savings Bank, built in 1844 and described by one writer as a "fancy wedding cake." It was at the SW corner of West Main & Fitzhugh Streets. Just beyond it (almost at the left edge of the photo) on the SE corner of the same intersection is the Monroe County Building, completed around 1894 and still standing. The building with the mansard roof, just barely visible to the left to the Hotel Rochester, is the Rochester Free Academy. It still stands, but has long ceased to serve as an educational institution. The once grand Hotel Rochester building was imploded on the Saturday before Christmas, 1999; hundreds of onlookers witnessed the event. ThanksThe beauty of Shorpy! Thanks, Chip. Still curious about that upper floor where the glass is [or appears to be]. National TheatreDoes anyone know anything about the National Theatre next door? I can't find any references to it. (The Gallery, DPC, Rochester)
Hotel Tuller: 1980s
A circa 1980s look at the Tuller Hotel, seen earlier here and here . "Tuller Hotel, 501-521 Park Boulevard. The Tuller Hotel was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit in the early twentieth ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 5:01pm -

A circa 1980s look at the Tuller Hotel, seen earlier here and here. "Tuller Hotel, 501-521 Park Boulevard. The Tuller Hotel was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit in the early twentieth century, with 800 rooms, each with a private bath. It was also the first hotel built in Detroit's Grand Circus Park district. Lew Whiting Tuller (1869-1957), who erected and operated this hotel, was a major builder of hotels and apartment houses in Detroit in the 1900s and 1910s. The three distinct buildings share a common Italian Renaissance styling." Photograph and caption by the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. Mayor Coleman Young EraA more apt description would be that this is the Detroit of the Coleman Young era. If anyone is interested in seeing the difference between the vacant properties of Detroit against the border of affluent Grosse Pointe, look no further than the satellite photo of Google maps and the Alter Road divider to see an infill landscape (GP) versus plenty of land (Det) where thousands of homes stood less than 20 years ago. This is the area where Charlton Heston and my father grew up (although neither knew of the other). You've heard of the Honeymoon SuiteThis must be the Homewrecker Suite. Afterparty Is this after Charlie Sheen stayed there? AlmostToo sad for words. I was looking earlier this evening at a series of pictures showing how some of the great buildings in Detroit have fallen into neglect and disarray. A great shame. Liberalism's Great SocietyLiberalism's Great Society in actual practice, and what they intend to do to our entire country, if we don't stop them. [This is Reagan-era Detroit, a city whose decline does not have much to do with "liberalism," or politics in general. - Dave] Downward Spiral Just heard on NPR yesterday how Detroit's population has fallen from a high of 2 million to around 700,000 today. While I knew Detroit was in a bad way I had no idea the depth of its despair. Hard to believe the "Motor City" of my youth in the 50s and 60s has lost its prominence. How quickly it has faded. I thinkthe Who must have stayed here. And thank you, Dave, for the nippage in the bud of political nonsense. There's already too much snarkery in the world. Shorpy is above all that. Hold up there, CowboyRadical Liberalism began in the 1960s hippie movement in SanFrancisco while Reagan was still a cowboy riding his pinto across the make believe range. Radical Liberalism's rampant runaway across America is alive and well and great cities in this country are all on the decline because of it. This hotel room is repeated all over America. it's not political, it's a fact. [Factwise, when the hippies were grooving to the Summer of Love in San Francisco, Ronald Reagan was governor of California. In 2010, Detroit is depopulating as the auto industry there declines. More people would link the export of manufacturing to the free-trade policies of conservative administrations than to any kind of "liberalism." What would really be interesting (or entertaining) would be to lay out the specifics of how "liberalism" is responsible for the condition of this hotel room. As for it being "repeated all over America," the number of ancient abandoned highrise hotels in this country is probably close to zero. - Dave] I base my comments more on what I see happening in middle america where rampant extremist liberalism deposited its payload, not so much on THIS hotel room in THIS city. Point about Reagan whether he was riding the range or not, is HE had nothing to do with this hotel room. Where do you live? An Ivory Tower, no doubt where you do not have to mingle with the masses. If you are going to let in one political comment then, speaking from a liberal viewpoint, Shorpy will Also cease to exist. [Roll eyes] Interesting comment from the guy making his political statement commending you for not allowing a political statement. [Roll eyes] You run a good site here, but people are hungry in America, keep your nose clean and give us something to enjoy. [nice of you to allow me this conversation--be nice to continue it in person as so much is lost in text] [Next up on Fox: "Politically Incoherent." - Dave] Factwise, there have been some good comments, and some who understand the point I was making. You just aren't one of them, Dave. I had thought you to be a smart guy and now I realize you are just a smart-ass guy. I bet you have a small penis, too. Current Detroit PhotosColor photos of Detroit's sadder side can be seen here: http://www.marchandmeffre.com/index.html The Tuller isn't part of the set but others show the loss of what Detroit had been. Here Comes The Political MessWhy is it some people just have to share their political opinions with you? Please go where they care about your political opinion; you see I could not care less about your political views. Now if you have photos to share you have my attention. A common cycleMany a respectable hotel has gone through a cycle of decline. This is not a new thing. As fashions move on, the rising cost of redecorating to stay high-end or even respectable, at some point, intersects with falling revenues. Buildings obsolesce, become more costly to maintain, leaving less money for services. Clientele becomes more and more down-market, until the building finally succumbs to decades of neglect. Sometimes, after a decade or so of dereliction, the establishment finds new owners and new capital, and rebounds. The Tuller was not so lucky. As we have seen, some folks are just itching to blame this cycle on '60s liberalism (cue eye-roll), but this cycle played itself out many times before that decade. PoliticsI think there were some politicians of all types who contributed to the decline of Detroit, most prominently in the mayor's office. That said, Shorpy is a much better place when it is nonpartisan. Damn Hippies Killed the TullerSorry, I just couldn't help the title. The image came first. The room just creeped me out. YIKES!Looks like they kept the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign out to long. I was hereI was one of the architectural team that evaluated the condition of the hotel just before it was demolished, and the seeds of its decline were sown back in the 20's and 30's, and are not the result of liberalism, Reaganomics, or anything more complicated than the poor decisions of the owners. The additions to the hotel, especially the one on Washington Boulevard side, were poorly planned and poorly executed - you had to go outside across a metal fire escape just to get from one side of the hotel to the other! The original hotel could never have been called elegant, and its decor over the years just got worse until a 1950's remodel made it look up to the minute in 1954, but terribly dated by 1960. Every other major hotel in Detroit, the Statler, the Hilton, the Cadillac, the Fort-Shelby, was ruined by 'modernizations' in the 50's, 60's and 70's that replaced or covered the original elegance and classic details in favor of ersatz 'luxury' that faded quickly. The thing that killed them ALL, however, was the opening on the Westin in the Renaissance Center in the early 1970's. How could any old, drafty, non-air conditioned hotel with its rattly elevators, cracked plaster, peeling paint and knocking radiators compete with a 2000 room glass and concrete symbol of the future? Both the Cadillac and the Fort Shelby have been renovated and re-opened, both required complete gutting and both required conversion of half of the building to condos, just to pay the bills. Now these are the hot new properties, and the Westin looks tatty. The Tuller WAS too far gone to save, its fate was sealed in the 1950s. The '67 riots sealed Detroit's fateIn addition to the usual business cycle of fancy old hotels losing favor to newer "better" hotels, the city of Detroit received a huge black eye 15 to 20 years prior to this photo. "White flight" was in full swing by the time of the 1967 riot in Detroit. After the riots, the prosperous black population wanted to move out of the city too. The result was the affluent property and business owners moved to the suburbs. Without a reason for wealthy hotel patrons to visit the city why would there be a need for a luxury hotel in the city? Idiot's delightNobody has pointed out that the Republican party chose to hold its 1980 convention and nominate Ronald Reagan in Detroit. The idea was to showcase the problem city--AND to promise that things would be different. With 30 years' perspective, we can draw conclusions about both of those notions. The Tiresome Discussion About DetroitWhy must every discussion of my hometown devolve into either tirades about the evils of "liberalism," or none-too-subtle allusions to race (the "Coleman Young wrecked the paradise that was Detroit" angle), or some nasty combination of the two? But oh-so-little consideration seems to be given to the underlying economic structural factors and technological tides that have been much more historically important in making it both the great boom town of the early 20th century and the poster child of urban dissolution in more recent decades. Jeez o peteI think that the decline of big cities has less to do with the tidal flows of two-party politics, and more to do with the invention that made Detroit what it was, the automobile... and the mass migration of everybody with money out of those cities. Not to mention poor city planning of the 50s-60s that slashed many urban neighborhoods into pieces with freeways. Cities have only begun to recover in the past decade. In any case, I find it difficult to see how hippies are to blame, especially not for our present and future problems considering that generation is nearly in its 70s. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, HABS)
Hotel Astor: 1916
The Hotel Astor on Times Square circa 1916. Note roof garden and, at lower right, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 9:16pm -

The Hotel Astor on Times Square circa 1916. Note roof garden and, at lower right, the elaborate marquee for the film "Civilization." View full size. (George Grantham Bain Collection.) The building, at 1515 Broadway and West 44th Street, was demolished in 1967 and replaced by, in the words of one architecture critic, a "hideous tall office tower," 1 Astor Plaza, whose crownlike top is a familiar sight from across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Popular MovieLooks like the movie was pretty popular - there's a long line in front of the cinema. From IMDB, the tagline for Civilization was "The Greatest Production of Modern Times". Roof GardenThank you for your explanation. I have been two times to NYC and I am a big fan of your old pictures. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Hotel Vincent: 1905
Saginaw, Michigan, circa 1905. "Hotel Vincent." Try our depot shuttle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... that (according to the maps and city records) that this hotel stood on the corner of Washington and Germania Avenues. I'm assuming that ... sentiment during WWI. Map showing where the Hotel Vincent Once Stood marked as "1.". Fire escapes Do those fire ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:10pm -

Saginaw, Michigan, circa 1905. "Hotel Vincent." Try our depot shuttle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Washington and GermaniaIt appears that (according to the maps and city records) that this hotel stood on the corner of Washington and Germania Avenues. I'm assuming that Germania was changed to Federal due to anti-German sentiment during WWI. Map showing where the Hotel Vincent Once Stood marked as "1.". Fire escapesDo those fire escapes have access from a hall, or do you have to break into someone's room to get to one? Given the size of the building, the number of fire escapes reminds me of the lifeboat count on the Titanic. A Fun Afternoon InvestigationFrom History of Saginaw County we see that the Hotel Vincent was on the corner of Washington and Germania. Google Maps doesn't show a Germania Street in Saginaw. According to Saginaw: Labor & Leisure it was changed in WWI to Federal Street. So at the corners of Federal and Washington we see today on Google Maps the remnants of a little building to the right of the Vincent Hotel with the three windows on the third floor. From that, here's what the corner looks like today. View Larger Map Re: Fire EscapesAlong with the possible other problems, that last step is a doozy! French Dry CleaningI thought at first the sign, middle-left, said "French Fry Cleaning" But what the heck is French Dry Cleaning? [Dry cleaning, or "French dry cleaning," as it was called, is cleaning without water. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC)
One Second Fast: 1943
... like they belong in some fine residence or the lobby of a hotel somewhere. Not the least bit industrial in design! I shudder to think ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2024 - 9:58pm -

March 1943. "Seligman, Arizona. Teletype operator in the telegraph office of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The time here changes from Mountain to Pacific time." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Oh....for the InternetI actually ran a Teletype machine in the mid 1960s, pretty much the same as these. One of my first full time jobs. I worked as a timekeeper for a construction site here in Ontario and had to send daily weather reports to the head office in Winnipeg. It was weird because you were always ahead of the machine as you typed, and there was no spell checker either ... shoulders back and sit up straight. Seligman I beg to differ with the caption. I believe that the time in Seligman never changes at all. No more than a wide spot in the road, it had to have been the model for Radiator Springs in Disney's "Cars," bypassed by the interstate and frozen in time. It's like the flippin' Twilight Zone out there. My Rasta roommate and I endured a breakdown 50 miles from Seligman on a trip from Southern California to college in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago. It was circling buzzards (really), and inbred locals (at a remote gas pipeline station), (1) meth-addled trucker, and (2) tow-truck drivers sharing graphic blood and gore stories the whole way to town. Needless to say, Rasta Boy was terrified, and later asked me where I'd learned to "talk Hick." (I'm still not sayin'.) Where's WaldoThere are all sorts of hidden treasures lurking in this picture. I love the visor that is hung behind the Pacific clock. Looks like it's probably chilly outside, too, seeing this young girl's furry-collar coat hanging on the wall. Compared to what?That "One Second Fast" thing intrigues me. What would they be comparing that to? One second faster than what? Had the atomic clock been put into service by that point? Their timekeepingseems to be quite percise, but the filing system (stacked in the window) looks a lot like my office! Teletype Model 15Teletype Model 15. A closeup of the keyboard if you scroll down the page a bit. Back in the early 70s I had one of these machines hooked to my amateur radio and could send and receive teletype messages or "super low resolution" images formed by strategic placement of characters on the printer roll to make an image. Some of them were quite lengthy (banners) and took quite a while to receive or send. (Considerably slower than the slowest dialup connection). Quartz? I don't need no stinkin' quartz.One second? My overpriced Seiko isn't that accurate. Why one second fast? I see her coat hanging by the clocks. So she gets to go home a little early on company time? Next to the tracksNote the bay window so the operator could see down the tracks and hoop up orders to the train crew. That is a railroad car outside. SeligmanI've passed through Seligman on Highway 66 several times in the last 10 years. I was sad to learn that the Harvey House next to the train tracks was recently torn down. Staying at the Supai Motel and having a mediocre breakfast in the diner down the street is as close to time travel as I've experienced. Seligman history: http://www.seligmanhistory.com/index.html SeligmanI've been to Seligman, too. On a drive from Flagstaff to Vegas. It is the land that time forgot. I fully expected Rod Serling to come out with some kind of announcement. However, I did get some cool stuff in some of those shops. Just a secondThe idea was probably to glance at the time on the clock and by the time you typed in the time (about 1 second later) you would be as accurate as possible. Disregarding the question of "faster than what." One Second FastAccurate timekeeping was extremely important to railroads back in the day. Timepieces would be tested once a year, primarily pocket watches used by conductors and station personnel. I assume that the postings on the Seligman clocks were the result of some sort of test and this was used to indicate their accuracy rather than for a 1 second adjustment on train times. CalibrationIt's fairly common practice with delicate equipment to label or note an error, rather than trying to eliminate the error. When you open up the case and start turning screws or wiggling wires, you risk destroying the instrument. As long as the error is linear and predictable, it's less expensive to adjust your mind than to adjust the instrument. KeysThe keyboard of the Teletype seems to have a lot fewer keys that a standard typewriter (or computer). Can any former operators remember what the difference was? The clocksSince the clocks appear to have mercury compensated pendulums, they are probably free running - not slaved to a line master clock. One second no doubt refers to their 24 hour rate - they gain one second in 24 hrs. MaybeMaybe the clocks are one second fast for when the operator has to record the time. By the time she records the time of day, one second has elapsed and the other end of the telegraph line is getting a more accurate reading. RegardlessTimely accuracy not withstanding, those two clocks look like they belong in some fine residence or the lobby of a hotel somewhere. Not the least bit industrial in design! I shudder to think what they'd be worth today or how hard it might be to find one! Clock CalibrationAccording to a photo caption of similar clocks in the book Faces of Railroading, the clocks were calibrated by a daily telegraph signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 32 keysThere were 32 keys, 26 letters and some punctuation. A shift key was used for numbers, much like early manual typewriters. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleprinter Old time precision surprisesInteresting, I had not heard of the telegraph time signal. It's the telegraph equivalent of radio station WWVB used by my kitchen clock! Railroad AccuracyAs stated by Texcritic, timekeeping was critical for train operations. For example, a train order might direct one train to "wait at" a particular station until a specific time. This train order would also be directed to an opposing train who choose their meeting location based on this information. Conductors and engineers would be directed to check their watches with a standard clock at the beginning of each duty tour and no watch could be more than 30 seconds off the standard time. The clocks in the stations were checked at least once a day by a telegraphic signal from headquarters. TrainsHow fascinating! When I was a young teenager, one of my uncles was a dispatcher for the Baltimore and Ohio. His little shack, laughingly called a "tower," was about 10 by 10, and I recall his typewriter was all-caps, on which he typed the train orders and tied them in the "hoops" as mentioned elsewhere. There were three sets, and on a couple of occasions he let me hand them up. I had to stand on tiptoe as the steam loco passed and the trainman leaned far out to snag the order. Then, about mid-train, the conductor leaned out and got his, and finally the brakeman on the caboose got his. How long ago and far away! Seth Thomas.Cuando se tomó la fotografía los relojes ya eran bastante antiguos. Conservo, en buen uso, otro Seth Thomas que compró mi bisabuelo, algo menos sofisticado, pero que tiene la misma caja y los mismos adornos. He preparado una foto pero no sé como subirla... Good thinkingWonderful filing system! Can't think of a better place for that fire extinguisher... One Second FastThese signs were on all of the Santa Fe official clocks, if the clock got too far off of official time, the clockman would come in and fix the clock. Nobody but the clockman was allowed to adjust the official clock. LTRS and FIGSThe military still used these teletypes when I was in the Army in the 1970's. If I remember correctly, the "shift" keys operated differently from typewriters. Character codes were shared between letters and numbers/punctuation with preceding LTRS and FIGS codes to shift between them. That is, when the FIGS key was pressed, a FIGS codes was sent and all subsequent character codes were interpreted as numeric characters (figures) until the LTRS key was pressed. That would send a LTRS code and return the unit to alphabetic operation. Standard timeIt's because of railroads that we have time zones. Can you imagine trying to arrange a railway schedule when every town had its own time? VibroplexThat sure looks like a Vibroplex bug sitting on the table just over her right shoulder...a semi-automatic morse code generator. Love the coat hookI love how there is a nail in the wall for the coat hanger under the light switch. I can see her coming in in the morning, turning on the light, removing her coat and hanging it up there under the switch. Then turning it off at night. So practical. Not like today where light switches and coat closets are miles apart! There's a clock like that in SacramentoThere is a similar clock on display at the Calif. State RR Museum in Sacramento. It is a work of art. These would be worth a fortune today. Noisy MachinesIn 1967, I was in school learning how to use these Teletype machines. Talk about noisy! I was a fairly fast typist and the Teletype machine was a slow machine to type on, which was a bit frustrating when your fingers wanted to go faster than the machine did. These are ancient machines now but looking back to'67 I didn't have one thought to how old they were, I just didn't like all the noise and slowness of them. Thank God for progress!! Seth Thomas 19's Standard ClocksBob Wells, Watch & Clock Inspector for Santa Fe, told me back in 1970 about the two 19's in Seligman. It was a unique period for several years that you could purchase Santa Fe clocks; mainly Seth Thomas clocks such as a #19, Gallery, School House,#2 and a few E. Howards. All Santa Fe timepieces were called in and eventually displayed in a warehouse in the San Bernardino yard including the two from Seligman. What a sight that was; there were five #19's side by side for sale and most remained on the wall for a year waiting for a buyer. The #19's with the Montgomery Dials as pictured sold for $3500, a #2 for $350 a School House for $100. Some internet chatter says over 300 of 19's were purchased by Santa Fe. Bob Wells said it was around 15. It took me a year save $3500 to buy a #19 along with the one second sign just prior to Bob's retirement in '73 along with all Santa Fe Watch and Clock Inspectors thus ending an era. It arrived in a box car from Topeka. Bob and I drove his station wagon to the box car and then we drove to my house to set it up. Such service from a very nice man. He loved those 19's but was never able to afford one after retirement. We remained good friends and shop talked clocks until he passed away in the 80ies. Last October a Santa Fe ST 19 went up for auction and sold in the 100K range. I just hope the two in Seliman got their Finials straighten out as they are incorrectly placed. For 100K, you want it perfect. Two timesUntil 1950 Seligman was the west end of the Albuquerque Division and east end of the Arizona Division -- the former ran on Mountain Time and the latter on Pacific. When the west end of the Albuquerque Division moved west to Needles, the time change moved west too. And not just railroad time -- until the beginning of the war, road maps showed the time change at Seligman instead of at the state line as it is now. "1 Second Fast" means the time on the clock is one second ahead of the correct time -- nothing to do with the rate at which the clock gains time. The crews that use the clock to check their watches don't care about that; they just want to know what the correct time is at this moment. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Chop Suey Canyon: 1916
... but an ugly parking lot these days. As for the Charlevoix Hotel, it's still there, but it's been empty since the mid '80s. The Charlevoix was intended to be an office building. Instead, it was a hotel at first but only for about 10 years. It also spent a short time as an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:56pm -

Detroit, 1916. "Park Boulevard canyon." A tip of the Shorpy hat (Department of Belated Publicity) to Dr. Bertha J. Gaylord, chiropractor. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Dorothy transplantI wonder if the gal on the porch is thinking, "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Neatness Counts Dr. Bertha should get on someone's case about cleaning up the front lawn. Nothing but a parking lot these daysThe doctor's office is nothing but an ugly parking lot these days. As for the Charlevoix Hotel, it's still there, but it's been empty since the mid '80s. The Charlevoix was intended to be an office building. Instead, it was a hotel at first but only for about 10 years. It also spent a short time as an apartment building before being turned into a commercial building for various companies and unions in 1922. The hotel was never one of Detroit's glamorous spots, offering a cheaper alternative to the top hotels of Grand Circus Park: The Hotel Tuller and the Hotel Statler. View Larger Map Tuller HotelMy grandfather was a window washer in the late 1930s at the Tuller Hotel. The stories he told of acts he saw through the windows would knock you off your chair. These days, I spend a lot my free time at the Park Bar directly across from the old Charlevoix Hotel. Oh, my aching --Cool picture. I like the sign in the lower right. After picking up all that litter, one might need to visit Bertha for some relief. No place like home!I like the old frame house tucked away in the midst of the "canyon." Wonder how much longer they were able to hold out? BoomPlease tell me that's not the grandfather of the Pinto in the foreground. Failed DIY Auto Repair?Looks like a bent C-clamp and the remains of some part or repair material in the road, just to the left rear of the car parked near Dr. Bertha's sign. Potential havoc seems to be awaiting some unsuspecting Goodyear, and its driver might even bring some business to the good doctor. Re: Tuller TalesNow ... We're sitting tight on our chairs and listening ! What did your grandfather see ? Nowhere to go but Up!Later that year, lifted by 20,622 helium balloons, the small frame house was moved from its spot on Park Boulevard to a more scenic lot at the top of a South American cataract. Night Lunch WagonJust beyond the old house is a horse-drawn lunch wagon, the precursor to the American diner. A similar wagon is on display at the Henry Ford Museum. Elsewhere on Shorpy: The Ol' Lunch Wagon. Chop Suey DaysIt seems that for my parents' generation, and earlier, Chinese food meant chop suey. And during the past half century or so that dish has gone entirely out of style (deservedly, in my opinion) --people order everything else on the Chinese menu. Is my impression correct? Chop Suey Exposed!"Chop Suey" isn't really a Chinese dish at all, it's something that was created in America. And its makeup varies: here in New England, it's usually some kind of macaroni, tomato and cheese dish. Dr. Bertha J. GaylordThanks to Shorpy, now the chiropractor of choice for discerning time travelers everywhen and everywhere. K-Mart's early daysInteresting rear view of the Kales Building, the first headquarters for Kresge Company. Litterbugs!I am always amazed at the amount of garbage in the streets. You hear about the lack of respect in today's world but the trash in the streets says a lot about yesterday too! On the Street The line of cars on the left starts out with a 1914 - 1916 Buick followed by a 1914 - 1916 Studebaker. Note also the lack of parking meters and stop lights or stop signs. The street light over the road is very interesting in that it has a device to lower it down to either light it or change the bulb. The Doctor and the HotelAccording to the Detroit City Dirctory of 1915 Dr. Gaylord's address was 61 Park Blvd. which was also her home. By 1918 she had moved to 65 Traugott (Schmidt Bldg), Room 73. The Hotel Charlevoix is located in the Park Avenue Historic District and cannot be demolished without proper approval. As of June 2012 permission for demolishing the structure has been denied. More information and photos of this building are here. http://historicdetroit.org/building/hotel-charlevoix/ Update on January 6, 2018: Sadly the Hotel Charlevoix was demolished on June 23, 2013. Info at the link above. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Hotel Velvet: 1904
Old Orchard, Maine, circa 1904. "Alberta and Velvet hotels." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Watching the train roll by As youngsters we would watch the freight trains roll through this cr ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:15am -

Old Orchard, Maine, circa 1904. "Alberta and Velvet hotels." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Watching the train roll byAs youngsters we would watch the freight trains roll through this crossing. They were often 100 cars or more longer. I was told once that a train of 100 cars was over a mile long. We just amused ourselves counting them. Quatilitywas apparently a brand of cigar! Quatility CigarsWith four times the tility of your average cigar. Is the express coming?The crossing gates are down, but nobody seems to care. Nothing like a train hitting a cart full of cabin trunks. Quatility!Quality AND utility, perhaps? What you look for in a cigarQUATILITY From the shredded flagto the high grade Quatility cigars, this is wonderful photo. Spell-checkmust have been turned off for that "quatility" cigar sign. What this country needsIs a Quatility five cent cigar! How things have changedThis isn't the OOB I know all too well! I live right down the street from there. The main difference is the lack of wannabe gangstas with shaved heads, gold chains, and basketball jerseys hanging around on every corner. On a lighter note, the building on the right (behind the tracks) has since been replaced with Palace Playland. If you keep following the road that disappears behind the trees, that brings you to the OOB Pier. There are bars & restaurants out there that are staffed with beautiful Russian girls. Danger! Do not cross!Hand trucks full of steamer trunks may appear without warning! Crossarms are down!Will we get to see the train passing though in a future pic? Railroad crossingLook out for the cars. Can you spell that without any R's? Scrabble, anyone?Googling "quatility" gives over 20,000 results. Is our schooling really THAT bad? ConflagrationYou knew it had to happen. That's Cute!I love the kid getting the free ride on the dolly. That's just a nice man. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Hotel Ste. Claire: 1906
Detroit circa 1906. " Hotel Ste. Claire , Randolph and Monroe streets." Completed 1893, razed in the ... the other 2. A Bit Changed Today While the hotel is gone a few others down the block are still there. The building next to ... Kratz and Mittenthal. Flag Poles Why does the hotel have 4 flagpoles near the top? is that to display banners? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2016 - 9:30am -

Detroit circa 1906. "Hotel Ste. Claire, Randolph and Monroe streets." Completed 1893, razed in the 1930s. Note signs advertising CHOP SUEY and CHOP SOY. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size. Going Round the Bend!Looks like an interurban car preceding the other 2. A Bit Changed TodayWhile the hotel is gone a few others down the block are still there. The building next to it has been modified and is now (well, as of opening in 2012) the largest Buffalo Wild Wings in the U.S. We lost a lot of downtown Detroit character when in the 1950s a program was enacted to remove cornices and "gingerbread" in the name of modernization. Detroit Electric "Looks like an interurban car preceding the other 2." Most likely a Detroit Electric interurban. They operated a 600 mile system centered in Detroit. Went as far north as Flint and Port Huron and south to Toledo, Ohio Beal BuildingThe 8 story structure to the left is the Beal Building. Permitted in 1905 costing 120,000 to build,it was nearly new in this picture.The masonry outer column window treatment looks overwrought in the photo but better in other light conditions. It must cost a fortune to HVAC the place. Clarification for Detroit Tony Must interject that the Victorian cornices and gingerbread on Detroit's downtown buildings were largely removed in the late fifties/eary sixties, due to the fact that they were falling off and beaning passers-by. I seem to recall at least one fatality. Whatever, Detroit's freezing and thawing winter weather boded ill for the fancy stonework up above. Goodbye Detroit!My great-grandparents left Detroit in the winter of 1906 for Santa Barbara, Calif., because my great-grandmother suffered from TB and couldn't take the harsh winters. It's not difficult to imagine that they are in this neighborhood somewhere doing some final errands before their departure. My great-grandmother died that year at the age of 28. My great-grandfather returned to Detroit only once over the next 40 years. He just had no use for the city. HopeWhoever had to run the flags out on those topmost flagpoles got extra hazard pay. They look impossible to reach. Henry the HatterThe store offering men's hats and caps, in the extreme lower left of the picture, may be the current location of Detroit's oldest hat store, Henry the Hatter. They started in 1893, the same year the Ste. Clair opened. At the time of the picture, though, they were still several blocks (and several moves) away from opening in this location - makes me wonder if it was always a hat store. Chop SoyPresumably, the vegan version of chop suey? And in the distanceYou can see the straight, proud spire of St Josephat Catholic church which was opened in 1901. Only now it's sometime known as St Bananaphat due to high winds a few years ago nearly taking the spire down. After a large money raising effort to save this landmark for many travelling down I-75, it is standing proud again, but not *quite* as straight. At certain points when travelling toward Detroit, the tall spire and two minor ones line up perferctly with the RenCen(GM headquarters) giving one a kind of "now and then" feeling. Chop Suey signsI also notice Finster, Zanger, Kratz and Mittenthal. Flag PolesWhy does the hotel have 4 flagpoles near the top? is that to display banners? (Panoramas, Detroit Photos, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Stores & Markets)
The New Raleigh: 1912
... 1912. "The New Raleigh." The recently completed Raleigh Hotel at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street N.W., built on the site of the previous Raleigh Hotel. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2024 - 4:13pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1912. "The New Raleigh." The recently completed Raleigh Hotel at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street N.W., built on the site of the previous Raleigh Hotel. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. On this siteIn 1865, 12th & Pennsylvania NW saw historic events that might have been even more historic. On April 14, Vice President Andrew Johnson was asleep in the Kirkwood House hotel on this site when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated three and a half blocks away. The next morning, Johnson was sworn in as President on the third floor of the Kirkwood House. In fact, John Wilkes Booth's plot included killing Johnson, but George Atzerodt, the designated assassin, after hanging around the hotel most of the day went to a nearby bar and got drunk. Had Johnson been killed that night, a constitutional crisis would have ensued. Under a 1792 law, Lafayette Sabine Foster, president pro tempore of the Senate, would have been "acting President" until a special election could be organized. There were few if any guidelines for any of that. AwningsThey’re gorgeous and I miss them, but I can’t figure out why some windows have them and others don’t. Completed, and then enlargedThe Hotel Raleigh was included in the April 1913 issue of Architectural Review because of an addition designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh (who was probably the original architect). The addition was the two stories and dome above the balustrade, made possible by a change in building ordinance. The article included the floor plans for the basement and office (ground) floor. It was interesting that the kitchen was on this floor and not in the basement. There were also plans for the sixth floor and tenth floor, which was the top floor of the original structure. It was demolished at some point. Click to embiggen (The Gallery, D.C., DPC)
Hotel Vermont: 1911
Burlington, Vermont, circa 1911. "Hotel Vermont." Last glimpsed here . 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... a memory of reading one of those signs on the back of a hotel-room door, and seeing "mileage books" as one of the things you were supposed to deposit in the hotel safe instead of keep in your room. I'm still not quite sure why ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2018 - 10:06am -

Burlington, Vermont, circa 1911. "Hotel Vermont." Last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Gift cards, 100 years ago.To the left of the Western Union sign, a small sign that says "Mileages bought and sold" caught my eye. A little research reveals this phrase appearing in newspapers and photos from around 1900 to 1915. I couldn't find a definite explanation, but based on the context of some of those ads, I think it was possible, at that time, to buy a certain number of miles on a particular railroad - sort of like buying a gift card today. ["Mileages" were the coupons in mileage books, which allowed X miles' worth of "interline" travel over multiple railroads. Below, an excerpt from "The Modern Railroad" (1911), and an example of an interline mileage exchange ticket stub. Selling the remaining coupons to a broker before they expire lets the holder avoid a loss on his unused miles. - Dave]         In addition to the railroad selling its tickets there are also railroad passenger traffic organizations, half a dozen or more important ones across the country, which are engaged in selling various forms of railroad transportation. In some cases this takes the shape of a mileage-book which may be honored by fifteen or twenty different lines. The book will perhaps be sold for $25 and will permit of 1,000 miles’ riding at a saving over local fares, if the purchaser comply with its provisions. If he has complied with its provisions within the year’s life of the book, he will be paid $5 rebate upon return of its cover which has given him his riding at two cents a mile. Sometimes these books take the form of “scrip” which is silent upon mileage but which has its strip divided into five-cent portions, sold at wholesale, as it were, at a fraction less than five cents each. Edit, 31 July 2018: Today I learned, thanks! This also jogged a memory of reading one of those signs on the back of a hotel-room door, and seeing "mileage books" as one of the things you were supposed to deposit in the hotel safe instead of keep in your room. I'm still not quite sure why mileage books aren't mentioned much in publications after about 1915. I did find a law in New York State, still on the books, that requires railroads with fares between 2 and 3 cents per mile to issue mileage books for no more than 2 cents per mile. Maybe as fares went up, the laws weren't updated, and therefore the railroads were no longer obligated to issue mileage books. Hotel Vermont? Not with a bit of imagination.I do believe that to be Rick's Cafe with Sidney Greenstreet (Ferrari), wearing his fez hat and just crossing the street to enter as everything magically turns into Vichy-Casablanca of December 1941. Waiting inside, in addition to Rick, are Victor Lazo, Ilsa, Sam, Capt. Renault, Major Strasser and the lovable Carl (Cuddles Sakall). After all, everybody comes to Rick's, though not always for long as Peter (Ugarte) Lorre has already been eliminated. Academic CoincidenceThe Bowling Academy at left is where Lewis Hine, the man who made Shorpy famous, photographed two pin boys whose work kept them up late on school nights. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/nclc.03374/ [Coming soon to a website near you! - Dave] https://www.shorpy.com/node/23650 Loved the awnings back then!Still there! Went to a Brazilian Restaurant on the ground floor a few years back. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Banff Springs Hotel: 1905
... Canada, circa 1905. "Mount Rundle and the Banff Springs Hotel." Nineteenth-century Canadian Pacific Railway resort that gradually ... the mountains, supposedly pointing out where he wanted the hotel, but we long term CPR employees always figured it was his "Hey, you, I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2014 - 12:16pm -

Alberta, Canada, circa 1905. "Mount Rundle and the Banff Springs Hotel." Nineteenth-century Canadian Pacific Railway resort that gradually morphed into the vast stone edifice rising above Bow Falls today. View full size. Circa 1905the same year Alberta became a Province of Canada. Well, it did burn down in 1926But that allowed them to put it facing right way round when they rebuilt it in stone. Great place to stay, wonderful example of CPR Gothic style, wonderful views from the terrace of the Bow River (and the Falls). In the front courtyard there's a statue of Van Horne pointing at the mountains, supposedly pointing out where he wanted the hotel, but we long term CPR employees always figured it was his "Hey, you, I see you, get back to work!" pose. A Shining EdificeIt does rather remind me of a certain Overlook Hotel. I knew that looked familiar!I've been there in real life, but it was around 95 years after this picture was taken. (The Gallery, DPC, Landscapes)
You Are Here: 1950
... Main Street in Friendship, Wisconsin, at the Friendship Hotel, is the answer, supplied by "lifelong Wisconsin resident" Wiscojim. ... Friendship Hotel The porch still exists on the front of the old Friendship Hotel in Friendship, Wisconsin. Thanks wiscojim! Now someone help ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2015 - 5:18pm -

        UPDATE: Main Street in Friendship, Wisconsin, at the Friendship Hotel, is the answer, supplied by "lifelong Wisconsin resident" Wiscojim. Clapclapclap! Who can tell us where these old-timers are, other than on a porch near a mountain? 4x5 negative from the News Archive. View full size. Waukegan, IllinoisThere was a Hoban & Sons Hardware in Waukegan. Jack and William Hoban were two names I turned up as having owned it in the 1910s. That's all I can find. Anyone with any knowledge of the area think that "mountain" is feasible that close to the lake? DeLavalNo one who milked cows as a child, as I did, will fail to recognize DeLaval. Together with a company called Surge, they had a duopoly--or close to it--on the milking machine market. It looks as if Karo Syrup is also in the advertising game, just below the hardware folks. Hogan and Son(s)How about Hogan and Son(s) Hardware, agents for De Laval (farming and dairy machinery). Friendship, WisconsinThis is Route 13 (Main Street) in Friendship, Wisconsin. Very distinctive view of the north end of "downtown". Many of the original buildings have survived. Milking machine?http://www.alfalaval.com/about-us/our-company/history-of-alfa-laval/ Friendship HotelThe porch still exists on the front of the old Friendship Hotel in Friendship, Wisconsin. Thanks wiscojim!Now someone help decipher the black sign on the right side of the street. Looks like SC??? Might mean anything, but I'm pretty sure the bottom two words are "on tap" which would imply a beer brand. [Here's a slightly different version. -tterrace] Smoking joyI love the smiles on these old boys' faces, made more subtle by the fact that one has a cigarette holder and the other a pipe in his mouth. No scolding grandchildren, no hotel staff asking them kindly to step away from the entrances, nothing to pollute the unalloyed joy of a simple smoke. Grand Prizeto the winner of the location, I bet myself there would not be an answer to this particular location (not much to go on here), but foiled again by astute Shorpy fans. Digit countThis picture reminds me of my uncles. Mom had 9 brothers raised on a farm in Manitoba. Not one made it off the farm with all his fingers intact. Looks like the fella on the left might have had the same fate. Thanks WiscojimIt made me glad to see that this quiet street of businesses remains relatively unchanged all these 65 years later. That can be said about so little of my own San Diego, CA, where land values are astronomical. Sleepy Town. The fact that the two gentlemen would sooner pose under a plank of wood that is definitely about to fall off and hit them rather than pull the plank off and then pose tells me just how slow the pace of things must be in a small town like that. There's something admirable about the relaxed attitude of a couple of men who know that they have already paid their dues in life and they can simply leave it to the next guy. That's how I want to be when I retire. Friendship HotelLovely postcard circa 1912 which shows the second story verandah in all its glory. Found here. (The Gallery, News Photo Archive, Small Towns)
The Hillman: 1906
Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Hotel Hillman." Our second look at this inviting inn . 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Hotel H One has to wonder if there are two separate basements underneath the wings of the hotel. A bizarre union of onomatopoeia and pareidolia, or the human mind's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:00pm -

Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Hotel Hillman." Our second look at this inviting inn. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Hotel HOne has to wonder if there are two separate basements underneath the wings of the hotel. A bizarre union of onomatopoeia and pareidolia, or the human mind's ability to find patterns in everything? Hotel ShorpyvilleAnother classic Shorpy building. And inspiring. Phantasmagorical. View full size. (The Gallery, Birmingham, DPC)
The Grotto: 1908
... New York, circa 1908. "The Grotto, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... 5 cent cigar! An Adirondack tradition - the summer hotel The long tradition of large resort hotels has pretty much passed. In ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2011 - 9:01am -

Lake George, New York, circa 1908. "The Grotto, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. SummertimeLooks like a nice cool spot to go to on a hot summer day and relax with a pitcher of beer and a good 5 cent cigar! An Adirondack tradition - the summer hotelThe long tradition of large resort hotels has pretty much passed. In the 19th and 20th centuries, these vacation spots were crowded with families and couples attempting to leave the steaming concrete and asphalt of cities like Boston and New York. Hotels like the Mount Washington in the White Mountains, or the Fort William Henry in the Adirondacks, offered it all: delicious meals served in splendid dining rooms, as much socializing or privacy as you desired, walks, boating, lawn tennis, golf, horseback rides, and of course, walks, walks, walks. If you felt less active, there were large wrap-around porches with gorgeous views, where you could rest in a comfortable rocking chair, reading a book or just contemplating the greenery. Special trains would bring the vacation-goers to the Lake George Depot, where carriages would transfer you to your selected hotel. The cool air of the mountains, combined with the breezes coming off the lake and the clean oxygen produced by the forests, revivified the middle- and upper classes before the before the age of air-conditioned refrigerated rooms. The novels of William Dean Howells were frequently based in these summer resorts, where romances and intrigues flourished. The only thing that these hotels lacked were lavish private chambers. I stayed at the Mount Washington before its major renovation, and the beds were narrow, lumpy iron bedsteads. It was assumed that all you needed was a bed to crash in, since you'd be busy outside of your room most of your stay. The Fort William Henry, like the Mount Washington, was able to stave off the wrecking ball by converting itself into a Hotel and Conference Center in the 1990s. More on this era of Lake George history here. Call the fire inspector!All that dead wood in a public space wouldn't pass muster these days! Ashes to AshesThe hotel was destroyed by fire in June 1909 and rebuilt in 1911. I wonder which one this photo is. http://www.fortwilliamhenry.com/history Links updatedSeveral links have gone obsolete. The link to the history of the Hotel (in the comment of Kubaton) is now (2019/11/11): https://www.fortwilliamhenry.com/resort-overview/history/ And for the history of Lake George (in the comment of Louise), better use (2022/04/05): https://lakegeorgetown.org/community/history.html (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars)
Ghost Convention: 1909
June 1909. Toledo, Ohio. "The lobby, Hotel Secor." I cackled with glee upon realizing that this empty-looking time exposure was in fact crowded with spectral hotel guests. Are they still there? 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. ... has been "modernized" since the building is no longer a hotel. I hate to imagine that beautiful skylight is no longer visible. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:14pm -

June 1909. Toledo, Ohio. "The lobby, Hotel Secor." I cackled with glee upon realizing that this empty-looking time exposure was in fact crowded with spectral hotel guests. Are they still there? 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Why haunt with these stuffed shades?I could be joy riding out to Calvary Cemetery in that streetcar on the previous photo, or heading down to the waterfront to look for that nifty little Toledo and Ohio Central switch engine we saw a few weeks back. And since this is 1909, the tort lawyers haven't caused everyone to be so uptight; maybe I could get a cab ride with the train crew! I Wonder if the photographer was using this as technique to empty out the lobby or if the extremely long exposure was the only way to shoot a large interior space with the equipment at the time. Cackled?Ha! It's interesting that the photographer didn't have to clear the space to get a fairly people-free view of this wonderful lobby. What worries me most, though, is how the space has been "modernized" since the building is no longer a hotel. I hate to imagine that beautiful skylight is no longer visible. "Anybody see a ghost?"Dave, why would they need such a long exposure, I thought the plates were a lot faster by 1908. Also, was the original very washed out? [The commenter below speculates that a long time exposure may have been used to "empty out the lobby." This does seem to be the case, if the finished product -- a chrome postcard -- is any indication (click to enlarge). As for the original being washed out, the "original" is a negative -- for what we're looking at, there is no print. The positive reference image is obtained by "inverting" the negative; its appearance depends a lot on the equipment and settings used to image the plate. The goal is to extract maximum information in both shadows and highlights. Below we see the negative and the inverted positive that I used as the starting point for the Shorpy image. - Dave] Hotel CaliforniaYou can never leave. Heck you will never WANT to leave with all the comfy chairs and complimentary newspapers. How Long ?Any guess on just how long a time exposure would have to be to render a bunch of mostly very sedentary (some almost apparently snoozing) gents as "ghosts"? Most other examples seem to have been when folks were more animated and strolling about. Too bad there isn't a large-handed clock in the view to give a clue. Hey!Who moved my spittoon? Spitting ImagesI believe that the cuspidors in the photograph buttress my theory of this being the first appearance in literature of Ghosts that could spit. Spittoon CityThere are at least 10 spittoons visible in this lobby, which says something about the clientele and the times. It would be interesting to see if the Plaza Hotel in New York City provided spittoons in 1909. If it did, it would probably refer to them as cuspidors! The man who wasn't thereI need to run (I have places to go and people to see) and don't have time to do my research, but in elementary school we had a strange teacher who used to recite the poem similar to the following (paraphrased): "Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, oh how I wish he'd go away." (It definitely scared me as a third grader). They're real ghostsThey have to be -- nobody's walking, they're just sitting there. Spooky. [A time exposure this long (probably measured in minutes, from the look of things) might not show anything that's not fairly motionless for at least several seconds -- it would register standers (of which there is one, toward the rear) and sitters more than walkers. (Theoretically at least, the sitters could all be the same person.) As we know from the many examples of "ghost pedestrians" on these pages, the telltales of walkers in a time exposure are wavy trails for head and torso, and "centipede legs" for footfalls; there's no evidence of that here, so we might conclude that this was a fairly sedentary bunch. On the other hand, you can make the case that, if the sitters had been seated for the duration of the exposure (i.e., not walking to or from their chairs), they would have registered more substantially. My hunch is that this was such a long exposure (ten minutes or half an hour, say) that any walking around would not leave any traces, and that the ghostliest sitters were seated for less than half the duration of the exposure. - Dave] Is this seat taken?Be advised: the potential for inadvertent lap-sitting is unusually high at the Hotel Secor. Recline with caution. Ptui.I really feel sorry for the hotel personnel who had to clean those spittoons! What about now?Would love to know if all the architectural elements are still in place in the lobby today. Hotel TelcoFrom the Toledo Blade: After the old Hotel Secor closed in 1969, the building housed Ohio Bell Telephone Co., which tore out much of the original interior of marble columns and decorative plaster, and covered marble flooring with office carpeting by affixing harsh, damaging glue, Mr. Zaleski said. With the Secor's best features long gone, Mr. Zaleski went about remodeling the ground floor and a few upper levels by stripping the building to its core, exposing concrete-encased walls and structural beams for a raw industrial look. The work was inexpensive to do, and the decor worked fine for his tenant mix of artists, media creators, and Internet start-ups. It also shortened the time he had to wait for the building to generate positive cash flow, he said. (The Gallery, DPC, Toledo)
Petroleum Palace: 1928
... 1928. "Buick sedan at Texaco service station. Jack Tar Hotel site." Now all long gone. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View ... of the running board below the driver's door? Jack Tar Hotel Story on its demolition . These were called "kick plates." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2015 - 12:45pm -

San Francisco, 1928. "Buick sedan at Texaco service station. Jack Tar Hotel site." Now all long gone. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Interesting Early Automobile Age Architecture !What would you call that? Moorish Art Deco? Spanish Mediterranean Art Deco? Man. they sure don't build them like that anymore! The only feature that does not seem desirable is that the roofed fueling area is attached to the main structure without a solid firewall. There's a viewing window, and perhaps a door, from the main structure into the fueling bay wing. This would be problematic in case of a fire. Other than that, today's gas station architects should sit up and take notice that a large gas station does not have to be an eyesore! Where is the chauffeur?Owner's initials on the passanger door. And where is the Man With The Star? Should be three, gas, tires/windshield, fluids. Visible pumps can't be seen by the invisible driver. One year inThe drum headlights mark this handsome Buick as a 1927 model. Looking good for a one year old. About the carCan anybody tell me the function of that section of the running board below the driver's door? Jack Tar HotelStory on its demolition. These were called"kick plates." They protect the splash apron from scuffing, and you can tap the side of your shoe against the vertical part to dislodge dirt or slush. This design has a little doormat built in. Why it was belovedThe Jack Tar Hotel. Re: Jack Tar HotelThere are times when only a heartfelt "My God!" will do. A palace for carsFor some reason, in the 1920's, gas stations and movie theatres were both lavishly constructed; so much so that it almost became legendary. Per Old Photo Fan queryMy best guess is that it's to keep your foot from hitting the body's paint job and/or keeping your dirty shoes from leaving anything somewhere more important. Best quip about the JTH"The box Disneyland came in." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Gas Stations, San Francisco)
There's a Tall Hotel: 1905
New York, 1905. "Hotel Netherland, Fifth Avenue and 59th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... full size. At at Lower Height "There's a Small Hotel" was from 1936 Rodgers and Hart musical "On Your Toes" -- which us lucky ... more sense historically, and touted as the world's tallest hotel. The 'New' was dropped in 1908. Demolished in 1927 and promptly rebuilt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2023 - 2:26pm -

New York, 1905. "Hotel Netherland, Fifth Avenue and 59th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. At at Lower Height"There's a Small Hotel" was from 1936 Rodgers and Hart musical "On Your Toes" -- which us lucky readers have to be to catch Dave's classic wordplay. A fine version by Count Basie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90wyOs2cboI The Sherry-Netherlandreplaced it in 1927- New, old, newBuilt in 1892-93 as the New Netherland, a name making more sense historically, and touted as the world's tallest hotel. The 'New' was dropped in 1908. Demolished in 1927 and promptly rebuilt on the same footprint, 21 stories taller but eclipsed in height by the Woolworth Building. Opened as the Sherry Netherland: Louis Sherry, whose fashionable restaurant had been in the Netherland since 1919, now owned the whole place. Still there with his name but not the restaurant (or a wishing well). Seventeen stories tallThere is a description of the yet completed Hotel Netherland in the May 1891 edition of Building Age magazine, along with floor plans for the cellar and basement, first and second floors (note the nurses dining room in the top left-hand corner of the first floor), and third and seventeenth (laundry) floors. The Hotel Netherland was designed by William H. Hume and built for W. W. Astor. It's brief, 35-year history and some interior photos can be seen here. Hopefully a Window Washer?That doesn't look particularly safe! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Sorry, Full: 1953
... Full Even the donkey lot is full. Any Idea What Hotel That Is? It looks like one of those pictured in the many early 1900's shots of Atlantic City we see here on Shorpy. The hotel I would say it is definitely the Traymore. (ShorpyBlog, Member ... 
 
Posted by Born Too Late - 06/08/2013 - 6:37pm -

Another in a series of professional 8x10 pictures taken in Atlantic City in August 1953 for Better Living Magazine, featuring my in-laws. View full size. It's free nowToday no one would pay to park near the Boardwalk, because if there's one universal thing about gambling casinos it's that they have free parking. Times have changed!Nowadays he'd be holding up a different finger to the parking attendant. Maybe we should have driven the PackardThe Cadillacs get in, but when the Buick shows up, the lot is full. I can hear the driver now. Both Lots FullEven the donkey lot is full. Any Idea What Hotel That Is?It looks like one of those pictured in the many early 1900's shots of Atlantic City we see here on Shorpy. The hotelI would say it is definitely the Traymore. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Indy Imperial: 1904
Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1904. "Imperial Hotel." Whose architectural style might be described as Romanesque Rococo ... a Streetcar Strange that the Imperial, a substantial hotel, wasn't located on a streetcar line, at least initially. But then we ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:41pm -

Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1904. "Imperial Hotel." Whose architectural style might be described as Romanesque Rococo Curlicue Baroque, and whose slogan could be "every exterior surface embellished." Note the early automobile. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Rococo Curlicue Baroque"My new favorite architectural style! No people!Even though the buildings are awesome, many pre-automobile era pictures show cities with no people walking around. [I count at least five or six people here. - Dave] All that's left is the base of the monument.View Larger Map The detailsThe large-size version of this is great - love the detail. Some houses like these are still standing in Indianapolis (most of them a bit worse for wear after all these years). Look in the windowsOnce you enlarge the picture it's really interesting to see the people in the windows & on the street - the guy with his dog is my favorite! A Desire for a StreetcarStrange that the Imperial, a substantial hotel, wasn't located on a streetcar line, at least initially. But then we find that it wasn't built as a hotel at all: rather it originally housed, starting in the mid-1890s, the National Surgical Institute (click for an interesting history of the curlicue colossus). The fancy ironwork up top wasn't just for show; patients and visitors to the institute were allowed to stroll on the roof, presumably to take in the surrounding sights and the rarefied air. Modern BlandnessThe Imperial Hotel has long-since vanished. The spot is currently occupied by a parking lot. I think the Imperial was demolished long before that, however. The area was a run-down district full of pawn shops and billard halls and taverns prior to construction of a 37-story office tower immediately to the east. This is the NW corner of Ohio St and Capitol Ave, near the center of the city. Immediately to the south, just out of view except for a limestone pillar, is the Indiana statehouse. Only the base of the pillar remains there today. I will do some investigation to see if I can find out what happened to it. I would guess it has been relocated to another spot on the statehouse grounds, but I don't recall seeing anything similar to it. Indiana PictureThanks for a picture from Indianapolis and would love to see more Indiana pics, especially Lafayette, Indiana, if you have then. Thanks again! Imperial Hotel (aka National Surgical Institute)Formerly the National Surgical Institute, the hotel stood at the northwest corner of Capitol Avenue and Ohio Street. In January 1892 the old home of the National Surgical Institute burned and 19 patients were killed. This building was built following that disaster as the new home of the hospital. The Institute soon went bankrupt and by 1898 the building housed the Medical College of Indiana. By 1901 this institution had also vacated the building and the current tenant was the Imperial Hotel. Now a parking lot. View Larger Map Cheat SheetsYou may ask yourself "what's holding up those balconies?" Well, not much. I've found that an awful lot of what passes for carved stone in these old buildings, in particular the elaborate cornices, were in fact pressed sheet metal. Sheet metal rusts, and that's why a lot of old buildings lost their cornices by the 1940's - they got rusty and unsafe. Really neat light bulbDon't you just love that light bulb in the picture? Bet you don't find many of those around any more. [What looks like a big light bulb is the globe of a carbon arc lamp. - Dave] Wrteched ExcessWhat a grand building; very democratic: something for everyone! No style too unimportant to include. It's a shame it's gone. Maybe this is what Carole King had in mind when she wrote that song? Architectural horrors!Someone accidentally dropped the blueprint in a blender or possibly there was an explosion at the brick factory, or both. That's all I can think of. WoofYes, Dave, there are people in the shot. And a frisky doggie, too. Rapunzel in the cityThis lady made me think of Rapunzel, all alone in the far tower of her curlicue castle/hotel. Perhaps the man opening the window below is her prince. What a melting potof ideas and designs we're seeing lately here at Shorpy. I'm fascinated by the influences and styles that a growing USA built in these formative decades. More please Sir. Doorway to the futureWhat's with that strange entrance on the left? It looks like a sheet of plywood with a doorway and diamond-shaped window cut out. That's a bad 1950s remodel, in 1904. Magnificent EmbellishmentsI am imagining just a few years earlier, little Georgie Amberson Mainifer tearing around the corner in his pony cart. It appears that Georgie and the National Surgical Institute both got their comeuppance. Now I am off the the library to pick up an armload of Booth Tarkington. Early automobileDoes anyone know what that "early automobile" is? I don't even see where the engine is. Dingy medicine!All that's left of the "National Surgical Institute" is Dr. Caldwell's Clinic/Sanitarium in the basement. Great for "electric treatment" and "facials." Must have been so incredibly dark and creepy down there too. A Textbook Exampleof Romanesque Rococo Curlicue Baroque if I've ever seen one! A shocking treatment regimen"Dr. Caldwell's Institute" in the basement offers "Water and Electrical Treatment". Not simultaneously, one hopes. A hotel with an "institute"A hotel with an "institute" (and sanitarium? Guy is blocking that window) in the basement. Classy place! Feel like zooming in on any of those basement windows? It looks like one of them is advertising a "massage" but perhaps my imagination is being overactive. [From left to right, the windows say ... - Dave] DR CALDWELL'S INSTITUTE Waiting Room Treats diseases of Skin, Blood & Nerves FACIAL TREATMENT By Electric Massage NEW PROCESS. [Illegible] HOMEOPATH OSTEOPATH WATER and ELECTRICAL TREATMENT Every form. Entrance on Cap. Ave. CALDWELL'S SANITARIUM and [Medical?] Institute MECHANICAL and MANUAL MASSAGE and [Something] BATHS ELECTRO-HYDROPATHIC INSTITUTE A little more historySadly, this whimsical building was demolished in the late 1940s for a parking lot. It was built as the National Surgical Institute in the mid 1890s, but quickly went bankrupt. After serving as a medical school for a short time, it was converted into a hotel. The name changed from Imperial Hotel, to Hotel Metropole in the 'teens, and finally Hotel Roosevelt. By 1949 the site was called the Roosevelt Car Park. More photographs in an article I wrote for Historic Indianapolis are at this link. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Indianapolis)
Lafayette Square: 1905
... next to a fire hydrant is illegal! The Lafayette Hotel in the center of the shot in currently undergoing a $35M-$40M ... will result in one and two bedroom apartments and up to 50 hotel rooms, as well as several businesses on the ground floor. The exterior ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 10:42am -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1905. "Lafayette Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. You can't park that here! Parking next to a fire hydrant is illegal! The Lafayette Hotelin the center of the shot in currently undergoing a $35M-$40M renovation that will result in one and two bedroom apartments and up to 50 hotel rooms, as well as several businesses on the ground floor. The exterior and much of the interior are being painstakingly restored to their original appearance. Target date for completion is May 1. Three dimensionalThe depth of field and scope of the lens have created one of the coolest looking images yet seen. Great job of scanning to maintain the effect. I feel like I'm looking out a window onto the actual scene. Your policy has expiredI had no intention of commenting until something struck me as humorous in the building on the right hand side. I would bet that the New York "Life Insurance" company did not appreciate one of their employees perching himself in an open fourth story window. Plus 107and the bystanders are less ghostly and considerably less well-dressed. View Larger Map Good to seeThat at least two of the major buildings has survived. What was that glorious masonry gem on the far side of the Square? [The Buffalo Public Library, dedicated 1887, demolished 1963.] Shame What Is It?OK, I have to ask this. Sure, I have only been on Shorpy about 3 months, but have traveled all over Europe and seen these http://www.urinal.net/pissar/ But I have never seen them in old photos such as here. Is this a pissoir? Something for the horse buggies? Fresh water? Something for the drivers to "dispose" certain things of? [Whatever it is, it has an electrical connection to the streetcar grid. - Dave] *MrK replying* I see that Dave, thanks! Missed it the first time. Also, looking at the shadow, the object looks like it does not have the same dimentions all around. Looks wide, but not deep according to the shadow. The photo here on the page is a little too low res to discern where the wire goes or what it is connected to (Dave can you help?). I see what appears to be a fire call box on the furthest trolley pole in that block corner. I will ask a few trolley experts here about it and hope to report back :) Not a lot of automobiles yetbut a year later, on July 4 1906, Buffalo would record its first instance of a pedestrian being fatally mowed down by one of the infernal machines when Henry A Ward, founder of Ward's Natural Science Establishment (and taxidermist of Jumbo the Elephant mount fame) succumbed. re: The TardisIf it is connected by wire, then so are the horses or the coachman standing close by. No, I think the wire simply is passing above, to support another segment of the trolley cable running overhead. [You're looking at the wrong wire. - Dave] Formerly Courthouse SquareThis location was renamed to commemorate the Marquis de LaFayette's visit to Buffalo in 1825, the same year the Erie Canal was completed. This location is just a few blocks north of the Ellicott Square Building, designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1896 (the world's largest office building at the time). The Ellicott Square Building was featured on Shorpy a while back: https://www.shorpy.com/node/10750 Big GunThe large cannon at left center is a Civil War-era Parrott Rifle, named after its designer Robert Parker Parrott. These were cutting edge when introduced in 1861 and came in variety of sizes. Both the Army and Navy used them up through the early 1890s. This particular Parrott seems to be a big one, possibly a 200 pounder, meaning it could fire a pointed shell weighing 200 pounds. Military technology moved swiftly in the late 19th century and Parrotts were phased out as more modern artillery came into use. Many obsolete Parrotts and other Civil War cannon ended up as martial ornaments in city parks and military cemeteries. The scrap drives of World War II took a huge toll on ornamental cannon. Wonder if this Parrott survived? The Tardis-identity revealedThis is a police call box. Very common at the time. I've attached a picture of a rather more ornate one, but of the same general layout. I think the wire DOES go to the box, for the telephone inside. The Tardis-identity revealedVery nice find. Makes sense now, following that wire to the fire pull box with this police call box makes sense to bundle the wires and be routed back to the same place. Darn that Chameleon circuit, looks like it will never get fixed! KleinhansI wonder if Kleinhans wouldn't sell their building, so they built the U-shaped New York Life building around it? [That's an integral part of the Brisbane Building, constructed 1894-1896. The previous structure, The Arcade, was completely destroyed by fire in 1893.] Buffalo Tardis: real identity revealedNot a call box, although many had telephone connections in a box OUTSIDE this "booth". These were used by walking patrolmen as one-man jails. A rowdy would be stuffed inside, locked up, and the paddy wagon sent for. They were at various intersections all over Buffalo, until about 1940. See photo and caption here. Hotel LafayetteHere's an update to the previous post about the rehabilitation of the Hotel Lafayette. I appreciate that their original 1905 sign indicated that the hotel is "Fire Proof". Sleep in safety! As a side note, the hotel was designed an built by the first accredited female architect in the AIA, Louise Blanchard Bethune. QuestionsTwo questions. Where is the smoke coming from? It looks to be a warm summer day, so it wouldn't be from furnaces in the buildings. It seems to originate on top of the building between the Hotel LaFayette, and Kleinhans. Or, is it some kind of smudge on the photo plate? [Buffalo was an industrial center with many factories as well as coal-fired locomotives and steamships. - Dave] And, did no one ride horses in the city? Or, did no one ride horses downtown? I don't see any riders in any downtown photos, and I don't see where you'd tie one up. All I see s carriages and cars and streetcars. [City folk didn't ride horses like they were bicycles. They took the streetcar or sidewalk (or biked) to get where they were going. - Dave] If you go to Buffalo, do check out the renovated Hotel LaFayette. Its gorgeous! (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Hotel Cadillac: 1906
Detroit circa 1906. "Hotel Cadillac, Washington Boulevard." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... can make out the middle word in the inscription. ["Hotel Scotten Cadillac," for Daniel Scotten, who built the hotel in 1888.] Thanks to 'Savonarola' I just spent 5 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:19pm -

Detroit circa 1906. "Hotel Cadillac, Washington Boulevard." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Double VenteThat lady by the barber shop entrance has certainly got a big cuppa Starbucks. Step right downstairsUh oh, there is one of those barber poles in the center. Who is next? Do you need a haircut, tooth pulled or a bleeding? Ha! Now the barber isn't even allowed to shave the back of your neck. A room upgrade A room upgrade to whomever can make out the middle word in the inscription. ["Hotel Scotten Cadillac," for Daniel Scotten, who built the hotel in 1888.] Thanks to 'Savonarola'I just spent 5 enjoyable minutes searching for and finding that inscription. I love Shorpy! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Astoria, Oregon: 1944
... in the middle of the street is killing me! Commodore Hotel If you'll be my Dixie Chicken, I'll be your Tennessee Lamb -- ... Red ... and you didn't even need to stop. Commodore Hotel The Commodore Hotel is still going strong. It was a nice boutique ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2021 - 10:54am -

"Astoria '44" is the latest Kodachrome from Navy photographer's mate Don Cox. The view here is looking west along Commercial Street at the intersection with 14th. View full size. Nice, shiny pavement very photogenicDon was fortunate to find Astoria when it had been raining. It's a rare occurrence in that arid corner of the country. Ha ha. The Liberty Theater, just visible up the street on the left, is the object of a long restoration project: https://libertyastoria.org/. Rain lightThis is such a gorgeous photo. At the level of detail, my eyes swim all over it, trying to take in all the signs and buildings and vehicles, not to mention the vanishing point that has the added bonus of going up, as the road slopes. But when you pull back for the overall effect, the splash of light on the right, so momentary, of sun breaking through cloud following a rain shower, is truly spectacular. Confidence is keyIn enlarging the photo to take it all in, I was captivated by the attractive-looking lady with the confident stride, crossing the street just to the left of the car coming towards us in the roadway. She's wearing what looks to be a red skirt and white blouse, with an olive-drab trench coat slung casually over her shoulders, and she's carrying something in her arms. She's a brunette with nice legs who appears to have matched her shoes to her hemline. Usually that's a no-no but from my POV, with her energy, it looks snappy and positive. I hope she was having a great day under that beautiful sky, and that she enjoyed a long, successful, and happy life. I'll always be gratefulThat I grew up in an era when downtowns looked like this. STOP?This is a great photo. Like all of you I love color snaps of earlier times. Wonderful. In the part of the country I grew up in, we never had STOP signs rising up out of the street. But, I'm sure it had some practical safety reason for being there. Anyone know the answer to this? Traffic Control?This is a great photo but that little stop sign in the middle of the street is killing me! Commodore HotelIf you'll be my Dixie Chicken, I'll be your Tennessee Lamb -- Right Turn on Red... and you didn't even need to stop. Commodore HotelThe Commodore Hotel is still going strong. It was a nice boutique hotel when I stayed there a few years ago. I noticed the yellow stop sign next to the hotel. When did the color get standardized to red? 1935Can’t resist another comment, if I may. I found another view, from nine years earlier. MemoriesThe rubber "Stop" flap is a vague memory to me. I would have known it 10-15 years later. Liberty Theater: Saturday matinees. 15 cents, so mostly out of my budget. Seaside 20 miles sign: Back before the Young's Bay Bridge and 101 straightening and modern traffic, my older brother first rode our 24", coaster-brake, heavyweight bike to Seaside. Then I had to do it. Then he road to Cannon Beach, some miles south of Seaside. Then we moved away. I was nearing my 12th birthday when we moved. Note the Jeep. Battery Russell maybe? Or even Tongue Point. With the war, Astoria was probably about the size it is today. Little over 10,000 people. In the '50's the river often had liberty ships anchored on their way somewhere when the tide changed. Tillamook 71 miles: Some months after this pic, our Mom and Dad would have met and married there. And, yeah, the wet pavement pretty much sums up Astoria. I always laughed at the most-commonplace prediction or report of "scattered showers". In Astoria, that meant "variably drizzling". Liberty TheaterAs noted by notinfocus, two blocks down on the left, you can see the sign of the Liberty Theater, opened for vaudeville and movies in 1925 in the Astor Building. As grand old theaters go, the Liberty is a success story--so far. The Astor Building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. The theater had a thorough restoration in the early 2000s and is now a performing arts center for live entertainment. Of course, the last year has not been good. Here's hoping for the centennial. Oh! Those Christmas lights strung across the street.Had those bulbs in our town growing up how bright and cheerful they were during the holiday season. Nice to see those again and I'm happy Astoria didn't get around to taking them down or may be just put them up. Things have changed a bit Penney's closed a couple of years ago. Many of the buildings are still there, just under different ownership and with different activities inside. The street is a one way now, and can get pretty hectic during tourist season. Perhaps it was Christmas time, since the lights over the street are red and green (that might also explain the rain). The Commodore is still there but decidedly more upscale than before. The little stop signs are still there... I lived at 10th and Exchange and we had one outside the building. He must have been staying at the Hotel Astoria, as the picture is from the sidewalk outside of it. Nicest place in town back then. Now apartments. Turn the google street view to your left to see it. I love to visit but it's a tough town to live in. Pretty expensive. Pretty damp! The ivory colored steering wheelon the car to the left adds a touch of class not seen in today's vehicles. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox)
Yardmaster Tyres: 1943
... No furniture? They moved it all down to Brown's Hotel, where lots of them people have been travellin' for quite a spell. Oh ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2024 - 5:14pm -

March 1943. "Fort Madison, Iowa. Mr. H.D. Tyres, yardmaster on the route of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. A well structured pictureThe center with the huge window, left and right also huge windows and the centered table. Even the small and big boxes look left and right almost identical, like mirrored. It is a very geometric and structured picture. Jack Delano has often had these viewlines in his pictures. I know who he's callingThe nearest interior decorator. Sparse accommodations here. EarwormHow many of you had the tune run through your head when you read "Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe" ? Computer?Who needs a computer when you have telephones, signal lamps, and Mr. H.D. Tyres with his decades of experience? Looks like he even had headsets for hands-free telephone operations! They're in a box marked GEI agree with pennsylvaniaproud about the sparse accommodations. But, it's a functional space, with a large desk in front of you and a table behind that spans the width of the room. Plus, you have large windows on at least three sides. Yardmaster H.D. Tyres doesn't seem to need vertical storage and has paper thumbtacked to the wall in only two places. This is all good. But the one overhead light, hanging four feet above the desk, is of limited help, day or night. To make it worse, lightbulbs in 1943 didn't last all that long. I hope there are plenty of replacement bulbs somewhere in that room. Lots of responsibilityYou know your job is important when you have three phones on your desk. Stereo!When both sets of bells go off at once. No furniture?They moved it all down to Brown's Hotel, where lots of them people have been travellin' for quite a spell. Oh I see what you mean. The YardmasterI keep returning to study this marvelous photograph. It reminds me so much of a Vermeer, especially the composition and the light. Cold in WinterOh, I hope that radiator works well! I'm imagining how cold that office must be in winter, with all of those windows. Mr. Tyres is wearing what looks to be a warm woolen suit. The fact that he has his hat on indoors has me doubting the radiator's effectiveness in March. The venerable binder clipThe most useful and most "borrowed" item of office supply. Unchanged in over 114 years and still going strong. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, The Office)
Hotel Winston: 1913
Washington, D.C., 1913. "Winston Hotel car." Parked, it would seem, in front of the Hotel Winston, First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. View full size. ... put the fire escape smack dab in the front of your nice hotel, might as well try and make it look nice. I presume the, what was that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2014 - 1:23pm -

Washington, D.C., 1913. "Winston Hotel car." Parked, it would seem, in front of the Hotel Winston, First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. View full size. Gilding a LilyIf you must put the fire escape smack dab in the front of your nice hotel, might as well try and make it look nice. I presume the, what was that name again, oh yes, The Winston Hotel is no longer with us. Car BlanketsFrom the leafless trees, it's Winter and cold: keeping the motors' oil warm would make hand-cranking the engines a lot easier. Ah, for the good old daysNothing quite so bracing as the wind in your face in an open car, especially when it's so cold the motor needs a blanket. On second thought, I'd rather walk. The Well Pampered Horse(less) CarriageYou always gave your horse a warm blanket on a cold winter day, so why not your horse(less) carriages? In every photoWe look for a "painless dentist" or the person-in-window in the street scenes. I like to think there's a Model T on every street. Because of the all-brass headlights and sidelamps I tend to think this is an early 1913 or a 1912 with the accessory front doors added. Eternal ImponderablesSince neither car is parked directly opposite the hotel entrance, how is the poor viewer to apprehend which car belongs to the Winston? Many and vexatious are the intellectual challenges faced by the dedicated Shorpy visitor! Is this the Winston?Let's see, an etched W in every ground floor window, a brass plaque on the masonry, a painted sign on the left side wall, a large, lighted "HOTEL WINSTON" over the main entry, a smaller Hotel Winston in the archway and the two Hotel Winstons above each of the smaller front windows. How much 'ya wann'a bet that every day at least one joker doesn't walk up to the desk and ask: "Is this the Hotel Winston?" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
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