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Perilous Crossing: 1900
... Roads, Virginia, circa 1900. "Going to the landing stage. Hotel Chamberlin in background." Although the harbor might not be mined, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2013 - 7:52am -

Hampton Roads, Virginia, circa 1900. "Going to the landing stage. Hotel Chamberlin in background." Although the harbor might not be mined, the street is. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Great ExpectationsI fully expect Bustor Keaton to show up and start something any second. [And if not him, Buster Keaton, although he'd be only five years old. - tterrace] And whatever makes you think Buster at five couldn't raise hell? The kid learned young! Now a Senior Living CommunityThe Chamberlin is on Ft. Monroe... [The current Chamberlin is a different structure on the same site. The one in our photo burned to the ground in 1920. - tterrace] Fancy!They really knew how to attire crossing guards in those days. Furry Accessory?I'm curious about the woman in the center right of the photo, wearing the light-colored suit. On her left arm she has what appears to be a dark fur muff, but it also has two long strips coming from it that look like more fur with a silk lining. I'd say it was a scarf, but she's already wearing a different type of fur piece around her neck. What's the long trailing thing? Dark Fur MuffAmeliaEve, I'd guess the item that the older woman is carrying is a satin-lined velvet pelerine, probably not designed to be worn with the outfit she has on. It's earlier than you thinkBeing a fashion history nerd, I would date this photo closer to 1895, based on the large "leg of mutton" sleeves on the ladies' jackets. The fur piece with the hanging tabs the the older woman is carrying is a capelet; the semi-circular part would rest on her shoulders, over the tops of her large sleeves, and the tabs would hang down in front on either side of the center front of her jacket, to counter balance the weight of the cape, and keep it from slipping down her back. [Did clothing styles go out of fashion that quickly back then? - tterrace] Yes, fashion changed that fast.Remaking clothing to reflect the latest styles was commonplace, and things like sleeves were frequently re-cut. I'm going to agree with the fashion nerd on the dating of this pic. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Chicago Beach: 1900
The Windy City circa 1900. "Chicago Beach Hotel, Hyde Park Boulevard." On the Lake Michigan Riviera. 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2017 - 8:01pm -

The Windy City circa 1900. "Chicago Beach Hotel, Hyde Park Boulevard." On the Lake Michigan Riviera. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Open windows?The bare trees and warm coats on the lads out front suggest it's a cold day - yet there are many open windows. I'm old enough to have stayed in old hotels with steam heat; I've also spent time Russia, staying in apartment buldings heated wtth steam. Theoretically, you could turn a valve on the radiators and shut off the steam, but frequently the valves were frozen from disuse. The only practical method of controlling the temperature in such situations is to open the windows. That's my guess as to what is going on here. Hyde in Plain SightWhat is the rocket-shaped item running the vertical length of the building, on the left side of the image, just "behind" the rounded corner of the building? Each floor has a "connection" to it. Enclosed circular staircase fire escape? Garbage chute? Laundry chute? Construction chute? Robert Goddard secret testing device? ArchitectHerman Webster Mudgett? Right the First TimeIt is indeed an enclosed circular fire escape staircase—or rather, slide—which could be used for nefarious purposes, as this article from the May 5, 1908 issue of The Chicago Daily Tribune attests: Fire escapeI recognized the fire escape right away. We had one added to our elementary school in 1958 or 1959, after that awful school fire in Chicago at Our Lady of the Angels. It made two on the second floor of our 1888 brick and wood school. The other was a straight slide. We thought the new spiral one was really cool. Other Crooked Goings OnI guess there was no tree too crooked to become a utility pole, back in the day. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Every Dog Has His Doubts: 1940
... of a Basque handball court stands behind the Tourist Home Hotel -- formerly a rooming house catering to Basques. The mountain west ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2019 - 1:26pm -

March 1940. "Basque sheepherder camped on the range. Dangberg Ranch, Douglas County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A tidy campsiteBut, then, he probably spends months there. A lonely life, being an open range shepherd, but one the Basques seem to have embraced wholeheartedly. I'll bet that pup gets spoken to a lot. Minder of Hooved LocustsThe history of sheep herding is colorful, but livestock destroyed the alpine meadows and forests in the high Sierras. One of the major reasons that John Muir formed the Sierra Club in 1892 was to seek protection from sheep and cattle grazing. Even today, 100 years after most grazing stopped in the high Sierras, the alpine meadows that I have visited have large areas of barren, eroded mineral soil and little grass. It's hard to imagine that they were once grassy meadows. From https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/muir_biography.aspx Through a series of articles appearing in Century magazine, Muir drew attention to the devastation of mountain meadows and forests by sheep and cattle. With the help of Century's associate editor, Robert Underwood Johnson, Muir worked to remedy this destruction. In 1890, due in large part to the efforts of Muir and Johnson, an act of Congress created Yosemite National Park. Muir was also personally involved in the creation of Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon national parks. Muir deservedly is often called the "Father of Our National Park System ". All dogs go to Heaven And people only if their dogs vouch for them at the gate. Head to the Hollywood hillsIf a casting director or movie producer had also been camping in the same area this very handsome sheepherder may have ended up with many fans to herd instead of sheep. Stink Eye!Never gets old! Especially from this man's best friend Thoughts of a Basque dog“On the whole, I’d rather be in Bilbao!" Watch out!Unlike his master, the dog is keeping a wary eye on the photographer. Side-EyeCanine thought-bubble: "If the human eats one more can of beans, I'm sleeping outside tonight." Basque shepherds also summered in the mountain meadows north of Flagstaff, AZ, and their graffiti carved in white aspen bark can still be found on the San Francisco peaks. My son and I spent many weekends hiking that country and we would often find what we called "cowboy camps" -- most likely Basque shepherd camps like this one. Among the fire rings and middens we found countless tin cans. The majority were indistinguishable, their labels having been burned or rotted off, but we could easily identify Prince Albert tobacco tins, condensed milk cans, sardine tins, medicine and spice jars or bottles, and occasional pot lids, lantern parts, and utensils. We enjoyed reconstructing their daily lives and habits from our forensic kitchen diggings. In Flagstaff, my home for 20+ years, we knew several descendants of Basque herders. Most lived in the little neighborhood just south of the Santa Fe railroad tracks. To this day, the ruins of a Basque handball court stands behind the Tourist Home Hotel -- formerly a rooming house catering to Basques. The mountain west is a richer place for their lives and work. Fascinating people. The University of Nevada-Reno curates the history of these immigrant people at https://basquebooks.blogs.unr.edu/category/basques-in-arizona/ (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Camping, Dogs, Frontier Life)
High Street: 1908
... was constructed from Vermont marble and was originally a hotel. By 1900 it was converted to Child's Shoes which was one of the largest ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:18pm -

Holyoke, Massachusetts, circa 1908. "High Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Gone but not forgottenI'm happy to note that the gentleman sitting in the fourth floor window of the central building in 1908, and wearing a straw boater hat, decided to leave some time before 2012. NowView Larger Map Holyoke has barely begun to recover from its post-war decline. Grandma!My grandmother graduated from Mt. Holyoke College in nearby South Hadley, Mass. in 1908, so she could easily be one of the ladies sauntering down the main drag in the distance. The Marble BuildingThe grand Victorian building with the rotunda on the right was called the "Marble Building." It was constructed from Vermont marble and was originally a hotel. By 1900 it was converted to Child's Shoes which was one of the largest shoe stores outside NYC or Boston. In the 1950s it was torn down to build a Grant's dept. store that moved "uptown" in the early 1970s and is now a K-Mart. Downtown Holyoke's major downfall was not until the 1970s, the the construction of the local malls and general inner city decline. The Steigers dept. store just outside the view on the left didn't close until 1984 despite their opening of a location at the Holyoke Mall in 1979. Basket CaseHard to reconcile the bustling, modestly affluent appearance of this street scene from 104 years ago with the economic basket case Holyoke has become since then. It's become one of those downtowns populated with empty store fronts, slap-dash convenience stores, nail salons, karate studios, low-rent personal injury lawyers, etc. Holyoke is competing with Lawrence for the title of Most Comatose City in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Makes Lynn look prosperous. (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns, Streetcars)
The Stag: 1938
... form of private room. I was once in a disused flophouse "Hotel"- rooms barely big enough to contain a bed, many windowless. Any ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:25am -

Omaha, Nebraska. November 1938. "Flophouse on lower Douglas Street." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. There's a songTwo hours of pushin' broom buys an eight-by-twelve four-bit room I'm a man of means by no means King of the road (Roger Miller) A Room of One's OwnWhat the sign and the custom probably means is that for 20 cents you get a room with a bed, a sink if you're lucky, and an inside lock on the door. A 4-by-8-foot room, if that. For 15 cents you get a bed in a common area. When you take your shoes off, if you do, you lift the head end of the bed and pin them underneath the bedposts. That way, unless you're a very sound sleeper, you still have a chance of having shoes in the morning. Hitchhiking in the South in the late 1950s & early '60s I stayed at places like this. It was more like a dollar for a bed then. Sleeping in a cageI while back, I talked to a guy who said he was semi-homeless in the late 50s in Minneapolis. He said they got cheap rooms for almost nothing. These rooms were cages in the old buildings near the bars. Just a place for those down on their luck to get some sleep. He also said the a big cause of homelessness today is that the gov't outlawed these flophouses. Once that happened, you couldn't afford a place to stay. BedbugsAre critters extra, or do they come with the upgrade? Business planSo I guess a room with a bed would be 35 cents? I bet they could do quite a business if they combined the two into a package. "The Stag"Just the name of the place is so inviting. Beds vs RoomsI suspect that the 15 cent bed got you space in a dormitory room, 20 cents got you some form of private room. I was once in a disused flophouse "Hotel"- rooms barely big enough to contain a bed, many windowless. Any inside shots?After reading Orwell's "Down and Out in London and Paris," I'm fascinated by these marginal digs. I had the same question, Anonymous Tipster. My guess is that the room is a cubicle with a bed, as opposed to a bunk in a big room. If so, that's a pretty good upgrade for a nickel! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha)
Bob & Paul: 1910
... tower and flagpole just right of center belong to the Ryan Hotel, at 6th and Robert, demolished 1962. +98 Below is the same view ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2017 - 9:46am -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1910. "Robert Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Scarlet Goose"Half the fun of having feet is Red Goose shoes." Not all gone The building with the New York Central Lines office is the Pioneer Endicott, built in 1890, and now houses apartments. FlagpoleThe tower and flagpole just right of center belong to the Ryan Hotel, at 6th and Robert, demolished 1962. +98Below is the same view from September of 2008. Non-clearance CurveThe streetcar turning right into Robert Street is negotiating what is known as a non-clearance curve. If a streetcar on Robert Street heading away from the viewer was present, it would have to wait until the turning car finished its turn before proceeding straight ahead. Most streetcar systems rebuilt intersections to allow clearance for turns. Philadelphia may still have a few of them left in their trolley system. Motorists and pedestrians in cities with streetcars are familiar with the front and rear overhang "swing" of a streetcar turning a corner. Railroad ticket office rowFor some reason, virtually all of the railroad ticket offices in St. Paul were located on the four-block span of North Robert Street that is visible in this photograph. New York Central Lines' office is apparent in the Pioneer Press building on the right. According to a 1912 directory, ticket offices of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R.R., the Chicago & Great Western R.R., the Chicago and Northwestern R.R., the Minneapolis & St. Louis R.R., and the Soo Line R.R. were all in the 300 block of North Robert Street (in the immediate foreground). The ticket office of the Great Northern R.R. was in the 400 block. Ticket offices of the Northern Pacific R.R. and the Burlington Route were in the 500 block. The ticket office of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific R.R. was in the 600 block. (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Streetcars)
Trail Ride: 1912
... the remnants of the Mount Lowe funicular railway head and hotel ruins from Lowe's Alpine Tavern. I find Dave's grammar comments ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/06/2019 - 11:32am -

California (?) circa 1912. "On the trail." A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: The Prequel. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Sidesaddle switch?The women, and the young man in front, are riding astride, but the two men to the back are sidesaddle -- is there some purpose to this? Or maybe they were just fooling around for the photo. Grammer Police Shorpy DivisionI have to wonder why an otherwise fun and interesting web site posting found and borrowed photos would feel it to be great fun attacking folks who innocently (but grammatically and incorrectly) post their thoughts. I think a more mature web site owner would just let it pass. Been following your site for over 10 years and have had to shake my head many times over your hectoring various posters who don't meet your standards. Kind of a sad way to run things. [You spelled "grammar" wrong. - Dave] Fun for a whileUntil one of those burro's see's a rattlesnake. Then it's off to Kentucky Derby. Pronto. Mighty steep dropoff on the left. [Why the apostrophes in "burro's" and "see's"? - Dave] Not Burros (not burro's either)Those are mules and they'll stomp the stuffing out of a rattlesnake. I remember that viewIt was about seven decades later, and yes, that landscape does look like California, which is where I remember it. I wasn't riding the mules. I had to get off the trail for them, and most of them were carrying cargo. My Burro's NameIf I ever ride a burro on one of those narrow trails down the Grand Canyon my burro's name would be "Stumblefoot" I guess, DaveJust to far gone from seventh grade English class. [Too. Burros. Sees! - Dave] I think Dave was a nun in a previous life.Definitely a case where the corrections are usually more noxious than the gaffes. Awesome site though, weird quirks and all. Near AltadenaI'm willing to bet this is the road to Mount Lowe Trail Camp, which I've hiked many times. I base my opinion on the general range skyline. Here's a modern panorama: https://goo.gl/maps/jZG8W3VNrqE2 If you zoom around, you can see the remnants of the Mount Lowe funicular railway head and hotel ruins from Lowe's Alpine Tavern. I find Dave's grammar comments amusing. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Corpus Christi: 1943
... A renovated version of the logo "flies" atop the Magnolia Hotel in Dallas. A history can be found here: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2013 - 10:29am -

June 1943. "Corpus Christi, Texas." The Ascension. Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. There's a Red Flying Horse By the Road SideI saw this picture and the line above from the Kevin Welch song "Early Summer Rain" immediately popped into my head. He also has a nice story about memories of the red flying horse on his Blawg. I also have childhood memories of the red flying Pegasus above Mobil stations but they are much fuzzier. Still ascending over DallasThe pegasus was originally the logo of the Dallas-based Magnolia Oil Company, which became part of Mobil Oil through a merger in 1959. A renovated version of the logo "flies" atop the Magnolia Hotel in Dallas. A history can be found here: http://www.magnoliahotels.com/pdf/pegasus-article-121211.pdf Escape from the mundaneThis is a classic photographic composition in my opinion, a study in stark contrasts, which includes a narrative: Earth and sky, dark and light, the simplicity of life, and the dream of winged escape from the mundane. I'd recognize that shadow anywhere.Having pumped Ethyl as a wee lad, I wore the Mobil Pegasus on my chest while doing so. Dave's Mobil in Blue Springs, Missouri. Somebody knows, but I don'tWhat's the hoopy thing? [A stand to hold a round sign, like those here and here. -tterrace] Two thingsTwo things about this photo strike a chord with me. In 1969 (when I was nine) a had surgery at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. There was a Pegasus, perhaps the one in kirkbrewer's post, outside my window. I loved looking at it, especially at night. We moved to Corpus when I as a teenager and I lived there until I joined the Navy in 1982 (I haven't been back since, except for short visits). There's not a lot in this photo from which I can get my bearings, but it sure is as flat and nondescript as I remember. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Horses, John Vachon)
Colonial Cleveland: 1900
Circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Cleveland." Home to the Colonial Arcade . 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2015 - 12:23pm -

Circa 1900. "Colonial Hotel, Cleveland." Home to the Colonial Arcade. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Handy & ConvenientFrom an ad for the Hoyt, Kent & Sefton Company: "Our big restaurant. - It is not only the shopper who finds our restaurant on the fifth floor so handy and convenient, but the business men of the neighborhood have quickly recognized its many advantages, its tempting cooking, its varied menu, its prompt service and moderate prices." PictureI'm still amazed how sharp these pictures here are. No diapersAm I the only one uncomfortable with the placement of foodstuffs so close to the curb where a horse is tethered? Cleveland & Eastern RailwayAt the far right of the photo can be seen the depot of the Cleveland and Eastern Ry. I live near one of the destinations mentioned on the sign: Chardon, Burton, Middlefield and Punderson Lake. The primary source of revenue from this line was milk and produce carried into Cleveland from the farms of Geauga County, Ohio, and, during the summer months, picnickers visiting the rural countryside picking berries and buying maple syrup. The line went bankrupt in 1904 and was finally abandoned in March of 1925. Parts of the right-of-way can still be seen including a steel trestle in Gates Mills, Ohio. What's going on here?Is that a feminist with a protest sign just looking to kick the bejabbers out of anyone who disagreed? Or just a woman (i think) waiting for the trolley? This is what i love about Shorpy; all those intriguing background details. I'm going to spend way too much time today thinking about this. [Looks like a Woman's Christian Temperance Union picket. -tterrace] [Also seen five years ago here. -Dave] Probably an early Salvation Army bellringerCompare the clothing and sign to this SA woman soliciting funds to provide Christmas dinners to the poor in New York circa 1900. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC)
New Capital: 1910
Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "New Capital Hotel, Markham Street." A century later the building looks much the same, ... Company. View full size. The view While the hotel now directly faces the much larger Marriott (née Excelsior) and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/20/2015 - 11:08am -

Little Rock, Arkansas, circa 1910. "New Capital Hotel, Markham Street." A century later the building looks much the same, although it's lost the "New." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The viewWhile the hotel now directly faces the much larger Marriott (née Excelsior) and convention center across the street, at the time this photo was taken it likely had an unimpeded view of the Arkansas River from that second floor balcony. You can probably still see some of the river over the convention center but it certainly isn't the view it once had. It's a Capital Idea This tells the rest of the story including a President Grant legend/lore. I have stayed there.Across the street from the Peabody (formerly The Excelsior), and a truly interesting building. The elevator sized for a horse is something to see! (The Gallery, DPC, Little Rock)
The Dennis: 1908
The Atlantic City Boardwalk circa 1908. "Hotel Dennis." And the Marlborough-Blenheim at right, along with a number of ... Looks like the Monopoly game tycoon wondering what hotel to buy next. Curtain Call The folks facing the camera look like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2012 - 11:04am -

The Atlantic City Boardwalk circa 1908. "Hotel Dennis." And the Marlborough-Blenheim at right, along with a number of supporting players high and low. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Man under boardwalkLooks like the Monopoly game tycoon wondering what hotel to buy next. Curtain CallThe folks facing the camera look like characters in a play, wish I could better see their faces. Having worked at beaches for a number of years I'll imagine it's the end of the day, and they have their beach back to themselves. Many interesting characters in the background, including a Nosferatu imitator. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Coney Island Mardi Gras: 1908
... Moxie! Great stuff. There was apparently a "Mardi Gras Hotel" in Coney Island. Who knew? Sale of confetti stopped!!! Looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 4:49pm -

"Coney Island Mardi Gras 1908." Some interesting signs in this one. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Chop Suey and German BeerAnd Moxie! Great stuff. There was apparently a "Mardi Gras Hotel" in Coney Island. Who knew? Sale of confetti stopped!!!Looks like the celebration two years earlier got a little out of hand. [The curse of rowdyism! Not to mention its handmaidens-in-horseplay, boisterousness and hooliganism. Click the clippings to enlarge. - Dave] 1906: 1909: 1911: An AffrontThe word "affronted" in the bottom of the newpaper articles (thank you Vic)... Just love that word, don't know if I've ever used it in a sentence but am certainly intrigued by the possibility. Plus the idea of "affronting" a woman has got my imagination going overtime. Sigh, the perils of way too much time on one's hands. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Coney Island, G.G. Bain)
Somewhere in San Diego
... couple of sports cars for starters. I want to stay at the Hotel San Diego and check out all the neon. Lastly, let's invite that sailor ... replaced by the Hall Of Justice in 1997 or so. The Hotel San Diego coffee shop was a preferred break destination for personnel ... 
 
Posted by brianvnt90 - 10/13/2011 - 7:26am -

My Dad and Grandfather took a trip to Southern California around June 1967 timeframe, here is one of the slides from that trip. View full size. Hey, sailor!There are so many cool things in this shot! The cars are to die for -- a Caddy convertible and a couple of sports cars for starters. I want to stay at the Hotel San Diego and check out all the neon. Lastly, let's invite that sailor out for dinner and a drink. Two Austin-HealeysTwo Austin Healeys -- a 3000 about to run down the sailor and a Bugeye on the curb. And a '57 Chevy ragtop! All rust free. County Courthouse at 500 W. BroadwayWe're looking east on Broadway. All those wonderful (!) shops in the building between the Honda billboard and the vertical blinds of the Courthouse are gone, replaced by the Hall Of Justice in 1997 or so. The Hotel San Diego coffee shop was a preferred break destination for personnel from the courts and affiliated services. Mid-morning it was thronged with judges, attorneys, and probation officers. Many a plea was generated there and formalized across the street. W. Broadway, San DiegoThe last time I was there was August 14, 1965. I was amazed that I thought I knew where it was so I verified the Pickwick and the U.S. Grant hotels. We left the next morning, Japan, P.I., Korea, Vietnam, Back to Olongapo and then to Sasebo and Okinawa -Kadena - I flew from Kadena to Castle AFB in early Jan 1966. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Cockaday and Banning: 1924
... sold 1927: On the advisory board for WGL based at the Hotel Majestic (the station lasted less than two years). 1931: In March ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2012 - 4:20pm -

New York circa 1924. "L.M. Cockaday and Maj. Kendall Banning." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Flat TopThe guy in the light shirt could almost fit in perfectly in appearance with young men in the early 60's. Kendall Banningwas the editor of Popular Radio magazine at this time. Unusual name ? Banning Major BanningWith that shiny jacket and matching trousers, he must have been quite the rake at the big post-war 1919 national wireless radio convention. But, alas, by 1924 what once was stylish apparently was demoted to throw-something-on-for-work. A veteran of World War One (signal corps), Banning was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (the Banning lineage in the U.S. goes back at least to the late 17th Century). Also he was an author, possibly most famous for "Censored Mother Goose Rhymes", per this, found online: Censored Mother Goose Rhymes by Kendall Banning (1929) Flipped through an interactive version of this very funny book today at the Ransom Center’s wonderful “Banned, Burned, Seized, and Censored” exhibit. (It’s out of print, so you can read the whole thing online.) Originally published in 1926 and dedicated to “The Censors who have taught us how to ready naughty meanings into harmless words,” Banning reprinted it in support of the efforts to revise parts of tariff legislation that allowed customs agents to ban “obscene” books from the US—the book was distributed to congressmen in the middle of the debate.1 Banning (1879-1944) wasn’t some underground prankster: he was a war veteran, a poet (a New York Times review in 1913 said of his work, “no other poet in America at the moment has such a gift of pure melody”), an author of over a dozen books (he wrote books on Annapolis and West Point), and an editor of Cosmopolitan, Popular Radio, and Hearst Magazine. Fun fact: Gertrude Stein owned a copy. Major Banning is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and here's his grave: Re Flat TopMister Cockaday was much more than just a telegraph key pilot. That component to the left of the desk (shown below) was one of the radio products of L.M. Cockaday and Company, 2674 Bailey Avenue, New York City. It was described in a Cockaday ad in the January 1921 issue of Wireless Age as "...the BEST detector and single stage amplifier in the WORLD" and cost $45, about $523 today. ARRL MemberIn the middle of the wall is a Membership Certificate in the American Radio Relay League, the pioneer Ham Radio organization, headquartered in Connecticut. Radio components identifiedThe Detector/1-Stage Audio Amplifier was a Superadio Corporation D/A as seen on the logo on the set. The Superadio Corporation was the successor to the L. M. Cockaday Co. starting January of 1921 as seen in a January 1921 Pacific Radio News advertisement. The radio on the desk was also a Superadio Corp. product as can be seen by the same logo. On top of the device with two meters sits a Wireless Specialty Apparatus Clark Tone-Tester which is a miniature crystal radio to monitor the tone of the transmitted signal. Chronological Cockaday Father: Edward J. M. Cockaday, born February 1866 in England Mother: Kate Simmonds, born August 1869 in England Laurence Marsham Cockaday, born June 18, 1894, Greenville, New Jersey 1915: Vocalist, possibly with his father who was also a vocalist and a professor of music 1916: General Secretary, Cathedral Choir School (of St. John the Divine which still exists) 1917: Electrical Engineer for the New York Interborough Railroad 1918: Radio instructor for the U.S. Navy 1919: Patent for Radiotelegraphy, "invented certain new and high potential electrical oscillations from a direct current or other supply" 1920: Electrical Engineer 1921: Was involved in relaying the Dempsey-Carpentier heavyweight title fight via radio. Setup a relay at the Majestic Theater which was heard by 265 people. More info here. 1922: Techical Editor for "Popular Radio." (he was also one of the founders). Authored Radio-Telephone ($1.50) for Everyone which was also published in England. 1923: Authored three publications: Wireless Telephony For All; How to Build the Haynes DX Receiver; and How to Build the Haynes 2-Tube Amplifier. 1924: With Kendall Banning authoried How To Build Your Radio Receiver. 1925: Working at Popular Radios's laboratory. Designed a circuit for radios to operate with alternating current. Served on the Operating Regulations Committee at the 4th National Radio Conference. 1926: Silver Cockady Four Tube Receiver is being sold 1927: On the advisory board for WGL based at the Hotel Majestic (the station lasted less than two years). 1931: In March became the Editor for "Radio News"; Author of 23 Lessons in Radio 1932: Author of Radio Experimenters' Handbook 1933: Author of Short-Wave Handbook with Walter H. Holze 1934: Author of If Not Television Why Not Facsimile published by "Radio News 1937: Was teaching at New York University, and authored 34 Lessons In Radio and Television. 1940: On July 12th he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He retired at the grade of Captain in January 1957. 1957: His wife Marguerite Mary Cockaday, a social worker, passes away after a long illness in Annapolis, Maryland. 1986: Cockaday dies on November 18th in Manhattan, New York. Both he and his wife are buried in Annapolis at St. Marys Cemetery. He was also the Technical Editor of the New York Herald Tribune, but I could not find the exact dates, but certainly before 1931. Details of one of the transformers he helped design can be seen here. The first photo below is the frontispiece of his book Radio-Telephony For Everyone, and it shows the same room as in the Shorpy photo. The second, also showing the same room, is from the November 1921 edition of Popular Science Monthly, Page 22. (Technology, The Gallery, G.G. Bain)
Washington Masonic Memorial: 1923
... officer to be killed in the war when he was shot by a hotel proprietor after taking down the Confederate national flag from the hotel roof. The photo looks east toward Alexandria and the Potomac river. King ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2013 - 3:09am -

Nov. 1, 1923. "Dedication, George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria, Virginia." In a year that was probably the zenith of Freemasonry in the United States, and saw a giant national Masonic gathering in the capital, President Coolidge on this day used a silver trowel to spread mortar for the laying of the cornerstone of what is today one of metro Washington's best known traffic landmarks. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The Finished ProductAttached is a view of the finished product, taken from the same general vantage point. As another poster very correctly noted, this temple is "a bit weird" to a non-Mason. There's a great write-up about the temple (complete with photos of the interior)on the "Roadside America" website at: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/13718 Masonic ViewNinety years later, the memorial is a neat (if a bit weird to a non-Mason) place to visit. I went there in January with locals who'd never set foot in the place despite having spent the last thirty years in DC. Comparing the background views, the train station is all but unchanged (though now supplemented with the larger Metro station behind it), but I can't match a single structure in Old Town between the old image and my new one. Not even the church steeples (which I'd expect to have been there in 1923). Shuter's Hill - Fort EllsworthIt was occupied in Oct 1861 by the 44th NY Reg't, which was commanded by Col Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer to be killed in the war when he was shot by a hotel proprietor after taking down the Confederate national flag from the hotel roof. The photo looks east toward Alexandria and the Potomac river. King Street is at the center. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Seminole Club: 1910
... a number of shots from 1910; like the ones at the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis. What is it? Transit Exploring the ever-astonishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 2:38pm -

Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Seminole Club." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 400 N. Hogan StreetFrom Jaxhistory: Built in 1902-03, this was Jacksonville's oldest social club for men and the seventh oldest in the United States. Teddy Roosevelt made a campaign speech from the front porch. The privately owned, vacant building is across from Hemming Plaza, City Hall and the new U.S. Federal Courthouse. View Larger Map RegalVery handsome building. It's to be hoped that it does get restored back to its former glory. I like the hand rails and the double porches. Is that an "Underslung" at the curb? A very spiffy set of wheels! It looks like it is going 60 just sitting there. Name That CarWhere have all our trusty "autophiles" gone? In the past we could always rely on them spotting and identifying those classics, but it seems, not lately. The car in this shot, with its wide radiator and oversized headlights, appears to be the same model I've noticed in a number of shots from 1910; like the ones at the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis. What is it? TransitExploring the ever-astonishing Google Earth Street Views reveals that the lone streetcar track has been upgraded to a dual elevated transitway. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
The Willard: 1904
Washington, D.C., circa 1904. "Willard Hotel, Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit ... J. Gardiner, whose later (mis)management of the Grand Hotel bar at 15th & Penn. was the subject of important legal proceedings. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2017 - 12:32pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1904. "Willard Hotel, Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Chancy GardinerAt left is 1400 Pennsylvania NW, the saloon of Edward J. Gardiner, whose later (mis)management of the Grand Hotel bar at 15th & Penn. was the subject of important legal proceedings. Love the dogsJust hanging out on the corner, watching the world go by. It's what dogs do. +98Below is the same view from April of 2002. The Willard I was so glad when they decided to save the Willard instead of demolishing it. This view is looking up 14th St. towards "F" St one block up. I worked for United Press International for several years in the National Press Building which is directly across from the Willard on the right hand side. The Willard was closed, at that time, and was re-opened several years later after I had moved from the area. There is a lot of history in that building and it would have been a shame to tear it down. (The Gallery, D.C., Dogs, DPC)
The Sugar Factory: 1915
... cannot see the Carqueniz Straits behind, but where the old hotel is now spans the Carqueniz Bridge, and I believe Amtrak goes right past. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2013 - 10:42am -

Crockett, Calif., circa 1915. "South view of refinery and entrance to Loring Avenue." Plant of the California & Hawaii Sugar Refining Co. View full size. Confused [normal]I gather that Crockett is in California so how does Hawaii fit in except as a source for the raw materials used. [See this. -tterrace] The references to the sugar cane fields is what confused me . Thanks for the help!! Need all I can get at times. Pure cane sugar from HawaiiThat old building on the left - apparently the main factory - is still there. You cannot see the Carqueniz Straits behind, but where the old hotel is now spans the Carqueniz Bridge, and I believe Amtrak goes right past. It's a tiny town, in some places definitely showing its age, but it's still adorable. The factory is, I believe, still in use as well. Crockett todayAs close as I can make it... Moon over sugarcaneThat was back when most of the flat land on the Hawaiian islands was in sugarcane! I doubt there is any left. When I got there, as a teen, in 1970, there were still lots of cane fields, on Oahu, where we lived. We teenagers had all kinds of good places to "park" after football games and dances. By the time I left, 3.5 years later, the cane fields, and most of the pineapple fields, were covered with condos. I've wondered where the teenagers go to "spoon", now! The Sugar FactoryWe lived in Crockett about 35 years ago. It hasn't changed too much since then, but the area around is much more built up. The factory sirens would sound off at about 7:30 a.m., noon, and 5:30 p.m. and they were very loud. The volunteer fire department used the same sirens in combinations of short and long to indicate where in the town the fire was. This happened several times a week. After a while we didn't even notice the noise. Looking NortheastI am pretty sure this is looking northeast rather than south. The neon C&H sign atop the old building was restored and is still in use. Visible from the air on clear nights from quite a distance. ["South view" means it's the view from the south. -tterrace] Thanks tt! PS: I went to a July 4th fireworks display in Crockett in about 1974 and we sat in the park just west of the sugar factory. The cold embers (?) from the fireworks fell on us during the show. (The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo)
Forsyth Street: 1910
... frame on the right of this shot, opposite of the Shamrock Hotel formerly located at 52 West Forsyth Street. +98 Below is the same ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:20pm -

Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Forsyth Street, west from Main." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. If I'm not mistakenThis photo is from 'the other side of the street' of the shot we saw in this thread The Bisbee Building would be out of frame on the right of this shot, opposite of the Shamrock Hotel formerly located at 52 West Forsyth Street. +98Below is the same view looking west on Forsyth Street past the intersection of Laura Street from January of 2008. Two things I noticed immediatelyIt's interesting to note the 3-digit license plates, with another car having a TWO-digit one. The other thing is two different women sitting alone in the passenger seats of their cars; their husbands running errands no doubt. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
Thompson Branch: 1920
... of sight just to the left, next to the George Washington Hotel which wrapped around the corner of the two streets. W. S. Thompson, who ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2016 - 12:10pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "People's Drug Store, 15th Street & New York Avenue N.W." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Long time tenantW. S. Thompson has been there awhile. There's a newspaper reference from the Evening Star, July 29, 1863: "Important Local Mail Arrangements. The Postmaster General has selected the following places for station letter boxes for the convenience of our citizens. All letters dropped in these boxes, either for transmission by mail or local delivery, will be called for by the letter carriers for each district." "Third District -- White, P., grocery,Thirteenth and P street: Kidwell A; Lawrence, druggest, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets; Thompson, W. S., druggist, New York avenue and Fifteenth street; Ford, Dr., druggist. Eleventh street and Pa. avenue; Dayton's bakery, ? 45ft Eleventh street, between G and H." Also an ad from The National Republican, October 22, 1867: Of Human BondageThe Bond Building is on the opposite corner of this city square at 14th & New York Ave. (SW corner). Liggett's is housed in the Home Life Building, which had its main entrance on G St. Single Pane Vertical Jalousie?No clue what you would call those interesting 19th century windows that open vertically on a center pivot. This arrangement would work very well for cleaning the glass. But in hot and humid Washington DC summers, you could not have screens, to keep out insects, when you opened them. The building on the left does. Would you name that window style mosquito invitational? [They're casement windows. - Dave] Re: Single pane vertical jalousie?I've heard architects call these pivot windows. They can be horizontal or vertical. Casement windows open on hinges, like doors. The kitchen at my elementary school had horizontal pivot windows, with half-cylindrical screens on the outside. A bit awkward to make, but you could adjust the windows to catch a breeze or keep rain out. Not so many mosquitoes on the third floor, but I'd worry about pigeons. Fire in 1899From the American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record: Nov. 1899 “The pharmacy of W. S Thompson, at 703 Fifteenth Street, NW Washington, caught fire on the 1st and W. L. Hurxthal, the night prescription clerk had a narrow escape from death” Drug store competitors.These buildings are along 15th Street Northwest in Washington just up and opposite the Treasury Building; New York Avenue is out of sight just to the left, next to the George Washington Hotel which wrapped around the corner of the two streets. W. S. Thompson, who built the building at center where People's is, was a major druggist in DC by the 1850s. Liggett's Drug Store at right is on the ground floor of the Bond Building. G Street is at far right. All of these buildings were razed to build The Washington Building. Car IDHupmobile (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS)
Top Chefs: 1910
... Manufacturers of the impressively named "Imperial French Hotel Range" and other commercial-grade equipment. Below, an item from the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2014 - 7:27pm -

From circa 1910 somewhere in the Northeast comes this 5x7 inch glass negative labeled "Cooks in kitchen." An appetizing look back at whatever the opposite of vegetarian cuisine is. Gentlemen, start your skillets! View full size. A HUGE wood-fired rangeNoting the absence of gas valves, I take it that that is a huge wood-fired range. What a challenge it is to bake anything without an automatic temperature control! Can anyone process the image well enough to make out the name plate on the range, or the stenciled mfr. name on the equipment to the right, which I believe is a primitive gas-fired hot water heater for manual laundry or dish washing purposes. Note the light streaming in from a light well in the ceiling. This is the diagonal line on the wall, and the reason that the bottom of door #2 appears lighter than the top. I think this is a basement location. [More likely a coal-fired range. The bottom line says NEW YORK, and above that, something ending in WOOSTER ST. - Dave] 42 Wooster StreetAccording to this news item from the New York World in 1888, the range manufacturer is Dufarquet & Huot. [Which seems to be a typo, the actual appellation being Duparquet & Huot. - Dave] The Old MessThis resembles the kitchen in our mess hall when I was in the service. Except in this picture the stove is newer and cleaner. SanityThe opposite of vegetarian cuisine is sane cuisine. Mystery Door #2And the city health inspector asks, "what's behind door No. 2 ?? Do we really want to know? [Possibly ... DANGER?? - Dave] Duparquet, Huot & MoneuseManufacturers of the impressively named "Imperial French Hotel Range" and other commercial-grade equipment. Below, an item from the April 4, 1897 Washington Post. (The Gallery, Found Photos, Kitchens etc.)
The Hamilton: 1908
... proprietor. 112 South Palmetto street. New and first-class hotel in all respects. Will open its first season December 1st, 1909. Rooms ... that big tree is the sapling we see in front of the old hotel. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2014 - 2:31pm -

Circa 1908. "The Hamilton -- Daytona, Florida." What used to be called a "tourist home." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tourist HomesI well remember these, travelling with my parents in the late '40s. Most small towns lacked a motel, but almost all had one or more of these; some were even endorsed by AAA. They were like a B&B, minus the food, the wine, and the charm. To a pre-schooler's nose, they smelled funny, too -- a mixture of Air-Wick, furniture polish, and whatever the proprietor's family had eaten for dinner that evening. Where to Stay in DaytonaThe Hamilton -- S. M. Mabbette, proprietor. 112 South Palmetto street. New and first-class hotel in all respects. Will open its first season December 1st, 1909. Rooms single or en suite, with or without private bath. Steam heat. Cuisine unsurpassed. Rates, $2.00 and up per day; $12.50 and up per week; special by month or season. Found at www.drbronsontours.com Strip-malledAlas, the Hamilton is long gone and replaced by an all-too-typical Florida strip mall. But I wonder whether that big tree is the sapling we see in front of the old hotel. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida)
Pittsburgh: 1956
... silver buildings to the left--without the Hilton Hotel that was built in front of them a few years later. The "PRE" and other ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2013 - 11:58am -

"Pittsburgh Nov 1956." From the Kermy Kodachrome cache. View full size. On a clear dayYou wouldn't be in Pittsburgh. I remember all the references to air pollution in Pittsburgh when I was a yute, believe it has cleaned up since. Sans spanLooks like the Fort Pitt Bridge under construction, a few years prior to its completion. Really unusual viewThat is indeed the Fort Pitt Bridge under construction. As a Pittsburgh native, I love this view--one I've never seen before, with the city in the midst of its 1950s urban renewal. First of all, it's shot from a boat in the Monongahela, which is unusual (especially since, given the steam that appears to be rising from the river surface, it must be wintertime.) And I've never seen Gateway Center--the silver buildings to the left--without the Hilton Hotel that was built in front of them a few years later. The "PRE" and other brick buildings to the left must be the last vestiges of the warehouse and railroad district cleared out during the "Renaissance" of the 1950s that brought Gateway Center, the Hilton, the Bridge... Anyhow, if you have more Pittsburgh Kodachrome, please post! Indeed JeffI grew up in Bridgeville and didn't leave PA until I married in 1963. I remember seeing all of what you describe - including my first time I drove over the bridge. And as young teens we spent many an hour up on Mt. Washington looking down at the city. (The Gallery, Kermy Kodachromes, Pittsburgh)
The Wilson: 1908
Circa 1908. "North Adams, Massachusetts -- Wilson Hotel." With "first-class moving pictures" at the Empire Theatre. 8x10 glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2013 - 9:36am -

Circa 1908. "North Adams, Massachusetts -- Wilson Hotel." With "first-class moving pictures" at the Empire Theatre. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. That Five-Cent CokeAlmost 50 years later I could catch a 5-cent coke at a fountain. For 2 cents more you could get a shot of syrup fired into your glass of Coca Cola and you were working with a Cherry Coke. The expert soda jerk would mix your heavenly refreshment with a long narrow spoon but not so much as to damage the "fizz". Multi-flavor drinksWe drank a modified version of those Cherry Coke concoctions, with one additional squirt each of lemon, lime, cherry, orange and even chocolate. We thought it was heavenly, even though it was named "A Suicide." I later learned it basically tasted like the Dr. Pepper we know today, but it was pretty special back then. What's left?Not a lot: View Larger Map According to a local site: "... just a couple of months after President Teddy Roosevelt visited, it burned nearly to the ground. Most of the first floor was saved. Floor tile-work on the first floor still remains in some of the business establishments located there today." The Wilson: 1908The Wilson burned down in 1912, and was replaced by a two-story block that still stands. I have written two books about the history of North Adams, and once interviewed a 97-year-old woman who witnessed the fire. See this article about the fire, published in the Lowell Sun: http://www3.gendisasters.com/massachusetts/14255/north-adams-ma-business... In reply to "What's left, not a lot" below: The block contains several important social agencies on the second floor. On street level, there are several art galleries, one which displays wonderful work by Jarvis Rockwell, one of Norman's sons. There is a also a great bakery, a very popular restaurant called The Hub, a lovely antique store, and a boutique which carries gifts and toys for children. Amateur workLooks as if the Wilson House Drug Store didn't hire a first-class sign painter for their windows. One of the owner's kids probably did it a lot cheaper than a pro. It just might be...That might be a Drug Store on the corner, if only there was some way to be sure, like a sign, or two, or four. No. Adams Co-op. Ass'n.Could that be the name of the groceries Association on Holden Street? (The Gallery, DPC, Movies)
Expansion Club: 1904
... Columbia Club 2.0 still stands and operates as a hotel, restaurant and meeting halls. As a small child, I remember Mom ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/10/2016 - 11:05am -

Indianapolis circa 1904. "Columbia Club on Monument Circle." Built out to the lot line. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Around the roof ? A shortwave antenna ? Still there, sort ofThe pictured building is the original, which was razed and replaced in 1925 with a taller, more modern structure. Columbia Club 2.0 still stands and operates as a hotel, restaurant and meeting halls. As a small child, I remember Mom talking us past a doorway much like that of the Indianapolis Water Company building where sis and I saw our Grandpa at work in his T shirt and suspenders. But he was employed by the Indianapolis Power and Light Co as a mechanic/steam worker. So I hope there are companion photos that might clue me in to where his 'office' was located. Northeast Quarter As I remember the circle, the church that can be partially seen was the northernmost bit of the NE quarter. If you could see just a little bit to the left, you'd see straight up Meridian Street. I think the church is still there. The Soldiers and Sailors monument in the middle was blackened by years of soot and exhaust, and was sandblasted to look like new when one of the mayors decided to invest in downtown. Many doctors had offices on the circle, along with the US Armed Forces induction center(physicals - turn your head and cough). Wassons department store was also there, but it burned to the ground. Crossroads of the Nation. WiresThey look more like decorative electric light bulbs vs antenna spacer insulators. At that point they really hadn't "discovered" the usefulness of shortwaves for long-distance communications and were mostly using frequencies around or much lower than the present AM broadcast band for their point-to-point circuits. Probably long wave rather than shortwaveGiven how large the antenna is, including perpendicular wires running from front to back across the roof at intervals, I'd guess this is a long wave antenna for signals at frequencies well below today's broadcast band. LightsCould those be the soft lights for the Columbia Club's roof garden? (The Gallery, DPC, Indianapolis)
Newark Luxe: 1944
... Newark Ex-Luxe After becoming the Military Park Hotel and then going into a long period of decline, the building was demolished ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/15/2014 - 6:01am -

March 21, 1944. "Newark Athletic Club, Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey. Long shot of lobby. Morris Lapidus, architect." With a nice selection of 25-cent Pocket Books. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Interesting ContrastThe bland and blonde 1944 furniture with the intricately beautiful interior and lighting fixtures of an obviously 1920's or earlier building. Working GhostLooks like a resident ghost at work behind the counter back left, behind the Pocket Book display. The Judas WindowWritten by John Dickson Carr (1906-1977), published in 1938 under the name Carter Dickson, a locked room mystery novel featuring detective Sir Henry Merrivale. Newark Ex-LuxeAfter becoming the Military Park Hotel and then going into a long period of decline, the building was demolished in 1993 to make way for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The view below, which may have been the same lobby, was taken sometime before it was imploded. Paperback Library"Crime of Violence" looks interesting. Assignment In Brittany!I had that one. By Helen MacInnes. Have read it every few years since. Fast CompanyWritten in 1937 by Harry Kurnitz (1908-1968), published under the name Marco Page, and made into a movie in 1938 starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Mail Pouch: 1910
Circa 1910. "Columbus, Ohio, from Great Southern Hotel." Photobombed by the Mail Pouch Tobacco horse. 8x10 inch glass negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2015 - 2:40pm -

Circa 1910. "Columbus, Ohio, from Great Southern Hotel." Photobombed by the Mail Pouch Tobacco horse. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Everything's Up To Date In Kansas CityAnd in Columbus, Ohio as well. In the background is the rear of an individually lettered sign probably on the building that housed the theatre "Gayety Burlesque". I managed to transpose it for those of us with lesser backward reading skills. An Old WrinkleIn the days before vinyl billboard artwork, painting that Mail Pouch sign on the side of the building has to be a work of art that took some time to complete. J.S. Wrinkle Advertising Signs deserves to have their name prominently displayed. Ohio State CapitolThe flat topped tower in the upper left of the photo is the state capitol rotunda. Not on my wavelengthNow whatever is the guyed tower at upper left? 1910 is too early for almost any kind of radio antenna, and certainly too early for commercial radio. [Radio got its start as wireless telegraphy in the 1890s. The wireless mast shown here, on the roof of the Harrison Building, played a role in rescue efforts during the Columbus flood of 1913. There's a
Terminal Station: 1910
... is fantastic. What a great entrance to a cool boutique hotel that would have made. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2019 - 11:18pm -

New Orleans circa 1910. "Terminal Station, Canal Street." Demolished in 1956. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Invisible ManThis guy with the umbrella is an integral part of this image in my opinion, but I doubt it was planned. Maybe ? However, the ladies do not even have him in their radar. Why? My guess is, as it would be today, that women are not much into men that hide from the sun under an umbrella. It seems very odd to me that he is standing there on a nice sunny day acting like it's a bad thing. They did not know at this time that the sun can damage your skin and even kill you, so he seems kinda wimpy to me, and I'm figuring invisible to the ladies. I could easily be wrong, and this will sound like some macho b.s., but even in 2019 knowing what we all know the sun is capable of good or bad, Men do not hide from the elements when presented with unwanted heat. At least not ones that I know. As far as this building -- It is stunning to me. That arch is "on point". Really nice masonry work there. I wonder why it was torn down so soon? I would bet that one of your many amazing commenters will know the answer. I don't have time tonight to fall down that rabbit hole of research. Next thing you know, I will be watching videos on how to carve stone. CoveredI’m afraid I am one of those men who do hide from the elements when presented with unwanted heat. Never mind the heat, which runs against my Northern-boy default state of winter, but the sun has been terribly unkind to me. My dermatologist (who has cut five basal cell carcinomas out of my flesh this past decade) had me pegged when she asked if, at the start of every July, I got shoved outdoors by my mother to get burned in order to get "a good base" for the rest of the summer. So now I put sunscreen on my bald head every day, wear a hat if I'm out for extended periods, and stick to the shadows on sunny days. If being a heliophobe makes me "invisible to the ladies," so be it. Why it Was DemolishedThe station was razed in 1956 after passenger service was relocated to the new Union Terminal. After station and tracks were removed the ground was landscaped and the area was designated as the "Garden of the Americas. SadlyIt was terminal. Next Stop? Sin And Vice!Talk about a convenient location. For the first decade of its time serving NoLa this station was directly adjacent to the infamous Storyville district of legalized prostitution and gaming. You could walk out the door, turn right and be in one of the dozens of high class brothels in about 30 seconds. Gents: Don't forget your cash and your umbrella. Built to Stand ForeverMassive, solid structure for the Ages - at least until 1956. Up until 1954 most of the major rail lines had their own individual terminals. That was when Union Passenger Terminal was built and they all collected there. The old terminals were torn down after that. Not a clueI have no idea as to what that contraption next to the pole might be used for. Is it the "better mousetrap" we've been waiting for? Installation of fresh Water PipesThe view of fresh line, water pipes, certainly coincide with the time frame. According to New Orleans - A History of Three Great Public Utilities Paper read by Hon. Martin Behrman Mayor of New Orleans, La. before Convention of League of American Municipalities, Milwaukee, Wis., September 29, 1914 "The construction of the new system was commenced in 1905 and the completed system went into operation in February, 1909. Only three and a half years were consumed in the construction of a plant covering over five hundred (500) miles of streets with water ... By 1917 it is expected that all of the premises of the city will have been connected both with the water works and with the sewers, and vaults and cesspools will have been eliminated from the entire well built-up area of the city." With it being on Canal Street, and the picture being "circa 1910", it makes the case the photo could be from the end of 1908, to beginning of 1909, as Canal Street and the French Quarter would seem to have been in the initial, completed system. Terminally ChicThe man with the umbrella is fantastic. What a great entrance to a cool boutique hotel that would have made. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Upward on Woodward: 1915
... with a fiberglass replica. It reopened with a boutique hotel, apartments, and a little bit of high end shopping. Whitney ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2022 - 4:18pm -

Detroit circa 1915. "Woodward Avenue -- Whitney Building and Grand Circus Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Photographer's PerchThe downward view may have been obtained from the church spire here. Spin your view around and you can see the Whitney Building and park still remain. On guardThe Whitney Building and it's its younger, larger companion, the Broderick Building, are like sentries at the entrance to downtown Detroit. The building - designed by Daniel Burnham - originally had high end shopping, later filled with doctors and dentists, and was eventually abandoned in 2000. It sat empty until a 2014 restoration - they even replaced the cornice with a fiberglass replica. It reopened with a boutique hotel, apartments, and a little bit of high end shopping. Whitney ModernThe recent photo of the Whitney shows how advanced the 1915 (or earlier) design was. It does not stand out as an 'old building' at all and first impression are of a modern street-scape where it stands. Remarkable. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Catskills Modern: 1953
September 23, 1953. "Stevensville Hotel, Liberty, New York. View to dining room. Herbert Phillips, client." ... the Stevensville's main building as the Swan Lake Resort Hotel. It closed once more in 2003 after the gambling plans were shelved and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/26/2014 - 2:35pm -

September 23, 1953. "Stevensville Hotel, Liberty, New York. View to dining room. Herbert Phillips, client." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. The Three A'sAfter decades of attracting Jewish vacationers from the city, the Borscht Belt resorts of the Catskills fell on hard times starting in the 1960's on account of the Three A's: air conditioning, which made urban summers more tolerable; airlines, which enabled people to travel to much farther destinations for the price of a couple weeks in the Catskills; and assimilation, which made the idea of vacationing in an all-Jewish environment less appealing. The Stevensville actually outlasted many other resorts, closing around 1990. During its last several years the owners had changed the property's name to the Imperial and made an attempt to attract Asian-American vacationers in addition to its Jewish base. In the late 1990's, amid proposals for casino gambling in the Catskills, new owners reopened the Stevensville's main building as the Swan Lake Resort Hotel. It closed once more in 2003 after the gambling plans were shelved and has been vacant ever since. Still, all hope is not necessarily lost. In recent years the Catskills have become popular among New York's burgeoning Hasidic population, and the Stevensville's buildings are said to be reasonably intact. Another reopening cannot be completely ruled out. Note: rumor has it that the Mob often used Swan Lake, across the road from the Stevensville, as a convenient dumping ground for stiffs. Allegedly. Swan Lake swank!Still there, but abandoned. A very interesting page on the location, with pics and stories can be found here. Just the ability to go back and visit this place would alone justify the building of a time machine. Potato ChipsLove the upholstered versions of the Eames molded plywood "potato chip" chairs in the foreground. My parents had 2 of the unupholstered wood grain version of these. Not the most comfortable seat in the house, to be sure, but very lovely to look at. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
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