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Theta Pi Pastels: 1910
... School held their spring luncheon meeting at the Shoreham Hotel yesterday. The gathering took place in the hotel's palm court, with an afternoon of bridge following the luncheon. About ... 
 
Posted by booboogbs - 02/22/2015 - 5:03pm -

Colorized from this Shorpy original: Washington, D.C., circa 1910. "Theta Pi girls." 8x10 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Shirtwaists 11 - dresses 3Shirtwaists were winning the battle in women's fashions at the turn of the last century. The following year (1911), some of he girls who made those shirtwaists (aka "blouses") would die in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. Be Still My Heart!That is an impressive display of Edwardian pulchritude, fetchingly enhanced by skillful "polychromizing." One wonders what the item being held by the woman in the front row might be: is it a very large teacup or a very small chamber pot? No perma press!Those are gorgeous blouses, and skirts, but I'd sure hate to have to iron them! Eastern High School !The Washington Post - Washington, D.C. Date: Mar 29, 1931 Eastern Theta Pi Alumni Meet for Spring Luncheon "The Alumni Chapter of the Theta Pi Sorority of Eastern High School held their spring luncheon meeting at the Shoreham Hotel yesterday. The gathering took place in the hotel's palm court, with an afternoon of bridge following the luncheon. About 40 alumni and their guests were present." (ShorpyBlog, Colorized Photos)
The Boomerang: 1963
... into the in-ground pool. Very cool. The newer part of the hotel features gas fireplaces in every room, and private balconies. I think it ... 
 
Posted by seri_art - 12/17/2008 - 6:44pm -

Winter 1962-63 in Aspen, Colorado. Boomerang Lodge, designed by owner Charlie Paterson, a Frank Lloyd Wright-trained architect (and ski instructor). The vehicle on the left is a Cadillac hearse used as a lodge limo! View full size. Heated Pool ... Well, I certainly hope so! IcebikeWhat a dedicated cyclist! VintageNice grouping of old cars--the blue Pontiac by the Ford is very nice. [Those are new cars! - Dave] Motel Hell . . . oI'll take a two-way ticket in the Lodge-Limo if you don't mind. Politically correctI'm no fan of 60's architechiture but even those that are must have to admit how ugly this building truly is. So few structures of this time period have been saved (thankfully) and I'm betting that even in the ever correct Aspen, this one is gone. Better to concentrate on saving the beautiful buildings from earlier in the century that are now threatened. When in AspenI've stayed at the Boomerang many times on business, and it is wonderful. There's a rec room in the basement that has a window looking out into the in-ground pool. Very cool. The newer part of the hotel features gas fireplaces in every room, and private balconies. I think it is a bargain, especially for Aspen. The BoomerangYou can see the rec room window to the pool in another photo in this Aspen winter 62-63 series. Alas, time marches on and Charlie sold the Boomerang and the lot across the street a few years ago. The two sites whose links are below describe the new version that's in progress. It seems to be a condominium leaseback arrangement but I'm not clear about it. The first site says, "To honor Aspen's past, The Boomerang's 'East Wing' will retain its historic charm. Originally sketched by Charlie Paterson while studying at Taliesin West, the breakfast lounge remains as it was - with its walls and fireplace of rustic concrete and windows arranged for maximum openness. Renamed the Paterson Room, it is a tribute to Aspen's past". We'll see... http://www.newboomerang.com (good history section here) http://boomeranglodge.com (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Company Store: 1940
... the principal mercantile company, the hospital and the hotel." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2018 - 12:23pm -

Spring 1940. "Store in Bisbee, Arizona. Phelps-Dodge practically owns this town: the copper mines, the principal mercantile company, the hospital and the hotel." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The winner is ... ?I remember visiting this town in the mid-'70s and thinking how picturesque it looked. Within the space of a few years, however, things grew ugly. As copper prices dropped, Phelps Dodge began cutting its work force, resulting in a harsh, violence-filled strike. The town was literally torn apart by the situation, and many lives affected. At the end, the Company declared it was getting out of the copper business in Arizona, and closed the mine, leaving the town with no viable employment. I remember seeing the news stories at the time - a picture of a now-unemployed miner holding a sign -- "WE WON!" I'm glad the town has had a resurgence of tourism and artist colony. [The Bisbee mines closed in 1974. The strike you're thinking of was in 1983, 170 miles away at the Phelps-Dodge open pit in Morenci, which is still in operation. Also, probably not "literally" torn apart, unless there was an earthquake or tornado! - Dave] Bisbee Big BoxThe Streamline Moderne store (designed by Del Webb in 1939) still stands as a sort of shopping and dining arcade, but the giant building behind it is gone. What was it? Big Box StoryThe big box building was a warehouse for the Phelps Dodge Mercantile. It was built prior to 1917, as it can be seen in photographs from the 1917 I.W.W. strike and subsequent Bisbee Deportation. It survived the 1938 fire that destroyed the previous Phelps Dodge Mercantile, which led to the construction of this new Streamline Moderne building. It was razed sometime between 1951 and 1960 and became a parking lot. Many more photos and information of Bisbee can be found at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum website. Yesterday's tomorrows todayThe current street view seen in the earlier comment shows why surviving Streamline Moderne buildings need to be painted white as designed. The earth tone craze doesn't suit them at all. Subway Street?Think they ever had a subway there? [The Subway is the drainage channel that goes under the street. Once you get to the store, Subway turns into Tombstone Canyon Road. - Dave] Still ThereThis page has a recent shot of the Mercantile building. It looks less grand than the 1940 view, but it's still recognizable. Public transportation warThe building at the end of the street has a "Greyhound" sign on its frontispiece. On the same building there is a board saying: "Next time, try the train and BE SAFE". A message signed by Southern Pacific. Part of Phelps DodgeThe building behind the store in question was also part of Phelps Dodge at least according to the picture posted from the back, you can see the name on the building behind the Kodak lettering. Offices maybe? [Um, that's not "the building behind the store." That IS the store. Both views are from the front. That's the same sign in both photos. - Dave] (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Anytown, USA: 1940
... suppose, do you, that we're looking at the same Brown's Hotel as that mentioned in the '40s standard "Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe"? ... and Trampas ever shot pool here? I doubt this Brown's hotel was mentioned in the song, "Atchinson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe," since ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/12/2018 - 7:56pm -

March 1940. "Medicine Bow, Wyoming." Generic medicine, evidently. Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hey, Jim, Better Get the RigYou don't suppose, do you, that we're looking at the same Brown's Hotel as that mentioned in the '40s standard "Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe"? PetHis collar reads, "Dog". Town namesPerhaps it is not named Paradise for a reason. Street and AvenueThe pool hall (located at the corner of Street and Avenue) appears to have an outdoor pool, as well. The VirginianMedicine Bow was the setting for the TV series, and I presume the Owen Wister novel. Wonder if he and Trampas ever shot pool here? I doubt this Brown's hotel was mentioned in the song, "Atchinson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe," since Medicine Bow was served by a branch line of the Union Pacific. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns)
Aerial Washington: 1911
... left-center across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Raleigh Hotel under construction; the Agriculture Department greenhouses in the ... theater with porthole just above the scaffolding atop the hotel under construction. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Railroads, Stores & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2014 - 1:24pm -

Circa 1911. "Washington from Washington Monument." Points of interest in this first installment of a six-segment panoramic view include B Street (today's Constitution Avenue), running diagonally from the Potomac Electric powerhouse at lower left; Louisiana Avenue, branching off in the general direction of Union Station at upper right; the Old Post Office and its clock tower at left-center across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Raleigh Hotel under construction; the Agriculture Department greenhouses in the foreground with a corner of the Smithsonian "National Museum" at far right, just below Center Market; Liberty Market at upper left, below what looks to be a vast tent encampment; and, at right-upper-center, the Pension Office north of Judiciary Square and the District Court House. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. "Tents"All those tents are actually slate turret roofs on top of rowhouses. Very typically, a pyramid shaped slate turret would top off the projecting bay of a DC rowhouse. All four sides would have been slated. Slate, because of its mineral content (lots of mica) can be very reflective at certain angles, hence the white appearance. [Conical was also popular. - Dave] SurprisingSurprising lack of motorized vehicles for ca. 1911. [Here are seven. - Dave] Cargo TramNow there's something I had never really thought of: street cars for freight; a forerunner of today's semi-rigs I suppose. There's one being loaded/unloaded in front of the lumber yard. First of six?Great! Bring them on! Kann's Busy Corneraka Kann's Department Store. A good history of the life and death of the buildings can be found here. [More here. - Dave] +86Below is the same view taken in December of 1997. (Please excuse my still-limited scanning talents - this was before I switched to digital.) DC in 1911What a great photo. More of these buildings than one would think are still there. The "District Court House" south (right) of the great Pension Building on Judiciary Square is the original DC City hall, started in 1820. After a several-years-long redo, it now houses in grand style the DC Court of Appeals (the state supreme court for the District.) Peeking around the office building to the left of the City Hall on 5th Street NW is the then-new US Court of Appeals building, which housed what is now the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit until 1952, when it moved to the new federal courthouse on Constitution Avenue (now the Prettyman Courthouse.) The old US Court of Appeals building now houses the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, on which I am privileged to sit. It is an exquisite little building, quite well-preserved, with many of its original furnishings. Ford's TheaterI had a thought that Ford's Theater was off in this general direction, so I took a look. Not being all that familiar with D.C. I'm wondering if that is the peak of the theater with porthole just above the scaffolding atop the hotel under construction. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Railroads, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Red Channels: 1959
... summer Olympics in Moscow stayed at the enormous Rossiya hotel, just off Red Square. Which had no TVs in the rooms, just the old wooden ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2014 - 11:57pm -

August 5, 1959. "Russians looking at television sets and radios at the USSR Exhibition in Sokolniki Park, Moscow, next to the American National Exhibition." U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection. View full size. I like the Shorpy reflectionBut shouldn't it be Cyrillic? They look just like real television setsWhen broadcast signals go on the air they'll be even more remarkable. This one gets the award for the cleverest "Shorpy" placement ever. I love the stamp!Shorpy looks almost cyrillic. No Satellite TV YetOf course, the US pavillon would not only have been able to display maybe ten times the number of makes and models, but would probably also have been able to show a different channel on each and any of them once somebody had built the neccessary networking. Not to mention that the US procedure would have been to order, rate-pay and take delivery the next day, rather than order, bribe and wait two years for delivery. I wonder what would have been more bewildering to the world elite of the working class. By the way, a significant number of consumer products in the USSR came from other East Block contries. And were generally much preferred by the Soviet citizens on account of the relatively lower level of shoddiness. They were paid for with oil, gas, MIGs and tanks. A fair number of TV sets came from East Germany, for instance. More like 1989 right?Soviets were a bit "behind the times" when it came to personal electronics back then. All these setsAnd nothing to watch but that Khrushchev test pattern! Soviet TelevisionIt watches you. TV LandInterestingly enough these TV sets may have played a part in the downfall of the Soviet Empire. There was at that time 3 basic TV Broadcast Systems, our NTSC, the European PAL and the French Secam. They were incompatible. The NTSC was the first, the PAL was next improving on ours and Secam came after and had the best picture. The Russians chose Secam and modified it to what was called Secam D so that only their broadcasts could be seen there. In the 1980s Multi-System VCR units made their appearance and allowed VHS tapes to be played on any TV. They were bootlegged into the USSR and the tapes were copied and black-marketed. Soviet Block citizens now had the ability to see what was going on in Western Europe and the USA and their dissatisfaction led to the eventual changing of the guard in the 1990s. TV land Moscow, 1980Those of us covering the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow stayed at the enormous Rossiya hotel, just off Red Square. Which had no TVs in the rooms, just the old wooden cabinet Muzak-style speakers on the walls, with a volume control and a four-position switch for choosing a "station." Every morning as I left for work, I would turn to the speaker and tell it that I was gone for the day, and when I would be returning... (Technology, The Gallery, TV)
Stop-Stop & Go-Go: 1919
... equipped with umbrella and rearview mirror. The Willard Hotel and U.S. Treasury play supporting roles in this Harris & Ewing glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2014 - 9:07am -

Circa 1919. "Traffic officer at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue." Before stoplights in the District of Columbia, there was the "Go-Go" traffic sign equipped with umbrella and rearview mirror. The Willard Hotel and U.S. Treasury play supporting roles in this Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. ObsolescenceA hard working family man long since replaced by a few million electrons. As seen previously on ShorpyWe've seen this same location (from other occasions, when the umbrella was up & the officer on duty had no ear coverings) previously on Shorpy here and here. [This one has a new & improved sign, with mirror and bigger letters. - Dave] Early Selfie"Looking good, my man, looking good." Origination of the TermWhen one stands in one place too long one can become flat footed. Mirror, Mirroron the pole, who's the fairest gendarme of them ole? Prototype traffic signal controllerIt's easy to see how the mirrored platform was the direct predecessor to early street embedded treadle actuated automated traffic light control systems. Subsequent developments however seem bent on removing any resemblance to the original, with things like ultrasonic, street imbedded induction loop, pedestrian demand button and who knows what other kind of sensor/actuators. Improvement?Somehow I think traffic might have flowed better with this guy at the intersection than it does today. Go-Go BootsApparently the fashion was started by men and required a 'platform' heel. Wooden palletStanding on the wood will help his joints, especially if he has 8 hours of duty a day at that post. [It would also keep his feet warm. The ground is a heat sink. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Kitchen of Tomorrow: 1954
... exhibit for the GM Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York." Large-format color transparency. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2018 - 8:04pm -

1954. "Harley Earl, General Motors Vice President of Design, in Frigidaire's 'Kitchen of Tomorrow' exhibit for the GM Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York." Large-format color transparency. View full size. King FinBack in 1956, had I known he was the one responsible for tailfins on cars, I would have worshiped this man. My father took me to a GM Motorama at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium in 1955 or 1956; I wish my memories were stronger, but what remains is of being in a wonderland. Back to the FutureIt's amazing how modern that kitchen looks, even today. Like something out of the Ikea catalogue. Modern but flimsyEverything about that kitchen looks like it would fall apart with real use. Sure, it looks nice, but a few teenagers would destroy it in a month. And what's with the color swatches next to what looks like a microwave? What's he doing there?Even before I read the caption, I thought, "That's Harley Earl - what's he doing in a kitchen?" Like Archfan, I see this being like a modern kitchen. On the left we see a water dispenser (though not incorporated into the refrigerator), a small color TV displaying a recipe, and a fully instrumented electric range. And I'm thinking that the brushed gray doors toward the right might be refrigerated cabinets. [The "color TV" is some sort of microfilm recipe reader. You can see the "horizontal refrigerator" in action in this video. - Dave] At the time, most of the automakers owned appliance makers. Besides GM's Frigidaire, there was Philco, owned by Ford, and Kelvinator, owned by American Motors. Chrysler's Airtemp made home air conditioning, and even International Harvester made refrigerators and freezers for awhile, targeting the farm families that bought their tractors and implements. Kitchen Design?Looks more like his GM corporate office. The ManA lot of people have been called "The Man". Harley Earl WAS The Man. TimelessIt still looks modern today, in my view. And what an upgrade from just 30 years prior. FormicaThe cabinets remind me of the kitchen table we bought in 1955 when I came out of the Army. The same ugly Formica although we thought it was quite nice at the time. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Kitchens etc., LOOK)
Peachtree Street: 1957
... also got $2 a week for bus fare. We walked to and from the hotel and classroom (both a little farther up Peachtree Street) and bought a ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 03/21/2018 - 4:53pm -

We are looking north on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta on August 30, 1957. On the left is one of Atlanta's two principal department stores, Davidson's; also, the Roxy Theater that ran second runs. I remember seeing "Grapes of Wrath" there. The clowns on the tiny motorcycle are part of the annual Shriners' convention. Kodachrome slide by me, William D. Volkmer. View full size. Pickup truckIf I owned that Chevy pickup right now, the only thing I'd change would be the spark plugs. S & W CafeteriaI discovered the S&W cafeteria in 1962 while attending my first AT&T school. For five weeks, I ate lunch and dinner there every day. With a dish of strawberry shortcake for dessert. All of $5.50 a day for meals. We also got $2 a week for bus fare. We walked to and from the hotel and classroom (both a little farther up Peachtree Street) and bought a carton of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes. Good times. Yellow & GreenThat '54 Chevrolet on the right was the exact color combo my parents new '54 Chevrolet. Popular at the time, but Dad always bought white cars after that. Even at 10 I thought it was a bit much. Couple of Things:The department store was Davison's, not "Davidson's." It was originally The Davison-Paxon Company, but was acquired by Macy's in the '50s or early '60s. It remained Davison's until the '80s, when Macy's began the branding madness that destroyed local department store history all across America. It was the less popular of Atlanta's two major department stores, with the fabled Rich's being most shoppers' first choice, despite Rich's having a less convenient downtown location. The Roxy did end up as a second-run theater, but at the time of the photo and for many years afterwards, was a first-run house. Two of its major runs were 1962's "Cleopatra" and 1964's "My Fair Lady," the latter of which ran there for eight months, if memory serves. RE: S & W CafeteriaNostalgia is a wonderful thing we all find comforting and fun, but need to occasionally remove a little of the sugar coating. Adjusted for inflation, $5.50 would be $45.35 today, which is about right for two meals. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Milk and Cuties: 1951
... part of Santa Barbara, close to the five-star Biltmore Hotel. (Kodachromes, LOOK, Pretty Girls, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2014 - 1:52pm -

1951. Santa Barbara, California. "Lana Turner lunching by pool at the Coral Casino with daughter Cheryl Crane." Hollywood royalty, mingling with the hoi polloi. Color transparency by Earl Theisen for Look magazine. View full size. Just Sandwiches PleaseGood thing there is no cutlery on those trays. Glass!Two glasses of milk close to being accidentally knocked into the pool water. Even royalty is careless in recognizing all glass is off limits near a swimming pool. Money BagsStella McCartney has a wooden accordion clutch bag with a similar look (only smaller) that sells for over $2,000. Wonder what something like that went for in the 1950s? ProofEveryone love Cracker Jacks. Wonder what her prize was. Lana TurnerShe is featured in a lot of photos in the Shorpy archive! And in 1940, she was a brunette. https://www.shorpy.com/node/15505 Still a high-class place.The Coral Casino is located in a pretty ritzy part of Santa Barbara, close to the five-star Biltmore Hotel. (Kodachromes, LOOK, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
The Pamphlet: 1922
... "[HO]TEL [...]NERT". A bit of research reveals there was a Hotel Rennert in Baltimore in the narrow block bounded by Saratoga, Liberty, ... intersection of Clay & Liberty. A 1903 photo of the hotel's west façade -- detail below -- is an exact match for the dome seen ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/11/2015 - 10:26am -

Easter and Holy Week in Washington, D.C., 1922. "Group of pages." Plus an usher. 4x5 inch glass negative from the Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Huge buttonsFor her hat, tasseled belt, collar clip, two-tone brogues with low heels, and, of course, those outsized buttons, my vote for Most Stylish goes to the page second from the right. Chain beltMy vote is for the sweet gal wearing the chain belt and criss cross shoes. Love her smile and her hair. All of these young ladies are lovely. GrandmothersThis photo was taken the week that my father was born, so these girls are of my grandmother's generation. Gives me a different perspective, since I only knew my grandmother as an "older" woman, but she was once a young girl, too. Lovely laceI remember this generation of women wore lace collars their whole lives. My grandmothers and great-aunts donned them at formal events until their passing in the 70's. I miss that beautiful fabric. Charm CityI'm certain that this photo was taken in Baltimore, not in Washington. Behind the heads of the two women at right, we see a painted sign reading "[HO]TEL [...]NERT". A bit of research reveals there was a Hotel Rennert in Baltimore in the narrow block bounded by Saratoga, Liberty, Clay, and Sharp Streets. A handsome dome topped its southwest corner at the intersection of Clay & Liberty. A 1903 photo of the hotel's west façade -- detail below -- is an exact match for the dome seen above & behind our pages. The dome's balcony and the pointed pediment next to it also match, further confirming the location. Thus, the cameraman was looking west, capturing the Rennert's narrow southern façade. The women in the photo seem to be standing on a balcony or terrace on the south side of Clay Street between Sharp and Charles. Perhaps they came from St. Paul's Church, which lies one block to the east across Charles St. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Federal Triangle: 1935
... new The photographer took this from the "new" Raleigh Hotel (constructed after the original was razed in 1911) on the northeast ... Post Office is now closed and being converted to a luxury hotel by Donald Trump. In the 1960s the parking area in front of the Old PO was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2014 - 5:36pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1935. "Post Office Department Building (Old Post Office Building or Pavilion). Old (far left) and new Post Office Department." The "new" building, inspired by the Place Vendome in Paris, is now the Ariel Rios Federal Building. 8x10 nitrate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Ariel Rios BuildingNow the William Jefferson Clinton Building and headquarters of the EPA. Nice building - let's hide it with treesView Larger Map Point of view, old & newThe photographer took this from the "new" Raleigh Hotel (constructed after the original was razed in 1911) on the northeast corner of the intersection. Still looks the same, sortaThe view here is looking south on 12th Street NW at Pennsylvania Avenue. 12th Street is now one-way northbound. Peeking down 12th Street between the buildings, the Department of Agriculture is still across the Mall but the view is now blocked by the Museum of American History. 12th Street now exits a tunnel under the Mall. The Old Post Office is now closed and being converted to a luxury hotel by Donald Trump. In the 1960s the parking area in front of the Old PO was two or three bus lanes, this was the point of origin for Alexandria and South Arlington bound buses. Today the Federal Triangle is a Metro station and EPA offices (the entrances still have "Post Office Deptartment" in stone over doors). First Time I Saw a President of the United States......was outside of the Pavilion on a family trip in 1991. I was twelve at the time. We had just finished shopping and eating lunch there, and left the building when we noticed some Secret Service agents on the street corners. My dad, never one to be shy, walked right up to one and asked him what was going on, and we were told the President was about to pass by. Sure enough, about ten minutes later, here comes Bush Sr. in his motorcade. I thought it was pretty cool. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Piano Prodigy: 1922
... she was found dead under water in a bathtub at the Drake Hotel on July 23, 1959. She was known as The Baroness Evelione Taglione Kelly. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/08/2013 - 5:30am -

November 1922. New York. "Evelione Taglione, 16-year-old pianist." As pictured, maybe a little closer to playing the violin. Bain News Service. View full size. Uh Oh, Chuckie's ComingForget the cat lady in her midi dress and check out the expression of the doll on the far right, who seems to have her own toy cat (or maybe toy monkey) in her lap. Navy ThemeI've seen any number of photos from this era, both here and elsewhere. What was the fashion facination girls/young women of the day had with naval chevrons on a navy themed jumper or dress? Anyone know? I recognize herIt's a young (VERY YOUNG) Rosie O'Donnell! Sailor SuitsThis article explains the Sailor Suit theme. Thank You Thanks for the link, eTraxx. Very informative. Notice how both here and in the link, the chevrons are those of a Chief Petty Officer? No Seaman's rank for these ladies. I gotta believe Old Salts of the time cringed when they saw little girls, and Donald Duck for that matter, walking around in their warrior suits! RatingShe is wearing a Chief Quartermasters rating badge (QMC), on that highly modified uniform. I wonder if she choose that particular one because she knew somebody that had something to do with that rating, or if because of the nautical vibe that the Quartermasters rating badge conveys so very well with that ships wheel on it. Cool to see for me either way. Nov 1922She played Town Hall in NY in Nov of 1922 according to the NY Times. She sailed for Europe in April of 1926, on the Reliance - a ship from the American Lines, bound for Cherbourg, Southhampton and Hamburg. Later became an Italian baroness and died mysteriously in 1959According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, she was found dead under water in a bathtub at the Drake Hotel on July 23, 1959. She was known as The Baroness Evelione Taglione Kelly. She was 56 and married to 39 year old portrait painter Daniel Kelly. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1959/07/24/page/1/article/body-of-bar... (The Gallery, Cats, G.G. Bain)
Sic Transit: 1910
... the avenue the site being excavated is now occupied by the Hotel Pennsylvania, opened in 1919 and designed by the same architectural firm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2019 - 10:44am -

New York circa 1910. "Bird's eye view of new Pennsylvania Station." Demolished in 1963. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A little later and farther uptown ...Mrs. Kennedy Onassis, who regretted the destruction of Pennsylvania Station and may have contributed to preservation efforts, was a citizen of New York by the time destruction of Grand Central Terminal was imminent. One proposal for the new station was "Grand Central Lanes," a bowling alley to be built above track level! Jackie wrote a beautiful, persuasive letter to Mayor Beame urging the preservation of GCT. There were other big and biggish names advocating preservation. Betty Furness is one name that comes to mind. The tragedy of Pennsylvania Station's destruction became more apparent in retrospect and this awareness helped energize opposition to Grand Central's destruction. A great lossI remember reading that among the notables who campaigned to stop the destruction of the architectural gem was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The loss of the station was instrumental in kickstarting the preservation movement in New York City. What is she doingon the rooftop at the Rikers Drugs building?? Pardon Me BoyBack in the day you could apparently leave here 'bout a quarter to four, read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore. Another Rooftop RiddleDid you notice what looks like someone sleeping on top the building, near bottom left? How did it get there?Think about this: Most of what you see in this building was delivered either by train, or horse and wagon. That goes for the interior too. No snakesBut plenty of ladders. The PitDoes anybody know what was constructed in the excavation pit? I have searched for images of that side of the station and have only found evidence of a green-grass park that existed; however, I believe the park must have been excavated to build something else. Many thanks! Another McKim, Mead & WhiteYou can see the glass roof covering the train platforms at far right. That would make Seventh Avenue the street in the foreground, at left. Across the avenue the site being excavated is now occupied by the Hotel Pennsylvania, opened in 1919 and designed by the same architectural firm as the (sadly, now gone) station. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Motel Moderne: 1962
... circa 1962. Our second look at the Martinique Motor Hotel, last seen here from different spatial and seasonal vantages. 4x5 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/04/2022 - 12:41pm -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1962. Our second look at the Martinique Motor Hotel, last seen here from different spatial and seasonal vantages. 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. Late 1950s Cars1957 Cadillac; 1959 Ford station wagon; 1960 Ford; ? Lincoln Continental; Chevy Corvair; 1957 Chevy; '58 Mercury station wagon; '58 Chevy; maybe a Cadillac behind the bushes; '56 Oldsmobile; '59 Chevy station wagon. [The Lincoln would be a 1961 or later model; that's a 1959 Mercury wagon; the car next to the '58 Chevy is a 1962 Chevrolet. - Dave] Motel? More like school!The architecture closely resembles my high school (also built in the 60s). The school had a few more windows -- not many, but a few. The upper 48 ?The corner building is apparently a later addition (and explains the differing info on postcards). How much later I guess we can judge by the cars ... who knew "dating assist" was an AAA service ? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Into the Mystic: 1940
... the shore location, I'm guessing a vacation boarding house/hotel. [The house has one front door. Those other apertures are windows. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2022 - 11:17am -

November 1940. "Houses, late afternoon. Mystic, Connecticut." The moldy manse last seen here. Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Boarding house or multi-familyYou can see in both this and previous photos there are multiple entrances to the front of the structure. That tells me it was either a multi-family or a boarding house. Given the shore location, I'm guessing a vacation boarding house/hotel. [The house has one front door. Those other apertures are windows. - Dave] Lower your maintenance cost!Someone needs to leave a business card advertising Vinyl Siding. Colors available in black and white. Much of what I say is trueIn the link to the Josephine Dickenson collection, the history of the house is given as follows: Morgan House, ca. 1930. The house, (187?), 25 Broadway at East Main Street, was the residence of Christopher Morgan in the 1920s. The house appears on the 1879 map of Mystic but is not shown on the 1868 map. In 1868, the property was owned by Charles Mallory. The house was razed in the 1940s or 1950s and an A&P Supermarket built on the property. This house was a good example of the Second Empire style. DFP is adding: They say on eerily calm nights the figure of young Miss Morgan, dressed all in white and with white skin and hair comes out of the Mystic Congregational Church. She floats down the steps and begins walking towards this house. The streetlights go out. She stops and, with her hand, places a kiss on the base of the monument to Civil War Union Soldiers. When she gets to where her family's home once stood, she turns and floats up the steps that are no longer there and disappears. Sometimes as she walks you can hear an organ play. They never could get the bloodstains off the organ keys; and they used Bon-Ami. Click to embiggen Gone With The WindAlready missing in this view, but present in some older historical photos of the home, are the lovely rows of mature elm trees that CT and other New England states were famous for. Lost in Mystic (and elsewhere) to the Hurricane of 1938 and adding to the ravages at that time of Dutch Elm Disease. More's the pity. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Small Towns)
Midcentury Manhattan: 1950
... two towers further to the right is the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. One building that's a bit harder to identify is the squarish ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/10/2013 - 10:19am -

March 14, 1950. "New York City views. Manhattan skyline from City Hospital." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. East River EnclaveCity Hospital, the site from which this was photographed, was on Welfare Island, sandwiched between Manhattan and Queens. The hospital was also known at one time as Penitentiary Hospital. It was closed in 1957 and was finally demolished in 1994. Welfare Island, formerly known as Blackwell Island finally morphed into Roosevelt Island, is a now a residential district with great view of Manhattan. It lobbied the city and was granted a Manhattan Zip Code, 10044 and area code, 212. It is connected to the Manhattan from the east by an aerial tram and from the Queens side by subway and bus. ExquisiteThe man certainly knew how to make light work to improve the shot. Breathtaking. FDRWas it still called Welfare Island in 1950? Look how light traffic was on the East River Drive! [Renamed Roosevelt Island in 1973. -tterrace] New Desktop MaterialThis is just an amazingly wonderful photo. Strangely enough, the nearly-completed United Nations Building off to the left looks incredibly out of place with the other gothic and art-deco structures in New York's skyline. Some landmarksAt far left are the smokestacks of the electric power plant that occupied the east side of First Avenue between 38th and 40th street until just a few years ago. Next is the UN Secretariat, a couple years away from completion. At the time, the UN's temporary headquarters was just across the Nassau County line in Lake Success, in a former industrial building that's now an office park. Trivia: prior to the start of construction in 1947, the UN site shown here was occupied by a slaughterhouse. A bit to the UN's right, among the buildings of the Tudor City apartment complex, the upper part of the Metropolitan Life tower can be glimpsed. Located a mile south of the UN, it was built in 1909 and had been the world's tallest building for a few years. Moving on to the right, the Empire State and Chrysler buildings are obvious. The building in the foreground with the rounded tower and two large wings facing the camera is a (very) luxurious apartment building with a 52nd Street address known as Riverhouse. It used to have its own yacht basin on the East River, but that was lost with the construction of the FDR Drive in the 1930's. The building with two towers further to the right is the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. One building that's a bit harder to identify is the squarish building slightly left of center with the huge antenna on top. I believe it is the 37-story Daily News building at 220 East 42nd Street, built in 1930, as it was one of the relatively few pre-1950's buildings in Midtown with a flat roofline, and the big antenna would make sense on a newspaper's headquarters. I'm not completely sure, however. Welfare/Roosevelt Island lacked direct road access until a bridge from Queens opened in the early 1950's. The Queensboro Bridge (now known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge) ran over the island starting in 1909, but was too high above the surface for a direct exit to be feasible. Instead, the trolleys which ran across the bridge stopped at a mid-span station called the "Upside Down House," from which elevators and stairs allowed people to descend to ground level on the island. In 1930 some of the elevators were modified to accommodate vehicles, enabling ambulances to bring patients to the island's hospitals. Trolley and elevator service ended when the bridge from Queens opened and the Upside Down House was demolished around 1970. George GershwinI cannot look at this picture without hearing "Rhapsody In Blue" going through my head, even though that magnificent song was 26 years old in 1950. Seems like every movie I ever saw about N.Y. used that musical theme. GottschoI try to figure out what it is that makes Gottscho's photos so instantly identifiable as his own: the lighting? the subject? the New York spirit that he captures so well and transmits in his own unmistakable style? All I know is that when I go to the always-open Shorpy tab and hit Refresh and see the Gottscho image appear, my pulse quickens and I embiggen the photo with slack-jawed wonderment. (Thanks to Peter, as well, for the very fine skyline guides.) Quiet CityThe piece of music that comes to my mind is Copland's Quiet City. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu06sqSIRdE (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Temple of Beauty: 1908
... of Woodward. In the distance is the original Pontchartrain Hotel. AG Spalding! Those merchants vying for your trade also includes ... sign he's got hanging there! 1905? Maybe not. The Hotel Ponchatrain opened October 29, 1907 and since we can see folk in Summer ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2017 - 11:03pm -

Detroit circa 1908. "Mather Block, Woodward Avenue." Where merchants vying for your trade include Madame Mattlar's Temple of Beauty ("Corns removed, 25¢"); William E. Metzger, dealer in "Motorcycles Bicycles Phonographs"; an outpost of the Singer Sewing Machine Co.; Tuomy Bros. (suits and cloaks) and the eyeball-bedizened offices of L. Kaplan Optician ("I Glassed Detroit"). 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. AG Spalding storeThe most interesting to me is the first store on the left, the AG Spalding Sporting Goods. The Spalding trademark sign which caught my eye, is right there. That logo goes back to 1876 and their baseballs were used by the National League for 100 years. As a kid I can recall getting a signed Spalding ball from Dusty Rhodes, who, during the off season, worked as salesman at the brokerage firm that my dad managed. Almost new 1908 CadillacThe first car I see is unmistakably a 1908 Cadillac Model S Runabout, the last year for their simple and high quality single cylinder automobile. This photo has to be at least 1908. The 1907 Cadillac single cylinder is distinctive enough to tell apart from the 1908. I have a complete but unrestored 1906 Cadillac runabout. Still standing (sort of)Looks like parts of that block are still there. Detroit addresses were renumbered in 1921 so these businesses correlate approximately with the addresses on The Mather Block. Woodward looking southThis appears to be the first block south of Grand Circus, on the east side of Woodward. In the distance is the original Pontchartrain Hotel. AG Spalding!Those merchants vying for your trade also includes an A G Spalding sporting goods store! Spalding - one of the founders of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs and of the company that made the some of the gear I (and millions of others) used for years as a young ball player. LOVE the baseball sign he's got hanging there! 1905? Maybe not.The Hotel Ponchatrain opened October 29, 1907 and since we can see folk in Summer frocks I suggest the earliest this photo could be taken would have been the summer of 1908. I know Shorpy isn't really worried about carbon dating every photo but thought a revised date might help other Shorpyites (shorpyologists?) identity those vehicles. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Klassy Kamp: 1915
... or even reminiscent of the group pictures hanging on the hotel walls in "The Shining". Maybe there is something in the water or they ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2018 - 10:45pm -

July 1915. Washington, D.C. "Klassy Kamp group." One of the many summer camps dotting the banks of the Potomac a century ago. Other views here and here. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Starting the day off with a bang"I thought I told you people NOT to let Irma play with the matches!" Carry on CampingOther camps included Big Six camp, Raccar camp and Camp Ease. More information here: Summer Camps Along Virginia Shore of the Potomac Gangsters and a GypsyThat has to be Bonnie and Clyde upper left. That lady up top with the headscarf is trying to hypnotize me. Something about their eyesAfter enlarging this picture, everyone in it seems to be under hypnosis or perhaps in the twilight zone, similar to a group of robots or programmed people from science fiction or even reminiscent of the group pictures hanging on the hotel walls in "The Shining". Maybe there is something in the water or they have been brainwashed, but doesn't it look just a little unnerving? [Obviously they're trying to tell you something. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE? - Dave] A musical groupIf they join in with the wind-up phonograph, those five variations of guitars and mandolins could make a lovely sound for what may be a July 4th celebration with the young lady preparing to light the fuse of the huge dummy firecracker -- let's hope it's a dummy! Woodstock 1915There'll be a wild time tonight. Racy picture for sure. Oh Baby!A female ankle. Covered with a sock. Still, hot for the times. Fathers, watch out for the Mandolin ManA favorite story from my mother is when she was a teenager in the late 1920s. A steady visitor to her house was one Billy Bowen, along with his mandolin and two or three of his male friends. They would sit in the front parlor with my mother, Kate, and my piano playing Aunt Rose, Aunt Helen, Aunt Marge and Grandmother Wilhelmina and talk for a while, then Billy would start to strum the mandolin and play some songs from the Gay '90s ("Who Put the Overalls in Mrs Murphy's Chowder?") to amuse my grandmother. Who would leave as he segued into the popular tunes of the day. Now he was a very accomplished musician who could play and sing as he tried to steal kisses from Mom. Sometimes she would let him get his wish and other times she would coquettishly hold him off. My aunts, especially piano player Rose, were busy doing the same with his friends as they would sing until they kissed and continue singing afterwards. There was always someone singing and a musical instrument playing to convince Grandmother everything was on the up and up. I always wondered if in whatever social media was popular then if the Streb Girls of Aisquith Street were known as Easy Girls. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., July 4, Natl Photo)
The Winona: 1899
Winona, Minnesota, circa 1899. "Winona Hotel." Spelled out in Edison bulbs. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... a case in the building off to the right of the former hotel, set back from the street - the Winona County Courthouse, built in 1889. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2017 - 2:36pm -

Winona, Minnesota, circa 1899. "Winona Hotel." Spelled out in Edison bulbs. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Look out below!I just love the pipe foot rails and handrails leading to the rungs built into the wall for escape. Would be hard pressed to make a decision to burn or fall. +/- 118Still stands today as "senior" apartments. Nice wagons!Wow, those fancy people movers by the front entrance are more exciting than the usual cars people like to name. Would love to see more of them. The courthouseIn May 2017, I spent seven days trying a case in the building off to the right of the former hotel, set back from the street - the Winona County Courthouse, built in 1889. I walked by this place many times without appreciating its heritage. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, Kids)
Foot Traffic: 1942
... Lapidus Morris Lapidus also designed the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach - once the most glamorous of Miami Beach's hotels - which ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2013 - 11:42am -

January 21, 1942. "Mangel's, 130 E. Flagler Street, Miami, Florida. Exterior, night. Ross-Frankel Inc., client; Morris Lapidus, architect." Note the ghost pedestrians. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Busy feetLooks like at least four different pairs of shoes out front (three women, one man), and one of the wearers (in dark coat and hat) went closer for a better look and stood still for a while. Not as stellar todayView Larger Map If onlyI could beam myself up into that picture! That store window is fabulous! We NeedTo talk to whomever thought an awning was just what they needed. Amazing how it just destroys the simplicity of the original design. NeonThe glow framing the large second-story window comes from the store name mounted vertically in neon lights. Morris LapidusMorris Lapidus also designed the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach - once the most glamorous of Miami Beach's hotels - which opened in 1954 (and recently re-opened in 2008 after extensive restorations). (The Gallery, Florida, Gottscho-Schleisner, Miami, Stores & Markets)
Our Confederate Dead: 1903
Augusta, Georgia, circa 1903. "Albion Hotel and Confederate Monument." A full view of the memorial glimpsed here ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 9:45pm -

Augusta, Georgia, circa 1903. "Albion Hotel and Confederate Monument." A full view of the memorial glimpsed here last week. The main inscription: "No nation rose so white and fair. None fell so pure of crime." Facing the camera: Stonewall Jackson. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Dental ParlorI went to the dentist last month. It wasn't bad, but maybe I would have had an even nicer experience if I had gone to a Dental Parlor. Insulators GaloreThe telephone lineman had iron rungs to climb the pole with, but after that it must have been a challenge to access the upper horizontal cross-arms. The pole on the left may have only 120 lines, because the wires on the top 5 double cross-arms veer off to the right out of the picture. The double arm/insulator arrangement may have been for extra strength due to the change of direction of the wires. The next pole has 9 single cross-arms, but the final pole to the right is back to a full set with wires coming in from the right. Perhaps there was a telephone exchange to the right. In any event, lots of poles and wires. Finally, there are four "floating" cross-arms surrounding the monument. Double CrossbarsTop five rows on the telephone poles have double crossbars. The bottom 8 rows have only one, so looks like these poles could carry 180 lines at the time. There, in that windowTo the left of the monument, in White's store window, the inspiration for Post-It(c) notes. Plus 107ishThe monument is still there, and so is the "Dental Parlors" building, although it's mostly obscured by a tree that was planted some years after this photograph was taken. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Civil War, DPC)
The 24-Carrot Kitchen: 1954
... exhibit for the GM Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York." Flanking the Range of Tomorrow we have, on the right, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2018 - 8:14pm -

1954. "Harley Earl, General Motors Vice President of Design, in Frigidaire's 'Kitchen of Tomorrow' exhibit for the GM Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York." Flanking the Range of Tomorrow we have, on the right, the Rotisserie Oven of Next Wednesday; on the left, stowed in the down position, is an "Electronic Oven," which is what they called microwaves back in the day. Color transparency by Arthur Rothstein for Look magazine. View full size. Frigidaire FlairWhen I bought my house 22 years ago I thought that bizarre oven/stove combo would be the first thing to go, but I'm still using it! Previous owners were kind enough to leave both pics of the house from a Better Homes article from 1941 and the original brochure for the stove, among other things. The lady on the cover of the brochure is wearing a dress, high heels, and a CROWN while using the fancy new appliance! One major downside is the interiors of those ovens are chrome and therefore nearly impossible to clean. BewilderedMr. Earl looks ... uncomfortable. "What do you expect me to do with these carrots? I'm a car designer." Always wondered what motivated GM to get into appliances. [Zillions of dollars in profits? - Dave] And here it isCourtesy of Google Books, here's an article on the Motorama kitchen, from the April 1954 issue of Popular Science. Paging Jackie GleasonWe desperately need "The Chef of the Future" to complete this scene. Visine, pleaseGod bless him, but who decided Harley Earl should be in this shot? Dude looks like he tied on a few the night before. Your modeling days are behind you, buddy. 1950s ProphecyTomorrow is like today only in stainless steel. A gadgety timeIn the early 1960s my parents renovated their 1920s Colonial home outside of Detroit. The kitchen especially received much attention with a fresh coat of orange paint (so much orange) and a space-age Frigidaire Flair double oven with pull-out cooktop. Futuramic CarrotsHarley Earl was fixated on the future, at least in his own areas of operations. I believe he is scrutinising the carrots, trying to visualize the carrot of 1957 if GM should make the logical move from stoves to vegetables. Should it be straightened, or should we just make the curve more controlled? Fins?? and those leaves desperately need some organization! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Kitchens etc., LOOK)
A Fan in Every Room: 1938
... wave. Pittsburgh's Roosevelt The Roosevelt Hotel (named for Teddy, not Franklin) opened in 1927 and closed in 1972. It had ... Stadium, Art Rooney ran his NFL football team from the hotel. It still stands today as a mixed-use building with 109 apartments and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2018 - 7:18pm -

July 1938. "Houses along Monongahela River and Boulevard of the Allies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Forget the Steel workLooks like there's a lot of money to be made in Tuckpointing. Double Dutch"A Fan In Every Room" and "Air Conditioned" -- ready for that August heat wave. Pittsburgh's RooseveltThe Roosevelt Hotel (named for Teddy, not Franklin) opened in 1927 and closed in 1972. It had 600 rooms (and thus over 600 fans) at the corner of Sixth Street and Penn Avenue. For a time before the completion of Three Rivers Stadium, Art Rooney ran his NFL football team from the hotel. It still stands today as a mixed-use building with 109 apartments and commercial space. Trouble Sleeping?Looking straight ahead in the middle of the picture it looks like someone threw out a bed frame and a head board onto the roof of that building in the next block over. Maybe a mattress on the floor was more comfy. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Pittsburgh)
Night Life: 1940
... of the time, an awful lot of his were just shot out his hotel room windows. [John Vachon shot more than 11,000 exposures for the FSA. Less than one percent were "out his hotel room windows." - Dave] Trouble with a capital "T" ... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2019 - 12:27pm -

November 1940. "Lincoln, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Good Times Rollin'With the exception of the Ford (second from right), all of the cars photographed here are practically new. One has to wonder if a similar present-day scene would reflect a comparable degree of apparent prosperity. Where drama meets detachmentAnother exquisitely haunting (and Hopper-esque) shot by Vachon, master of composition and light. It's cold outside?I know it was late Fall when he shot this area, likely cold and wet, but seems like compared to other government photogs of the time, an awful lot of his were just shot out his hotel room windows. [John Vachon shot more than 11,000 exposures for the FSA. Less than one percent were "out his hotel room windows." - Dave] Trouble with a capital "T"... and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Pool! The first big step on the road to the depths of degradation -- at least according to Professor Harold Hill! What a terrific picture. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
ColumBus: 1943
... In my youth, WCH still had two downtown hotels, the Hotel Washington, as shown, and the Cherry Hotel, which Esther Bubley must have been standing before when she snapped this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2014 - 5:21pm -

September 1943. "Washington Court House, Ohio. Passenger boarding Greyhound bus." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. The Mack BusPossibly 1931, a challenge for the same makers as the Mack truck. Mohair seats with horsehair stuffing and side curtains. Includes a V-6 engine. This series of photos are very timely as it's the 100th birthday of Greyhound, and the company has a traveling museum currently making a tour of the US. This model of bus was included in the display. All AboardIn addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad logo on the door, it also says "Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines" over the windows, so I'm guessing these buses brought passengers from surrounding towns to the old Union Station in Columbus, where they could board trains to destinations all over the US (as shown listed under the bus windows). The PRR is near and dear to my heart due to the fact my father was an engineer for many years in the old Panhandle Division of the Pennsy during the golden age of steam. It Happened One NightSee this Yellow Coach in the Oscar winning 1934 film It Happened One Night with Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Ward Bond. Break out the BubleyI've liked Esther Bubley's series of photos of bus travel in 1943 America all along, but now our paths actually seem to be crossing, if a few decades apart. Her photo of the Columbus, Ohio, Greyhound terminal reminded me of busing in and out of that same station for my draft physical exactly 25 years later. Now she's visited my own home town, Washington C.H., three years before I arrived there via intercity stork. In my youth, WCH still had two downtown hotels, the Hotel Washington, as shown, and the Cherry Hotel, which Esther Bubley must have been standing before when she snapped this photo. Unfortunately both structures are long gone now. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Esther Bubley)
Mansion House Staff: 1900
... Poland Spring, Maine, circa 1900. "At the Mansion House -- hotel staff." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/17/2012 - 10:45am -

Poland Spring, Maine, circa 1900. "At the Mansion House -- hotel staff." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Keep a straight face, he's the bossThe diversion may be one of the young Ricker family tripping over their billfold, a rich kid no doubt, (unlike tterrace!) more on The Mansion at Poland Spring here. One Lucky GentlemanI wonder what the diversion is to their right. Looks like it could be amusing. This type of photograph is to me most fascinating because of the variety of faces and expressions. Grass stainsOn those white dresses: must have been a constant problem. And those high collars in the summer, along with the long sleeves, must have made for plenty of sweat. (Although ladies didn't sweat then; they "glowed".) I wonder what they're looking at to their right, just outside of camera range. Off to their rightGiven the setting, I conjecture that upon the photographer's "Watch the birdie!" some looked at the wrong one. A Little Less Starch Please!That guy in the middle looks like both he and his clothes got the full starch treatment. [That may be a celluloid collar and shirt front or "dickey." - tterrace] Uh Oh !It looks like two of these women are wearing the same dress. That must have been awkward. A William Dean Howells fanI must thank you for these photos. Howells wrote a number of books set in the genteel milieus of the large resort hotels in New England, which flourished so magnificently at the turn of the 20th Century. These portraits give actual faces and costumes to the staff at those proud palaces of leisure and relaxation. (The Gallery, DPC)
Pennsylvania Avenue: 1919
... Behind it in the picture you can see the Raleigh Hotel, which alas was demolished in 1964. Doughboy Notice the soldier on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2012 - 10:23am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "Street scene, Pennsylvania Avenue." Here we see the tower of the Old Post Office as well as a number of vanished Washington landmarks including the Parker Bridget department store. View full size. TopperlessIt's rare to see anyone in this era not wearing a hat. But lo and behold, there he is standing on the end of the platform. What a rebel!! Washington Evening StarYou can see the Evening Star building across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Old Post Office in this picture, and you can also see it today if you're in that part of town. (And you should see it, because it's beautiful.) Behind it in the picture you can see the Raleigh Hotel, which alas was demolished in 1964. DoughboyNotice the soldier on the far right, standing next to the elegant lady. Your "bareheaded boy"is just that: a boy. Note the short trousers and knee-high stockings, which no self-respecting man would wear anywhere but the gymnasium. He's probably not yet twelve. +97Below is the same view from May of 2016. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Streetcars)
Inner Sanctum: 1937
... That's our room My wife and I stayed in that hotel about 20 years ago. Our room was the one just to the left of the entrance ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2013 - 12:54pm -

New Orleans, 1937. "Courtyard entrance, 1133-1135 Chartres St." Seen here from another courtyard. Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Electric metersI would have known, without the caption, that this photo was not taken before 1934. The meter to the left of the arch is a General Electric I-20S, and the one to the right is a Westinghouse CS. Both are socket-base meters, which are still completely interchangeable with modern meters in modern sockets, although these early models can only handle 60 amps in most cases. The CS was introduced in 1933, supplanting an earlier Westinghouse socket design. It satisfied the desire of utilities for a convenient and weatherproof outdoor mounting, as the costs and headaches of indoor meters were becoming unbearable. The following year, the industry had a convention which standardized this and other socket mountings. Outdoor sockets were immediately adopted by many utilities, and became universal for new orders by the 1960s. Here is a photo of a CS from my personal collection. The serial number identifies it as a 1934 model. That would make a great cover photo......for the next Anne Rice novel. Rotting balconiesI remember visiting N.O. back in the late 80's and even then most of these once ornate balconies looked as they do in the picture. ( Pretty shaky) It's as if nary any maintenance was ever performed over the 100 plus years. At that time there were many in the French Qtr. that had temporary scaffolding underneath to help support them. A Good Bit of the Original Building is Still ThereNot a great shot on Google Maps, but good enough that you can tell some of the same architecture is still there today. You have to love the French Quarter, then and now. Soniat HouseI found this on the web. That's our roomMy wife and I stayed in that hotel about 20 years ago. Our room was the one just to the left of the entrance to the courtyard. This place has been updated considerably since we stayed there, judging from the photos at their website. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
Copley Plaza: 1912
Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Copley Plaza Hotel, Copley Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2019 - 1:44pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Copley Plaza Hotel, Copley Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tag on that "cool roadster"That black-on-white license plate on the cool roadster is a 1912 Rhode Island dealer's license number 1. Collectors would pay four-figures for that today. That Car!What make is that automobile in the foreground? It almost looks like an early model Jeep. I wonder if any Shorpy fan can identify it and what year it was manufactured? Granddad worked hereUntil his passing in 1960, my grandfather was maître d' in the Merry-Go-Round Room on the first floor just inside the righthand entrance. The lounge closed for a day in his honor. This grand old lady still stands. Still there todayPretty much everything else is gone, 'cepting the BPL (behind the trees) and Trinity Church (behind the photog). Cool roadsterI love the car at the curb. Probably hard to identify it here, and the bolt-on split windshield is something I've never seen before in my 40+ years in the antique car hobby. [That's some sort of fabric snap-on shroud. - Dave] Found a bird!I’m always trying to spot birds in these old photos whether they are in trees, on wires or on buildings. I have yet to find many in my several years of looking. I think Dave said it was mostly due to shutter speed? Anyway, I finally spy a pigeon on the grass in front! 1912 Rhode Island License Plate Number 11912–17 Black numbers on white porcelain plate; Design .............. vertical "RI" at left Slogan .............. none Serial format ...... 12345 1 to approximately ... 35000 Rhode Island reused numbers from earlier expired registrations. The reason being they did not want to exceed the 99,999 numbering scheme limit. They did exceed that limit in 1913. That said, this is the first 1912 registration. suggesting the auto is 1912 or earlier vintage. The auto at the curbOut on a limb. It looks like the 1912 Thomas Flyer Model MC 6-40 Roadster. radiator and spare tire mounts are similar. Cambridge FrontThe leatherette and isinglass windshield supported by brass rods was most likely made by a company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known as "Cambridge Windshields," they were mostly used on sporting type cars. Also note that the car appears to have Rhode Island license plate number 1. (The Gallery, Boston, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
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