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On-Ramp: 1963
... District ownership. View full size. + 50 The Motel with the Spanish Tile roof is still there as a Budget Inn. [In those days it was called the Meadowsweet Motel. -tterrace] View Larger Map Simca The car over ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 11/23/2013 - 3:36pm -

The southbound on-ramp to U.S. 101 in Corte Madera, California, in a Kodachrome slide I shot through the back window of our 1956 Rambler station wagon in January 1963. Corte Madera is the "twin city" of my home town, Idyllic™ Larkspur. Rising up in the distance is Marin County's iconic symbol, Mount Tamalpais. Closer and to the left, Corte Madera's "Christmas Tree Hill" is so-named from the practice, in days of yore, of homeowners banding together to illuminate their houses to produce an outline of a Christmas tree when viewed from the distance. To the right, Larkspur's Little and Big King Mountains. Yes, we call hills "mountains" in Marin County. Fortunately, they're protected from development by open-space regulations, and Mt. Tam by state park and Marin Municipal Water District ownership. View full size. + 50The Motel with the Spanish Tile roof is still there as a Budget Inn. [In those days it was called the Meadowsweet Motel. -tterrace] View Larger Map SimcaThe car over at the left, along the frontage road, looks to be a c1955 Simca Aronde. You can vaguely make out the yellow 1956-63 license plate on the front. Black plates with yellow characters were issued in '63. Home sweet homeThanks for posting this wonderful image. I've lived in Corte Madera for the past 35 years or so, and it was much the same then as in 1963. But in the intervening years a lot has changed. I can well remember when there were no stoplights between my house and Highway 101. Now there are four. EDIT: I tried to match a Google street view but couldn't line it up exactly. But one thing does still remain: the Union 76 gas station is still on the same corner. About the mountainI got on Google Earth (as I often do to compare today's landscapes with those in the old photos) after I saw Vintagetvs' post. The reason for this was I am puzzled as to why the mountains (we call them hills in WV) appear to be much farther away in the current views than they do in tterrace's picture. I even moved in a little closer, keeping the tile-roofed building in view. Then I "drove" about a mile or two closer and still those hills look farther away. Did it have to do with the lens you used that day or is there another explanation? I gots to know, it's bugging me, man. [Wide-angle lenses, such as those used in the Google street view cameras, produce extension distortion, making close objects appear larger and distant objects smaller in comparison to lenses of normal focal length, such as the one in the Kodak Retinette 1A I used for my shot. Telephoto lenses produce the opposite effect, compression distortion, often called foreshortening. -tterrace] Coming soon to a gas station near you I guess Standard became Chevron. [At this time in California, company-owned stations were branded as "Standard" and independently-owned stations as "Chevron." The station we used a couple miles away in Larkspur was Cliff Archer's Chevron, for example. -tterrace] Shorpy ModsJames, the moderation is probably a key to the longevity and success of Shorpy.com. There are many forums on the Web that I've enjoyed until they degenerated into a political or otherwise contentious morass. I've had comments that were submitted but not posted, and that isn't something to stew over; one must respect the moderators and the decisions they make. They have a basis for what they do. And I, for one, am interested in the Larkspur photos and history. It somehow reminds me of where I grew up. Like Larkspur, Naples, Florida, had changed much since the 1960s. So please enjoy Shorpy.com for what it is: One of the most interesting and best-moderated sites on the Web! Just my two cents-- --Jim Why?I am a new commenter to Shorpy and I don't imagine you will publish this comment because it is apparent that the comments are tightly moderated and I will be challenging accepted orthodoxy. But here goes. As of this time of writing (early afternoon on Sunday), it has been 24 hours since the last of many fine reflections on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. Why was this stream cut off? So we could delve back into the childhood minutiae of tterrace in Larkspur? Really, what is more important on Shorpy: the collective response of its readership to a mythic event in the nation's history, or the distinction between a Chevron and a Standard gas station? [I'm not sure what you mean by "cut off." People are still leaving comments for the Kennedy post. Which is separate from this post. Two entirely different streams, flowing hundreds of miles apart. - Dave] I Used To Work There!That Union 76 gas station was owned then by John Friend. When I returned from Vietnam in '66 I worked there over the summer. John's first assignment for me when I arrived was going to fetch him his six pack of breakfast. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
This Is Florida: 1955
December 1955. "Motel Wigwam Village, Orlando." Featuring Tile Baths and All the Fish. 35mm ... not wigwams. The walls are closing in The Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona is very much alive and well. I stayed in ... but the Internet remembers Other cool pictures of this motel (including pictures of it being built) are here. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2019 - 3:30pm -

December 1955. "Motel Wigwam Village, Orlando." Featuring Tile Baths and All the Fish. 35mm Kodachrome from the Look magazine assignment "What Is Florida?" View full size. Conical ConstancyApparently these were all over the place. I wonder if you could collect Wigwam Weward points. Demolished February 14, 1973. You just don't see those anymoreThe free-standing enclosed phone booth, that is. Dad believed in AAA wholeheartedlyAll our family car trips in the 1950s kept us kids with our eyes peeled for the AAA sign on tourist cabins and motels. I wish I was there with you now. It was a sweet simpler time with us turning the pages of our AAA TripTik, Mom navigating and Dad driving our 1953 Plymouth. This postcard looks exactly like one of our stops on the way to Williamsburg, Va. It was our family out in the world -- strange foods, strange soap, coin-operated radios in the motels. George Washington Slept HereWell maybe George Washington didn't, but I did. As a 10-year-old who loved anything cowboys and Indians, I bugged my parents repeatedly to stay in this motor court when we visited my granddad every year in Orlando. My folks finally relented and we stayed there. After a few days of slanted walls, bad wood paneling, and antique crappy hotel furniture, my parents said "Never again," and moved us on to a "name" hotel. Ceci n'est pas un wigwamThose are teepees, not wigwams. The walls are closing inThe Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona is very much alive and well. I stayed in unit number one several years ago. I just wish I had brought my Roy Rogers pajamas to complete the time machine illusion. Long gone -- but the Internet remembersOther cool pictures of this motel (including pictures of it being built) are here. http://orlandomemory.info/places/wigwam-village-motel/ It's interesting Look thought these emblematic of Florida, since the guy who came up with this lived in Kentucky, and franchised the concept. C'mon Carl --at least they're fireproof. Open at the Top"Air Conditioned" Wigwams, or so the sign says! What'll they think of next? InspirationFor the Cozy Cone Motel in Pixar's film "Cars" Cabins and MotelsWhen I was about ten (66 years ago!), when we traveled we never stayed at a motel until my mother went into it to see how clean it was, and if she decided we could stay she always Lysoled the toilet before we used it. (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, LOOK, Native Americans)
Tomorrowland: 1965
... family trips to Disneyland, we stayed at the above named motel. What a groovy, space-age place it was when it was brand new (around ... Thanks for sharing, tterrace! Note also The Mecca Motel Melodyland I grew up in Anaheim, went to Anaheim High School, and ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/11/2019 - 12:53am -

Disneyland, back when Tomorrowland was all about rocket ships. Two years later, the Moon Ride was still there, but the rocket was gone. My Kodachrome slide, taken from the late lamented Skyway gondola ride, itself dismantled in 1994. Douglas AircraftPerhaps the rocket vanished as a side effect of Douglas merging with McDonnell Aircraft that same year, forming McDonnell Douglas. RocketlandI think the rocket, which had been there since the park's 1955 opening (and then TWA-branded) was by 1965 starting to look rather Yesterday-landish compared to the real things people were by then familiar with after years of live TV coverage of Cape Canaveral space launchings. When tomorrow becomes todayI was thinking about attractions being removed and replaced. Yes, I suppose they had to stay ahead of tomorrow. IdentityTterrace: who were the fellows in 'Navy' uniforms, in the lower left corner of the picture? They appear to be playing musical instruments? Rocket ship goes eastI believe the Rocketship was reused in the Florida Disney World in the entrance to Tomorrowland Space Mountain ride in the 1990s. I remember seeing it there, or a very reasonable replica. Disney stores many of the older displays in a large warehouse there. Rocketland #2That's the trouble with the future. We keeping catching up to it. Sailors' Band?Looks like four Navy officers in choker whites performing a song (Anchors Aweigh?) on that bandstand in the lower left of the photo. Tomorrowland bandThat's the Yachtsmen Quartet, Disneyland regulars at the time, performing on the platform at the bottom of the tower. Model rocketI built a model of this rocket from a kit. I still remember its delicate legs and nose cone, and the thrill of applying the decals. Bud & ScottyI think those were the names of another favorite college-aged vocal & piano group who performed at Disneyland in the mid 1960s nearby on Main Street. I'd forgotten The Yachtsmen Quartet; thanks for including their information with the Tomorrowland picture. Walt must have loved the YachtsmenListening to their live music was probably better than listening to a continuous recording of "It's a Small World," after that attraction made its way to Disneyland from the New York World's Fair. Stovall's Inn of TomorrowDuring one of our family trips to Disneyland, we stayed at the above named motel. What a groovy, space-age place it was when it was brand new (around 1965 I believe). In addition to the 100% futuristic outer-space theme and astronomy inspired decor throughout the complex, there was an unbelievable landscaping of all topiary shrubs and trees, sculpted into fantastic shapes. The outdoor restrooms around the pool were round and were called "moon domes" and the stair railings were embellished with attention-getting melon size green glass spheres that looked like planets. What a wonderful dreamy mood it created, enjoyed by the entire family. Unfortunately, the glass spheres didn't last long as people broke them off and stole them and after several renovations in the name of "updating", it bore no resemblance to the original architecture. Like everything else though, it was fun while it lasted; my kids never forgot it, though now it is merely a memory of long lost surroundings. Bye, bye, sky bucketsIn these 1960s photos I am always looking for myself as a kid. In the 1990s, as an adult, my family had annual passes since we lived so close to Disneyland. My young daughter and I would go to the park at least 30 times each year. We would stand just behind tourist groups being photographed at the Main Street flag pole. All over Asia are photos which include a redhaired guy and his daughter. We rode on the sky buckets on the last day they were operating. May All Your Tomorrows Be Sans-SerifI mean obviously it's the wave of the typographical future. Love it!Once again tterrance hits my nostalgia nerve. We were at Disneyland monthly in the early 60's. It was inexpensive all day fun. I remember how proud we all were to see Daddy's ride. He was proudly employed by Douglas, then McDonnell Douglas and ultimately retired from Boeing. I was terrified to go to the moon because I didn't want to get stuck there without a robot. Tomorrowland"It feels like you'll never get there." The Yachtsmen on Video and Record 1961 album on Disney's Buena Vista label (BV-3310): "High and Dry with The Yachtsmen" The Nostalgia TripThanks for the trip back in time. I still recall our first trip to Disney World in Orlando back in December 1971, two months after it had opened. The place was brand spanking new and to this 11 year old, quite magical. I missed the Wow! of D'landBecause when I last visited the area as a 10-year-old in 1952, it didn't exist. So I knew nothing better than a full day at Knott's Berry Farm and its scary rides, gun totin' cowboys, pink or green cotton candy and their preserves. Yummy. I took five jars home to my family when I flew back across the country in a Constellation. I love the restaurant and airline jams and jellies, the only place I see KBF products anymore. I went on to spend way too much time watching Darlene and Annette be talented and pretty. Thanks for sharing, tterrace! Note alsoThe Mecca Motel MelodylandI grew up in Anaheim, went to Anaheim High School, and worked at Disneyland from 1965 to 1969. I love the old Disneyland photos! I notice, just above the TOMORROWLAND sign, you can see the cone shaped building that was Melodyland Theatre. I saw Liza Minnelli perform there in the late '60s. Thanks for the Wave of Nostalgia, tterraceI went to Disneyland when I was 9 or 10 with my family in '57 or '58. It seemed they were still building so many new rides, but as a young girl from Minneapolis, this was Heaven. Then we got to go to Knotts. Tomorrowland and the teacups were among my favs! Thanks again for the memories. Disney Family MuseumIf any of you ever get to SF I highly recommend the Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. Walt was a real pack rat and he had the money to store stuff. From his WW1 ambulance driver's license to the architectural model of Disney World, it's all there. Walt loved technology and this museum mixes modern tech with wonderful items from the past. The museum isn't really for kids (though an older one might enjoy it), it's for "us": The Disney Generation, the ones who grew up Disneyland, the MM Club, and the Wonderful World of Color every Sunday evening. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
King of the Road: 1963
... that doubles as a heater. We don't spend every night in a motel when we travel, either. A tent packs up pretty easy in the car. Now, ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 12/23/2008 - 4:33pm -

This is how you pull over for a family meal during a road trip. It's the early 60's and the family is off to visit Canada. Kodachrome slide. That camp stove used white gas. View full size. PumpedI too fondly remember the rectangular hand-pumped Coleman stoves with the fuel vessel hanging off the front and the stamped metal wind-breakers: simple yet reliable. (I currently use the backpacker descendant that looks like a moon lander: it has never let me down even in the coldest weather). Growing up we mostly used our full size Coleman for camping but I can identify with the comments regarding use for the roadside midday lunch break. If it were my family we would probably be stopping for lunch at one of the many scenic rest stops along the old national road as it crosses the mountains in western Maryland. Oh the MemoriesWow this photo brings back memories of my dad heating chicken and dumplings in the can and assembling bologna sandwiches on white bread with mustard for many a roadside dining experience on our yearly family vacations. He branded it "clean food" in his campaign to convince my brother and me that it was the best thing ever. This was in the 1980s - I guess it was a tradition he carried on from his own childhood vacations. I doubt the tradition will carry on with this generation since I'm much more likely to just GPS the location of every Starbucks along the way. A Tent SituationMy wife, daughter and I camp two or three times a summer at state parks, and we regularly leave all our cooking stuff on the table (including our old drab-green Sears-branded Coleman stove), our clothes and such in the tent (we do lock up the valuables in the car, though). We'll go out for multi-hour hikes, or even drive into whatever town we're near, and when we come back usually the only trace of visitors is muddy raccoon prints on the table. Alas, we do all our cooking when we get there, though. My version of this scene would be ordering sammiches at Subway. Coleman Camp StoveSitting in my father's garage is that very same green camp stove (ca. 1961) still in the original box. I can remember my mother cooking on it for us during our car camping trips around the state of Oregon during the 60's. He still has the red Coleman cooler also. That stove brings back memoriesWe cooked on one of those for a whole year while hand-building our geodesic dome house in 1971 and waiting for the power company to install underground power. The stove used expensive gallon cans of Coleman fuel. There was a gas station in town that sold white gas (naphtha) for cheap, but it had impurities that clogged the stove. So we had to go back to the $4/gallon stuff. Doing it rightTraveling in style means camping with a chrome percolator. InterestingThe idea of stopping on the side of the road to cook from a Coleman stove is a novel idea in this culture and would now be considered really weird. The roadside picnic area where this was taken is probably now a McDonald's. I'm 37 years old and although I've been camping several times we've never stopped enroute for a picnic. It's obvious the older generation was not as prone to be discouraged by a little hard work and inconvenience and didn't mind taking some extra time if it meant doing something important. Our family van on a long trip is packed to the brim with junk, mostly stuff we don't even need - DVD players, cellphone cords, GPS units, boxes of clothes for the in-laws, huge suitcases, etc, etc. Then it's on the interstate - no time to stop except quickly for fast food. What a refreshing change it would be to recreate a trip like the one pictured here on the backroads of America. Where in Canada?Being as how I'm in Prince George, BC, and this scene could be practically anywhere but in the mountains or on the prairies. By the way, I looooooves Shorpy! Coleman StoveAh! A good old "green monster" coleman stove. My Scout troop still uses identical ones to this day, a testament to their being indestructable. We only changed the tanks to newer red ones a few years ago. You know it was a great design as you can still buy the same stove today, it has a few very minor improvements but for all intents is the same stove they made 50 years ago. ColemanI still have my Dad's two burner Coleman, 55 years old, works like a charm Don't miss the Tupperware!Another iconic item of the 50s and 60s is behind the stove -- Tupperware! Road FoodMy girlfriend & I usually stop and make sandwiches at least once on a vacation trip. Not as extravagant as firing up a stove for a hot meal, but it's a nice break from fast food and a chance to unwind. What impresses me is that the stove also has its own stand. No stooping down to the ground for him. No man who takes a chrome percolator on a road trip should stoop. Background to dramaBlissfully unaware of the drama playing out behind them: on the left, a speeding Corvair; on the right, unsuspecting, a pair of pedestrians precariously perched on the shoulder. What will the next few seconds bring? Sudden terror, or just a request to pass the mustard? PercolatorIt appears to be an electric perc. How did he make it work way out there? Dad cooking.Dad is doing the cooking just as I did for our family when on camping trips. My children loved the camping life as we traveled and still have wonderful memories of it. My kids, now 56, 62 and 65, still talk about my Rabbit Ear Pancakes. In the late 1940s we could leave our stove and cooler on the table, the sleeping bags in the tent at the campsite and they would still be there when we got home from a movie in town. Times have changed. Camping 40's and 50's StyleYou've hit on a passion of mine! I fondly remember many road trips while growing up. We used the same stove. For those interested, you should check out 40's and 50's style Teardrop trailers. I am just completing one now. We are taking a week long Florida trip starting tomorrow and will spend our time in State Parks sleeping in our teardrop. Mine can be seen here: http://home.earthlink.net/~tony.cooper/TDProj/album.htm Many varieties including originals can be seen here: http://pages.prodigy.net/rfs2growup/mystry07.htm Talk about living nostalgia! [I grew up in Florida! For a few summers in the mid-1960s we'd haul the family Avion up from Miami to Juniper Springs, in the Ocala National Forest. You should check it out if it's not too cold. - Dave] Sault Ste. MarieI failed to mention that on the slide this was phonetically written: "Soo St. Marie, breakfast." The trip was from our home in Northern Indiana and up through Michigan. I'll post the other slide with Mom doing the cooking (includes tailfin of their car!). Maybe that one will show us the percolator better. I'll have to ask Mom if she remembers where they would plug that in. My wife and I do the cooking like this while camping at Bonnaroo, but not while on the road. We don't have this stove but use the modern equivalent and use her dad's old Coleman camp oven, which is basically a metal box that sits on top of the grill and bakes. It has a temperature gauge on the door so you adjust the flame accordingly. Perfect for biscuits to go with the bacon and sausage gravy. Or Naan to go with our Indian MRE's. Road foodMy Texas Bride told me that when her family traveled her dad would buy a loaf of bread, a pound of bologna and a quart of milk. So one day while traveling up to Valentine, Nebraska, we were in the town of Thedford and I bought a loaf of bread, half-pound of bologna and a quart of chocolate milk and went to the park for lunch. I loved it. She did not! About theft of camp gear, we ran into a case of this in Yellowstone Park and Sinks Canyon State Park in Wyoming. Sad that this happens but happen it does. Great stove!We use those guys in WW2 reenacting. Nothing perks you up in the morning like Tim from the 5th Armored brewing up a pot of tea on that thing! I've been looking for one of the "pocket stoves." eBay? eOuch!! I'd like to just say, for the record, that roadside cooking is still alive and well. This summer I took a 10 day driving trip to Wyoming with very little cash. Well, I should say what cash we had was eaten up by gas!! We started out with a few camping meals, jam and jerky. Along the way we would pick up bread and fruits. Finally after 5 days I said "enough" and demanded a hot meal. We got a small "disposable" grill from K-Mart and cooked up dinner on the side of the road by the bison preserve. It could have been torture, trying to shield that thing from the wind at 1 in the morning, but watching planes come over the Tetons lit up by the full moon made things romantic and magical. Maybe in 50 years, those shots will show up on Shorpy! Roadside foodI remember stopping along side the road in Utah, Nevada, Colorado and many other states on our road trips. We had NO money, so we stopped at local stores and bought bologna, bread, chips and fruit. I still remember this after all these years. A trip to fast food would have been long forgotten. A side-of-the-road picnic? It's is branded indelibly in my brain!!! They're everywhereAhhh, the ubiquitous ol' Coleman stove. I think Lewis and Clark had one too. Juniper SpringsJuniper Springs will not be too cold to visit at about 83F, today at least. I may just take the 29 mile drive out there to see if any other Shorpies are there! But back to the Coleman stove -- they can also be quite dangerous or upsetting. I once got one as the #1 Christmas present for a previous spouse. Wrong move. GuessCan't say exactly why, but if I had to guess I'd put them somewhere in Northern Minnesota. Something about that dwelling in the background looks Range-Finnish. I would love to do a family vacation like this someday. Sad to say, but who has the time for a leisurely Americana road trip? Guess it's time you have to make. Our trips to CanadaWe did exactly the same thing on our trips to Canada to visit my aunt. I remember the food tasted wonderful. Manifold menuI'm still surprised to find that people eat out 3 meals a day while traveling. No wonder so many are so deep in debt, so addicted to credit cards. It's easy enough to find a rest area or city park to eat lunch. The TV tells us that the world is dangerous, but I've found most places are fairly friendly. At worst, they just leave you alone. I still have the green Coleman stove, but I never did like the darn things. We have a small propane stove that doubles as a heater. We don't spend every night in a motel when we travel, either. A tent packs up pretty easy in the car. Now, for true road-food, you take a piece of meat, some cut-up potatoes, onions, and carrots, a little oil, salt and pepper, wrap it up in foil, and lay it on your engine to cook while you drive. When you get hungry, you have a hot meal ready to go. Or is that just an intermountain western US concept? Great photo -- looks like a fun trip. Road trip!I'm 23 and plenty of my friends go on road trips and we rarely stop for fast food. When we got to our major destination this summer, we cooked a 12 pound turkey over a fire. It was magical and cooked perfectly. I think I might be in the minority here, but when I have kids, we're totally road tripping and cooking for ourselves. CookingMy buddy used to do that on backpacking trips. Before starting up the hill he would stop and buy meat and vegs and had a little spice kit in his backpack. We'd build a fire once camp was set up and he'd wrap everything in foil and through it in the coals! I must say it was very da kine!!! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation)
Family Road Trip: c. 1955
... year of the car. The year must be around 1955, and the motel is probably in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont, but it could also be in ... and TV shows. Nash "Twin Beds" Why rent a motel room when your car IS a motel room? Re: Car ID Thanks! I think ... 
 
Posted by Elizabeth Thomsen - 02/03/2011 - 6:50am -

My sister and mother and me on a family road trip in our beautiful black Nash. I loved that car, and thought it was incredibly elegant. I still do. I'm hoping that someone can identify the specific model and year of the car. The year must be around 1955, and the motel is probably in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont, but it could also be in New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Scanned from a slide taken by my father, Oseo Peter Balestracci. View full size. Nash police carsIt is a beauty, but paint the doors white on it and it could take its place with all the other Nash police cars in zillions of 1950s movies and TV shows. Nash "Twin Beds"Why rent a motel room when your car IS a motel room? Re: Car IDThanks! I think you're right. Zooming in on the original scan, it looks like the second word on the back of the car is Super. Definitely starts with an S, anyway. I don't think we have any other photographs of this car. I wish I had a complete set of photographs of family cars, complete with identification. I know my father particularly loved this car, but I don't know why, or when he bought it, or how he chose it. Nash "Twin Beds"Love the photo of the Nash as bedroom! Our parents never used the bed feature on the road, but they used to let my sister and me sleep in the car with our cousin Christine when her family came to visit. We thought that was a great treat, and stayed up late telling stories to each other. Roadside MotelsSplendid shot. Your car looks to be in great shape for being 5 years old. This motel looks so similar to the places my family would stop at for the night,way back when. Black and white TV, perhaps a pool, and little old me was good to go! We would have a nice coffee shop dinner, usually located close by to the room. Then, back to the room for some telly, a bit of reading, and then lights out. I was just jazzed to be sleeping in a different bed! If we were lucky, there was the Magic Fingers. Thanks for sharing. Car IDThat's a 1949 Nash Super, I believe. Super SpecialNo doubt it's a 1949 Nash Ambassador Super Special. Beautiful car. Pre '51 for sureThe '51 Nash still had the "bathtub" design but had small fins in which the taillights were mounted so this is a pre '51 for sure. Nice car! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Fantasyland: 1963
... it the rest of the way, including seeing the Teepee Motel. Drove from Moose Jaw to Los Angeles (2200 miles) in the early ... bus to Los Angeles, then to Anaheim. We stayed in a motel just a few blocks from the entrance to Disneyland, and I remember that ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/23/2011 - 2:19am -

Kennedy-era folks at Disneyland in Kodachrome. Should I go on here about how thoroughly obsessed I was with Disneyland in the 1960s? At first I ached to go there just to drive the Autopia cars. The real fixation started after my first visit in 1960. It was like another world -- actually, a multitude of other worlds, all of them ones I'd rather live in. That being not quite possible, I settled for the next best thing: bring it into my real life. I organized the hundreds of color slides I took into elaborate shows with music and even printed programs. I drew and painted Disneyland artwork. I dubbed my cactus garden "The Living Desert" and tape-recorded a narration for walks through it. I built my own Storybook Land in one corner of our garden, and a diorama in the basement. I insisted we start having our Sunday dinners in the dining room so I could wheel the TV set around in order to watch The Wonderful World of Color -- in black-and-white. I sent an inquiry about employment in the park, but they weren't hiring teenagers who lived 400 miles away. Even now I think I'd really like to live there, or at least the one of the 50s and 60s. Must be a Peter Pan complex. View full size. Have you seen Daveland or Gorillas?If you haven't, you need to visit Daveland and Gorillas as they are chock full of thousands (yes, thousands) of color vintage Disneyland slides and, between the hosts and commentators, know pretty much everything you could imagine and more about the singular cultural gem that was/is Disneyland. You'd be most welcome to comment and share your pics at either one. FantasticIt's easy to understand an obsession with such a magical place. Disney did an incredible job of touching on that spirit of the imagination in all of us. Love DisneylandWalt was one of the most creative people in the entertainment business of the 20th century IMO. He simply did things that he found enjoyable or exciting and everyone else came along for the ride. Stirring MemoriesI love that teacup with the gent in the suit and tie and girls in what look like gowns. Pretty classy tea party going on in there! My parents moved to Orange County in 1960 and lived right across the road from Disneyland. Dad was a Navy doctor stationed with the 8th Marine air wing at El Toro. They've said that some evenings Disneyland would host a sort of "Adults Night" showcasing a popular band or singer and staying open late; they could just cross the road to attend. I'm pretty sure there are some Kodachrome slides at home that include a few shots from one of those events; a Tony Bennett concert, if I remember correctly! Disney was a master of illusionWhat a job they did with the original Disneyland. It quickly made you forget you were in Anaheim; in fact, I don't think you could even see the outside world from the original park. And they were so lucky that a small Matterhorn just happened to be on the property! Heh heh. We met Walt!On our first visit to Disneyland during the summer of 1955 we were waiting at the Main Street train station for our first ride of the day inside the brand new park. As the train arrived in to pick up passengers, off stepped Walt Disney to welcome my older brother, 12, and me, 8. He bent down to our level and kindly asked us how we liked Disneyland. My mom quickly said to ask for his autograph, but he smiled and said he was on his way to an appointment and had to rush to get there. We were in absolute awe, and for us it truly was the happiest place on earth that long ago day. Tterrace is absolutely right. Disney obsessionBack in the day my parents would get me magazines at the Gulf gas station with fill up. A good many of them had info on Disneyland and the soon to be Disneyworld. I read those things obsessively and noticed that they would end up near my father's recliner on occasion. Well the minute Disneyworld opened we made the trip. The sod was still brown in sections where it didn't take. By then I was a sullen teen totally embarrassed to be with my parents. Hardly remember a thing. Went back about 1990 with a co-worker and had a ball, being the kid I should have been in the 70's. Taking the kids and grandkid in a couple of weeks. Wish I could take a friend my age to be silly with instead of a responsible mom and grandmom. We went in '64We visited in late summer around this time of year in 1964. My dad was going to take a job out there so we all went and stayed while all the job and house details were looked into. I remember some things (like the submarine) but not teacups. I do know we stayed all day -- ages 10 (me), 6 and 1. I respect my folks a lot more these days for the effort, and for the week-plus long journey from the Jersey shore to SoCal. We picked up Route 66 at St. Louis (I remember that) and traveled it the rest of the way, including seeing the Teepee Motel. Drove from Moose Jawto Los Angeles (2200 miles) in the early '60s and they were still building it, no one told us it was not finished yet, good time though. [Disneyland was finished when it opened in 1955. A $6 million expansion was begun in 1960. - Dave] Great memories.Our family took the train from South Bend, Indiana, to SoCal in June of 1963, and Disneyland was of course one of the featured places for us to visit (I was 11, and my sister 15). I had my first cheapo camera (127 film?), and my parents shot with their 616 format cameras -- all b&w. Seeing this great tterrace shot brings back fantastic images in my mind. The train trip took us over 40 hrs. to get there (no compartment, just recliner chairs and lousy food; thanks Santa Fe!). Dad decided to cash in the return train tickets and purchase our fare back via United Air Lines, and saved over 37 hours of traveling! Teacup twirlI love the girl's long ponytail swinging out of the teacup on the left. This is the kind of scene that Kodachrome was made for! I've never been to Disneyland, but grew up in Orlando when Disney World had just opened and was very affordable (unlike today) - we went as a family on weekends fairly regularly. Mr. Toad's Wild RideMr. Toad's Wild Ride is still there although a bit different. The ride in the '63 tterrace photo was closed down in 1982 for renovations, and here's the finished product. My kids are jealous!They have yet, at 18 and 19, to go to Dinseyland. Tterrace, you have scored with another great shot! A movieBwayne! What a fun movie that trip could be! Cable CarsYou will note in the upper right hand corner the bottom of one of the gondolas of the cable car ride that went across the park. I remember gliding over the Teacup ride and seeing some poor kid barf up, in a 360 degree spray, what looked like a large Coke, a bag of popcorn and a chili dog - at least that's what I had for lunch that day. God Bless KodachromeIn 2009 and 2010, knowing the demise of Kodachrome was near, I shot many rolls of my kids at Disneyland, at the beach, with their grandparents, etc., using that film. Digital has many advantages, but the particular color mix and grain of Kodachrome (and the slightly rounded images from the slide mount), evoke a powerful sense of American family life in the mid-20th century. Not BostonSo this is where all that Tea Party stuff started! My first visit to DisneylandMy first visit to Disneyland was in 1959, when I was 8 years old. My mom and I took the train from Richmond CA to Bakersfield, where we got the Santa Fe Trailways connecting bus to Los Angeles, then to Anaheim. We stayed in a motel just a few blocks from the entrance to Disneyland, and I remember that relatively short walk very clearly - it was ALL orange groves, on both sides of the street, from the motel to the gates of Disneyland! My favorite attraction was Tom Sawyer's Island, where my cousin and I ran around like idiots, probably much to the adults' relief! The submarines were brand new that year. I remember I did NOT ride the Matterhorn, but my Mom did and she loved it! I made my fifth trip to Disneyland last April, on my 60th birthday. It was still great fun, but WOW was it expensive! I told a clerk it was my birthday when I bought a new set of ears, and she gave me a pin to wear. I was amazed when EVERY employee who saw me with the pin said "Happy Birthday, Ken" to me! Somewhere I have an Ektachrome slide I took in 1970 with my new Hasselblad. We were the last to leave the park, and I set the camera on the ground in Main Street for a long exposure of the street cleaners pushing brooms toward us. If I find it again, I will post it here! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
E Ticket Frenzy: 1963
... from same people who printed those free postcards of the motel available from the rack on the check-in counter. Eventually, the ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/06/2019 - 12:19pm -

That's my brother at the right, just teleported in from The Land of Grayscale, beholding The Wonderful World of Color, where even garments have hues. Actually, he's making a fashion statement, otherwise it would be a black tie with a white shirt. If you don't know that, you don't know the early 60s. Captured on Montgomery Ward slide film, specially formulated to make your vacation memories look like they came from same people who printed those free postcards of the motel available from the rack on the check-in counter. Eventually, the little boys in tee shirts and shorts grew up to spawn an entire generation of grown men who go around everywhere dressed like that. I assume everybody knows it's Disneyland. August 1963. View full size. Private partyMy wife & I were early computer nerds with the U of C at San Diego about this time. Digital Equipment Co. had its computer user group meetings in Anaheim once a year and rented the entire park. We were all techies and drove the ride operators crazy analyzing the technology and snooping behind the scenes. Aunt PolyThe woman in the middle with the red hair looks just like my aunt did back then, since they lived about 4 miles from Disneyland and went quite often, it very well could be her! Tiki Tiki!The Tiki Room still exists, "under new managment." That irritating cartoon bird from "Aladdin" took over as emcee. Just saw the show last month. Despite the new additions, the whole experience is still extremely charming. Skirt FanI always rather liked girls in dresses. Of course I'd have been 22 in '63, so I remember it. It's Totally an E-Ticket Ride!Not too long ago i told my husband (12 years my junior and born in 1972) that his driving was like an "E" ticket ride. I had to explain it and felt very old at that point. My folks still have a stack of A-E ticket coupons stored away. (For those that don't know - "E" Tickets were for the very best and fun rides at Disneyland) Frank Zappa comment on the Land of Grayscale"Brown shoes don't make it." Disney TicketsI think I still have some around, mainly A and B types. Gifts from an adult neighbour who went to "the happiest place on earth" to a kid who wanted them for when he went -- but after 45 years still hasn't made it. Land of GrayscaleWould the capitol be Monochromacity? Maybe a bit of Brylcreem also... to complement the gray and white. 1963 was a gray and white year. How else could artists like Nino Temple and April Stevens make the Top 40? Great photo, great comments. The land of Grayscale? Funny! Are we there yet?Three days, 22 hours of driving, 1600 miles, we get to Disneyland, and they were still building Frontierland, I wonder if we could still get a discount today? Barker BirdAlways nice to see a photo featuring the barker bird beckoning visitors to spring for the (nominal) extra admission expense required to visit Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in 1963. Seems that your brother and several other people are transfixed by Juan's pitch (as voiced by the multi-talented Wally Boag). Good stuff. Thanks! New managementThe whole "new management" abomination is only at Diney World. Thankfully, the Disneyland version is still largely unchanged from Walt's day (except for having one instrumental number pulled from the show). The Dole Whips are delicious! No more "E" TicketsI too remember "E" Tickets at Disney World from the 70s. However, upon my recent return with my grandkids, I was surprised to see that neither "E" Tickets nor any other kind still exist these days. You pay one flat admission fee and you're on your own for the attractions. Of course some attractions still have longer waiting lines -- the ones we knew as the old "E"ticket rides! One time-saving aspect is that you can make up to two "instant" timed attraction reservations daily to let you get on a "short line" and bypass all others. Keen insight"Eventually, the little boys in tee shirts and shorts grew up to spawn an entire generation of grown men who go around everywhere dressed like that." I'd never thought of that. The kids of the 60s really did decide they didn't want to grow up. So that's how we got Casual Fridays and then Casual Workplace and Casual Church and finally Casual Weddings and Casual Funerals... Where we stayedWhen our family went in the early '60s, we stayed at the Inn of Tomorrow in Anaheim, which had a "futuristic and outer-space theme" and we were all fascinated and quite taken with the translucent green glass balls (about cantaloupe sized) mounted on all the exterior stair handrails and all along the second level columns. I was told they had to be removed permanently early on because people kept stealing them under cover of darkness. They were quite hypnotic but apparently everybody wanted one as a souvenir and it became too costly. Watch those snacksThis picture provides an excellent basis for studying the fattening of America over the last 50 years. There is not an obese person to be found. Polly Want a Tourist?Several of the kids, and even Older Brother, seem fixated on something above left -- the Parrot? Since the sign at extreme left is announcing the Tiki Room, I imagine it was a talking parrot! (For those too young, the Tiki Room was a roofed garden with dozens of animatronic talking birds) Freezeout At DisneyI was thrown out of Disneyland in about 1966 for having long hair. Actually I was turned around and sent back to the parking lot by a rather large gentleman wearing mouse ears and a sidearm. A Disney goon, if you will. Having related my personal Disney memory I have to say: Another great shot, TTerrace, thanks. Adventureland today. Although it looks similar to the original, most everything has been replaced. I had to up the saturation on this shot, as it wasn't up to par with the old film version. The sky is not as blue as it once was... ProgressHear, hear, Uncle Scrooge! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation, tterrapix)
Billy Sunday Tabernacle: 1918
... There it is! The honest to god, original Tourist Motel! And to think, it all started because of Billy Sunday... Well, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 6:38pm -

January 1918. Washington, D.C. "Billy Sunday tabernacle." A temporary meeting hall built near Union Station for a three-month series of revival meetings held by the famous evangelist. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Streetcars!According to an article in The Post this week, streetcars are about to return to DC after a 50-year absence. There it is!The honest to god, original Tourist Motel! And to think, it all started because of Billy Sunday... Well, probably not, but I love the hotel name. Photographer's Vantage PointThe photographer's vantage point seems to be from an upper level window or the roof at the SE corner of the Union Station building. The view is looking south with First Street NE extending in the distance towards the Library of Congress dome. What a weird structureAnd it looks like someone's been snowboarding off the roof. Not seen in this photois a temporary wall of separation between church and state. Switch TowerCan anybody identify the function of the elevated tower at the front left of the photo? I'm guessing that it might house the controls for the switches on the trolley car tracks. That might also explain the semaphore like device sticking out of the roof. [That "semaphore" is a street sign on the lamppost near the horse. The switch tower is described in the comments under this photo. - Dave] Popular EvangelistBilly Sunday, born in poverty and raised in an orphanage, was a magnetic personality who, after playing professional baseball in the 1880s, became one of the most popular Bible-thumping evangelists of his time. He was a large cog in the wheel that foisted Prohibition on America. Unlike many of his peers, before and since, Billy seems not to have had feet of clay. Outfielder Billy SundayHow many knew that, in his 20s, the legendary Rev. Billy Sunday (1862-1935) spent 8 years as a big league outfielder with Chicago, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the National League? Could it have been his .248 career batting average that inspired him to give up his baseball career for a higher calling? Out-of-townerAnybody know what that big dome-y structure up on the hill is? (You can have them ring me at my rooms in The Tourist.) IncendiaryI'll bet the D.C. fire marshal held his breath for 3 months. The Ghostly Horse And WagonThe horse and wagon to the extreme right look like true ghosts to me. They're very faint and I can see what looks like the entire curb behind them. They do cast shadows so I'm not calling on the supernatural to explain it yet. I've never seen such large moving objects look so ghostly with such sharp outlines. As an aside, there is an almost invisible bicyclist who is also casting a shadow midway between the trolleys. Clean snow!By the number of wheel tracks in the snow, you can tell it's been on the ground awhile. With that in mind, it's nice to see WHITE snow. Those were the days of clean air. [The air of 1918 was considerably dirtier than it is now. Coal soot. - Dave] Who was the evangelist ?Billy Graham is the only one named Billy that I ever knew but he was born in 1918 so not likely to have preached the same year. Which "Billy" was speaking here ?? [Billy Sunday. Like it says in the title and the caption. - Dave] Thanks Dave, I thought it meant that it was on a Sunday and since it is a tabernacle it is normal to think that. But thanks for answering. [Aha! You're welcome. - Dave] Urban and Spiritual RenewalDuring the early-century maneuvering over how to memorialize Lincoln, one of the sites considered was this general area, which was a slum between Capitol Hill and Union Station. The Lincoln Memorial was going to go up elsewhere, but it appears that a way was found to clear out the slums and simultaneously promote righteousness. Eloquent, at times Washington Post, May 25, 1889 Billy Sunday as a Revivalist Billy Sunday, the clever right-fielder of the Pittsburg club, doffed his baseball uniform and made his first appearance in this city in the role of a revivalist, at the Central Union Mission last night. The hall was pretty well filled, and a great many came in while he was speaking. None of the members of either the Pittsburg or Washington clubs were present. After a service of song and a prayer by Mr. Sunday, he selected a text from the first chapter of John, fourth and fifth verses. The short sermon which followed was replete with interest, forcibly and, at times, eloquently given. He closed with a short prayer. Washington Post, Nov 6, 1917 Ground is Broken for Tabernacle Ground was broken in front of the Union Station plaza yesterday for the tabernacle which is to house the Billy Sunday revival here in January. The actual turning of the sod was performed by John C. Letts, chairman of the Sunday campaign committee. Post-master M.O. Chance presided. The ceremony took place under one of the big Union Station flags at 12:15 o'clock p.m. in the presence of several hundred people who stood with bared heads until the exercises were completed. The Rev. Charles Wood, pastor of the Church of the Covenant, and the Rev. James Gordon, of the First Congregational Church, delivered the prayers. Dr. James E. Walker, representing Billy Sunday, in his address said that Sunday comes to Washington to preach the simple word of God. "Not Mr. Sunday, but Washington is on trial," he concluded. The permit to erect the tabernacle bears the signatures of Champ Clark, Vice President Marshall, and Supt. E.H. Woods, of the Capitol. Another Billy Sunday referenceChicago, Chicago that toddling town Chicago, Chicago I will show you around - I love it Bet your bottom dollar you lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down BrrrThe winter of 1917-18 was one of the coldest and snowiest of the 20th century. Many cold records were set that remain unbroken 90 years later. http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=637 Room at the TouristWell, you can stay there, but I'm booking a room at the Hotel Wilmat, they have 'ROOMS' (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads, Streetcars)
Pie Town Garage: 1940
... was never in the men's side!) It was a few yards from the "Motel" that had 4 or 5 small one-room cabins, and it served as the bathroom for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2009 - 3:27am -

Filling station and garage at Pie Town, New Mexico. Photograph by Russell Lee. September 1940. View full size. "Original owner sold pies, hence the name 'Pie Town.'" Wikipedia says that person was Clyde Norman, who started a dehydrated apple business there in the 1920s. Pie Town hosts a Pie Festival in the fall; photographer Lee took dozens of pictures of the 1940 rodeo and barbecue, which we'll be posting. Here we can see details of the the 1940 fair, and that gas was 21 cents a gallon. (Goodbye everyone, I'm moving to Pie Town - Dave) inflation21 cents in 1940 is the equivalent of $3.05 today. gas wasn't really that cheap. Pie TownWhen you get there, be sure to check out the apple, pine nut & green chile pie -- it rules! Pie TownI will! What can you tell us about Pie Town? Is that the originalIs that the original picture? It seems the color are stranges. Like an afterward colored photo. ColorYes, original. Kodachrome transparency. Pie Town was a very colorful place. Pie TownI remember reading in Place Names of New Mexico that when a postal inspector came to establish a post office it was up to Norman to pick an official name. He wanted the place to be called Pie Town. When the postal inspector suggested something more traditional . . . maybe even name the place Norman after himself, legend has it that Norman said: "It's going to be Pie Town or you can take your post office and go to hell." Pie TownGood for Clyde. It's certainly a better name than Dehydrated Apple Town. Who doesn't love delicious pie? There was an interesting article about Pie Town photographer Russell Lee a couple of years ago in Smithsonian magazine, called Savoring Pie Town. Pie TownWe were really bummed one day when we got to Pie Town, there wasn't any place there to buy pies... oh well. A Remembrance of Things PastryIt's a cruel thing to be anticipating pie and then encounter a pie-denial situation. I would've been all set for pie. Delicious pie. Blueberry. Apple. Cherry. They're all good. I think it was actually 20 cents ...If you look closely, the gas was 14 cents, the taxes were 6 cents-- a whopping 43% of the price -- making the price 20 cents... [20 or 21? - see comment below] Standard Oil Credit CardsThe round sign between the two gas pumps appears to say "Standard Oil Credit Cards Good Here". I did not realize that credit cards existed in 1940. Not too much before my time but I sure don't remember them. Must be because we were too poor to have one or too smart! 21 centsIf you look even closer you'll see that 21 cents is correct. The price per gallon is 14 and 9/10 cents - Dave Pie TownThe green chili, pinon (pine nut) and apple pie is served at the Daily Pie Cafe. www.dailypie.com. They are closed on Sun and Mon, and open until 3pm the rest of the week, so get there early. It's well worth the trip. Pie TownThanks Dave--The pictures I have are some personal family pictures and the photos done by Russell Lee, which I see you have access to. Incidentally, when Russell Lee came there, he took a room in the "hotel." He hung sheets and blankets over the windows in his room where he developed his own photos. My Dad said Russell didn't want people to know what he was doing, and was so 'secretive' that they all thought he was a German spy! Great pictures!Pie Town is one of the many and strange places along highway 60 running through New Mexico and Arizona. I'd always wondered about how it got its name. Thanks! Pie Town GarageAll the buildings in Pie Town were red, white and blue. Even the public privy (toilet) was red white and blue! It was a small building, divided in half, with an outside door to both sides. It sat on a little hill, so it didn't need to have a pit dug for it. The ladies half was a 3 or 4-holer as I recall, and always had several Sears Roebuck catalogs handy! (I was never in the men's side!) It was a few yards from the "Motel" that had 4 or 5 small one-room cabins, and it served as the bathroom for all!! It seems the town needed paint, and Standard Oil said they would donate it if the town painted in their colors--hence the red white and blue. This garage building burned sometime in the early or middle 40's. Pie Town was a good place to grow up. KR [Thanks very much for sharing, KR! And if you have any old Pie Town photos we'd love to see them. - Dave] Standard Oil & Pie TownBecause of the story about the sponsoring of Pie Town's painting by Standard Oil, I realised the gasoline brand should be Standard Oil. After some investigation I found the logo on a 1940 Idaho roadmap: [It seems the link is broken after so many years, but I found a neon version of it] Pie TownBest 20 years of my life were in Pie Town. The weather was great when we were kids. Always had snow in the winter. We would take the bus 22 miles to school. My grandparents had a cafe and gas station in the early 1960's. Best pie ever. I live in Memphis now, going on 22 years. My dad & uncle Pete went to school north of town in Tres Lagunas in a log building, about seven miles away, in the 1940's. Prices still going upAs of the end of 2010, the original 0.149 per gallon (plus 6 cent tax) would translate into $2.26 per gallon (plus 97 cents tax) for a grand total of $3.23 per gallon. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pie Town, Russell Lee)
Auto-Campers: 1920
... of the '40s and '50s and culminate in the motor hotel, or "motel." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. About that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2013 - 9:37am -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1920. "Dr. A.A. Foster and family of Dallas, Texas, in auto tourist camp." A novelty that would evolve into tourist cabins of the 1920s and '30s, the motor courts of the '40s and '50s and culminate in the motor hotel, or "motel." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. About that license plateNice illustration of the first state-issued Texas license plate and registration plate in action. State-issued Texas plates were introduced in 1917, with slightly over 50,000 plates being issued that year. The plates were undated, with the date being on the registration plate [commonly called a "radiator seal", for obvious reasons]. This style of plate, with separate registration seal, continued to be used through 1924. The first dated Texas plates came out in 1925. Great photo of auto camping, which was quite a national fad in the 1920s for those lucky enough to afford it. Lots of folks would do auto camping during the following decade as well, but for altogether different reasons. A great memory of the pastWhen we were young our families used to go to the various roadside rests around the area for a picnic. There were quite a few in our area of Ohio. As years went by and the advent of 4 lanes, the roadside rests were closed and abandoned. Some of them had the best drinking water I have ever had. Winnebago,The early years. Give it ten years or so.They will be doing the same thing, only it won't be for fun. Deep in the HeartI am curious why anyone would ID this as being in the Washington DC area when the vehicle clearly has a 1920 Texas license plate, and some kind of Texas permit (possibly for its use as a camper) on its radiator. [A big hint is the term "tourist camp." Harris & Ewing was a commercial photography studio located in Washington, D.C. -tterrace] Chandelier He's even got an outside lamp for late night dining. In 1920Any trip from Texas up to the Washington area would have been a grand adventure. Imagine the type of roads that poor car had to use. Brave souls. Lamsteed KampkarOne of the first RV's, a Lamsteed Kampkar. Designed in 1915 by Samuel Lambert of Listerine fame... later built by Anheuser-Busch. Described in the book Mobile Mansions Motor Touring in 1923In 1923 my grandmother, aunt, mother and a friend just back from being a missionary in Liberia (4 women), took a motor trip from Washington, DC, to Maine and back. They camped each night, usually in farmer's fields. They were avid photographers and I should post a picture or two on Shorpy. Dadlooks to be a rather jolly ol type of fella doesn't he. Clear the Bridge!He must have gotten that Klaxon from navy surplus. Re: DadWhile Mom, on the other hand, looks a little tired of it all. Car campingThey've essentially turned their car into an RV. Plunk that RV down in a more scenic piece of land and it screams national park to me -- a campground. Car camping. Meet the FostersAfter much squinting and Photoshopping I was able to decipher the writing along the bottom of the plate. Caption updated to reflect this. "Dr. A.A. Foster and family of Dallas Tex." Also seen here. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!"Oh, there's nothing like the posh, posh traveling life for me!" -- From the film, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" 1920 Census RecordsFound the family! From familysearch.org 1920 Census Records - Dallas, TX Allan A Foster (M) - born in Tennessee 1886 - 34 years old Jessie W Foster (F) - born in Texas - 34 years old Beula Belle Foster (F) - born in Texas - 8 years old Allan A Foster (M) - born in Texas - 7 years old Thomas K Foster (M) - born in Texas - 2 years 6 months old Household ID: 83 Sheet No.: 4 GS Film No.: 1821791 Digital Folder No.: 4391480 Image No.: 00741 More on the Foster familyIn the 1930 census, the family was in Pasadena, California. The parents, Allan (spelled Allen) and Jessie, are both 46. The children are Beulah, age 18, Allan, age 17, and Thomas, age 12. In the 1940 census, the Foster family is still in Pasadena. Son Thomas, at age 22, is still living with his parents. There is also a daughter-in-law, Theresa Foster, age 25, living there, who I assume was Thomas's wife. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Bethlehem: 1935
... would stay in Bethlehem in a restored older hotel (not motel). We all thought what a quaint, peaceful town. Obviously nothing like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2009 - 12:39pm -

November 1935. "View of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Washday GraysIt must be Monday because of the amount of laundry hanging out here and there, even in November. Looks like a nice town to live in. It even has a convenient cemetery on the hillside -- puts me in mind of Grover's Corner. O Little TownMill houses and churches - hard-working and God-fearing Americans. Count the ChurchesI live in Bethlehem, though I'm not a native. This is a view of South Bethlehem looking north and a bit east. What strikes me about this photo is that there are four churches so close together. Religion and the church had a much diferent meaning back then. AdvertisingAs opposed to most other cities this size, I can only spot two ads: One political and the wall for Mail Pouch Tobacco. Hillside & SelfridgeI grew up in the next city east of Bethlehem, but now live in Washington, D.C. This photograph was taken at the corner of Hillside Avenue and Selfridge Street on the city's South Side, looking northeast toward Bethlehem Steel's massive Bethlehem plant. In any event, Bethlehem wasn't just steel! One thing I notice about the housing stock back home is the abundance of slate roofs. For many years, up to the 1960s, almost all houses in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas of Northampton County sported them. Northampton County was the leading producer of slate in the United States. In fact, it is not uncommon to see slate-roofed ranch houses in 1950s subdivisions, or slate shingle siding on some older farm houses. As far as the churches in close are concerned, these were founded as ethnic Catholic parishes during the immigration waves of the late 19th century. In late 2008 the Diocese of Allentown made a controversial decision to consolidate parishes. Consequently, St. John Capistrano, the church with the stone spire, St. Stanilaus, the church immediately to the right, and Our Lady of Pompeii, whose cross can be see to the left of St. John under the wires, were all closed after being combined with another church just out of frame to the left. 623 BuchananThe house at the bottom of the street is 623 Buchanan and if you look it up on zillow.com you can see a bird's eye view of the house since there is no Google street view. It looks like its a duplex because one half is a different color--roof too! I was surprised at how many of the houses in this photograph are still standing and identifiable Paris, It Ain't!H.L. Mencken once commented on the extraordinary ugliness of Pennsylvania coal and steel towns, and here we see what he was talking about. Obviously a "company town," with only two or three house designs reproduced over and over again. For example, the one with the two cupolas, in the center, and its exact twin on the right. Oh well, at least they had good healthy fresh air (cough, cough, hack ... ) Step InThis photo just invites you to step in and start walking down that hill. You can smell the boxwoods and the wooden porches. Not so obviousThis was never a company town. The town of Bethlehem was founded in 1741. Bethlehem Steel was founded in 1857 and took the name of the town. Allentown - Bethlehem - EastonLaying over at the ABE airport, I and my crew would stay in Bethlehem in a restored older hotel (not motel). We all thought what a quaint, peaceful town. Obviously nothing like during the days when our American steel industry was in full production. In the evening retirees, hand in hand, would come out for a stroll gathering on some of the many benches around town. It’s hard to believe this was the same place pictured on your site. Also, come Christmas, what better place to be stuck if you’re unlucky enough not to be home with your family. Varied ResponsesInteresting that some find this view unattractive and others see charm. I count myself in the latter camp, and find the steep grade of the street and the vintage architecture very appealing. Bethlehem MusikfestJust a few blocks from here is the site of Bethlehem's Musikfest. A nine-day festival that's enjoyed by over a million people every August. My Hometown!Bethlehem as a physical city hasn't changed a whole lot since this shot. The abandoned steel works are being torn down (mostly), and a casino (!) is opening. Also talk of a museum of industry, possibly affiliated with the Smithsonian. Christmas in BethlehemMy grandparents lived in Allentown, and we had other relatives in Bethlehem for years. One of them lived only a couple streets west of the location shown in this photo. I've spent Christmas in Bethlehem several times. The Christmas Eve service at the Moravian Church is always a moving experience. I just love the town. No "My Space"As to the discussion of Charm vs Unattractive, perhaps it's because I live in a small, rural town, but this scenery leaves me claustrophobic. There's no space between the houses. Everyone is living on top of each other. There's no yard big enough for kids to play in. Not unless you count that scrubby lot the center house sits in. Speaking of which, if I lived in that center house I would be praying every day that my neighbor's parking brake worked. Everyone's right!As a South Bethlehem native, I can assure you-- Bethlehem may have been founded in 1741 by missionaries, but the city they built is very much the part of Bethlehem that's on the north side of the Lehigh. South Bethlehem-- the steel plant and all the residential areas that grew up around it-- are just as much a former company town as downtown is a quaint historic area; they may be halves of the same city but there's a very clear difference between them. To those claiming claustrophobia, I'd also like to say-- it may not be clear in this photo, but despite the odd tight angles of the streets in South Bethlehem the houses really have some pretty generous back yards. (The Gallery, Walker Evans)
Splash: 1906
... what's there today. Plate glass windows and boxy bland motel schlock. WHY, why, why does America have such a devotion to tearing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:25pm -

New Jersey circa 1906. "Bathers, Atlantic City." At right is the Hotel Traymore. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Grumpy Not-So-Old Man?That guy with the all black suit and dark curly hair in the lower left corner could be a young Walter Matthou! Quite the Fit LotIt would be interesting to see a photo, perhaps taken from the same vantage point, today. I would like to compare the body shapes of 1906 with those of today. The building in the backgroundwas still there in 1977. Interesting experimentI think it would be interesting to take a picture like this on a beach today and compare the differences in the people's reaction to the camera man. There is an awkwardness from the beach goers here that lends itself to the idea of photography being a relatively new technology; or at least the camera as a candid time capsule. I imagine the reaction, or lack of would be quite different. I particularly love the little kid in the lower right that is either "shooting" the camera or mimicking the camera man. Many people seem to be stopping conversation to look over as the picture is being taken, as if they were just rudely interrupted. If anything else, I'm sure the beach attire would be quite a comparison. Women without hose!I've been carefully studying all these 100 year old Jersey shore photos and have been so amazed at how all the women are wearing black hose. It must have been so uncomfortable! In this photo, on the far left (our right) are two women with bare legs. Had they just taken their wet & sandy stockings off? Amazing beach architectureAstonishing architecture! Those towers and balconies are fascinating. never seen anything like them. I can just imagine what's there today. Plate glass windows and boxy bland motel schlock. WHY, why, why does America have such a devotion to tearing down every building once it gets to be 75 years old? [The Atlantic City hotels were razed because they went bankrupt (blame the invention of the jet airplane) or burned down. Below, the Hotel Traymore circa 1930. Demolished 1972. - Dave] Click to enlarge. Every Picture Tells a StoryIn this instance, a story of thinly veiled aggression interspersed with good-natured fun. Ninja alertPlus la change... You lookin at me?The "foot as hand" guy at left looks like he's saying "Heyyy ... I got yer photograph RIGHT HERE." Another funny thing about this picture is the guy on the sand walking along fully dressed in a business suit and shoes. Barnham AttractionHurry! Hurry! Step up and see boy with foot for hand! [P.T. Barnham, I'd like you to meet Walter Matthou. - Dave] The tyranny of monochromeI do not believe for ten minutes that that the people of 100+ years ago went around dressed in lots of black. I suspect the midi-dress style beach clothes were navy, and that what we see as black parasols and black stockings may have been red sometimes. But there is no mistaking that horizontal stripes were the fashion trend of 1906 beachwear. Not one vertical stripe, floral, or plaid in the bunch. Demolished!At 2:01 in this trailer for the movie "Atlantic City" you can see the demolition of the Hotel Traymore. ZombielandSecond kid from the left in the front was a future cast member of Dawn of the Dead. He even positioned his arm perfectly to overlap with the leg and foot of the gent behind him. Creepy. Un dimanche après-midiA few of those women with parasols thought it was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. (I wonder if that kid is smoking a Helmar Cigarette.) Pardon me, Miss.If you could go back into that photo and ask one question, what would it be? For me, I'd go up to some of the women and say "Why are you wearing a dress on the beach"? Was it prudery, or perhaps they knew about the dangers of the sun and were trying to prevent skin damage. I believe back then, a suntan didn't have the status of today. The "lower" class who worked in the fields had the tans. The beach was more a place for the well to do to be seen, despite the dangers of the sun. Of course, Hollywood would eventually change the image of a suntan from low class to sexy status symbol. T-shirtsI hadn't realised T-shirts were that old, especially the one on the boy at the front with 'Gold' on it, it could have been bought today. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
London Lodge: 1959
... with the London Lodge. It was the government contracted motel for those joining the military. The MEPs station was right down the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2015 - 8:13pm -

Oakland circa 1959. "Crash at London Lodge." Somewhat to the west of Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. Who can identify the diminutive foreigner? 4x5 negative from the News Archive. View full size. Vignetting?Why are the edges darkened like the shot was through a tube? [You had the right word for it. -tterrace] ColumboLt. Columbo drove a Borgward convertible throughout the life of the series. [Columbo's car was a Peugeot 403 Cabriolet. -tterrace] BorgwardThe Borgward cars were considered to be rather upscale cars in their time. I wish I had an Isabella myself, especially if it was a convertible. Alas, the private Borgward company was the odd kid from outside and it was killed by a mix of undercapitalization and the reluctance of Big Finance and Local Buddy Politics to give them a chance. So they went into liquidation - and their financial woes had been such that after liquidation and settling of all debts, there was actually money left. Or so the story goes. Incidentially, they started to build Mercs on the old Borgward premises in Bremen afterwards. Go figure. London LodgeAs usual, my fellow Shorpyites have identified the car. I'm continually impressed with the sharp eyes and knowledge. I on the other hand am familiar with the London Lodge. It was the government contracted motel for those joining the military. The MEPs station was right down the street. It was quite a rough area in the late 70s/early 80s. Borgward IsabellaThe car looks very much like a 1958 Borgward Isabella. Made in Bremen, Germany. I remember seeing them as a kid in the San Francisco east bay and well into the late 1970s. GermanThe vehicle is a Borgward Isabella. Not a bad car, tough, but, obviously, not tough enough. A rung up from VW at the time. BorgwardIsabella? Is that you? Crash at London LodgeMaybe it's named after Jack London. [Well, Jack London Square is just five blocks down Broadway. -tterrace] Those tiny "operable" panes in the windows are an early step towards the hermetically sealed lodgings of modern times. "Operable windows", as they are called, is a feature I value more than turn-down service with pillow mints or a coffee maker. Oakland, CARight across the street from the police station now. Different Isabella ModelsThe red Isabella below is a later model 1958 Isabella TS and does not match the Shorpy photo. Introduced in June 1954, the basic Isabella, like the one shown in the Shorpy photo, was made through at least the early part of the 1958 model year. These early models had the Borgward name closer to the door on the front fender. Later model years had the name moved closer to the headlights on the front fender. The broken off Borgward name near the door is clearly visible in the Shorpy photo. The basic Isabella never had the trim and lights on top of the fenders. This trim combination only came with the Isabella TS and Isabella TS Deluxe models. A basic model Isabella is shown in the photo below. Add a Borgward in its eraRiverside International Raceway, January, 1958: A course worker's car seen in the background of Bill Bean's photo of a midget car race on the fabled road course. https://0398ca9.netsolhost.com/rirmidg3.htm (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)
Canary Cafe: 1942
... lodging in the neighborhood. Built as the Triple R Ranch Motel in 1947, it still looks much as it does on this linen postcard, minus the steel archway. Later, as the Triple "A" Motel, it was listed from 1956 to 1961 in the Negro Travelers' Green Book, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/27/2022 - 11:10am -

January 1942. "Roadside stand -- U.S. Highway 80 between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. Root JuicesTook on a different meaning for my brother and I one pleasant summer Sunday in the early fifties. We were visiting my great grandmother and were investigating the root cellar under the house. We chanced upon some brown bottles on a shelf with those old wire bale type reclosable caps. We brought two up to the kitchen where everyone was gathered and asked what was in them. My great-uncle, who was legally blind and lived with Granny, said he had made home made root beer and we could try it. Well it tasted pretty good if a little yeasty. That first bottle tasted like a second one would be just the thing. After waking from a good nap and finding out that my dad, great-uncle and several older cousins had a good laugh at our expense was it revealed that the root beer recipe used included sugar and yeast with predictable results. It all turned out fine. Mum was pretty pissed though. A blinding flash of inspired synergyHmmmm. Lettuce and tomato. Might be a little bland. Bacon and tomato. Something missing. Wait a moment - lettuce, tomato and bacon! It even sounds delicious. After eating, how ‘bout a movieIt looks like “how Green was my Valley “is playing. Wanna catch a movie? Intersection of North Bagley and West Davis Streets, DallasThis commercial building was located at the northwest corner of present-day North Bagley and West Davis Streets in Dallas. The building in the foreground is either completely gone or buried in the current building, but the bungalow in the far background is still standing at the northwest corner of Tillery Avenue and West Davis Street (603 Tillery Avenue). Fishermen's last chanceI'm not sure why there is a sign saying Fishermen's Last Chance. I'm not aware of a place to fish between here and downtown Dallas. I don't know if the two men on the phone pole, far left, are paying attention to Rothstein, but there is someone standing on the ground below them looking directly at him. How green was my carpeting?Perhaps it is my extreme nearsightedness even with eyeglasses, but ... is that grass on the ground in front of the cafe'? If it is grass, why does it look like carpeting? Or ought I just go lie down for awhile? [That's a dirt carpet. - Dave] Life is so peculiarI've seen a number of things in my short lifetime, but I'm fairly sure I've never seen any signage making claims about "real root juices." Every day is a new day. Keeps things interesting. I found a parking spot... but where's the Palace? They're showing "How Green Was My Valley" and it starts in 5 minutes!! Arthur Rothstein arrived too soonI'm struck by the fact that all of these 1942 photos of "US 80 between Dallas and Fort Worth" are actually within a mile or two of the small cemetery where Clyde Barrow is buried. There may be a few seedy motor courts along that strip surviving from that time, but it's too bad that Arthur Rothstein arrived a mere five years too early to visit my favorite lodging in the neighborhood. Built as the Triple R Ranch Motel in 1947, it still looks much as it does on this linen postcard, minus the steel archway. Later, as the Triple "A" Motel, it was listed from 1956 to 1961 in the Negro Travelers' Green Book, reportedly the last such establishment in Dallas to survive intact. Today it is known as the Inn of the Dove. It's not fancy. It's modest, and modestly priced, quiet, with secure parking, and a win for historic preservation. The two linemen in the background appear to be working on secondary power distribution. They're a little too high up the pole to be working on the phones. Oh, and what was it like to live in a time when "World's Safest Milk" was considered a winning tagline? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Eateries & Bars)
Fast Food: 1943
... value. in other words, its like the bad paintings on the motel walls. no one will steal them and they are readily available at the local ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:54pm -

March 1943. "Pearlington, Mississippi (vicinity). Truck driver eating at a trucker's stop along U.S. Highway 90." Hey buddy, pass the salt? Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Speaking of salt...The first thing I noticed was the timeless salt shaker. How long has that design been around? (Would anyone care to take on that research assignment?) I grew up with that salt shaker. I have one now. A classicWhat is it about that style of salt (and pepper) shaker? You still see it in many of the restaurants. We have a set we use once in a while when I grill outside. We had them on our table when I was a boy in the 50's. You had to put a few grains of rice in the salt shaker to keep it from plugging up. What's in...the bottle at his left elbow. It looks like some sort of ketchup or maybe hot sauce? [Ketchup or mustard would be my guess. - Dave] Anchor HockingMy dad had that kind of salt shaker (Anchor Hocking) in his drive-in restaurant. And that same sugar pourer. Classy JointThe shutters screening the entrance to the "Ladies Lounge" are a nice touch. The salt shakerThat particular salt shaker has been used by eating establishments for eons. most likely because its a utilitarian design that has no aesthetic value. in other words, its like the bad paintings on the motel walls. no one will steal them and they are readily available at the local dollar store. ["No aestehtic value"? Hmph. I have a pair in my very own kitchen. They've been following me around probably since my college days. - Dave] Whats with his hat?I notice an emblem with #14 on the front, and then a badge (or two) on the side of that well worn cap. Anyone have any insight as to the nature of the bonnet-bling this feller's sportin? Almost looks like a motorcycle cop hat. That HatAs a truck driver, I think I've been cheated. Where can I get a snappy hat like that? And I've got to have the badges with it. Decorous DecorationEven though this restaurant isn't much more than a shanty, the "Ladies' Lounge" is carefully screened off. Contrast this with a chain restaurant I was in the other day - when the door opened, my table got a full view of every urinal on the wall - occupied and unoccupied. America, how did you get to be so crass? Chauffeur's BadgeNote the chauffeur's badge on the side of his hat. Very collectible today. They were issued every year to those who drove commercial vehicles for a living. Some years are more valuable & scarce than others. Pretty amazing resolutionIndividual grains of salt on the counter are just as visible as if it were real life. Diner ClassicSometimes I poke around a local restaurant supply store. All the dishes & cups with the two green bands around the top, the sugar pourer and the salt shaker are still available for sale. Sometimes you can't help despairing when you go in a place and find they're using that china -- the coffee is usually terrible, but still, there's something nice realizing that the same style has been around for 65 years or more. John Steinbeck Along 66 the hamburger stands--Al & Susy’s Place--Carl’s Lunch--Joe & Minnie--Will’s Eats. Board-and-bat shacks. Two gasoline pumps in front, a screen door, a long bar, stools, and a foot rail. Near the door three slot machines, showing through glass the wealth in nickels three bars will bring. And beside them, the nickel phonograph with records piled up like pies, ready to swing out to the turntable and play dance music, “Ti-pi-ti-pi-tin,” “Thanks for the Memory,” Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman. At one end of the counter a covered case; candy cough drops, caffeine sulphate called Sleepless, No-Doze; candy, cigarettes, razor blades, aspirin, Bromo-Seltzer, Alka-Seltzer. The walls decorated with posters, bathing girls, blondes with big breasts and slender hips and waxen faces, in white bathing suits, and holding a bottle of Coca-Cola and smiling—see what you get with a Coca-Cola. Long bar, and salts, peppers, mustard pots, and paper napkins. Beer taps behind the counter, and in back the coffee urns, shiny and steaming with glass gauges showing the coffee level. And pies in wire cages and oranges in pyramids of four. And little piles of Post Toasties, corn flakes, stacked up in designs. The signs on cards, picked out with shining mica: Pies Like Mother Used to Make. Credit Makes Enemies, Let’s Be Friends. Ladies May Smoke But Be Careful Where You Lay Your Butts. Eat Here and Keep Your Wife for a Pet. IITYWYBAD? I'll see your pairI have two sets of these salt & pepper shakers, inherited from my parents. We had several other sets of shakers available, but my father and mother would never use any others, if at all possible. Apparently, these style shakers were the only ones to put out the quantity of salt (per shake) that satisfied my parent's sodium chloride addiction. I'll check with my mother to see where she may have gotten these. I think they may have come from the local grocery store, as part of a promotion where you could get free kitchen items if you purchased a specific dollar amount of grocery items. By the way, my mother will be 83 years old this Friday (1/28/11) and still has the "addiction". If you don't hear the salt crunching while you eat, there isn't enough on the food. Is this copyright free?I poked around a bit and it appears this wonderful image is part of the Library of Congress. I am a colored pencil portrait artist and would love to do a rending of this in sepia. I would love your permission to do so if it is yours to give. Thank you for this wonderful site. [See the section "Rights Advisory" in the LOC listing for this photo here. - tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Vacancy
... And so inviting! (Even though I can't look at a motel pool at night without thinking of Clark Griswold in _Vacation_...) ... of Wildwood Makes me wonder if the bright-pink Flamingo Motel is still operating in Wildwood. That was a fun place for college ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 10:39pm -

The same view from 1960 as below, but at night. Pretty, isn't it? View full size. Pretty, indeed.And so inviting! (Even though I can't look at a motel pool at night without thinking of Clark Griswold in _Vacation_...) VacancyReminds of Wildwood NJ before the property values went up Before and AfterWouldn't it be funny if there was a little red tricycle at the bottom of the deep end... and the guy in dress shoes still reclining beside the pool Oh, yes, me too! I miss theOh, yes, me too! I miss the old Wildwood. More memories of WildwoodMakes me wonder if the bright-pink Flamingo Motel is still operating in Wildwood. That was a fun place for college students back in the '80s. (Don't ask me how I know!) Fireworks not!At first, I thought fireworks were pictured going off above the roof line of the motel. Of course looking at the daylight picture it beomes clear that you are looking at a palm tree lighted. (The Gallery, Kodachromes 1, Travel & Vacation)
Ponce Parlors: 1890
... We'll leave a light on for ya Holy cow. Motel 6 it ain't. Posh There is no other word for the elegance of this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:35pm -

St. Augustine, Florida, circa 1890. "Parlors of the Ponce de Leon Hotel." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. The anti-Bauhaus... or everything the International Style rebelled against. European elegance made possible by American industry- with tassels! No smoking?I don't see a single ash receiver or cuspidor in this room. Highly unusual for an 1890 parlor. We'll leave a light on for yaHoly cow. Motel 6 it ain't. PoshThere is no other word for the elegance of this area. From the piano stool to the chandelier and then the awesome ceiling treatments. This was not a hotel for the day-to-day tourist. WOW!!! Where are the rope swings? Add about four feet of water to this room and you'd be all set! Great roomYou can almost smell the cigar smoke and sea breezes. Curiosity SatisfiedI used to live near St. Augustine and have been riding past these hotels for years. I always wondered what they looked like in their heyday. Thanks, Dave, for giving us look inside these grand hotels. Furniture an AfterthoughtWhat an odd mix of furniture styles, and none of the pieces look very happy about being in the room. A strange atmosphere, somehow. PonceAhhh, the Gay Nineties... SpookyNot sure I would want to be here at night. Looks like a good place for ghosts. Spanish BeautyThe portraits of "exotic beauties" are great, especially the "Spanish" one over the piano. I wonder what became of them? Are they hanging in a private collection, destroyed in a storm or fire? It would be great to see them today. As Shakespeare wrote,"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John (Act IV, Scene ii). The Gilded AgeA perfect illustration of the term "gild the lily." The Not So Exotic BeautiesThe portraits of the women are actually the famed Shakespeare heroines. They were a part of Henry Flagler's private collection. The hotel is now a college and the paints still hang there. Though I don't believe they are in their original locations. Also there are no ashtrays in the room because this was the parlor for the women. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Easier Living: 1951
... of a room will be the prime design of all the forthcoming motel rooms in North America. All that's missing 1. A USB charging ... I assume even though it looks like it could be any 50's motel it is a model bedroom on a sales floor. War on men "Hers" and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2013 - 5:30pm -

October 12, 1951. Great Neck, Long Island, N.Y. "Statton Modern at John Wanamaker. Russel Wright bedroom group. Auerbach Agency, client." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Travelodge, Version 1.0B Tests of this Beta version indicated strong user demand for matching, floral-print bedspreads and curtains. Left bed is widerI count four and a half squares of bedspread/comforter crossing the left bed and barely four squares on the right one. How's that for precise measurement? Peaceable KingdomRousseau's 'Peaceable Kingdom' seems an odd choice of artwork for the wall of such a modern, trendy room. AND it's such a small print, too. It happens to be a favorite of mine, but I would have thought something more contemporary would have been the preferred choice for a model room. But who knows what Wanamaker's decorator had in mind? Next ExitThis example of a room will be the prime design of all the forthcoming motel rooms in North America. All that's missing1. A USB charging port built into the base of the lamp. 2. An antimicrobial-coated remote control. 3. A table card with the Wi-fi instructions, and another with the phone number of the nearest pizza joint. Yoo-hooRob? Laura? Not a Hotel RoomWanamaker's was a chain of department stores. I assume even though it looks like it could be any 50's motel it is a model bedroom on a sales floor. War on men"Hers" and "his" beds? His and Hers?It looks to me that the left side is about a foot wider than the right side. Optical illusion?Doesn't the left twin bed look wider than the right? That saidWhy does the headboard fit the two mattresses perfectly? Was this a precursor to the king? I still don't understand the California king but I'm from the south. ChintzyGenerally I love Russel Wright's ideas. Most everything in this room is appealing. But the chintz finish on the bedspreads is everything people criticize about mid-cent decor. It looks cold and stiff. Horny?Not only is that piece of art out of scale, it is also terribly off-centered. My question is , is it suposed to be symbolic of the person sleeping below it? Horny ["The Peaceable Kingdom" by Edward Hicks. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Stores & Markets)
Niagara Falls: 1958
... The movie "Niagara," starring Marilyn Monroe, filmed the motel scenes (temporary props) off to the left of the picture at the gorge edge ... bus only area now, they just charge you to park here. The motel scenes in the movie "Niagara" were filmed in Queen Victoria Park which is ... 
 
Posted by Islander800 - 11/24/2012 - 10:51pm -

Shot taken using 35mm Kodachrome on the Canadian side of the Falls in 1958. Note the array of British and French cars among the American classics in the parking lot. Today, only tour buses are allowed in this area. The movie "Niagara," starring Marilyn Monroe, filmed the motel scenes (temporary props) off to the left of the picture at the gorge edge in 1954. View full size. Kustom KarThe white Ford, fourth from the left, sports a '54 Pontiac grille, a common custom modification at the time. Spiffy. SubjectiveIt's funny that in 1958 the photographer thought his subject was the falls. Now all these years later we know the subject is the cars! Those European cars.In the parking line: a black Ford Pilot (?) third from the right. Two to the left of it a grey Renault Dauphine with the roof rack and a suitcase. Nice green Hilman Minx drophead third from the left. The Minx was never a very sporty car, but in close proximity to the 'Yank Tanks' it looks positively rakish. Prospect PointThis is the first photo I've seen that clearly shows the aftermath of the fall of Prospect Point, which occurred on Wednesday, July 28, 1954. It appears as a large, smooth, angled area at the left edge of the American Falls in this view. My parents and I were there five days before the collapse (as shown in this old color slide). That's Dad and me at the railing. The people in the background are standing in the area that fell, and I guess we are, too. Trouble was already brewing. When we took the elevator down to the bottom of the falls there were cracks in the concrete walls and water all over the floor. The next Saturday I went to the movies with my friends and the actual fall was in the newsreel. Quite a thrill for me, to think that I might have been standing there when it happened. Predictably, my buddies blamed me for the fall of Prospect Point, because according to them I was so "fat." ...HA! Rare EdselOne of the first of the '58 model year (to the right of the Renault Dauphine). The HillmanI'm amazed anyone else remembers the Hillman. That could almost be my brother's. He bought it used in '65 and I think it spent more time in my folks' garage than it did on the road. I remember using the crank start more often than not and that you could use a dime instead of a key to turn on the ignition. It was such a wreck that he'd often borrow my old '57 Studebaker Scottsman for dates. RecentlyThis is a photo, not street view, from Google Maps. Poorly ParkedIt's interesting to see that poor parking is not just a modern phenomenon. One person parks over the line and it affects half a dozen others. From left to right it looks like we have: 1. Buick 1951 (Special?) 2. Chrysler 1953 New Yorker 3. Hillman circa 1953/54 Minx Convertible Coupe 4. Ford 1951 with a '54 Pontiac grille inset 5. Chevrolet 1957 Bel Air Convertible 6. Chevrolet 1953 210 7. Renault Dauphine 1956-58 8. Edsel 1958 9. Ford 1949-53 Prefect 10. Chevrolet 1957 210 Coupe 11. Ford 1952 Mainline Tudor or Business Coupe Behind the last two cars are: 12. Likely a DeSoto 1957 (yellow) 13. Probably a Chevrolet 1955 (black) The lady walking in the black dress along the wall behind the '57 Bel Air looks out of place with such a short dress on compared to the other woman in the photo. Brown Is BrownThat '53 Chrysler New Yorker on the left sports the only brown auto paint I ever thought looked good. My father had a '53 Imperial in that shade, and it was a dignified alternative to the normal conservative black yet far more stately than the washed-out pastel blues and greens prevalent on so many Cadillacs. NiagaraThis isn't a tour bus only area now, they just charge you to park here. The motel scenes in the movie "Niagara" were filmed in Queen Victoria Park which is to the right of this perspective. To the immediate left is the Rainbow Bridge. This is the area of the former Canadian terminus of the Honeymoon Bridge which collapsed in heavy ice conditions in January 1938. HillmansHad a '57 Hillman Minx convertible back in '59; not super quick, but dashing in it's own way. Drove to Toronto and back from D.C.. 3 position top, snazzy. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Route 99: 1939
... of the vacation, spending four or six days hopping from motel to motel, packing and unpacking the Buick, meeting exotic girls from St Louis or ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2021 - 12:34pm -

April 1939. "U.S. 99 on ridge over Tehachapi Mountains. Heavy truck route between Los Angeles and San Joaquin Valley over which migrants travel back and forth." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long way to AnywhereIn the '30s, Dad drove a tractor near Fresno. Mom had to move back to Burbank to run her beauty shop -- too poor to stay together. Two hundred miles in a Model T coupe or in Grandpa's old Buick were the only means of travel between. I have the love letters they wrote. Years later and on trips much faster, we called 99 "the looooonnnngggg stretch." PotentialWhat that stretch needs is a WaWa, McDonalds, Starbucks, and maybe a Taco Bell to make it more civilized and up to date. Hairy RoadWe lived in Tehachapi for three years, 1984 to 1986, and that road is positively exciting at times when you go down to Bakersfield. I was pregnant in 1986 and had to go to the hospital in Bakersfield to deliver. The small local hospital in town didn't do deliveries unless you were having the baby on their doorstep, and the fire station halfway down was very practiced at deliveries! The other direction into Mojave was a much easier slope at least. The worst problem was staying out of the way of big trucks going down to Bakersfield, their brakes often overheated and they had to pull off to let them cool down. I learned very quickly to not get in their blind spots. Foggy conditions, or snow the occasional ice/snow could make it extra exciting. Pre I-5Before there were interstate highways, this was transportation a la mode. Twice I traveled cross country (SF to Mississippi) before the Interstates. It was part of the vacation, spending four or six days hopping from motel to motel, packing and unpacking the Buick, meeting exotic girls from St Louis or Cleveland in the motel; pools,. and loading up the swamp cooler with ice twice a day... and yes, we did go this route! Then it all changed. I always wished we'd taken the train! I-40 and I-10 were simply different. Looks Like the 5 I’m pretty sure this is the 5 now, atop the grapevine between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Nope, not that oneIt's a great photograph. I can appreciate in that location Dorthea Dorothea Lange heard only the sounds she made and possibly the sound of the car. I wonder how many vehicles had passed and how long she had to wait before she got the photograph she wanted? [Six. - Dave] Woody's WordsThis photo by the incredible Dorothea Lange makes me think of Woody Guthrie's song lyrics to his fellow Okies who were trying to find a better life in California: Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin' home every day Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line 'Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl but here's what they find Now the police at the port of entry say "You're number fourteen thousand for today" Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi folks, if you ain't got the do re mi Why you better go back to beautiful Texas Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see But believe it or not you won't find it so hot If you ain't got the do re mi Lonely RoadI hope that driver doesn't need to stop for directions. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes)
Mr. Hi-Fi of 1955
... band members playing baseball in front of their segregated motel while touring in Florida." Who'll be first to locate the Astor? From ... I'm now suddenly struck with the thought that many old motel signs I've seen that seem to advertise COLOR TV excessively prominently ( ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2014 - 1:59pm -

April 1955. "Duke Ellington and band members playing baseball in front of their segregated motel while touring in Florida." Who'll be first to locate the Astor? From photos by Charlotte Brooks (who died this month at age 95) for the Look magazine assignment "A Living Legend Swings On." View full size. The Duke and The PresidentIt seems Mr. Ellington had a childhood love of the game. From Wikipedia:, "Though Ellington took piano lessons, he was more interested in baseball. "President Roosevelt (Teddy) would come by on his horse sometimes, and stop and watch us play", he recalled. Ellington went to Armstrong Technical High School in Washington, D.C. He got his first job selling peanuts at Washington Senators baseball games. Colorful signI'm now suddenly struck with the thought that many old motel signs I've seen that seem to advertise COLOR TV excessively prominently ( though no doubt that was a nice amenity when it first appeared) may have been advertising color of a different sort a few years previously and were simply saving money on the cost of sign alterations. Hep CatOn the left in the blazer is William "Cat" Anderson, the Ellington band's trumpet player renowned for being able to hit the high notes. Jacksonville!This is an ad for the Astor from the 1956 The Negro Travelers' Green Book. 1111 ClevelandThe hotel's ad in the 1956 Green Book puts it at "US 1 and US 23 North" in Jacksonville. The street address appears to have been 1111 Cleveland. 1954 PontiacTo me,that looks to be a 54 Pontiac rear fender/bumper. If it is not a '54, it will be a '53. [The answer is neither. It's a 1951 or 1952 Pontiac. - Dave] It don't mean a thingif it ain't got that swing. Church visible in top right corner.View Larger Map The BusI believe this is a model PD3751 General Motors "Silversides" highway bus, or a close relative to it. These were built in the post World War II era, and more information can be found here. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, LOOK, Music, Travel & Vacation)
Nurses: 1928
... Personally, I love the clutter-free simplicity. And the motel room key tag. It reminds me of a Vermeer..... for me it's more ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 3:32pm -

December 1928. "Washington Sanitarium. Takoma Park, Maryland. Office of Inpatient Nurses." View full size. National Photo Company glass negative. Nurses: 1928A glass inkwell was a sign of the times too. Nurses 1928Certainly a neat, organized desk - little paperwork. My paternal grandmother became an RN in 1918 after my dad was grown. Three of her great-great-granddaughters also became RN's in the same hospital. A Sign Of the TimesAshtrays on the nurse's desk! Nice. Get Well Soon. Or Else.Heh. I read that as the Office of "Impatient" Nurses. "C'mon, haven't got all day here, get a move on!" Actually they look very patient. LightingThey don't seem to be using any indoor lighting. Was that a money-saving thing? [An example of what the social scientists and anthropologists call "projecting." - Dave] "Ashtrays"That's a glass inkwell desk set, not ashtrays. Still, a sign of the times. VermeerThings I love about this photo: The paperwork never ends. Extension cord hanging from the ceiling. Desk phones. Tiny wall calendar on the "Nurse's Creed" plaque. Her cap (I still have one of my mom's) What a beautifully composed shot. It reminds me of a Vermeer. ExtensionLook in the middle/top part of the photo, there is a pull cord hanging there. There is most probably a bare bulb at the other end of that cord on the ceiling lighting that room. Nothing fancy, all utilitarian. [The cord plugs into an adapter that screws into the bulb socket of the ceiling fixture. - Dave] More like a HopperThe isolation of the subjects, even facing in different directions... they're in the same office, but are as separate as they can be. Also, the time period works better for Edward Hopper than Vermeer. Neat and TidyPersonally, I love the clutter-free simplicity. And the motel room key tag. It reminds me of a Vermeer.....for me it's more like Edward Hopper if he'd visited a friend in the hospital. NursingOn the desk there is an issue of a magazine called "Nursing," possibly an issue of The American Journal of Nursing. BrazilThe exposed pipes remind me of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". Optical DelusionAt first glance saw the door as a mirror. The "reflection" didn't match, creeped me out just a tad. Also, re "ashtrays" on a nurse's desk, I remember when people smoked everywhere. Once I went with my mother to a doctor's appointment and the doctor was smoking. Ahhhh, good times. Re: Optical delusionNot only did doctors smoke ~ like a huge portion of the adult population in general, but the images of doctors, and even some nurses, were used to advertise certain brands of cigarettes in magazines. I say "images" because I can't be sure if they are actual medical professionals, or actors posing as doctors and nurses every time. I'm sure that there were likely some doctors who took advantage of the financial benefits provided by such "support" of the rich and powerful tobacco industry. I collect vintage magazines, particularly from the WWII era, and it's quite common to find more than one ad in a single magazine, including the back cover, in full color of course, extolling the virtues of the particular brand in question. Soldiers, sailors, Marines, nurses, WACs, WAVEs, etc., were all shown in various advertising campaigns as well doing likewise, but I think only in painted images, not actual photographs. I don't recall any particular individual being represented. The first "real persons" I recall being aware of advertising cigarettes were movie, and later, TV stars. And then there was the infamous "Marlboro Man." Who died of lung cancer if I recall correctly. Cigarettes were considered the normal accompaniment of the rest of an adult's personal items ~ wallet, watch, keys, purse with lipstick and compact for the ladies, cigarette case, lighter or matches, a wedding ring as required ~ nobody was considered completely dressed without those items. (The Gallery, Medicine, Natl Photo)
Modern Beauty: 1942
... The benches under the windows are for sitting outside your motel room, to observe and smoke and ponder. The gravel courtyard is for ... sound. But why waste good interior space for a carport? Motel parking is always outdoors – you pull up in front of your door, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/12/2022 - 11:08pm -

April 1942. "Missoula, Montana. Tourist apartments." The "Strictly Modern" Beauty Ress Court. Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hmmm.My idea of beauty lies elsewhere. For sureBeautiful photograph of an ugly building. Modern mysteriesSome of the things in this picture I understand, others I don’t. Stuff I get: The benches under the windows are for sitting outside your motel room, to observe and smoke and ponder. The gravel courtyard is for making that crunchy sound under the car tires. The wooden screen door is for the slamming-shut sound. But why waste good interior space for a carport? Motel parking is always outdoors – you pull up in front of your door, there’s no garage. And why so many arched pass-throughs to the other side – one per room? And what is the function of those punctuation marks after the word Modern? I am content to stare at this image with passive enjoyment (I find it calming), but then these issues disturb the peace and make me begin to wonder why this, why that. [Carports: Montana winters. - Dave] Dave: I come from Manitoba winters where carports aren’t a thing – you need a garage with a garage door or you park outside. [These are garages without doors. And not in Manitoba, either. - Dave] Just my point: if you want a garage for the winter part of car ownership, a carport won’t do in places like this. If the garage doesn’t have a door, you’ll be doing a lot of wind-related shoveling, whether in Montana or Manitoba. JennyPennifer: I figure those bedsprings are to keep the front bumper of the car away from the wall. DittoTo everything davidk said (I pondered for several minutes on the characters after the word MODERN), but one final question (tongue firmly in cheek): Why the bedsprings at the back of two of the garages (and, for all I know, the third one)? Surely too cold to sleep out there in a Montana winter -- especially without a mattress and at least one blanket. Bed frames and carportsIt was common to get a room and for a fee, add on an extra twin bed for the kiddies (or maybe Aunt Edna). The carports seemed to me to be mainly a luxury feature they could tout on billboards. I remember both things from our family vacations as a tyke. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Bedroom Beautiful: 1956
... shotgun. It could as easily pass For an upscale motel or hotel room of the era with the acoustical ceiling and recessed lights. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2015 - 1:47am -

1956. "Hayes residence, Kessler Lake Drive, Dallas. Master bedroom. Architects: Prinz & Brooks." Our first look at the seven-bathroom, 7,300-square-foot bungalow built by Texas car dealer Earl Hayes. 8x10 acetate negative by Maynard L. Parker for House Beautiful. Source: Huntington Library. View full size. Visual confirmationSo it was true married couples slept in separate beds back in the fifties?? GunsLooks like a gun cabinet over the TV. [That's a mirror. -tterrace] Then there's what looks like a bolt-action rifle with scope reflected in the mirror. And I say the dress is white and gold. Ashtrays on the nightstands even though you're not supposed to smoke in bed. Or maybe so you can stub out your butt before turning in. The footstool offers a comfy place to sit while you fiddle with the TV controls, in those pre-remote days. 2 GunsScoped bolt-action rifle, AND, a pump-action shotgun. It could as easily passFor an upscale motel or hotel room of the era with the acoustical ceiling and recessed lights. Mid Century Modernism...at its best. Prinz's own more modest home is a jewel-box, too. Cold?I don't think so. Just because it lacks Grandma's gaudy floral patterns and knick knacks all over the place, doesn't make it cold, but it does need to be in color to really see how beautiful it is. I would change the Peg Board ceiling though. The TV (note my user name) is a 1956 or 57 RCA, 21" "Transette" model with large casters to allow it to roll out of the cubby for viewing; it looks like it has the Limed Oak finish. It's still there, and even largerThe house is still there, with a living room addition built in the 1970s. Pocket doors and built-ins are used throughout the house, which was designed for longtime Chevy dealer Earl Hayes. The 7,301 square foot house is at 718 Kessler Lake Drive, in the Kessler Park neighborhood in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. It was one of the homes featured on the Preservation Dallas tour last fall: http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/headlines/20141017-3.ece Humanity leaves its markThen as now, the nagging problems of civilized culture: how to avoid footprints on the shag. (Far superior to telltale vacuum cleaner tracks, though!) Two or One?My parents always had separate beds. Married in 1944, it was the thing to do, then. I appeared in May of 1946 and have never married, hence for me one bed is adequate. Cold StorageWow, this has all the warmth of a frozen food locker. Telescoping pocket doorsare still popular in high-end homes today. If you look at the ceiling you'll see all three sections slide across for the first third of the distance, two for the middle third, and one for the final third. Lamp on rightMy parents had a couple of lamp bases similar to this one. They were made from obsolete rollers used to print wallpaper. I thought we had the only ones in existence, but it must have been the fashion at the time. Not a mirrorI believe that's a gun cabinet. Crossed in the opposite direction is a pump shotgun. Neither would reflect this way (bolt handle,and lack of ejection port) in a mirror. It's just smoked glass or a trick of light. Mystery objectsSomeone please, please tell me: What are those things on the wall above the beds? [Decor. -tterrace] (Maynard L. Parker)
Duck Inn: 1979
... greeting: "Hei!") Similar inn name Reminds me of a motel in the Manitoba beach town we visit annually: the Dew Drop Inn. West ... 
 
Posted by frobozz - 03/10/2016 - 6:17pm -

The Duck Inn, Charlottesville, Virginia. From a series of pictures I took when I was a first year student at U-Va. in 1979. On Main Street, across the street from the Amtrak station. There's just nothing like a "Home Cooken Chicken Dinner" from the Duck Inn! View full size. Now called Mel's gud spelink nut requrredBut I'll have a Lady Ann Deluxe any day! Mel's CafeThat building has been Mel's Cafe since I was in school there in the late 1990s. I used to get work done by a great independent mechanic that operated out of Hiter's. Looked Old in '79, Looks Better NowIt's now Mel's Cafe at 719 W. Main. The building was maybe 20-25 years old when frobozz shot it in 1979. 37 years later, it at least looks open, and even garners 4.5 stars on Yelp. W Shaped Rooflineis reminiscent of some prior chain of Gas or Fast Food, but Google isn't helping me. Anybody? Used Cars"Vokswagens." (Standard greeting: "Hei!") Similar inn nameReminds me of a motel in the Manitoba beach town we visit annually: the Dew Drop Inn. West Main's changed quite a bitThat building still exists, though. John Shepherd also did some photographs of that stretch of West Main in the '70s. http://www.cvilleimages.com/2015/02/27/john-shepherd/ Let's Duck Inn"Here for a while to rest our weary bones" Or jokes like that, which probably abounded by all and sundry who lived, worked, or visited the place. LaterBecame a Chinese take-out of fairly sketchy aspect. I had friends who insisted they served good food, but since my wife-to-be (from the area) made a yowling, distressed cat sound every time we drove past it, I could never bring myself to give it a try. MartinizingI believe the building was originally a One Hour Martinizing location. Musical RoofStab "Accordion Roof" into Google's image search. They were very popular in the mid-20th century. (My dentist's office features one.) BTW, the Duck Inn/Mel's sign remains, mostly, waiting to be re-neonized. You listenin', Mel? Familiar Roof LineLooks like "Ham Gravy" nailed it. The style of the roof, that is. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Fill 'Er Up: 1942
... made of his station and the adjoining restaurant and motel, as they are always available on eBay. The site is now a CVS. Correct ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2015 - 12:49am -

June 1942. "Tracy, California. Tank truck delivering gasoline to a filling station." Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. StreamlinedBack when even utility vehicles had style. Missed my chanceThe Tracy Inn is still there. For several years I drove past Tracy on 580, never knew there was anything there to see. Several identification clues hint...that this truck is a 1937-1942 White model 820. Gas station memoriesSee Again It Saturday: My father's Gulf station c. 1955. I remember peering into the water-filled Coke cooler. The pause that refreshesThe Coca-Cola box at far right looks like one that would have had bottles of Coke submerged in icy water so cold you thought your hand would freeze while you fished one out. But, oh, that taste on a hot day! And the curvature of the cold bottle was perfect for rolling across your forehead between swills. At the gas stationThe car parked at the Associated gas station building is a 1941 Studebaker sedan, rather dowdy looking when compared to the very aerodynamic styling of the post-war Studebakers. When introduced to the public at dealerships in June, 1946, the 1947 models were truly futuristic in design and about equally loved (or despised.) Coke ice boxLarc, my grandfather had a gas station in Callahan, Florida, with one of those Coke ice boxes and you are correct about how cold the bottles got. His had a sort of track that held the neck of the bottles and you slid the one you wanted to get it out. My favorite was Grapette. Sometimes I got to fill the thing with bottles and dump out all the bottlecaps. As you may remember, there used to be promotions where a kid could get into a Saturday movie matinee for a couple of bottlecaps of a certain brand and a quarter, and I took full advantage of that at the movie theater in Fernandina, where we lived. My grandfather must have had thousands of the attached postcard made of his station and the adjoining restaurant and motel, as they are always available on eBay. The site is now a CVS. Correct me if I'm wrong...but weren't Flying A gas stations owned by Gene Autry? Never much of a singer or actor, but a damn smart businessman. [OK. The "A" in Flying A gas stations came from the Associated Oil Company. No connection with Gene Autry's Flying A Ranch, Rodeo and later TV production company. -tterrace] Now a parking lot...but the building next door still stands tall. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away,before the invention of the octagon for stop signs, there were "Comfort Stations." Some of them were Certifiably Clean. Clean enough for a baby. [Note that there is an octagon, however. -tterrace] Grape drink in ice-cold vending machine. Yum!All this talk of icy cold Coke... I guess my favorite was Grape Fanta in a coke machine that was full of ice-cold water with the track holding the bottle like the ones mentioned above. I loved the old-fashioned gas stations with full service bays, tires, and wash racks. I miss those times, and thank Shorpy for bringing back the memories. Octagon?Sorry, tterrace, but the star in your example on JDC-OKC's comment is 7-pointed so it must be a heptagon. [Not the star, the octagon. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Midcentury Mosaic: 1954
... cutting-edge modern can look like today's cheesy motel. Dated? Cheesy? I've never seen tilework like that in any motel, ever. The building is at 150 Central Park South, between Sixth and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2015 - 6:00pm -

Jan. 25, 1954. "H.F. Fischbach, residence at Hampshire House, Central Park South. Tile bathroom." You'll come for the plumbing but stay for the towels. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Dated DesignInteresting how yesterday's cutting-edge modern can look like today's cheesy motel. Dated? Cheesy?I've never seen tilework like that in any motel, ever. The building is at 150 Central Park South, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Rimless SinkI thought undermount rimless sinks were a much more recent plumbing development. The design is so modern, yet the faucet set looks like a leftover from the 1930's. Color schemeI have no idea what the tile color palette might be, but I'm thinking.... lurid. Colorists, start your engines. I visited Hampshire House during the 1980s.I admire the durability of older builds. My contractors' tile works have never held up as well as the work I see in older installations. Modern grout just seems to crumble away within a few short years. I wonder if it's the new grout formulas, or just poorly installed designs. Dated and Not DatedI worked on a restoration of a late 1930s early international style house recently, and it turns out that plumbing fixtures were the bane of pioneering modernist architects. There just wasn't anything available that was suitably modern. The main choices were American Standard or Crane fixtures that were decidedly art deco at best, and in most cases still quite victorian looking. I have little doubt that the architect here wanted to hide the toilet as best as possible for that very reason. The faucets, while a bit fussy with their porcelain handles and clumsy spout, have at least predicted the contemporary preference for levers that are easier for arthritic elders and the handicapped to use. At least light fixtures are easier to custom design. Porcelain bathroom fixtures and working faucets not so much. Off-the-shelf furniture was also a problem for modernists until about the 1950s, so again the architects would have to turn to custom made pieces for the signature rooms at the very least. Today we have virtually the opposite problem. There's so many truly modern fixtures and furniture now that it's a veritable embarrassment of riches. Unless of course you want those same fixtures they had to settle for 70 years ago to do a faithful restoration, then it's surprisingly challenging, not unlike what the original architects had to face. Terrible tile workYou guys may want to zoom in on those lines, margins, spacing, cuts, grout, etc. It is very poorly done. [It's an intentional part of the style. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Hell Gate: 1942
... on our way out west. I can remember looking out the motel windows and seeing nothing but darkness and glowing slag from the Inco ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:46pm -

November 1942. "Hanna furnaces of the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, Detroit, Michigan. Coaling door atop coke ovens." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. Previously on ShorpyAnother view of the coaling hatches. Coke OvensI remember driving through West Virginia at night in the 1950s and seeing lines of glowing coke ovens. It seemed to me like a way of separating the smoke and smell from the coal before it was shipped to Cleveland to make steel. Take-home lessonFourth grade, we went on a class field trip to the Bowels of Hell -- or actually, this kind of place at Ford Dearborn. I made darn sure to finish my education after that. A lesson learnedI was a kid who did not handle my teens well so, after high school, I was sent to work at Republic Steel in Ohio where my grandfather was a foreman. I enrolled in college within the year. It was the most hellish job you can imagine. Wise sage.A tradesman once told me that if you want to know what hell is like just walk up to an electric furnace in a foundry. "Fourth grade, we went on a class field trip to the Bowels of Hell -- or actually, this kind of place at Ford Dearborn." My tradesman friend worked at the Ford Rouge Plant. Driving south on Fort Street before I-75 was built took you right past McLouth and Great Lakes steel as well. Seeing the endless railway flatcars with glowing ingots at night slowly moving out of the plants was awesome. Hot ShoeI worked at US Steel in Gary Indiana. The coke ovens were so hot that you attached wood plates on the bottom of your shoes to insulate your feet. Otherwise your shoes would melt. I've read that the newer furnaces are insulated and normal shoes reportedly work ok. Sudbury Saturday NightBack in 1977, my family drove through Sudbury, Ontario, on our way out west. I can remember looking out the motel windows and seeing nothing but darkness and glowing slag from the Inco Copper Cliff nickel mine -- like lava flows in the night. Daytime revealed a moonscape of grey... Grey houses, grey laundry on lines, grey lawns, grey rocks, grey slag. The astronauts practised for the moon landings in Sudbury. It was truly that bleak. A few years ago, we went through Sudbury on the way back from Thunder Bay. The land is recovering and it is green, again. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Factories)
Bustling Brattleboro: 1941
... month before my 18th birthday. Crash pad, the Molly Stark Motel! Car Experts -- I know there will be a lot of ID comments but help ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2019 - 4:13pm -

July 1941. "The main street in Brattleboro, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Buildings remain - People, not so muchWhat a vibrant town! The same street today is pleasant, but can't match the street in 1941. Still a going concernThe theater is still operating under the same name. Lipstick on a ...1938 Ford Standard Fordor dead center. Someone bought the cheapest Ford possible and put whitewall tires on her. Is the ragtop five cars up a Lincoln Continental? Old stomping groundsBrattleboro was my go-to party town after they raised the drinking age in RI to 19, a month before my 18th birthday. Crash pad, the Molly Stark Motel! Car Experts --I know there will be a lot of ID comments but help me out on the number two and three on the left, the first with left side fenders showing. Front one I have seen before with those squared headlights, and the one behind with the headlights that look like a pear cut diamond having a "V" (for V-8 let's say) on the left front fender. First time I've noticed a badge on the front fender. Mystery CarsThe car with the squarish headlights is a 1939 Plymouth, while the one behind it with the teardrop headlights is a 1938 Hudson. The Hudson "V" emblem appearing on the front fender morphed on later models into a red triangle. [The red triangle is on the Hudson in our photo, at the top of the grille. - Dave] Nice shineAm really jealous of the deep shine on a few of the cars on the left. It seems I have often owned a car like the one across the street that has been used for target practice by the local birds. Fireproof! What a selling point!!Hotel Latchis celebrates being a fireproof hotel -- what a different time. Creative ParkingTwo 90-degree nose-ins; the top one appears to be blocking the truck. Vehicle IDsFifth car on left is a 1940 Pontiac station wagon with fender-well spare tire. On the far right is a 1934 REO pickup truck and to its rear is a 1934 Auburn. The 1933 model BBV8 Ford in the middle probably started out as a dump truck, now a flatbed with something overhanging the driver's side. Latchis TheatreAs a five year old boy living in West Townshend, Vermont I would go with my parents for a weekly trip to Brattleboro to buy groceries and other do other shopping. We went to the movies at the Latchis Theatre on a few occasions. It was very ornate inside ("Greco Deco" according to them) and is still in business today: https://latchistheatre.com/aboutus/ Road TripDowntown Brattleboro Historic District Pick up on blusun's Google View and learn the history of this bustling downtown as you go up the street to Amedeo de Angelis. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, Movies, Small Towns)
Holiday Inn: 1960
... kennel for dogs. I remember my dad said at this time each motel was owned and operated by the same people. My little sister and I would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2017 - 8:20am -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1960. "Holiday Inn." In the Garden Spot of the South. 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. Nice NashFrom the left there is a 1955 Ford convertible, the roofline of a 1959 Ford convertible, a 1957 Olds or Buick hardtop, a 1956 or 57 Nash Ambassador, another 1959 Ford Galaxy convertible. Through the glass, or possibly reflecting on the glass, you can see a 1958 Chevy, a 1957 Chevrolet and a 1955 Chevy. [That "roofline of a 1959 Ford convertible" is really a 1959 Mercury; the "1957 Olds or Buick hardtop" is the 1958 Chevrolet reflected in the window; your Ford "Galaxy" is actually a Galaxie. - Dave] American Icon My dad absolutely loved Holiday Inns. They were all over the country, mostly out of big cities and right off the major highways. All the rooms were identical so it didn't matter where they put you because you could drive right to your doorway. They always had a pool, sometimes heated(!) and they always had a nice restaurant, most times the nicest restaurant in their town or area serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The interior room and bathroom were the same in all these motels. They even had an outdoor kennel for dogs. I remember my dad said at this time each motel was owned and operated by the same people. My little sister and I would wheedle a quarter so we could get the "magic fingers" massage. As much as we liked Holiday Inn, we really appreciated Howard Johnson's assortment of ice cream, too. That Nash- - - - - - - only a Mother could love. Anyone Know the State's License plate on that '59 GalaxIE?And yes, your moderator was correct, it is a Ford Galaxie NOT a Galaxy. As a former member of the Ford & Mercury Restorers Club I have been correcting folks for years. Now, as to that license plate; Since Columbus sits on the Al.-Ga. state line, I at first thought that it was one of Alabama's "Heart of Dixie" tags. The colors were right but the number sequence seems all wrong. "Heart of Dixie" was located at the top of both the '59 & '60 tags. The colors are reversed to be a Georgia plate from those years. Anyone able to blow it up bettern' me and discern the plate's identity? PS: There was (is?) a Ford Galaxy mini-van made by Ford Europe. Wikipedia has the dope on it. +54 On the road way back whenIn the '50s and '60s, we had a Florida beach house and another house in various places on the Gulf from East Texas to Mississippi, so my mom and dad drove us back and forth all the time. We always stayed in Holiday Inns (I remember the 25-cent bed vibrators) and always ate at Howard Johnsons (I loved the fried clams and peppermint ice cream). We would also stop at Stuckeys, and I'd get one of those praline logs that were so sweet they'd lock your jaw. Oddly enough, I can't remember us ever stopping at a McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. We'd have lunch in larger restaurants; my favorites were the big buffet places like Morrison's. But those were the days of cruising for hours in some big Detroit car, searching for new AM radio stations as we'd get out of range, and being bored out of my mind. 3170 Victory DriveThis was the Holiday Inn on Victory Drive, which is the main thoroughfare between Fort Benning and Columbus. This ceased to be a Holiday Inn, I think back in the 1980's and has been several low-budget motels since. Victory Drive, unfortunately, has an infamous reputation of vice and violence that goes back decades. No chains in the South thenWhen I was a kid living in Georgia in the '50s the only chain restaurant we ever saw was Howard Johnson's. There were no McDonald's or KFC or anything. And worse, there was not a pizza place anywhere. Stuckey's was a tourist trap, so we didn't even think about it as a chain. But, like Jim Page, the clams at Howard Johnson's were a real treat. We'd stop at the HoJo in Folkston, Ga., on the way to Daytona each year and I filled up on those clams because I knew it would be another year before I ate them again. Safe betsBack when I used to travel a bit, I always hit the McDonald's and Holiday Inn because they were consistently safe if not outstanding. Left outLeft out of the car identifications by GCR below is the 1951 Ford on the far right with just enough visible of the front door to tell that it is a first year example of Ford's brand new Victoria hardtop coupe. Galaxie StateThe license plate on the Ford Galaxie was issued by Illinois in 1959. The white lettering on a brown background was chosen to honor Quincy College in Quincy, Illinois. Starting in 1955, the colors on Illinois license plates honored colleges across the state most years until 1964. The chart below shows this information. In 1962 the colors were specifically chosen for their visibility, but police officers complained they were too hard to read. The 1963 colors were chosen to honor the 125th anniversary of John Deere. The 1965 colors of green on white were used to honor Illinois Secretary of State Charles Carpentier who died in office on April 3, 1964. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
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