MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Illuminata: 1913
... But it just ain't happening with this one. Even my kids are complaining. The slight blur, combined with the steely oblique stare ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2015 - 7:45am -

Circa 1913. "Mrs. Barnwell." Positively glowing in this 5x7 glass negative by New York society photographer Arnold Genthe. View full size. No can do, Mrs. B.My usual practice with the enlarged Shorpy photo-of-the-moment is to leave it embiggened on my monitor as a temporary kind of wallpaper. But it just ain't happening with this one. Even my kids are complaining. The slight blur, combined with the steely oblique stare and the slicked-back hair, makes Mrs. Barnwell just too overwhelming. Positively glowing? Positively menacing! Almost certainly Mary Connelly BarnwellI found a passport photo of Mary C Barnwell over on Ancestry dated from 1919 (most likely for her departure for her honeymoon, as she was married that year as well). The Barnwells are descended from the Beaufort Barnwells, a family with deep roots to the Port Royal area of South Carolina. [Our Barnwell was, according to the photographer's captions, already a Mrs. in 1913. Mary Barnwell was an artist known professionally as Manya Konolyi. - Dave] Soft focusLooks like it was taken with a soft focus lens, like a Kodak 305mm or 405mm portrait lens, or a Verito/Veritar, or any number of other Heliar or PetVal derivatives. The soft focus usually came from deliberately uncorrected spherical abberations. Unusual hair cut for this time?I know women bobbed their hair after WW1 to modernize themselves, but how many cut it this short this early? (The Gallery, Arnold Genthe, Portraits)
The Newlyweds
... Student Center. They didn't keep up the dance after kids came along, but international students were frequent guests in our home ... 
 
Posted by k2 - 06/04/2009 - 10:03am -

My parents, Charles and Harriet (Tyler) Miller on their wedding day, June 11, 1946. Cambridge, MA. Spiffy suit, Dad! Update: Found and posted the original Kodachrome slide - apparently Kodachrome prints were not as stable. Charles and HarrietThe words svelte and handsome come to mind. I may have seen a picture of Charles with hair prior to this but can't recall. How was it that they were in Cambridge? School maybe. In Cambridge because...Mom was a grad student at Harvard (yes, Harvard!) and Dad was serving in CPS. They met through the Folk Dance Society and the International Student Center. They didn't keep up the dance after kids came along, but international students were frequent guests in our home and we in theirs -- which may help explain why I've never met a cuisine I didn't like! Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America P.S. Cousin Mike and I can be seen (in the days when we were indescribably cute) here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/3006. Hey, everybody! Check out this Kodachrome!Now that I have your attention and have gotten my eyeballs back in my head, all I can say is wow - just wow. Pen PalsThe two writing instruments in Charles' coat pocket are, to paraphrase Jimmy Cannon, "a snide boast of literacy." (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Weddings)
Battle Stations: 1942
... to it A few decades hence, these guys and their wives/kids will all be listening to Jap radios every day. Hallicrafters speaker ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2019 - 1:29pm -

November 12, 1942. "Jap radio tuned in on U.S. -- Marine communicators found this radio set which was left behind by the Japs on Guadalcanal, and use it to listen in on U.S. broadcasts in their leisure time. The Marines are (left to right) Cpl. James Shadduck, Pvt. Alex N. Incinelli, Pvt. Robert Galer, Cpl. Sidney B. Land and Pvt. Arthur D. Roda, and part of their job is to see that the messages get through." New York World-Telegram & Sun newsphoto. View full size. Mail CallMuster Date: Oct 1942 Station: First Signal Company, Division Headquarters Battalion, First Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, C/O Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, California. I got it right here . . .Based upon the expressions of Private Galer and Corporal Land, Fibber just opened his hall closet. They'd better get used to itA few decades hence, these guys and their wives/kids will all be listening to Jap radios every day. Hallicrafters speakerBuilt for the Navy - nice touch. (Technology, The Gallery, News Photo Archive, WW2)
College Ices: 1908
... My father used to make a "college ice" as a treat for us kids on a Friday night. Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2013 - 1:33pm -

Circa 1908. "Allyn House, Hartford, Conn." At the drug store: Egg Drinks and "College Ices." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A respectable lifespanDowntown Hartford has many nicely preserved older buildings, alas the Allyn House is not among them. Which isn't to say that it met a premature end. Built in 1857 as the city's first hotel, and standing at the northwest corner of Asylum* and Trumbull streets, it lasted a respectable 103 years before being demolished. It hadn't been used as a hotel for many years. The Allyn House was demolished on account of general decrepitude, not because the site was urgently needed for something else. In fact the site was a parking lot for a decade before the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center) was built on it. * = Asylum Street, one of Hartford's major thoroughfares, takes its peculiar moniker from the former name of the American School for the Deaf, once located along it. "College Ice"is just another name for the old fashioned ice cream sundae. My father used to make a "college ice" as a treat for us kids on a Friday night. Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and whatever fruit was available. Delicious. Allyn House (1857-1960)From whatwasthere.com: "The Allyn House, on the corner of Asylum Street and Trumbull Street, was the finest hotel in Hartford when constructed in 1857. It was designed by Octavius J. Jordan and was located near the railroad station. It was demolished in 1960. William T. Stevens was the proprietor of the Hartford Optical Co. Charles Avery sold boots and shoes at 148 Asylum Street." Philo W. Newton & Co.I looked up Philo W. Newton & Co., the drug store pictured above in the Allyn House, and found this from the Druggists Circular and Chemical Gazette, April 1904: "Charles F. German, a member of the firm of Philo W. Newton & Co., has recently been quite ill, but is now improving." Druggist, heal thyself. Or maybe that was the problem? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Dad at Uncanny Canyon in Oregon: 1954
... beautiful spot. And a couple years before this, I took my kids to the Oregon Vortex. If Uncanny Canyon was anything like that, it's an ... 
 
Posted by Nilea - 05/20/2010 - 5:41pm -

This is my dad, at Uncanny Canyon in Southern Oregon. I assume that the picture was taken by my mother, the year was 1954. Uncanny Canyon was located in Oregon on the Crater Lake Highway about halfway between Gold Hill and Crater Lake. Being so close to the Oregon Vortex (House of Mystery) it generated a bit of a vortex rivalry. The rivalry ended when Uncanny Canyon was submerged after the completion of the Lost Creek Reservoir in the late 1970s. View full size. The Vortex!I never knew this place existed! Several years ago we took a road trip to Crater Lake and went right by this resevoir. It's a beautiful spot. And a couple years before this, I took my kids to the Oregon Vortex. If Uncanny Canyon was anything like that, it's an eerie place to visit. Might be the skewed perspective or it might be the Earth's polarities reversed (or whatever the Vortex's speil is)...whatever it is, it's just WEIRD. Great photo! Uncanny CanyonI've been going through my dad's old scrapbook, found a photo of "Jack" (not my dad) standing in the same doorway of this barn at "Uncanny Canyon." Uncanny CanyonI can't believe you have this out here. My husband's father, John F. Dunlap, owned Uncanny Canyon when your father was there. It is now under water, thanks to the US government and the Corps of Engineers and their dam project. It is refreshing and meaningful to him and our family--we were just joking around and put Uncanny Canyon into google and up popped your picture of your dad. Thank you for the memories and I hope you get this post. I hope that it is a memory that you treasure, as much as we do. It is a pleasure for us to see and I will share this with everyone in the family. Thank you for the memories. -- Vicky Dunlap and the Family of John F. Dunlap, owner of Uncanny Canyon (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Turn it up, c. 1956
... (their choice), we did not have "food police", naughty kids got a smack when needed and everyone had more fun but NOTHING was as great ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 09/17/2011 - 8:04pm -

I'm going to guess this is 1956 judging from the packet of negatives it was with that seem to date from that year. I don't know who these people are but at first I thought the lady was going to dance but she's probably leaving due to her holding a purse. Look at the awesome tie the guy in the corner has. Scanned from a Kodak safety negative. View full size. 1950s Objets d'artOn the wall we have a set of framed embossed foil floral representations (filling the same decorative ecological niche as black velvet paintings did somewhat later), and equally if not more ubiquitous, a faux-Chinese landscape, done in vertical to suggest a paper scroll painting. Both available by the bushel in original editions at your local antiques emporium. Chinese motifs were, for some reason, an extremely popular interior design trend in the 50s. In mid-decade my model-building cohort's folks moved into a Craftsman-style home in Marin County, ripped out the interior and replaced it with a something resembling a lounge in a Las Vegas Chinese restaurant. Very well-done and stylish, but still. To those who maintain that the decade of my youth was a period of oppressive conformity and mind-numbing blandness, I say: look at the cars and men's ties. So trueMany of the younger generation, who don't remember the 50's, have no understanding of how the dullness and blandness of the era created the convulsive explosion of non-conformity known as the 60's. More or less the only really "Fabulous" thing about the 50's was Marilyn Monroe. However, if you want to reproduce an authentic 50's environment, just copy every detail in the photo. Let the good times roll...I also think she was fixin' to dance, she has the gleam in her eye and is ready to get down. Also note the jazzy golden metallic thead woven into both the modern furniture arm AND the radio speaker cover. Being an oldie, I too loved the fifties, everything was streamlined and beautiful, color was used generously and Ikea did not create everyone's environment. Clothing was sharp looking, people COULD smoke and drink (their choice), we did not have "food police", naughty kids got a smack when needed and everyone had more fun but NOTHING was as great as the best-looking cars EVER made (from the fifties through the seventies)in my humble opinion. Re: So trueI was actually being serious. As society and culture morph over time, there's always some of the baby that gets thrown out along with the bath water. re: re: So trueI actually misread your comment. I guess every era has its pros and cons. I had friends who were born in 1939, and were teens in this ear. They said it was stiflingly dull. I was born in 1946, and was a little kid. For me the world was safe and fun. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Tonypix)
Another 1957 Birthday
... Nice pic! Concentration I had to wait till the kids were in bed to work on projects like that. I guess that's why it took me ... 
 
Posted by MarkN - 06/30/2012 - 12:09am -

My brother's first birthday, 1957, East Aurora, NY. Cousins in attendance, myself in utero. Not the sharpest picture, but it fits well with another recent 1957 birthday picture posted here. The braided rugs, the toys, the clothes, my aunt's needlepoint project--all of possible interest. Taken, I believe, with my father's Minolta A Rangefinder. View full size. BangsMy sister was born in Feb. of that year. I turned three in Sept. I don't know what month that was but I'll bet my bangs were just as short as your cousin's! I guess our mothers must have thought they looked nice that way, for some reason I can't imagine. Nice pic! ConcentrationI had to wait till the kids were in bed to work on projects like that. I guess that's why it took me three years to complete a granny square afghan. I love this picture. RelativesThis reminds me of my aunt and uncle's home - the braided rug, the wooden rocker and playpen all look familiar. Even the woman's plaid jumper looks like one my aunt wore. And that blonde girl could be my cousin. I too had bangs that short many many times. My mother never could seem to cut them straight the first time. It's amazing the memories that come flooding back with these Shorpy photos. Re: BangsPicture would have been taken in March. Braided RugsThe braided rugs remind me of visiting my Granny and Granddad's house in the 1960's. I would drag out my toy cars and pretend the braided ovals were race tracks. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Weed Grammar
... This has got to be the unhappiest-looking group of kids I've ever seen. Not one smile among them. Gloomy grammar school Ha! ... I hope that poor teacher had some help! Well over 40 kids, probably six different grades. What a tremendous challenge! ... 
 
Posted by eliz.avery - 05/25/2012 - 10:50pm -

Found at a thrift shop. No date or other information. Weed is a small town in the Northeast corner of California. Any thoughts/guesses as to when this might have been taken or knowledge about Weed, CA appreciated! View full size. SmilesThis has got to be the unhappiest-looking group of kids I've ever seen. Not one smile among them. Gloomy grammar schoolHa! I hadn't even noticed, but you're right! 1926My mother and dad were 7 and 8 years old in 1926. This pic reminds me very much of how they dressed and hair styles of that year. What a job!I hope that poor teacher had some help! Well over 40 kids, probably six different grades. What a tremendous challenge! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Christmas at Kresge's: 1947
... was yummy ham and eggs, milk and butter were good for you, kids didn't have sacks of their own money, and you predicted the weather by ... 
 
Posted by VictrolaVixen - 11/26/2010 - 10:02pm -

Posing with Santa Claus and reindeer at Kresge's Department Store in Lafayette, Indiana, 1947. View full size. I love it!I think this is one of the better pictures submitted by members. It smacks of when things weren't "slick"—- breakfast was yummy ham and eggs, milk and butter were good for you, kids didn't have sacks of their own money, and you predicted the weather by looking out the window. I love it: Santa's probably a WWII veteran, the snow is cotton wool, the backdrop is tempera on cardboard, and Santa's reindeer is a dead stuffed white-tail. Memories, memories, memories. That hatThat's got to be the dumbest Santa hat I've ever seen. It must have been something homemade someone put together in a hurry. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas)
Got a Light?
... County, NC. Harvest and curing times were exciting because kids knew the really hard work was ending and trips to the auction warehouses ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2008 - 2:01am -

July 1939. Person County, North Carolina. A tobacco curing barn ready for "putting in," with fuel stacked on either side. The sticks are fed in through the small openings at the base. Piece of sheet iron on the left is used to cover the opening of the furnace when starting the fire. View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Curing TimeI really love these old tobacco barn scenes. I was there except about 10 years later and in Wilson County, NC. Harvest and curing times were exciting because kids knew the really hard work was ending and trips to the auction warehouses would start soon. Many farmers used mules and wagons for the trip to town.Tobacco would be unloaded the first day and the sale was the next. The trip home with money in hand kept us looking for next year. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
Glassworks Boy: 1908
... Employment I don't think you will find any barefoot kids working in a glass factory. A Tough Kid It's difficult to guess ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2013 - 8:38pm -

August 1908. "A Glass Works Boy waiting for the Night Shift. Indiana Glass Works." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Look at his giant shoesClearly he got them second-hand from someone who had gotten most of the good wear out of them already. What an old soul he looks like. Strictly Upscale EmploymentI don't think you will find any barefoot kids working in a glass factory. A Tough KidIt's difficult to guess this boy's age. He's probably younger than he looks. The steady gaze of his eyes, the firm set of his mouth and the position of his hands suggest a tough kid who has had to grow up quickly in bleak and maybe hopeless environment. The Shorpy archive contains lots of subtle information - as in this Lewis Hine photo - which you can't acquire by reading history books. There are many photographs that show, if you look for them, glimpses of the very age and body of a time, its form and pressure. (The Gallery, Lewis Hine)
Riding the Log
... balanced precariously, if it is, and at least one of the kids looks pretty young for anything too wild. Or are they just sitting on a ... 
 
Posted by madelaine - 01/10/2009 - 8:55pm -

This is from an old scratched up negative, but I think it's beautiful. This photo was taken right about 1927, and my husband insists that it was taken by the man on the log, his grandfather Tom Boothby. View full size. Love ItI love this photo. Lots of love, warmth & happiness. If you Photoshopped modern bathing suits on them, it could have been taken yesterday. Charmed and confusedI love this family, and I love the light and dark here. But I'm confused as to what's happening. Is this really some type of ride? The bathing suits would seem to suggest that, but the people appear to be balanced precariously, if it is, and at least one of the kids looks pretty young for anything too wild. Or are they just sitting on a log by a river? And how could the photograph by taken by the man in the photograph? I feel slow for asking, but curiosity has overcome my embarrassment. Re: ConfusedRiding the log and babies: It's an old story, honey. What joy!But if any photo is begging to be Farked, this one surely is. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Our Lady of Lourdes : Class of 1947
... Then there was the ballet teacher. I envied all the kids who could afford to take classes after school. I would sit and watch, sit ... 
 
Posted by EdWoods - 10/15/2009 - 10:47am -

Boys and Girls Class of 1947 Our lady of Lourdes RC School West 143rd Street New York, N.Y. Frank AlbaneseThe tall fellow dead center in the photo is Frank Albanese, who became a professional fighter and retired very young because of injuries.He turned to acting and has appeared in the Godfather movies I and III and was in several Sopranos episodes as well as other movies. By the way this is the Class of '47. Oops Wrong Year!I thought this was a picture of the 1946 Class, however, I have been corrected it is the OLL Class of 1947. [You can edit your own posts at any time by clicking the "Edit" tab. Change 1946 to 1947, then click "Submit." - Dave] Sixty two years laterMy brother Andy stands tall top row fifth from right. Eddy McGlynn is sixth from right. Norm Brown may be in the picture, also a friend called Harcourt and Bob Philips. I miss Andy, who died in 2000. We spent many pleasant days at Orlando Florida. Isaura FloresAttended this school and my mom graduated from OLL also. This cuts off the right side of photo. Isaura Flores won a math scholarship to Cathedral High School. She was the first Puerto Rican to attend Cathedral on 50th street. Her grandson Eric Hernandez, NYPD, was killed a few months before she died in 2006. I attended OLL from 1960 to '68 then moved to the Bronx. I had Mother John Fisher, Ms. Marie, Mother Eulalia, Mother Williams, Mr. Gomez. Remember lunch in the basement? I remember when we finally had a uniform fashion show and we as a school picked out the uniform change. We went from navy blue with white blouses to a peacock blue with berets, vest and skirts. The best memory was when a talented artist helped us create Wizard of Oz bird costumes for second grade. Then there was the ballet teacher. I envied all the kids who could afford to take classes after school. I would sit and watch, sit and watch. I live in Alaska now and think about the beautiful architecture that I grew up with on 143rd Street. Denise Salichs nursebethat@yahoo.com Class of "47.I think I recognize Anthony Neiland "Micky" 2nd row from top, 2nd from right & could be my bro Ed Moran "Eddie" next to him. Can any one help? We lived on Hamiliton Place. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Leafy Lobby: 1957
... as if they are the classic 1950s "spinning" versions. As kids, we always liked to play with these things, which had an arrangement to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2017 - 11:25am -

August 13, 1957. "Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, New York. Lobby to fountain." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Fire ExitAnd, of course it burned! Spinning AshtraysThose floor model ashtrays look as if they are the classic 1950s "spinning" versions. As kids, we always liked to play with these things, which had an arrangement to dump the ashes. We would see how fast we could get the plate spinning, until an adult called out: "Stop playing with that thing!" For those who missed them the first time around, this video will explain it all. Not snooty yetSo, it wasn't "concierge" yet, but "Superintendent of Service" back then. Silicate CeilingBeing 1957, I'll bet that the ceiling is sprayed with an asbestos-containing material for sound- and fire-proofing. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
My Book House: 1949
... was likely the best money my folks ever spent on their kids. The 1961 World Books didn't survive my kids, but a later set is still in the house and the original Childcraft volumes ... 
 
Posted by Roachmotel - 01/13/2017 - 8:23pm -

From my dad's old Kodachromes comes this one of my mom, Dorothy Porter, in 1949, reading a bedtime story to my two sisters, June and Madge, at our home in Greenville, S.C.. She is reading from a collection of children's stories that were contained in twelve volumes, called "My Book House". These sets were sold by door to door salesmen in the 30's, 40's and 50's. I loved it when Mom read to me from this set of beautifully written and lavishly illustrated stories, but alas, they fell victim to our evolving culture. Some of the entertaining stories they contained, such as "Little Black Sambo", and Uncle Remus (Joel Chandler Harris) tales came to be regarded as politically insensitive and so were deleted from the American lexicon of acceptable children's literature. View full size. Books for childrenOur family didn't have those books, but in 1961 my mom and dad got us a set of World Books with the 15-volume Childcraft set. They were wonderful and I read them over and over. Many of the Childcraft books had lovely color illustrations in a wide range of styles. Editorially brilliant. I remember being puzzled at the time that the World Book entry on John F. Kennedy was that he was a current U.S. senator and that the entry was rather short. But the Yearbooks remedied that sort of thing, as best they could, with articles and updates. This was likely the best money my folks ever spent on their kids. The 1961 World Books didn't survive my kids, but a later set is still in the house and the original Childcraft volumes are also still with us. Wonderful memory; wonderful photoWhat a lovely photo, and what a wonderful memory of your mother! My Book HouseAn excellent series of books complied by Olive Beaupré Miller. They were in print from 1919 thru 1971. My mom bought my set in 1960 or so. They originally came in a specially made bookshelf that was shaped like a house. Each book was geared for a specific level of reader and contained a specific subject. Book One contained nursery rhymes, Book Three was fairy stories and rhymes, Book Eight was sailing and sea stories. Thee were stories from around the world. By the 70s they had removed the more unfortunate stories like Little Black Sambo and The Tar Baby and replaced them with modern stories. I still have most of mine. The smell of the pages takes me back 50+ years. Your mother is reading Book Two, Story Time. Fox -- 1949 VintageYour mom was one attractive lady. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Captain John Brown and Janet Bell Balfour: c. 1864
... "Will! Will? Come in here, Will!" They had no kids, but did have a parrot, who would imitate the lady of the house to a T. ... 
 
Posted by Mudhooks - 02/09/2011 - 11:56am -

Janet Bell Balfour was my Great-Great-Grandmother's sister. Captain John Bell was a sea captain and his wife traveled with him on his sea voyages in the South Seas. Family lore gave me two stories about the Captain and his wife. According to one story, his ship was the last, or one of the last, ships to leave Java just before the eruption of Krakatoa. The ship's cargo included a shipment of pianos and they were forced to jettison them to lighten the load in order to get away. Much to her dismay, Janet's personal piano was also tossed overboard. The other story comes from after the Captain retired from sailing. He had a parrot and one day the parrot escaped. The Captain went out in the rain to find the parrot. When he did, in order to punish it, he held it out from under his umbrella, in the rain. The parrot is said to have said, in perfect imitation of Janet's voice, "Oh John! It's cold out here!" John's father was also a John Brown, ship's master. View full size. Watch those parrotsWhen my mother was a young girl (late 20s?), she had a neighbor several doors up. He had a LaSalle auto, and spent much time making it shine. Sooner or later, his wife would be heard all through the neighborhood hollering, "Will! Will? Come in here, Will!" They had no kids, but did have a parrot, who would imitate the lady of the house to a T. Even if the wife was out, and where ever Will was, you could still hear the parrot hollering "Will! Will? Come in here, Will!" In the end poor old Will couldn't deal with it anymore, and shot himself in the cellar. I think I'd a dispatched the durned parrot instead. Damned parrot!Poor man! I probably would have been driven to have the parrot "accidentally" disappear. LOLGreat stories! Yikes!What a terrible thing! Poor Will! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Iron Maidens: 1942
... flannel does not usually hold a crease like that. My kids constantly complain that I keep the house at 65 in the winter, to which I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2018 - 11:09am -

October 1942. "Health measures for low home temperatures. Down goes the thermometer and out come flannel nightclothes, almost like the kind Grandpa used to wear, as government workers in Washington, D.C., dress for the 65-degree maximum temperature recommended by the fuel oil limitation order." Photo by Albert Freeman for the Office of War Information. View full size. Crocheted slippers!I grew up with slippers like the lady on the right is wearing. Also, it seems that either the pajamas are new, or they've been pressed especially for this picture. Otherwise, flannel does not usually hold a crease like that. My kids constantly complain that I keep the house at 65 in the winter, to which I respond "well, if you'd put a sweater or sweatshirt over that T-shirt, it might help." Sister act?I think so. Iron dossierName: Steam-O-Matic Model: B-300 Manufactured by Waverly Products Inc. Watts: 1000 Introduced in 1939 Original price: $18.95 Two things1. I'm pretty sure my grandfather never wore pajamas like that. 2. $18.95 in 1939 is equivalent to $395 today. That's an expensive iron! (The Gallery, Albert Freeman, D.C., WW2)
Christiansted High: 1941
... full size. Makes a teacher glad I have taught kids of this age, and rarely seen such universal engagement, as in this photo. ... Style all around I can't help thinking that those kids had a better sense of dressing style than our contemporaries. And for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2019 - 12:47pm -

        Jack Delano on assignment in the Caribbean. Delano, born Jacob Ovcharov in Russia, grew so enamored of the islands that he moved to Puerto Rico in 1946. December 1941. "Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Class in the Christiansted high school." Acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Makes a teacher gladI have taught kids of this age, and rarely seen such universal engagement, as in this photo. Especially impressive as it's probably sunny and 77 outside. Style all aroundI can't help thinking that those kids had a better sense of dressing style than our contemporaries. And for integrated schooling they appear to be like 20 years or more ahead of much of the mainland. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Jack Delano)
Cruising: 1925
... "Nash Advanced Six at Golden Gate Park." Which of you kids would like some candy? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2016 - 5:32pm -

San Francisco, 1925. "Nash Advanced Six at Golden Gate Park." Which of you kids would like some candy? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Early Automotive Engineeringfollowed a seemingly logical path -- many thin leaves would equal a softer ride, yet hold the weight of (at this time)a weighty automobile. Nash was known for its smooth ride and luxury appointments. To complete the business model, a softly sprung (smooth riding) yet advanced design in which everything was very high quality would be the optimal. This included the mechanicals, interior and finish. All of these early teens, twenties, early thirties autos attempted to fill the "piece of the pie", where the upper classes would make the fortunes of the car makers. Some got stained as "assembled" cars, since the parts were obtained from "outside" companies. Kinda like cars from every manufacturer are now. Snubber close upThat disc under the fender contains a spring loaded strip of fabric connected to the axle, a type of shock absorber. The maker's name is visible; maybe you can enlarge it. Might be Gabriele. Looking at the leaf springs that thing was either extremely heavy or used weak steel. Gabriel SnubbersSounds like a pro football player's name, but here is a fun picture of the product, which was an aftermarket item that functioned just as Hayslip described. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Landing Party: 1905
... I grew up in Paterson, NJ and I was surprised at how many kids (and adults) couldn't swim. When I joined the US Navy, half my company ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2016 - 1:30pm -

The Jersey Shore circa 1905. "In the surf at Asbury Park." Having a wonderful time; wish we were still here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Interesting Observations1. All the females seem to have their hair covered even though this is not a swimming pool where caps are required (or perhaps they are?). 2. The females are wearing swimming suits that have more fabric than modern full fashion dresses. Did they know about skin cancer way back then? [Their garb was in accord with the concept of public decency prevailing at the time. -tterrace] 3. Those are some really nice curlers (waves) but yet no surfing taking place? LandlockedNot growing up near an ocean, could someone explain the roped-in purpose? Was that a safe zone? Were some ocean days more dangerous to swimmer's than others? Thanks! [The ropes were for bathers to hold on to to keep from being washed out to sea by the undertow. -tterrace] No shirt?Is the young boy in the upper right not wearing a shirt? The ropes were also there to serve the beach goers that couldn't swim. I grew up in Paterson, NJ and I was surprised at how many kids (and adults) couldn't swim. When I joined the US Navy, half my company couldn't swim and none of the guys from New York could. (The Gallery, DPC, Swimming)
Lonely House: 1941
... the grandparents or parents if there was a large number of kids, and maybe a bath down. Badlands It looks like a setting from the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2019 - 2:26pm -

September 1941. "Abandoned farmhouse in the dry land area of the Sandhills northeast of Scottsbluff, Nebraska." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Foursquare and Seven Years Ago ...The good old American Foursquare House. Very popular as farmhouses in the rural area. Made maximum use of space. Nothing wasted on details, gables, turrets, etc. From the looks of the two uprights slightly inboard of the front corner there was probably a porch at one time that was removed when it started to collapse. Usually 4 bedrooms upstairs with 2 windows in each room for cross ventilation, a parlor, kitchen, a dining room that could have been used as an extra bedroom for the grandparents or parents if there was a large number of kids, and maybe a bath down. BadlandsIt looks like a setting from the Starkweather Spree. Leaning Tower of ChimneyTuckpointing anyone? Christina's WorldIf the camera would pan back, I could picture a girl in a pink dress, lying in the tall grass, gazing at this house. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Frontier Life, M.P. Wolcott)
Going, Going, Gong: 1943
... I was about 9 or 10 year old, myself and some other school kids we would go to the station at lunchtime and we ask the firemen if we could ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2019 - 12:41pm -

January 1943. "Engine Company No. 4. Washington, D.C. When the gong sounds the alarm, the firemen jump into their boots and get into their helmets and coats while the truck is on its way to the fire. Once the alarm is sounded the complete operation of getting dressed and leaving the building takes about seven seconds." Photo by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. Re: All blackExcept for the captain, apparently. [Incorrect. Captain James Keys was African-American. - Dave] I'm very glad to be corrected. E-4 Before integration of DCFDAt the time this picture was taken E-4 was an all black company. I believe the Fire Department was integrated in 1962 or 1963. The Brass Pole Late 1950 I remember going to Saint Louis School in Lowell Mass. in the late 1950s and the West Sixth Street Fire Station was just down the street from the school. I was about 9 or 10 year old, myself and some other school kids we would go to the station at lunchtime and we ask the firemen if we could try coming down the pole, to my surprise they said yes so we go up the stairs in there sleeping area and we would slide down the pole, we did it more then once you can't do that today, I'll never forget that, that was fun and today I retired from 37 years on the call fire Dept., from Dracut Mass. Debonair on pole oneThe man sliding down the pole has a debonair look about him, quite dashing really. He would turn my head walking down the street! (The Gallery, D.C., Fires, Floods etc., Gordon Parks)
Camping in Quebec: 1959
... at Mom's house.) Days gone by...beautiful. When kids were not micro-managed, and they could actually do a trip like the one you ... I remember exploring down that line with my buds as kids, as in "Stand By Me". It was really a remarkable, and never to be ... 
 
Posted by Islander800 - 11/14/2014 - 7:38pm -

This is my oldest brother and one of his buds, heading off for a weekend of camping, riding their bikes on two-lane blacktop and gravel back roads in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, summer of '59. View full size. The RailbikersI have written a story about a couple guys like this who converted their bicycles to go on an abandoned railway. They headed west in search of adventures! This picture look more as if it were taken when I was around the age of these boys -- in the mid-1960s. The tires on these bikes aren't the ultra-fat ones I think of from the 40s and 50s. (I got a Schwinn Typhoon for Christmas 1965 when I was 9. I had it restored a few years ago, and it is still at Mom's house.) Days gone by...beautiful.When kids were not micro-managed, and they could actually do a trip like the one you describe, sans adults! Railbikers response510Russ I appreciate your comment on my submitted photo. I can relate to your story about an abandoned railway, as in late 1950s Bedford, there was an abandoned rail line that led out of town, to an abandoned quarry... I remember exploring down that line with my buds as kids, as in "Stand By Me". It was really a remarkable, and never to be repeated, time to be youngsters. But yes, this picture is from the late 50s. These bicycles were relatively new CCM 3-speeds, with British Stermy-Archer rear hubs. By this time, balloon tires were falling out of fashion. I had, as a kid, a "Leave It To Beaver" experience in 1950s Bedford, Quebec, for which I am very grateful. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
A Drink for Baby: 1943
... and often taken for granted but they made the day for many kids and brought everything people needed to remote villages and towns across ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/31/2017 - 7:45pm -

March 1943. "Melvin Cash, truck driver, putting water in his radiator along U.S. Highway 29 in North Carolina en route to Charlotte." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Easy Peasy Nice and EasyI'll take the jacket, the hat and the water bucket. I'd take the truck too but parking could be a challenge. I love SHORPY -- it never fails to deliver. Truck IDBrown; in house make of Associated Transport. [The tractor is a circa 1938 Corbitt in Horton Trucking livery. Some of these were rebadged as Browns after Horton entered into the Associated Transport merger. - Dave] Sealed beam conversion?Hayslip, looking at the size of the headlight buckets versus the headlights, I'm wondering if it has been fitted with a sealed beam conversion. One big advantage that came with the advent of sealed beams was that the lamps were a universal 7-inch size that would fit anything. It was much easier to replace the lamp after it burned out, and replacing one after taking a hit from a stone meant you didn't have to try to find parts specific to your vehicle - especially important for over-the-road trucks. The REAL movers and shakersThis comment may seem off-topic, but I'd like to acknowledge all the truckers and railroad workers that often provided a bright spot to the day for many youngsters, me included, at least in the 1940's and 50's since we walked everywhere including to school, church, movies, the park, etc. It was such a kick for a kid to see a big rig coming down the road and know that if he just put up his arm and pretended to pull a rope, that the congenial trucker would blast on his air horn just for us. Likewise, if a train was passing by and we could see the engineer or the caboose man, they would wave and blow their whistle and make one feel important. Yes, I was a sometimes lonely, small town kid, usually walking alone everywhere, but these men made me feel like I had some influence in the world. It was a feeling of mutual respect on both sides and I salute and thank them all for taking the time to acknowledge the requests of all the powerless children everywhere who enjoyed immensely causing the instant reaction from the vehicle's operator. I know the work of truckers and railroaders is grueling and often taken for granted but they made the day for many kids and brought everything people needed to remote villages and towns across the country and they still do. Thanks guys. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Railway Express: 1940
... Radio Flyers, and Irish mails of less fortunate neighbor kids. Motive power? What kid wouldn't want to help push one of these babies? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2018 - 7:56pm -

September 1940. Montrose, Colorado. "Loading express packages into Denver & Rio Grande Western truck, which takes them to points on the narrow gauge railroad where passenger and express service is not otherwise available." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Crate address deciphered Father J. Lane was Joseph Francis Lane, a Catholic priest residing in Montrose. Mrs. Rose Off___ was Rose Offerman, residing on Main Street, Ouray. She was the widow of Herman W. Offerman. The sender was most likely Urban J. Vehr, Bishop of Denver from 1931. If this were a Western, the crate would be labeled Bibles and contain either firewater or rifles for the Indians. We Shorpyites love us some Westerns. I wanted one!I remember how excited I was seeing these hand trucks in railway stations in my youth ('40s & '50s). I could easily imagine getting a couple of friends together and riding roughshod over the trikes, scooters, Radio Flyers, and Irish mails of less fortunate neighbor kids. Motive power? What kid wouldn't want to help push one of these babies? Like Better Buggy Whips, Inc., Railway Express is no more, but while they were around, they were an American icon -- literally so, their red lozenge logo prominent on their ubiquitous delivery vans and depot carts. I'd venture to assert that the REA logo was as familiar as its contemporary, the AT&T "Public Telephone" sign that adorned cafes and corner stores all over the country. REA to UPSWhen the Post Office canceled its shipping contracts with the railroads in 1968, the REA likewise ceased to exist because its express cars rode alongside the mail cars at the front of passenger trains -- "head-end business," as it was known. The REA was reorganized as UPS. I'd say they've done all right in the years since. Potatoes then, potatoes now!That building still stands: (The Gallery, Railroads, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
A Swingin' Good Time
... park down the street. We'd pile on a whole bunch of kids on one horse and go for broke. Meet the Swinger I recognize those ... 
 
Posted by pattyp814 - 07/05/2008 - 7:35pm -

This is me on a swing at a motel in either Maryland or Delaware sometime in the mid-1970s. It was likely taken by my father, whose shadow appears in the photo, too. I really like this photo -- the sun, the motel architecture (is that an oxymoron?), the photographer's shadow, and especially the red and white pool umbrella. Doesn't it all just scream 1970s? View full size. EarplugsScreams 70s it does, loudly, especially what appears to be "rug burn"-inducing Astro-Turf under the swingset. Whoever thought that was a good idea for a playground. Maybe it's just painted concrete, but a good bet it is a cheap Astro-Turf knock-off as was the fashion in play areas back in the day My parents certainly thought it was a good thing to install in my little brother's room in the basement (concrete floor - no padding). Since the large space was a prime play area our knees and palms were always dimply and red. Horsies!Wow, I remember playing on those horsie-swings when I was a kid in the early 70's! They had the exact same set at the park down the street. We'd pile on a whole bunch of kids on one horse and go for broke. Meet the SwingerI recognize those horse-swings as being made by Miracle Recreation Equipment Company - they were once in Grinnell, Iowa - however I think now located in Missouri. I loved them as a kid. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation)
Goat Cart: c. 1915
... The photographer came by. The animals attracted the kids, who flocked to the photographer. They posed for their pictures, to get to ... 
 
Posted by hager2007 - 02/02/2010 - 9:55am -

My father, William John Hager, in the Chicago area, riding in a wagon pulled by a goat. Circa 1915. View full size. Got your goatThat is probably a Studebaker goat cart. They were sort of promotional toys made to look like the full sized farm wagons the company made through 1920. In farm areas a boy might get one when dad bought a new Studebaker wagon. In a city like Chicago that wouldn't be very likely unless your dad lived in a very rural area and had pet goats. Studebaker discontinued manufacturing horse drawn wagons after 1920, sticking only to the horseless ones that were becoming popular by those days. But the Studebaker-designed goat wagons continued to be manufactured by a toy company until World War 2. Your father probably didn't get to really ride much in that wagon. They were often owned by photographers. Both goats pulling carts, and donkeys were popular photographic props that children were posed on. The photographer came by. The animals attracted the kids, who flocked to the photographer. They posed for their pictures, to get to ride the wagon or donkey. Then the photographer hit up the children's parents to buy prints. Apparently your grandparents did. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Sit-Down Comics: 1943
... many moons ago, I enjoyed comics like "The Katzenjammer Kids", "Terry and the Pirates", "Little Lulu", Li'l Abner", "Steve Canyon", ... they didn't even make me smile..." since none of the kids are smiling. What's that? Behind the guy in the white shirt, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/20/2017 - 10:59pm -

August 1943. Southfields, New York. "Interracial activities at Camp Nathan Hale, where children are aided by the Methodist Camp Service. Comic papers are very popular during the campers' free periods." Medium format nitrate negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. Comics from the old daysWhen I was a kid many moons ago, I enjoyed comics like "The Katzenjammer Kids", "Terry and the Pirates", "Little Lulu", Li'l Abner", "Steve Canyon", "Dick Tracy", "Captain Marvel, "Plastic Man", etc. (there were a million of 'em) but one never sees these anymore, nor would they understand them, even if they did, as the situations from those times would not be relative to today's high technology and modern lifestyle. My grandfather used to subscribe to a daily Polish newspaper printed in NY called "Nowy Swiat" (The Polish Morning World) which had only one comic strip each day, "Felix the Cat" (in black and white) so until I was a teenager, I assumed Felix was a Polish cat. Coincidentally, at that time (1940's) our Polish parish priest was also named Felix so it all seemed logical to my young, impressionable brain. This is how misinformation gets started and passed along. As for the photo above, it reminds of a line from an old song "Don't get around much anymore" where Sinatra sang "...the funnies weren't funny, they didn't even make me smile..." since none of the kids are smiling. What's that?Behind the guy in the white shirt, he's up front/left. Is a stray hand over some kind of a ball. Marble? [Looks like a spent photo flash bulb. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Camping, Gordon Parks)
Looking for a Fight: 1927
... Collection. View full size. Stress Relief My kids had a Joe Palooka punching doll not unlike Mr Nelson's. After a tough day, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:20pm -

"Battling Nelson." The Danish lightweight champion Oscar "Bat" Nelson circa 1920s and what seems to be a punching-bag effigy of a black opponent. This glass negative, whose neighbors are dated March 1927, was probably used to illustrate contemporaneous newspaper accounts of Bat's arrest for larceny and subsequent placement under psychiatric observation, a convoluted tale related in the comments here. National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Stress ReliefMy kids had a Joe Palooka punching doll not unlike Mr Nelson's. After a tough day, I sometimes couldn't help myself and would go down to their playroom and whale away at it. The fact that it always came right back up didn't help. Grandma punchSeeing that insulting, derogatory punching bag makes me want to punch the MAN in the nose! Looks like quite a few people beat me to it (although probably not for the same reason.) (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Taking the Air: 1905
... about her sister be sent to the sanatorium as a child. We kids thought is was a sad story, and wondered what it was like for a child to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2017 - 11:18am -

Ray Brook, New York, circa 1905. "Saranac Lake, state tuberculosis sanatorium, Adirondack Mountains." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Family connectionOMG. My aunt was at this place in the late 1930's when she was a little girl. Whenever we were driving up to Lake Placid as a kid, we would pass this place. My mother would tell us the story about her sister be sent to the sanatorium as a child. We kids thought is was a sad story, and wondered what it was like for a child to be in a place like that. I saw my aunt this spring, she is pushing 90. It's Hard to BelieveSuch a hale and hearty looking group of young men could be so seriously ill! I do hope in that beautiful setting in that handsome institution they were able to regain their health, but not lose their lives in the Great War at the same time. My mother's two older brothers were about their age then and had TB later in life, the younger died at 40 in '37, the other at 68 in '59. The big houseThe building has been used as the Adirondack Correctional Facility since 1971. Big SixChristy Mathewson, Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Giants, contracted tuberculosis as a result of being exposed to mustard gas during WWI. As a result, his baseball career was over, and he died in 1925 in Saranac Lake, where he'd gone to seek a cure, or at least treatment, for the disease. (The Gallery, DPC, Medicine)
« first‹ prev…105 [106]107…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.