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Old Folks at Home: 1940
... all week and change on the weekend.] He would fish for the hotel down there [on Cedar Point]. There was a Fishing Point Hotel [inaudible], only hotel on that area. He would fish with a hand line and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2019 - 10:13pm -

September 1940. "St. Mary's County, Maryland. Negro Farm Security Administration clients and their homes -- Mr. and Mrs. Dyson [John and Louise], aged rehabilitation borrowers. Mr. Dyson was born into slavery over eighty years ago." Photo by John Vachon. View full size. WorthinessWhat a handsome couple. What dignity. A lifetime of laughsMr. Dyson strikes me as a man who made the Missus laugh every day. TRIUMPH OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL SOULS OVER ADVERSITYSo near the end of their journey and silently extolling what they have made of it. My vote for the outstandingly best photograph I've seen among many all these years that I've awakened to breakfast with 'SHORPY'. It's evening now and I return to cast my vote from among some of the most effective of all these wonderful "Socialistic" photographers of the thirties and forties. Thank you John Vachon for sharing this glorious moment with John and Louise. We've seen them before!If I'm not mistaken, this is the same beautiful couple seen sitting in their home, Mr. Dyson playing an accordian while Mrs. Dyson sits beside him enjoying the music. They seem to be truly happy people despite the adversity and obvious poverty they had to endure. Oral Histories about the DysonsThankfully, several oral histories have been given by the grandchildren of this couple. You can view the complete oral history by their grandson Ernest Webster Dyson here. Excerpt: "[Explains what the Farm Security Administration photo of his grandfather calls up.] Well, it's my grandfather and my grandmother ... show that he got his work clothes on ... for fishing. [He'd] go practically every morning. [Explains that he'd wear the same clothes all week and change on the weekend.] He would fish for the hotel down there [on Cedar Point]. There was a Fishing Point Hotel [inaudible], only hotel on that area. He would fish with a hand line and then he would take the fish-- I think they were paying about four cent-- either four or five cent a pound for em. He didn't work nowhere; he didn't work no job-- just would stay around the water." This photo was taken in 1940, only a year or two before the US Navy took the land they lived on to create Patuxent River Naval Air Station. You can read about that event and how the the Dyson's were displaced to New Jersey, as told by their granddaughter Edith. There are also more photos from this set as well as a full photo of their house. Thanks to the poster for the oral historiesReading of their displacement is one of the saddest things I've ever read. Their lives in St Marys sounded wonderful and well deserved considering what they survived. Such a tragic and horrible thing to imagine Mr. Dyson so stressed and full of grief. Shame on the US government for not providing for them better. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Portraits)
Eat Velvet: 1900
... The Maine shore circa 1900. "The beach at Old Orchard -- Hotel Velvet and Ocean Pier." The roof of whose "Big Casino" urges us to "Eat ... full size. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The hotel's basement was known as "The Velvet Underground," right? Current Day ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2018 - 1:42pm -

The Maine shore circa 1900. "The beach at Old Orchard -- Hotel Velvet and Ocean Pier." The roof of whose "Big Casino" urges us to "Eat Velvet, Drink Moxie." Panorama made from three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. Wait, wait, don't tell me.The hotel's basement was known as "The Velvet Underground," right? Current Day A lot shorter now.Winter storms and fires have taken their toll. The pier was built in 1898. The original length was 1,825 feet. It lost a few hundred feet the first winter it faced. The large casino at the end used to host big band music during its heyday. I remember in the 1960s there were many photos of the famous bands hanging on the walls. At that time the casino building housed a miniature golf on the first floor and a small Aquarium on the second floor. The casino building itself collapsed into the sea in the famous Blizzard of 1978. The pier now is under 600 feet in length and at low tide is often completely out of the water. More on its history here http://www.oobpier.com/history.html Yet another flaming emberThis may come as a surprise. The Hotel Velvet burned down on August 15, 1907. All about the slopeOne needn't look too close to see the difference between Atlantic and Pacific beaches with this photo. The Atlantic beaches feature more gradual sloping, which produce larger tidal shifts and warmer/shallower swimming waters, while Pacific (think Santa Monica, etc.) beaches have colder waters, bigger surf, and fewer storms. There's more at play, of course. Velvet Ice Cream?http://bid.grandeestateauctions.com/VINTAGE-VELVET-ICE-CREAM-METAL-SIGN_... [The Velvet Kind, a popular ice cream brand around the turn of the century, has made multiple cameos here on Shorpy. -Dave] (Panoramas, DPC, Swimming)
Buffalo Ghosts: 1900
"Hotel Iroquois, Buffalo, 1900." The ectoplasmic pedestrians are out in force. ... in town? There is a two-headed cyclist in front of the hotel. It's Deja Vu Thought this one looked familiar. Just a bit of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 10:42am -

"Hotel Iroquois, Buffalo, 1900." The ectoplasmic pedestrians are out in force. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Two heads are betterIs the circus in town? There is a two-headed cyclist in front of the hotel. It's Deja VuThought this one looked familiar. Just a bit of a different angle from This thread. [Also a different year, different storefronts, different signage! - Dave] TonalgiaA double dose would be required for crybabies like myself when occupying the dentist's chair. [Active ingredient: Cocaine. - Dave] Whoa - shoe sale!Some things seem to stay the same. The lady on the near corner appears to have done a 180 when she may have perhaps noticed a shoe sale sign in the store window. Blissful !Bliss Brothers (Harry A. and Frank H.) are sons of Horace L. Bliss, one of the oldest living photographers in Buffalo. He was born in Hartford, Conn., October 6, 1823, came to Buffalo about 1854 and learned the photographic business. In 1859 he established a photograph gallery at the corner of Main and Eagle streets, and successfully continued until 1886, when he retired on account of ill health. He made a specialty of outside photographs and also did considerable commercial work. Harry A. and Frank H. Bliss are natives of Buffalo; the former was born February 28, 1866, and the latter February 6, 1858. Both were educated in the Buffalo public and high schools, learned photography with their father, and when the latter retired in 1886 succeeded him in business under the firm name of Bliss Brothers. Soon after starting, their portrait and commercial work had grown to such proportions that they separated the two, locating the latter on Oak street near Genesee, and continuing the former at the corner of Main and Eagle streets. They are among the leaders in both branches in Buffalo, and enjoy the highest reputation for artistic work. (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC)
All You Can Eat: 1894
Palm Beach, 1894. "Dining room, Hotel Royal Poinciana." At the time, Henry Flagler's giant hotel was the largest building in Florida. 8x10 inch glass negative by William ... 2,000 guests Could be accommodated at this hotel. It was the largest wooden structure in the world before being razed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2015 - 6:02pm -

Palm Beach, 1894. "Dining room, Hotel Royal Poinciana." At the time, Henry Flagler's giant hotel was the largest building in Florida. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Very nice.Imagine going there for a great meal, then smoking a Havana cigar after the repast. What a beautiful sightThose rooms must have been in the evening with those gas chandeliers glowing! 2,000 guests Could be accommodated at this hotel. It was the largest wooden structure in the world before being razed during the Depression. Jewel Encrusted Dining Harper’s Weekly, January 24, 1903. A Show Resort in the South … The Royal Poinciana at night is the centre of the show. Evening dress is de rigueur for dinner. There is immense wealth (if not always refinement) shown in the costumes and jewels of the women at dinner, and when it is borne in mind that over a thousand people easily can be seated in the Poinciana dining-room, the brilliancy of the scene can be imagined. Palm Beach is a show-place in more senses than one. After dinner the display continues in the parlors and on the broad verandas. Some women, whose bank accounts are more flourishing than their family trees, literally seem to stagger under the weight of their jewels. … (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Frankenstein Jeweler: 1907
... On Google maps today you will see the Netherland Plaza hotel on the right and Macy's on the left. Streetcar Track 101 The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2015 - 2:27pm -

Cincinnati circa 1907. "Fifth Street north from Race." Golden age of the Painless Dental Parlor and electric-bulb signage. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Frankenstein JewelerA great source for those 14k gold neck bolts. Mabley & CarewCarew Tower was built by and named for Joseph Carew. One of the chain's stores was previously on the tower site. +101Below is almost the same view from August of 2008 (I positioned myself slightly off when I took the current view). Dentists and Shoe StoresThey got you covered from head to toe. 5th St. east from Race, not northThis is actually the view looking east along 5th St. from Race St. to Vine St. Derr Bros 5&10 was on 5th just east of Race, Potter's shoes was at 32 34 & 36 5th St., and Mabley & Carew was on the NE corner of 5th and Vine (now Fountain Square). On Google maps today you will see the Netherland Plaza hotel on the right and Macy's on the left. Streetcar Track 101The streetcar trackage in front of the well dressed young bibliophile illustrates why streetcar trackage a) should be built with welded, not bolted, rail, b) should not have joints placed side by side, and c) should have a firm subgrade. Hitting that sag at anything over 5 mph could just about knock standees off their feet! Which way to the Hat District?Someone is doing a brisk business in derby hats. Can't be too far away. S.H. KnoxThe S.H. Knox on the 5&10 sign was Seymour Horace Knox I, who helped found what became Woolworth's 5&10 chain. He also had an interest in the Marine Trust Co., which became Marine Midland Banks and is now owned by HSBC (Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Co., NOT Happy-Sappy bank Co.) The family was a big name in Buffalo, NY business (his grandson was the first owner of the Buffalo Sabres) and would live another eight years after this photo was taken. Sign placement must have workedThe Mabley & Carew name survived into the 1980s with other such innovations as full-page newspaper ads, elaborate Christmas performances, Arbor Day commemorations and a sign with 10,000 electric lights. I wonder what happened to the "Glass and Paints" guys? East is correctBarbara is correct below, the roof line of the US Custom House and Post Office three blocks away on the left side of the street is a sure giveaway this is looking east along 5th Street from Race. The US Courthouse is still located on the same site, though the building was replaced in 1936. You can also just barely make out some of the trees on Fountain Square, on the right side of the street - Fountain Square has since been expanded and relocated to the right side of 5th Street. Much has changed since this photo was taken. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Pike's Peak: 1901
Colorado circa 1901. "Station and hotel, summit of Pike's Peak." 8x10 inch glass transparency, Detroit Publishing ... it amazing that the Pikes Peak summit station and hotel were built only 110 years ago? That is so relatively recent in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 3:07pm -

Colorado circa 1901. "Station and hotel, summit of Pike's Peak." 8x10 inch glass transparency, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Isn't it amazingthat the Pikes Peak summit station and hotel were built only 110 years ago? That is so relatively recent in the exploration and history of the U.S. I like the three "Mary Poppins" dressed ladies who seem out of place in a rough and unfinished construction zone. I bet they're looking for the Ladies Room. This is a unique photo, very interesting. Pikes Peak in colorAn example of the Photochrom prints that were made from these glass negatives. They were used for postcards and also for larger artwork that you might hang in your parlor. Click to enlarge. +106Below is the same view from June of 2007. Photo opCheck out the "other" photographer reclining and reading next to his camera/tripod setup. SerendipityThis photo appeared on the same day I first found this site devoted to the PP Cog Railway on a family newsletter from folks who live nearby in CO. It has some videos and a pair of web cams. Awesome!!!!Dave: this "stone-by-stone" colorized version is definitely one of the best I've seen on Shorpy. Some piece of work you did here. Thanks and congrats, pal! [I didn't colorize it. As noted below, the image is a Photochrom print. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Medea Baths: 1899
... The bath house portion was built in 1882. A 150 room hotel was opened on June 6, 1904. The building was razed in 1991. In one of ... Medea bath house eventually grew into the four story Medea Hotel in 1904, and it lasted until 1991. More on the Medea and other Mount ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2018 - 12:33pm -

Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Medea Bath House." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Razed in 1991The Medea stood at 195 S. Gratiot Avenue on the site now occupied by the Macomb County Administration Building. According to: Mount Clemens Bath Houses The hottest spot on earth to relieve yourselfDoug Fejer reports: The Medea stood at 195 S. Gratiot Avenue on the site now occupied by the Macomb County Administration Building. The bath house portion was built in 1882. A 150 room hotel was opened on June 6, 1904. The building was razed in 1991. In one of the truly great scams in all of recorded history, the folks in Mt. Clemens had people convinced that taking a bath in the black water with the horrible smell would cure their ailments. My guess would be that wide spread availability of aspirin did in the mineral bath industry. In Harmony & Dissonance: Voices of Jewish Identity in Detroit, 1914-1967 you may read: Mt. Clemens had become famous for its curative mineral baths and its spas. [.....] The "cures" lasted twenty-one days, and in its heyday (the 1920s through the 1940s), Mt. Clemens hoasted thirteen baths [....], "five blind pigs and twelve houses of ill repute." It was, wrote one late commentator, "the hottest spot on earth to relieve yourself of pain, suffering, and money." Oh black waterhttp://www.douglasfejer.com/MountClemens/Businesses/BathHouses/02/ Quite a life!The 1882 Medea bath house eventually grew into the four story Medea Hotel in 1904, and it lasted until 1991. More on the Medea and other Mount Clemens bath houses here. Media mogulI don't remember this Tyler Perry movie. Although, come to think of it, "Medea Goes to the Baths" probably *would* be something he'd make, so maybe look for that in theaters near you soon. No ChildrenI guess the appropriate warning sign is blocked from view by one of the columns. Bath Time Is OverBy the end of it's its run the Medea had added a hotel above but was stripped of the architectural touches that made the original bath building stand out. It was a sad end to a long run for a fixture in Mt. Clemens history New and Old "Ral"I have a strong impression that cures touted by Mineral Baths would help cure STDs. Neuralgia was a common term for acceptable mental and physical ailments, and the term "old Ral" was for the naughty ones. (The Gallery, DPC)
Dolly's Go-Cart: 1905
... Easter '04 The Easter Parade at Green's Hotel. Cute Vehicle I've never seen one of these ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:09pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1905. "Dolly's go-cart." Behind this little princess: a pushy mother. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Why are we here?Neither mother nor daughter seem particularly happy. The only one with a semblance of a smile is the doll! By the poundConsidering that it was 1905, their prosperity might be in direct proportion to their girth. Here's an ideaLadies, why don't we stop in here at the Green's and take a sea water bath. Then we can go out on the porch and watch these guys climb around on the billboard. Easter '04The Easter Parade at Green's Hotel. Cute VehicleI've never seen one of these before..for such a big girl! I wonder how Mom could see where she was going. But it is very cute and interesting. Thank you, Shorpy! SweetDespite the seeming grimace on the child (the sun?) this is a sweet picture. Most of the photos from this period the children seem to be in rather purposeful tow with their parents. And there are two dollies in this photo. The little girl has a baby nestled in front of her. Boardwalk RollersThis is one of Atlantic City's celebrated rental "rolling chairs," which have made numerous appearances on Shorpy. Most of them are "double chairs." Nice to have a close-up of a single. Some things never changeIf you've been to Disney World anytime recently you'll know what I mean. There are still "pushy mothers" pushing around strollers overstuffed with older children who are more than capable of walking. Around foreverThey still had the double wicker carts when I was a kid going to Atlantic City in the 50s and early 60s. I remember always wanting to ride in one. They remind me of the kind of bicycle carts you can hop in today in NYC. Rolling chairEven though these are pushed, they are still called "rickshaws" in Atlantic city. You can still get a ride on one now, but it will cost you about five bucks or more. If you're smart you will refuse the first price that they give you and bargain for a better deal. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC, Kids)
Coleman House: 1906
... that is in this location now is a parking lot and a cheap hotel that caters to the gay community. Auto Anyone know what type of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2012 - 8:52am -

Asbury Park, New Jersey, circa 1906. "Coleman House." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A balmy afternoonNice time for a cherry phosphate or chocolate ice cream soda at the Coleman House Pharmacy. Fill 'er up.I like the arrangement of piping and fire hose attached to the fire hydrant. Since the streets are unpaved, I would suggest this was a convenient way for filling a tank wagon equipped with sprayers to keep down the dust on dry days. I notice that in many views of unpaved streets in this period there is usually a solid walkway (wood, concrete?) at an intersection to provide solid footing when the street turns to mud. [A similar pipe seen here, in Boston. - Dave] Caught in the webLooks like a giant Spider has spun her web over the town! Street LightingEvery time I see one of these pictures that show the carbon arc lamps that were used for lighting it amazes me that I had never considered such a type of illumination in public areas. It was never taught to me in history, I had never seen pictures like these, and none of my family ever said anything about methods of lighting in earlier days. I just supposed that everyone used oil or kerosene lamps until Edison invented the modern light bulb. What a revelation. Thanks Dave. [Carbon arc lamps were used for street lighting long after the advent of Edison-style incandescent bulbs. Gaslight was also popular well into the 20th century. -Dave] Watch your step!The railroad tracks in the street surely turned many an ankle if a person didn't take care. Today they would probably want to sue, back then it was your own careless fault. From the overhead wires it was probably an electric railway. Possibly the Asbury Park & Sea Girt Railroad. Carbon Arc LampsFrom my scant knowledge of carbon arc lamps, I know that the carbon rods slowly burn off and must be advanced to maintain the proper gap distance to keep the arc from failing. Were there small motors in these street lamps to accomplish this? Coleman HouseAnyone know if it's still there ? [Torn down in 1934 for a parking lot.] Ridin' Down KingsleyAt the extreme right edge of the picture, on the telephone pole is part of a sign is shown that says "Kingsley". This is a name Bruce Springsteen fans will be familiar with, as it is mentioned in songs by him. Coleman LocationI believe it occupied a block at 6th Avenue and Ocean Avenue. [It was at the corner of Asbury & Ocean Avenues.] No blurs?I know very little about photography of that time (as you will soon found out), but why is it that the people walking when this photo was taken are not blurry ghosts? Was this taken with some sort of state-of-the-art camera? [By 1908, dry plate emulsions capable of stopping motion in daylight had been around for several decades.] Nothing Left but a MemoryI dropped into the Asbury Park Public Library yesterday. The Coleman House was at Asbury Ave. and Kingsley near the water. I took this photo from what I believe to be about the same location as in the original photo. If you look at the far right of the original photo, you can see a "Kingsley" street sign nailed onto a wooden pole. All that is in this location now is a parking lot and a cheap hotel that caters to the gay community. AutoAnyone know what type of car that is in the driveway? (The Gallery, Asbury Park, DPC)
Port O Call: 1940
... between which curious boats poke their interested noses. Hotel and humble fisher-cottage jostle pier and fruit-stand. This commercial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2012 - 9:28am -

August 1940. "Souvenir shop, Provincetown, Massachusetts." 35mm negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. QuirkOdd way for someone to wear his belt. Was this common back then? [It was the style of the day. - Dave] Time Travel Hunting & GatheringI'd love to have that shiny modernist pitcher (whatever it reflects) for sale in my showcase at the antique mall right now, along with several other of the Port O' Call's then-humble souvenirs: the pair of stylized horses, the frosted-glass art moderne Jesus(?), and, in the left window, the crystal ball. They'd make a composition of distinction, even if they didn't sell right away. How much is that pitcher in the window?It appears that the camera caught the young gentleman right after lighting his pipe and letting out a puff of tobacco smoke. More interesting, is the shiny pitcher in the window three shelves up. I zoomed in as close as possible to use the reflection in it as we did the Christmas tree ornaments. Across the street, it seems to split into two roads, with a building in the center. Alternatively, perhaps a stone wall to shelter a large home with large black metal gates in the center. I'm wondering if anyone has a magic program for closer inspection. And yes, I do have better things to do, but sometimes Shorpy can be addicting. [From the full-size LOC tiff.] In a hurryThis is exactly the kind of bric-a-brac store that I would walk quickly past and pretend I did not see, if I were on vacation with my wife. The beltYes, style of the day. Auto mechanics and gas station attendants (remember them) would wear their belt buckles on the side to prevent scratching a car as they leaned over it while washing the windshield. The Sideways Belt Buckle!Great photo! Some guitar players still wear belts that way, so the buckle won't scrape against the backside of a nice guitar. You'll see used guitars sold that are in great shape except for "slight belt-buckle rash" on the back. --Jim Currently for sale79 Commercial Street is currently for sale for $1,795,000. Other than that the front of this building still looks the same, minus the pitcher & bric-a-brac. Ponte Vecchio of the CapeAs lindbergh previously noted, not much has changed after 72 years. The following description, from 1919, portrays a Commercial Street hardly different than today. Motor Travel, 1919. Over the Highways to Windmill Land. A Trip to Old Cape Cod. Florence M. Pettee. … The one street, as narrow as those of Venice, is edged with quaint houses, closely huddled, between which curious boats poke their interested noses. Hotel and humble fisher-cottage jostle pier and fruit-stand. This commercial street is the Ponte Vecchio of the Cape with its ever-present souvenir shops and food-purveyors. The running-boards nearly scratch the sidewalks, and passing another car has to be charted in advance. Wary pedestrians dodge hither and yon. Still all the rage (for at least one)"Odd way for someone to wear his belt." (Hawk777) My father, born in 1936, grew up on Long Island. Doing the math, he was 15 in 1951 and is now 75. To this day, he still wears his belt with the buckle approximately 45º to port. When I asked about it when I was a kid (born in '62), he replied that when he was in his teens and 20s it was the style in the New York area, mostly for young single guys he thought. He liked it and never dropped it. BeltbuckleMy husband still wears his belt like this. The belt, the pitcher, and other thingsFirst, the belt -- very cool look in those days, but also practical. Back in the 1970s, my husband also wore his buckle to the side because he was both an auto mechanic and a bass guitar player. So there. I love the pitcher -- in fact, I love lots of things in the window -- but most of all, I think, I love the Don Quixote figurine thing in the extreme upper left window. Ceramic maybe? -- can't tell -- but I wish I could hold it in my hands right now. (The Gallery, Edwin Rosskam, Stores & Markets)
Auf Wiedersehen: 1917
... site seems to be occupied with a modern Homewood Suites hotel. Electric car? The autocar ad states that the adams express ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 5:33pm -

February 1917. "Count J.H. von Bernstorff, ambassador from Germany, leaving German Embassy." The scene at the embassy in Washington after Woodrow Wilson ended diplomatic relations with Germany, two months before the United States made its declaration of war. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Might want to check that photo...Doesn't seem to match the caption, unless it was common practice for heads of state to ride shotgun on the back of a delivery van! [The occasion for the photograph was the ambassador's departure. He's not actually in the picture. And ambassadors are not heads of state. - Dave] First Car BraThat is such an strange-looking vehicle - or is it a wagon waiting to be hitched to a truck? I wonder what the tarp is covering at the front. Also, those back wheels look like they could run on rails. Anyone have any further info on this thing? [The tarp is covering the controls of what looks like an electric truck. Most trucks back then had solid rubber tires. - Dave] AutocarThe truck looks like an Autocar. [The Autocar was a motor truck, with a radiator behind the bumper that we can see in the illustration below. The truck in our photo looks more like an electric. News articles in the Washington Post mention Adams Express having a fleet of 60 electric trucks, some made by Lansden. - Dave] Zimmermann telegramThe German ambassador's departure may or may not have anything to do with the revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram during February 1917 (others can Google), or the Germans beginning unrestricted submarine warfare on Feb 1, 1917 and the resulting American deaths aboard British vessels. TandemThose rear tires look like a very early version of the dual tires found on the semi-trailers and trucks of today. German-Mexican AllianceThe Zimmermann Note was sent from Germany to Ambassador Johann von Bernstorff in Washington on January 16, 1917. It was forwarded to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt three days later. The contents of the coded telegram instructed Ekardt to offer Mexico the return of territories lost to the U.S. in the Mexican-American War, including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, in exchange for Mexico's alliance should the U.S. enter the war on the side of the Allies (presuming, of course, that the Germans won the war). The telegram was intercepted immediatly by the British, who decoded it, but couldn't reveal its' contents without also revealing their ability to break German codes. Between February 19 and 23, 1917 the text of the telegram made its way through the American diplomatic chain, evantually reaching President Wilson. The note was leaked to the American press a week later, fomenting popular outrage and contributing America's entry into World War I. Thanks to DoninVa for mentioning this fascinating footnote to history in his earlier post. I seem to remember reading (or reading about) an historical novel whose premise was a WWI German-Mexican alliance with roots back to the (authentic) German Hapsburg "Emporer" Maximilian from 1864-1867. I can't find a reference to the novel, but if I remember correctly, the auther posits that Germany achieved a stalemate and negotiated peace in WWI partly due to a Mexican incursion into Texas and New Mexico and the occupation of the border city of El Paso - causing the U.S. to divert troops from Europe to the Southwest. The Germans and Mexicans sued for a settlement with the U.S. that saw the return of the Gadsen Purchase to Mexico and caused El Paso, Southern New Mexico and parts of Arizona, including Tucson, to be returned to Mexico. I love those historical "what if" questions. Thanks again to DoninVa for bringing up the Zimmermann Note. Goober Pea The tarpNote that the photo was taken in February. The tarp is there to retain engine heat and channel it over the driver. [If this is an electric truck there is no engine. - Dave] Ferguson ResidenceYet another of architect Adloph Cluss's buildings in Washington. Originally built for Thomas Ferguson in 1881, it was acquired by the German government in 1893. During the second World War, the U.S. seized the property and sold it for $100,000. It was demolished in 1959. AddressHas anyone dug up the address of the 1917 German Embassy? I tried to dig it up online but was unsuccessful. I'm wondering if this building still exists. I assume it's not in the same location as the current modern German embassy building in Washington (several governments later). [1435 Highland Terrace, Massachusetts Avenue. - Dave] Thank you!Alas, no sign of it. The block seems to be completely developed and the site seems to be occupied with a modern Homewood Suites hotel. Electric car?The autocar ad states that the adams express company had a fleet of over 400 autocars. How can one tell whether the truck in the photo is electric or motor car? [Autocars of this vintage, from what I can tell, had the motor under the seat and the radiator behind and halfway below the front bumper (see the illustration a few comments down). There's no radiator that I can see, and this truck has a humongous battery box, just like the ones on the Walker electric trucks shown in some other posts here. Also that's not the Autocar logo on the front. But I am no truck expert. There must be one out there who can help us. - Dave] CT Electric TruckThis is a CT Electric, made by the Commercial Truck Company of Philadelphia from approximately 1908 to 1927. On the front of the truck you can just see a bit of the CT logo peeking out from the bottom of the tarp - right above the Adams Express Company sign. Just between April 15 and May 15, 1912 alone, the Adams Express Company purchased 85 electric vehicles (35 of these being CT Electrics) bringing their electric fleet up to 250 electric trucks of various sizes and makes. By contrast American Express Company had 86 electrics. If the tarp wasn't there you would see the unique CT double steering wheel - an instant identifier. Nearly two-dozen CT Electrics survive, with most of them being odd-looking Model F or Model 36A 5-Ton flatbeds from a fleet of 20 that was owned by Curtis Publishing Company (Jack and Jill, Ladies Home Journal, and The Saturday Evening Post). Curtis kept them in service until 1962, thus sparing them from the scrap drives of WWII. Nicely restored ones can be seen here (note the double steering wheel) and here. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
Signs and Portents: 1910
... a complete refurbishing, it will open later as an A-Loft hotel. Looking back at you I've never seen the eyes on the clock theme ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2014 - 12:13pm -

Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "Main Street." Home to a number of intriguing juxtapositions. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. If you got itFlaunt it. (Or, as I actually submitted, I actually put a great deal of trust in a majestic ass.) Thought the street was dirt.Then I saw the image full size. No wonder I only see one sign for an eatery. If it's on that street, I can't imagine the oysters, steak, or sandwiches tasting any good. Are those two guys at the bank checking out the ladies who just passed by? Stifft's Jewelers on the NW corner of Main & 3rd is still in business, though miles across town. The block it's in is a parking lot. The next block with the bank is considered the most intact block of early 20th century commercial buildings in the city, but no buildings exist between 4th and 5th. The large white building on the SW corner of Main & 5th (Capitol) has a penthouse floor added now. (I guess the roof's no longer Cary's). Most of the buildings to the left have been removed for parking. Houk's Music Store is in business in North Little Rock. M.M. Cohn expanded into this location in 1898. The Cohn's expanded their department store into a regional chain that went out of business in 2007. Civic leaders brought the streetcars back. Not the horses. Little Rock rocked a little laterIn 1957 the Blass store on the right looks as if it might be the same one that had installed a mechanism that sprayed a cloud of flowery scent on whoever was in range when the door was opened. Ick. Across the street and half a block farther away from the photographer was a tea room, in the street-side window of which sat a woman playing an organ. In tribute to the experience of my youth in Southern California roller-skating rinks where similar music was traditional, every time I walked by the tea shop I mimicked roller-skating moves, shuffling along the sidewalk. The organist smiled and nodded, more often than not. Out of the frame at right, maybe half a block or a block and a half eastlier was a pool hall. It was barely wide enough to allow billiard-style action with standard cues, had five or six tables with the short side toward the street, and a ceiling so high I don't think I ever saw it. Classic stale cigar-and-beer ambiance. When you finished a game you'd croak, "Raaack!" and here would come the attendant, one hand out for the quarter, the other holding the rack, which customers never got to touch. "Eight-ball, One and Fifteen" was the instruction. Lots to seeI too, thought the 2 men were checking out the 2 ladies walking by. And the strangest things in this photo are the "The Roof is Carey's" sign, and the very creepy eyeballs on that gorgeous clock. I just want to be there in this photo to personally check all these things out. Ah, for a time machine! The Roof is Carey'sThis is good to know. Boyle BuildingThat 12 story white building on the right side of the pic. It had just been finished about a year before. It was announced this month that after a complete refurbishing, it will open later as an A-Loft hotel. Looking back at youI've never seen the eyes on the clock theme before but it's great. Every time you check the time you feel you got caught at something. "Little Trust Savings"Classic. It really should read that way. I would much rather use my savings to see the Majestic A$$. +104View Larger Map Eyeglass ClockIf you look closely at the face of the clock you'll see the Jeweler's name "Stifft" on it. The clock wasn't a municipal piece, it was an advertisement. Eyeglass art like this was commonly used to proclaim that spectacles were made at the establishment. Stifft's must have manufactured glasses as well as more common jewelry. This was not unusual in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. GatsbyClearly Dr. T.J. Eckleburg had an office in Little Rock in addition to his location near the valley of ashes across from Mr. and Mrs. Wilson's filling station on Long Island. Big city to small townIt's amazing to me how these streets all over the country used to look like big, bustling city streets and now they look like Small Town America. +105Below is the same view from July of 2015. (The Gallery, DPC, Little Rock, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Littleton Fruit: 1908
... 1843, and glad to say it's still a very hopping hotel. Bananas travel cool. The bananas probably sailed in United Fruit ... it does today? As for Thayer's Inn, it's a lovely old hotel. My husband and I stayed there around 2005. We keep meaning to go back ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2013 - 2:47am -

Circa 1908. "Main Street -- Littleton, New Hampshire." Yes, they have bananas, and Moxie, too. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. RE: MoxieFor anyone who is curious, Moxie tastes something like root beer with cherry cough syrup. How did they do that?In 1908, how would you get bananas from Central America to inland New England before they spoiled? This little shop seems to have an ample supply. I imagine that bananas were still a bit of a delicacy in 1908. [USA annual per capita banana consumption in 1909: 19.3 pounds, according to the USDA. -tterrace] Wires were different back thenIt's so strange to see the telephone wires above the power wires. There's a strict hierarchy these days of putting higher voltage wires above lower voltage wires. It's also strange to not see any high voltage lines or transformers on the poles. At least two survivorsThe building on the left with the columns and the sharply peaked roof is the well-known Thayers Inn. It was almost 60 years old at the time of this picture and is still going strong today. Also still extant is the Congregational Church whose steeple is visible in the distance on the left side of the street. The far church is still thereAs are some left hand buildings in the background, starting with the flat face storefront with the four windows, and the inn behind it, with the tower, and four columns facing the street. View Larger Map Use and CareThe lady crossing the street wearing the long white dress obviously spotted a clear path to the other side. Rules of the day insisted on long skirts even though traversing a roadway could be hazardous to the well-being of the garment. Thayers InnHere's a photo of the historic Thayers Inn I took while on vacation there in 2006. Established 1843, and glad to say it's still a very hopping hotel. Bananas travel cool.The bananas probably sailed in United Fruit Co. steamships painted white to reflect the sun, and finally in railroad refrigerator cars from the port to the train station shown in earlier views of Littleton. High voltageThe high voltage wires are there. The bottom crossarm carries the 110/220 household circuits, and three of the four larger insulators on the second crossarm carry the "high" voltage. It could be 1,100 volts, obsolete as soon as it was introduced in the 1890s, or it could be 2,200 volts, a system which was overwhelmingly common until the postwar era. The transformer is the horizontal black oval on the backside of the second pole. (If any transformers of this type are still in existence, there are collectors who will pay ridiculous amounts of money for one.) The fourth wire on the second crossarm is for street lighting. Only one wire was needed, because it ran in a loop around the neighborhood, with the bulbs wired in series like Christmas lights. Nixiebunny is correct that running power below telephone would not meet current code. The reason it is like this, probably, is that the telephone wires were already in place when the power was installed. MoxieMoxie, for anyone who has never tried it, is an experience. Despite living in New England all my life I never acquired a taste for it. I wonder if perhaps it tasted better in 1908 than it does today? As for Thayer's Inn, it's a lovely old hotel. My husband and I stayed there around 2005. We keep meaning to go back but haven't yet. There are photos of Bette Davis all over the Inn because she lived in a nearby town in the 1930s (rumor has it she visited Thayer's quite often too) and one of her movie premieres took place at Thayer's. Moxie IIMoxie must have been good; Ted Williams endorsed it. (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Georgetown: 1901
... learned that my grandmother and grandfather stayed at the Hotel De Paris on 6th Ave during a honeymoon road trip in 1925. Well ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2013 - 9:26am -

"Clear Creek Cañon." Georgetown, Colorado, circa 1901. Famous for the Georgetown Loop, a narrow-gauge railroad visible in the distance. 8x10 glass plate by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. A thing of beauty is a joy to behold foreverThis place is near and dear to my heart. It's a beautiful little place with equally beautiful, wonderful people. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face, Dave. [See also: Bisbee, Ouray, Silverton. - Dave] I was just in GeorgetownInteresting to probably no one but me, I was in Georgetown last week. It's changed remarkably little since the time of this picture, although there are currently more trees. I also learned that my grandmother and grandfather stayed at the Hotel De Paris on 6th Ave during a honeymoon road trip in 1925. Well preservedI have compared this photo with fresh photos in Street View. I started from the south end of Taos St. and found soon many houses which are in this photo - many of them wooden. Not only the remarkable buildings have remained but also quite ordinary city street buildings. Amazing, absolutely! Since 1901 there has not been fatal fires, neither too eager rebuilding. I honor the city officials who have succeeded in this. I wish I had an opportunity to visit Georgetown. Devil's Gate BridgeIt can be seen in back, where the track looped over itself climbing to Silver Plume. Abandoned in the '30's, the loop has been restored. It's nice to see this on Shorpy. Most of W. H. Jackson's Colorado photos are in the Denver Public Library Western History collection. A familiar sight, stillThis might be one of the least-altered vintage city views I've seen on this fine site-- except for the massive expansion of that steep one-one lane trail to the right, heading uphill to Silver Plume. Today, we call that trail "I-70." So do you have any shots of Silver Plume? That remains the most unspoiled mountain town I've found, even so surprisingly close to Denver. That tower on the leftAlpine Hose No. 2 View Larger Map Building in the center with clock towerPublic school built 1874. View Larger Map The freeway is new. . . . . . and the switchback trails in the distance have been expanded into proper roads, but not much else has changed. William Henry JacksonUsing 8x10" (or bigger) plate cameras, Jackson (who died at 99 in 1942) left us an invaluable treasure of extremely detailed landscape pictures, including this one. I've been thereNothing much has changed, other than the tourists (The Gallery, DPC, Landscapes, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns)
On the Road: 1938
... cooking my steak if I had it good at home?' Occupations: hotel maid, cook, laundress." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange ... sitting and enduring, but doing what must be done. Hotel maid, cook, laundress she is described. All are grueling, thankless jobs. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2009 - 9:13am -

June 1938. Outskirts of El Paso, Texas. "Young Negro wife cooking breakfast. 'Do you suppose I'd be out on the highway cooking my steak if I had it good at home?' Occupations: hotel maid, cook, laundress." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Beyond Here Lies NothingIt seems passing strange to me that, while many Shorpyites have been moved to give their two cents worth on other, recent Great Depression pictures-analyzing and projecting their emotions on the set of the nursing mother's jaw or the grin of the dirty-faced boy, no one has has had a word for this determined, realistic woman. The rocky foreground, the barren wasteland and the almost infinitely distant horizon make her simple act of preparing food seem quite heroic. Perhaps her position in society better prepared her for the Depression, giving her a capacity for survival and not encumbering her with a lot of easily broken dreams. StrikingI imagine it was hot, even in the morning. Yet this woman appears to be wearing a clean and well-pressed dress. Her shoes intrigue me. I don't think I've seen anything like them before. I wonder what became of her? On the RoadWhat I noticed most about this particular photo, as compared to the other Depression-era photos, is that there is not the direct gaze at the camera. This woman is busy doing something for herself. Not passively sitting and enduring, but doing what must be done. Hotel maid, cook, laundress she is described. All are grueling, thankless jobs. She must have been a woman of great endurance and determination. I'm more inspired by this photo and it's caption than I have been by any other thus far. How not good?I wonder what makes it so bad at home. Is there just not a home? Because you'd think that if there were just financial problems at home, she could cook like this just as well there. Hopefully there wasn't something else bad waiting for her there. OK, now I'm reading more into photos and captions than I should and annoying myself. Either way, this caption really makes this photo. As if nothing changes...The background is not too far from current outskirts of El Paso as it sits today. I was wondering when a picture from my hometown would pop up one day. Poignant image. Thanks for sharing as always! (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
New York Life: 1900
... Loop properties, this has been converted to a boutique hotel. The Kimpton Grey Hotel opened in 2016. Look Out for the Curve That continuous ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2017 - 2:28pm -

September 11, 1900. "New York Life building, Chicago." The building, at LaSalle and Monroe streets, was completed in 1894, with major additions in 1898 and 1903. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lasalle and Monroe: 2017Like many other Loop properties, this has been converted to a boutique hotel. The Kimpton Grey Hotel opened in 2016. Look Out for the CurveThat continuous line of hatch covers between the inner rail and the slot as the streetcar track goes around the corner means that this was a "pull curve", the cable car had to hold on to the rope all the way around, and would do so until 1906. Lost CraftsmanshipI'm amazed daily by the amount of masonry craftsmanship used on the upper floors of early buildings like this. Decoration and ornamentation in places or so high they'll never be fully appreciated by those at ground level. Headless horse?There appears to be a headless horse in front of the building. I hope this is not really the case. Cornice-ectomyIt would be a nice, classy gesture if they replaced the original, prominent cornice. I am not, however, holding my breath. [One way they're dealing with cornices in Detroit. -tterrace] "Cornice Danger" prompted removalsNumerous buildings lost pieces or whole sections of their uppermost cornices as age and freeze-thaw took their toll on the materials through the 1920s and 30s. In 1938 the City gave itself the authority to require owners to remove cornices deemed dangerous. This threat was enough that by the 1950s wholesale decapitation of these elements was underway. However, given the successful restorations of several cornices in recent years (like the Marquette building just around the corner on Dearborn) it is surprising that the just performed hotel conversion did not add this historic element back. Probably it was just deemed too expensive, or, if historic tax credits were involved, there wasn't clear enough documentation of the original to cornice to do it to preservation standards. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Too Much Fun: 1905
... 1903 the Cagney Bros. Co. was ensconced in the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis—there to build the eight mile miniature railroad that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:49pm -

New York circa 1905. "Dreamland Park at Coney Island." Among the amusements to be sampled: An observation tower, the Bostock trained animal show, a Baltimore Fire cyclorama, the General Bumps ride, a miniature railway, Will Conklin's Illusions, the Temple of Mirth and Hooligan's Dream. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Oil burnersThese were oil burning steam locomotives. The Miniature Railroad was built by the Cagney Brothers in 1904 to replace an earlier version that was lost in a November, 1903 fire. It made a circuit of the park running underneath the promenade. The locomotives, which could pull three of the two-passenger cars, were built by the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company in New York. Their ad below is from the February 7, 1903 issue of The Billboard. An earlier Shorpy post with a closeup of one of the locomotives has more information here, and a 1903 Edison silent movie of Coney Island before the fire (found here) shows the train emerging out from under the promenade at the 7:44 minute mark. You Can't Miss MeI'll be the one wearing a mustache a hat and a dark suit. The cops must have had an awful time with witness descriptions of the perps back then. Where to look first?There are so many wonderful aspects to this picture, I hardly know what to take in first. I love the "Temple of Mirth" (Can you imagine "mirth" being used on a ride today? How many folks even know what it means anymore?) I also love the "Hooligan's Dream" (but ditto on the meaning being mostly lost on 21st century folk). What REALLY intrigues me however, is what the people in the forefront are looking at instead of the elephants right behind them, which I would be fascinated by. Surely elephants weren't a commonplace sight. [Happy Hooligan, whose image is in the circle on the sign, was an extremely popular comic strip character of the time. - tterrace] Soon to be gone - againDreamland was rebuilt in early 1904 after a disastrous fire destroyed it in November, 1903. Six years after this picture was taken this scene was again destroyed by fire. It made news even in far away Australia where, two days later, the tragedy was reported by The Argus newspaper. FIRE AT CONEY ISLAND. AMUSEMENT PALACE DESTROYED. DAMAGE 3,000,000 DOLLARS. NEW YORK, May 27. A destructive fire occurred yesterday at Dreamland, one of the great amusement resorts at Coney Island, New York. The damage is estimated at 3,000,000 dol. The menagerie was destroyed, 50 wild animals being cremated. The adjoining place of entertainment, Luna park, was saved. [Dreamland and Luna Park practically constitute Coney Island, which is the greatest resort of its kind in the world. The resources of inventors are taxed to provide new thrills, with the result that each season finds some ingenious novelty installed for the New York clerk and shop-girl. Dreamland contains dozens of forms of entertainment. The visitor may travel by captive airship, or glide at fearful speed down the chute, through a cascade of real water. He may "loop the loop" in a car, or travel in a small chariot over an undulating sea of metal, the waves of which are caused by machinery below. The "Rocky Road to Dublin, " a fearful switchback apparatus, and "General Bumps," involving a hazardous slide down a polished wooden surface, are among the joys of the place; while those who desire to visit other lands may take a trip to the North Pole or the wilds of Central Africa with equal ease and cheapness.] A more complete newspaper story with pictures of the aftermath can be found here, and a few more pictures can be seen here and here. The steam locomotivehas been hooked up to some pretty fancy oversized cars, and can you believe observing HYENAS for 25 cents, forget lions and panthers, they've got HYENAS ! Bostock's Wild Animal Exhibition Broadway Magazine, April 1905. Although Coney Island has improved greatly in the character of its shows within the last few years, the same atmosphere of careless holiday-making prevails, and you always have a feeling of jolly irresponsibility as you go from one place of amusement to another. Bostock's wild animal exhibition in “Dreamland,” is again a prominent feature of the summer. The animals are interesting, whether in their dens or in the arena, while the trainers who put the savage creatures through performances in the large steel cage are as impressive as ever. There was one act I saw at Bostock's lately which struck me as particularly good. A young lady in short skirts, who was announced as “La Belle Selika,” skipped into the cage with seven—I think it was seven—lionesses. She made them get up, reluctantly, upon pedestals in different parts of the cage. Then, as the orchestra struck up the music of the “Pretty Maidens,” in “Florodora,” she danced, teasing the animals by pointing her slippers at them one after another, and retreating just far enough to escape the angry paws darted at her each time. They seemed eager to tear her to pieces. She pirouetted about the creatures, always close to them, but just far enough away to avoid being clawed, until at last she struck an attitude immediately in front of the most savage of her pets and smiled in response to the applause, while the lioness growled. It was decidedly the prettiest act I ever saw in connection with trained wild animals, and it looked fearfully dangerous, whether it was so actually or not Live Steam?I would assume that that little locomotive was actually a steam powered kerosene burner... does anyone know? UPDATE: The kerosene assumption was (wrongly) made because I couldn't imagine firing a firebox that small with coal to maintain a working head of steam - Ausonius. Pigmy Locomotive While the Cagney Bros. operated many miniature railway concessions, the actual builder of this engine was the McGarigle Machine Co, of Niagara Falls, NY. Tobbacconist, is there something in the photo that indicates oil as the fuel source? The following article states the originals were built with a 10 inch firebox burning anthracite. I think this engine is coal fired. In 1905, coal was still a widely available and familiar fuel. Also, the trousers on the engineer appear rather well coated in coal dust. [Additional information and photos.] The Railway Age, July 1, 1898. A Pigmy Locomotive. What is claimed to be the smallest locomotive ever made for drawing passenger cars has been made for the Miniature Railroad company by Thomas E. McGarigle of Niagara Falls. This steam railroad is to be operated at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha, Neb., and, in all, six locomotives are to be built for the company under the present contract. It is possible they will be used at other resorts, such as Coney Island, Atlantic City, Deal Beach, Washington Heights and Niagara Falls. … The height of the locomotive from the top of the stack to the rail is 25 inches, and the gauge is 12½ inches. The cylinders are 2x4 inches. The boiler is 1½ horse power, made of steel, and is tested to 300 pounds pressure, and will hold 24 gallons of water. … The firebox is 10 by 10 inches. The weight of this little engine is about 600 pounds, and it will run on a rail three-quarters of an inch square. Hard coal will be used as fuel. The capacity of the locomotive is 10 cars, each containing two persons, or about 4,000 pounds. The locomotive is equipped with sandbox, bell, etc., and has a steam brake between the drivers. One man, whose position will be on a seat in the tender, operates the engine. The scale on which the locomotive was built is about one-seventh that of one of the New York Central's largest engines, and as it stands in the shop it has a very businesslike appearance, as shown by the illustration. Live Steam Model FuelsThere`s no guarantee or requirement that this locomotive is oil fueled. Even today Live Steam enthusiasts operating large scale locomotives are running with a variety of fuels. Propane is popular as is oil or kerosene. However coal is still the most popular fuel for ridable trains like this and can be used at gauges as small as 1.26 inches. So unless there were other considerations, like local laws, there`s a high likelihood that this engine was coal fired. All in the FamilyYes, a great number of the 'Cagneys' (as they were known) were built in the Niagara shop of Thomas and Peter McGarigle; however, since their sister Winifred married Timothy Cagney, it was considered to be all in the family. Peter—an engineer—was mostly likely the one who designed the first of the miniature locomotives, ostensibly in 1885. In the early 1890s Timothy and his brothers David and John, were running a ticket brokerage company known as Cagney Bros. in New York, but by 1898 decided to fully concentrate on marketing the McGarigle locomotives and so incorporated The Miniature Railway Company, of Jersey City. For years the two businesses were nearly indistinguishable from one another, and were in fact interchangeable as far as miniature railways were concerned, as they worked together on various projects. In 1903 the Cagney Bros. Co. was ensconced in the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis—there to build the eight mile miniature railroad that would run through the grounds of the St. Louis Purchase Exposition (the 1904 World's Fair). Timothy Cagney was listed as President, and Peter McGarigle as Chief Engineer. While the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company was selling the vast majority of the McGarigle railroad oriented output, the Niagara firm was still peddling their own product as late as 1915 when they made a proposition to the City of San Francisco to operate a miniature railway in the park. By the 1920s however, the Cagney Bros. had absorbed the miniature railway portion of the McGarigle Machine Company, and McGarigle's—once also known for their gasoline marine engines—appears to have been reduced to being an automotive machine shop. The locomotive building operation was now referred to as "the Cagney Brothers' Amusement Company Niagara Falls plant." By the 1940s the late Timothy Cagney—and not Peter McGarigle—was being given credit as the inventor. According to one report, two of Cagney's "best known installations were two gold-plated trains with steam locomotives built for the King of Siam, and the 'Trip Around the World' exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940." As for the oil burner reference, it's from a list of Coney Island rides and shows complied by Kingsborough Community College Professor Emeritus (and former Brooklyn Borough Historian, director and archivist) John Manbeck. He complied a vast collection of Coney Island ephemera that has since been donated to the Brooklyn College Library. On his list of rides and shows is this entry: A Miniature Railroad built by the Cagney Brothers made a circuit of park beneath the promenade. Each of its three small cars, pulled by a small oil-burning steam locomotive, held two passengers. I do not know what his original source was (but I'll try to find out); however, while the vast majority of the McGarigle/Cagney locomotives were coal-fired, it makes sense that these would be oil-fired as it would have virtually eliminated the fear of sparks from the smoke stack—especially so soon after the disastrous 1903 fire. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Railroads)
Cactus Garden: c. 1940
... You're right, Mr. Clark grew cacti for sale at his hotel in Van Horn, Texas. I love this photograph, too. With the exception of ... rock walkways and borders. There's more about the Clark Hotel Museum at www.texasmountaintrail.com (select from the Attractions ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/07/2007 - 3:23am -

Fred Clark of Van Horn, Texas and his cactus garden. I haven't counted all of the succulent little beauties (beware the search traffic that phrase will draw), but I'll go out on a limb and say there are many hundred. Ouch! View full size. (Courtesy Portal to Texas History). This is the first of a number of images we plan to post from a coalition of west Texas museums. The kind folks at the Texas Mountain Trail contacted us with an offer we couldn't refuse: Access to old photographs. You can see all of the images in our Texas Mountain Trial gallery. Cactus gardensomething funny about this, I just can't put my finger on it Cactus Nursery?Those cacti are in an awfully regular pattern for a garden. Also, most gardens - even cactus gardens - have a variety of plants. I think this is really nursery - that Mr. Clark is growing cacti for sale. Garden, Nursery?You're right, Mr. Clark grew cacti for sale at his hotel in Van Horn, Texas. I love this photograph, too. With the exception of lumber about, there's something so orderly about the layout of the garden/nursery, the rock walkways and borders. There's more about the Clark Hotel Museum at www.texasmountaintrail.com (select from the Attractions menu). Van Horn is an interesting community at 4,000 ft in the high desert mountains of far west Texas along I-10. The Clark family had the hotel there from the 20s to the 60s, and served rail and automobile travelers. (Rural America, Texas Mountain Trail)
The Web: 1907
... Ladies Rosenthal S.J. Klaus Schwartz Singer Stag Hotel. Barber Shop. Stewarts Tadema The Globe Gass Brothers? I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2018 - 12:56pm -

Chattanooga, Tennessee, circa 1907. "Market Square." Beneath a cat's cradle of streetcar wires, we have a nice selection of restaurants and dental parlors. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Business Directory Books. Wall Paper Campbell Furniture Co. Car Station Caudle D.B. Loveman Doctor Gibbs Drs. Dayton & Barrow, Dentists F.O.E. Aerie 845 Fletcher Geismar's Marble Hall New York Dental Parlors Restaurant Gass Bros. Gentlemen & Ladies Rosenthal S.J. Klaus Schwartz Singer Stag Hotel. Barber Shop. Stewarts Tadema The Globe Gass Brothers? I think you are talking about my sons. Eat here, get gas. DiversificationBooks and wallpaper? I'll take two cases.Delivery truck in the left foreground is from the Chattanooga Brewing Company. Books THEN WallpaperAnswering the question: what happens to the titles that won't even sell in the bargain bin? Streetcar cablesHere in Belgium, several middle sized cities kept their streetcars until late in the last century. I remember that the streets of Binche, where my grandparents live, had such a crisscross of cables above them, up until the late 1990's, when they removed the streetcars. The Thirsty EyeI looked at this photo for a long time looking for a bar or beer delivery and thanks to Jimmy Longshanks and his ability to spot the beer wagon this picture is complete. Faultless Lager Beer, what a name. How did you order a glass -- "I'll have a Faultless"? Yesterday: Small business. Today Big businessThe message made clear in this picture is that small business has been subsumed by big business during the 20th century. This picture is truly depressing. Depressing for us in the lack of enterprise that today's society reflects. Leer JetsLook at the men on the sidewalk in the lower left corner checking out the woman crossing the street! Then and NowChattanooga is a favorite daytrip for me, and I just figured out where this is. It's kind of depressing because only 100 years later it looks absolutely nothing like this. On the left side of the street in the picture, the stone building kind of hidden behind the "Stewarts" sign now stands alone empty in a parking lot. At least things seem to be improving in downtown Chattanooga. Maybe the 21st century will treat this block better than the 20th century did. (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Sierra Motel: 1960
... the one in Fort Lauderdale is the matching font on the hotel soap shown to us below by Malted Falcon. UPDATE: Kozel finds the ... 
 
Posted by rsyung - 08/18/2015 - 11:01am -

From an Ektachrome slide given to me many years ago by friends of my parents. Does anyone know where this is? The date imprint says "Dec60." View full size. Looks like New JerseySpecifically Wildwood, NJ. In Arizona?In the Google news archives, several stories mention a Sierra Motel in Prescott, Arizona. I'll be staying herethey have 24 hour room phone service, that's really something. Let's stop here, Dad!They have free children in the family rooms plus that nifty eye-catching, multicolor, two-way neon sign, free TV, in-room telephones and a pool. What else could we possibly want? Those people checking in at the front office right now could have been us, except that our extra long station wagon always had to have a big Sears luggage carrier clamped to the roof to carry all our worldly possessions as we never packed light. Surely brings back great memories. It's AmazingHow the same two words in different order mean entirely different things: "Children Free" and "Free Children" My guess is somewhere in Connecticut due to the station wagon with wood on the side. That was the CT equivalent of the Soccer Mom Van in 1960. Up in Michigan?The sign is obviously different, but the pitch of the roof and the posts and railings on the upper floor look similar - could it be: http://www.sierramoteltc.com/ I would have posted this earlier but went down the rabbit hole at Lileks.com for an hour or so looking at his vintage motel postcard collection. I highly recommend Lileks as a great complementary site to Shorpy. Fort LauderdaleThe logo matches: Fort Lauderdale1155 North Federal Highway. 1155 North Federal highway, Fort LauderdaleRoom key. Many Mountains (Even in Florida)There were, obviously, quite a few Sierra Motels. Absent a postcard on eBay, I'd say the most convincing evidence that it's the one in Fort Lauderdale is the matching font on the hotel soap shown to us below by Malted Falcon. UPDATE: Kozel finds the postcard! Brand NewThat's a brand-spanking-new '61 Ford Country Squire parked in front. Huge improvement over the '60. Amazing!If ever I have to find something from a photo, I am posting it here. Great job Shorpyites!!!!! We had the Exact Same CarAlso in Wimbledon White with fake wood trim until Dad traded it in to upgrade to the '67 Falcon wagon. We would play with the power rear window until the battery went dead, Dad wasn't happy! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Jean: 1937
... Agriculture and future Vice President, at the Wardman Park Hotel pool. Harrs & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:03pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Jean Wallace." The daughter of Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture and future Vice President, at the Wardman Park Hotel pool. Harrs & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. VP KidsIt's obvious that Henry Wallace's daughter was a lot hotter than either of the two Nixon or Johnson girls. Non-Skid SurfaceThis image nicely depicts a sensible (if no-frills) non-skid poolside surface application. [It's certainly what caught my eye. - Dave] Do not let your children look!Obvious propaganda for her father's socialist agenda. Super-absorbentHer hair's dry and her lipstick's intact. She's not about to get in the pool, not with that knitted swimsuit. It looks like it can soak up fifty gallons of water. Still with us.Jean Wallace Douglas, now 89 years old, was named one of Forbes Magazine's 400 Richest Americans in 1998. Spy kidBefore long, Miss Wallace would graduate from Connecticut College and accept a wartime position in, of all places, the OSS, predecessor to the CIA. According to Elizabeth McIntosh's book "Sisterhood of Spies," Jean and Henry Wallace would walk to work together from their apartment at the Wardman Park, Henry eventually turning left to the White House and Jean right, to her office at the OSS's temporary quarters near the Reflecting Pool. Wardman Park: Tower of PowerAny doubt about whether the Wardman Park apartment towers were an important axis of power in the FDR years is resolved by this excerpt from the 1940 census for that building. In successive entries are the families of Robert H. Jackson, (then the Attorney General and soon to become a legendary Supreme Court justice); Judge Fred Vinson (then on the D.C. Circuit, and the next Chief Justice of the United States); and Henry Wallace (then the Secretary of Agriculture and a few months from his selection as FDR's next running mate, and a one-term Vice President). Further down on the same page is Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenberg and his family, and on the next page, future U.S. Army General Matthew Ridgeway. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Swimming)
Local Traffic: 1941
... The former not the ladder Several days ago you posted a hotel with a precarious ladder to reach the flagpole from a rooftop window. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2019 - 5:52pm -

May 1941. "Intersection of the two main streets of Childersburg, Alabama." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. John DeereWhen I saw the tractor I knew I had seen that interesting rear cowl slope before. I believe that is a JD Model LA. Two cylinder gas, first built in '41 so perhaps the photo shows a dealer delivery in progress with a pit stop at the diner. But from where?I found the intersection of First Street and Eighth Avenue SW, but Delano’s perch is no longer there. First Street and 8th avenueExcept for the building housing the Dinette, the establishments on the north side of First Street seem largely intact today. Wide OpenI note a distinct lack o' door on the truck in the center. Really interesting slice of life picture from this high angle. We can see all kinds of businesses, vehicles, people. Fun to look at. Buildings adjoining the Dinette The building to the right of the Dinette on 8th Avenue (where the man is walking down the sidewalk) still exists. There's an old-school auto parts store there today. From the debris on the sidewalk against the front of this building it appears to be just-finished new construction. It also looks like the other building adjoining the Dinette (around the corner) is under construction but almost finished. Tracks and LionelThis looks like a diorama from a really nice train set. Sweet!The name of "The Dinette" and the design of that hanging sign is really sweet. About the ladderI'm guessing the ladder hangs on the roof by that makeshift "skyhook" that allows it to slide along the peak as needed. In this photograph the ladder is probably in storage, on the back side of the roof, just waiting for its next victim. And yes, there was that time I had a similar skyhook fail on a ladder years ago, but that's another story. Shorpy Tractor Identification ImperativeThe little tractor on a trailer in the upper right of this photo intrigued me, because it looked distinctive and vaguely familiar. Then I remembered, it was a John Deere model "L," produced from 1937 to 1946. It replaced thousands of farm horses. The former not the ladderSeveral days ago you posted a hotel with a precarious ladder to reach the flagpole from a rooftop window. Okay, understandable, if dangerous. However, I can't see any reason for the ladder on the building at the bottom of the picture. There's no opening visible on the roof and no reason I can see to climb up there. Surely they would not have gone to all that trouble to provide a way to inspect the chimney or that false storefront. Maybe it's to board a flying saucer. Covered AdsI'll bet that the proprietor of the Drugs Cafe (Cafe Drugs?) wasn't too pleased that the new building next door covered his nicely painted advertisements on the wall. The bit that we can see doesn't look very weathered or faded, so it was either really good paint or relatively recently painted. That ladderHere’s another view of the roof with the skyhook of the ladder poking up over the ridge. But I still can’t see the roof of the building next door from which Delano took the photo. WaterThe 'Dinette' is surrounded by new construction. Where did the rain water flow from its roof and the roof of the new building directly behind it I wonder. Both roofs slope down to a spot at the rear of the 'Dinette', but no downspout or scupper is visible. MultitaskingIt appears to me that the arms supporting the illumination lamps for the 'TEXACO' sign also have insulators carrying telephone/telegraph wires. If so, that is most quaint and unusual. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Small Towns)
Roney Plaza: 1939
... thief Eddie "High Pants" Lowe looks for a weak spot in the hotel's defenses. To the left stands femme fatale Maude Merry, another jewel ... on compromising Bill Laaw to allow her the run of the hotel. However before she sets her plan in action she meets Eddie at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2019 - 9:50pm -

April 1939. "Collins Avenue. Entrance to one of Miami Beach's better hotels." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. America at its bestI can’t decide what’s better: the building or the car. Arrest that man!Imagine! Appearing in public without a hat! It didn't burn downI guess it wasn't flammable enough. They had to demolish it in 1968 to build the 'Roney Plaza Apartments'. Re: America at its bestI do! The suit and the two-tone shoes. Torn Down on July 17, 1968Well, it didn't burn, anyway. https://www.facebook.com/miami.history1896/photos/a.471091646291054/1103... Both beautiful examples of their erasLovely Beaux Arts architecture and up-to-the-minute 1939 1938 1937 Buick. Missed It By That MuchThat '39 Buick is actually a '37. The Other Car in the PhotoWhat is that car lurking in the hubcap? Pampered '37Rare though it may be to see a Depression photo of a pristine 2-year-old car, that Buick is actually a '37 -- not a '38, which differs from the '37 only slightly by virtue of a more aggressive grille consisting of heavier chrome bars terminating in a radial curve as they meet the hood side panels. Queen's Black Tiara -- A Film NoirHouse detective Bill Laaw stands guard at the entrance as the notorious jewel thief Eddie "High Pants" Lowe looks for a weak spot in the hotel's defenses. To the left stands femme fatale Maude Merry, another jewel thief, who plans on compromising Bill Laaw to allow her the run of the hotel. However before she sets her plan in action she meets Eddie at the Pink Flamingo Bar and they start a furious romance that may bring down Billy Laaw who put Eddie's father in Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit and reward them with the fabulous Maltese Queen's Black Tiara. Will our two lovers escape the fate of most Film Noir characters and retire to Bimini with their treasure instead of one being brought down by a hail of bullets and the other off to Sing Sing to join his father? (The Gallery, Florida, M.P. Wolcott, Miami)
42nd at Park: 1906
... 1906. "42nd Street at Park Avenue, looking west." With the Hotel Belmont at left, Grand Central Station at right, the Hotel Manhattan center stage and New York Times building in the distance. A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2022 - 11:11pm -

New York circa 1906. "42nd Street at Park Avenue, looking west." With the Hotel Belmont at left, Grand Central Station at right, the Hotel Manhattan center stage and New York Times building in the distance. A tableau last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. JaywalkerI hadn't thought about it but I realize, looking at this photo, that the notion of a "crosswalk" really is a modern invention; there was no particular reason for such a thing before the streets became clogged with cars. A metal rod called a switch ironNo, no one told me what it is; I just know these things. In the previous 1906 photograph, you can clearly see the man using it. The same man, with a newspaper in his coat pocket is still standing in the same spot in today's photograph; but he's not leaning on it and a pedestrian is blocking the view of him holding it. Another pedestrian, apparently, cannot wait for the next streetcar. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Box Car: 1940
... of the buildings pictured here remain. The Washington Duke Hotel, the other notable structure shown, has been gone 46 years, almost as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2022 - 9:40am -

May 1940. "Outside of the tobacco warehouses in Durham, North Carolina." 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somewhere Near Five PointsThe neighborhood is much changed, but the old office building in the background, the Hill Building (1937), remains. Marion Post Wolcott would be here five months later, when she took this Shorpy photo from the Hill Building: https://www.shorpy.com/node/24973 Kids being kidsGive a kid some nails, a hammer, scrap wood, a few old wheels and watch his imagination take over. I know as a kid, we built a few go-carts ... some better then others. We actually made one so we could be in the annual Cockeysville MD parade. Our friends dad, who raced stock cars, helped us with that one--- and he gave us a real steering wheel to use! Even though we had to push it just like the kids in the photo, we had a blast! Rigsbee RidersAs 'Sewickley' correctly notes, only two of the buildings pictured here remain. The Washington Duke Hotel, the other notable structure shown, has been gone 46 years, almost as long as it was around. It's nice to see a shot in the South that isn't stereotypically the South: these lads could be risking life-and-limb in Anywheresville, USA. Stealing the Baby Coach WheelsI know Bill Cosby is persona non grata these days, but back in the Before Times (the 60's) his story "Go Carts" (from the album Wonderfulness) is perfectly embodied in this picture. I wonder if that's Old Weird Harold, whose go cart had a continental spare on the back! Dr. PepperThey sure like Dr. Pepper at that store. I count at least six signs for it. Nary a Coke sign to be seen, unless I'm missing one. Orange Crush is a distant second. Wide TurnsThat box car has a very narrow track - I think it would be a real handful when going around a corner! Guiders in the CapitalIn the Scottish capital (Edinburgh) we call these "guiders"; in Glasgow they're "bogies." Stealing baby coach wheels"I whipped out my trusty can of 3-in-1 Oil!!" (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, Kids)
The Great Race: 1915
... Geo. C. Rice Co. Their address overlapped with the Hotel Hudson. Cleve Campbell left for Europe the next year ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2012 - 10:44am -

May 1915. "York, Pa., auto races -- start of Washington, D.C., cars." Please ignore the mold. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. First or NothingThe American spirit - I love it! Who won?Anybody? The guy with the bicycle? Beefy No. 13Fat tires, heavy suspension, and trimmed down to fighting weight. (no lights for these racers, they pack just the essentials!) One can only imagine the engine under that loooong hood. And, by the license plate, it's street legal! It looks like these boys have done this before! Watch out, boys!Right after crossing into Maryland on I-83, look out for radar traps. And then 695, the Baltimore beltway, has construction zone cameras for you speeders. But seriously, most likely they took York Road through Towson, then maybe Charles Street into downtown Baltimore where they grabbed U.S. Route 1 somewhere south of town en route to D.C. [They're in D.C., about to leave for Pennsylvania. - Dave] Oh, drat. Yes, of course. OK then, new GPS info for everyone! "When possible, make a U-turn." #6They're going to have to pedal hard to keep up. I wonder...how many hats made it across the finish line. Did AAA sponsor this race?The car behind race car #3 doesn't look like a race car and doesn't have the white thing across the hood with the car # on it. It does have what appears to be the AAA logo on the radiator. No PedalsThe car on the far left is an Argo made in Jackson, Michigan between 1914 and 1918 that has been stripped of most of its body work and accessories. This one is from 1914 - 1916 as the later models were more conventional and cost more than $400. A Ford Model T Runabout cost about $345 in 1916. The Argo had a 4 cylinder 12 horsepower engine, shaft drive, weighed 750 pounds, with a 44 inch tread width, 4 gallon gas tank, an expected 35 - 45 mpg, could go up to 40 mph, and two forward speeds and one reverse gear. It came equipped with tools, but if you wanted your top, windshield, generator, and headlights attached you had to pay $20 extra. An extract from a LOC photo of an Argo and a close-up of the logo is shown below. The Argo was previously seen on Shorpy here, https://www.shorpy.com/node/11292, and here, https://www.shorpy.com/node/4332, and several other posts. American Automobile AssociationThe car in the background with the AAA badge carries the officials of the race. The AAA became the official sanctioning body for auto racing in the US in 1902. They formed the United States Automobile Club in 1955 and turned over all sanctioning to them after the Le Mans tragedy caused them to rethink their goals. All racing during this period, including the Indy 500, was officiated by the AAA. This is the same body that banned women from racing shortly after Joan Newton Cuneo won the amateur national championship. Lexington Not Made Near ConcordThe car on the far right appears to be a 1910 - 1913 Lexington automobile which were originally made in Lexington, Kentucky and then Connorsville, Indiana from 1909 to 1927. A little more than 38,000 Lexington cars were built during that time. Lexington won the Pike's Peak hillclimb in both 1920 (first and second places) and 1924 (first, second, and third places). An amazing performance for a tiny company. Pictures of Lexington's are not easy to come by. The radiator emblem on this car is similar to the Lexington emblem in the color plate section of Jack Martell's book Antique Automotive Collectibles. A picture of the a Lexington car that was in the Glidden Tour is shown below along with another picture. Note the radiator with the same shape (but no emblem on the radiator, just the company name in script). The Streets and Sanitation truck behind the Lexington is also interesting with paper piled up inside, bags hanging off the back, and a mustachioed driver looking directly at the photographer. At least one Lexington survives. A day at the racesThese cars are not racing the ninety-miles to York—they are traveling there to participate in the July 5, 1915 series of five-mile races on the York half-mile dirt track. Nearly all of the contestants were from the Washington D. C. area, and had been expressly invited by the York Motor Club, under whose auspices the meet was held. While BradL is correct in his assessment of the AAA, this particular event was not sanctioned by them. In fact, the event was being held for the Washington drivers who had been suspended by the AAA on June 18 for driving in another non-sanctioned race at the York track on the previous Memorial Day. Irvin Barber and Don Moore—along with their cars—were "disqualified and suspended" for one year, and six other drivers who were not AAA members were placed on the ineligible list for a similar length of time. Although they were not named on the list of ineligible non-members, Walter Smith and Milo Burbage didn't join the AAA until the first available date after the ban was lifted on June 1, 1916. At the time Smith was still recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound received in February, 1916 in a suicide attempt. This photo shows eight of the twelve cars that were going to race at York. It was taken on Saturday July 3, 1915 shortly before noon, and is a bit of a homecoming for Shorpy readers, as a few of these people have graced these pages in the past. They are gathered by I. T. Donohue's auto parts store at 14th and I Streets in Washington D. C.—that's Franklin Park to their left—ready to start out at 12 o'clock sharp for a (non-competitive) 90-mile run to York where, as planned, they arrived in time to participate in the 8:00 p.m. automotive parade. Irvin Donohue was quite the race booster and in his store he had on display the Batavla tires and Rayfield carburetor that had been on Irving Barber's car May 31 at York, when he took first place in a 5-mile free-for-all, and second place in a handicap free-for-all (after skidding off the track, spinning completely around twice, and driving back onto the track). Donohue, himself a racer and an AAA member, went along this trip and served as pit crew for the drivers. The cars and drivers, as near as I can identify them, are (front row-left to right): The red and white 1915 Argo Speedster with Walter L. Smith (middle initial is not "F" as the news photo has it), the 22-year old owner of the Smith Motor Sales Company, at the wheel. Next to him is, I believe, his father Ulysses Grant Smith who was born in 1865 (naturally), and served as the private secretary to the Secretary of Commerce. Next car over is Irvin C. Barber in his bright red 90-hp Carter Brothers-built 1914 Eye-See-Bee (ICB) Washington-based race car (and below is a shot of it in racing trim two months later at the Benning race track in Maryland, just outside of Washington): When the car was first built in the spring 1914, it was shipped to Indianapolis to participate in the Memorial Day 500-mile race as the "Washington Special" (with Batavia tires furnished by Donohoe). Backed by a wealthy New York broker, the car was to be driven by Mel Stringer, with Barber as relief driver. Although they could hit 90 mph on the straightaways, their 77.680 mph qualification lap wasn't good enough to land them a spot in the starting lineup. On November 27, 1916 Miss Eleanor Blevins (also known as Peggy and by her married name Betts) used the Eye-See-Bee to break the Philadelphia-to-Washington speed record. With Bailey Gish as her riding mechanic, she made the dash in 3 hours and 15 minutes actual running time (exclusive of all necessary stops)—shaving 35 minutes off of the old mark. The car in the middle is the circa 1914 Semmes Special with Raphael "Ray" Semmes at the wheel, but Lew Gibson, the man to his left, was the driver at the event (below is same car at speed two months later at the Benning track): The second car from the right is a circa 1914 Case owned by Don Moore, although G.E. Feeney (in the seat to Moore's left) drove the Case at York, while Moore drove a Mercer owned by Milo Burbage. The car on the far right is a circa 1912 Stoddard-Dayton driven by William DeKowski. Back row-left to right: This appears to be the circa 1913 Cole that was driven by C. Cleveland "Cleve" Campbell. The car in the middle of the back row is a circa 1911 Warren-Detroit, raced by H. B. Sharp. It was an older car, and had been Barber's before he had the Eye-See-Bee built. The last car on the right is Paul Miner's 1914 Buick. He too was a member of the AAA (hence the badge), but hadn't raced in May. The drivers/cars that were at the race but not shown in the picture were: Harry D. Myers/Marquette Buick; Milo C. Burbage/Mercer; and Robert M. Clendening/Oakland; and Frank Stewart/Reo. On Sunday most of the drivers prepped their cars for Monday's race. This would entail the removal of some or all unnecessary appendages and body parts—if they hadn't already been removed before they left Washington. This could result in quite the menagerie of styles as seen in the photo below of the Labor Day races at the Benning track two months later. The #2 Chevrolet Series H Royal Mail roadster nearest the camera retains it full body minus headlights, while the next two cars (#18 and #15) are stripped to the bare bones. The #17 car is a full bodied speedster with headlights mounted, while the #12 Ford on the far side has a custom body for racing. Walter L. Smith's Argo Speedster was already stripped down, so Smith took the opportunity of the off day to drive a sixty-mile round-trip to Lancaster and back. On Monday he arrived at the track ready for the light car event, but when no other cars in his class showed up, that match was scrubbed. Undaunted, Smith promptly entered the diminutive Argo in a five-mile scratch race for cars up to 301 cubic inch displacement—putting it against the Mercer, Semmes Special, Cole, and the Buicks. The Mercer won in 7:06 with Don Moore at the wheel while, astonishingly, the Argo beat out two other cars—coming in at 7:58 for a fourth-place finish. The five-mile scratch race for cars from 301 to 450 cubic inch displacement was won by Barber in his Eye-See-Bee at 6:35. The five-mile free-for-all was won by Barber/Eye-See-Bee at 6:24, and the five-mile Australian pursuit race was won at 6:24.5 by Moore/Mercer. An Australian pursuit race is where all the cars begin the race in motion and evenly spaced around the track. When the flag drops the race starts and as soon as you're passed by a car from behind, you are out of the race. Obviously, it goes until there is only one car left. In the case it was Milo Burbage's Mercer, driven by Don Moore. More was expected of Harry Myers' Marquette-Buick which, with Ted Johnson driving on Nailor's Hill, held the hill-climbing record of Washington D. C., but it did not win any races at York. Myers owned Riggs Garage at 1467 P Street in Washington. The only downside to the day was Frank Stewart's crash at speed in his Reo. He walked away, but the car was totaled. It wasn't that bad of a loss however, as the Reo was one of the oldest cars in the race and due for retirement. In a few years Frank Stewart would found the Standard Automotive Supply Co. Most of this group kept racing, most notably at Benning's in Maryland, but the AAA doesn't appear to ever have suspended any of them again for driving in non-sanctioned contests. In fact, it seems to have dropped the penalties for the AAA members, as both Barber and Moore drove in the AAA sanctioned race at Benning's in September. Eight months after the York race Paul Miner went into business with George and Charles Rice and opened The New Garage at 1323 H St. NW, in Washington. This business soon expanded to 1317-27 H St. NW as the Geo. C. Rice Co. Their address overlapped with the Hotel Hudson. Cleve Campbell left for Europe the next year and worked for the American Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps in France, then spent a year in London fitting artificial legs to wounded soldiers. Milo C. Burbage was a bricklayer from Ohio who made it big as a contractor in Washington. Today his house in on the Prince George's County (Maryland) Historic List. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
City Sidewalks: 1940
... The building with the Buick sign (on Grand Avenue) and the Hotel Savery (on Locust) are the only structures left of those shown in the ... of out of his window that day in 1940. PS: The Savery Hotel became a barracks for WAC officers during WW2. It's still there. I spent ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2007 - 10:47pm -

May 1940. Business district and gas station in Des Moines, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Cake SignI can't seem to get the pictures as large as before, but the cake-shaped sign on the right corner is pretty amazing. I also don't think I've ever seen anything called a "Savery"--had to look twice. Des MoinesThis is looking north up Fourth Street. The building with the Buick sign (on Grand Avenue) and the Hotel Savery (on Locust) are the only structures left of those shown in the photo. There is now a Domino's Pizza where the Buick sign is and the Hills building is now Nolen Plaza, a fountain plaza. To the east of that is the Des Moines Civic Center (also relatively new). The block west of the Hills building is now a business center called Capitol Square. The Shell station would have been on Walnut. There are now high-rise condos there. Fourth street was eliminated between Locust and Walnut. Wish it was still like this ... City SidewalksWhat always amazes me is that in these vintage street scenes the people are so nicely dressed. Quite the opposite of today. Just like a movie setIt's amazing, but it really does not look like it is real. It looks too perfect, right down the couple swinging their children. Contrasting imagesThis is just incredible contrast to some of the other photos that you show of people living in abject poverty in the 40's. This looks so prosperous. Web siteFor me, this is one of the best sites I've ever found. It deals with real and decent subject matter. I, personally, find it very educational. It is very well thought out and executed perfectly. The "comments" section is a very integral and necessary function in this presentation (the educational part). Kind of pulls it all together. I'm 63 yrs. old and enjoy every "time-line" represented. It gives me great comfort knowing that there are still people out there that can put something together like this for us. By us, I mean everyone who views this site and maybe makes a comment now and then. It all seems to have a very "American" slant among all the craziness around us these days. Mike J. Albany, Oregon Odd isn't it......this oasis of normalcy among the gritty ethnic industrial centers and dry starved-out dust farms that today make up the era to us. I'm from central Iowa and know Des Moines well. There really were places like this then, but obviously taking pictures of them didn't educate the public about all the privation out there. You wouldn't recognize downtown Des Moines today. So this pic isn't even history, really. In a way, it is too perfect to ever have been real ... whatever Vachon took pictures of out of his window that day in 1940. PS: The Savery Hotel became a barracks for WAC officers during WW2. It's still there. I spent the night there once. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Telco Girls: 1928
... St W, the billing address, is the Willard Intercontinental Hotel Laughing Girls I can't help but wonder why these girls were having ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 11:54am -

Washington, 1928. "C&P Tel. Co. girls in class laughing." Employee education at Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone. View full size. Nat'l. Photo glass negative. Chalk TalkIf you blow the photo up to the original size, it appears, quite convincingly, that the woman on the left can easily see the writing on the blackboard. The chalkboardIt appears to be a large version of a subscriber information card. Imagine all the work, every month, to create a bill for each customer by reading the information contained on the card, copying it to another sheet of paper, and mailing it out. It's no wonder that the Bell System was instrumental in the creation of automated billing. Now I knowWowsa, knees! I had no idea women had those in that era. Where's George?Mr. Graham's addresses check out: 1415 Chapin St NW is an apartment building. 1460 F St W, the billing address, is the Willard Intercontinental Hotel Laughing GirlsI can't help but wonder why these girls were having so much fun. I wouldn't blame the young man if he became self-conscious and lost his train of thought... Smooth TalkerI don't know what he said, but I wish I'd thought of it first! Like a LadyI noticed all of the girls are crossing (or not crossing) their legs like a proper lady, not with one knee over the other like we do today. PostureDo they still teach girls posture? We were taught how to sit like this, paying attention to our posture, our feet and legs, and even our shoulders and hands. Of course, we had to wear dresses in most circumstances too. It makes a girl/woman look poised, even if she doesn't feel that way. Just for the photographerInteresting to see that nobody noticed that the first girls on the left are unable to read what is written on the board. All the girls were disposed on a quadrant... just for the photographer! Angus MacdonaldAny telephone company employee worth their salt will recognize the painting on the wall as that of lineman Angus Macdonald, who bravely preserved the newly opened long-distance line between Boston and New York during a bitter storm in 1888. Prints were displayed in communications offices everywhere to remind employees of their responsibilities. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
The New Mathewson: 1910
Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, circa 1910. "Hotel (New) Mathewson." For many years the pre-eminent lodging in the "City of ... This is one a fire didn't get Perhaps the grandest hotel in the area when it was completed in 1896, the 500-room (New) Mathewson ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 9:54pm -

Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, circa 1910. "Hotel (New) Mathewson." For many years the pre-eminent lodging in the "City of Hotels." View full size. Oh, say, can you see?By the looks of that flag you would have thought Francis Scott Key spent the night on an English ship in the harbor. remnantsoff to the right, the remains of the great McKim, Mead and White Narraganset Pier Casino, (The Towers,) which burned spectacularly in 1900 This is one a fire didn't getPerhaps the grandest hotel in the area when it was completed in 1896, the 500-room (New) Mathewson survived only 22 years. It was demolished in 1918, a victim of severely depressive effects of WWI on the tourism industry. Shingle StyleWithout Googling it, I'd imagine it burned down, like so many hotels of the era. But if it didn't, I pity the guy who had to do the stripping ten years after some fool decided to paint it. My HAT!OOOH GEEZ my hat! [Indeed. - tterrace] Coast Guard HouseI believe that house on the right with the anchor is now the Coast Guard House Restaurant. Had dinner there last summer. My first time in Narragansett. The towers still exist.Spanning across the road: View Larger Map (The Gallery, DPC, Travel & Vacation)
Crime Scene: 1920
... murder occurred here. The two sisters from the Overlook Hotel are standing there checking everything out. Greek Murder I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 7:33am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "809 Ninth Street." A good location if you need some printing done. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. UPDATE: This is the scene of the "Greek murder" whose victims were shown here two years ago. Thanks to Cnik70 and Stanton Square for their detective work. SpookytownAnother Parallel Universe shot. Obviously those children have seen us and startled as we see them and startle. The watchful eye of the Matron dares us to make a move, even a false move. And this before I saw it's the Murder House. Cool. Another lady in the windowShe's trying to be unobtrusive, but we see you ... Stood still long enough to register clearly, unlike the children and the passing man. Gallaudet PennantDoes the pennant hanging approximately beneath the "D" in the Word Art Press sign read "Gallaudet"? Sure looks that way to me. If so it would be fitting that the college be recognized alongside Georgetown and other area institutions, though odd because at the time it was called "Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind" and would not be named Gallaudet College until 1954. Edward Miner Gallaudet was the school's first superintendent and his father was the founder of the first school for the deaf in the U.S., but would that rate a pennant? Can someone with better eyes and/or a better computer screen confirm that the pennant does indeed say "Gallaudet"? If so, may the mob-source wisdom of Shorpydom provide an answer to the question of the anachronistic pennant. [Hardly an anachronism -- the name Gallaudet College has been around since 1894. - Dave] W.B. Dawson: Radio Enthusiast Washington Post, May 7, 1924 Listening In Radio Editor: Kindly Tell me through your paper if there is such a station as CHYC, Montreal, Canada, and what is the mileage? At 9:55 last night (Sunday) I heard music broadcast by a Mr. Root, Montreal, Canada, I am quite sure. Thanking you for any information. W.B. Dawson, 807 Ninth street northwest. ANSWER — CHYC as listed on The Post radio map is a broadcasting station of 2,000 watts power operating in Montreal, Quebec, on 410 meters. The station is owned by the Northern Electric Company and broadcasts in English. The station is approximately 495 miles distant from Washington. Check OutThat superb masonry work on 809. Hard to duplicate today. And the stained glass glazing above the ebtry doors and the first floor double window. A lost art. Look out belowThe birthplace of the old flowerpot-on-the-head gag. A true comedy classic. Scene of the CrimeThe account of this grisly murder reads like the back-story of a George Pelecanos novel. The subplot: a crime of deception and betrayal goes tragically wrong. The characters: Greek immigrants working in the restaurant trade. The location: inner neighborhood of Washington D.C. Washington Post, Jul 26, 1920 2 Slain, Third Dying Man and Woman Lose Lives in Affray in Ninth Street. Police Believe Tragedy Followed an Attempt at Robbery. A man and a woman are dead, and another man is mortally wounded as the result of a shooting and cutting affray in a rooming house at 809 Ninth street northwest, early yesterday evening. The dead are Katherine Odiscus and Theodore Apostalos Koukos. Jean Odiscus, believed to be the husband of the woman, is in Emergency Hospital in a critical condition. A roomer at the house, hearing four shots about 6 o'clock, summoned Patrolmen Page and Murray of the First precinct, who removed the victims to Emergency Hospital in the patrol wagon. Physicians at that institution said that the wife died before she reached the hospital as the result of two bullet wounds to the head. Koukos died as the result of several hatchet wounds about the head, believe to have been inflicted by the husband. Odiscus is suffering from two bullet wounds in the head. Clew in a Post Card. A .32-caliber revolver with four bullets discharged and a blood-stained hatchet were found lying on the floor near the bodies. Koukos was found lying face downward at the foot of a small flight of stairs where he had fallen. He was partially clad when picked up by Patrolman Davis, of the First precinct, who took the victims to the hospital. The woman was lying on the floor of a hall a short distance from her bedroom door. The husband was discovered lying across the threshold of his room with two bullet bounds in his head. A postcard addressed "Dear Phillip," and signed by a woman stating that she was leaving for Wilmington, S.C., was on the bureau. Four new suitcases hurriedly packed, were standing on the floor of the room and appeared as though they had been dropped by some on in flight. A razor, which had just been used, was found lying on a dressing table. Mrs. Minnie King, proprietress of the boarding house, said that Koukos and Odiscus applied at the house late Saturday night for a room. They say that the sister of Odiscus would arrive later in the night and engaged a room for her. Odiscus said that his sister was French and spoke no English. He said that he had formerly roomed with Mrs. King, although the woman has no recollection of him. Story Told by Mrs. King. Shortly after the two men entered the dwelling the girl is believed to have arrived, taking the room which had been engaged for her. Mrs. King told Lieut. Sanford and Detective O'Reilly that she had no knowledge as to the exact time that any of the trio entered the house for the night. No other roomers in the house saw either of the three persons at any time yesterday, although it is known that they left the dwelling sometime in the forenoon and returned shortly before the tragedy. The theory advanced by the police for the killing is that the husband and wife lured Koukos from his home in Norfolk, Va., representing the woman to be single, for the purpose of robbing him. Theories of the Police. Reconstructing the tragedy Lieutenant Sanford said that probably the husband and wife entered Koukos' room when the latter was asleep and attempted to slay him by beating him over the head with a hatchet, which the husband is known to have incurred before engaging the room. It is thought that Koukos managed to gain his feet long enough to procure a revolver and then retreating toward the starts shot and killed the woman and fired two shots which may prove fatal to the husband. The murdered man is thought to have made an attempt to raise some one in the dwelling but succumbed to his wounds when at the head of the stairs. Police last night declared that Odiscus formerly worked in a restaurant in Washington. Letters found in the room indicate that the husband and wife were separated several times and that the man in his effort to locate the woman traveled in several cities in Virginia and North Carolina. $1,900 Found on Body. It is practically certain, police say, that the man and woman going under the name of Odiscus were in collusion to rob Koukos and got him to come to Washington to marry the girl who was posing as his sister. Greeks consulted in this city who allege to have known Odiscus last night definitely identified him as a husband of the woman. A money belt containing $1,900 in bills of large denominations was found on the body of Koukos when on the operating table at Emergency Hospital. Police are endeavoring to locate any relatives of the three. Passports out of Greece were found in the baggage owned by the man and his wife. It was by this means that their names were procured. An inquest will be held over the bodies of the man and woman at the morgue this afternoon. [And there's more here. - Dave] "Shining" prequelNo wonder all that mayhem and murder occurred here. The two sisters from the Overlook Hotel are standing there checking everything out. Greek MurderI thought this sounded familiar. This is directly related to this previous post. [Brilliant! I saw the two photos side by side yesterday when I was posting this but did not make the connection. - Dave] Local colorJust posted a colorized version on my blog. Sorry, it's a bad habit. I can't stop myself. MintyThis site's now the location of the US Mint and the new Cuba Libre restaurant. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
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