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Table Setting: 1920
... Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Gus Buchholz, Occidental Hotel interior." A view of the restaurant. Harris & Ewing Collection glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 5:40pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Gus Buchholz, Occidental Hotel interior." A view of the restaurant. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. William Henry Seward Quote 1850March 11th 1850 in Seward's first major speech as a member of the Senate the second framed quote on the left was spoken upon the subject of slavery and laws that allow it: The Constitution regulates our stewardship; the Constitution devotes the domain to union, to defense, to welfare, and to liberty. But there is a higher law than the Constitution, which regulates our authority over the domain, and devotes it to the same noble purposes. The territory is a part ... of the common heritage of mankind, bestowed upon them by the Creator of the universe. We are his stewards, and must so discharge our trust as to secure, in the higher attainable degree, their happiness. My 3 CentsThe machine behind the counter is a National Cash Register Model 7, probably from around the turn of the century. What is interesting is that inside the cash drawer is a separate lockable metal box for gold currency -- not much of a worry today. Cigar Smoker's ParadiseWhat a variety of cigars! No humidors to be seen, though. I Give UpThere is some sort of thing in the bottom right corner next to the closest chair. Please tell me what it is. Ah, nostalgiaI was taken to the Occidental for lunch on my first day working as a paralegal out of college. As I recall, they still have the photos of the bright and the bold on the walls, although the dining space is much enlarged and renovated. Chez AshtrayAll the fans and the hood must be to move out all the cigar smoke. What did they serve besides Stogies? Surplus FurnitureWhat a mishmash of seating. Was this a low budget place or did people just not care about aesthetics during the time? That two-headed fan is pretty cool. I'm guessing it rotates. Is that all there is?After all the hoopla about the Occidental, I expected a grand dining room. Quote of the DayThe framed maxim on the far right reads: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." -- George Washington" There is Glory Enough for AllNice Mission-style couch and chairs on the right. But what's with the range hood right there in the dining room? I guessing that whether for heat or cooking, it's out of use (seasonally?), what with a table right in front of it. Choice seats for the theatresIn 1919, one could have purchased tickets here to see Helen Hayes as Dorothy Fessenden in "On the Hiring Line" at the National Theatre. Theatre listingsI wonder why all the theatres are listed as closed? Was there a strike or bad weather or...? The ThingThe thing in the lower right is another cash register. The cigar selection is amazingIt's not easy to tell what's on offer, but there seem to be a lot of non-Cubans in the boxes on the shelves. I recognize two Cuban brands in the glassed-in countertop: Hoyo de Monterrey and Belinda, the latter is not well known but is a fine Havana cigar. That said, although I do enjoy a good cigar, the idea of lighting one inside a restaurant while others are eating strikes me as extremely rude. I know those were different times, but cigars should be fumed out on the verandah, where they belong! Perhaps the idea is that patrons would purchase a stick or two to fill their leather cigar-pouches when leaving the eatery. In any case, Shorpy.com is a delight and thanks for helping preserve the past. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Tango Palace: 1949
... someone coming in from out of town. [Refers to the Hotel Astor's Roof Garden . -tterrace] Traffic Light Phases These ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2018 - 2:24pm -

New York, 1949. Broadway in neon and Kodachrome, courtesy of Shorpy member RalphCS. Where we're waiting to get Phil Spitalny's autograph. View full size. Note the Traffic LightThe traffic lights of the era in NYC featured red and green lights, with no yellow or "caution" light in between. As I recall, to give those approaching a suddenly-turned-red light time to stop or get through the intersection, the red light facing the others stayed red a while longer before turning green and allowing them to proceed. In 1952, I BelieveA sports Crosley 'Hot Shot' won the Index of Performance at the Sebring 12 Hour race. The Index of Performance was a way to let smaller, less powerful cars win a prize. Interesting cars. They even competed at LeMans in France. Quo VadisAdvertised here as "in production". Following numerous casting changes and production delays, it was finally released to theaters 2½ years after this photo. Crossing our path... is a lovely little 1946 or '47 Crosley station wagon. Crosleys, the first of the “econobox” cars in America, were remarkably innovative. The Crosley used a naval marine engine made of welded copper, the first affordable overhead-cam powerplant in an American car. This little buggy also had four-wheel disc brakes, another US first. Crosleys are quite rare today, but have a strong club following. Cross-country CrosleyBack in the olden days I used to see a number of Crosleys tooling around in Idyllic Larkspur™ and happened to catch one scampering down the main drag in this 1962 slide. [I wonder if those Toyopets will ever be as popular. -Dave] Waiting eagerlyFor someone to identify that funny little gray car. [It's a Crosley. -tterrace] Loving these in colorMy father drove a cab in NYC while going to NYU in the late '40s. Every time I see a cab in one of these pics, I like to imagine him driving it. B&W photos of this era just don't bring out the same emotion. Color makes the scene come alive. Thanks RalphCS & Shorpy for providing these. They're terrific! Roof AstorWhat is that sign in the background at the top "Roof Astor" supposed to mean? Is that the name of the establishment? There's an arrow that seems to point at the roof. Seems really non-intuitive for someone coming in from out of town. [Refers to the Hotel Astor's Roof Garden. -tterrace] Traffic Light PhasesThese traffic lights did not go directly from green to red. There was an in-between phase achieved by the green staying on, and the red coming on. Both would be lit briefly to signal Caution, and then the green would go out, leaving just the red light lit. In summary: Just Green, then Red and Green, then just Red. Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra "Evelyn [Mrs. Spitalny] and Her Magic Violin" were featured soloist and instrument on the Hour of Charm radio program until well after World War II. I have dim memories of their program -- largely over-orchestrated schlock -- but only because one of my cowboy shows came on right after it. Still more on the traffic lightPerpster has it right on the red/green signal phases, but I'll add that the sequence mentioned was only instituted a number of years into the signalization of the city. Orignally I believe it was Green -> [DARK] -> Red. They decided to replace the [DARK] phase with Red/Green ON in the '40s or early '50s. I've refurbished one of these pretty little Sherman Tanks of a traffic light for myself: https://gardenstatesignals.net/my-traffic-signals/#NYCRedGreen (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Movies, NYC)
Cortlandt Street: 1908
... Street." Lapping at the balmy shores of the Glen Island Hotel, with the new Singer Building rising in the distance. 8x10 inch dry plate ... Company. View full size. Ground Zero The hotel sat at 115 West St & Cortlandt. It's now the site of the new World ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:46pm -

New York circa 1908. "Cortlandt Street." Lapping at the balmy shores of the Glen Island Hotel, with the new Singer Building rising in the distance. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ground ZeroThe hotel sat at 115 West St & Cortlandt. It's now the site of the new World Trade towers and the 9/11 memorial. Cortlandt, back in 1960At that time, Cortlandt Street was teeming with small shops, mostly associated with radio parts and consumer electronics suppliers. It was one of the travel links I used to travel up to 42nd Street in midtown, one leg in a trip that began with a drive from Plainfield NJ to the train at Scotch Plains NJ, to Jersey City, across the river by ferry, a walk up Cortlandt Street to the subway, and finally, to midtown. A most interesting and varied commuting route. WTC etc.Whoa, this is basically on West Street facing east, right at the base of where the World Trade Center was. Also, looked up Oelsner's Pilsner. Haven't found much, yet. Radio Row!So this is what "Radio Row" was like before Marconi came along & everything went downhill. Historical LocationCortlandt Street has played many roles in 20th and 21st century history. It was home to "Radio Row," a substantial congregation of radio and electronics merchants from 1930 to 1970. Replaced by the now infamous Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. 6th Avenue Elevated[This shows the Ninth Avenue Elevated line, not the Sixth. - Dave] This is looking east toward the 6th Avenue Elevated line (it is running on Greenwich Street at this point), which ran to South Ferry and where one could connect with ferries to Governors Island, Staten Island and other points. Connections could be made to 3rd Avenue and 2nd Avenue Elevated Lines at that same destination. The conduit streetcar of the Metropolitan Railway is short-switching instead of going down to North River. It will run crosstown to East River and a point under the Brooklyn Bridge. Conduit cars replaced cable cars and drew power from rail in slot between two running rails, as shown in the photo. Cortlandt Street, in addition to being "Radio Row," was a center for WW2 surplus and street cart merchants. Dave's note at head of this entry is correct. My memory was faulty on this point. The 6th and 9th Avenue Elevateds shared common track both uptown and downtown, but diverged north of Battery Place and coincided again uptown. The station on Greenwich and Cortlandt in photo is 9th Avenue line. 6th Avenue Elevated Line Station was east at Cortland and Trinity Place. See map at :http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/caption.pl?/img/maps/irt_1906_railways_guide_54.gif The New Cortlandt StreetThe shopping district, known as Radio Row centered on Cortlandt Street from 1921 through its demise in 1966 when the most of the area was condemned to make room for the World Trade Center. The exact count of stores is unknown, an educated guess put it at 70 over those few blocks anchored by Cortlandt. I never worked there, in 1966 we were basically in the Kitchen Appliance and Radio/ TV business in Queens and the Nassau/Suffolk County areas. We came to Manhattan around 1974, Radio Row was gone, a mini replacement was happening on West 45th Street between 5th and Sixth Avenues. When we first got there, there were 11 storefronts there that sold Electronics, ours was the 12th. A few Cortlandt Street holdovers were in the neighborhood as well, Leonard Radio, Davega, Lafayette Radio among others. Over the next 30 years probably 25 more stores came and went. We sold our shop in 1998, My Brother retired and I stayed with the new owners for a few years . At the end only our store, Sound City and the esoteric Harvey Electronics remained and they are both now gone as well. In motionnearly 21 years later. A Fox Movietone camera recorded street scenes on Ccrtlandt for posterity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ArWEgINIg (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Seattle: 1942
... we have the Smith Tower, completed in 1914, and the Ace Hotel, one of which both of which still stand. View full size. Both ... still there, but so is the building that was the Ace Hotel. It's now part of the Union Gospel Mission and stands on the pointed plot ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2021 - 5:03pm -

"Seattle 1942" is the notation on this latest Kodachrome from photographer-hotrodder Don Cox. At opposite ends of the architectural spectrum we have the Smith Tower, completed in 1914, and the Ace Hotel, one of which both of which still stand. View full size. Both Are Still StandingThe Smith Tower is obviously still there, but so is the building that was the Ace Hotel. It's now part of the Union Gospel Mission and stands on the pointed plot where the 2nd Avenue Extension and Third Avenue meet. Is that you, Geoffrey?Looks like a Toys "R" Us sign -- Geoffrey and all -- sticking out about halfway down the street, on the left. But Toys "R" Us wasn't founded until many years later ... 1957, to be exact, as a toy store. Geoffrey made his debut in the 1950s as well. So it is clear that what I am seeing is something else, but the similarity to the Toys "R" Us font and logo is uncanny. Anyone? Not Toys R UsIt's difficult to tell exactly where that sign is, due to extreme foreshortening, but I found Otto's Meat Market in the 1940 City Directory, online at the Seattle Public Library. It's listed under Dreschel Otto meats, at 315. The sign appears to be in front of that one, so: 301 Betty's Coffee Shop, 309 Furuya M Co, 313 Masin Eman 2nd hard goods (predecessor of Masin's Furniture?). There are addresses in the previous block (221, 223-25) but they are vacant in 1940. There are no businesses ending in "us" anywhere on the block that I can find. [Or is it the YS in a second "Betty's" sign? - Dave] New Trolley Coaches for SeattleSeattle shut down their streetcar system in 1941, and replaced it with an extensive electric trolleybus system. There are two of these new vehicles visible heading north on 2nd Avenue. Some 1940 trolleys ran in regular service for 38 years. Several generations of trolleybuses have served Seattle since then, and a modern fleet operates to this day along with four other USA Cities. Several of these original 1940s trolleys have been preserved as part of a museum fleet. Top of the tower roomsI'm always fascinated by these old skyscrapers and the attic-spaces or top floor architecture. Did they hide secret owner penthouse bachelor pads? Or merely old elevator equipment or water tanks? Someone needs to write a book about these attic floors on old buildings. Pioneer Square Fish FryeNot only has the rather squatty and unlovely Ace Hotel building managed to make it 117 years, but so has the former Frye Hotel in my hometown, rising in the vintage photo behind the Ace and kitty corner from the Smith Tower. Both hotels predate the Smith, which itself was once the tallest building West of the Mississippi River, dominating the local skyline (and countless postcards) for 46 years until the building of the Space Needle. While the Ace is now the Union Gospel Men's Shelter, the Frye has been converted to high quality low-income housing (with a waiting list) for nearly 25 years. Smith Tower PenthouseSomeone lives there: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/garden/21who.html There's quite a roof-top view from the Smith Tower.The Smith Tower facility was a long time customer of mine (performing water treatment management) with its cooling towers and HVAC systems. Two interesting experiences that I'll always remember. 1. While dealing with their equipment, I had parked my New Beetle (aka Bug) in the alley behind the building. On the other side of the alley was a building used by an organization that housed the homeless. Apparently some of the residents were on the rooftop, taking a break (?) from some kitchen duties and thought it might be fun to squash "a bug", all from the rooftop. When I came out to get into my car, I found the windshield smashed. They had dropped a 5 gallon bucket of French Onion Soup from the rooftop (5-6+)? stories up, filling the inside of my car with a lovely aroma, but a terrible mess. 2. The other experience was the demolition of the Seattle Kingdome. The Smith Tower was on the edge of the Exclusion Zone and the Chief Engineer had invited my wife and I to an early Sunday morning visit to the rooftop for viewing the implosion of the Kingdome (March 19, 1998). This was the largest building ever demolished by implosion up to that time. We were standing on the rooftop and there were video cameras behind us and everybody was waiting for the countdown. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2v24rp Needless to say, it was impressive. That evening, after returning home, I was watching the evening news and realized that the cameras were from NBC, as I could rear the comments of spectators as the explosion happened; and the conversations were EXACTLY what was said on the rooftop, earlier that morning. That said, if you're ever near the Smith Tower in Seattle, it's worth a trip just to see the decorative elevators with the polish brass, maybe they're still providing the elevator operators, I'm not sure. Lovely building, read up on it, it's worth your while. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox, Gas Stations)
Special Delivery: 1917
... In the window, you can just barely see a sign for the Hotel Harrington (which would put this at least after 1914). That would mean ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 2:41pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "Post Office postmen on scooters." Kind of a Segway vibe here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Cool old scootersEarly Autoped Ever-Ready scooters. They were new in 1914, according to Wikipedia, so that narrows the date of the photo down a bit. [Thanks! Below: Article from 1914, ad from 1916. - Dave] I wonderI wonder why these didn't catch on? They look almost identical to some of the *extremely* noisy motorized scooters we have today. Perhaps they broke down, or they made an ungodly racket, or people just weren't so walking-averse as they are today. Wonder no more:You hit a small rock or crack in the pavement and over the handle bars you go. Perhaps too many carriers were going onto the injured list. Flash in the Pan?Looks like they had the staying power of Segues, also. Smithsonian has oneIt's here. A 1918 model with some usability improvements but not as spiffy looking. HuminaThey don't make mailmen the way they used to. Pretty simple design.Looks like its basically a horizontal shaft engine with the front wheel being attached to the shaft, with some sort of clutch mechanism. Guess it gave mailmen the chance to get away from the local dogs. ReflectionsIn the window, you can just barely see a sign for the Hotel Harrington (which would put this at least after 1914). That would mean that this could be the post office on Penn between 12th and 13th. Cool it ain'tDo you suppose these men felt as dorky as they look? Precursor to SegwayWow, you'd think we would have learned our lesson already. Remember how the Segway was going to change the world? I think they are used in Post Offices (somewhere), and I have seen police use them. Scoot!"Wow, you'd think we would have learned our lesson already. Remember how the Segway was going to change the world?" Not at $5,000 each (the price that I've seen), they wouldn't. Special-Delivery MessengersThese aren't regular letter carriers, aka mailmen, but special-delivery messengers. According to Sec. 864 PL&R (Postal Laws and Regulations) of 1913, these could be, at the discretion of the local postmaster, "boys 16 years of age or older." Contemporary Special Delivery postage stamps bore illustrations of such uniformed boys riding on bicycles: The Mailman ComethI second your comment with a hubba hubba. Forget the milkman, bring on the mailman! Scooter spot todayThis was at the Main Post Office (now the National Postal Museum) adjacent to Union Station. Here's the spot today, on North Capitol St. NE. View Larger Map (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
The Ponce: 1905
... Florida, circa 1905. "Court of the Ponce de Leon Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... Time Travel Required St. Augustine's old Ponce de Leon Hotel is still there in all its glory; only now days they call it Flagler ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:24pm -

St. Augustine, Florida, circa 1905. "Court of the Ponce de Leon Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. They were probably trying to stay cool1905 was before most places had Air Conditioning, so it was probably unbearably hot inside. It is a different concept than today when being outside during the hottest part of the day is foreign to us. The wicker chairs allowed the wind to flow through, cooling them off a little when the wind was blowing. [Florida was a winter resort -- keeping cool in January was not a problem. - Dave] ConfirmedI was born in the wrong age. God, what a beautiful place! I'd like to be there right now. Having a nice chat with the gentlemen and drinking some tea (or even Moxie). Looks so peaceful, so sunny, so perfect! Gotta get an omni. A View from the OutsideIt really is quite something left over from a different era. It's still there for youI'm a native Floridian with fond memories of "Old Time Florida", not as old as in this image but the way Florida was even 50 years ago. My fav place nowadays is St Augustine. All those magnificent buildings build by Flagler are still there and the atmosphere is relaxed and carefree. Even older structures dating to the 1500's attest to the claim as "America's First City". You can spend mucho bucks on luxury or nada on the simple pleasure of enjoying the atmosphere. There are several 'character' bars where you might expect to meet the likes of Hemingway. Go there and you will not be disappointed. InspirationRandy Newman must have seen this photo before he wrote; "It's a jungle out there." No Time Travel RequiredSt. Augustine's old Ponce de Leon Hotel is still there in all its glory; only now days they call it Flagler College. If you've got the tuition, you can even stay there! Flagler CollegeToday the hotel is the stunningly beautiful Flagler College. When I visted the area 4 years ago I had no idea the history behind the campus until I did some Googling afterwards. Still niceA beautiful place then as it is now. I've toured it and it is still positively gorgeous. Flagler's legacyHenry Flagler built these fanciful hotels up and down both coasts of Florida, apparently. They were destination spots for the railroad line he built, including the Overseas Railway to Key West. There's another amazing hotel-turned-college in Tampa. Looks like a Moorish pavilion. That is GLORIOUSLY beautiful! Can I go there now? Where is Doc Brown and his DeLorean? (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Night Service: 1940
... View full size. All gone The Page Hotel was located at 4th and White Streets. The current view is no view at ... This is a nighttime version of the shot out the hotel window in Standard Service: 1940 ( www.shorpy.com/node/25189 ), very likely the same hotel where we find Vachon himself inside one of the rooms in The Cat’s ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2019 - 10:30pm -

April 1940. "Gas station at night. Dubuque, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. All goneThe Page Hotel was located at 4th and White Streets. The current view is no view at all. GeniusJohn Vachon was the Edward Hopper of the Rolleiflex. So many incredible images from one man. Non-Standard NoirIn fact, it's one of Shorpy's best noir photos! Dubuque TriptychThis is a nighttime version of the shot out the hotel window in Standard Service: 1940 (www.shorpy.com/node/25189), very likely the same hotel where we find Vachon himself inside one of the rooms in The Cat’s Pajamas: 1940 (www.shorpy.com/node/25187), both of which we viewed here at Shorpy just over a week ago. If they were hanging in a gallery together, they could be called Night, Day, and Self-Portrait. Thanks to our curator, Dave, for bringing them together for us. White FlightThe owners of that new Deluxe, twin-taillight Ford (parked at the near corner) and the Plymouth across the street had better be enjoying their whitewall tires, sales of which would be banned a year later (in April 1941) due to the greater amount of a strategic material -- rubber -- required in their manufacture. It would be another seven years before the ban was lifted. The numbersunder the Standard Service sign? The right-hand column must be octane. Any very old-timers know what the left-hand column numbers are? I have a guess as to what they are and why they are written that way, but would like to see other guesses. [Price per gallon, excluding tax. Or maybe gallons per dollar. See Azor's comment above. - Dave] Room pleaseI'd like a third floor room facing the tracks. Listen to those steam locomotives pounding by! ChiaroscuroMy mind wants to see a Ghost Train bearing down on the Ghost Bus. Shadows of the Picket Fence on the lawn make the Shot for me. Top-Shelf Noir, to echo rayray below. O. Winston LinkIn my mind, as a lover of O. Winston Link photography, I keep seeing that roaring steam locomotive barreling through town and frozen in an image forever in time. Perhaps John Vachon, but for a few minutes, could have preceded Mr. Link. Gas PricesGas prices are in gallons per $1. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, John Vachon, Railroads)
Old Spanish Inn: 1937
... on Shorpy. All the amenities Only the top rated hotel rooms come with an ironing board although they usually also include a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:00am -

Circa 1937. "Spanish Inn, 43 George Street, St. Augustine, Florida. Dr. Chatelain's photographs. P.A. Wolfe, photographer." Also known as the De Mesa-Sanchez House. Safety negative, collection of Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Been thereTraveling in remote regions of the Southwest, I rented rooms not much better than this. Now it reminds me of my post-divorce days. Jail might seem more agreeable. Waiting RoomThis is a room just waiting to be restored! Love it!!! AmenitiesThe free breakfast included with this suite was one of the first to feature the now microscopic blueberry muffins. But back in the day, when this was shot, you needed two hands to lift them to your face. Hotelsdot com complaints department please. Yes, I will hold. Creepy, in a literal wayThis room makes me itch. It may look like a mess nowBut we're sending Norman over with a broom, Miss Samuels. Here's the bath if you'd care to freshen up ... Hello, Maid Service?We have a little problem up here in #13. Knock knock. HousekeepING!Yes, please. Do come in. Towels? Si, si. Life certainly was simpler then.You didn't have to worry about electric irons, air conditioning, indoor plumbing, elaborate ceiling fixtures, or vacuum the floors. I've been cozened so much by modern conveniences that I'd probably get heat rash staying in the Spanish Inn for more than one night. The photograph is gorgeous, though. What an eye! What an artist! What a woman! How wonderful it would be to have a large-scale retrospective of her work at the National Gallery. Improvements"Old Spanish Inn, 43 St. George Street. One of St. Augustine's oldest surviving buildings, it has been restored to resemble an early 18th-century inn in Spain. Nine rooms are furnished with authentic Spanish pieces brought from Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, and Barcelona." In the latest MobilguideThis place was rated one Dangling Bulb. A bit sparse, butIf they have reliable wi-fi I'll take it. I can sleep in the rocker. Mod ConRemove the bulb, and 100 years fall away. If this is a placeYou pay to stay, I can't like it! Looks to beA smoking room. ShorpyvisionWhat a cool, retro-look mount for a Flat-Screen!! That would be a great way to study all the photos here on Shorpy. All the amenitiesOnly the top rated hotel rooms come with an ironing board although they usually also include a bed. Nice antique washstand though. MemoriesWhen my wife and I quit work in the early 1980s and returned to grad school in Pittsburgh we moved into a place a lot like this. She was not a happy camper. We traded home improvement labor for rent and greatly improved the row house which at one time had been a house of ill repute. The things the youthful will do. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Florida)
Radio Barber: 1922
... [The patrons here were all very white. Would you call a hotel where the porters were black "unsegregated"? - Dave] Can you spare ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2014 - 11:57am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Coin-operated radio in barbershop." Seen earlier outdoors. A closeup of the instructions for the set, provided by American Field Glass Service (which also supplied, we would guess, coin-operated binoculars and telescopes) can be seen here. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Girl or boy?1. Is the young patron listening to the radio a girl or a boy? I don't expect to see young girls in a barbershop. On the other hand, I don't expect to see such long hair on boys in 1922. Or anytime prior to the Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan. 2. I find it interesting that the patrons appear to be white and the barbers of color. I would have expected segregated barber shops in Washington D.C. in 1922. Or was barbering an occupation open to Blacks? [The patrons here were all very white. Would you call a hotel where the porters were black "unsegregated"? - Dave] Can you spare a dime?A coin-operated radio, whoda thunk? I remember my job in the motels we stayed in during family vacations in the late 50s: running to put quarters in the coin-operated TV when it was about to shut off. Same thing, basically. Coin Controlled RadioClick to enlarge. Try Your Skill Tuning-In Reception is clear and mellow when properly tuned ************* COIN CONTROLLED R A D I O PATENT PENDING Concerts, Lectures, Reports, News Broadcasted Daily AMERICAN FIELD GLASS SERVICE, Inc. WASHINGTON, D.C. DAVID XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX ************** 5¢                     DIRECTIONS                     5¢ 1. To ascertain if radio waves are being received. Place phones to ears, set dial at 50. Press button on front of box. If voice or music is heard intermittently, radio waves are being received. 2. To listen in. If radio waves are being received, place nickel in coin receiver, revolve handle as far as it will go and release. Adjust dial for satisfactory reception. 3. To avoid interruption. When red light appears deposit another nickel in coin receiver and revolve handle as before. Patron in BackgroundShave, hell! I've had this since Second Manassas! Bookie BarberMy favorite barber when I was a kid was a fellow named Mr. Moore who made book on the side. Actually, he was a bookie and cut hair on the side. He'd cut the top and back, too, but he preferred to take bets on the races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and other tracks of yore and might take four or five telephone calls while cutting my hair in a shop that looked a lot like the one pictured here. I generally didn't mind the interruptions; I was in no hurry. My father rarely took me to the barber shop because he went to another place near his office and my mother wouldn't go inside the barber shop because of the girlie magazines and pinup calendars and rough talk and expectoration and such. She'd just drop me off and wait down the block in a boutique or in the fabric store another half block down. There were lots of interesting pictures in the Argosy and True Detective magazines in the rack, soda pop for a dime in the old machine in the corner, and salty talk about young ladies who passed by the plate glass window. "That'n'll do, I reckon" or "reckon that'n'll do?" was about the sum of it. Cigar smoke was thick and mixed with the medicinal smell of the blue antiseptic comb-bath and the sandalwood shaving soap. Mr Moore was not a very good barber. Mom always had to touch up crooked bangs or a tuft above the ears when we got home. He apparently wasn't a very good bookie, either. He sold the shop in 1967 or '68 and left town owing money, according to the wags down at the barber shop. Really?Were the Barbers so hard up that they couldn't have a radio playing in the shop? [Early radio listeners used headphones -- the sets were generally unamplified, and loudspeakers were in their infancy. - Dave] (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Union Square: 1910
... Insurance Building. It is now the very hip W Union Square Hotel home of the very fine restaurant "Olives." Good job! Well put ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:46pm -

New York circa 1910. "Union Square." The Met Life tower presides over this panoramic view, a composite of four 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. B&NThe Barnes and Noble on Union Square was my favourite B&N in Manhattan. It was originally the Century Publishing Company Building. They published the "War Series" about the Civil War, contributors to the series were Union and Confederate combatants including Generals Grant and Sherman. It included thousands of engravings, often from photographs by Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner. They also published works by Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling and Robert Lewis Stephenson. The Union Square Market is a great farmer's market. A crisp fall morning in New York City and fresh, organic fall products... heaven! Technical QuestionDid you, Dave, enhance the melding of the four glass negatives, or was that excellent job all accomplished circa 1910? [The melding was done last night. - Dave] Union Square ReduxAgain, another Shorpy beauty. The street on the left is now known as Union Square West, it really is an extension of Broadway. Beyond the foliage, north of of Union Square Park, is what is stilled called East 17th St, as opposed to Union Square North. The anchor store on that block is a mammoth (for Manhattan) Barnes & Noble which is in the same building that is in this picture. That location is at 33 East 17th St. The bookstore is a major attraction for the neighborhood. Their biweekly lectures, book signings and musical events are usually packed. The structure to the right of B&N, The Everett Building, erected in 1908, still stands. It was given Landmark status in 1988. The building is also known as 200 Park Avenue South and has as a retail tenant, the upscale multi-generational men's clothier, Rothman's. As mentioned, rising from near Madison Square Park on 23rd St., and high above East 17th Street, The Met Life Building, completed in 1909. SpeechlessI can't find the words. You have taken my breath away with this one Dave. I'll be spending the remainder of July right here, and still won't see it all. Kudos. Highrises Cometh On the right you can see modern NY high rise buildings encroach on mid-1800s tenements, so it won't be long before they are gone too. In a couple short decades, the familiar NY city-jungle of tall buildings and busy streets will be complete. Tick TockI noted that the street clock in the lower left and the clock on the Met Life building are showing the same time (+/-). Fast photographer. Babies 'R' UsWith the exception of a few very new glass mid-rise towers and some unexceptional mid-century mid-rises, this is how Union Square still looks. Like most parts of U.S. cities, building stopped around 1930 and never picked back up again. The building with the front stairs 2nd from right is now a covered entrance to Babies 'R' Us. The Lincoln BuildingThe building on the very left is the landmarked Lincoln Building or 1 Union Square West. I worked on the eighth floor for several years. The windows, visible in the picture, are very large, and most could be opened fully. No screen, no awnings, just wind and noise. I watched the late 90's renovation of the park every day from there. It was perfect! Also on East 17th StreetI really should mention the new construction to the right of Barnes & Noble and the Everett Building being built on East 17th Street. It was the Germania Life Insurance Building, soon to become the Guardian Life Insurance Building. It is now the very hip W Union Square Hotel home of the very fine restaurant "Olives." Good job!Well put together and all in focus. Union Square Sequential StillsIn this YouTube video of still photos, starting at 1:47, there is a quick view of Union Square that looks like it was taken from almost the same spot as the four photos in the composite Dave/Shorpy photo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9EBOOAYiU Union Square: 2011I wanted to see what it would look like today in B&W. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Spit and Polish: 1923
... beyond the lovely young lady's head is the Willard Hotel. I've never stayed there, but I hear that it's nice. When did ... and G Streets, NW. The northeast corner of the Willard Hotel located at 14th and F Streets can be seen through the window down 14th. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/15/2014 - 7:59am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1923. "Traffic World office." Tobacco-friendly on both the left and the right. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. 1923 TechA vintage 1923 word processor was in use as well. I wonder, is that a stapler toward the right side on the unused desk? If not does anyone know what that contraption is? [It's a postal scale. -tterrace] By golly it is. Thank you. BalancedA tip of the hat to the photographer who has balanced his indoor lighting perfectly with the exterior seen through the windows. Not an easy task today, let alone in 1923. Late, But UnlamentedI can recall when banks had a cuspidor (or "spittoon") at each teller's window and they punctuated the rows of benches in train stations, usually brimming with their attractive contents: phlegm, cigar butts, and many, many microbes. Their care and cleaning must have brought a feeling of great personal fulfillment to their custodians. WillardThat building beyond the lovely young lady's head is the Willard Hotel. I've never stayed there, but I hear that it's nice. When did spittoons disappear from offices?I would have guessed they'd be gone by 1923, but apparently not. Chaw ProtectionInteresting how the spittoons each have their own little mat underneath to protect the carpet from bad aim. I wonder what they are made of? They almost look like the plastic you would find today in a chair mat, but I don't know if that type of material was available then. In fact, the chairs don't even have any type of mat underneath. A little too cozyI remember many years ago when I first started in the business I'm still in today (long after this photo was taken I'm happy to report), we had desks with an arrangement similar to these old "partner" desks. Management had pushed them against each other, front to front, so that I sat looking at my co-worker all day. One particular character that sat across from me for a while, sported a moustache that quite resembled a cow catcher on the front of an old steam locomotive. Each day he would return to the office about 1 o'clock with a goodly portion of his lunch embedded in it. I was most productive in the afternoons, never looking up from what was on my desk, and keeping my nose to the proverbial grindstone. For better or worse, cubicles have their advantages. Who's whoI'll bet he just can't wait for Who's Who in America 1923-1924 Quality File Cabinets.I love that cabinet on the back wall with 5 little drawers at the top. They don't make them like that anymore, or with that level of quality. The folks in Sandusky prefer pressed steel. Colorado BuildingIt appears that the office is on the south wall in the southwest corner of the Colorado Building located at 14th and G Streets, NW. The northeast corner of the Willard Hotel located at 14th and F Streets can be seen through the window down 14th. Shut those windowsIf a cold evening is expected. That looks like a brass monkey on the desk. Old meets newPicked up the same desk lamp on the book case in the upper right hand side of the picture at thrift shop 40 years ago for a couple dollars. Now used on my computer table. Spitoons in the Office?My boss was using one when he retired in 1978.... 14th and F Street NWI think the view out the window is looking south on 14th Street NW from the northwest corner of F and 14th Street NW. The Willard Hotel is visible down the street on the right. The small building containing the spittoon-festooned office at the time was only two stories tall. Around 1990, the building was renovated and only the stone facade was saved. Seven more stories were added, and several adjoining small buildings were totally demolished. The architectural motif of the building on the corner was extended north and east to clad all the hulking new construction. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, The Office)
Signs of Spring: 1939
... at a gathering of 200 persons that crowded at the Powhatan Hotel last night to hear Peggy Townsend, debutante niece of Mrs. Lawrence ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 5:59pm -

March 28, 1939. "Pretty Peggy Townsend, who will be crowned Cherry Blossom Queen at the festival to be held Friday, picked out a Cherry Tree to get her first glimpse of the beautiful blossoms in Potomac Park." View full size. JuxtapositionsWow. This one is pre-Farked. 38 secondsBefore I noticed the guy in the background! Don't you just hate itWhen your heel gets jammed in the crotch? Perfectly prettyWhat a fantastic picture! Lovely setting, pose, lady, and clothes! The Singing DebutantePeggy was the daughter of Mr and Mrs. Effingham Townsend. Washington Post, Dec 13, 1938 Peggy Townsend, Debutante, Stars as Blues singer Washington society was well represented at a gathering of 200 persons that crowded at the Powhatan Hotel last night to hear Peggy Townsend, debutante niece of Mrs. Lawrence Townsend, make her debut as a blues singer. Although her first appearance in public, Miss Townsend literally "brought down the house" with such songs as "Two Sleepy People" and "Have you Forgotten So Soon," which she sang with Lee Sullivan. The singing debutante, who has in the opinion of her friends, a bright future, sang like a veteran performer, showing no sign of nervousness. She will sing at the club twice each night and at the cocktail hour on Saturday. Miss Townsend was gowned in aquamarine blue lame and wore orchids. Ha! Not MeI wouldn't touch this one with a 555-foot obelisk. She's ColorizedI'm snowed-in today and wanted a little spring and a little nostalgia. So seeing her in oolor made it happen. I removed the guy in the background to eliminate the distraction he causes. This was fun and I hope you enjoy it. If any of you want to see the full-size version, you'll find it in the Colorized Photos gallery. [Wow! - Dave] That darn Washington MonumentAlways popping up when a lady is least prepared! Calling Shorpy's colorization expertsObviously she made all the men lose their heads. And birds. Psych 101Well, this is as good a Freudian pic as any. First timeFirst time I've seen someone with his head up somebody else's a$$. Love ya Shorpy! Oh Puh-leezShe climbed up there and didn't even get a snag in her stockings?! I can't manage to survive a whole day at the office without a snag or run or two. I guess the photographer must have only had eyes for her, or he might have waited for the headless man to leave. ShoesI must have her shoes. Especially if they are actually the color Fredric Falcon chose. Wow Mr. FalconGreat job! She could pose in some really pretty cherry trees around here. It seems to be spring here is BC and the trees and flowers are all in bloom! Thanks for removing the headless man too. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Pretty Girls)
Madame Boyle's: 1901
... down from Canada to spend the winter at the Mexican Gulf Hotel across the street from her family home. I have pictures of some of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:48pm -

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, circa 1901. "Shoo-fly at Madame Boyle's." Another glimpse of nattily dressed tourists taking the air in this Southern resort. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. All God's Children got hats....I can count only the lady of the house and her son plus the dog and the horse who do not have their heads covered with a hat. The boy has bows on his shoes and a tuxedo- like jacket. These certainly were some formal looking summer clothes considering the sultry heat and humidity of the Mississippi coast. I really did feel like I was in the deep south when I summered there a few times enjoying evening cruises on old-time riverboats and I absolutely loved the people, its a whole different world. Nice photos, thanks Shorpy. [I think it's probably winter or spring. Not much resort business down South in the summer. - Dave] Harry's or Madame Boyle'sThis looks like the view from Harry's Villa - even the same rather ample cheery lady and her husky little boy. So does the place belong to Harry or Madame Boyle? Or does the platform below to Madame? Love it any which way! [It is the same place, obviously. And the lady is wearing the same dress in each photo. - Dave] The other side of the fenceThe two little boys pausing across the street to take a look at all the swells having their photo taken makes this a classic. (And do you think Mr. Fedora may be overly attached to that potted plant?) Pass the smellin' saltsOne thing I've noticed in my short time here is how easily some are overcome by the vapors when confronted with manly specimens. Interesting that they didn't bother to whitewash the inside of the picket fence. That little kid was born 20 years too early, or he'd have been a star in the Our Gang shorts. Young Will RogersThat's gotta be him -- second from right sitting on the tree deck. Well HelloDoes anyone have a time machine I can borrow? I'd like to spend some time with that lad at the bottom of the stairs with his leg thrown over the railing. *sigh* Wow!Little windy in this photo. I just love everything going on in here. The dog, the horse, that guy on the bike, those two little kids in the background (especially the grin on that one little guy). Not to mention the one legged ghost by the sailboats. Might I ask why it looks like they whitewashed the trees half way up? To better match the fence? Odds and EndsOne thing I've noticed in my long time here at Shorpy is that amorous comments posted about women in these photographs outnumber those posted about men by at least 15 to 1. Overcome by the vapors? Aargh! WhiteoutSo why are the tree trunks and utility poles painted white? Notable IndividualIn photographs like this, I am as interested in the long gone tree specimens as I am in the human ones. Unfortunately I am left to guessing tree species most of the time. The one here is as notable as the people. Can anyone identify it -- or even better, its history? [Looks like a live oak. Or maybe a water oak. - Dave] Too poor to paint, to proud to whitewashIn Northern states, the trunks of trees are whitewashed to help prevent winter sun scald. In the south, lime-wash was used for insect control. It was believed that it would keep catepillars from climbing and borers from boring. And besides, it's makes everything look so pretty! The view todayThe bridge is the Louisville & Nashville's line from Mobile to New Orleans. View Larger Map Live Oaks Live OnDespite Camille, Katrina, and probably a half dozen more hurricanes that have hit the Bay St. Louis area since that photo was taken, that old live oak is probably still there and doing well. Everything else in the photo, well they are surely long gone. If the rose thorns don't get you...This looks to be somewhere along North Beach Boulevard, given the bridge in the background, and the Gulf beyond. There are still a few old houses along there. The tree appears to be a live oak, Quercus virginiana -- we have two in our yard that look like descendants of this specimen. With respect to the whitewash on trees and poles: growing up in the deep South, I was also given the explanation that a bit of whitewash might prevent an unfortunate collision in which I might be the injured party. Note the tips of the stakes for the roses. What Caught My EyeThe year was 1901 and the majestic live oak must have been so old when the pic was taken. Live oaks grow very slowly. It lived a long life even before this picture was snapped...I'm awestruck. Gone With the WindI hate to say it, but if this tree was still there after Camille, it was surely taken out by Katrina. Bay St. Louis was virtually wiped out. We went thru there four months afterward and it was simply a clean slate. Nothing was standing. I was always told the white paint was to keep bugs off the trees. We had a river house and we always had to put screening on all our trees to keep the beavers from chewing them to pieces. Snowbirds on the Gulf CoastI grew up in Pass Christian, across the bay from Bay St. Louis, as did my mother, who was 20 at the time of this photo, sewing dresses like these for the "snowbirds" who came down from Canada to spend the winter at the Mexican Gulf Hotel across the street from her family home. I have pictures of some of them and also some of my mother and father in their "courting" clothes on the beach at P.C. I think that that photo is close to, or across the street from St. Stanislaus Hi School, which survived both Hurricanes. Many of the old homes on East Beach Scenic Drive in P.C. survived Katrina while the West Beach side was devastated. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Travel & Vacation)
Wateradio: 1924
... July 10, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Radio at Wardman Park Hotel pool" -- 85 years ago today. National Photo Company Collection glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:13pm -

July 10, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Radio at Wardman Park Hotel pool" -- 85 years ago today. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Baja tensión.Supongo que funcionaba con baterías... Fry babyOK,the obvious electrocution issue aside,what would be the point of having a radio in the middle of a pool? Maybe it's just a publicity photo of some sort. Where's the extension cord? [Most radios used DC batteries back then. - Dave] The OlympicsCould they have been listening to the Summer Olympics? [The national political conventions held that summer, the first to be broadcast nationally, were the object of a kind of radio-mania that sold many thousands of sets. The Democratic National Convention in New York ended July 9. - Dave] Shocking!OK, I know the radio is battery powered, but still...isn't there a horrible risk of electrocution just waiting to happen here? [About the same risk as being electrocuted by a flashlight. - Dave] RCA Radiola II AR-800C'mon, girl, get your head out of the way. I'm trying to enjoy that portable radio, an RCA Radiola II AR-800. Something is covering the handle on top so the horn speaker can sit steady. With identification out of the way, the location of the radio is a lot more difficult to ascertain. Other than possibly promoting the safety of a battery set, it seems unnecessary to plop a radio in the middle of a swimming pool unless they are playing a rather enhanced version of Marco Polo. [If you could be transported back to July 1924, to just about anywhere in the United States that had radio reception, it wouldn't be long before you figured out what everyone was so excited about. Who would care to hazard a guess? - Dave] Where did they plug it in?I can't imagine battery powered radio at this time. Running a/c would have been a bit scary with all those children around. Anyone have ideas on how this would work, or was it posed? [Almost without exception, early radios were powered by batteries. They required a direct-current power source. - Dave] A dozen toasterswould get the job done faster. Smaller pool would help too. BoseAh, a rare photo of the first generation of the WaveRadio! Unisex in 1924Everybody seems to have worn the same style bathing suit. Can't tell the girls from the boys except for those bathing caps, which look like leftovers from "War of the Worlds." Radio ExcitementI know - they were bedazzled by yet another exciting radio address by the foremost public speaker of all time, President Calvin Coolidge. Either that, or the children were entranced by the crackle of static. From what they say, both were of equal interest. Water MusicMaybe they were listening to Handel. What to look at?Radio watching in the 1920s looks like it presented some problems that wouldn't be solved for another few years. "Do I watch the speaker on top or do I watch the box below it?" The game of course!It's summer 1924, surely they are listening to the baseball game! Detroit Tigers were visiting the Washington Senators, the game was tied 3-3. Battery RadiosIn 1924 there were no commercially available AC radios. As Dave mentioned the radio tubes needed Direct Current, and early attempts to use Alternating Current were unsuccessful. In August 1925 (more than a year after this photo was taken) Ted Rogers Sr. of Toronto introduced the first AC current radio in the world - the Rogers Batteryless Radio. He also manufactured a "battery eliminator" - a power supply that converted AC power to DC and provided the voltage needed for older radio tubes. Radiola II powerAs has been pointed out, this is indeed a battery-powered radio. It has two pairs of batteries inside - one pair sends 4.5 volts to the tube filaments (A+), but the other pair (B+) has 45 volts for the plates - much higher than the average flashlight. It won't kill you, but touching the "plate" thumbscrew on the front panel could be rather tingly. Farmhouse radios"Farmhouse radios" were produced well into the 1940s for places that didn't have electricity. The owner had two rather cumbersome batteries. One would be in use while the other was at the dealer's being charged. Which Station?I've been trying to narrow down the radio station they were listening to. With the wavelength (lower left knob) apparently set close to zero, it must be a station with high frequency, like: 1280 WDM (located at the Church of the Covenant, 18th and N Streets NW, near Dupont Circle), or 1150 WMU (Doubleday-Hill Electric Co. at 715 12th Street NW near Thomas Circle), or perhaps 1100 WIAY (Woodward and Lothrop Dept. Store at 11th and F St, East of the White House), or even 1060 WABE (YMCA at 1736 G St. NW, West of the White House). It was a Thursday around mid-day. There was a doubleheader with the Tigers. Detroit won the first one 12 to 10 in a 4-hour marathon and the second one ended in a tie 3 to 3, like Lord-Velveeta said. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Kewpee Hamburgs: 1930s
... Any reason "hotels" was used in name? [The Kewpee Hotel in Flint, Michigan, is where the restaurant is said to have gotten its ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/10/2014 - 5:43pm -

Circa 1930s. "Kewpee Hotels hamburger stand." This early fast-food chain ("Hamburg / Pickle on top / Makes your heart / Go flippity-flop") got its start in Michigan in the 1920s. Location and photographer unknown. View full size. A Clean, Well-Lighted PlaceThe old short story by Hemingway is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the photo, though I can't imagine the name "Kewpee" is one he would have approved of. Hard to findIt might be hard to nail down the location. There were 400 Kewpee franchises by 1940. Some locations shut down during WWII because of meat rationing; others closed in the 60's when the new owners demanded stricter franchise agreements and a cut of profits. There are still five locations, including three in Lima, Ohio -- they must love their olive burgers in Lima. Dave Thomas ate Kewpee burgers as a child. When he founded Wendy's, he replicated their square burger. He didn't offer Kewpee's olive topping. Moon BurgersMy father and uncle started an ill-fated hamburger chain in the late 1960's. Moon Burger was their attempt to cash in on the public fascination with the Apollo "moon-shot" program (that's what Pops always called it). The restaurants were tiny - built to resemble Apollo lunar landing modules. They were primarily drive-up joints, but had a few cramped stools inside. You placed your order with a Robbie-the-robot looking device a few yards away from the building. I think they tried some type of radio gizmo in the order-taking machine - never really worked that well. Folks just jabbed at the buttons for a while and then drove up to the window. This was East Texas folks, hot as two rats in a wool sock. The metal-clad structures were tiny and not well ventilated - think Airstream trailer on it's end. I'm going to try to find photos - know they're somewhere. The kicker was the Moon Burgers themselves. The cutting edge of interplanetary cuisine consisted of a 1/4 lb meatball encased in a moist doughy bun and deep-fried. After scooping it out of the fryer, green-tinted "cheese" was injected into the bun and it was wrapped in paper and served with fries and Coke. The damn things were so hot! That melted "cheese" and deep-fried beefball adhered to the roof of your mouth and sizzled. It was impossible to vent the "cheese" because once it started oozing out it stained everything it came in contact with. Never knew what they used to tint the "cheese". I remember at some of the "grand openings" they gave away little slide-wheel calculators that revealed your "weight on the moon" when you rotated the device to your Earth-weight. Wish I still had one. Moon Burgers never quite caught on. Though they didn't really become the hoped-for official fast food of the Age of Aquarius, one can still see some of the lunar landing modules posing as concession stands at the Louisiana State Fair. As I enter my 7th year as a member of the Shorpy community I offer many, many thanks to Dave, tterrace, and all who make this site possible. I'll plug Juniper Gallery - their prints make great gifts and office adornment. When I need a little perspective I amble on over to Shorpy to look back in time for a while. Can't say there are any profound answers lurking in these images and comments - but there sure are a lot of great questions. Wish me a happy Shorpy anniversary! Goober Pea PickleAs Mr Kitzel would say, "the pickle in the middle with the mustard on top", although that was for hot dogs. At Last, the Answer!I was born in Lima, Ohio, and lived there until I was almost four years old, my father being at the time engaged in an all-expense tour of places like Bougainville and the Philippines. I have always had a vestigial memory of a strange building I saw on walks with my mother or grandmother, but neither of those worthies in later years seemed to know what I was talking about. When I saw this photo, it was as if the intervening 67 years had never happened and, thanks to archfan's comment, I now know that what I dimly remembered was a Kewpee Hotels Hamburger stand. Thanks, Dave! Thanks, archfan! Thanks, Shorpy! HamburgsIn my experience, "Hamburgs" pegs the chain to Michigan or northwest Ohio, even without reading the caption. I know of nowhere else that America's favorite sandwich is a two-syllable word. A Racine VestigeAccording to the information here, the Racine, Wisconsin Kewpee is one of five remaining restaurants in the chain. I have eaten at this location and can say that the food is good and that there is always a line of people waiting to get seats. Attached is a photo from my July, 2010 visit. HamburgsThe area around Rochester, NY is (or was when I lived there) another in which hamburg prevails over hamburger. And hot dogs are simply "hots," and come in red and white. "Hotels"Any reason "hotels" was used in name? [The Kewpee Hotel in Flint, Michigan, is where the restaurant is said to have gotten its start. - Dave] Kewpee dolled up with a HaloThe Kewpee chain started in Flint, Michigan, and evolved in to what is now known as Halo Burger. Under recent new ownership, the chain is starting to expand in southeast Michigan. I was introduced to it by a girlfriend who liked the olive burger. Every so often I need a Halo Burger fix and I used to have drive over an hour to get one. Now I only have to drive about 30 minutes. Kewpees There was one in Grand Rapids. Grandma took us there a few times when I was a kid. It's where I developed my love for olive burgers! There was also a Wimpy's nearby; sadly they both closed before I was old enough to go there on my own. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars)
Pensacola Cannonball: 1906
... terminal which is now the entrance to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Depot Today Here's what's left of the Pensacola Depot today ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:19pm -

Pensacola, Florida, circa 1906. "Louisville & Nashville Railway station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tallahassee or BustWhat a beautiful picture; I wonder whether the smart young fellow (presumably an employee of the depot, or the railway) standing toward the front of the locomotive is dreaming of the day when, just, maybe, he might be an engine driver, too. If he is, he will be just one of maybe millions over the years who were captivated by the life that those machines appeared to possess. A beautiful building, too. I thought it odd at first that there are no motor cars visible, but maybe 1906 was just a few years too early. Oh -- you call the drivers engineers, as I recall! Another picture containing a wealth of detail and of life. Thank-you! David in England Nice RideThat buggy on the right appears to be one of those sleek '05 Fastbacks. I hope the ol' cannonballbrought some feed for those horses. No Feedbags for NagsCouple of those horses on the right need some provender or it's strictly glue city. It was spared this fateThis building was replaced in 1912 by a new L&N terminal which is now the entrance to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Depot TodayHere's what's left of the Pensacola Depot today -- an Amtrak station for which service has been discontinued as a results of track damage from Hurricane Katrina. Raised CouplerThis is the earliest incarnation I've seen of a coupler that stows away unobtrusively when not in use. It is also the only one I've ever seen that flipped upward. Many later locomotives would feature a drop-coupler pilot; after that came the horizontal-swing coupler. The up-coupler apparently never caught on. I'm shockedthat the L&N don't stop here anymore. Station LifeWhat a great picture! I love that locomotive. Looks like it has an early iteration knuckle coupler. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that she was originally equipped with link and pin. I also notice that a human leg is sticking out from behind the tender truck. I hope it's still attached to its owner! I love this depot. It's too bad that most of the beautiful buildings like that have been torn down. Taxi standAre the carriages taxis waiting for train passengers or personal coaches waiting for their owners to return? The Case of the Curious Cupola.Does the tower have a specific purpose like yard switching, or is it strictly to satisfy the style of the times? It looks like there's something in there. Looks like the Tallahassee Depot!What is left of our depot here in Tallahassee looks very similar to this one reportedly in P'cola. At least we have retained/rehabilitated our depot. Sadly, the train doesn't stop here anymore. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Pensacola, Railroads)
Cafe Society: 1941
... in store and on radio featured a little man in a hotel bellhop or page boy uniform shouting "Call for Philip Morris". The ... perfect example of how bellhops used to call out names in hotel lobbies so they could be heard over the noise and bustle. I can also ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 4:50pm -

April 1941. "Tavern on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Snow WhiteIt would appear the Atlas Prager Beer is what is "tops for taste." And I love that Disney mural. If they saw that today, you can bet there would be a lawsuit. Instrumental BreakLooks like the drummer is about ready to dine on one of Chicago's famous franks. Seven dwarfsDig that hip Snow White theme on the mural behind the piano. Call For Philip MorrisThe cigarette tray atop the piano was found in most nightclubs of the era suspended from the neck of a pretty girl. She roamed the room hawking cigarettes and cigars. The cigarettes, worth about 25 cents a pack, were sold for a dollar and a tip was expected as well. Philip Morris cigarette advertising in store and on radio featured a little man in a hotel bellhop or page boy uniform shouting "Call for Philip Morris". The cardboard cutout of Johnny (Johnny Roventini, a 4 foot 7 inch actor) in vendor display windows made him a nationally known figure. Nice PA SystemI work in the audio industry so I am always interested in old PA equipment. I suspect the vocalist is using a carbon microphone (rugged but somewhat limited fidelity), whose cord can be traced to the amplifier sitting on the piano. Said amp, with nice crackle finish chassis, appears to use popular 6V6 power tubes, which would give it a power of about 15 watts. We can't see the speakers but the cover the amp is sitting on suggests a 12 or 15-inch speaker in the mating cabinet. This would be as loud as a decent jukebox and would let a single vocalist keep up with an unamplified horn band. Today, everyone would feel obliged to have their own mic, including the drummer, and a typical bar system has about 1000 watts, hence the deafening level of sound (what?) in modern clubs. I bet this little combo sounded great. Beat of a Different DrumHow common was it to have a woman as a drummer? I had to look carefully but her nails are painted, she's wearing earrings, and that hat, hair and shirt have a distinctly feminine look. Transgender & Deco DisneyWhat an interesting photo. I love both the people and the mural. I'm especially intrigued with the gender of the drummer. The person appears to be a woman (eyebrows, earrings) which would seem remarkable given the time, and the fact that the drummer is often the most traditionally male role of a musical quartet. Also, if it is a woman, the clothing is entirely transgender: a man's suit and hat. Then we come to the mural: an image that would certainly be litigated today for use of Disney iconography -- compelling for the Art Deco style of the non-Disney components. Is that some sort of amplifier to the left above the piano player? Yes, a woman drummerInteresting how people think life for women started with the ERA. Her clothing is typical for women in 1941, as is her hat. The suit would likely have been blue serge. This entire scene is so wonderful, I dream about seeing the finished mural, and the face of Snow White. Disney characters are fashioned by artists (me included) the world over, just not expected to be seen on Shorpy. Even the glass of stale beer is captivating. "Call for Philip Mor-rees!"In the 1950s, the Philip Morris TV commercials played a recording of Johnny Roventini's famous call as it used to be broadcast over the radio. The intonation was captivating, deliberate and drawn out. You can hear it at www.bellhop.org. I always thought this was the perfect example of how bellhops used to call out names in hotel lobbies so they could be heard over the noise and bustle. I can also remember Perry Como doing a live commercial during his show. He turned to the camera, took a long draw, blew out the smoke and said "It's good for you!" Mark J Earl "Fatha" HinesLooks like bandleader and pianist Earl Hines is at the mike. He owned Chicago at the time. Here's a list of African American female drummers who may have worked during this time: Henrietta Fontaine, Hetty Smith, Mattie Watson, Helen Cole, Dez Thompson, Rae Scott, and Alma Hightower. I haven't seen a photo of any of them to compare to the drummer pictured here. They're mentioned in the book "Swing Shift: All-Girl Bands of the 1940s" by Sherrie Tucker. Update: I deleted four of the names after contacting Sherrie Tucker, who was able to eliminate them due to race or age. She'll check on other possiblities and hopefully chime in. FYI, her current project is on the Hollywood Canteen. (The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, Music, Russell Lee)
Bustling Broadway: 1910
New York circa 1910. "Broadway and Hotel Victoria." With the Flatiron Building looming in the distance. 8x10 glass ... predecessors (five of which are visible in front of the Hotel Victoria), it was designed in 1896 by Richard Rogers Bowker, an Edison ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/12/2014 - 11:17am -

New York circa 1910. "Broadway and Hotel Victoria." With the Flatiron Building looming in the distance. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. The man on the rightlooks like he is about to do something wrong; or else he just did something wrong and thinks he was caught by the camera. Double hung, with awningsTwo things about these early 20th Century street scenes continue to amaze me: the fact that even skyscrapers like the Flatiron Building had functional double hung windows right up to the top, and the startling frequency with which the photographers catch people doing who knows what on building ledges - in this case on the third floor of the Victoria. Keep up the good work. "Chiropodist and Manicures"Reminds me of the old "Barber and Surgeon" signs. Two chiropodists directly across the street from one another - lots of toe woes. Night LightThe "Bishop's Crook" lamppost introduced electric lighting to New York City streets. Taller and brighter than its gas predecessors (five of which are visible in front of the Hotel Victoria), it was designed in 1896 by Richard Rogers Bowker, an Edison Company executive. The first lamps were placed at the corners of major avenues, pointing diagonally into the intersection. Madison Square ParkMadison Square Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the city. It is not expansive like Central Park but a pleasant square that still has the turn of the century feel. The Flat Iron building is in the South West corner but many of the buildings that border the park are from this period. Under ConstructionI believe that the building under construction that we can glimpse in the upper right left corner is the Met Life tower. If so, this photo was taken no later than 1909. Much has changed but the Flatiron is still thereView Larger Map Empire State Bldg?Is that the ESB being constructed at the upper-left corner? [Once they invented elevators, the thing really took off. - Dave] Donovan's TrussesAt 1164 Broadway, underneath Cohen Typewriter Agency. Photographer's signage"Secure the shadow ere the substance fades" on Mr Scherer's photography studio advertises a very creepy offering. +104Below is the same view from September of 2014. Pach Brothers StudioThe prominence of the Pach Brothers Studio sign (in the haze down the street past the Flatiron, about five stories up) must have meant it was a very large studio. The last owner of Pach Brothers was Oscar White who as far as I know still lives in Pearl River, NY, Rockland Co. (as of the end of 2014). He used to teach portrait classes at Rockland Community College. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
Well Urned: 1906
... shot from further east on the grounds of the Clarendon Hotel - the town seemed to have something of a battlement fetish! - with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2022 - 1:12am -

Volusia County, Florida, circa 1906. "Palm avenue, Seabreeze." At right is Wilman's Opera House, with a sign advertising the real estate business of opera house manager Charles Burgman. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Two highest points in FloridaThe street eclipsed only by the sand dune on the right. May you never run out punsNot there is any sign of it. Planters?Okay, I’ll bite: what was the actual purpose of these urns? To be public planters? I wonder who would tend them. Nowadays they’d be filled with empty cigarette packs and butts. Streets of Confusion"Seabreeze" was both the name of major street in Daytona Beach, and a separate town to the north, whose main street was named Ocean Boulevard (I think that's what we're seeing here, looking west). The two towns later merged, and Ocean Boulevard was renamed Seabreeze Boulevard, while Seabreeze Avenue seems to have been renamed Main Street. Questions? A similar shot from further east on the grounds of the Clarendon Hotel - the town seemed to have something of a battlement fetish! - with the building three long blocks distant. The two Wilmans' buildings that straddled Pine Grove Avenue Florida real estate boom in the makingAn elegantly accoutered but unpaved, partially-overgrown "avenue" with elegant building on one side and (possibly) nothing on the other: welcome to the fantasyland of Florida real estate, then and now. [Indeed. The partly obscured sign at the entrance reads "[Burg]man and ***sden Real Estate." - Dave] The best known Florida real-estate bubbles were in 1926 (see the Marx Brothers' 'Cocoanuts') and 2008 (see 'The Big Short'). Seabreeze--now a historic district of Daytona Beach--probably had the lucky timing to escape. I have seen later postcards where a similar wide be-urned street was labeled "Ocean Boulevard" or "Seabreeze Boulevard." Urn AvenueJust, WHY? Well urned, not well postedWhy? They are for leaning your bicycle against, as somebody did with the fourth urn back on the right. But what's that unusual short post with the hole in it near its top by the second urn on the left used for? [Parking your horse. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Minute Service Station: 1925
... many residences as well as contributing to the Mayflower hotel. "Robert F. Beresford spoke on "Colonial Architecture." Beresford ... of New York's Grand Central Terminal) on the design of the Hotel Walker [now the Mayflower Hotel]. In 1927 and 1928 he designed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:09pm -

1925. "Minute Service Station No. 3, 10th and E Streets N.W." A Standard Oil gas station in Washington, D.C. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. 10th and EAh, that corner is now right across from the FBI's Hoover Building, and of course, just up the block from there is Ford's Theatre, where the infamous play "Our American Cousin" once played. In fact, if this is a northeast-facing view, then wouldn't that be the rear of the theatre building at upper left? 10th and E AgainThat's the current site of the Hard Rock Cafe. That small building next to the station is now incorporated into Ford's Theater as the ticket booth, and at one time was the Star Saloon. The larger building is Ford's Theater, and I believe the building with the fire escapes is the rear of the Atlantic building. You can barely make out the roof of the National Union Fire Insurance building at 918 F St. in the back. Tile StyleI'm surprised to see that tile roof over the filling station. That style is everywhere here in Southern California, looking almost exactly the same. Minute Service Station Washington Post Oct 8, 1922 Extensive improvements have just been completed at the Automotive Accessories Company which conducts a large filling station and accessory business at Tenth and E streets northwest. A large tile canopy has been placed over the pump platform and several oil and gasoline pumps have been added. Driveways have been widened and other improvements made to facilitate service. The downtown station is in [the] charge of Henry J. Sterzer. William T. and C.E. Calliher and Allan E. Walker are the proprietors. Washington Post May 25, 1924 Modern Gas Tanks Give Real Service, Sterzer Declares Founder of "Minute Stations" Says Public Appreciates Saving of Time. Present Plants Represent an Investment of $1,000,000 in District Alone. The fine, modern filling station, conveniently located and well managed, renders a real service to the motoring public. It is a highly specialized business, requiring intelligent study, progressive methods and large investment. This is the opinion of Henry J. Sterzer, general manager of the Minute service stations, which have been pioneers in placing the sales of gasoline, oils, filling station service and accessories on a higher plane in the National Capitol. Mr Sterzer says the prime requisite for a site for a modern filling station, is not only location on a prominent thoroughfare, but the use of sufficient ground space to permit the construction of very wide driveways and the placing of pumps sufficient distances apart. The combination of wide driveways and multiple pumps permits easy entrance and exit, makes blockades impossible and difficult maneuvering with danger to fine cars unnecessary. "Robert F. Beresford, architect of the Minute service stations, has made wide driveways and numerous pump locations a feature of his plans at all the stations," said Mr. Sterzer. ... "Experience has taught us that the average motorist appreciates the definite knowledge that he is receiving the exact amount of gasoline or oil that he pays for. For that reason all of our stations are equipped with Fry visible measure pumps, which not only give absolutely accurate measurements mechanically, but which measurement can be checked visually." ... The minute service stations, which represent an investment considerably in excess of $1,000,000 include the following: American Accessories company at Georgia avenue and Upshur streets northwest; the Automotive Accessories Company at Tenth and E streets northwest; the Automotive Supply Company at Twenty-First and Pennsylvania avenue northwest; the L Street Garage at 1705 L street northwest; the Linworth Auto Supply company at Linworth and C sreets southwest and the Washington Accessories company at Seventeenth and L streets northwest. Tile RoofsThat sort of barrel tile roof isn't uncommon in buildings from the twenties and thirties. There seems to have been a Spanish influenced design craze in this period. I know of several buildings here in Saskatoon from this period that have exactly that type of roof. Robert Beresford, Modern architectIt is amazing to compare the modernity of this service station with others recently posted to Shorpy https://www.shorpy.com/node/3535 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3510 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3515 The roof over the pumps is a feature greatly replicated in modern stations both for the function (protection from the elements) as well as style. Robert Beresford, a local architect, designed many residences as well as contributing to the Mayflower hotel. "Robert F. Beresford spoke on "Colonial Architecture." Beresford designed hundreds of Colonial style homes in the Washington area. In 1923 and 1924 he worked with the New York firm of Warren & Wetmore (architects of New York's Grand Central Terminal) on the design of the Hotel Walker [now the Mayflower Hotel]. In 1927 and 1928 he designed Washington's only Art Deco office building, the Tower Building at 1401 K Street, N.W." http://users.starpower.net/oshel/H05.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Hotel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_and_Wetmore Street Car TracksIs that a cable car track in the foreground? [No, they're for electric streetcars with third-rail power. - Dave] +85?Below is the view of the northeast corner of 10th and E Streets, NW taken in September of 2010. I'm not entirely convinced the 1925 shot is that corner. The extended roof does look like a theater and it could indeed be Ford's Theatre (the detail barely in the frame on the base of the roofline look like the current view) and the three-storey building immediately next door that was converted later into a ticket booth does look similar (although the second storey windows appear to be taller in the 1925 shot). However, the photo of the Potomac Electric Power Company Building taken in 1938 (which now is the Hard Rock Cafe) below which then occupied that corner does not show the three-storey building. It does show the vent pipe on the roof of what appears to be the theater building where today there is a larger vent structure reproduced on the roof of Ford's to look like the original. I'm also unsure as to when the Potomac Building was constructed which could rule out that corner if it predated 1925 (perhaps Stanton_Square could work his magic on that). It was also noted that the back of a building on F Street can be seen, but I do not know what the backs of those buildings look like (they are still there, though). I have seen photographs of the northwest corner from about 1900 and 1940, and I know that that couldn't be the corner where the station was located. However, where the FBI building now stands on the southeast corner and across the street on the southwest corner are possibilities (there were several theaters in that area). Then again the incline of the street would seem to indicate that this is indeed the proper view. Tile Style reduxThat was a common style of architecture for filling stations all over North America (probably in the UK, too). There are still a few examples extant, here in Ottawa. many, though, are gone. There was one at the main corner of the neighbourhood where we lived for over 30 years. It was torn down in the 1980s. The best preserved is at Main Street and Hawthorne Ave., now an architect's office. The second has been a used car dealership for decades and up until recently pretty run down. It has been renovated but the tile roof has been replaced with flat tin. At least it has been saved. 10th & E Sts NWThe building now housing the Hard Rock Cafe was Potomac Elecric Power Company's general office until it moved to Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1970s. The original DC substation supplying the local 250-volt Edison system as well as the 600-volt street railway was across 10th Street from Ford's Theater. The "Lincoln" substation is long gone, along with the street railway, but the building was still there in commercial use last time I was in the area. (The Gallery, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Good Job Ray: 1961
... What is that thing on the far right in the hotel courtyard below the gent contemplating going out? Looks like some kind of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2022 - 9:26am -

The Columbus, Georgia, Holiday Inn circa 1961. GOOD JOB RAY WRIGHT. This particular Inn had a swimming pool and a trampoline. 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. Holiday Inn memoriesMy father was transferred by Shell Oil between NY/NJ and Houston twice in the 60s. With Shell toting the bill we turned each trip into a summer vacation with every night being spent at a Holiday Inn. Each day's routine was the same -- up at 6, breakfast (blueberry pancakes for me) in the motel dining room, drive until 2 and checking into the next Holiday Inn. We swam every afternoon in the motel pool and then dressed up and drove to the closest firehouse where my father asked for dinner recommendations. There were four of us kids packed in the back of our non-air-conditioned Impala and you'd think we would have been miserable but my memories are of the classic Holiday Inn signs that meant "home on the road" and those blueberry pancakes. Structure/Sculptor?What is that thing on the far right in the hotel courtyard below the gent contemplating going out? Looks like some kind of a carousel or something, but made of pretty heavy duty pipe. Potemkin Motelthey just keep moving the same cars from lot-to-lot. '61? it's Georgia, alright -- this is a decoy target built in Tbilisi during the Cold War. More Holiday Inn memoriesCommishbob, your story parallels my own, except for a lot more moving on my part. My dad was on the traveling auditing staff for Shell, so we not only lived in Houston and NY/NJ twice each, but multiple other places--Chicago (twice), St. Louis (three times!), Atlanta, LA, San Francisco, Seattle--almost all before I was in kindergarten. (The usual length of an audit was apparently around three months, and then we'd be off somewhere else.) Thankfully, by the time I hit third grade, we settled in Houston for good. I was the only kid for all but the last move, and I pretty much grew up in the back of a Ford Country Squire station wagon. We lived in many different types of houses and apartments, but our home away from home was always a Holiday Inn. The blinking star atop what writer James Lileks calls "The Great Sign" was a shiny beacon to me; it told me we were "home" for a while. (Mom and Dad are still around, so I'll be sending them this link.) VIPRay must be a very important person -- they even have the ENTRANCE sign pointing directly at him! [Because he's entranced? - Dave] This place is topsI found this postcard on eBay with a date stamp 1961. The address on the card is 3510 Victory Drive, Google Street View below. My parents were among the founding members of the United Methodist Church in which I grew up. Years later, I heard a comedian do a bit about religions. He said "Methodism is the Holiday Inn of religions. You check in. You get comfortable. As long as you pay your bill and don't trash the room, everything is okay." Click to embiggen. Holiday Inn Memories!In the 1960s and '70s my dad (who worked for GM and got an annual two-week vacation) and the rest of the family, Mom and four kids, would go on a road trip and we always stayed in Holiday Inns because Dad could make reservations ahead. The Inns were always the same, and to my delight when the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Mi.) renovated their "Automobile and American Life" exhibit in the '90s, they built a Holiday Inn room! EXACTLY like every one I remembered, right down to the blue shag carpet and the little paper hats on the drinking glasses! I sometimes see those chairs in an antique store or secondhand shop and I think "I know where you came from!" Here's a pic of the Museum's exhibit (courtesy Missy S on Pinterest). Dressed up '50 FordOn the far right! Skirts, spinner hubcaps, sun visor on the windshield AND on the side windows. At 11 years old might belong to the help. Fastest car on the lot is probably the '58 Pontiac next to the 1960 Ford, but the '55 Olds 88 on the far left has a Rocket under its hood. Raymond Wright of Columbuswas feted at Macon in September 1961 at the annual meeting of the Home Builders Association of Georgia as the association's retiring president. I suspect the marquee refers to this milestone. His firm, Raymond M. Wright, Inc., is still building homes in Georgia, primarily the Columbus area: http://www.raymwrightinc.com/history.html My guessRay Wright updates the message board. Ray Wright Raymond Michael Wright 1914-1995 Married in Wake County, NC, in 1944. Marriage record lists Army rank as Staff Sergeant. Possibly ended up in Columbus from a tour at Fort Benning. He began as a carpenter and in the early '50s started a contracting business. His obituary lists past president of local and state home builders associations. He was inducted into the National Homebuilders Hall of Fame in 1980. Holiday Inn was pleased with his work. Numbers GameThe address on the postcard posted by Doug Floor Plan, 3510 Victory Drive, has us thrown off a bit, I think. Indeed, that may have once been this motel's address, but I'm pretty certain this Holiday Inn building still stands at 3170 Victory Drive. Built in 1958, the motel was most recently seen in Budgetel livery, but it also did some time as a Days Inn. Did they move the building to a new address? Of course not! It's much more likely that the address was changed, probably for alignment with a new numbering system. [By 1965, the address was 3170. - Dave] No fenceIn the postcard picture the first thing I noticed was the lack of a fence around the pool. It really was a different time in America. [1961, to be specific. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
The Ladies' Parlor: 1908
... New York, circa 1908. "Ladies' parlor, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... looks fresh. $30,000 was spent on refurbishing before the hotel opened for the 1909 summer season. Shortly after it did, it was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 7:43pm -

Lake George, New York, circa 1908. "Ladies' parlor, Fort William Henry Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. As opposed tothe men's smoking room? I want to see a picture of that one. I guess this is where needlework was done. Got a Light?I'm underwhelmed by the ceiling light fixture. You would think the room deserved better. Maybe because the windows are so large artificial lighting wasn't a priority. It was all ashes very soonThe carpet looks new and the paint looks fresh. $30,000 was spent on refurbishing before the hotel opened for the 1909 summer season. Shortly after it did, it was destroyed by fire on June 24. The replacement lasted longerA replacement hotel arose very quickly in 1910-11 and lasted until 1969 when the summer resort trade fell off and competition from newer (and cheaper) motels hurt the business. Two large fragments survived -- the service wing and the elaborate main dining room, which was made into the wing of a motel. Both these fragments have been incorporated into a recently built hotel and conference center which claims to "closely replicate" the 1910 building. Which it sort of does, in a cheap way. Just say noto Wicker furniture! What is that on the table?Most of the decor looks pretty bland to me, with the exception of the critter hide stretched out on the center table. I'm just not seeing it - wicker, white curtains, and ... leather? Weird. I guess someone got a good deal on it. Blessing in DisguiseAs someone who has an entire bedroom set made of wicker, I truly feel for the maids who had to clean it. That junk is nearly impossibly to keep clean, tiny crevices galore. (The Gallery, DPC)
Staying Power: 1900
Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Prospect Avenue." Offering complimentary wi-fi if you come back in 110 ... expanded (depth-wise, the Colonial here is not a deep hotel off the street face). Dave, I've only ever been to Cleveland once, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2017 - 10:11am -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Prospect Avenue." Offering complimentary wi-fi if you come back in 110 years to its current incarnation as a Marriott Residence Inn. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. News StandIs that a little news stand on the sidewalk directly beside it? 527 Prospect Avenue EastDemonstrably the same building, it looks like a Marriot Crown Jewel today, although it has been drastically expanded (depth-wise, the Colonial here is not a deep hotel off the street face). Dave, I've only ever been to Cleveland once, and that was to fly in and fly out, but now you have me wanting to go there just to see (and stay at!) this 110 year+ old hotel, one of the rare ones that DID NOT BURN. Perhaps in a few years I'll convince the wife to visit Cleveland. Gund Brewing CompanyFirst building to the left of the Colonial has a sign painted on the side that appears to say Gund. Did a little research to see if there was a connection to the Gund brothers who used to own the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well lo and behold it was a brewery owned by their grandfather. Just stayed hereMy wife and I just stayed here last month. Building Looks Great After 117 Years!The building has lost a little ornamentation over the main entrance, but otherwise looks in great shape. Kudos to Marriott for keeping the building in great shape! Sign still visibleInterestingly enough, the sign "Colonial Hotel" can still be seen from Google Maps (3D mode). (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads)
West Side Stories: 1906
... of the 72nd Street subway station, flanked by the Ansonia Hotel at left and Dorilton apartment house on the right. 8x10 inch glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2022 - 12:50pm -

The Upper West Side circa 1906. "New York, N.Y. -- Broadway, north from 70th Street." With a view of the 72nd Street subway station, flanked by the Ansonia Hotel at left and Dorilton apartment house on the right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Crossing wherever you likeIt has dawned on me, looking at these old street scenes, that pedestrian crosswalks were not really needed back in the day. While the roads were quite wide, I doubt a horse drawn carriage or wagon would run down a oblivious pedestrian. Wouldn't a horse avoid a collision? Of course, dodging the road apples would be of concern to someone on foot. As always, I continue to enjoy these glimpses into the past. Two clewsallow us to date this photo: the Subway entrance appears to still be under construction, and the Aerocar had a very brief existence. Purists might point out neither of these is definitive - they may paint the doors every year and the sign might have stayed up for decades - so "circa" is warranted. Oh if only we could glimpse a license plate !! [The 72nd Street subway station opened in 1904; the Aerocar showroom at Broadway and 73rd opened in 1906. Up until 1913, there were no dates on NY license plates. - Dave] What can I say (?) New York was a laggard . [License plates arrived on the scene well after automobiles did; New York didn't begin issuing them issuing them until 1910. If a car had one before then, it was provided by the owner. - Dave] Be careful out thereMy thinking was that horses and carriages are not as genteel as some may think. All I could find was this from a book called "Farewell to the Horse" (2017).         In 1867, horse-powered transportation on the streets of New York caused an average of four fatalities per week, with another forty pedestrians injured; in other capitals the incidence of accidents was also well above what is typical of today's motorized traffic. Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, when automobiles were beginning to be found on the streets, the cause of traffic accidents was still overwhelmingly the use and abuse of horses. Fifty-three per cent of accidents registered in France in 1903 involved horse-drawn carriages: one-third in the cities, two-thirds on the country roads ... LikewiseMichigan also began issuance of auto license plates in 1910. Here's the first five years from my collection. Plates then were preclean porcelain and survived very well. One of the bestI was born at 41 West 87th Street. I can clearly see the brand new 72nd Street subway entrance that is still there. So cool and amazing -- this one I'm buying with frame. A Tale of Two City DreamsThe Dorilton opened in 1902 and the Ansonia in 1904. Each was the vision of a single developer, not a partnership or corporation. Both apartments had over-the-top French Beaux-Arts ornamentation on the outside and luxurious amenities on the inside. From the start, the Dorilton had a better class of resident than the Ansonia, which initially attracted athletes, show people, and small-time criminals. The son who inherited the Ansonia in 1926 was indifferent about maintaining it. By the mid-20th Century, both had deteriorated. No surprise the Ansonia was the worse off, sold at a bankruptcy auction in 1945 for $40,000. From then into the 1960s the Ansonia owner refused to spend anything on maintenance for the apartments. But in 1968, in order to generate revenue, the Ansonia became the landlord of the Continental Baths (Bette Midler and Barry Manilow began their careers there). Today the Dorilton is a co-op and the Ansonia is condominiums. Both have had extensive restoration work. 71st street intersectionStill looks good! Va Va Voom!"Dudes, dame at our 10 o'clock!" Otherwise known as "Needle Park" 50 years agoBroadway's path through Manhattan created numerous pocket parks, as its diagonal path encountered the borough's grid layout. Broadway between 70th and 72nd created Sherman Square (named for the pyro) and Verdi Square (named for the composer), neither of which were square. As heroin abuse became more prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s, this spot became known as "Needle Park," in the title of Al Pacino's second major film, "The Panic in Needle Park" (1971). For more, listen to the Bowery Boys podcast about it. https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2007/11/ah-bad-ole-days-of-needle-park... Close to the Beacon TheaterAnd 100 years later I would pop into that subway station after an Allman Brothers show during one of their stands at the Beacon. Iconic NYC intersection.I see the Belford up at 79th Street and the Rutgers Church at 73rd and Broadway. Both still there, as are the Ansonia and Doralton. All these old buildings must cost a fortune to maintain, but it's well worth it. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
The Lido Mascot : 1936
... as "The Lido Mascot" - Lido was the name of the family hotel in the Rockaways. Dad is dressed rather warmly for the Miami ... 
 
Posted by hillie_bolliday - 04/18/2023 - 3:16pm -

This is my Dad, aged 3, on vacation in Rockaway Beach, 1936. It was either my grandmother or grandfather who inscribed the popular hit song of 1936, "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" on the photo, as well as "The Lido Mascot" - Lido was the name of the family hotel in the Rockaways. Dad is dressed rather warmly for the Miami climate, which suggests it was indeed wintertime, and perhaps even chilly, even for these native New Yorkers. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Key West: 1900
Circa 1900. "Key West, Florida. View from hotel." With nary a T-shirt or flip-flop in sight. Detroit Publishing Company ... This was probably taken from the tower of the Jefferson Hotel, around the middle of the 100 block of Duval. You can see a little ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:54pm -

Circa 1900. "Key West, Florida. View from hotel." With nary a T-shirt or flip-flop in sight. Detroit Publishing Company dry-plate glass negative. View full size. "With nary a T-shirt or flip-flop in sight"That's because there's nary a person in sight. [Polish those bifocals and take another gander. - Dave] One, two, three ...I see at least seven people and a number of horses. Papa's Town"It’s the best place I’ve ever been anytime, anywhere, flowers, tamarind trees, guava trees, coconut palms...Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks." Obviously written the day after Hemingway pioneered the "Duval Crawl." Which I've done a few times and highly recommend. VantageThis was probably taken from the tower of the Jefferson Hotel, around the middle of the 100 block of Duval. You can see a little of the brick Sawyer Building in the lower right, the end that now houses the Hogsbreath Saloon. The Custom House can be seen clearly flying a flag, now an art museum. To the right of it is Building 1, which is one of the oldest buildings on the island and has had many lives. Fort Taylor and its causeway can be seen on the horizon at the left; this was long before the landfill connected it with the island. Only two or three other buildings in the picture still stand. Then and NowFebruary 8, 2009. Same general direction, different angle. Beautiful building nonetheless. Key West 1965I was a not-dry-behind-the-ears 17-year-old sailor in 1965, assigned to Fleet Sonar School at Key West Naval Base, learning how to hear and identify those nasty Soviet submarines. Two days after reporting, Hurricane Betsy rolled through and I found myself behind boarded windows in the school, wondering how paradise had become so windy and noisy. The highlight of the post-Betsy period was walking Duval Street with long-handled hoes, killing snakes driven above ground by surge water. Ah, what a sailor once had to do for his country. And the Conch Republic. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Wake-Up Call: 1902
1902. "Rip Van Winkle Hotel, Sleepy Hollow, Catskill Mountains, New York." Detroit Publishing Co. ... noticed the little girl peeking out the side door of the hotel - almost missed her. Blow up the "little girl" Dave, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:36pm -

1902. "Rip Van Winkle Hotel, Sleepy Hollow, Catskill Mountains, New York." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative, 8x10 inches. View full size. What became of it?Does anyone know the fate of this great nostalgic endeavor? Is it possible to learn the precise address and to determine what stands on this land today? Not in CatskillsI believe the caption is incorrect. The village of Sleepy Hollow is in the Hudson Valley, between Tarrytown and Ossining, on U.S. Hwy 9, perhaps a 30 minute drive to N.Y.C. Not really in the Catskills. [That's a different Sleepy Hollow. This is on Catskill Mountain, near Palenville in Greene County. - Dave] I want to look into that shack ...... in the worst way. What treasures lie within? [The sign over the door says Beer. - Dave] Small BuildingDoes anyone know what the small building is or was used for? [It's the Rip Van Winkle House. - Dave] Sleigh RideLooks like an old buggy or sleigh body on the left corner of the house. Two wheels and shafts are lying farther to the left. Ashes by NowThe boardinghouse and the shanty on the left (the original 1826 house) burned down in 1918. The Mountain House Road is now a horse trail. http://edwardmaby.com Set a spell...take your shoes offWhat a great vacation spot! I could definitely stretch out in that hammock on the front porch and sleep for 20 years! Hey youJust noticed the little girl peeking out the side door of the hotel - almost missed her. Blow up the "little girl"Dave, could you blow up that section between the buildings that shows what appears to be a child peering out of the thin slice of window? I got goose bumps when I saw that. [Ka-blam. That's a door. - Dave] There are many Sleepy HollowsEvery ravine, valley or "clove" in the Catskills (clove is Dutch for a ravine through which water flows) named some area or other Sleepy Hollow. Associating their mountain landscape with the fictional character of Rip Van Winkle offered enormous tourist potential. Since Palenville, New York was the gateway to one of the most famous "cloves" in the area, Kaaterskill Clove - popularized by the Hudson River School of artists like Thomas Cole - they were more successful than most in associating themselves with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The actual incorporated town of Sleepy Hollow lies on the other side of the river near the home of Washington Irving -- a municipal tribute to one of America's first real media superstars. This scene is dyingto be modeled. As an HO model railroader, I keep coming across pictures on this site that scream to be reproduced. THANK YOU for your work Dave! Long AgoThis spot was well known long before the Mountain House was built (1823-24). At this bend in the trail was a spring where the weary climber could refresh himself. Thomas Cole mentioned this as he used to climb the escarpment to visit The Pine Orchard and Twin Lakes to paint. Today, even the spring is gone. (The Gallery, DPC)
The Powers: 1905
Rochester, New York, circa 1905. "Powers Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... appearance of a bicycle rack, there to the left of the hotel entrance? We've become accustomed to seeing unoccupied bicycles balanced ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:53am -

Rochester, New York, circa 1905. "Powers Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Early Adopters?Does this mark the first, or earliest, Shorpy appearance of a bicycle rack, there to the left of the hotel entrance? We've become accustomed to seeing unoccupied bicycles balanced just-so curbside in previous photos. Can You Top ThisOn Main St. Between State and Fitzhugh Streets, you had the Powers Hotel and the Powers Building. The Powers Building, which is to the right of the hotel, has an interesting history. When originally built, it was the tallest building in Rochester. However, for several years, when someone would build a taller building. Mr. Powers, not to be outdone, would add a Mansard roof, to keep the tallest building title. That is why you see those three additional stories atop the main building. Another thing, that is the Baker Theater behind the hotel on Fitzhugh St. The film advertised is "Under Two Flags." The earliest version of this film listed at IMDB is 1912. Two other versions were released in 1915 & 1916. That information dates this photo to that time span. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
D.P.O.: 1902
... at will: Start with some vast public edifice (post office, hotel, library) that looks like a quarried wedding cake iced by an army of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:10pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1902. "Post Office." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Multi TaskerNot to underplay the important role of the old Post Office system, but this wonderful rock pile wasn't devoted only to processing mail. It also housed a federal courthouse, custom house, and other governmental functions. Pre Motor-City Not a motor car in sight in the town once referred to in some circles as the "Paris of the North". The City was once a stunningly beautiful urban space. Now it seems that the up-and-coming product from within the city limits will be produce grown on vacant lots. Sharecropping and truck farming may well be the future of the Motor City. Out, Damn'd Spot!By now I've seen enough circa 1900 urban images on Shorpy, I can conjure them at will: Start with some vast public edifice (post office, hotel, library) that looks like a quarried wedding cake iced by an army of Italian stonemasons, throw in a cat's cradle of cables overhead (telephone, telegraph, streetcar wires), season with trolley tracks, then douse liberally with No. 1 and No. 2. Throw in a white-suited street cleaner furiously scrubbing at same. Voila! WowWhat an incredible building! I remember seeing regal buildings like this when I was a child in the early 50's. I'll bet the few that were left by then are all long gone now. Our loss. Love you Shorpy. A real palaceBack when mail service was a vital part of civic, commercial and private life. Postal mail of course not so important now. Elsewhere on ShorpyAnother photo, and more on the building's history: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6838 OverheadThe flag of the U.S. Customs Service. Now THAT'S a Post OfficeIsn't it a shame they don't build Post Offices like that anymore? Today they're more likely to be in a bay of a strip mall. On the other hand, I suppose the 2010 version of this sort of building would be Google Headquarters. OoopsLooks like multiple someones spilled multiple somethings on the street. Seeing doubleWhen I saw this, I was struck by the similarities to many other buildings of the era, and Toronto's old City Hall in particular. The architect for Toronto's building was E. J. Lennox - anyone know if its the same architect who did Detroit's old post office? The Secret StairThis building didn't just house the post office for Detroit, but it was the federal building for the area. Federal courts were inside, and it even had a dark, narrow secret staircase going from the court room to an attic. It was used as a space where juries could deliberate without being harassed by the media. Witnesses could also be ferried up the stairs to the jury secretly. Alas, the building was built at the wrong time. By the time it was completed in 1897, it already needed an expansion. Detroit's population was booming. By 1930 when it was demolished, Detroit's population had increased more than 650% since 1897. Today, the giant Theodore Levin Federal Building sits on that space. You might've heard it in the news as the place where the attempted Christmas plane bomber is being tried. 1897-1931The post office was eventually incorporated into a larger overall "Federal Building" that occupied the entire city block. Then that was torn down in 1931 and replaced by an even bigger Federal Building, with the post office relocating to Fort Street. An elaborate marble courtroom was saved and re-used in the new building, which still stands today. http://buildingsofdetroit.com/places/post Do we see antennas on buildings to the right?Also, DetroitDave, what is that mast on the right of your photo? Thank you. RWG Denver, CO. [Follow the link and find out! The other thing might be a wireless mast. - Dave] Premature demiseHow tragic that a building this glorious and grand only had a lifespan of 33 years. I'm sure most of its builders were still living at the time it came down. How depressing that must have been for them. A Twin in DCThis looks almost exactly like the Old Post Office Building in Washington, DC -- which is still standing thankfully. Must have been a popular design. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Acme at Work: 1921
... a whole pane, or both. Chicken Wire... The 1910 era hotel I grew up in had some windows with chicken wire embedded in the glass. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:08pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Acme Card System Co." Another look at this pioneering indexing and filing system, as well as a rare glimpse at the day job of one Miss O. Oyl. Seen here recording an order for magnetic birdseed. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Office Max?I like that each chair and table is different. Also, don't look directly at the woman with the print shirt; you will turn to stone. Chicken wireWhy is there chicken wire over the windows? To prevent birds from coming through an open window? Or perhaps to protect the pedestrians below from whatever suddenly gets ejected from the office? [Another possibility is that the wire is embedded in the glass. - Dave] UpgradingThe gal at the back desk is scowling because her operation was not chosen to benefit from the state-of-the-art Acme system, forcing her to deal with that disorganized paper haystack the old fashioned way. Also: another bottle of ink. "Oh, Popeye.."Ms. Oyl may not have her mind on her work. A Different DayThis photo was taken on a different day from the one below. The calendar is gone, and the fan has that cross below it. [It's the same day. But not the same wall. - Dave] I'd like to place an order, pleaseIn this case, I'd like a bottle of 1000 Instant Martians and a dozen Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulators. Work Hard...Or we'll transfer you to the rocket-propelled unicycle division. Coat envyI would (figuratively) kill for that coat with the buttons on the woman in the middle! Also: nice hair. Chicken wireWe had that type of glass in my jr high school. I don't know if it was a pre-safety glass thing to avoid large nasty shards of broken glass, a security measure to resist popping out a whole pane, or both. Chicken Wire...The 1910 era hotel I grew up in had some windows with chicken wire embedded in the glass. Our vintage Otis elevator had large windows in the doors on every floor. Inside the elevator was a brass accordion door. The elevator windows were made of really thick plate glass with hexagonal woven wire embedded in it. They were sort of like safety glass - the wire apparently made them harder to shatter. The doors weren't automatic - when the elevator reached your floor, you had to manually slide them open. And you could reach through the accordion door and touch the shaft while the elevator was moving (not that *I* ever tried such a thing). But we were safe, because our elevator windows had reinforced glass! The Acme EmpireWould Acme Card Systems by any chance be a subsidiary of the Acme Hole Co.? Hair FashionEveryone seems to be into the hair fashion of the day. Was Mary Pickford the influence? Look it up.Interestingly enough, "mind numbing" and "boring" can be found on the same index card. To answer the chicken-wire query....It was used as a means of stopping a pane of glass from breaking into dangerous shards and was, in fact, the first type of universally-used safety glass. It was widely used in shower screens, louvred-window panels and, as one Shorpyan has noted, in the vision panels of elevator doors. (I worked for Otis here in Australia for almost 30 years and can clearly recall as an apprentice replacing broken panels, particularly those used in freight elevators). A librarian's best friendOnce upon a time, when our government distibuted its papers among depository libraries, I worked at one in a well-known university. We recorded the receipt of periodicals by hand, on Acme cards. Much faster than typing catalog cards! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
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