MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

The Busy Corner: 1934
... fire. Shame they couldn't save it like they did the Hotel Washington. A couple of brand-new Fords Two brand-new 1933 or 34 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2014 - 9:45am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1934. "Kann's Department Store." Pennsylvania Avenue at Eighth Street. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. A Mammoth Establishment Washington Post, Oct 25, 1911 Kann Store 18 Years Old. From Modest Beginning, Firm Has Grown to Mammoth Establishment. Eighteen years ago this month a small store was opened on Pennsylvania avenue, near Eighth street, by the firm of S. Kann, Sons & Co. Today that store is housed in a large building that covers nearly the whole of the square between Pennsylvania avenue and D street, and Seventh and Eighth streets northwest. This week the firm celebrates its eighteenth birthday. ... S. Kann, Sons & Co has faithfully adhered to its maxim, early adopted," Always the Best of Everything for the Least Money." as is illustrated by the present "Birthday Sale." Its conscientious dealing with the public, and great care to satisfy the patrons have caused the growth of the enterprise until the three-story building of the beginning has been swallowed up in its mammoth one of today. Everyone of the 49 departments of the store, it is said, has striven to outdo all former records in value-giving for this sale, and the well-equipped delivery department with its ten automobiles and fifteen large wagons will no doubt feel the endeavor has been crowned with success. Kann's monkeys!I remember Kann's. There was also one in Arlington (where the GMU Law School is located now). I was fascinated as a kid with the glassed-in display with REAL MONKEYS. MagicThis is one of those magical images that make me feel (and wish!) I could just step into the photo, and stroll that sidewalk. I can almost hear the street sounds. I remember Kann's in the 1970sThe neighborhood had gone to seed and they slapped some hideous aluminum facade on the building to make it look contemporary. Then it burned down in a suspicious fire. Shame they couldn't save it like they did the Hotel Washington. A couple of brand-new FordsTwo brand-new 1933 or 34 Ford sedans (or a sedan and a Victoria) parked in the row to the right. A sad endI remember the end of Kahn's. In the 1960's the entire block of buildings had been encased in a modern slipcover blotting out the original facades. In the late 1970's the long empty building caught fire, probably arson. As the building was razed and the blackened and melted facade was removed the "Busy Corner" sign was revealed, still intact. The night it burnedI was working at DC Fire Department the night it burned. It started in the rear on the 8th. street side to the left of the picture. When we went in there was heavy smoke in the rear on the third floor. We tried pulling the hanging ceiling and found another ceiling of plaster and lathes, we pulled that ceiling and found another of ornamental tin, the fire was in the ceilings and there were three ceilings as the building had one placed over the other each time it was renovated. It was impossible to pull the 3 ceilings fast enough to keep ahead of the fire , and we merely chased it down the 8th. st,as it gained momentum to the Market Space side , then to the 7th. st side where it finally was put out with massive amounts of water. The building was actually many buildings all hooked together over the years. Much of the building could have been saved it was not destroyed, but I suppose it was monetarily unfeasible since it was closed anyway. I have heard the facade was saved, but I have no idea what they did with it. My mother's favorite place to shop, we always waited for her to finish her shopping at 4 o'clock and meet her on the Market Space entrance.I always enjoyed going to Kann's at Christmas for their toy train layout, and seeing their mechanical people in the Busy Corner , corner. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Quarter: 1903
... came when he choked to death on a bottle cap in a New York hotel on February 24, 1983, a month before his 72nd birthday. Then again, he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 10:50am -

New Orleans circa 1903. "Old French courtyard." Shabby chic alfresco. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tennesseechoked on an eyedropper-type cap. He was holding the cap in his mouth as he applied the drops. What on Earth?Not really sure I want to see the front of that infant lefty quarterback with the demonic scaly tail. Thomas Lanier WilliamsBetter known as Tennessee, would have adored this once-majestic but now decrepit garden and these crumbling buildings as a stage set for his unforgettable, prolific plays, although he wasn't born until 1911. Ironically, with all his poignant and deeply emotional Southern-flavored stories, his own unexpected end came when he choked to death on a bottle cap in a New York hotel on February 24, 1983, a month before his 72nd birthday. Then again, he probably could have written such an ending for himself, depending on what type of bottle the cap was from. The courtyards of New Orleans are mysterious, and sometimes seem spiritual, mystical, even supernatural. These are the backyards of the Stanley Kowalskis. Stanley was the real name of his boss in a shoe factory. Personally, I'm partial to the broken bench. What else do you wanna know? Better than tossing out the windowThose drain pipes by the window seem like a practical solution to a vexing problem. Kind of gross, but better than most alternatives. WeatheredWow, even over 100 years ago this New Orleans courtyard looked like it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. WeatherproofingDon't go by the plaster and paint. The plants and walkways are neat and well-tended, the wooden railings aren't broken and shaky, and the glass windows are all intact, with straight, uncracked frames. We tend to forget the enormous advances that have been made. The climate of New Orleans is extremely destructive to the paints available in that era, and to stucco over brick and unreinforced concrete like the plant borders. The front of this house is probably neatly kempt, even by modern standards, but here in a private space they didn't feel the need to expend the large sums necessary to renew the big plastered wall(s). A view of the same or a similar courtyard today might not look all that different except that the brickwork would be painted, an option not available in 1903 because the available paints wouldn't stick to it. Water towerslooks like a couple of wooden water towers to the right. Anyone know anything about that? [The cisterns hold rainwater. - Dave] RamshackleWhat's curious to me is how that short double level balcony on the left has no supports to it underneath. Seems it wouldn't take too many people at one time on both levels to send them spilling into the garden?! Hope it's been shored up in the intervening 108 years! Court of the Two SistersI think this might be what is now the "Court of the Two Sisters." The balconies have no supports then or now, as is quite common. The steep pitch shoots the water away from the structure. It was common to have two or three cisterns for a residence up until 1905 when they were outlawed because of concerns over yellow fever. The fountain in the courtyard could have been "run" by one of the cisterns. [Or: Court of the Two Cisterns. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans)
Advanced Vaudeville: 1912
... a 104 fever; after the show he returned to the Statler Hotel on Grand Circus Park, where the house doctor diagnosed a ruptured ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:54am -

Detroit circa 1912. "Griswold Street from Capitol Park." Home of the Miles Theater and "Advanced Vaudeville" -- you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll need a slide rule and a thesaurus. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. Advanced VaudevilleWow--am reading Rick Altman's terrific book "Silent Film Sound" at the moment, so I have just learned that "Advanced Vaudeville" was actually another term for movies c. 1910, or for a vaudeville program combining movies, performers, and illustrated songs. No slide rule required! I'll biteMr. Gallagher: "Who was that cosine I saw you with last night?" Mr. Shean: "That was no cosine, that was my tangent." Some there, most notThe two buildings at right center are still there; the others have been replaced. Capitol Park was converted to an outdoor bus terminal and is nearly all concrete today. I remember waiting for the Grand River streetcar at that location in the 1940s. Sigh. Miles to GoThe Miles was demolished in 1927 along with other buildings to its left to make way for the Griswold Building, which was completed in 1929. The theatre switched from vaudeville to movies in the early 1920s. Sources indicate the 1000-seat Miles installed a two-manual, 29-rank Hillgreen-Lane organ at a cost of $9,600 in 1921, which was an unusually large pipe organ for a theatre that size. The Mayor is dead. Long live the MayorWilliam Richert, mayor of Detroit, died on June 16, 1912. Possibly why the half-staff flags. [And let's not forget the Titanic. - Dave] Half-StaffWho was being mourned in Detroit circa 1912? Relaxing in the parkWhy did we ever give up spaces to relax and read a paper downtown outdoors? We've lost so much with air-conditioned cars and buildings. Maybe I overstate, but this park looks so inviting, and "planned" for pedestrian use. Shops and theaters surround the park. Just a wonderful gathering place. Wish more towns and cities had them centrally located for everyone's benefit. ProgressFuture additions to the skyline in this view: the mighty Penobscot, the David Stott and the magnificent Guardian Building. Capitol Park has certainly seen a lot of change and is currently being restored to again be pedestrian-friendly. RE: Relaxing in the parkThe park is still there, but it's a lot less green. It's still being utilized by people from the looks of it. As far as thriving shops and theaters...well, there's room to grow! View Larger Map Houdini Played HereAs Griswold Street stretches towards Canada and the Detroit River, one can spy the marquee for the Garrick Theater on the left, ... it's in the first block south of Capital Park. The Garrick was another famous theater in Detroit, and could lay claim as being the last place Houdini performed, Oct. 24, 1926. He took the stage with a 104 fever; after the show he returned to the Statler Hotel on Grand Circus Park, where the house doctor diagnosed a ruptured appendix. He was rushed to Grace Hospital in the early hours of the 25th where he died Oct. 31, 1926. The Garrick was torn down for the David Stott building in the late 1920s. Houdini, has not expressed an opinion on the demolition. Minnie Schoenberg Marxtterrace, did you know that Al Shean was an uncle of the Marx Brothers? His sister, Minnie, was the mother of that incredible group. She tried to turn her boys into a respectable, well-mannered, singing group. Fortunately, she was only minimally successful at that endeavor! I wonder if they played the Miles Theater? Jeff, thanks for the definition of "Advanced Vaudeville"! Capitol SquareThis is a recent photo I purchased of the square from the opposite angle. I'm wondering if anyone can date it. You can see it larger at Tattered and Lost Photographs. I'd love to know more about the image. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
The Athenaeum: 1907
... Athens, you will find the name on an Intercontinental hotel. American Athenaeums (athenaea to the snooty) are private membership ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2022 - 2:07pm -

Circa 1907. "Athenaeum -- Portsmouth, New Hampshire." Next door to Foye's and its 1,000 Palms. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I tip my hat to you, PortsmouthAnd here is why. Got your Athenaeum dues ready?The name originated in Rome, which considered Athens (from Athena goddess of wisdom) to be the fount of learning. In today's Athens, you will find the name on an Intercontinental hotel. American Athenaeums (athenaea to the snooty) are private membership libraries, almost all of them predating the rapid growth of public libraries in the late 1800s. The Portsmouth Athenaeum was founded in 1817, ten years after the Boston Athenaeum. The Membership Libraries Group has sixteen full members. These places were Elitist with a capital E, but can be accessible today if you prove you're serious. "Our boots are worth dying for!"At Frank W. Knight's, even our former customers are paying us a visit. I'm Hiring Corey.He is a man who knows exactly what he is ... A Lawyer. He states it twice with no unnecessary words. On the other hand Simes seems to be confused. In one instance he is a Counsellor At Law then he transforms himself into an Atty At Law. I have no idea what an atty is and it's its connection to law and in actuality a Counsellor At Law is just a 50 cent way to say the simple nickel word lawyer, Go for Corey, who seems to be a pragmatic man who will not overcharge you 45 cents for a 5 cent job. War TrophiesA little Google searching turned up the history of the two cannon in front of the Athenaeum. Succinctly, they were cast in Scotland in 1793 and mounted aboard a British warship that was captured in the War of 1812. After being remounted on a U.S. Navy ship, and later on a private merchant ship, they finally ended up as decorations in Portsmouth in the mid-1800s. There, the cannon were moved a couple of times (always as ornaments) before ending up in their present location in 1895. Read the full story of the guns here. One More Thing ...Here's a closeup of the plaque on one of the two cannon. It reads: "Taken From the British by Commodore Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie, Sept 10, 1813." I'm SurprisedNo one has mentioned the two cannons standing sentry at either side of the door, muzzle down. Can anyone identify the type? Also the purpose of the shield emblem on them? Elitist ReaderThanks to GlenJay for the Athenaeum explanation. I'm sure this gent wouldn't be caught dead reading his Portsmouth Herald or Boston Globe for that matter at the Christian Science Reading Room next door above Frank W. Knight Boots. Surprised to seeCannons are still at the doorway. Widow's walkI am please to see Athenaeum's expansion retained the distinctive fenced rooftop platform, a feature of many oceanfront residences and public buildings. One of the consortiums of private membership libraries is the Mechanics' Institute in downtown San Francisco, where I worked. This is not at all an "elitist" institution, as it was created and priced to serve the working class. Dating to the Gold Rush and surviving the 1906 earthquake and fire, Mechanics' is healthy and robust today with a general library and chess club. That man reading his newspaper in the window could easily be one our "regulars" coming in daily to catch up on the news. (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets)
The Marlborough: 1908
New York circa 1908. "Hotel Marlborough." On Herald Square at Broadway and West 36th. Among the ... ran often in the Atlanta Constitution around 1900, "The Hotel Marlborough ... is very popular with the southern people ... The rooms ... as much propriety and safety as if she were at the best hotel in her own town." But a 1923 picture in the NYTimes made it look a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2014 - 12:09am -

New York circa 1908. "Hotel Marlborough." On Herald Square at Broadway and West 36th. Among the amenities: A "Ladies' Restaurant." View full size. Pre-Volstead HostelryOpened in 1888. During the years when Broadway theaters were concentrated south of Times Square, "many of our popular actors made it their home." "It will go down in history as one of the famous Broadway hostelries of pre-Volstead days ..." According to an ad that ran often in the Atlanta Constitution around 1900, "The Hotel Marlborough ... is very popular with the southern people ... The rooms are beautifully carpeted in brussels and velvet, while the furniture in them is of the handsomest character...A lady can leave the south and travel all the way to New York and stop at the Marlborough with as much propriety and safety as if she were at the best hotel in her own town." But a 1923 picture in the NYTimes made it look a bit seedy. A large sign offered "ROOMS WITH BATH $1.50/UP" In 1923 the building was purchased by A.E. Lefcourt, one of NYC's most prominent developers who erected the Brill Building, among many others. Lefcourt planned to erect a 20-story office and loft building to cost $3 million for buyers in the women's garment and millinery industry, which apparently had by then replaced the theaters. A sign you missedLook just above and to the left of the Regal shoes sign. Is that the back side of a Budweiser sign? Budweiser it isYou are right History_Fan, that is the back of the Anheuser Busch famous "A & Eagle", makers of Budweiser & Michelob. I've found some great beer signs on Shorpy's, some in plain view and others almost invisible. All are a lot of fun to search for. "Ladies Restaurant"?Is that a restaurant just for ladies or is that the ladies entrance? Either way, it's intriguing. [It indicated that the establishment was one which respectable women could patronize unescorted without fearing for their safety or reputation. - tterrace] Schrafft's Also in this picture, on the right, in the row of stores is a Schrafft's Restaurant. It was one of a chain of 8 or so upscale restaurants in NYC. I have a recollection of the one at 13 Street and 5th Avenue in the attached picture. Sometime in the 1950s a friend invited to me to lunch there. It was a hot summer's day and we were in shirtsleeves. They wouldn't let us in without jackets. After some negotiating they supplied jackets for us to wear. They were the ones their waiters wore. The building (in the attachment) later become the Lone Star Cafe which was very popular. The building is located in what could be loosely described as the New School's Parsons Campus. It has become Condominium Apartments. Beautician Or Nursing Career? From The Trained Nurse & Hospital Review January 1913 via Google Book View (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Bleak House: 1901
... City." At Ocean Avenue, George Coryell's Bleak House hotel. View full size. The Jersey Shore Circa 1901 BK (Before ... was a better book than a brand. Within two years, this hotel reopened under a new name (Hotel Lenox). What? Not one "Going ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2019 - 11:06am -

The Jersey Shore circa 1901. "The Boardwalk and Auditorium Pier, Atlantic City." At Ocean Avenue, George Coryell's Bleak House hotel. View full size. The Jersey ShoreCirca 1901 BK (Before Kardashians) What the world needs.Right there under the billiards sign. It has to be a good one of course. No litterbugs allowedWhat caught my eye was the cleanliness of both the boardwalk and the beach. No sign of litter. Bleak HouseNot recommended for the depressed. If you've ever been to Atlantic CityWATCH the tram car, please. Bad branding, quickly addressed"Bleak House," Charles Dickens' biting satire of the plodding operation of England's chancery courts, was a better book than a brand. Within two years, this hotel reopened under a new name (Hotel Lenox). What? Not one "Going Out of Business" shop.As a youngster in the '50s we were annual visitors to Atlantic City and while walking the Boardwalk I noticed that the same shops in the same locations which were going out of business in 1950 were also going out in 1951, 1952, 1953, etc. The same owners were selling the same merchandise as the year before. The first year I always bugged my parents to stop since we surely could get some great bargains but, being wise to the world of merchandising, they just kept on walking by as I did the following years. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Stores & Markets, Swimming)
Reno Ambush: 1958
... has survived, but I found a ghost sign for the St. Francis Hotel: Reno it is https://wnhpc.com/details/photo1014 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2021 - 4:23pm -

The latest dispatch from Don Cox is this Kodachrome dated October 1958. Judging by the mayhem on the roof below I'd say we're somewhere in the Wild, Wild West, where the men are men and the Thunderbirds are pink. (Yes, it's Reno. Also: Cash for Cars!) View full size. Something missingLike maybe a traffic light? Will that T-bird get T-boned? One more anomaly ...... the lower left No U Turn sign. What's that nearby blue car doing? This pic is full of funny. [It's making a left turn from East Commercial Row onto Virginia Street, LOL. - Dave] American GraffitiIf the T-bird was a '57, then that could be Steve and Toad gassing up the '58 Chevy at the Flying A Station. They would be getting ready for cruising tonight and maybe running into Bob Falfa Cannon NVJudging from the sign for senator Howard W. Cannon, this photo must be from somewhere in Nevada. But it doesn't look like Las Vegas. Maybe it's Reno? [Could the arch at lower left be a clue? - Dave] Look out for the antenna!It's fun to imagine how they had to get their camera angles so as to avoid the TV antenna. And meanwhile downstairs somewhere they were watching the latest episode of Lone Ranger or Cisco Kid (my favorite at the time). Lots of changesEven the railroad tracks have gone underground. How did the St. Francis survive? Reno!The photo is showing the corner of Virginia (old 395) and Commercial Row. Not much has survived, but I found a ghost sign for the St. Francis Hotel: Reno it ishttps://wnhpc.com/details/photo1014 The Colony CasinoThe photo was taken from the tower of Harold's Club looking at the roof of the Colony Casino, which was advertised as being "At the Reno Arch." [Harold's Club was the robbery target in the 1955 film noir "5 Against the House." - Dave] Re: traffic lightI don’t even see a stop sign. Gosh, remember when not all city intersections had 4-way stop signs, and there were even some – like maybe this one here – that were uncontrolled intersections, with no stop sign or light, and people simply understood the concept of right of way? Now you’ve got to spell it out at every corner. [There's a single (presumably blinking) red light visible at each of the other intersections. Perhaps this one was caught between blinks. - Dave] Cash for Cars ReduxHaving lived in Reno, I often wonder how many people have sold their cars for a bus ticket home and a few more days of gambling. Gambling is everywhere, you'll even find slot machines at the grocery store. The original Reno ArchThe ornate ironwork in the lower left is the original "RENO -- The Biggest Little City in the World" sign. That Rooftop MayhemThis article about the Smith family's Harold's Club explains the western scene thusly: The Smiths, in fact, seemed fascinated with Native Americans, especially those on the attack, and the club's short-lived Fort Smith attraction featured a rooftop tableau of American Indians assailing the fort while soldiers fought them off. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox, Gas Stations, Native Americans, Railroads)
Main Street USA: 1912
Circa 1912. "Main Street and Chippewa Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... buildings are still there. The multi-gabled Chippewa Hotel is on the left, still open every summer. At least the first 4 buildings ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2018 - 1:20pm -

Circa 1912. "Main Street and Chippewa Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +103Below is the same view from August of 2015. Somewhere in Time!Photo from the very year in which the movie was set. No luck spotting Elise and Richard, though. A favorite of the woman who was then my girlfriend, now my wife. I'd put this earlier than 1912If this were ca. 1912 I think we'd see an automobile or two on the street. Judging by the women's clothes, I'd put it earlier, somewhere 1895-1905. [You are obviously new to Mackinac Island, famous for being where cars are verboten. Also, count the stars on the flags. There are 48. - Dave] ColorfulIf this isn't a colorized photo waiting to happen, I don't know what is. Somewhere elseMackinac Island does feel like it's somewhere (else) in time. It may be because so many of its buildings are still there. The multi-gabled Chippewa Hotel is on the left, still open every summer. At least the first 4 buildings on the right are still there, but the steeple is gone from the third building. We remember it fondly because we honeymooned there, well after the season in December; we were the only people in the hotel for a while. Still smell the horsesNo motorized traffic allowed on Mackinac Island to this day. What the hackis "bric a brac"? (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, Stores & Markets)
New Charleston: 1910
... Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910. "New Charleston Hotel and Meeting Street." Close by: a bootery, office supplies and "Shaving ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/29/2022 - 7:44pm -

Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910. "New Charleston Hotel and Meeting Street." Close by: a bootery, office supplies and "Shaving Parlor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +110Below is the same view from May of 2010. Broad and Meeting StreetThat's St. Michael's church steeple in the distance. Still standing -- built in the 1760s. (The Gallery, Charleston, DPC)
Well-Connected: 1935
... play operator, there are a couple of these in the lobby of Hotel Congress in Tucson, remnants from the Pioneer Hotel down the road. Hotel Congress still uses its slightly newer 555 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2014 - 1:44pm -

Washington, D.C., 1935. "Woman at Western Electric telephone switchboard." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Dialing adapterOn the end of the operators pencil is a sleeve with a ball to spin the dial with out shredding her manicure. My grandmother (1910-1976) had many of these as standalone pieces: no pencil. They were made of brass and some were silver and they were quite ornate. Geez, those must have been special because I can only find mechanical pencil examples online. This is a person to person callRemember those? If the individual to whom you wished to speak was not available, you did not have to pay anything for the call. This lady does sorta resemble Lily Tomlin, but Lily is not old enough to be her as she wasn't even born in '35. My sister was an operator for SNET (Southern New England Tel.) in the late 50's through the middle 60's (so give me a cookie). She loved it. Western Electric 551 PBXThis is a typical old Western Electric switchboard used in hotels and businesses. If you want to play operator, there are a couple of these in the lobby of Hotel Congress in Tucson, remnants from the Pioneer Hotel down the road. Hotel Congress still uses its slightly newer 555 switchboard located behind the front desk to talk to the antique phones in the rooms. I maintain the thing, as all the real Ma Bell telephone techs are long deceased. Hello GirlsMy grandmother was a "Hello Girl" in the 1910 - 1920 era in the Los Angeles area. Putting the "old" in my monikerI'll confess I ran one of those nights for three years during college. Actually, not one, but three, with a well-oiled rolling chair to scoot between them. Only difference I see is that ours had been updated to include a microphone on the headset which the operator would plug into whichever board was active. Most nights averaged 700 calls, but busy nights ranged to 3,000. Usually from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., I could put a second chair under my feet and get two hours of sleep so I could be fresh enough to fail my 7:00 a.m. tennis class. Too complicated for me!When I was a bellman at the old Cove Inn in Naples, Florida, in the late 1960s, they wanted me to run the PBX board during the evenings. Maybe the fellow who tried to explain how it worked was not good at explaining or just didn't understand it himself—I never saw him operate it—but he had me so confused that I panicked and refused the assignment. I have never looked at a PBX board since without a sense of admiration for those who could operate it. It sure was beyond my ability. That dressI'm fascinated by the draping collar with covered buttons and neckline of that pretty dress. I don't think I've seen one like it before. I wish there was a better view of it. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Daytona Beach: 1910
... distance would have been parked in front of The Ridgewood Hotel, which was demolished in 1975. The 5-story Brown & Brown building now stands where the old Ridgewood Hotel once stood. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:15pm -

Daytona Beach, Florida, circa 1910. "South Ridgewood Avenue." Over the past century, the trees have thinned and the traffic has thickened. View full size. Reminds me ofthe Spanish moss in Mobile, Alabama. The first Daytona 500And here he comes with a half-lap lead -- ExtraordinaryThe Daytona Beach of long forgotten dreams. I'm sure it will be nigh onto impossible to duplicate this vantage point today. Wonderful Spanish moss; reminds me of Louisiana. Great photograph. As Time Goes ByThis street eventually becomes part of US 1. Living in the area, I have no doubt that some homes -- not necessary those in the picture -- from that period are still around. No changeEven back then the streets were clogged with biker trash. NASCAR scoutI think that's Bill France Sr. on the bike looking for a place to race stock cars. The RidgewoodBased on the closeness of the homes, shadows, and a 1912 Sanborn map, I believe this to be looking north from a point just south of the Orange Ave. intersection. The rider would be in front of the current City Hall, and the buggy in the distance would have been parked in front of The Ridgewood Hotel, which was demolished in 1975. The 5-story Brown & Brown building now stands where the old Ridgewood Hotel once stood. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Lake Worth: 1908
... assume the picture was taken on the grounds of the massive hotel in the background, but it's really hard to say which part of Lake Worth ... darky restored to the saddle and his charge again to the hotel. Waterway Names The reason for different names along the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:38pm -

Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1908. "Along the shore of Lake Worth." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Whew!Having lived in Florida for a spell, I just can't imagine HOW they dealt with the heat having only fans and no A/C. Yet somehow they survived! [Palm Beach, and Florida in general, was a winter resort. People didn't visit when it was hot. - Dave] I realize that, I was speaking of life in Florida in general, year-round. It can get to 90 in January :) ContrastsA straight shoreline and crooked trees. Geography Palm Beach is a barrier island off the mainland from West Palm Beach. The body of water which separates West Palm Beach and Palm Beach is called Lake Worth; but it is really just part of the Intercoastal Waterway that runs down the length of the coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Miami. Seems like each segment of the Intercoastal has been given a different name as it runs through different parts of the coast. For example: it's the Halifax River in Daytona Beach; Indian River down near Cape Canaveral; and eventually Biscayne Bay in Miami. One assume the picture was taken on the grounds of the massive hotel in the background, but it's really hard to say which part of Lake Worth is pictured. [You are no doubt thinking of the Intracoastal, not "Intercoastal," Waterway. - Dave] Well, if you Google it, you find that both spelling are used to describe this passageway. I've always heard it called "Intercosstal." [Google indeed reveals plenty of misspelled words. The waterway in question is the Intracoastal -- meaning along a single coast. Intercoastal would mean connecting two coasts. I was born in Miami and grew up in Florida, and so was well acquainted with the Intracoastal. - Dave] Adult Perambulators Farm Journal, November 1905. No horses are allowed in Palm Beach, — only a lone mule pulling a light summer car along the famous palmetto avenue, from Jake to ocean, … The only other land conveyances are single and double bicycle chairs propelled by liveried colored men at a cost of $1 per hour. These can be seen going in every direction on the paved walks, the jungle trails, and over the long bridge across Lake Worth to West Palm Beach. The American Scene, 1907, by Henry James. It is by means of a light perambulator, of "adult size," but constructed of wicker-work, and pendent from a bicycle propelled by a robust negro, that the jungle is thus visited; the bicycle follows the serpentine track, the secluded ranch is swiftly reached, the peaceful retirement of the cultivators multitudinously admired, the perambulator promptly re-entered, the darky restored to the saddle and his charge again to the hotel. Waterway NamesThe reason for different names along the Intracoastal Waterway is that the different names were usually there first. The Waterway is a route - like a US Highway route on land, which might run over many roads with different names, but always the same route number. Many parts of the Waterway were originally separate bodies of water that have been linked by man-made canals and channels. On a different note - why are the trees on the left side of the photo so twisted and the ones on the right side comparatively straighter? "Intercosstal"As in "between the ribs"? Landscape architectI think Dr. Seuss must have been in charge of tending the trees on the left side of the walk. Favorite Bike TrailWhen I lived in WPB I used to ride on the Lake Trail regularly. This is a section of the South Trail with the Flagler mansion in the background. Palm Beach Lake TrailThe Palm Beach Lake Trail has changed very little in the past 100 years. At the time of the photo the building in the background was the Henry Morrison Flagler home. Today it is the Flagler Museum. The Lake Trail runs some 6 miles almost to the Palm Beach Inlet and is only for pedestrians and bicycles. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida)
Bustling Brattleboro: 1941
... the local birds. Fireproof! What a selling point!! Hotel Latchis celebrates being a fireproof hotel -- what a different time. Creative Parking Two 90-degree nose-ins; ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2019 - 4:13pm -

July 1941. "The main street in Brattleboro, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Buildings remain - People, not so muchWhat a vibrant town! The same street today is pleasant, but can't match the street in 1941. Still a going concernThe theater is still operating under the same name. Lipstick on a ...1938 Ford Standard Fordor dead center. Someone bought the cheapest Ford possible and put whitewall tires on her. Is the ragtop five cars up a Lincoln Continental? Old stomping groundsBrattleboro was my go-to party town after they raised the drinking age in RI to 19, a month before my 18th birthday. Crash pad, the Molly Stark Motel! Car Experts --I know there will be a lot of ID comments but help me out on the number two and three on the left, the first with left side fenders showing. Front one I have seen before with those squared headlights, and the one behind with the headlights that look like a pear cut diamond having a "V" (for V-8 let's say) on the left front fender. First time I've noticed a badge on the front fender. Mystery CarsThe car with the squarish headlights is a 1939 Plymouth, while the one behind it with the teardrop headlights is a 1938 Hudson. The Hudson "V" emblem appearing on the front fender morphed on later models into a red triangle. [The red triangle is on the Hudson in our photo, at the top of the grille. - Dave] Nice shineAm really jealous of the deep shine on a few of the cars on the left. It seems I have often owned a car like the one across the street that has been used for target practice by the local birds. Fireproof! What a selling point!!Hotel Latchis celebrates being a fireproof hotel -- what a different time. Creative ParkingTwo 90-degree nose-ins; the top one appears to be blocking the truck. Vehicle IDsFifth car on left is a 1940 Pontiac station wagon with fender-well spare tire. On the far right is a 1934 REO pickup truck and to its rear is a 1934 Auburn. The 1933 model BBV8 Ford in the middle probably started out as a dump truck, now a flatbed with something overhanging the driver's side. Latchis TheatreAs a five year old boy living in West Townshend, Vermont I would go with my parents for a weekly trip to Brattleboro to buy groceries and other do other shopping. We went to the movies at the Latchis Theatre on a few occasions. It was very ornate inside ("Greco Deco" according to them) and is still in business today: https://latchistheatre.com/aboutus/ Road TripDowntown Brattleboro Historic District Pick up on blusun's Google View and learn the history of this bustling downtown as you go up the street to Amedeo de Angelis. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, Movies, Small Towns)
The Monticello: 1902
Norfolk, Virginia, 1902. "Monticello Hotel, Granby Street and City Hall Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative by William ... peddler. Yes, at the start of 1918 The Monticello Hotel burned on New Year's Day 1918. Attempts by firemen to extinguish the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2017 - 11:45am -

Norfolk, Virginia, 1902. "Monticello Hotel, Granby Street and City Hall Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Family tieMr great-great-grandfather, David Lowenberg, was the principal builder and owner of the Monticello. Not bad for a German immigrant in 1856 who began as an itinerant peddler. Yes, at the start of 1918The Monticello Hotel burned on New Year's Day 1918. Attempts by firemen to extinguish the fire were futile since unusually cold temperatures for the area caused water in the hoses to freeze. The hotel was rebuilt and resumed operating the following year. It continued until 1976 when it was closed and the building demolished. Hurricane of 1933And only 15 years later it was flooded by a hurricane. Fire, ice, and water all damaged this hotel. But urban renewal killed it. (The Gallery, DPC, W.H. Jackson)
Needle's Eye: 1943
... inverse pagodas are cooling towers, as no decent hotel in a place like Needles could have done any business without some kind of ... would be going to the U.S.O. located inside the El Garces Hotel (Harvey House), which also serves as the passenger train station (it was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2014 - 10:14am -

March 1943. Needles, California. "General view of street leading to depot of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Cooling towersThe structures atop both hotels resembling inverse pagodas are cooling towers, as no decent hotel in a place like Needles could have done any business without some kind of comfort cooling. They may be water-cooled condensers for refrigerated systems, or they may be just plain old "swamp coolers"; it's impossible to tell from this evidence alone. From what I've seen and been told, the louvers on the sides were usually made of wood, probably cedar or cypress. The man straddling the foreground tower attests to the intensive maintenance that these systems required, while the tower in the background may have emanated the warm smell of colitas. The Joads, of course, drove past this place at night, after spending the searing hot desert afternoon immersed in the Colorado River, the poor man's air conditioning. Welcome to the Less ornate today.I am certain this is the location, with all the charm thoroughly removed: View Larger Map ID for CarsWe often hear it said that today's cars are not distinctive enough to ID. That was also true in the 30's, especially from the rear! To the right of the fellas on their way to the USO Club is a nice new 1941 Pontiac Streamliner "Torpedo" Four-Door Sedan. With a nice pair of non-factory fender skirts as well. To their left is a 1939 Ford Tudor. Can't tell if it is a Deluxe as we cannot see the right tail light - or lack thereof. Updated IDThe 1939 Ford is definitely a Tudor and not a De Luxe Tudor. The De Luxe models are easy to spot because the headlights are in the fenders, not between the fender and hood as shown here. The 1941 Pontiac is a De Luxe "Torpedo" Four Door Sedan and not a Streamliner. In addition to there being a definite break between the roof line and the trunk, the side trim on the De Luxe ends in a straight line, parallel to the ground, before the trunk begins. The Streamliner, which is a true fastback, has side trim which extends far beyond the trunk top, dips down towards the rear bumper, and follows the fender line. Also of note, the fender skirt shown on the Pontiac is a standard accessory that was shown in the Pontiac catalog. Photos of everything below. Needles Today...The soldiers in this picture were most likely stationed at the Needles Army post located between the Riverview Cemetery and what is now Needles Airport on the road going to Blythe. They would be going to the U.S.O. located inside the El Garces Hotel (Harvey House), which also serves as the passenger train station (it was completely refurbished in 2014 and serves as an Amtrak station and office space, although the only office space being used now is for the local city bus company). Most of the buildings in the picture are still around. Some are abandoned but available for reuse. We are looking south on F Street from Front Street, which jogs around Santa Fe Park via F and G Streets. Looking at the postcard here, the building on the left, at the corner of F and Front Streets is the Needles Point Pharmacy along with some other businesses. Beyond that (during wartime) there was a service station at the northeast corner of Broadway and F Street. Across the street from that is the Needles Theater (Cinema)/Masonic Lodge (the local Masons built it in 1929 as a dual purpose building). The theater closed down many years ago and the Masons no longer meet in Needles. However, the marquee still works and it can be rented for messaging. On the other side of F Street, where the palm trees are is Santa Fe Park, which is in front of El Garces Hotel (Harvey House). There aren't as many palm trees today. We cross Front Street as it jogs around Santa Fe Park. Here we see the Needles Point Liquor Store (complete with loyal customers at the front door) and then we see the Needles Eye Lunch. This is the Butler Building and it's all abandoned but it's serviceable. Beyond the Needles Eye Lunch we see a Shell Station and the northwest corner of F Street and Broadway. This is now where Needles Glass and Mirror do business. Across the street from that we see the Hotel California, which burned down in 1952. Today that site serves as the parking lot for the Frontier Phone Company. Beyond that is Robinson's Motor Inn (cottages) which is now Robinson's Apartments. (Three of the old 1930s motels became apartment complexes.) Needles Point Drug and Liquor Stores are now neighbors on Broadway to the southwest of this picture. The former site of the Needles Point Drug Store is now property of the Needles Unified School District. There are still other businesses in that building, including a beauty salon. The solid white line down the middle of the street is now a double yellow line. The crosswalk from the drug store to the park no longer exists. Only parallel parking is allowed on Needles streets today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Memphis Revisited: 1910
... Street north from Gayoso Avenue." Our second look at the Hotel Gayoso and flower shop next door. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... at the time in the original shadow box frame. The old hotel is now upscale apartments. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:39am -

Memphis, Tennessee, circa 1910. "Main Street north from Gayoso Avenue." Our second look at the Hotel Gayoso and flower shop next door. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +98Below is the same view from August of 2008. This is looking north from Peabody Place. Newfangled contraptionsDobbin is slowly giving way to the horseless carriages that are more and more taking on the appearance of serious automobiles, and in fact is outnumbered in this photo although probably not in totality. That snazzy little job on the front left (maybe a Hupmobile by the radiator script) predicts the lines of the sporty cars of 55 years in the future with its two seats, long hood, short rear and low-slung chassis compared to the behemoths on the rest of the block. Things haven't changedThe sharpest dressed man on the block is going to the roadster! He's probably one of the movers and shakers in Memphis circa 1910. DressesYou can see a lady all the way on the right. She is wearing a simpler skirt with a shorter hem, a precursor to the very cropped 1920s styles? She is still wearing a tailored jacket over a corset but it is a far cry from the S-bend style with pigeon breast. Is this where Victoria shopped?Silverware, Glassware, Dinnerware, Housewares, I've never heard of Queensware - what was it? Gayoso honeymoonMy grandparents honeymooned at the Gayoso in 1911. They eventually had nine children, of which my mother was the youngest. The Campbell farm was in Giltedge TN, Tipton County. I have the ashtray souvenir that was purchased at the time in the original shadow box frame. The old hotel is now upscale apartments. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Memphis, Stores & Markets)
Confession: 1920
... across Olive St, sits the fabulous and historic Biltmore Hotel, definitely something that is on the must-see list if you visit L.A. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 7:16pm -

Los Angeles circa 1920. "Fifth Street and Spanish-American War monument in Pershing Square." Now playing at Clune's Auditorium Theatre: Henry Walthall in "Confession." Also note the "Pasadena Trip" touring car. View full size. A Bit of a StretchTwo modified extra long touring phaetons! Now I know where the idea for stretch limos came from. +92An uninviting concrete wasteland awaits. Edit: I failed to mention that on the other side of the Square, across Olive St, sits the fabulous and historic Biltmore Hotel, definitely something that is on the must-see list if you visit L.A. View Larger Map Cars, Curbs, Recruiting, & TramplingThe black car appears to be a 1916 or 1917 Packard with a coachbuilt charabanc body on a stretched chassis. The sign on the side looks like "Packard De Classe," which may be the name of the business. The white car I have not been able to identify yet, but the seats in the passenger compartment are angled towards the center of the vehicle. The Pasadena Trip poster on the side almost looks like it could be rolled up like a window shade for storage. Although curbs normally are not that interesting, note how deep the one is where the two cars are parked. Perhaps a remnant from the days of carriages, the deeper curb makes it easier to get into a vehicle. As you get closer to the corner, the curb becomes shallower making it easier for pedestrians to cross the street. There is a classic Army recruiting poster behind the white car along with possibly a U.S. Marines recruiting poster next to it which is facing away from the camera. Apparently the grass around the cannon and monument is sacred and no one is to be trampling over it. There is fencing around most of the grass and possibly a sign stating this as well. The sign is out of focus so I can't confirm what it says. Who's the geniuswho said "What this square needs is fewer trees, and an enormous concrete staircase." Public spaces of the past are almost always more appealing than contemporary ones. Seems you can spot a bad architect by their need to reinvent the wheel. Served When CalledWhen I looked at the monument to the 7th California Soldiers, I thought it was like most other war monuments and it listed the Soldiers who had died during the war. Not a single one of the Soldiers listed on the plaque died in battle. All 20 men listed on the memorial tablet died of illness while in San Francisco between May 6, 1898 and December 12, 1898. Since the 7th Infantry Regiment was raised from Los Angeles the memorial was placed there. The monument was dedicated on Memorial Day 1900 and it still exists, in slightly modified form, in Pershing Square. It is the oldest piece of public artwork in Los Angeles. After the dedication, the name of a 21st Soldier who died of illness was added on the side of the monument. The full story of how the monument came to be is here. Because of the weight of the monument, when a parking garage was put underneath Pershing Park, the statue height was reduced. Cannon's fate?Do any Shorpy readers know the fate of the cannon at lower left? There's a virtual twin on display in the Presidio of San Francisco. (Below) According to the engraving on the Presidio gun, it was captured in Cuba during the Spanish-American War and donated to the City of San Francisco by the Native Sons of the Golden West. Was a twin gun presented to the City of Angels? Big time show bizThe "Auditorium Theatre Clunes" on the mid-distant right with its 2,700 seats was the biggest movie palace west of New York City and, upon its completion in 1906, the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Much more about this leading early 20th Century show business establishment here: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/13960 Traveling cannonAccording to a 1941 guidebook to Los Angeles: Nearby is a bronze cannon made in 1751 for the navy of Louis XV of France; it was captured in 1898 at Santiago, Cuba, by the American corps commanded by Major General William R. Shafter, who presented it to the city. General Shafter made the presentation on Thanksgiving Day, 1899 and the cannon was placed in the northeast corner of (the then named) Central Park at 5th and Hill Streets, and was displayed like this: The later reconfiguring of the sidewalks caused the cannon to be moved to the position seen in the 1920 picture. After World War II, when the underground parking garage was built (and the statue was shortened as seen here), the cannon was moved to Travel Town—a railroad oriented museum that also housed other, non-train displays. In 1987 the museum decided to focus solely on railroad artifacts and deaccessioned all other items to appropriate museums. The Shafter cannon wound up at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, where it can be seen lounging on the observation deck. A reporter's story of the cannon and his search for it is told in three parts here, here, and here. Who's first?From the website cinimatreasures, we learn of Clune’s Auditorium (originally called Temple Auditorium, and designed by Charles Frederick Whittlesey) that “…at the time of its completion, Temple Auditorium was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world.” The building opened in 1906. Numerous resources will confirm that Albert Kahn, often called “the architect of Detroit,” developed the concept of reinforced concrete construction, and that the Packard plant (designed by Kahn and opened in 1907) was the first manifestation of the method. I wondered how the Packard plant could claim the ”first” status, when Temple opened in 1906. I believe the solution to the seeming contradiction lies in the phrase “at the time of its completion,” regarding Temple. Given the magnitude of the Packard project (which dwarfed Temple), it’s almost a certainty that blueprints were drawn and work actually commenced well in advance of the Temple initiative. Therefore, the Packard plant can rightfully claim the “first” status. Unless demolition occurred very recently, the Packard plant shell is still standing, as are many other Kahn designs. Cannon historyThanks Tobacconist! All we knew of the history of the Presidio gun was its inscription, the original records apparently lost during the 1906 fires. You've filled a huge gap in our knowledge of the bronze cannon. The speech reported in the newspaper by Gen. Shafter describing his acquisition of the twin weapons will be added the museum records about the Presidio gun. Tip of the hat to Dave and all the folks at Shorpy for helping solve another mystery. (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles, Movies)
Society Girls: 1915
... a "melange of sprightly nonsense" performed in the Plaza Hotel ballroom on April 15, 1915, and organized by Miss Spence's School Society ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2012 - 10:36pm -

New York circa 1915. "Eleanor Davies -- Marion Gibney -- Emalena Sizer -- Caryl Hackstaff -- Elizabeth Kirlin -- Laura Parsons -- Sophie Young -- Elise Rice (Mrs. Winfield Linn)." 5x7 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. Fairies at the Bottom of our BallroomThese young society women are dressed in their costumes as the Fairy Queen's courtiers in an elaborate amateur musical comedy, "Old King Cole," a "melange of sprightly nonsense" performed in the Plaza Hotel ballroom on April 15, 1915, and organized by Miss Spence's School Society for the benefit of a class of tubercular crippled children. The play, followed by dinner and dancing, was repeated on the evenings of April 16 and 17. A detailed description of the production and its participants was reported in the New York Times. Society Girlsyet they mold just like commoners. Follows facial featuresDoes anyone know why the mold lines follow facial features in some cases? That is strange and spooky. [Mold feeds on photographic emulsion, an organic gelatin compound. The best feeding ground is where the emulsion is thickest, which on a photographic negative are the densest, darkest areas, such as faces. - tterrace] FinallyDespite the mold lines (because of the mold lines? No.), this is by far the most beautiful group of women ever on Shorpy, by today's standards. I'm not out on a limb here. I'm in on a limb. Way in. Cleaner complexionsBy way of comparison, the LOC negatives include three individual head shots from this same group portrait, in much better condition than the overall view: The Misses Kirlin and Parsons, and Mrs. Linn. Missing TagThese young ladies didn't rate the "Pretty Girls" tag? It's not their fault they're so moldy. [Good point. Fixed! - Dave] (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Pretty Girls)
Name That Ship!
... Volendam (again, 1978-84); Island Sun (floating hotel in Quebec, 1984-85); Liberté (1985-87); Canada Star (1987-89); ... Bermuda Star (1984-90); Enchanted Isle (1990-94); Hotel Commodore (floating hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1994-95);, ... 
 
Posted by Jim Page - 09/21/2012 - 9:35pm -

Another slide from the past. This ship may be, according to a web history I found, the Argentina, but my recollection from those days was that it was named the Amazon Princess or something similar. My dad worked on the vessel as an electrician during slack periods in his flying, and he took me up in his float plane to watch it being launched. It was 1958 or so at the Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. I was in the first grade, so my memory is rather hazy regarding details. Dad had built a little ramp/turntable tiedown for his pontoon-fitted Super Cub on the Pascagoula River not far from the F.B. Walker and Sons Dry Dock. I have several photos of all that if anyone is interested in seeing them. View full size. See more photos?Jim Page, we are Shorpy-ites, so, of course, we want to see more photos! Plus, I grew up in Gulfport, so this is close to home. TwinsThese two ships (the white hulled one on the left and the one to its right that is surrounded by scaffolding and has a crane off its starboard quarter) were the last passenger luxury ocean liners ever built in the United States. Parts for their construction were gathered from all of the (then) 48 states. Bidding $24,444,181 per ship, Ingalls Shipyards—still the largest private employer in Mississippi—had won the contract from Moore-McCormack Lines to build replacements for aging ships of the same names that had been built in 1928. The earlier ships were owned by the United States Federal Maritime Board and operated by Moore-McCormack Lines. As part of a $3,500,000,000 program to rebuild America’s merchant marine fleet, the Federal Maritime Board contributed about $20,000,000 toward the cost of building the two new passenger liners. They were known by many names during their more than 45-year careers. Perhaps some of us sailed on them without knowing their original names. On the left is the S.S. Brasil (correct spelling), which was launched on December 16, 1957. Renamed the Universe for scrapping, she was beached at Alang, India in late 2004. From 1996 to 2004, as the Universe Explorer, she had been part of the Semester at Sea program sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh and administered by the Institute for Shipboard Education. During her career she had been known as: Brasil (1958-72); Volendam (1972-75); Monarch Sun (1975-78); Volendam (again, 1978-84); Island Sun (floating hotel in Quebec, 1984-85); Liberté (1985-87); Canada Star (1987-89); Queen of Bermuda (1989-90);, Enchanted Seas (1990-95); and Universe Explorer (1995-2004). In Hong Kong for extensive refurbishing to return her to cruise ship status, she was instead sold to scrappers in November 2004 and renamed Universe. Later that month the Universe, f/k/a S.S. Brasil sailed for Alang, India, where she was beached at high tide on December 7, 2004. - - - The one to her right is her sister ship, the S.S. Argentina, which was launched on March 12, 1958. Renamed New Orleans for scrapping, she was beached at Alang, India in December 2003. During her career she had been known as: Argentina (1958-72); Veendam (1972-72); Brasil (1974-76); Monarch Star (1976-78); Veendam (again, 1978-84); Bermuda Star (1984-90); Enchanted Isle (1990-94); Hotel Commodore (floating hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1994-95);, Enchanted Isle (again, 1995-2003). On December 30, 2000 the Enchanted Isle docked at Violet, Louisiana after her owner declared bankruptcy. Between December 30, 2000 and September 5, 2003 the Enchanted Isle was sold a number of times, but never left the dock. On September 6 the last buyer renamed her New Orleans and soon began repairs that would allow her to sail under her own power to the breakers in Alang, India. The New Orleans, f/k/a S.S. Argentina, arrived there on December 4, 2003 and was beached five days later. Information on the full careers of both the S.S. Brasil and the S.S. Argentina can be found here on the right side of the list under "The Modern Fleet (1958 to 1969)." Another site with great pictures can be found here. Be sure to follow the "SS Brasil & Argentina to SS Universe Explorer INDEX" links at the bottom of the page. Yes, More PhotosI would love to see what photos you have from that time frame. I was 23 yrs old when I started work at Ingalls in July 1957 as a helper in the Fab Shop. I remember the Brasil and Argentina very well. That is the Brasil on #1 Way, apparently being launched. Argentina is just south of her. By 1958 I was a pipe welder working on the Eagle Tankers and the destroyers. After suffering through a couple of layoffs, like all shipyard workers, I eventually became a piping inspector in the nuclear submarine program and then advanced to a test director. That was the most enjoyable time of my working career. Sea trials with Admiral Hyman Rickover, first dives to test depth, working with ships crews to complete the construction, idiot officers and competent enlisted men, freedom to perform what needed to be done to get the job done and many stories to tell - most of which people would tend not believe. Of all the Boats I worked on, Haddock was my favorite. I left Ingalls in 1974 when they ended their participation in the Submarine program and joined the Bechtel Power Corporation. They were a fine company to work for and took me all over the United States and part of the far east working on nuclear power plants. I have many tales to tell that would probably bore the horns off of a Billy Goat. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
South Dakota Division: 1899
... of fire Check out the fire escape on the side of the hotel in the background.It doesn't look too fireproof itself! Not Paper ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2018 - 5:40pm -

Circa 1899. "Tracy, Minnesota -- engine of the South Dakota division, Chicago & North-Western R.R." Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Number 605Looks so new it must still have the price sticker on the window. Magnificient detail. Pressed Paper?Solidly in the link and pin era, the front shank coupler announces this is pre-1900 when such couplers were finally banned.Note the "door" hinged to the side of the headlight. When waiting in a siding, the fireboy went out on the pilot to close the door on the lit headlight so as not to blind the approaching train. This was actually easier than turning out the oil or acetylene lamp. I've seen roller shades used here most often; I can't recall seeing a hinged door before...eh, but those CNW guys could be funny. Note the headlight mounts are left over from the short smokebox of the engine's original arrangement.Directly below the headlight on the boiler front are two brackets; these were most likely used to brace a pilot-mounted snowplow, necessary equipment in the Plains. You can almost read the builder's plate date and shop number, but she was built by Schenectady Locomotive Works. Lastly, the front wheels are made of...get this...pressed paper.Look it up, I ain't fibbing![pressed paper railroad wheel] Schenectady Locomotive Worksthat manufactured C&NW engine #605 operated from 1848 until it merged into American Locomotive Company in 1901. One of the engines it manufactured for C&NW (#1015 in 1900) is still in existence at the Museum of Transportion in Kirkwood, MO. Actually, locos were kept this clean 'back in the day'>Looks so new it must still have the price sticker on the window. Although it's possible this was recently out-shopped, it's much more likely it came fresh from the roundhouse. Back in the 19th century, locomotives were kept in pristine condition; railroads hired people to wipe them down and engineers took particular pride in the appearance of their engines. Olde Buck points out this was most likely converted from wood to coal, I'd guess this loco was constructed in the early 1880s and converted in the late 1880s/1890s. Note the fixture for a steam line on the roof of the baggage/mail car and the corresponding rig on the back of the tender. There's a steam feed from the steam dome (alongside the whistle). I think this was probably added to the original locomotive. There's a 'mail bag catcher' on the door for mailbags. I think we've had previous Shorpy photos showing the mail bag hangers alongside a passenger depot. Magnificent Locomotive!And it's obviously being maintained by a crew that really cares about it. As Olde Buck implies, it is probably not new -- in 1899, the 4-4-0 layout was already considered classic if not obsolescent, and the pin connectors, notoriously dangerous, were being replaced by the "modern" type of couplers. Note the brightly polished bell, the shining surface of the boiler, and other authentic details -- you can see the whistle on top of the steam dome and the lever that triggers it with a lanyard leading back to the cab. The sand dome shows the plumbing that deposits sand on the fore driver wheel as needed for traction. I don't know how to recognize it in railroad wheels, but it is certainly true pressed paper was used in some, with an iron "tire" on the rim. In the 1880's, pressed paper was even used for the skins of racing shells, as it was lighter than wood. I don't think it is used today for any structural purposes. In case of fireCheck out the fire escape on the side of the hotel in the background.It doesn't look too fireproof itself! Not PaperThe pressed paper hubs were strictly used on Pullman Sleepers after the inventor showed George that they really did reduce vibration transmission. I could be wrong butI bet it has that new locomotive smell. During World War Two plastic-reinforced jettisonable paper fuel tanks were used to extend the range of fighter aircraft including the P-47, P-51 and P-38. The largest held 200 gallons, which gave (for example) the P-47 close to a couple more hours of flying time, enough to escort our bombers over Germany. This ability was a very significant contributor to winning the air war because enemy fighters no longer could easily attack the big and unprotected B-17s and B-24s, unprotected except for their many .50 caliber machine guns (some B-17s packed 11 or more), which made many enemy pilots moribund. Pressed paper wheels> I don't know how to recognize it in railroad wheels, but it is certainly true pressed paper was used in some, with an iron "tire" on the rim. The give-away is the bolts/rivets on the leading truck wheels. These are typical of composite wheels. A cast wheel would not need these bolts/rivets to hold it together. Builder's engine DataC&NW 605 was built by Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1885. C&NW labelled it C-2 class. Boiler pressure was 150 lbs. Driving wheels were 63 inches diameter. 605 was scrapped March 5, 1917. 605 weighed 88,500 pounds. Tractive effort was 16,900 lbs. Looks from my source that the railroad had only a dozen C-2 class engines. A Work In ProgressWhoever was doing the sprucing up must not have had time to finish the tender before the engine was needed for service, because the old, dull finish is visible around and inside its numbers, and on the curved gangway area where the crew climbs up to board. JugI wonder what beverage was contained in the earthenware jug aft of the engineer. Second career for a C&NW C-2 4-4-0 - can you help?At least one of these C&NW C-2 class locomotives was sold secondhand. I have a large B&W print of Sheffield & Tionesta #4 at Kelletville, PA in 1904, with no visible builders plate, but "C&NW" cast in the smokebox door just as in 605. S&T #4 was used between 1904 and 1914 as the primary passenger engine on the little S&T, and was replaced by a new Baldwin 4-4-0. The entire railroad was abandoned and sold for scrap in 1941. Judging by the matching set of dents on the air compressor on the photo I have taken from the same angle, I seriously thought S&T 4 was C&NW 605. If there's any information anyone can find on which one it was, contact me. Sheffield & Tionesta is convered in the book "Teddy Collins Empire" (Casler, 1974) of the "Logging Railroads of Pennsylvania" series. His book is out of print but the railroad museum of PA has the negatives and original manuscript. Finding this particular image on Shorpy was wonderful and made me a member. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Cafe Society: 1941
... re-open a Hot Shoppes in the lobby of hte Marriott Marquis Hotel being built in downtown DC. It should open in 2014. At least one guy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2012 - 9:19pm -

December 1941. "Hot Shoppe restaurant. Washington, D.C." A smoking Hot Shoppe. Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full size. I'm really enjoying these Hot Shoppes photosGrew up in the DC area and ate at a many a Hot Shoppe in DC, MD, and VA, from childhood to young adulthood during the '50's and '60's, until they started to disappear. One thing that was unique to the Hot Shoppes was that the waitress (it usually was a waitress) didn't take your order in the usual way. Instead, your table was given a lined order slip and a pencil, along with the menus, when you were seated. You wrote your own selections on the order slip, and the waitress returned to your table to pick it up and take it to the kitchen. She would first read it back to you to make sure you didn't leave anything out! My sister and I used to fight over who got to write everyone's orders on the slip. I still miss the Hot Shoppes' Might Mo platters and hot fudge ice cream cake. They also had wonderful onion rings and chicken noodle soup. A friend of my family was a Hot Shoppes waitress. I remember how much she earned - 50 cents an hour. Even as a kid, I thought that was peanuts. It was explained to me that she had to earn tips to supplement her salary, which I thought was exceptionally unfair. Hot Shoppes are long gone, but some things never change. Hot Shoppes Bring Back MemoriesIn 1940/1 my father would ride the bus from his job in downtown DC and meet us for dinner at the Hot Shoppe at roughly 4340 Connecticut Ave, NW. Then we go to the Ice Palace skating rink across Conn Ave, which the Wash. Figure Skating club had rented for a few hours. The rink became the site of the WJLA-TV studios after WW2. I worked at the National Bureau of Standards in the early 1960s and we'd walk down the hill and eat lunch at that same Hot Shoppe. Those coin boxes at the table were for the juke box. Hot Shoppes chose the music, not the customer. Marriott had "standards". Do you remember the inspirational "Table Talk" publication at each table? Suction cup soup of the day?The suction cup thingie looks like a card displaying an advertisement or specials at the restaurant... just like the tabletop pieces commonly encased in plastic today. The photographer is simply shooting it on end. The shadow cast looks a little too thick for it to be a stick. Suction Cup?Does anyone know what that thing is on the middle table? It looks like a black suction cup with a stick attached. Re: Suction Cup? It's the table number, viewed from side on. Hot ShoppesMost Washingtonians probably have no idea how much the Hot Shoppes were part of the culture of DC. Starting as root beer stands in the 1930s, they grew into what was easily one of the most popular local restaurant chains in the US. I grew up in the DC area, living there from 1941 to 1965. I remember the Hot Shoppes as about the only restaurant my family went to regularly. In the 1950s, they had the Mighty Mo, an early version of the Big Mac. Other favorites were ice cream cake, onion rings, and hot roast beef sandwiches with fabulous mashed potatoes, garnished with two slices of a pickled beet. Oh my. I seem to rememberwhen I was in the Marine Corps, stationed in Philadelphia in 1967, there was a Hot Shoppes version of McDonald's a couple of blocks over from my duty staion on Broad Street Called Jr. Hot Shoppes. They had some kind of Hill Billy logo, but could be misremembering that. Semi-formal?The dress code here seems pretty much the same as when I was the age of these folks, a quarter century later. We called it "semi-formal." It meant that the boys wore what they would wear to church on Sunday, and the girls dressed as if they were going to opening night at the opera. In retrospect it seems rather imbalanced. If the internet is any guide, in the intervening years confusion has crept into the male half of the semi-formal equation, which now covers everything from a business suit to a tux. Hot Shoppes coming backAfter their Hot Shoppes Jr stores performed poorly, they rebranded as Roy Rogers. Their fried chicken recipe is based on the original Pappy Parkers recipe used in the original Hot Shoppes. The Marriott corporation is supposed to re-open a Hot Shoppes in the lobby of hte Marriott Marquis Hotel being built in downtown DC. It should open in 2014. At least one guyIs married, from the looks of it (nearest to us). Who are you people?And what have you done to all the Shorpy regulars? Before I clicked on the picture to see the comments, I expected the usual "look at all the beautiful women" reactions. Instead it's all about signs on the table, and what everybody's wearing, and "I used to go there". So okay, I'll man up and say it. Look at all the beautiful women. Carry on. Glad To SeeI'm not the only one that remembers ordering a Mighty Mo with onion rings. Heavenly! Give me that purseI'm loving the little beaded evening bag on the table. My parents' hangoutThese kids are dressed up because they likely stopped here after a dance or other event. I doubt they got all dolled up to go to the Hot Shoppe. Pentagon Hot ShoppesRecently I saw a TV documentary on J. Willard Marriott, who started out as the owner of Hot Shoppes, and recall they had one photo of a very popular Hot Shoppes restaurant that was smack dab in the middle of the land that now is occupied by the Pentagon. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, John Collier)
The Summer of '42
... in. Along with the Guardian Building and the Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit has such gems more people need to see! Fisher ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 4:35pm -

Detroit, July 1942. "Looking down on a parking lot from the rear of the Fisher Building." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Arthur Siegel. View full size. Deja View all over againIt looks like Deitrich Furs has replaced the billboards, and, if you enlarge the Deja Vu picture, you can virtually stroll down the street with the private dwellings and see that they are now condos. Looks like one block to the north still has old single dwelling homes, however Cars from this eraLooking at older American cars from this era and even into the 50s and 60s reminds me that SUVs aren't really an aberration, they're more of a return to our roots! Wartime Parking LotOiled gravel striped with chalk. I remember those. HousesI know the cars are the point, in a way, but those huge old houses among the trees are a wonderful sight. I wonder how many are left? All the ones where I live have either been torn down or turned into apartments. Hard to believe those were single family dwellings. One would love to fly down and walk those streets under the shady trees. Deja ViewPoint of reference: the square skylight. Click to zoom. The Time, The Place And The CarsI suppose you can put the relative absence of older cars down to a couple of things. First this is a pretty major office building (headquarters of Fisher Body) so you'd expect that at least some of the people who work here to be above the norm in terms of affluence; that is more likely to buy newer cars. Then too this is three years after the start of World War II (although only a few months after the US got into the war). Even though, and maybe because, the United States wasn't at war until December 1941, the war in Europe had a big impact on companies like General Motors and its subsidiary Fisher Body. Increased wartime production meant greater competition for workers which meant higher wages which meant that more people were likely to consider a new car purchase than they might have been if the photo had been taken in say 1936. And who knows, maybe the fact that Fisher is a subsidiary of GM meant there'd be a discount available for employees. One things likely - you weren't going to see many Fords, Dodges or Hudsons in THAT parking lot! [This was an office building financed by the Fisher family with proceeds from the sale of Fisher Body to GM. It was not a General Motors building, and not the headquarters of Fisher Body. - Dave] How bored was heI am so bored that I count 181 cars in the parking lot and 10 among them that are not turret-topped/not whoosh-windowed/not round-rumped, aka pre-1936ish, so other than those 10, everything there is less than five or six years old. About the same as most parking lots that I park in today, well maybe not. Definitely maybe, almost for sure. Foy Las Vegas Trade-InsInteresting that already in 1942 we see few really old cars in this shot with so many cars captured in it. I see about three or four obviously mid-'thirties cars, and only two possibly late-'twenties or very early-'thirties examples. Thanks also for the current comparison shot, those are always interesting! DiveI'm surprised to see the little dive bar in the back of the lot. Can anyone make out the name? The Fisher Building is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. Along with the Guardian Building and the Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit has such gems more people need to see! Fisher BuildingI'm sitting at work on the seventh floor of the Fisher Building in Detroit at this very moment! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos)
Pale Rider: 1908
... of this general type. The other was in front of the Gotham Hotel a day or so ago. I wonder how many of them were made. Oh, Say, I Can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:51pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1908. "Miss Corine Murphy in auto." Note the unusual rear tire. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Portable treadsThose tires solve the problem of having to throw away perfectly functional "Goodyear Quick Detachable Tires" just because the tread is worn out. All four tires are slicks and the tread (sort of like putting chains on a car today) is added to only the drive wheels. Makes sense. And you can have dirt road tread, and cobblestone tread, and asphalt tread, depending on where you plan to drive. But I like that huge radiator best with the gaping spaces to its core. Not to mention that this car is from before the era of bumpers. You hit somebody with that radiator first. If you hit a horse, he'll get a behind branded with radiator textured plaid. Ms. MurphyLooks more than ready to lay down some serious miles. Cadillac Model B RunaboutCirca 1904. Not quite KodachromeIt was too hot and windy outside to work in the yard so I spent the whole day coloring this old photograph. Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it. OvertiresI think they are galoshes to keep the mud off your good "Sunday go to meeting" tires. 189The license plate number is written on the headlights. It's an outrage!Next thing you know they'll be wanting the right to vote, and before you know it liquor will be against the law! Snakeskin traction sleeves"Viper" was one popular brand. Flayed from live boa constrictors, which were grown on python plantations in Cuba around the turn of the century. Slick TiresThey appear to be "Billet" detachable tire protectors with "contre envelope" attachments or similar. ("The Horseless Age" Volume 15, January 4, 1905) The "tread" part has flaps which extend over the sidewall on both sides and hold a wire extending around the circumference and fasten (tighten) in two places with a screw and nut. At that time here were many types of tire protectors of various designs and attachment schemes. Some also claimed to improve traction. An old friendThis is the second car we've see of this general type. The other was in front of the Gotham Hotel a day or so ago. I wonder how many of them were made. Oh, Say, I Can See!I would suggest the centre headlight on the swivel burns acetylene, furnished from a carbide and water gas generator on the auto's left side, the top of which is just visible over the dash. Water in a reservoir on top is controlled to drip onto carbide chunks in the base, which generates acetylene gas. A pipe and a hose would bring the gas to the lamp within which is a ceramic burner jet for the flame. Thank You again for another wonderful photo from long ago! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Bedroom Beautiful: 1956
... It could as easily pass For an upscale motel or hotel room of the era with the acoustical ceiling and recessed lights. Mid ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2015 - 1:47am -

1956. "Hayes residence, Kessler Lake Drive, Dallas. Master bedroom. Architects: Prinz & Brooks." Our first look at the seven-bathroom, 7,300-square-foot bungalow built by Texas car dealer Earl Hayes. 8x10 acetate negative by Maynard L. Parker for House Beautiful. Source: Huntington Library. View full size. Visual confirmationSo it was true married couples slept in separate beds back in the fifties?? GunsLooks like a gun cabinet over the TV. [That's a mirror. -tterrace] Then there's what looks like a bolt-action rifle with scope reflected in the mirror. And I say the dress is white and gold. Ashtrays on the nightstands even though you're not supposed to smoke in bed. Or maybe so you can stub out your butt before turning in. The footstool offers a comfy place to sit while you fiddle with the TV controls, in those pre-remote days. 2 GunsScoped bolt-action rifle, AND, a pump-action shotgun. It could as easily passFor an upscale motel or hotel room of the era with the acoustical ceiling and recessed lights. Mid Century Modernism...at its best. Prinz's own more modest home is a jewel-box, too. Cold?I don't think so. Just because it lacks Grandma's gaudy floral patterns and knick knacks all over the place, doesn't make it cold, but it does need to be in color to really see how beautiful it is. I would change the Peg Board ceiling though. The TV (note my user name) is a 1956 or 57 RCA, 21" "Transette" model with large casters to allow it to roll out of the cubby for viewing; it looks like it has the Limed Oak finish. It's still there, and even largerThe house is still there, with a living room addition built in the 1970s. Pocket doors and built-ins are used throughout the house, which was designed for longtime Chevy dealer Earl Hayes. The 7,301 square foot house is at 718 Kessler Lake Drive, in the Kessler Park neighborhood in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. It was one of the homes featured on the Preservation Dallas tour last fall: http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/headlines/20141017-3.ece Humanity leaves its markThen as now, the nagging problems of civilized culture: how to avoid footprints on the shag. (Far superior to telltale vacuum cleaner tracks, though!) Two or One?My parents always had separate beds. Married in 1944, it was the thing to do, then. I appeared in May of 1946 and have never married, hence for me one bed is adequate. Cold StorageWow, this has all the warmth of a frozen food locker. Telescoping pocket doorsare still popular in high-end homes today. If you look at the ceiling you'll see all three sections slide across for the first third of the distance, two for the middle third, and one for the final third. Lamp on rightMy parents had a couple of lamp bases similar to this one. They were made from obsolete rollers used to print wallpaper. I thought we had the only ones in existence, but it must have been the fashion at the time. Not a mirrorI believe that's a gun cabinet. Crossed in the opposite direction is a pump shotgun. Neither would reflect this way (bolt handle,and lack of ejection port) in a mirror. It's just smoked glass or a trick of light. Mystery objectsSomeone please, please tell me: What are those things on the wall above the beds? [Decor. -tterrace] (Maynard L. Parker)
Mystery Tent Camp: 1903
... about WW2 for those who didn't chose to stay at pricey Hotel del Coronado. Coronado Island Wandering around the old Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego I saw old photos of a tent city similar to this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:17pm -

Circa 1903. "Striped tents in two rows." This looks a little like California to me. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Eucalyptus ubiquityIt's amazing how the eucalyptus has spread to every corner of the globe, at least if you go by Hollywood movies of the teens through the fifties. Frex, this frame from Laurel & Hardy's 1933 Fra Diavolo aka The Devil's Brother, a story ostensibly set in Italy. This link dates the introduction of eucalyptus in California to 1853. A botanical clueThose trees are eucalyptus, planted as windbreaks perhaps, making it very likely the image was taken in California as you suggest. Hard to believe though the image is from 1903 and not more recently. It's the gumDuring the Santa Ana winds of October that plague southern California, a spark will turn these trees into perfect torches. They burn very well. Persistent EucalyptusI've been dealing with eucalyptus trees for about thirty-five years. They're not my favorite tree. Seedlings sprout from roots of parent trees and grow incredibly fast, rapidly spreading beyond their original planted stands and into adjoining natural landscapes. Eucalyptus trees also get very large very quickly. The trees in this photo might be only 20-30 years old. Avalon? "In the eucalyptus grove is a tent city where hundreds enjoy camping out with the luxury of perfect neatness and the best of sanitary conditions." From the chapter on Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, in Charles Frederick Holder, "The Channel Islands of California: a Book for the Angler, Sportsman and Tourist" p 47(1910). The postcards reprinted on page 54 of Marlin Heckman, "Santa Catalina Island in Vintage Postcards (2001), in Google Books, could well be this spot. Catalina IslandIt sure looks lots like my family's old photos of the tourist camps of Avalon, stripes and all. They were very reasonable to rent and had shared restrooms and shower areas. Daily clean linens were provided, providing more jobs for the industrious locals. They were located on the site of the present Island Plaza, where the bus tours now originate. Coronado here in SD had a similar Tent City up until about WW2 for those who didn't chose to stay at pricey Hotel del Coronado. Coronado IslandWandering around the old Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego I saw old photos of a tent city similar to this on the strand just south of the hotel, for tourists on a budget. Don't recall if it had a row of eucalyptus down the center, but this is a good excuse to stop by there tomorrow for happy hour and check. That'll be gum tree to you, mateMy grandma lived in the Sacramento Valley in the 'teens. Her family would move each summer to similar accommodations in the Mendocino hills. The trees were probably a little more redwoody, though. Big groves of eucalyptus have fallen from favor in California due to the fire hazard. (The Aussies have had huge "bushfires," too.) Still, there are some nice stands here and there. We used to burn eucalyptus logs (in our LA home in the 1980s) culled from the windbreaks and other lots around the orchards in Ventura County. The wood is pitchy and fast-burning, imagine! Revival meeting?There are crosses on top of some of the tents. [Connected by wires! - Dave] (The Gallery, Camping, DPC)
Boardwalk Empire (Colorized): 1910
Atlantic City, N.J., circa 1910. "Boardwalk, Hotel Marlborough-Blenheim and Young's Million-Dollar Pier." Dave posted ... 
 
Posted by Dennis Klassen - 11/14/2011 - 3:12pm -

Atlantic City, N.J., circa 1910. "Boardwalk, Hotel Marlborough-Blenheim and Young's Million-Dollar Pier." Dave posted this amazing black-and-white panorama in October. Someone in the comments section suggested that colorizing this photo would be a "Monumental Challenge." I couldn't resist giving it a try. View full size. IncredibleDennis! What a super job. My congratulations for a job very well done. It really brings this marvelous picture to life. Awesome. Dennis Dared!I'm thrilled to see that Dennis accepted my "challenge." It seems as if the color suddenly opened up all of my senses to this image -- I can hear the surf, smell the salt air, and feel the breeze coming on shore. Wondering how many hours it took to complete? Absolutely fantastic! Boardwalk Empire - A Monumental Challenge.The following comment/challenge was posted by NewYearBaby on the B&W original photo a few weeks ago. " Do any of our talented colorizers dare tackle such a sweeping scene? " Nice to see one of our very talented colorizers answering the challenge in spades with this wonderful work. World's Best WallpaperI just set this up as triple monitor wallpaper, and it's completely mesmerizing. This is going to do absolutely nothing for my productivity today, but I certainly appreciate the effort that went into making this. Thanks! ... it must have taken forever !Regarding time spent; I didn't really keep track but it was around 35 to 40 hours. Astounding Eye for Detail!Dennis, your Photoshop skills are amply evident in your awe-inspiring colorization of this photo! The test of greatness lies in the fact that, as I viewed your work, I believed it -- your choice of colors were, in my opinion, realistic and properly overlaid. The hues were spot-on! I had the sense that I was standing with the photographer as he took this photo. The black & white photo was awesome to begin with. The coloring you added to it made it even more awesome! Your work of art is a keeper for me. Thank you for your dedication and attention to detail in creating such a pleasing color restoration. Absolutely stunningWonderful job ... it must have taken forever !!! Wow!Wonderful job, Dennis. How is this done?Yes, please, PLEASE tell us how long this took. I don't know how this is done, but what I picture in my mind is a monumental effort in a Photoshop-like program where practically every pixel is set to a color of the artist's choice. (Yes, if you are doing this the way I imagine it, you are an *artist*.) Oh, NOW I can see SnookiAbsolutely amazing color work. Thanks for sharing this! (ShorpyBlog, Colorized Photos)
Free Hot Lunch: 1901
... recently) in Las Vegas: you could get a fairly pleasant hotel room cheap, with restaurant meals surprisingly inexpensive. In fact, the ... at a loss in hopes of enticing the guests into the hotel casino -- which raked in enough money to cover everything. +115 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2020 - 4:17pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of E Street N.W., south side, looking west from 12th Street." 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. I'm wonderingWho or what paid for that? Because even in 1901 there was no such thing as a free lunch. Maybe they overcharged for that beer? Still in use (kind of) in the 1980sLunchtime is always a slow time at any bar. No surprise that barkeeps would offer cheap food for the price of an alcoholic drink to drum up business. Although I’m sure work after that suffered a bit. Not sure when the “happy hour” phenom took place -- I’m thinking the 1970s? -- but in New Orleans it was common for neighborhood dives to offer red beans and rice to paying customers from 5 to 6 to get them drinking after work instead of going home. It could get quite lively, as I recall. I believe MADD took care of this practice, and for good reason. Perreard's CaféI was a kid in the sixties (born in 1958), and the style of lettering on that café sign, especially the big languorous C, reminds me of hippy-themed graphics, a bit artsy-craftsy, just before the more explosive and mind-blowing style of psychedelia. Got it first time!They figured on selling enough beer to the patrons that a cheap lunch could be given away without hampering profitability. (Remember, they promised "free" and "hot" -- not a word about "good".) In fact, free lunch at saloons was something of a running gag in Crockett Johnson's Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley comic strip back around WW2. Same concept is still alive (or was until fairly recently) in Las Vegas: you could get a fairly pleasant hotel room cheap, with restaurant meals surprisingly inexpensive. In fact, the room and food were operating at a loss in hopes of enticing the guests into the hotel casino -- which raked in enough money to cover everything. +115Below is the same view from June of 2016. The top of the Willard Hotel can be seen on the right side of the 1901 view but only the Willard's flagpole is visible in the 2016 view. Once got a free lunch in MexicoMy wife and I ordered a beer each and we were served, gratis, six delightful little dishes of stuff like frijoles, ceviche, tortilla. A place on the coast near Merida called Progreso. TANSTAAFL"Free" lunch, paid for the lunchtime crowd drinking overpriced beer. C hereThe C in the Perreard's Cafe sign wasn't native to the "hippy-themed graphics" of the middle Sixties. Those designers were ripping off the French Art Nouveau movement, oh-so-new-and-fashionable here in 1901. (Think Alphonse Mucha.) I'll have another. . .This comes from the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper: “It is the custom with many saloon keepers to furnish their bars daily with a lunch bowl for customers. A German generally has a plate of pretzels and Limburger cheese ... the former thick with salt stimulates the appetite for drink. A Frenchman sets out French bread filled with caraway seeds and a bowl of garlic sliced in vinegar but an Englishman sticks to yellow cheese and crackers. ... The American saloonkeeper varies his bill of fare. Sometimes he runs to chowder then to bean soup He may have tripe and vinegar today but tomorrow he fancies raw onions in vinegar and army biscuits and ham sandwiches. Pepper and salt are used in unlimited quantities.” George Ade from The Old Time Saloon: “The average free lunch was no feast, but a stingy few edibles known to give customers an immediate desire for something to drink. Dried Herring alias the Blind Robin a former fish imperfectly preserved in salt. There were seasonal treats as well, spring onions or radishes when they were cheap, but as he reminded us “There was no closed season for dill pickles.” (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Eateries & Bars)
Palm Beach: 1905
... Flagler hotels This trolley led from the the gargantuan Hotel Royal Poinciana about a half mile east to the Breakers on the ocean. ... also choose to take the palm-lined "Ocean Walk." The hotel closed around 1930 and was razed in 1936. It was the largest wooden ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 4:53pm -

Florida circa 1905. "The Palm Beach 'trolley.' " Early development in the Sunshine State. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Flagler hotelsThis trolley led from the the gargantuan Hotel Royal Poinciana about a half mile east to the Breakers on the ocean. Guests could also choose to take the palm-lined "Ocean Walk." The hotel closed around 1930 and was razed in 1936. It was the largest wooden structure in the world when it was built. http://royalpoincianahotel.blogspot.com/ A quibbleis that the term "trolley" refers to the apparatus for picking up electrical power from an overhead wire, absent in this case. [The word meant "cart." As in horse trolley. It eventually came to be applied to the apparatus drawing electrical current from overhead wires to power a trolley car. Strictly speaking, this conveyance is a horsecar. Which is why the caption puts the word trolley in quotes. - Dave] JustificationAnother reason I visit Shorpy every day is to give myself a linguistic tuneup. Trolleys = Go-kartsIn New Zealand (and probably other places) go-karts are "trolleys." There are annual "trolley races" all over. A friend is an organizer for one. Flagler SystemThe trolley is owned by Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. Flagler was the man most responsible for early real estate development and resort building in Florida, bringing all interested parties down there via his own railroad, which ran all the way to Key West, with ferry service to Havana. HorsepowerWhatever it is, it gets around on 1 HP. Old FloridaHaving grown up in South Miami, I'm loving this series. Anyone who attended South Florida schools in the 1960s would know all about Henry Flagler and his railroads and hotels. If I'm ever offered a time machine, my first trip will be to South Florida and the Keys circa 1900. It's wall-to-wall concrete now even compared to when I was a kid, but the pristine, undeveloped wilderness of the area must have been stunning at the time. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Horses, Streetcars)
Down and Out in Omaha: 1938
... come back later. Jake & Elwood The New ***stone Hotel, with its "Clean, Modern Rooms" featuring cracked glass windows and "E-Z Tatter Shades" reminds me of the hotel the Blues Brothers lived in until Carrie Fisher blew it up! Pressed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:21am -

November 1938. Omaha, Nebraska. "Lower Douglas Street, where the unemployed hang out." 35mm negative by John Vachon. View full size. OmahaWouldn't be known for its beach for six years or so. I wonder what little Warren Buffett was doing at this precise moment. Conor Oberst couldn't handle this kind of depression. Stylin'The unemployed in 1938 dressed better than most people going to work today. The Car blurMight that be a 1935 Chevrolet passing by? I can't be sure. While You WaitPersonally I've never done it that way. Those pressing tables can get awfully hot. I would prefer to leave the suit and come back later. Jake & ElwoodThe New ***stone Hotel, with its "Clean, Modern Rooms" featuring cracked glass windows and "E-Z Tatter Shades" reminds me of the hotel the Blues Brothers lived in until Carrie Fisher blew it up! Pressed for timeThey're not unemployed - just waiting for their suits to be pressed. Love the clothesDid people just get more dressed up back then even to just go to the store? PlymouthI believe it's a 1933 Plymouth, Model PD, from fairly late in the model year. Hints: Goddess mascot, long-teardrop headlights, front-fender sweep, arched bumper, horn mounted under the headlight, hubcap shape, hood louvers (and the hood covers most of the cowl), deep arc of lower windshield (which is hinged at the top). Here's mine, fresh out of the barn, in 1987. After sitting since 1959, all it needed was a battery and TLC, and it started right up. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha)
Alligator Joe: 1904
... Company. View full size. The badge That's a hotel porter's cap. The porters drove (or pushed) guests around in those wicker ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/06/2013 - 11:51pm -

Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1904. "Alligator Joe and his pets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The badgeThat's a hotel porter's cap. The porters drove (or pushed) guests around in those wicker rolling chairs. ComboI see supper, shoes, and a purse! I think those are crocodiles.Long tapered snout, and toothy smile. Poke gator grannyThat granny in black seems awfully eager to get a close-up look at those gators. Apparently, not all Victorian ladies had overly refined sensibilities! She puts me in mind of Tweety Bird's owner -- and who's that in the bowler -- Calvin Coolidge? 121Curious about the badge on the black man's cap. Any ideas? Chairman of the BoredHe was one among hundreds of bicycle chair drivers employed by the hotels to convey guests around the island. Aside from trolleys and rail cars, bicycle chairs were the only wheeled vehicles allowed on Palm Beach at the turn of the century. Alligator Joe Campbell, 1872-1926"Alligator Joe" Campbell was the originator of alligator farming in America and the owner of the former Florida Alligator Farm in Jacksonville. More here. Alligator Joe on Cemetery TourOur Pilot Club will have a historical tour April 24-25 in Evergreen Cemetery. Joe and Sadie will be part of the tour including 21 other stops. Guides will lead you to dramatists and storytellers bringing history to life. Alligator Joe franchise?The NY Times of March 3, 1907, gave Alligator Joe's real name as Warren Frazier, and described his shtick as wrestling an alligator in the ocean, then climbing on its back and riding it back to shore. And an advertisement in the Times for April 11, 1907, remarked on what beautiful leather goods could be made from the hides of any creature like "the dusty and sleepy alligators on 'Alligator Joe's' farm at Palm Beach." (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Travel & Vacation)
« first‹ prev…25 [26]27…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.