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Memorial Lamppost: 1909
... who had to put up with hordes of 13, 14 and 15 year old kids. Oh, and we had to walk a few blocks from and to school to get to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2014 - 10:54am -

Circa 1909. "Henry Hudson Monument, Riverside Drive, New York." Memorial to the ill-fated discoverer of the Hudson River, Hudson Bay and electric streetlight. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Do They Really Swim In The Hudson River?No, but the section between Lower Manhattan and New Jersey has been known to develop exposed film plates that were dipped in it. Lincoln, The Car and The ManA writer I knew had written a book with the above title. He had a tough time trying to get it published. He didn't give up he wrote another, "Hudson and his Automobile". He was also having trouble with the publishers with this one. On his way to the offices of a small but adventurous publishing house, he was struck by a car and killed. The offending vehicle was a Henry J. Memories of Junior High 141"The Monument," as we called in back in the 60s, was the primary bus stop for us junior high students at Riverdale Junior High 141. Every day, arriving and leaving, we caught the #10 bus at the monument. I still pity the poor city bus drivers who had to put up with hordes of 13, 14 and 15 year old kids. Oh, and we had to walk a few blocks from and to school to get to the monument bus stop. Imagine that. Are bad drivers relevant? Yes, doubly so.While the circle in which the monument stood is still there at Riverside Drive and 72nd Street, the lamppost, er, monument is long gone, having been knocked down by a truck in the 1950's. By then it was merely an afterthought, as in 1938 the city had dedicated a huge new Hudson monument in the Bronx. It features a 17-foot-high statue of Henry Hudson atop a 100-foot. Errant motor vehicles actually are relevant in two contexts. The Bronx monument originally was supposed to have been completed decades earlier but had been delayed both by fundraising issues and by the 1915 demise of the sculptor, Karl Bitter, run over by a car as he left the Metropolitan Opera. GloriousNo expense spared on this monument, as only NY can do. Sea horses?Do they really swim in the Hudson River? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Society Clowns: 1923
... They probably could scare the be-jesus out of little kids, especially the guy with the wide brimed hat: "mamma I had another ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/29/2012 - 8:47pm -

A "society circus" held on April 4, 1923, most likely in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. From the National Photo Company collection. View full size. clownswhen I was little I was scared of clowns, except Bozo. Scary looking clowns....They probably could scare the be-jesus out of little kids, especially the guy with the wide brimed hat: "mamma I had another nightmare about them clowns, can I sleep with you and daddy?" B. Google under the hat?I'm going to surmise that the broad-brimmed hat clown is supposed to be Barney Google, given what seems to be strange eye makeup, and the "Spark Plug" label on the horse. A different Barney and Spark Plug made an appearance a few months later. (Shorpy #4445) (The Gallery, Curiosities, Natl Photo)
Trailblazers: 1917
... of a SUV! Honey, slow down I think we've lost the kids. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2014 - 1:10pm -

The Bay Area circa 1917. "Jordan touring car." Our second look at this intrepid couple, motoring along a freshly plowed highway in their "Seven-Passenger Luxury Car." From the Wyland Stanley collection of San Francisciana. View full size. The Traffic CamShows inbound commuter traffic is light again this morning on the 101 freeway. GradedThis image and the previous similar show a roadbed graded to a profile and wood forms in place in anticipation of a concrete pavement placement. Why then the subgrade has been turned up into a rough mess is contrary to road building practice. Perhaps a Californian viewer can offer an explanation. Roads?Where we're going, we don't need roads. Will you look at those roads?!Good thing we've got our 1917 version of a SUV! Honey, slow downI think we've lost the kids. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Sugar and Spice: 1943
... pseudo-cookies" were considered off limits to all, but we kids. One may imagine her popularity in our neighborhood. And then there ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2014 - 2:10pm -

February 1943. "Moreno Valley, New Mexico. Mary Mutz making an apple pie on the Mutz ranch." John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. JeansWell before they became a fashion statement. On another topic, my grandmother used to bake the crust trimmings along with the pie. When dusted with sugar and cinnamon, those pseudo-cookies allayed raging juvenile appetites that might otherwise have led some of us grandkids to develop designs on the cooling pie itself. Oh Yes!And, just to add to Solo's comments...my Australian Mother thought apple pie was an American staple back in the '50's. That pie was baked on a regular bases, and the "dusted with sugar and cinnamon pseudo-cookies" were considered off limits to all, but we kids. One may imagine her popularity in our neighborhood. And then there were her excellent frozen Daiquiris, served to her girl friends on any given afternoon. Hence the discussion and formulation of the Dinner menu for the day. Re: JeansThe woman lives on a ranch, I would say that the jeans are likely not a fashion statement but more in the line of functional clothing. CreamerThe pottery nerd in me noticed the Homer Laughlin creamer in the foreground. It's the Century line with the Mexicana decal. This line debuted in 1937 and quickly became very popular. Seems fitting for it to be found in a New Mexico household. (The Gallery, John Collier, Kitchens etc.)
Fountain of Youths: 1942
... anything from the kid who drank before you. Us bigger kids would lift up the smaller ones so they could drink; scraping your knees on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2013 - 8:02pm -

September 1942. "New York. Drinking fountain in Central Park on Sunday." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Germs? What Germs?Every park in NYC had these concrete drinking fountains. As a kid in the 1950s, I remember lining up with my friends to take a drink on a hot summer day. The water was warm as there was no way to chill it, and no one ever gave a thought to catching anything from the kid who drank before you. Us bigger kids would lift up the smaller ones so they could drink; scraping your knees on the concrete base was no fun! These fountainswere a big public health improvement over the faucets and cups used previously! KnickersI didn't realize that knickerbockers were still in fashion in 1942, except maybe for pro golfers. And the specimen sported by the young man to the right look too good for hand-me-downs. Maybe a bit of the curse of many a good son and decent child - a well-meaning mother preferring nice, decent, old-fashioned clothing and making it stick? A Bubbling CupClearly this drinking fountain provides the "Kiss of Life" versus the dreaded "Cup of Death", as so graphically described in an earlier Shorpy post. Re: KnickersAhh - but they look like they're buckled *below the knee* to me! Clearly a trouble maker. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC)
Funny Hats: 1956
... View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by k2 - 09/20/2011 - 8:23pm -

What do you do on a warm summer's day, when Mom has just had you cut the stalks for one of her mouth-puckering rhubarb pies? Simple, you make hats of the leaves. (Then you look simple, too.) Me and my brother, roughly 1956. (Wonder if that rake is still tines up in the garden behind us?) Kodachrome, Kodak Retina. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Mini Me and Dollie: c. 1960
... bowl. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Mudhooks - 08/20/2010 - 10:53pm -

Kemptville, around 1960. My dollie had short hair and in order to foster faster hair-growth, I cut the first two rows of bangs. Strangely, it didn't work. I think her name was Susan which was also the name of my invisible friend (and, along with Cathy, a name I coveted for myself). No one had an unusual name when I was growing up -- at least I didn't get any nicknames the way my brothers Darius and Jamshed did). Variations of Anneke are now quite common. The little girl who lives next door to us, born the day before my birthday, is named Anikha. Susan ended her days in the toy box in the basement and was thrown out after the basement flooded in the late 80s. I can still remember the smell of her hair and the feel of it on my cheek 40+ years later. Sigh... My bad perm courtesy Toni Home Perm. Haircut by kitchen bowl. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Les Jeunes Étudiants: 1924
... of him looks as though he needs glasses, but none of these kids have them. The girl in the first row closest to us appears to be wearing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2013 - 12:13pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Maret French School." Our vocabulary word for the day: Ennui. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. FarsightedThe boy in suit, tie and white shirt straining to see the book and paper in front of him looks as though he needs glasses, but none of these kids have them. The girl in the first row closest to us appears to be wearing authentic pilgrim shoes from 300 years earlier. L'Jumeau?On the front row: twins? BandeauWhen you're so cool that you can wear anything... wear a headband! Maret SchoolThe Maret School still exists in Northwest DC. Radiators On The Wall.Desks aligned near the windows and radiators brought back memories of my 7th grade class at Shrine Of The Little Flower grade school in Baltimore in the 50's I head the dubious pleasure of occupying a seat inches from both windows and radiators which caused me all kinds of trouble from my seventh grade teacher Sister Mary "Crunchy" Crescentia. The windows were landing platforms for all kinds of birds and insects which no self respecting 11 yr old boy could ignore. The radiators emitted warmth to the whole room but if you sat next to it after a 15 minute recess break in the winter it could put you to sleep better than any sleep tablet on the market. The worst time was at the start of the day when the Baltimore Catechism was the study subject. The combination of boring religious instruction and radiant heat after marching from morning mass to the classroom would put you to sleep faster than a Prozac. Within seconds of nodding off an eraser or piece of chalk would be whizzing my way and usually did the job of waking me up. Those were the days before your parents would sue the Archdiocese for child abuse because than if you said a nun had thrown something at you your parents would say, "If she threw it, you probably deserved it." so there was no way you would complain to Mom since you would get punished for upsetting the good Sister. (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Natl Photo)
The Railyard: 1942
... on that steel later seem awfully far apart; maybe to keep kids from climbing them when no one is around. I believe that "horseshoe" is a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2014 - 8:47pm -

November 1942. "Chicago. Looking toward the north classification yard and retarder operator's tower at an Illinois Central railroad yard." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. watch your step!Those rungs on that steel later seem awfully far apart; maybe to keep kids from climbing them when no one is around. I believe that "horseshoe" is a handle for the turnbuckle to tighten the band around the pole. It's very likely we’re looking at the Illinois Central Markham yard located in Homewood, Illinois (south Chicago). The yard is still there, about a mile west of Halsted Street underneath the Chicago bypass (I 294). Today it’s used primarily as an intermodal facility, the two humps having passed into history a long time ago. It's a long way to the outhouse!Just my luck! I climb all those steps and—wham, gotta go visit the outhouse!(centrally located, at least) Must have been quite a challenge during those Chicago winters! How about that "Good Luck" horseshoe hanging over the horizontal ladder brace? Just waiting to fall off and konk somebody on the head! Good luck, indeed... Working at The Hump.I had a summer job back as a yard clerk in college working at the Burlington's Clyde humpyard (near Cicero) back in the 1960's. My job was to stand at the top of the hump and staple a routing card on every card that went over the hill. I can still remember the screech of the retarders on hot, quiet nights and the slamming of the couplers when the cars connected at the bottom. Never did figure out quite how the retarders calculated how much pressure to apply to the wheels to get just the right speed, regardless of car weight or whether it was rolling to the end of an empty track or one that was nearly full. One of life's little mysteries. Boy, does this bring back memories. Mindless job, but a cool experience. Classification yardalso known as a "hump yard" a fairly complicated system of people, machines, and know-how to make up freight trains. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
A Lotta Cotton: 1905
... so that I can look at it many times and hope my wife and kids will see it too. Today I left on the picture of this little girl at work ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2014 - 1:08pm -

Circa 1905. "Sorting cotton -- Atlantic Cotton Compress Co., Pensacola, Florida." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Old Man CottonThanks to Shorpy, them as sorts it are not forgotten. A little girl's faceI frequently embigulate a Shorpy image and leave in on my big monitor so that I can look at it many times and hope my wife and kids will see it too. Today I left on the picture of this little girl at work with the cotton along with the other women of all ages. It is so rich with American history and the lives of women. Plus there is an extraordinary amount of cotton. Thank you, Dave, for these mind-blowing images. Seriously...What are they sorting it into? Apparently there's some difference between one bit of cotton and the next, but what is it? Speechless about the cottonI couldn't put my feelings about this one into words, until I read what Davidk had to say. The first thing I think of is all of the labor hours that amount of cotton represents; hours in the hot sun, bent over, getting the tips of their fingers made raw from the cotton thorn. This beautiful little girl had probably been working in cotton for several years, by this time. It makes you thankful, or if it doesn't, it should. Spot The Dog!He's awfully comfy and well camouflaged! (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Pensacola)
Washday Alley: 1923
... turned away from the activity on the stoop where the kids are having fun. However, the adult on the right side stoop is ready to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2015 - 2:08pm -

"City rowhouses." Another entry in this series of Harris & Ewing views of back-alley Washington from 1923. 4x5 inch glass negative. View full size. Possible ScenarioI think the two figures on the steps are playing kazoos or harmonicas and the two children are dancing. Neatness CountsThere doesn't appear to be any bicycle parts, old washtubs , newspapers, used tires or other debris in this yard. Even the wash is hung behind an enclosed wall. Just leave me aloneThe body language of the man on the left side is indicating he is not in the mood for any friendly chit-chat and is completely turned away from the activity on the stoop where the kids are having fun. However, the adult on the right side stoop is ready to initiate a conversation at the very first sign of getting his neighbor's attention. The joyful, exuberant little boys are really cute and rarin' to go, laughing all the way. I'd rather be a kid. Today's CondosIf these buildings were around today, of course they would have been visited by This Old House for a re-make into high end condos for the D.C. drones... Joyful children!The happiness in the two little boys is both obvious, and adorable! I wish I could be there and watch them, and hear them giggle! I wonder if the laundry hanging on the line was the personal laundry of the mother of one of the boys, or maybe some that she took in, to bring in a little money. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Chicken Man: 1941
... Goober Pea Nicest turkey When my sister and I were kids (late 50s and early 60s) the day before every Thanksgiving our grandfather ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2012 - 5:25am -

Fall 1941. Somewhere in Massachusetts or upstate New York. Plucking the bill of fare for a roadside chicken joint. Photo by John Collier. View full size. Chicken LittleToo scrawny for me. I prefer the nice plump chemical filled ones we have today. I expect my chickens to be the size of turkeys and my turkeys to be the size of emus. Waiting for your chickenThis is the story my grandmother told; I suppose it is true (?): Her husband's family had a farm and roadside restaurant in Wappengers Falls, NY. When a customer ordered chicken one of the boys would go out to the pen, kill one and prepare it on the spot. Does this seem reasonable to you? Cluck cluckMy grandmother kept chickens, and once a year in the spring we would butcher them. Neither of my grandparents used the axe-and-tree-stump method of killing chickens. My grandfather would take the bird by the head and spin it; the neck would break and the body would fly off to flop around on the ground. The head was given to the dog. My grandmother had a cast-iron lid about 24" in diameter; she put the chicken's head under the lid, stepped on the lid, and pulled on its feet. After the bodies stopped flopping around, they were dipped in boiling water to loosen the feathers. My job as a boy was to pluck them, which I did out behind the shed with my grandfather. Once they were plucked, they went inside to the kitchen where my grandmother and mother cut them up and put them in bags to freeze. We ate lots of chicken in the summer and fall. Spot on chickenKilling a chicken on the spot is totally reasonable. If they kill it before and nobody orders, they are out money. Modern day lobster tank. 4 Years, 50 WeeksAs I approach the 5-year mark as a Shorpy member I'd like to offer my sincere thanks to Dave and Team Shorpy for making this site so interesting and amusing, and to my fellow Shorpy devotees for their insightful and humorous comments. I've had the site listed in my "Top Sites" page on my browser since the day I discovered it and I imagine there it will stay. I visit the site when I need a little inspiration or when I need a little diversion. I have referred many friends to Shorpy, have set many photos found here as my background and screensavers, and have ordered prints for my office and as gifts. I even discovered that a relative (by marriage) may be related to Shorpy Higginbotham himself. The Intertubes have become integral to 21st Century living, and Shorpy has provided an important online connection to our past. Thanks for all you do. Bravo. "I can eat fifty eggs." Goober Pea Nicest turkeyWhen my sister and I were kids (late 50s and early 60s) the day before every Thanksgiving our grandfather would take us to a turkey farm owned by a friend of the family in Plymouth, MA. The turkeys were grouped in a fenced areas (I now assume) according to size. My sister and I would be let into one of the pens to run around and play with them for a while, then my grandfather would ask us which we thought was the nicest and prettiest turkey. We'd then head out to get an ice cream, come back an hour or so later, and pick up a turkey (in the form we were used to from grocery stores) for Thanksgiving dinner. My sister and I were adults before we figured out what was really going on there. (The Gallery, John Collier)
Fountain of Youth: 1939
... Is it there simply to provide a step up for little kids? [That was my thought. Or possibly leprechauns. -tterrace] Not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2018 - 12:10am -

September 1939. "Public drinking fountain in Grundy Center, Iowa." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fountain is gonebut some of the buildings remain. [There's something under wraps there. And still no U-turn. In 2008 at any rate. -tterrace] Re: Fountain is goneNow that tterrace has pointed out a mystery object under wraps where the fountain used to be, I am more intrigued by that block of concrete beside the fountain in the original photograph. Is it there simply to provide a step up for little kids? [That was my thought. Or possibly leprechauns. -tterrace] Not under wrapsThat is a fountain made of aggregate stone or concrete, not something under wraps. Look at it from this street view angle: Comfort or cool?Those handlebars seem to be at a ridiculous angle for riding. Maybe that was the "cool" way to have them. He's A High RiderHandlebars in that position was definitely for the cool factor, Alan_Flor, but safety wise it was so square since higher the handle bar less the steering response. One had the look of a Harley rider looking for something to rebel against and girls to impress which always overcame stupid safety issues when you are so young and indestructible. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
Florida Ice: 1943
... conditioning so quit complaining" stories that we heard as kids in the '60s when the A/C in the house went out. 749 West Ashley ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2016 - 1:54pm -

February 1943. "Jacksonville, Florida. Street scene in the Negro section." Photo by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. PittsburghThe poster in the background on the right. In a different poster for the same movie, one finds the blockbuster prose: “Men of Steel! Women of Fire! … They forged a nation’s power!” Nice pre-war iceMy mother grew up in central Florida before and during WWII and lived not far from an ice plant. They used to go over and scrounge shavings and other leftover pieces. All of which prepared her for years of "When I was your age we lived in Florida without air conditioning so quit complaining" stories that we heard as kids in the '60s when the A/C in the house went out. 749 West AshleyThis is Nellie Gross' store. Alas, urban destruction has removed all traces. A similar building shell stands one block east. The city directory confirms both name and race of proprietress. The building was about 40 years old having been rebuilt after the 1901 Jacksonville Fire. The fire began in a Spanish Moss drying facility 2 blocks north and 3 blocks west. (The Gallery, Florida, Gordon Parks, Jacksonville, Stores & Markets)
Hilltop Park: 1912
... with the baseball fielders glove preceded the millions of kids that have gone to professional baseball games bringing their mitts in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 7:57pm -

Washington Heights in New York City, 1912. "American League Park (Hilltop Park)." View full size. 5x7 nitrate negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Suit and TieIt's amazing to see all the men dressed in coat and tie to go to a ball game. Even the boy with the mitt has a tie. Boy With MittInteresting picture, obviously Hilltop Park preceded Yankee Stadium. The Highlanders preceded the Yankees.The boy with the baseball fielders glove preceded the millions of kids that have gone to professional baseball games bringing their mitts in hopes of snagging a ball hit into the stands. I wonder if they were allowed to keep the ball in those days? Ticket PricesWow! General admission 50 cents , Grandstands 75 cents! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Sports)
Redhead Posse: 1956
... it great finding traits of both parents in each of the kids? Keep 'em coming, AAAndrew. Unlike the other Kodachromes we've been ... 
 
Posted by AAAndrew - 10/03/2014 - 4:52pm -

Bert and Iva are on the road visiting relatives. In 1956 they visited this red-headed posse in Nebraska. Stick 'em up, pardner. 35mm Kodachrome from the Bert's Slides Collection. View full size. History with a small h.The interiors of homes and offices are my favorite photos here at Shorpy, they're a wealth of visual information about everyday things from days long past. ColorIn the domestic Kodachromes, the Shorpy photo families loosen up following the relative rigidity of the B & W era. There's also a warm glow coming off this particular family with their genuine smiles. And isn't it great finding traits of both parents in each of the kids? Keep 'em coming, AAAndrew. Unlike the other Kodachromes we've been viewing, where figuring out and speculating on the connections is part of the deal, it's intriguing to have a contributor who knows the cast of characters. Fellow BoomersThe cowboy and myself would be about the same age. So far so good for me, I hope if he's still with us he can say the same. Dad's footwear...Wow, tell me about Dad's shoes...pretty nifty I'd say... SOSWe had the same sofa in this "liver pink". If the color wasn't bad enough, the fabric was like sitting on steel wool. If you were wearing shorts, it was child abuse. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Shack Chefs: 1936
... on the sinister side, like a gang of spoilers? Or rather kids bored out of their heads and therefore aiming for practical so-called ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/08/2013 - 6:17pm -

Winter 1936-37. "Scott's Run, West Virginia. Typical scene of activity at the Shack Community Center. These boys represent a group who made up a gang that came to the Shack to interfere with its activities; in the end they joined a Chefs group and are here shown at work." Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size. Yo broJudging by his shirt and necktie, I think the young fella on the right is the accountant for the gang. Teach a man to fishTeach a kid to cook and he'll always have a livelihood. Beats the alternative. Lemme Outta Here!The young man on the right appears to be getting into the spirit of things: he is smiling, he has his apron on "girlie" style, over his neck and tied at the waist. The young man on the left has his apron just wrapped around his waist, and his scowling face seems to say: let's just get this over with and lemme outta here! I wish I could take her cooking classThe love in this young lady's eyes for what she is doing just radiates from the picture! I truly think she should be tagged as one of Shorpy's "pretty girls". I'd take her out for a soda any old time. What does that mean?I wonder what "interfere with its activities" actually means? More on the sinister side, like a gang of spoilers? Or rather kids bored out of their heads and therefore aiming for practical so-called jokes? Well, idle hands are the devil's best tools - shanghaing them still is a good antidote. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Lewis Hine)
We Ate the Chickens: 1939
... The Depression. My dad, born 1922, used to tell us kids about the poor family that lived in a palmetto shack near a lake in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2018 - 12:13am -

June 1939. "Works Progress Administration worker and his wife sitting in front of their shack home on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma. This man said that last year he thought maybe he would be a little better off when he got the WPA work and had a small amount of cash coming in but that he was worse off now. 'Last year I had a cow and some chickens and I had to sell my cow and eat my chickens. I get worse off every year'." Photo by Russell Lee. View full size. Where are they now?I wish there was a way to find out what ever happened to the people who are "down on their luck" that are in all of these Shorpy pics. I would love to find out what the future held for these poor folks that helped build America. Sunday BestI love that even though they don't have much, they both put on their nicest clothes, including for her, a cute dress, stockings, and white dress shoes, to get their picture taken. They may not be the richest people in the world, but that's no reason not to look your best for company. My grandmother always told me that. She said that I could be living in a cave in the woods -- if someone is coming to see you, brush your hair and put on your church clothes. Poor doesn't have to mean dirty or unkempt. I hope their years progressively got better after this. The Depression.My dad, born 1922, used to tell us kids about the poor family that lived in a palmetto shack near a lake in Louisiana during this time frame. Sometimes all they had to eat was some molasses on bread. My sister and I never really believed that kind of poverty existed. This photo proves it. Same Great Depression story here My mother born 1921. Would say times were so hard that supper was bread with mustard. She quit school in 5th grade when her mother died. But she could read speak and write Russian. It always amazed me when her sisters came to visit and they spoke Russian. (The Gallery, Great Depression, Russell Lee)
Blandinsville: 1956
... off. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by HankHardisty - 09/19/2011 - 2:15pm -

Another 35mm slide from the farm, 1956. Raggedy Ann is seated on the back of the settee. Dad has just fed George and I am about to dose off. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Cove Fort, Utah: c.1940
... across the street. The woman is my mother, and the two kids have to be me (Douglas) and my sister Barbara. I always wore a hat ... from that early age, although I don't remember any other kids of my age that did. The car in the Cove Fort picture is not one that we ... 
 
Posted by bdj100 - 11/07/2014 - 6:52pm -

My grandmother, aunt and father. My father comments: "It was taken at Cove Fort, a place our family visited many times while I was growing up. Through the big gate you can see a small building across the street. The woman is my mother, and the two kids have to be me (Douglas) and my sister Barbara. I always wore a hat (fedora) from that early age, although I don't remember any other kids of my age that did. The car in the Cove Fort picture is not one that we ever owned." View full size. Here it is today...Google Maps view from almost the same camera position... View Larger Map Forgotten for a whileThis site was a major resting and refueling stop on old US Hwy 91 for many decades, then in the mid '70s I-15 was built, traffic whizzed on by, and the area fell into complete disuse. Later, when I-70 was built, they connected just a mile or so from Cove Fort, and it now serves as a rest stop again. The LDS Church has refinished it and it serves as a great Museum of the early settling of Utah and the West, including Kitchen, Bedrooms, Telegraph Office, Blacksmith Shop, etc. It's a great place to have a picnic and let the kids run off some energy. (Sadly, there are no fuel pumps or food outlets here anymore.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Boots 'n' Bros: 1948
... good to see a happy-looking cat in a pic with two little kids. Naked ladies My British neighbor has those pink amaryllis in her ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 07/27/2013 - 3:49pm -

Boots the cat, last seen here, with my brother, age 11 and me, age 2, on our lawn in Larkspur, California. Even if the print hadn't been dated, we'd know it was August because the amaryllis are in bloom; we had them in various places all around our yard. The other horticultural item worth noting is, in the upper right corner, what we'd always called just "the citrus tree" until, twenty years or so later, it finally revealed itself to be a grapefruit. This shot, taken by my sister with her Kodak Duaflex, is on the very first roll of color film we ever used, and the last until my brother started taking color slides seven years later. I restored it from a badly-yellowed print - a fate which befell every Kodacolor print from that period. I still have the negative, but it - as again is typical - has become almost completely dense. View full size. Lycoris squamigera (resurrection lily)The flower's common name in California is usually "resurrection lily." The leaves actually appear in the Spring long before the flowers. The leaves die back and the flowers appear late Summer. [I'm one life-long Northern Californian who never heard them called "resurrection lilies." Occasionally my mother would refer to them jocularly as "naked ladies," which, being an innocent Catholic lad, I thought somewhat naughty. But otherwise they were just amaryllis to us. -tterrace] Dense?Forgive my ignorance, but what does it mean for a negative to be dense? Is the photo no longer visible? Is it dark? Please elucidate. [Looks like a piece of brownish-black plastic sheeting to the naked eye. Some image details can brought out in scanning, but not enough to be useful. The result of chemical changes over time in the organic dyes used. -tterrace] Heart-liftingIt's good to see a happy-looking cat in a pic with two little kids. Naked ladiesMy British neighbor has those pink amaryllis in her garden and calls them the title of this comment. It is derived from their flowers blooming before their leaves emerge. Top Cat!!!That sure is one cool cat. Thanks for sharing. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Six in the Park: 1929
... replica of the original from the 1915 Exposition. Us kids, roaming around San Francisco in the early '60s, often played at the old ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/15/2015 - 9:32pm -

San Francisco, 1929. "Hudson Super Six." Strangers when they met, until he took her for a ride. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. A Robust RideHudsons were well constructed and solidly middle-class cars. That sedan probably weighs as much as four of today's Formula 1 racers and thanks to its torque-rich, long stroke engine, could probably accelerate smoothly from a walking pace to 45 MPH in ... oh, I don't know -- how much time have you got? [Curb weight of this five-passenger sedan was about 3,700 pounds, or two and a half Formula 1 cars. -Dave] The Joads' JalopyIt was a Hudson Super Six that starred as the Joads' decrepit jalopy in John Steinbeck's signature 1939 novel, "The Grapes of Wrath." After ten appalling years of the Great Depression, it must have been hard to know which were more worn out: 1920s autos or the hapless Americans who were still driving them. Palace of Fine ArtsPart of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, sort of a world's fair for the City, the only remaining buildings. Lovely part of the City! A la modeI am very interested in menswear, especially business wear, and it is fascinating to me how contemporary the fellow in this photo looks. The cut of the suit, the shoes, the haircut - all could as easily be 2015, even though this picture is 86 years old. You can place the woman and the car in period, but not him. Today's Palace of Fine ArtsMany San Franciscans would be surprised to learn that the beautiful and iconic Palace of Fine Arts in the City's Marina District is actually a 1965 replica of the original from the 1915 Exposition. Us kids, roaming around San Francisco in the early '60s, often played at the old Palace. It was in terrible shape, actually rotting away with the poor quality burlap and plaster finish falling off the wood lath beneath. It had never been intended to last longer than the expo and wasn't permanent. Fortunately, San Francisco couldn't let it go and so they completely rebuilt the Palace on site in permanent materials. Here's a photo by Kevin Cole: (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Sliding Home: 1955
... very long. Definitely buggered For reasons only kids could know, my sister and I, she aged three and I two, decided these Fords ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2016 - 9:19pm -

Circa 1955 Oakland and our latest motoring mashup: Ford tagged out by Pontiac. 4x5 inch acetate negative from the News Photo Archive. View full size. City of InnovationI'm beginning to think that the demolition derby was invented in Oakland. I just bought it!If I remember correctly, the numbered paper strip in the back window was a temporary indication of a new registration. If so, the pride of ownership didn't last very long. Definitely buggeredFor reasons only kids could know, my sister and I, she aged three and I two, decided these Fords were "bugger cars". We counted them on road trips the way younger generations played "slug-bug". Even now, in our old age, we still call them that, even if we forgot why we gave them that moniker 60 years ago. There are pieces of three residing in my sister's block, but I don't think there's quite enough to make a complete one, but still as we pass we say, "Bugger car! Bugger car! Bugger car!" But what do we know. We're from a family whose eldest uncle bought not one, but two Edsels. Ouch.Judging by the broken windshield and the girl's anguished expression, I fear someone in the Ford did not walk away unscathed. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)
Joe & Rich: 42 Years Later
... us have been married for almost 40 years. We each have two kids, and except for a short time in the 1980s, we have lived within two hours ... 
 
Posted by joemanning - 07/12/2008 - 1:18pm -

Here I am (Joe Manning) in the middle in 2007. Rich is on the right. The other guy was my roommate at the Air Force Academy. This photo was taken last year, 42 years after the other one. In 1965, Rich was cool, suave and very funny. He still is - well, maybe not as suave. He was my best man in 1969. Both of us have been married for almost 40 years. We each have two kids, and except for a short time in the 1980s, we have lived within two hours of each other since 1967. RichI told you Rich was cool! It was just his AF Issued eyeglasses you were judging him on! Same postureThat's hilarious - you have the same posture with your hands as you did in the 1965 picture! Dave www.seinberg.net Wow.They don't make men like y'all anymore. I tip my cowboy hat (worn three times a year, at most) in your direction. (Please tell me that your old roomie has won the annual Key West Papa Hemingway look-alike competition a time or two...) Old FriendsI am from the same era as these men. The crowd that still knows ALL the words to ALL Beatle songs. The mid-60's were a sharp turn into a new world...one different from what we had expected--the rug was pulled out from under us. Hippies, contrived "turmoil" and many other forms of "Look at me!!" types of gatherings. Look back at your 60-70's photos--I can't stand to think I ever looked like that--and I was fairly conservative, by way of comparion. BUT--it was a fun time. I knew a girl who took LSD in 1967...and she still lives with her parents and has not left that house in decades...that part was unpleasant. buddiesNice that you two have stayed buddies all these years . Friends really do make life more pleasant . (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Transplant: 1939
... can be. Hope his life was a full one with lots of grand kids and happy memories. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/16/2013 - 11:31am -

October 1939. "Oklahoman, worked three years as farm laborer, starts next year on his own place. Quit school after third day. Can neither read nor write. Is 'best farm laborer' this farmer ever had. Near Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. The Man With No NameDespite their inability to read and write, there was something special about people in this era. They had a work ethic that was incomparable. The farmers of America always have, do now, and will always in the future feed the world. I would hire this guy in a New York minute. The threshing crewSewing up up sacks of grain, grease gun at the ready. Oliver Red River Special thresherOliver Farm Equipment was created in 1929 when four companies merged. One of those companies, Nichols and Shepard, had been making threshers since 1857 and the Red River Special was a Nichols and Shepard model. The thresher in the photo is similar to this one. Great Face, just as clear and open as it can be. Hope his life was a full one with lots of grand kids and happy memories. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange)
The Road to Mecca: 1923
... survive, the country was in decent shape economically, and kids' sporting events, dance recitals and all of the other stuff that occupies ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:09pm -

"Almas director." Officials of Almas, the Washington D.C., Masonic temple, at the Shriners Convention of June 1923, which hosted a quarter-million delegates from lodges and temples across the United States. Imperial Potentate James McCandless and President Warren Harding, himself a Master Mason, were among the dignitaries present for a week of parades along Pennsylvania Avenue, which was strung with thousands of electric lights and rechristened the "Road to Mecca" at a time when interest in fraternal organizations was at its peak. View full size. Hats off to ya...This image may be indicative of an era when people had a lot more free time on their hands. Counting ShrinersAs a Shriner I have often heard of our membership number woes. The peak of membership, if I recall correctly, was actually after WWII, but in the 1960s the decline began with the deaths of men in their 60s and 70s. The current concern about membership is rooted in our support of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children, which provide orthopedic and burn care absolutely free of charge. Each year we have fewer men to assist in the fund raising efforts. Also, I doubt 250,000 delegates showed up for the convention; that was probably the number of Shriners nationwide in 1923. [Masonic membership at its peak in the United States was around 4 million. The population of Washington was expected to grow from 437,000 to over 700,000 during the week of the Shrine convention in June 1923, according to the New York Times. The Washington Post put the number of guests at 500,000. - Dave] Dave, I raise my fez to salute your always excellent research abilities. - DoninVa Friday: With my fez still in the air, after a night's sleep I realize we are talking apples and oranges. While all Shriners are Masons, not all Masons are Shriners. I was considering Shrine membership, not Lodge membership; by 1930 there were 600,000 Shriners. MasonsTrue. They had just reached the point where you didn't need to work 18 hours a day just to survive, the country was in decent shape economically, and kids' sporting events, dance recitals and all of the other stuff that occupies people's lives had not yet been invented. However, back then, you had to seek activities for your leisure. Today a lot of folks turn on the TV and crack a cold one because leisure is handed to us via satellite. That is definitely a factor in Masonic as well as other existing fraternal organizations decline in numbers. The old-timers die off, younger folks have other outlets. Fraternal OrganizationsHats Off you are right about more free time for many people. The Lodge Hall was a more respectable place than a local tavern, especially during Prohibition. The camaraderie was another factor and there were some good works involved. I think it started to unravel after WWII. Harding the MasonThe Harding biography "The Shadow of Blooming Grove" covers the subject of W.G.'s masonic aspirations in great detail. He was actually denied entry into the masonic order until later in his life, after his first term as a congressman, due to the rumors around Ohio that he was of Negro ancestry, an accusation used by Harding's enemies in those race-conscious times. As his prestige rose and he entered the Senate he basically forced his way into the order and was shuffled quickly through its ranks to the highest levels. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Cold Wheels: 1947
... my neighborhood plays Beethoven's Für Elise to tempt the kids. No Bell The ice cream guy in my neighborhood in the 50's and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/20/2018 - 6:57pm -

From circa 1947 comes this News Archive snapshot of a freezer truck. Location: railroad tracks behind The Playhouse. 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. The Truck, The Building, and The CityThe truck appears in an advertisement from the May 17, 1947 Tampa Tribune. It was built by the Hackney Brothers Body Company of Wilson,NC for Southern Dairies on a 1946 Chevrolet cab and chassis. The truck is wearing Southern Dairies livery in the ad. The building in the background is The Playhouse Theatre located at 1852 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, Florida. The railroad tracks have long since been gone. I can get it for you wholesaleThis appears too large and heavy to be one of the retail sales trucks I remember from childhood. The vehicles that disturbed the sonic peace in my neighborhoods (and I include metropolitan DC in that group) invariably comprised a special body mounted on a lighter chassis, say a half-ton Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, or, on occasion, a step van. This truck appears much better suited to delivering frozen or refrigerated foods in bulk, say to grocery stores or restaurants. Too big.All the ice cream trucks I remember were smaller vans. The one that currently haunts my neighborhood plays Beethoven's Für Elise to tempt the kids. No Bell The ice cream guy in my neighborhood in the 50's and 60's drove a smaller truck without a bell. In it's place was a loud p.a. speaker that blasted "Turkey in the Straw" at a decibel level approximately equal that of an 80's hair band. Could be heard miles away. Gave us time start the begging for ice cream money from Mom and or Dad. Before all the paint and decals and the bellSignaling the arrival of the Good Humor driver. Oh the treasures those doors hid from an 8-year-old boy in 1958. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive)
Wash Ave: 1905
... In today's world, one would never think of letting kids out alone at that young of an age. Back then, everyone was your parent, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2011 - 1:29pm -

Newport News, Virginia, circa 1905. "Washington Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Spanky! There he is waiting for the gang to join up in the middle of the photo. In today's world, one would never think of letting kids out alone at that young of an age. Back then, everyone was your parent, and watched out for you. Dogs and SailorsMy late father served in the Navy during WW2 and the Korean war and one of his many stories he told me was about the signs that some of the businesses posted in Newport News saying "Dogs and Sailors Keep Off the Grass." Apparently at the beginning of the war, some of our seaports weren't exactly enamored of our sailors and their interaction with the local young ladies. (The Gallery, DPC)
The Newlyweds - Their Baby: 1910
... asks, that still leaves it years behind "The Katzenjammer Kids" in terms of longevity - that strip began in December 1897 and continues ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 07/26/2007 - 5:36pm -

"The Newlyweds" by George McManus, published January 1, 1910. View full comic. The NewlywedsIsn't the cartoonist George McManus the same one that did the comic strip "Maggie and Jiggs" or was it known as "Bringing up Father"? That's a strain on the memory circuits. George McManusIt is indeed the same George McManus who created the comic strip "Bringing Up Father" featuring the down to earth Jiggs and his harridan of a wife Maggie, a woman who embodied the very worst qualities of the nouveau riche. I was astounded to learn that the strip, which began in 1913 lasted well after McManus's death in 1954, being discontinued in 2000. And before anybody asks, that still leaves it years behind "The Katzenjammer Kids" in terms of longevity - that strip began in December 1897 and continues to run in about 50 papers worldwide 110 years (and four days) later. (Comics)
Handy Helpers: 1942
... OTY describes with tin cans, and the neighborhood "big kids" of five or six collecting them door-to-door with their Radio Flyers. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2015 - 9:22am -

May 1942. Southington, Connecticut. "Boys collecting paper and metal for scrap drive." Photo by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War Information. View full size. Recycling is nothing newAlmost everyone did it in WW2. Those flattened items in the front of the wagon are tin cans from fruits, vegetables, etc. that were rinsed out, labels removed, both ends were cut out with a hand can opener (I don't think there were electric ones then) and then the can was stamped flat with one's foot. In my family I had the heavy foot. Of course, we also saved cooking grease, paper, rags, scrap metals, you name it. Everybody's contributions helped win the war. Oh the humanityAll those old comic books that were thrown out, the first Supermans, etc, etc.... Little did they know what they would be worth now. Even the Bumpers of Automobiles.Back in the 1960's one would occasionally see pre-1940's automobiles with their metal bumpers replaced by heavy wooden planks. My parents explained that patriotic citizens had donated their bumpers to the war effort. Life On the Home FrontOTY has it exactly right, as does this photo. One of my earliest memories is of my grandmother, a stately lady of 5'10" and 200 lbs., doing just what OTY describes with tin cans, and the neighborhood "big kids" of five or six collecting them door-to-door with their Radio Flyers. There has not been such a level of public involvement in our armed struggles since then, and probably never shall be again. (The Gallery, Fenno Jacobs, WW2)
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