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The Dental District: 1905
... 1905. "Madison Avenue from Summit Street." Featuring the Hotel Boody and a number of Painless Dentists, as well as a nice display of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2014 - 9:50am -

Toledo, Ohio, circa 1905. "Madison Avenue from Summit Street." Featuring the Hotel Boody and a number of Painless Dentists, as well as a nice display of wallpaper and "decorative materials." 8x10 glass negative. View full size. United Cigar StoresUbiquitous in the cities of my childhood (there were once almost 3000 of them), later merged with Whelan's Drugs, now disappeared as our fashions in poisoning ourselves have evolved. Dr ClarkDr C G Clark was born Cyrenas George Clark in Maine on November 14th 1832, he married Harriet McNeese (b 1842 Pennslyvania) in 1862, they appear to have at least one child George Wentworth (b 1884) Two years after this photo, Harriet died followed in 1910 by the good Doctor. So much going onThere is such a tremendous amount of human activity in the lower right quadrant of this scene: the man eyeing us at the corner of the curb with one foot on the sewer opening; the three derbied cronies; the bustle of female motion at the very centre, observed by the man at the lampost with dismay; the man with the cigar at the doorway of the shop, cutting a figure for all eternity; and the intense fellow under the Plug Tobacco sign, holding a mystery object for a mystery purpose. He may even be drawing the attention of the policeman off to the left in the middle of the street (sporting one of those under-the-coat torso bulges so common in Shorpy cops). (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets, Toledo)
Sterling Sliver: 1939
... just two residents, or maybe the one is waiting for the hotel to open. Nowadays, they are mining tourist pockets! +73 Below ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2020 - 7:18pm -

October 1939. "Georgetown, Colorado. Silver mining town ghost town." From its heyday in the 1890s, Georgetown had dwindled from over 10,000 inhabitants to just a few hundred by the time this picture was made. Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Alive and wellAs it looks today -- a remarkable revival (and even part of the railroad got rebuilt). Pop. 2?From this photo, looks like just two residents, or maybe the one is waiting for the hotel to open. Nowadays, they are mining tourist pockets! +73Below is the same view from October of 2012. The town is dead ...long live the pigeons! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Frontier Life, Mining, Small Towns)
Powerhouse: 1906
... Mississippi, circa 1906. "Powerhouse of the Great Southern Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... Later a Car Dealership Although the Great Southern Hotel was torn down around 1950, the Power Plant building - or atleast portions ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2014 - 10:58am -

Gulfport, Mississippi, circa 1906. "Powerhouse of the Great Southern Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Later a Car DealershipAlthough the Great Southern Hotel was torn down around 1950, the Power Plant building - or atleast portions of it -- remained in use until Hurricane Katrina gutted it in 2005. In the 1960's through the late 1980's, the building housed the local Ford dealership -- some parts of the building were demolished or remodeled to accommodate the dealership. The narrow part of the building -- the north end, fronted on what is now 13th Street in downtown Gulfport. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Special Services: 1944
... The synagogue is immediately to the west of the Chelsea Hotel. How do you have a sign ready for that? I don't understand how you ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2014 - 10:38am -

A D-Day triptych. "New York, New York. June 6, 1944. Congregation Emunath Israel. D-Day services in a synagogue on West 23rd Street." Photo by Howard Hollem et al. for the Office of War Information. View full size. Oh, noThis picture is going to drive me nuts. Emunath Israel (today usually called the "Chelsea Shul") has been at 236 West 23rd Street since the 1920's. Problem is, it occupies a structure originally built as a Methodist church that looks absolutely nothing like what we can see in this picture. It has much plainer stonework, and that's not the sort of thing that would be changed in even a massive renovation. [It is the same building - formerly a Presbyterian, not Methodist church, - massively renovated. -tterrace] Emunath IsraelSure looks different nowadays. The photo below is from Thanksgiving 2010. The Hebrew over the door in the recent picture says Emunath Israel: faith of Israel. The two tablets are the ten commandments. The Hebrew in the old picture is Talmud Torah: learning of Torah. The synagogue is immediately to the west of the Chelsea Hotel. How do you have a sign ready for that?I don't understand how you already have a sign like that painted and ready for the event? Was it common knowledge that there was going to be "a" D-Day and people just didn't know when it was going to happen? Or did they commission this sign and get it painted within a few hours for use that day? (Panoramas, Howard Hollem, NYC, WW2)
Wayne Water: 1910
The Detroit River circa 1910. "Wayne Hotel and pavilion from the river." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... Wow. https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/wayne-hotel Detroit Hockey's Epicenter Joe Louis arena stood there. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/10/2021 - 3:49pm -

The Detroit River circa 1910. "Wayne Hotel and pavilion from the river." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. RazedDidn't burn down. Wow. https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/wayne-hotel Detroit Hockey's EpicenterJoe Louis arena stood there. Cobo and Olympia were nearby. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Sea Water Baths: 1904
The Jersey Shore in 1904. "Boardwalk at Green's Hotel, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2018 - 11:40am -

The Jersey Shore in 1904. "Boardwalk at Green's Hotel, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Such Civility!My mom, born in 1920, instructed me at a very early age to always walk to the right-hand side be it a staircase, a sidewalk or a hallway. Everyone stays out of each other’s way and can enjoy the view without worry. No Mexican standoffs! Nowadays you’d think most young people were British the way they hog the left side -- very stressful. "Do you know what fish do in that stuff?"Despite W.C. Fields' ostensible dislike of good old H2O, very early in his career he had a summer job as a "drowner" for various Jersey Shore hotels. He'd swim out beyond the surf line when there was a decent crowd on the boardwalk and very histrionically thrash about like a drowning man. With commensurate drama, a lifeguard or two would perform an exciting rescue, to the "ooohs" and applause of the tourists. [Another version of that story can be found here. And yet another here. Both involving concession sales. - Dave] Someone who claimed to have known Fields once told me that after one such performance, as the future comedian was being borne on a stretcher off the beach, he heard a woman remark, "My God, Mabel! That man must be a hopeless drunkard. It's the third time they've had to rescue him today." Reflecting on W.C.'s distinctive features, it's clear that he was a poor choice to play a succession of non-descript victims. But he survived to conquer vaudeville, then talking pictures, and leave a legacy that persists until this day, so in a small way we have publicity-hungry Jersey hoteliers to thank for that. Six years laterFrom a slightly different perspective, here's a view of the beach and the "Richard's Baths" in 1910, from a postcard in the New Jersey Almanac records. Sun Baths at The PierAtlantic City "Sun Baths" Look closely for the sign. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
Piles to New Castle: 1906
... wood frame house seen through the trees was really a small hotel which burned to the ground a few years after this photo was taken. But I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2021 - 1:11pm -

The Granite State circa 1906. "Pile bridge at New Castle, New Hampshire." You'll come for the bridge but stay for the bushes. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Maine vs. New HampshireAcross the Piscataqua River from Castle Island lies Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The shipyard is located in Maine, but New Hampshire files periodic lawsuits, claiming that the shipyard actually lies on its side of the border. Rock BottomThe grass curb and rock-lined gutter lends a certain charm to this bygone byway. I couldn't get over itThat reminds me of when my late mother would come from her home less than two hours away, for a meal or party at mine, and walk in with a carafe of coffee under her arm. Mom, I'd say, why do you insist on bringing coals to Newcastle? Because if there's anything you can always get at my house, it's a good cup of coffee. But she was afraid I wouldn't be serving decaf, so she brought her own to bridge the gap. Let me guess That lovely wood frame house seen through the trees was really a small hotel which burned to the ground a few years after this photo was taken. But I certainly hope not. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Landscapes)
Arcade Pants Parlors: 1900
... today The Arcade Building is now a Hyatt Regency hotel. Here is a modern glamour photo from Hyatt. (The Gallery, Cleveland, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2017 - 9:28am -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1900. "The Arcade Building, Superior Avenue." (Interior view here.) Ground-floor tenants include the Hat Box, Arcade Pants Parlors and, next door, a Misfit Clothing Parlor (a.k.a. Fitwell Clothing) and Chisholm's Boot Shop. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Cleveland's Cable CarsIf you look closely you can see there are streetcar trolley wires erected over cable car tracks. By 1890 electric streetcars were becoming the standard for urban transit, but in Cleveland in that year cable car service started on two streets: Superior and Payne. The cable service lasted only ten years, and electric streetcars started running on Superior at the time of this photograph. There is more information about Cleveland's cable cars and transit history here. Wut?"Fitwell Clothing" on the sign and "Misfit Clothing" on the awning; any idea what that's about? [In the clothing trade of the time, "misfit clothing parlor" was a common appellation for a store or portion of a store that sold what we would today call "irregulars." -tterrace] Thank'ee kindly! The Arcade Building todayThe Arcade Building is now a Hyatt Regency hotel. Here is a modern glamour photo from Hyatt. (The Gallery, Cleveland, Stores & Markets)
Riverbank Court: 1913
... stated he was the architect of a $130,000 brick apartment hotel to be constructed in Back Bay. I'm guessing this Cambridge apartment ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2021 - 2:03pm -

Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1913. "Riverbank Court from Harvard Bridge." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.         This brick Tudor-style manor, originally known as Riverbank Court, was designed to be a luxurious apartment house facing the new Cambridge esplanade, today's Memorial Drive. When that real estate scheme failed, the building became a student dormitory (Ashdown House) under the auspices of MIT.     -- Archipedia.org Ashton to MaseehThis building was renovated in 2011 and renamed Maseeh Hall (a new Ashton Hall was built elsewhere). It's still a dorm for MIT students. You can see in the 2007 street view that the metal fire escapes were still there until the most recent renovation. The masonry barriers on the roof had been replaced by metal by then, though, probably so they didn't brain someone when they fell. H. B. Ball has been lost to timeSince the Fall of 2011 this building has been Fariborz Maseeh Hall, the largest undergraduate dorm at MIT and named after an alum who made lots and lots of money. Curiously, I had to do quite a bit of searching to identify that H. B. Ball was the architect. The only other reference I can find for him is in an August 1897 edition of "The Brickbuilder," which stated he was the architect of a $130,000 brick apartment hotel to be constructed in Back Bay. I'm guessing this Cambridge apartment building is his masterpiece. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Streetcars)
Carnival of Fire: 1905
Atlantic City circa 1905. "Hotel Chalfonte and Boardwalk." Where the diversions include shooting flames, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2014 - 10:27am -

Atlantic City circa 1905. "Hotel Chalfonte and Boardwalk." Where the diversions include shooting flames, rolling chairs and "social drama." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What could possibly be the job description of the operator of those vehicles? [Chairman of the Boardwalk. - Dave] All the newsI swear that the wind blew a newspaper onto the face of the women in the first sedan chair the INSTANT the photo was taken - Hilarious! [That's the veil of her hat. -tterrace] The Strenuous LifeNice to see Colonel Roosevelt (right there behind the girl in white) out for a strenuous stroll on the boardwalk! (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
3 Long: 1904
Circa 1904. "Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, Long Island, N.Y." On July 29, 1907, this "Riviera of the ... chimney, of course. Interesting read on The Long Beach Hotel found here . (The Gallery, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2018 - 12:11pm -

Circa 1904. "Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, Long Island, N.Y." On July 29, 1907, this "Riviera of the East" burned to the ground after an electrical fire broke out in an upstairs storeroom. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. All that was left standing? That massive chimney, of course. Interesting read on The Long Beach Hotel found here. (The Gallery, DPC)
The Thorndike: 1904
Boston circa 1904. "Hotel Thorndike, Boylston and Church Sts." Next door to the intriguingly named ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2012 - 10:04am -

Boston circa 1904. "Hotel Thorndike, Boylston and Church Sts." Next door to the intriguingly named "Dr. Jaeger's Sanitary Woolen System." View full size. "Noxious exhalations"From the Feb 23 1984 issue of New Scientist: Everything you could possibly want to knowAbout Dr. Jaeger and his sanitary woolen system, right here. In 2012I'm pretty sure this is the site of the Four Seasons today, and Church no longer connects to Boylston. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC)
Washington, D.C.: 1904
... Smithsonian Institution." Landmarks include the Willard Hotel at left and Old Post Office tower. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 10:46am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1904. "North from the Smithsonian Institution." Landmarks include the Willard Hotel at left and Old Post Office tower. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Baltimore Sun BldgAlso visible, the Baltimore Sun Building (aka The American National Bank) with The Cairo behind that in the distance. Elsewhere on Shorpy, an aerial view of the same area. Then and nowThe striking thing is the gaggle of low-rise buildings where the Federal Triangle and the Smithsonian museums along Constitution Avenue are now. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC)
Miami River: 1904
... right of the photo would have been the immense Royal Palm Hotel built by the "Father of Miami", Henry Flagler. I can assure you that, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2013 - 1:59pm -

Miami, Florida, circa 1904. "On the Miami River." Back when the city's only high-rises were green and had coconuts at the top. View full size. Old Fort DallasThe photo was taken at the mouth of the Miami River, looking up river towards the west. We are on the south shore (Brickell Point). Across the river was the Old Fort Dallas, a military outpost that had figured in the Seminole Wars. By 1891 it was the home of the "Mother of Miami", Julia Tuttle whose house can be seen through the palms. Not seen, but immediately to the right of the photo would have been the immense Royal Palm Hotel built by the "Father of Miami", Henry Flagler. I can assure you that, despite the honorifics, they were just friends. Looking past the sloop, you can see the smoke stack of the Miami Power & Ice plant, later known as Florida Power & Light. The attached aerial photo from the State Archives shows the same view in 1918. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Florida, Miami)
Ghost Leg Crossing: 1905
... on the perimeter of mezzanines upstairs, akin to the hotel rooms in an eighties-style Embassy Suites. The post office's backoffice ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2020 - 2:55pm -

St. Paul, Minnesota, 1905. "Post Office, Fifth and Market Streets." The postal palace last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Form over functionThis building is much greater as an events center than it was as a federal courthouse. American courthouse designs vary between those that are ugly on the outside but highly functional on the inside, and those (like this one) that look great but don't work well on the inside. There is a massive skylight and atrium inside this one, which consumes most of the space useful for courtrooms. The actual courtrooms were small, narrow, and unremarkable, on the perimeter of mezzanines upstairs, akin to the hotel rooms in an eighties-style Embassy Suites. The post office's backoffice operations occupied much of the atrium floor, making the views down from the mezzanines depressing. The Beautiful and (nearly) DamnedTo think, this building was nearly razed, before being saved by more conscientious citizens back in the '70s. I recall paying a visit to F. Scott Fitzgerald (in statue form) just across West Fifth Street, and being struck by this magnificent building as a backdrop: This Side of Fifth. One leg only --Perhaps, Holmes, it was a man with a limp? [Actually we see both legs here, alternating L and R. - Dave] No HandsSomewhere along the line they put a clock up in the clockless clock tower. (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Spanish-American War Veteran
... Rider Reunion of June 24-26, 1899 was held at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The hotel is still there, although the modern bar doesn't seem to fit the picture ... 
 
Posted by carolelinda - 05/23/2014 - 7:03pm -

My father's Uncle, August Kappeler, born in Switzerland, who was a cavalry member of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Wonder what they were celebrating. Don't have a clue as to the identities of the characters in the background or where the bar was. View full size. Rough Riders ReunionYour Fathers Uncle appears to be wearing some sort of medal. It is not a Medal of Honor as it has the wrong star orientation. It does bear a resemblance to a souvenir of the 1st Rough Rider Reunion, held in Las Vegas Nevada in 1899. Perhaps that is where they are. The other VegasThe Rough Rider Reunion of June 24-26, 1899 was held at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The hotel is still there, although the modern bar doesn't seem to fit the picture above. The other Vegas really didn't become anything until 1905 or so. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Lafayette Square: 1911
... the large brick building in the center. But the Lafayette Hotel is still there, as is the Kleinhans building. Both are largely unchanged, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2014 - 6:47am -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1911. "Lafayette Square." Where amusements include Motion Pictures, Vaudeville, a Pony Circus and, for the more practical-minded, Gas & Electric Fixtures. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. The fun is goneAll of the buildings on the left are gone, as is the large brick building in the center. But the Lafayette Hotel is still there, as is the Kleinhans building. Both are largely unchanged, externally. Pointed QuestionDoes anyone know what the center building was called and used for? I'm fascinated by it. I'm so glad the others are still standing. Thanks. [Buffalo Public Library. Demolished c.1960 and replaced by the current library building. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
Carnivale: 1941
... to the north (east/west where the corner for the Vale Hotel is in the background). Maybe hurrying towards the fair? [The fair ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2019 - 4:14pm -

July 1941. "People in Vale, Oregon, for the Fourth of July celebration." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. High fashionThe clothing here is outstanding. I sometimes force myself to look at slideshows of couture extravaganzas, with all the runway nonsense, and this stuff here, in Oregon in 1941, is downright beautiful. All the clothing looks skillfully homemade or easily purchased. That woman with glasses in front, holding the little boy’s hand, is just plain gorgeous. That blouse, the buttons, that waistband, the pants, even the saddle shoes – she’s a knockout. [Her blouse looks like rayon. - Dave] SimplicitySometimes I forget there was a time when everyone's clothing didn't bombard us with brand names and logos. Main street U.S.A. Much of it survives. Vale, Oregon scenes - July 4, 1941There's video below for anyone interested in seeing a wonderful slideshow of pictures from that day in Vale. Seems most of the folks shown in the photo above are walking away (south) from a then-finished parade, as it was held on "A Street" to the north (east/west where the corner for the Vale Hotel is in the background). Maybe hurrying towards the fair? [The fair is in the photo. See the Ferris wheel on the right? - Dave] (The Gallery, July 4, Kids, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Our Lady of the Ascension: 1941
... Formerly St. Mary's Church and Parish. Now a hotel, saved from what seemed to be certain destruction: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2020 - 10:47am -

January 1941. "Going to Mass. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Door stopThere’s a disembodied foot under that door on the right. And spindly fingers groping around the edge of the other door. Oh My My My WhooooopsNo railing on slick marble steps compounded by high heels possibly with slick leather soles has got to lead to a fallen lady at the bottom of the steps unless she said a prayer to St Jude, Patron Saint Of Lost Causes or St Christopher, Patron Saint Of Travelers then all would be good. Highest marksAnother contender for Best Title Ever! Also, I think our lady looks a bit like Radar O'Reilly in drag. Saved from the wrecking ball... and the same view today, the interstate highway ominously close: Formerly St. Mary's Church and Parish. Now a hotel, saved from what seemed to be certain destruction: http://thepriory.com/priory-history.php (The Gallery, John Vachon, Pittsburgh)
The Richmond: 1908
North Adams, Massachusetts, circa 1908. "Richmond Hotel, Main Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2020 - 2:19pm -

North Adams, Massachusetts, circa 1908. "Richmond Hotel, Main Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Rounding the cornerTaken quite literally by this handsome building. Equine ExhaustI'd just have to bet that scores of people today would have a fit over the horse droppings in the street that were so common back then. Probably even be a diaper movement. Lost to "Progress"The Richmond was lost due to urban renewal and a Holiday Inn is now on the site. Horse mufflerNot diapers per se, but carriage drivers have been using manure-catching devices on their horses for a while now. Usually it's a kind of sling that attaches to the harness and the cross-brace on the carriage shafts. I suppose the equine equivalent of a catalytic converter would be a compost heap. (The Gallery, DPC)
High Rock: 1903
... dancing at this lookout. My grandfather's family had a hotel in Pen-Mar and in summers from about 1905-1915, as a boy, he used to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:17pm -

Circa 1903. "High Rock Observatory near Pen Mar Park, Maryland." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Watch for low-flying planesThe pavilion is gone but some traces of its foundations remain, along with a great deal of graffiti. It's a popular spot to launch your hang glider, as long as the prez isn't up at Camp David. I guess High RockJust wasn't high enough. Waltzing across the state lineHow wonderful to see this. Pen-Mar is there on the line between PA and MD, and I've heard there used to be a big stage for ballroom dancing at this lookout. My grandfather's family had a hotel in Pen-Mar and in summers from about 1905-1915, as a boy, he used to drive the little train that met passengers in Waynesboro, and carry them up to Pen-Mar. Visited here a couple of times and climbed onto the now one story look-out. As you can see in this shot, it's quite a view! (The Gallery, DPC, Landscapes)
Windsor Castle: 1906
Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1906. "Hotel Windsor and Boardwalk." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:34pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1906. "Hotel Windsor and Boardwalk." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Illinois AvenueThis was at Illinois Avenue and the Boardwalk. The Walls Have EyesI kept coming back to this photo, and finally remembered what was so familiar. The "Archy Face" on the top floor has a few cousins lurking in an old image folder on my hard drive. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Crossing Canal: 1890
New Orleans circa 1890. "St. Charles Hotel from Canal Street." 5x7 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2019 - 9:47am -

New Orleans circa 1890. "St. Charles Hotel from Canal Street." 5x7 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Look CloselyThose streetcars have some real horsepower! Horsecar HistoryHorse powered omnibuses (called horsecars) were very common in the 19th century. The problem with horsecars was the horses. Specifically horse manure and urine. Horses could also panic, dragging the horsecar after them. Most cities (including New Orleans) tried replacing horsecars with different solutions: ammonia engines, steam "dummies" (effectively a small steam engine inside a converted horsecar), battery powered cars, cable cars. Eventually electric overhead powered streetcars using trolleys became the norm. In New Orleans, horsecars were replaced by overhead powered electric streetcars starting in 1893. A few cities still have streetcars (San Francisco), but buses pretty much replaced them by the 1960s. Individual traffic on railsThere are some cities (in know Lisbon and Linz) that used special gauges in order to avoid carriage traffic on their tracks. This photo shows the reason quite well as the gig is just rerailed. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Streetcars, W.H. Jackson)
Avenue B: 1910
Circa 1910. "Hotel Halcyon and Avenue B looking north -- Miami, Fla." 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2014 - 10:59am -

Circa 1910. "Hotel Halcyon and Avenue B looking north -- Miami, Fla." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Corner of 12th Street and Ave BNow Flagler St. & 2nd Avenue, according to Miami Archives blog. Unrecognizable today. Twenty eight years to liveThe Halcyon was demolished in 1938. Note how built up the area has become. It was replaced by the Alfred I. Dupont building at Flagler and Second Ave. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida, Miami)
Sweet Street: 1907
... was recently renovated and turned into a rather nice hotel. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2016 - 12:03am -

Circa 1907. "Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." Where the brands vying for your trade include Mullane and Wurlitzer. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Wide Gauge.Cincinnatti was unique in many ways with their streetcar system. Other than the dual poles, it's worth noting how wide the gauge between the rails is. Though it's assumed this was to make it easy for horse drawn carriages also use the tracks as a guide, the truth is less...well interesting. When the trolley lines were under construction, it was feared that freight trains might end up on the street lines. To avoid this, all Cincy trolley tracks were built to a wider gauge, being 5 feet between the rails, while freight and other railroads used the "standard" gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. Two trolley poles?Cincinnati was one of a handful of cities that forbade their streetcar lines from using the running rails for ground return of electricity. The theory was that stray currents from the rails would follow underground water and gas pipes causing corrosive electrolysis of the pipes. So, a second trolley wire was installed above the track parallel to the positive wire. Hence, two trolley poles on each car. Mullane CandyI had wondered about Mullane Candy and found a video that I think is rather interesting. http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/cincinnati-vintage-candy-... A Florida candy company uses a machine from Mullane's to make candy. Mullane's closed up in the 80's. The North Side of the StreetThis is one of those views of Cincinnati where most of the buildings still stand (at least on the north side of the street). The classical Third National Bank is gone, but most of the rest of what can be seen is still there - the next building down was a TJ Maxx until recently, after that is a Quiznos and Bang and Olufsen now, The "German National Bank" on the corner is now a Starbucks, the tall building in the foreground is the Ingalls Building and still partially occupied by a local Gyro storefront, and the Bartlett Building (tall building in the background) was recently renovated and turned into a rather nice hotel. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Work Zone: 1920
... versions of this image are at the LOC ). The Willard Hotel is visible at left. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:50pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920. "Street scenes, 14th & New York Avenue." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. My, we've come a long wayHow can you fix a road without orange and white barrels? Look busy, fellowsThat dag blang photographer is back. More change than just road repair methodsThe cameraman is pointed north in the middle of 14th St just south of New York Ave. The only buildings that remain are the Bond Building (1901) on the far left and 801 14th St NW (1914), which is the 12 story building in the distance on the right that was one of Washington's first classic old skyscrapers. I work about a block from this intersection and frequent a Potbelly Sandwich Works located in the Bond Building on this corner and the "skyscraper" has a beautiful green, gold, and white terra cotta facade. And of course there's a Cosi on the ground floor now. In 1979 a developer applied for a permit to demolish the now protected Bond Building but the D.C. Superior Court blocked the demolition in 1980. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Here's the scene today... View Larger Map From the opposite directionI, too, work a block away. ctank77 has nailed the site description, so I'll simply add a photo showing the 1923 view from the white skyscraper south toward the Bond Building. (Higher-resolution versions of this image are at the LOC). The Willard Hotel is visible at left. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Mime Goes Motoring: 1910
... report that "Mime" is the dog, a Papillon who lived at the Hotel Walton in New York City and was by all accounts a fan of fast cars ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 12:58pm -

November 30, 1910. The caption just says "Mime" motoring. After putting in a request to the Shorpy research division, we can report that "Mime" is the dog, a Papillon who lived at the Hotel Walton in New York City and was by all accounts a fan of fast cars (and, from the looks of it, fast women). View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress. That Ain't No PapillonThat's a Chihuahua. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Curiosities, Dogs, G.G. Bain)
The Shelburne: 1910
Atlantic City circa 1910. "The Boardwalk and Hotel Shelburne." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2020 - 12:25pm -

Atlantic City circa 1910. "The Boardwalk and Hotel Shelburne." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Made of wood, after allDid the Boardwalk ever burn? Is that smoke I smell? Wrong NameShall burn is probably a better name. The No Burn ShelburneOriginally built in 1869 and over the years went through a slew of owners and renovations before finally being demolished 117 years later in 1986. Kudos to The Shelburne for surviving the predominant fate of most wooden hotels of the era - burning down. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
The Pavilion: 1910
Detroit circa 1910. "Wayne Hotel pavilion, Third Street, Detroit River." Belle Isle Park steamers dock ... combination of bike, rack, concrete, cast, curb, Wayne Hotel, Detroit, etc, that I can think of. I give up. [Seems obvious to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2018 - 11:32am -

Detroit circa 1910. "Wayne Hotel pavilion, Third Street, Detroit River." Belle Isle Park steamers dock every 20 minutes! 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Dave, if you knowwhat the jagged blocks at the curb are, please enlighten me. I think they are bicycle racks. I have spent about 3 hours googling every combination of bike, rack, concrete, cast, curb, Wayne Hotel, Detroit, etc, that I can think of. I give up. [Seems obvious to me! - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Passing Lane: 1906
... 1906. "Rolling chairs on the Boardwalk, Atlantic City." Hotel Traymore in the background. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:56pm -

The Jersey shore circa 1906. "Rolling chairs on the Boardwalk, Atlantic City." Hotel Traymore in the background. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Pardon meBut have you any Grey Poupon? (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Travel & Vacation)
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