MAY CONTAIN NUTS
Search Shorpy
SHORPY ART
Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Join and Share
Ad-Free Shorpy
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Social Shorpy!
Recent comments
- Those standpipes
- Wrenches
- International D-40 I believe
- Job prospects
- You had me at Train
- Land of the free
- Broad-Exchange Bldg
- Parking innovation
- The old block
- "Peck turned a sweet propeller"
- National Bank Building
- Notch shot
- Straight ahead (right, left, left, right)
- Ship lifespans
- New service
- You Say Station, I Say Potato ...
- Iron Age
- Thank you, Cornelius Vanderbilt
- Grand Central Terminal
- If they made a movie of it
- Obsolete by then.
- Half the tonnage at the NYPANO dock
- Ravages escaped, bank notes signed and dated
- Chatham expansion
- Steepled in History
- Made by York
- No Summer Vacation
- Wait a minute ...
- $$$
- Joad on the Road
Member Photos
Photos submitted by Shorpy members!
The Shorpy
Printporium
Printporium
Search Shorpy
Search results -- 30 results per page
- Night Train: 1943
- March 1943. Argentine, Kansas. "Night view of part of the departure yard on the route of the Atchison, Topeka ... it.
[Plus, a cigarette! See above. - Dave]
Night Train: 1943 This looks like a painting. Look at the rail house the ... on others and half expecting them to look right back.
Night Train 1943 Re: Kodachrome. I took a night photo in Rome in 1958 with ... Posted by Dave - 07/29/2024 - 3:02pm -
![March 1943. Argentine, Kansas. "Night view of part of the departure yard on the route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Wow, gorgeous.That's one for the desktop background. Talk about atmospherics.
Love it!Perfect exposure. I wonder how many takes it took him to get it right.
[This one took some Shadows & Highlights tweaking in Photoshop. - Dave]
A theory about the lightingThe exposure was fifteen minutes or so, but the railhouse lights were turned on for only a small portion of that. I can't figure out any other way you would see both the lantern-trail on the right and distinct figures in the house.
If so, I wonder if this was arranged with the yard workers. Did Jack Delano tell them to leave the lights off until he called down to them?
[Close up, we can see the figures in the railhouse (below) are a blur -- with a light trail from someone's cigarette. I don't think anyone was turning lights off or on. We know that some of Delano's nighttime exposures were around five to seven minutes. - Dave]
Very long exposureLook at the meandering light streak on the right, clearly a lantern or flashlight being swung in the hand of somebody walking through the frame. The shutter had to be open for several minutes at least for him to walk so far.
The more I look at this picture, the more I love it.
[Plus, a cigarette! See above. - Dave]
Night Train: 1943This looks like a painting. Look at the rail house the figures in it look painted not real
Railhouse Is...In case you are wondering just what the "railhouse" is, its a scale track that weighs freight cars when they are diverted on the track that runs just in front of the windows.
Time travel.You realize these old Kodachromes are time travel machines, don't you?
Old B/W photos are like looking into a history book. Many washed out old color photos are the same.
These old Kodachromes take you back to the instant they were made. You're standing right there, peeking in on others and half expecting them to look right back.
Night Train 1943Re: Kodachrome. I took a night photo in Rome in 1958 with ASA 10 Kodachrome. The camera was on a tripod, exposure was on the button at 30 sec. @ f 2.8. If this 4x5 was shot, say, at f8, it would have been, as Dave says, 5 to 7 minutes, plenty of time to record the lanterns of the walkers and the cigarettes of the men in the railhouse. Shooting with slow films was a challenge, but not as daunting as you might think. You could hand-hold in daylight, 5.6 at 1/60th, or even 1/100th in bright sun. My 50+ year-old Kodachromes are as good as new, but not so with Ektachromes, which are all red now, and Anscochromes, which have just faded away.
Probably east of 42nd StreetBased on the recently-posted photo at https://www.shorpy.com/node/14960 , I think this is on the east side of 42nd Street (the bridge in the background), looking west. The blur of white in the top center of this photo is from the light tower seen at the upper right of 14960, and the trees at the upper left in this photo seem to match the ones on the east side of 42nd Street (by the big warehouse) in 14960.
Today, there is a small shack, and a larger BNSF building, in the general area. http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.081542,-94.675506&spn=0.002361,0.00324...
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34713u1.thumbnail.jpg "Night Train: 1943")
- Office Xmas Party: 1925
- ... on the nose and eyebrow: maybe the partying started the night before. Looks like a smoking hot curling iron was de rigueur for any ... revelers took their sweet and sordid memories of that night to their graves.
Another Shorpy Party! I love this photo and ... Posted by Dave - 12/15/2023 - 3:04pm -
![ It's two Fridays before Christmas, time for a hallowed holiday tradition here at Shorpy: The Office Xmas Party! Which has been going on for 98 years now. Will Clarence in Sales ever get up the nerve to ask out Hermione from Accounting? Is there gin in that oilcan? Ask the bear.
December 1925. "Washington, D.C. -- Western Electric Co. group." There are enough little dramas playing out here to keep the forensic partyologists busy until Groundhog Day. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Leer Kings"That Guy" looks like he could be the son of the older leering man directly to the right of him. I shall call them Denis Leery Jr. and Denis Leery Sr. The two men with them are obviously Christopher Walken as The Continental, and a young Franz Mesmer.
Just a little creepy....Some of the looks on their faces, wouldn't you love to know what they were thinking!
Debauchery 2.0Four years after behaving scandalously at the Krazy Kat, our bohemian friends find themselves slogging away at desk jobs in the boring adult world. Just WAIT until the Christmas party, though!
The oil canOf course the bear and the cabin weren't mentioned -- everyone knows the best part of the party is getting well-oiled!
Thank you. I'll be here all week. And don't forget to tip your server.
H.P. Lovecraft?Could it be? Standing in front of the "Go Go" guy, half hidden? Maybe Franz Kafka, instead? This would be the guy who takes an extra-long time in the lav in order to scratch unseemly things onto the stall partitions. Every office has one of these guys and in this office, its either him or else its the nearly invisible guy standing across from him on the other side of the tree. Also, the girl on the far left, standing in front of the door, is unforgivably cute. I'll bet she's told a lot of these guys "NO" and that's why she's way over there.
The Power Bloc ...Have you happened to notice how Big Boss Man - the guy holding that little stubby cigar - is surrounded by thugly-type guys? This is the power bloc for this office. The guys up on the top left are all from a different Department and are wary of Big Boss Man's thugs. There is a little bit of cross-pollenation, however. The first guy standing on the table at the right is shooting a bemused glance in the direction of his bud in that other Department. He's the shorter, unjacketed guy with the full frontal grin and the eyebrows in serious need of plucking. To them, this is all a goof. They hang out together and keep each other informed as to who says what about whom, which of the girls are doable and what the scuttlebutt is coming down from the top. There's more here but I don't want to get censored.
A Story in every faceThis photo can inspire everyone to write a novel because there is indeed a colorful character with his own personal bio in every set of eyes. The bald guy with the candle on his head particularly stands out as one who has a complex persona but so does everybody else in the picture. Some appear depressed, some look beat up, some seem desperate. Make up your own scenarios. Personally, I used to look forward to the office parties when the most unexpected facets of co-workers' personalities would be revealed, giving us the rest of the year to talk about that until the next one. Stuffy old lady accountants and spinsters turned out to shock us the most when relaxed by a "touch of the grape". Lots of fun, too bad they have mostly been eliminated. Thank you for this blast from the past.
[That's a "GO-GO" traffic signal on Mr. Complex Persona's noggin. - Dave]
WiredCould it be that they tapped the power for the Christmas tree lights from the ceiling fixture?
What a mod hairdo!The brunette peeking from behind the desk (right above the black purse) has such a 1960's hairstyle!
Fat ChanceThe corpulent boss, stogie in hand, actually thinks that removing his glasses improves his appearance. He also seems to be playing footsie with the marcel-waved cutie who inexplicably has an oil can in front of her.
A KnockoutThe woman with the pearl necklace sitting at the very corner of the desk is a knockout! She looks like a present-day actress whose name escapes me. The guy standing up and glaring into the lens at the extreme top right of the photo may very well be the Antichrist. His stare gives me chills. The guy behind him looks like an "evil character" straight out of Central Casting. This is a great photo.
Thought BubblesIt would take me all day to write out thought bubbles for what I imagine is going through all those heads, but the lady at dead center seems to be thinking, "What was IN that punch? Did they repeal Prohibition and nobody told me?"
The "dark lady" downstage right is thinking, "I hope they snap that picture before I freeze to death down here on the bare floorboards. You would think the electric company would have better heaters in its own offices, but old man Pennyfarthing won't even spring for a rug to keep the draft out."
Western Electric (Shock Therapy)Great pic. And I'm sure there are as many stories as people in this one. But let's admit that the lady sitting on the floor on the left has to have the most interesting one. There is a haunted, post-experimental-therapy look to her that immediately reminded me of the psych-ward scenes in "Changeling."
Where's the copier?Ahhh, the days before every office had a copier, and every office had some joker trying to get the temp to sit on it!
Re: Fat ChanceWait -- so the oil can is worth noting, but not the bear statuette or the small house?
Western ElectricWestern Electric was the manufacturing and distribution arm of American Telephone and Telegraph. I suppose that this office in Washington was one of their distribution points. At any rate one interesting thing about the photo is the decided separation of men and women as though they might have come from different sections of the business. I also note that the ladies are sitting on a pretty rough floor, which is something I would have thought they would have avoided in those clothes. As to the glasses, I suspect that the photographer cautioned them that the flash might reflect from the lenses, assuming that I can assert that there was flash. Who knows, maybe there's a window somewhere.
That Office GirlI find her the most intriguing face in the picture. She looks almost out of place in this setting... her face is striking. Her expression says that she's part of a back story going on around the office that no one knows about.
Wow. I'm falling in love with a woman who's long long dead. How sad is that?
GiftedJudging by the peculiar items in the shot I'm thinking they exchanged white elephant gifts at the party. I got a big stuffed fish at our last party. I would have preferred the oil can.
This is so great!A bevy of attractive females here but I'm partial to the blond girl standing at the far left of the photo.
Wowzer!
Also, standing next to Boss Stogie on his left: ladies and gentlemen ... Mr. Joaquin Phoenix.
The Black WidowQuick somebody, get the story on the raven-haired woman sitting in front of the desk.
She looks like she ate her young; perhaps she has a few "missing" husbands buried in her dirt-floor basement.
I get the very distinct impression that if you crossed her, you ended up joining the silent majority long before your time.
Dark LadyWell.....the woman at bottom left certainly catches the eye. Something of a femme fatale, I think. Not generally popular with the more strait-laced ladies, like the woman two to her right who's giving her a very frosty look. The younger woman though, above and slightly to the left, is more sympathetic.
Since it's not uncommon here on Shorpy for unflattering comments to be directed at the olden-days womenfolk, let me be the first to say what a grim bunch the men are. I'll make an exception for the guy under the tree.
Getting Oiled at the Office Xmas PartyThe oil can on the foreground floor is absolutely precious. There can be no rational explanation for it. Then again, one tends to get oiled at the office party.
The hot babe is standing, far left, if not the girl sitting left, in pearls by the purse on the desk corner.
The fat guy with the cigar has his conjoined twin growing out of his forehead.
Girls on one side, boys on the other? Weird.
How dare these people all die off before telling us why that guy is holding the little horsey?
"Hey, Griselda. Spin my copter. If it says 'STOP - STOP', you are not mine. If it says 'Go - GO', oh you kid!"
Most riveting photo ever.I've been a lurker on Shorpy for months, but this photo has prompted me to register and comment. I've been coming back to this picture every day since it was posted, showing it to everyone I know.
What strikes me is that though there are several vintage-type characters here, there are also quite a few very contemporary looking people as well. This photograph represents such a vibrant living moment in the lives of these people. Some of them look like they could speak to you right from the picture. And, oh what a story they could tell!
This photo takes first place from my previous Shorpy favourite, They Shall Remain Nameless.
(But it's so close... check it out if you missed it.)
Ansel Adams had the Zone System... I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there ...
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen......hair! I think that's my favorite part of this picture. There's such a great group of hairstyles among the women. A few of those girls were pretty darn good with the curling iron, or whatever they used. I wonder if they're more glammed up than usual for the big party. For some reason, the hairstyles are more striking to me than in other pictures. Anyway, fascinating as always.
P.S. I think the guy that bdgbill thinks looks like the antichrist is actually kind of a hottie. I'm going to go on the assumption that he didn't look that intense all the time. If he did...well, I could see bdgbill's point then.
Now I KnowMy father worked for Western Electric. The money wasn't very good, so I never figured out why he stayed there. Guess this answers the question.
IN and OUTI noticed the IN basket on the desk to the far right, but where's the OUT basket? I sometimes wonder why I have an OUT basket on my desk at work - it's always less full than the IN one.
The woman sitting on the floor to the far left bears a striking resemblance to the Italian actress Ana Magnani (The Rose Tattoo).
Dramatis PersonaeMona, the woman on floor, far left (one of the few without the Marcel wave), is probably a Suffragist or at least politically active. Maybe she's trying to organize these party animals into a union and all they want to do is balance traffic signals on their heads and be wildly social.
Don't mess with these guys!The boss from Hades has what looks like a goose egg on his forehead and the coatless guy on his right has a black eye and cuts on the nose and eyebrow: maybe the partying started the night before. Looks like a smoking hot curling iron was de rigueur for any well-coifed lady.
That guyOf the four guys standing in the upper right, the guy who is on the left side, closest to the tree -- which girl is he leering at?
Western ElectricIf you flip the picture around, you can sort of read the door sign. I can make out:
504
[Western Elec]tric Com[pany].
[INCORP]ORATED
[?]ION DEPARTMENT
I wonder what the missing part is. Administration?
Office TensionThis must have been just after Phyllis spilled the beans about Dwight and Angela. Poor Andy!
The Power Bloc, continuedThe balding gent just over Boss Stogie's left shoulder-- the real power in the office, he certainly looks confident that his recent appointment to regional director will lead to greater things. Boss Stogie's son, Junior (with the candy cane), was on the fast track to becoming a junior partner until he was befriended by Harold from the mailroom (his hand on Junior's shoulder), which displeased Boss to no end.
UndercoverIsn't anyone going to ask why the woman in the middle is wearing a hat with a Police badge? Is this a costume xmas party? Could she possibly be a real cop??
My GirlSay what you want about the woman on the floor or the blonde with the pearl necklace, but my heart belongs to the woman standing fourth from the left, middle row. She reminds me of Bernadette Peters.
The henchman second from the right at the top has a menacing Snidely Whiplash quality about him. You just know he slipped a mickey into someone's drink.
Re: Western ElectricYou know you're a Shorpy addict when you "get" Anonymous Tipster's reference to the photographer's use of flash (or WAS there a window somewhere?!). Nice shot, A.T.!
Twins or Sisters?Study the features of the young woman directly in front of the door - then look at the one just to the right of (and looking directly at) "blondie with the pearls". Eyes, hair, smile, shape of face, body build: if they are not twins then they must at least be sisters. It is uncanny!
Christmas BackstoryYes, the young lady at the lower left leaning against the desk has the most interesting backstory in the room. Thanks to the passage of time we'll never know what was behind her haunted expression beyond that the woman giving her the evil eye must have had something to do with it.
Dave continues to put these evocative photos up knowing our emotions will never be satisfied!!
Meanwhile, notice the vintage Chia Pet resting on the scales in the "shipping department" (the desk along the left side). The girl in the fake police hat is looking longingly at it. Chia bunny? Chia elf?
The guy in front of the Christmas tree holding the toy, "I got a PONY!"
Keep them in their place.I, too, wonder why all the women are sitting on the floor in their silk satin dresses with fur collars. Surely there were some men who would have been glad to give up their places for them (and to sit amongst the women!)
How did they get Xmas light strings in 1925?I thought people used small candles until the '60s. How did they happen to have these string lights? Great pic of us back then.
[The 1960s being, I guess, when covered wagons brought in the first supplies of wired Christmas lights. - Dave]
I spy...Second woman in the third row...Frida Kahlo, at her day job.
SpellbindingI cannot stop looking at this picture. So much to see. The Al Capone looking guy is mesmerizing. The guy at top, second from right gives me the creeps.
1920'sI'm kind of young so maybe I'm missing something, but did pretty women not have to hold jobs in the 1920's? This office is worse than the one I work in, I didn't think that was possible.
Re: 1920sI'm kind of young too, but I disagree with you. I think this office has quite a collection of lovely women (and some not-as-lovely ones too, just like today). Sometimes, it's hard to look past the hairstyles and the clothes. If you are young (20-something? younger?), you've really only seen one ideal of beauty--you've missed a lot of the different fashions and hairdos of the rest of the 20th century. You also underestimate what modern makeup does for women. There are so many more varieties of it today than there were then, and it's generally of higher quality and easier to use than in the past. If you took one of the women in this picture, say, the girl with pearls sitting next to the desk and plunked her down in 2008 to get a makeover, her hair would be longer, probably highlighted and dyed, and aided by daily washing and a host of conditioners. Then, add some good moisturizer, foundation, and concealer, as well as a lash curler, mascara, and a healthy helping of eye liner, and I'm guessing you'd think her quite the fox.
Conversely, take the most attractive woman you know now, and put her in short hair and marcel waves, take away her hair dye and most of her makeup, and I'm guessing she'd look quite similar to the ladies in this photo. Even something as simple as the shape of plucked eyebrows really change the look of someone, and with the change in aesthetics, it's sometimes hard to get past the fashion to see beauty.
It works with the men too--you'd probably look a lot different with a side part and a pompadour!
That's right . . .. . . pretty women did not have to work in the '20's so, Miss Oilcan's exemption is assured, in my opinion - what a hottie.
Foy
Las Vegas
That's my desk!I have a desk that's identical to the one on the left. I had guessed it was 1940's vintage. It's nice to see it's even older than I thought.
Record Breaker?Look at the stats on this photo: 53,000 + reads, and still climbing. That's a lot of forensic partyologists! I wonder if even Dave knew what he had pulled out of the hat with this one?
[I am shocked. Shocked! - Dave]
re: Xmas light strings LOL! Dave, a lot of your comments (like this one) crack me up! Are you a comedian in real life? Merry Christmas!
[Please folks, no applause. Just throw money. - Dave]
Hotness quantificationI count 20 women in that picture; most of them you can see no more than their face and hair, and two you can't even see all of that.
Out of the 18 you have a good facial shot of, I'd put 3 of them at 8.5-9.5 on the scale... three of them are SMOKING hot. I'd put another 4 at the 7-8.5 mark, meaning serious cuties, and at least three of the others are a 6 -7.
Where I work we have 100 women in my office; I'd put exactly three in the 8.5-9.5 scale, and another 10 in th 7-8.5 scale; of the rest, probably only a smattering are really in the 5+ range.
So, I have to know ... where do you work that the women are so attractive? Playboy Enterprises?
Taking into account the differences in style, these women were, mostly, very attractive, and even a couple of the less attractive weren't awful.
The Men of Western ElectricIn the interest of gender equality, I got to wondering about the relative charms of the office boys. I found three who tickled my fancy.
1. The tall smiling fellow whose head is sticking up behind and to the right of Police Woman. His face is open and honest, he's smiling with his twinkly dark eyes as well as his mouth, and although his ears are a bit prominent there's a lovely overall symmetry to his face. I'll call him Dimples.
2. The one man who has the sense to sit down with the ladies. He's a bit older, but I love his soft wavy hair. There's a certain aristocratic but slightly sad angle to his tired half-smile that puts me in mind of a young Prince Philip. I'll call him Phil.
3. OK, here's the hotness - the brash, cocky young sheik peeking out confidently between the heads of Boss Stogie Pennyfarthing and his wan shirtsleeved assistant. He's got the eyes of Frank Sinatra and the hair of Jack Kennedy. I don't know what he looks like from the neck down, but from the Arrow collar up he's all, "How YOU doin'?" I'll call him Frankie.
In summary: Were I one of the office flappers, I would ride in Frankie's Studebaker, nurse a secret unrequited crush on Phil, and take Dimples home to meet Mother.
Rogues' GalleryI can't stop staring at the chilly filly down by the leftern desk. She looks like three out of every five women I've ever fallen for. It's the eyes. As to the resemblance to Ana Magnani, she might be of Italian descent.
I am also like the older gentleman in the upper right. Mr. Leery Senior, was it? Right between Charlie Sheen (or Leery Jr.), Snidely Whiplash, and Mr. Deer-in-the-headlights. What a jovial sort. And a snappy dresser, as well. Conversely, the startled fellow's vest is well off-center and makes him look like he couldn't decide which part of him was the front. Or maybe he was taking a nap under a desk just before the photo op and somebody had to drag him out.
Funny how a photograph will turn Bob & Lisa from the office into Dick Tracy characters once you let your imagination do the walking. Thanks to all you for sharing your insights.
You were linkedA local blogger from Beaumont's newspaper linked your site today. I will be forever gratful! Nevermind I got absolutely nothing done today and instead pored over your site at length. This is truly an awesome site!
This Won't DoOne chubby gal. One chubby guy.
As an official with the State of California, I say that this does not pass muster. There was hiring discrimination here. Walk into any State office and you'll see what I mean. Not to mention the plethora of Caucasians.
The chubby gal is next to sheet music. Wonder what this melba toast group was singing?
They're all dead nowJust think ... they all had their youth, their lives, their personalities, and now they are all turned into worm food. Just a happy thought for Christmas.
No, wait a minute. . . okay, I've changed my mind. Now I like Miss Lookingaway, sitting in the lower left. Definitely. She's the one.
Foy
Las Vegas
Oil Can GalThe siren sitting with the oil can is undressing me with her eyes. I'll ignore the fact she is 112 years of age, and let her.
[Guess that explains the oil can. - Dave]
Houdini?The guy on the left side, just above and to the right of the P.D. hat girl....did Houdini make a special appearance? In any event, he's got a mean set of eyebrows.
And you are correct, Stinky, the girl on the far left by the door is surely a looker!
Lost in the crowdNobody seems to have spotted Hugh Grant peeking out between Stogie Boss and Bald Guy.
Famous facesTo keep Hugh Grant company, fellow British comic actor Rowan Atkinson is peeking out from behind Shirtsleeves.
He is not a crookOh, my gosh. There's Richard Nixon on the upper right (with face partially hidden) just below old boss and crooked-vest guys.
Roxie & Co.I love this picture, and all the comments! Here's my .02:
*Girl with the oil can doesn't want to undress you, she's too in love with herself. You can see it in her eyes; she's a Roxie Hart if I ever saw one. "Eat your heart out, Sophie Tucker."
*I swear I graduated with the girl who has her hand on Roxie's shoulder. She's the one who organizes all our class reunions.
*If I were one of those girls, I'd probably want to date the guy sitting on the desk, right hand side. However, I have a feeling he'd want to "just be friends." So,
*I'd have to go for the one behind Ol' Pennyfarthing. No, not that one, the bald one. Handsome features and sense enough to not put some ridiculous piece of fur on his head.
*Girl leering at our castoff looks like one of Cinderella's stepsisters. Drucilla, I believe.
Office HottieI think the guy looking over the RIGHT shoulder of chubby-stogie dude is hot. There's something about the eyes that grab me. And the hint of a smile.
British InvasionNot only Hugh and Rowan - isn't that the actress/singer Patsy Kensit on the left, standing in front of the office door?
Can't Get Over This PhotoI can't get over this picture. It's my favorite one on Shorpy, which is saying a LOT. And, it has nothing to do with my collection of high-end Western Electric phones from 1905-1939.
The woman in front, referred to as the "Black Widow," I can't look at her enough. She surely would get a large kick out of the ruckus she would caused in 2008, unless it bored her as also being commonplace in her own time. The woman over her left shoulder has movie star looks.
They are on the fifth floor, and I wish I could see the name on the glass door. Then again, the woman obscuring it may be the one to take home to meet the family, so she can stay.
The finish on the floor is badly worn, as contrasted by the part under the desk. These fellas were habitually hustling to and fro, and with the feminine charms represented here, it's no wonder. Office romances must have been all there rage therein.
I have been hoping the Farkers would be all over this one, except they love to specialize in the one-person quirk shots. I could place the Black Widow in countless situations...
Is this the only picture you have on this stunning group?
[Afraid so. - Dave]
If onlyTterrance had taken this photo! We would know all about it, mystery solved.
I thinkthe mysterious suicidal communist was probably a cleaning lady whom the photographer sort of forced to be in the picture and she's embarrassed to be photographed in shabby clothes and feels naturally out place amongst the staff with whom she's always been subservient.
She reminds me of Camille Claudel on her way to the madhouse.
50 Little IndiansThis photo looks like a cast of characters who would end up in an Agatha Christie mystery....and I'm pretty sure I know who did it!
The Officethis picture reminds me of the TV show The Office. Jim is sitting on the desk in the right corner. Pam is all the way to the left in the back row. Michael is the guy with his hand on Jim's shoulder although he should be the bossman with the cigar. Stanley is the guy between the man holding the horse and the man with the cigar. Creed is Mr Leery. Kevin is holding the horse. Dwight is the only guy in glasses. Kelly is the bobbed woman behind the desk with the permanent smile on her face. Meredith is the creepy woman off alone... she's just waiting for her next drink of alcohol. Andy Bernard is the guy to the right in the back with the striped tie. I couldn't decide who Angela was. Ryan is the deer in headlights next to Andy. Phyllis is in the satiny dress to the right. Oscar is right by the right hand edge.
Man I love this picture.
AngelaAngela's sitting on the floor with that big lace collar, giving the stink-eye to Meredith.
Naughty NaughtySome young lady has just done something naughty off screen left. The Leery Boys approve, the Black Widow and Stink Eye don't, and the young lady behind Stink Eye is too drunk to comprehend.
Also, is the bald man by the Christmas tree wearing a traffic signal on his head, set to "Go?"
Somewhere in this crowd must be Col. Mustard, Miss Scarlet and Prof. Plum.
My favorite pictureI and my co-worker check this site at least three times a day. He has never been on the Internet and when he passes by he will invariably ask "Anything new?" Which I know to mean "Anything new on Shorpy?" This Christmas Office Party is our favorite. We both live in Maryland and have seen many of the areas displayed in these pictures. When we scan the Office picture and see the "mob boss" guy with the stogie and the gun in his pants, he does a great Al Capone voice. I hope my posting this comment will bring new fans to
this amazing photo.
Merry Christmas everyone!have a great holiday and prosperous New Year.
Oh Christmas Twig! Oh Christmas Twig!Considering it is 1925 and an urban area they probably had a hard time locating a showpiece Christmas tree. Probably the best they could do was this poor little immortalized twig.
Timeless peopleEver notice how nearly every photo of a large group, from about 1900 on, contains at least one person who looks like he/she could have been photographed in just about any decade, or just the other day? The lady by the desk behind the pretty girl with the pearls looks like a teacher at my kids' school! There is nothing about her teeth, hairstyle, makeup, etc., that gives away the fact that she was photographed in 1925 except, of course, for most of the other people in it.
The Timeless DeskI'm still using the exact same desk as the one in the photo; my wife purchased it from McGill university when they replaced the professors' desks in the mid 1960s.
Oh what funAdolf (second from right at very top) has quite the leer going on. Peter Sellers could imitate him well. Mystery Lady could have been even more beautiful. I imagine her long hair flowing and her prominent features brought out even more with an expert's touch.
What is Stogie Man carrying, besides his eyeglasses? I also wonder who took this photo. It obviously took some arranging, with the piling up of people.
Excellent, almost spellbinding picture! I come here about six times a day just to visit it. I wonder who lived the longest, and what year they all died and how? Yes, I'm a morbid one.
Office A-Go-GoThe gent at the back is, indeed wearing the miniature street signal (it has 4 arms to the signal so not a railway signal) on his head. Firstly, the only thing behind him is a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall, certainly nothing that the signal could be perched on. And, secondly, if it was sitting on something, it would not be sitting at the angle it is.
Then and Now I'm wondering -- in today's world there is usually at least one person at an office party of that size who gets a little too inebriated and winds up making photocopies of their nether parts for distribution to all. Was there a way to do the same thing using a mimeograph machine or whatever other copying technology existed in 1925? Would the tipsy individual first have to draw their naughty bits on some special copy medium? Our grandparents sure had a lot of hardships to deal with.
At First Glanceand in the zoomed out view, I thought the gent at the far right might be the office troublemaker and that the folks wrapped him up in Christmas lights for his just deserts. Alas and alack, when you go in for a closer look, it's simply the ravages of time taking their toll on the negative.
[This batch of plates has water damage along one side. - Dave]
The Lady of the Deskjust wandered in from the Sergei Eisenstein film that was shooting on the set next door. She's on a break between takes of the Odessa Steps sequence.
RE: Oh GreatIf CBS could give us Rudolph, Shorpy can give us Western Electric.
2010 InterpretationsThis year, I think the Black Widow has pretty much just had it with that place.
Stink-Eye isn't looking at the Black Widow. She's disapproving of something messy on the front of the desk.
I can't find Don Draper Nor Joan Holloway, but this sure conjures up thoughts of Mad Men, 45 years earlier. I burst out laughing when my eyes scanned to the guy in the back with the stop and go-go item on his head! Maybe THAT is the flavor of the evening? More GO than STOP? This is the roaring 20s after all and these are certainly modern women..
Yes, this picture and your readers' comments may be my very favorites to date!
Some Like It Hot The mademoiselle standing in front of the woman wearing the Policeman's hat could have been Billy Wilder's inspiration for his casting Jack Lemmon in drag.
Another WorldThese people are denizens of another universe that, no matter how many photographs we study or books we read, we will never fully understand because we didn't live in it and never will.
These are people who knew how to navigate themselves in the distant world of 1925. All of these people were born at the beginning of the last century and were brought up by people from the 19th century.
If a modern young person were to be suddenly transported here without preparation he would find it completely disorienting and possibly quite frightening, because of so many technological and cultural and social differences between now and then.
Deja vuI loved this picture.
But the lass in front of the desk, looking stage right, is memorable. I think I've seen this picture before.
Then I noticed the dates of the previous comments. 2208? Surely two years cannot have gone by so quickly.
[To say nothing of the 198 after that! - Dave]
SteamyThere are some SERIOUS sexual crosscurrents and hot vibes in this picture! Amazing!
Slow on the uptakeI'm pretty sure Mr. Semaphore head isn't actually wearing that thing on his head; it's behind him. What is alarming is the second head growing out of his chest. The heads seem to be in agreement to lurk.
Oh great!Shorpy is doing reruns for the holidays.
Kidding.
Merry Christmas.
Uh-Oh TannenbaumThat's the most bedraggled Christmas tree I've ever seen. It has more tinsel than needles.
An unflattering portraitMy god, this is by far the ugliest group photo I've ever seen! Both girls and guys look like winners from the Walmart Ugly Photo Contest.
Kimono-wearing parrot?With a bouffant, no less? Over there, on the scale!!
The gal with the candy cane, to our left of the much-ballyhooed oil can chick, seems to be presaging late '60s hairstyles.
And yes, the balding dude in the rear with the traffic semaphore on his head wins the covert group-photo clown award in spades.
Sad to SaySo many hotties, so many dorks.
Season's GreetingsHope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season, from Walter and all his friends in this, my favorite Shorpy picture.
General Electric Crime FamilyOk, a lot of the men look like mafiosi with the big-lips guy in front being the capo. The two guys at the right, top, are hit men.
Western Electrical FireI can't believe, in 90+ comments on this remarkable photo, that not one person pointed out the extension cord running from the ceiling light fixture to the tree. I think the answer to the comment about how and when these folks died is: a few minutes after this photo was taken, in a horrible electrical fire.
It would be a chore, but could someone pleasecolorize this!
BeautyI love the woman sitting on the floor next to the desk looking away. At first glance you think; boy she looks tired, and then you look again and you see how beautiful she really is. She is just stunning. I also find it interesting with the commentary just how similar our comments in the office were to the ones posted on this site. We too made up stories about these folks. I love this photo. Thanks for sharing it.
I never tire of looking at this one.Always noticing something new, frinstance,
The object on the scale, seems to have some heft to it based on how far the scale dial has moved, maybe a cast iron toy?
The young fellow on the far right, Candy Cane in his right hand but whats on his left hand? Looks like it's slipped inside of something, a toy holster maybe?
Completion All this tableau requires (perhaps) to make it complete, is a large paper bag on the floor stuffed with goodies, including the obligatory pair of turkey-feet protruding upward in a festive fashion.
Best of the Season to All in the Shorpyverse Continuum!
Secrets never revealedThere is no question that many secret alliances and not-always discreet hook-ups probably took place during and after this festive celebration 86 years ago. Luckily for those involved, there were no surveillance cameras, cell phone cameras, tape recorders, security guards, texting devices or other pesky snooping devices that could cause the merrymakers a permanent record (and deep lifetime regret) of their missteps. They were the roaring 20's when people gathered their rosebuds where they may and parties were for having the best time you could have. I'm betting many of these revelers took their sweet and sordid memories of that night to their graves.
Another Shorpy Party!I love this photo and we're going to test the limits of the reply counter. Merry Christmas everyone and have a grand new year!
Lord Almighty!!!It's the butler in the pantry!!!
I have never, ever seen so many guilty people in one photograph.
Unbelievable that it was not staged. But it obviously wasn't.
Wow!!!
My hat!How did she get it?
"Pure horse, Danno. Book 'em."Having just spotted the drug paraphernalia on the left - the scale, the packaging materials, the kimono-wearing parrot - our undercover coppette in mid-pack has whipped out her official police hat and ignoring the cries of "that baggy's not mine!" is about ready to haul the whole gang downtown. A bust like this baby was sure to bump her upstairs and away from all these dreary office parties.
Up to no good?The gal sitting on the floor behind the Oil can has had a drink or two already, and she is plotting mischief. I can see it in her eyes! Was she the good time that was had by all?
Cost of that treeCould not have been more then a dollar in 2011 money
Must have been last minute!!!
The ion DepartmentA quick flip of the door confirms we are in room 504 of the ion Department.
FestivusIts good to see this one again. I just keep looking at the people and see more than a few that would have been great company. I hope everyone, viewers, commenters, Dave and webmaster Ken has a great Holiday Season in the company of friends and loved ones.
She apparently had a good time with my grandpa.As she is my grandma!
"The gal sitting on the floor behind the Oil can has had a drink or two already, and she is plotting mischief. I can see it in her eyes! Was she the good time that was had by all?"
3rd rowfrom the top 3rd from the left. I'm in love.
Oh wait.
Party HeartyOoooo -- Roaring twenties office party, bathtub gin. Oooooo -- I think I just threw up in my throat a little bit.
Shorpy Christmas cardIf Dave would produce an annual Shorpy Christmas card I would buy a few boxes, and I'm sure others would as well. Cards with this photo would be seen in every business cubicle in the country and quite a few places around the globe. It says Merry Xmas for me.
So much to read into This picture is as familiar to longtime readers of this blog as our own family photos and as evergreen as that Christmas Tree was before it was cut down. One can imagine so much here, for example that as soon as the photographer finishes with his duties, the Volstead Act will be violated by most of the people in this room (there are a few who look as if they might disapprove), and the usual office party shenanigans will occur, some of which might have consequences in the months to follow even if they all swear that what happens at the Office Party stays at the Office Party.
Al JolsonIs that Al Jolson in front of the "Traffic signal" bald guy? He's peering out just a bit from behind the guy with the vest and holding his glasses. 1925, the timeline is right. :)
Iconic StatusThis photo has taken on a level of immortality that few others can hope to achieve. A Photograph for the ages that will always be appreciated and admired. A Tradition is born! Thanks to Dave and all that visit here; hopefully someday your office pictures will be shown here and we can all marvel at how far we've come in so short a time.
Tiny Tim said it best so I shan't repeat it but that is my wish for one and all.
Thank you, DaveI hope this re-posting will bring new fans. Merry Xmas,everyone!
Why the oil canThose three objects in front - Maybe just spur-of-the-moment party silliness?
Another year olderI just love this photo. There's so much to analyze. Saw it last year for the first time. Here we all are, another year older. That would include those in the picture, in a macabre sort of way.
Best Christmas Party EverFirst, Dave, you have cured my holiday depression. I found this during a post-Xmas hangover and there are no words. I was instantly addicted to your site. Thank you.
Second, if there is anyone out there with connections to the BAU I would like you to seriously consider imposing yourself on that relationship and get them on it. I'm dying for a more complete story. You must be too if you're reading this. You know who you are. Pick up that phone and give him/her a call.
Not Al JolsonWade in NW Florida: if he looks like anybody of that period, it would most likely be Eddie Cantor, not Al Jolson.
The other 13I have just spent an extremely enjoyable hour reading all the comments reaching back to 2008. Of the 47 people in the photo, 34 have been commented on. So what about the other 13? Six guys in the upper left have been ignored, plus seven gals in the pack. The most prominent of the abandoned baker's dozen are, to my mind, the two women standing side by side, closest to the tree. Both have bead necklaces: one tucked in, one on the outside. They seem neither hot nor cold, neither suicidal nor drunk. The two of them actually look (dare I say?) like really nice people.
NOW it's the holiday season.....when Shorpy breaks out this holiday classic! I wonder what pop-culture figures of the past year will be likened to our hard-partying crew?
The face that could sink a thousand shipsThe guy holding the cigar, oh man I want to punch his face!
Every yearEvery year when I look at this, I think the same thing: do all those dames hate Desk Woman for the same reason, or different ones?
Lots of single women in that officeNo wedding rings on almost all of them. Perhaps a woman worked until she got married, or at least until she had children - and then she was sequestered in the kit home built in one of America's booming trolley suburbs.
It must have been a major change for these ladies to go from office life, with its daily human contact and pleasures (such as this office party) to a few rooms, kitchen and nursery figuring predominantly. My grandmother still reminisced proudly about her work as a lawyer's assistant in the 1920s, way back before she got married, had three children, and spent most of her time in the top floor of a Boston triple-decker for the next 20 years.
Colorized Version Hidden in Plain SightCheck out https://www.shorpy.com/node/11937 for colorized version in Colorized Photos by members. Dave, do I get a prize for finding it?
Talk About Your Lonely HeartsThis could be the Sgt. Pepper album just before The Beatles stepped into the shot
Par-TAY!I totally wanna party with this crew. I've always loved the Roaring-Twenties era, and the show Boardwalk Empire is doing a great job with the fashions and the music. I think Nucky Thompson needs to sprinkle a little Xmas cheer on this group. Volstead Act be damned!
Young bald guyEvery time I see this, my eyes go to the young, very handsome man who is looking over the shoulder of the rather portly guy on the right side of the photo. Balding men didn't have many options, then, like they do now, but I rather doubt that the premature balding kept all the young ladies away from him!
I wonder which of these men were veterans of WWI?
At the Ion Department Christmas Party . . .That exotic woman sitting in front of the desk in the lower left STILL seems distracted by something just out of camera, and the woman in front of her is still watching her carefully.
It's a wonderful photo worth our annual holiday attention!
--Jim
Naughty or Nice?This oft-repeated photo is starting to remind me of the traditional holiday tune by Eric Cartman (of South Park fame) singing about the Swiss Colony Beef Log; irreverent but fun.
What's printed on that document?Dave, can you zoom in on the piece of paper being held by the guy kneeling in the center, right in front of the tree? It's almost as if he's trying to show it to the camera. Thanks!
-------------------------------------
Just a something something
TO WISH
You and Yours
A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year
Division Four Office
1925
Worth a second or third look There are some half dozen ladies in this photo. Like the one right behind the corner of the desk, with the chevron shapes on her dress and the one directly in front of the door on the left that are definitely worth seeing again.
Merry Christmas Shorpyites!
Is there anybody out there?Surely one of these people in the photo has a living relative (great grandkids, grandkids, etc) that might be able to shed some light on this photo.
2%Of the 47 people in the photo, only one is wearing glasses. Did the Ion Department require perfect vision of its workers?
My cueI don't even start listening to Christmas music until I see this picture reheated. It's a classic.
The Girl with the Curl -- and the candy cane. There once was a girl
with a pretty little curl
right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good
She was very, very good
and when she was bad
she was even better!
Re 2%The cigar smoker on the right in the three-button suit and the gent on his right both are holding eyeglasses, all the more to ratchet up their smashing good looks. Well, maybe just looks.
What's Left To Say?Besides their clothes and hair dos, two things that I’m glad have changed: The way Christmas trees look and protective coating for hardwood floors. And I’m guessing they had a White Elephant gift exchange, thus the whimsical gifts.
Raise your glassesI'm sure one of our more knowledgeable posters might know better, but I wonder if glasses were removed to prevent unwanted flash effects?
Could it be?I've looked at this photo for three Decembers now, and I just noticed that the girl sitting behind the girl with the striped blouse, and how much she looks like she could be Johnny Depp's great-grandmother.
Party TimeThe office parties and associated grab bags were created to give us all a chance to regift.
Allow me now to wish all of our Shorpy viewers, creators and commenters a very happy Holiday season. Let us all be well, prosper and keep returning to this wonderful site.
Love this photo....Like so many of you, I love it when this photo is trotted out! We are so drawn to it and love imagining what this party must have been like, the silly little gifts, the party girls, and those who just wanted it to all be over with so they could get back to work.
Each year I am struck by the lady behind the one in the striped blouse. She looks like she could have been in my high school annual from 1970. Yes, I dated myself there! Her hair style looks like it could have been from the 1970's, unlike her co-workers with their many finger waves. Keep posting this one, Dave....truly a classic!
An Evocative PhotographThe romance of old photographs is especially powerful in a picture like this. Studying the faces of what we assume are long departed strangers, we can't help speculating about the nature of their inner lives and how things turned out for them. Who ended up married to someone who made them happy or miserable? Which one(s) got ahead and who descended into poverty? Who died young - and so on?
With hindsight we know that only a few years after that Christmas party in 1925, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Then World War II winnowed out a great many - how did this group of individuals make out through all those difficult times? There are many such questions which occur to the curious.
This is an extraordinarily evocative photograph. The transience of everything is plain to see in this picture if you notice such things.
This photois what prompted me to make an account on Shorpy. The first thing that jumped out at me was, is that a man in drag standing with his hand on the young lady's shoulder? The lady in question looks a bit like Drew Barrymore.
I noticed the indentations between the eyes of many of the men, and realized that they did take their glasses off for the photo, to minimize glare. No featherweight lenses in those days!
Tales from the Jazz AgeI'd like to take a crack at imagining who some of these people could be --
Oil Can Girl (seated at bottom, center) - Never turns down a chance to cut a rug at a speke. Very generous with the contents of her hip flask, which in a pinch can supply fuel for her sometime-boyfriend’s Hupmobile.
Desk Girl (seated at bottom, left) - Staring intently at a winged, two-horned leopard and wondering if she should jump up and scream at everybody to run for their lives.
Lace Collar Girl (two left from Oil Can Girl) - Wondering why Desk Girl is staring so intently at the office kitty-cat.
Time Warp Girl - (immediately above Desk Girl) - Up until a few weeks ago was a liberal arts major at an Ivy League university in the year 1969, then stumbled through a time portal into 1925. Decided to stay and get a job because, well, things are a lot less crazy here.
Starlet Girl - (above and to the right of Time Warp Girl) - Avid reader of Photoplay, Picture-Play, Screenland, Movie Weekly, Movie Mirror, and lots more. Passionately believes that her good looks could bring her fame in Hollywood, if only she could manage to stop tossing money away on magazines and save up for the train fare.
Hat Girl (immediately above Starlet Girl) - Took a few slugs from Oil Can Girl’s hip flask, now having trouble remembering her name.
Trashed Girl (immediately to the right of Hat Girl) - Took even more slugs from Oil Can Girl’s hip flask, but still conscious enough to realize that if she stops leaning on the girl below her, she’ll tumble to the floor.
Handsome Guy (standing in the back, left side, farthest left) - All the office girls have swooned over him at one time or another. Been engaged six times, but it always breaks off when he tells his bride-to-be that his mother will be living with them.
New Pretty Girl - (third from left, standing) - Just started work this past month. Soon to be Handsome Guy’s next ex-fiancee.
Wow, this is way too long already. Anyway, you get the idea. This is fun!
White Elephant Gift ExchangeI going with a White Elephant Gift Exchange for an Office Christmas Party. It explains the goofy gifts and the attire. Some of the exchanged presents still have tags on them.
No one seems to have noticedbut the shy guy in front of GO GO is none other than Irving Berlin, on a guided tour of the Western Electric facility and already evidencing the reclusiveness of his later years. At uppermost left, we have the mustachioed miscreant looking disdainfully at those beneath him, which is everyone. And finally, we have Grishkin at lowermost right left, a handsome woman whose lean and hungry look hath a troubled aspect not customarily associated with holiday gatherings (apart from those with family members present). She seems to have wandered in from one of those Russian plays that Ira Gershwin makes reference to.
All of which can only mean one thing - it's Christmas time here at Shorpy's. Greetings and salutations to all!
Times they don't changeThe women definitely place this picture in time by their clothes and hair. The men, especially the back row, center in photo, remind me of my father's photos of the late 1950's. It's all quite timeless.
Hey, long time listener, first time caller!I wonder if camp Pierce Brosnan (top row, far left) found the Ion Deptartment accepting of his flamboyant wonderfulness.
Festive DressThe bald gentleman in the back has the best holiday hat I have ever seen, the festive Go Go hat atop his bald head.
We need those names!The spectacular Massafornian colorized image should have some labels for the people in it.
So, here we go.
(Gimp and Python/PIL scripts did the job)
Thanks for the MemoriesThank you for publishing this picture again this year. It just doesn't seem right to not have these wonderful people wishing all of us a Merry Christmas. I wish all of the Shorpy readers and the Admins a Merry Christmas also.
Merry Christmas!I'm a faithful reader of Shorpy, have been for over 10 years now, since I joined up. Every year, I always look forward to the Shorpy Office Xmas Party picture. I don't know what it is; maybe it's the continuity of it. We know every year we'll see it, and every year we'll get to talk about new fictions we've created for the people therein. It's such great fun.
Re Office StoriesNice commentary! You really bring life to this party.
Glad for TradIt's truly a fun Shorpy-looker tradition to view this pic large and spend an hour time traveling and reading the comments. Hope everybody had a Groovy Solstice yesterday. Happy Holidays!
Hair dressersWho did the hair styles back then, terrible......
Sic transit ursusI love the Shorpy Christmas party! This guy still startled me when I spied him on the floor, despite the fact that I commented on him FIVE YEARS AGO.
Dean NorrisAh, it wouldn't be Christmas without this delight from Shorpy!
The guy behind the big boss's left shoulder looks like a sightly younger version of actor Dean Norris. According to IMDB, Dean Norris was born in 1962 or 1963, but if this post on Shorpy is any guide, he's at least 100 years old. Is he pretending to be younger than he really is? And what's the secret of looking so young?
Cheers!Thanks for posting again, this is one of my favourite pictures on Shorpy. Some odd Barnets going on with some of the women though...I'd love to know if there was a gramophone at this party and if so, what the playlist was.
Tradition I can almost hear Tevya, singing the song in "Fiddler On The Roof", but not quite. It is of course the Holiday Season, office parties and good will to men and of course women. It is time for us Shorpy Junkies to wish each other the best of the season. Good health, prosperity and peace to all. Thanks to our Hosts Dave and Ken and to our interlocutor terrace for their grand efforts.
G-manI had to do ctrl-f for all three pages, and I'm amazed that no one to date has identified J. Edgar Hoover standing in the front row, cigar butt in hand, between vest-and-watch chain guy and three-piece suit guy. I can't believe I didn't notice him when I first commented three years ago.
Time for a Shorpy Xmas party!I think we are overdue to have one where we all meet and discuss THIS picture (because with 150 comments, we clearly have a lot on our minds about this W.E. holiday soiree).
Merry Christmas ShorpyitesMerry Christmas to one and all, fans of the photos posted in Shorpy. Thanks to Dave and everyone who helps out with the site.
I hope the new year is good to all and everyone will be back next Christmas to view Xmas Party.
I've been a member for 3 years, 2 days and anonymous for several before that I think.
What's with the oil can?I understand the Teddy Bear and little house in the front of the photo. But what is the significance of the Christmas Oil Can?
[Yet another beloved Christmas legend inspired by this photo. -tterrace]
Do they know?The standing gal, 3rd from the left, and the kneeling gal (center and one row back) both have the same necklace on (7 little cascading chains ending in a pearl). I think that the boss-man, J. Edgar Hoover (on the right with the cigar), is having an affair with both of these gals and he gave them both the same necklace. He thinks it's really funny and smiles when he sees them together; his own little private joke! I wonder if the gals know and are just playing him for whatever they can get? We will never know for sure.
Modern Woman+89
One must wonder if oiling the bear will make the Yuletide bright?
Thanks again!This is now my official notification that the Xmas season has begun. The Office Party re-post.
Threadbare BoughsNow I know where Charlie Brown got his tree. Merry Christmas everyone!
Hours and hoursI, like so many others here, have spent hours with this image. I'm always drawn back to the woman in the lower left. She's always struck me as the office outcast trying to get out of the picture. The woman to the right of her, with the lace collar, looks like her boss giving her the stink eye for not participating.
Roaring Twenties!Thanks for this flash-back, Shorpy!
Love the very mysterious Lady on the left...
and still dislike that pompous guy with the cigar.
Wee fish, ewe, a mare, egrets, moose... and a hippo gnu year!
I have to askDoes "Office Xmas Party" have the largest amount of comments?
[That record might be held by Our Lady of Lourdes School. Another much-commented post was The Beaver Letter. - Dave]
FinallyShorpy's annual "Office Xmas Party" has arrived! There's my guy standing in the back row, far left still waiting for me. Swoon.
Happy Holidays, Shorpyites!
And thank you, Dave, for all that you do.
Re 2%, and Raise your glassesI think glasses were considered unattractive. I remember lots of members of this generation (my grandparents') or the next who would whip off their glasses whenever someone raised a camera.
Tough Day At The Office?The best part about these office parties are the grab bags. It's always the best way to regift. Other than that, I hope Dave, Ken, tterace and all our outstanding commentators and readers have a wonderful holiday and a healthy prosperous New Year.
Must have been a heck of a partyAll the way in the back is a tall bald man with a traffic signal on his head! That's better than a lampshade. The body language between the woman on the far left and the woman to her right who is glaring at her is really very sad. You wonder what sort of ugliness was going on behind the scenes. The lady looks like she's been crying a bit. Who knows. It's fascinating to see such a candid photo none the less.
An oilcan!Now I know the perfect gift to get for all my co-workers. Merry Christmas Shorpy nation.
I look forward to these people each yearThey've become familiar yet remain interesting. As I said years ago, we're testing the counter on this one.
Merry Christmas fellow Shorpyites and wish a grand New Year!
It was ninety years ago today ...... and the photo never ceases to give.
The fun is overOkay, we had our Christmas celebration, now everyone back to your desks and let's finish out the day at 5:00.
The lucky onesDue to the magic of photography, this happy group has been celebrating now for ninety years. If you enlarge the picture and study their faces and demeanors, you may get some insight into their characters and personalities in 1925. After seeing this photo for many Christmases on Shorpy, I almost feel that I know some of them as well I know my own friends. Merry Christmas to all, especially the Shorpy staff.
What are we missing?Great photo, been seeing it for years now, but I always wonder what else was going on? People are looking left, right, straight, up, down. What was going on out of frame? That lady in lower left looks ready to bolt, especially with the other lady looking on concernedly. If this was a Halloween photo, the massacre would be about to begin.
I've been ill, and maybe delirious...
Spooky Lady of Christmas PastI remain endlessly curious regarding the woman with her back to the desk.
Spooky and haunting, amid all the fascinating characters in this classic shot, she is The One.
Department Name for Room 504Western Electric Company
Installation Department
5th Floor
1319 F Street
Washington DC
(From the 1925 Washington City Directory)
This department installed Central Office equipment (testboards, operator switchboards, signaling equipment, etc) supporting both local and long distance telephone service.
Google street view has an office building that looks old enough to be our Christmas Office party location. Perhaps another Shorpyite can add the street view for us.
[It was built in 1913. Interestingly enough, it's just one building away from Harris & Ewing, another source of many Shorpy photos. -tterrace]
Merry Christmas, George BabbittThe guy on the right, in front, with the grand forehead, holding the stogie, reminds me of Sinclair Lewis's protagonist in "Babbitt" (1922):
"He was the modern business man; one who gave orders to clerks and drove a car and played occasional golf and was scholarly in regard to Salesmanship. His head suddenly appeared not babyish but weighty, and you noted his heavy, blunt nose, his straight mouth and thick, long upper lip, his chin overfleshy but strong; with respect you beheld him put on the rest of his uniform as a Solid Citizen."
Room 504Flip the photo horizontally, and you will see that we are on the 5th floor. Who can guess the "department" we are in?
Now it is Christmastime for sureI couldn't truly celebrate Christmas without seeing this picture again. It must be after Thanksgiving or Shorpy would not have posted it. Any comments I could make about this picture would only be a pale response to all the previous comments. It just makes me try to think what an office Christmas party like this must have been compared to a modern day party. I look forward to this picture every year for some crazy reason.
294408That's how many people have called up this photo. Over a quarter million! And this isn't YouTube. What an amazing picture. What an amazing site. Merry Christmas to all my Shorpy comrades and a huge thank-you to Dave and tterrace for all they do to bring this amazingness to us every day.
YuletideI heard Springsteen singing about Santa on my way to work, and now I see this. It is truly Christmastime now.
Oh, Beautiful Lady in the Lower Left......let me unwrap that bear for you, before your nearby friend gets more worried that you're not having any fun.
DoppelgangerThe young woman framed in the door on the left looks remarkably like today's woman who was a business partner of mine.
Nothing but the best at Shorpy!!Thanks for this expected post!
Never noticed this beforeThe men's jackets have creases running the length of the arms. I wonder if this was a customary thing for "the office" or typical treatment "of the times" for pressing? Perhaps this treatment was typical only of a worsted fabric?
P. D. Police Dept.I keep being intrigued by the one and only joker in the crowd, our lady with the "P.D. Police ...." hat. There must be another word after "Police," I suppose it is just "Dept."
Marching In PlaceSeeing this picture so many times tells me that I'm growing older but these celebrants have become ageless. Along with that piece of wisdom allow me to add my Seasonal Greetings for a Merry Christmas, a joyous Hanukkah Past and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all. Of course we are all in the debt of Dave,Ken and tterrace (who may or may not be on the Payroll) for their addictive posts, explanations and comment rebuttals.
From NYC, where the Christmas Eve Fahrenheit is forecasted at 72º.
Mel
[tterrace is salaried, deals in a service and is bigger than a bread box. -John Charles Daly]
Life of the partyMy best guess for "life of the party" status goes to the lady in front with elf buckles on her shoes. I love this image- there so much detail and depth of relational perspective.
Afterlife Office PartyThis photograph has become a holiday tradition for me, as anticipated as my Christmas eve tradition of baking cookies, wrapping gifts and gently placing a dish towel under Uncle Trouble's chin so he doesn't drool on his good shirt after passing out on the couch.
Scanning the full-screen photo, I wonder if a small corner of the afterlife might be populated by tenants doomed to spend eternity at a perpetual office Christmas party for some workplace sin like stealing lunches from the office fridge, pilfering office supplies, or failing to replace paper or toner in the printer. I can picture Dickensian clarks with ink-stained fingers forever mingling over paper-cupped eggnog with 60's swinging secretaries, Old Kingdom robed Egyptian scribes trimming the tree with bored mid-level Qing Dynasty bureaucrats, and that impenetrable knot of young IT guys and gals speaking in that techno-babble, side-eyeing the boss, forever giggling.
I imagine the mirthless rounds of the eternal white elephant gift exchange: the Take Me to the River-singing fish going round and round and round the conference table ad infinitum. I can see the everlasting greasy pile of stale taquitos, timeless sips from the bottle of booze hidden in the file cabinet, Starbucks Christmas Jazz CD playing in an endless loop -- the horror.
Goober Pea
UpdatedUsing John J's sleuthing on the location of this office, I recently ventured there to see if any resemblance to the photo remains. I got as far as the only door in the hall on that floor. Nothing appeared to remain.
Seek and ye shall find . . . GO!TimeAndAgainPhoto, that's a great job of investigating one of our Shorpy.com favorites, but I'm convinced that if you'll just badge your way into that office, you'll find a fellow in there with a traffic signal on his head.
I hope so, anyway.
Re: Seek and ye shall find . . . GO!Jim Page - I had to badge my way past security and up the elevator before I was stopped by the secured door.
Those were the daysI really do miss the office Christmas parties from my working years which gave us an opportunity to meet, greet and schmooze with people we hadn't seen in 20 minutes. Merry Christmas to all, rejoice and be glad.
Every Year and I am Still Captivated But I Don't Know WhyThanks Dave, I'm still enjoying this for some reason I don't understand, and I'm still curious about the front and center oil can.
SNL Time Traveler?That person standing directly to the left of the tree is either a time-traveling, cross-dressing Pete Davidson from SNL or his Great Grandmother worked at Western Electric Group in 1925!
Shorpy - I look forward to this picture every year and am a regular viewer of your site. Even have a couple of large prints on my walls at home, with another coming soon!
Thanks for this site - it's one of the pleasures of my day!
Yuletide.I love seeing this picture every year. As do my co-workers. Thank you.
I have seen this picture for six (I believe) years nowBut today, today there is a new face, one I instantly recognize, that I would swear was not there in any previous year.
I once found my wife's doppleganger (Trackless Trolley) in one of these pictures. Today, I find my youngest daughter, Cecilia (16); she's poking her face out between the 2nd and 3rd fully visible women on the left side of the photo (their right) from the tree.
Ok, it's spooky Dave.... but I'm starting to believe someone has a time travel machine, and everyone but me in my family is using it.
P.D. clocheWonder what she's hiding under that hat?
It's timeThis picture (and the myriad comments) are so entertaining, I sometimes search for it when I'm feeling low, even in July! I especially love Oil Can Sally's come hither look.
I amost know these peopleMy Great-Great Grand uncle was Dan Richardson, a senior accountant for Western Electric in the New England/Northeast US area. He certainly visited Washington D. C. during his time with Western Electric, and would have met and worked with one or more of the people in this photo.
Odd to think I could, via relatives, have been introduced to these people.
This is my first ChristmasI see 26 men, 21 women and hundreds of possibilities.
Oh My GoodnessI had no idea it was so close to Christmas. We really need to finish the baking...
Old Friends From The OfficeAre like warm Gluehwein to heat the cold heart at Christmas.
Merry Christmas my Shorpyite friends and a Happy New Year to everyone, especially Dave who keeps all of us in memories. [updated]
Phyllis Diller"What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day."
QuorumThis picture puts the "mass" back in Christmas.
Sturdy DesksI guess the nine guys head and shoulders above everyone else are standing on two or three of these desks. Curious as anyone about the office relationships and the lady sitting in front of the desk. My eighth year of wondering and guessing about this picture.
The scraggly looking treein the picture most probably was bought with donations from some of the people in this picture.
Older Shorpyites will no doubt remember the single set of lights on the tree. The lighting "outfit" was an inexpensive 8 light series set, with C-6 miniature based bulbs. When a bulb burned out, it was time to hunt for it with a good one...unscrewing every bulb in the set until it was found.
I remember helping my grandmother do just that. For some reason, the C-6 series set was always at the top of the tree. Grandma would get up on a stool, with me holding the good bulb, and switching it one by one until the set lit.
Wonderful times. Timeless memories.
What Are They ThinkingI've enjoyed this picture year after year, and like many who had suffered through office parties, I often thought what goes through their minds.
Click to enlarge.
Lady in the foregroundI've also wondered (several years in a row) about the lady with her back to the desk. The thing that really stands out to me, is her hair. As far as I can tell, she has her hair swept back in a bun, which is clearly very old-fashioned compared to all the bobbed and shingled ladies in the office.
I know this is a bit far-fetched but her clothes and hair suggest to me that she wasn't an office worker, as they give the impression of having less money to spend on herself. I wondered if maybe she was the office cleaner/ tea lady who was called in to be part of the photo?
It could explain why she seems a bit distant from all the others in the group.
It's here! It's here!The Shorpy Christmas Cheer office party picture is here! Smack dab in the middle of Prohibition, the gang at Western Electric make merry with two or three hundred stories or thoughts about what the heck was going on in their heads!
My favorite is the seductress "oil can" Sally with her bathtub-gin induced come-hither gaze!
Merry Christmas!
#UsTooI bet if those girls had a voice today there would be some explaining to do.
Night Before ChristmasWhen what to my wondering eyes should appear
but a company Christmas calendar, the same as last year.
Season's GreetingsThis is simply the greatest captured moment in the history of office photography!
Nothing puts me in the spirit like --this pic, a glass of egg nog and Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on a loop! Merry Christmas all!!
The distant gazeAs fun as it is, I think we're way overthinking the motives of the 5 or so "looking away" women. Yes, even the comment-generating pair of the sultry one in the lower left corner and the one sitting to her left who appears to be staring her down. It was evidently fashionable for many decades for women to "look into the distance" for a portrait photograph, and I think that's all they're doing here. My theory is that this practice started as a way to prevent the "zombie eyes" effect of the exposure capturing the blink after the flash. My mother always did it, even when I implored her to look at my camera with everyone else.
That GirlIn the middle front, her hairdo reminds me of a poem my mother (b. 1915) used to recite:
There was a little girl who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.
[Nursery rhyme by Longfellow. - Dave]
Every yearI feel sorrier than the year before for the one sitting on the floor with her back to the desk. She looks like she is just waiting for the party to be over so she can throw herself out the window.
Reminds me of "The Office"I can find the whole cast from Dunder-Mifflin -- Michael, Jim and Pam, Dwight Schrute, Stanley, Kevin, Angela, and Phyllis.
Let's danceHey, did anyone remember to bring their Lasses White albums?
ClaireThis pretty gal looks exactly like my wife. I just printed out the image and am going to show her tonight.
Work or PleasureIs the machine on the desk at the right (above the In Box) a record player brought in? A radio? Or is it merely some office device like maybe a phone-related routing/switchboard machine?
Also, wingtips apparently were in style.
Sure SignOf the Season: this picture on Shorpy (Thanks, Dave) and "A Christmas Carol" on TCM. All the best to all wherever ye might be!
Ghosts of Christmas pastIt really is curious that we can scrutinize a picture like this every year and each time we notice something different that we did not notice before. This year, while observing enlarged close-ups of these people's faces, I see resemblances to many of my own acquaintances, friends and public figures and one can almost even determine the personality and attitude of each person. I think the young lady standing on the extreme left, second row, closest to the door, looks like a younger Martha Stewart. I also know that these happy holiday office parties are quickly disappearing due to the current lawsuits involving harassment, etc. so the people of my generation (old fossils) can move into the history books with them and just remember how it "used to be" and know it will never be again.
This festive group gets a prime spot in that chapter and exemplifies what it was like, for better or for worse. Party on kids, 'til the end of time.
The BossThe one sure thing about this photo is who the boss is, probably flanked by his second in command to his right.
Ion Dept. XmasI have followed this wonderful Xmas photo for years but have never commented, till now. I always wondered what I might say, since so much has been said. But what really made me start this year -- the thing I’d never really noticed before – the new thing! – is that guy (head) craning behind the Xmas tree. Compared with all the other people, he’s really only half there, penciled in, lacking in the vibrancy and heft of every other person. So I guess my comment is: Merry Xmas, Ion Tree guy! (And Merry Xmas to all my Shorpy sisters and brothers, and of course to our all-puissant but beneficent overlords, Dave and tterrace, who make this daily joy available to us all.)
[Or maybe Ion Guy is just tinseled in. - Dave]
Was the Electric Company a Communist Front?Psychodramas? How about it looks like Alger Hiss and Whitiker Chambers’ cousins were exchanging Christmas gifts in Washington in 1925. Alger’s stands to the left and Whitiker’s to the right—significant? Whitiker’s cousin looks like someone socked him on the forehead and Alger’s has a smile on his face.
[Ahem. Whittaker, not "Whitiker." - Dave]
That Temptress!All these folks saying they see something new each year -- nuts. I first laid eyes on the beauty behind the oil can, what -- a decade ago now? And she has had me in her spell ever since. It is now officially Christmas season for me.
I'm busy here!You Shorpyites who fantasize about folks from over 90 years ago -- How strange you are.
And all your blather is distracting me from my mission of saving the saintly Love of My Life whose shoulder had been latched onto by the Evil Witch with no opposable thumb ...
I must complete this pesky time machine before Christmas.
Holiday RomanceI see that its time to renew my holiday romance. Every year I fall in love with the young lady the farthest to the left. Brings warmth to my heart, of course, I don't dare tell my wife.
Season's Greetings!I look forward to this picture every year. I like that it's been a running thing here for so long, because I see it as a way to bind all us Shorpyites together. No matter where we live, how old we are, what we're doing in our lives, we can all stop here and comment on this picture, wishing everyone a wonderful holiday. Thank you, Dave, for providing that for us.
I wish all of you that read this a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May 2019 be the year you've been waiting for.
Hip FlasksEven the Bear won't tell, but, I am sure the oil can will.
1925! Prohibition! Almost every woman had one and, I am sure, that there may be a few here.
Maybe, that's why Gladys sitting with the Bear and oil can, is smiling knowingly?
Even the person who introduced Prohibition had a still in his basement.
"It was 93 years ago today" Happy Christmas, John! Happy Christmas, Yoko!...Esther, Mary, Eugenia, Mabel, Nellie, Ida, Clara, Edith, Winifred, Maude, Violet, Gladys, Daisy,Doris, Agatha, Gertrude, Elspeth, Velma, Thelma, Myrna, Hortence...
The LevelingTo paraphrase William Makepeace Thackeray "It was in the reign of President Calvin Coolidge, that the above-named personages lived and quarrelled ; good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now."
Most popular galMy favorite - Oil Can Sally - has three gag gifts displayed. That probably makes her the most popular woman in the office. In addition, her provocative smile suggests a hangover was in her future!
Still GOGO after all these yearsI love the bald guy just visible in the back row with the traffic signal "ballanced" perfectly on the top of his head. Very steady!
It sounds crazy... but I swear the bear moved a bit since last year.
That old gang is back!The Christmas Party Picture is back! I'd actually forgotten about it, so a quick check of Shorpy was the most welcome way to end my Friday. The week to come will reveal new snarks about these buddies of ours, and I look forward to that. Thank you, Shorpy!
Those EyesThe beauty sitting against the desk gets me every year. She looks exhausted.
My Favorite TraditionI don't post a lot of comments, but I check the site every day to see what's new and to read what *other* people have said. This is probably one of my favorite posts on this site because it's great to go back through the years of comments and read people's observations about the image, maybe see if someone has come up with something new. I hope we keep seeing this picture on the Friday before Christmas until the heat death of the universe. It would be a lovely constant.
Happy Holidays to everyone at Shorpy. I hope it's filled with love, contentment, and joy.
If you like this photo ...You loved the Shorpy.com postcard you just received!!!
When mine came in the mail, my wife said, "Do you know those people?"
OF COURSE I DO!!!
Find the BossI just love the way he stands there holding his cigar. You can almost hear him barking out orders in a very Edward G. Robinson-ish voice.
This reminds me of --That photo in "The Shining" of the 1921 New Year's Eve party at the Overlook Hotel. These folks will be back, again and again.
The timeless shorpy traditionEvery year when I see the office party pic, my eyes always wind up gazing into the sideways glance of that beauty in front of the desk.
I cant help imagining what the conversations of the day were, who brought a flask full of illegal libations, was jazz coming from a tube type radio, did everyone get a little Christmas bonus (it was the roaring 20's mind you), and who has a crush on who?
Dave, thanks for all you do. Shorpy is a constant in my day.
Be well everyone!
I guessed the right number of buttons in the jarMerry Christmas!
The Shorpy Ion Dept.A crazy thought occurred to me this year with respect to this beloved standard photograph: what if it were not the Ion Dept. from 1925 but the Shorpy regular contributors from 2019? Which one is Dave? Where is tterrace? And what about so many of the devoted Shorpsters (in no special order) – Jim Page, fanhead, TheGeezer, PhotoFan, Baxado, BethF, TimeAndAgainPhoto, Vintagetvs, OTY, Solo, Jeb70, switzarch, DaveA, JennyPennifer, rhhardin, pennsylvaniaproud, JohnHoward, kines, loujudson, lindab, Jano, StefanJ, jimmylee42, Hayslip, rivlax, Mattie, joemanning, Born40YearsTooLate, GarandFan, mountainrev, perpster, Dbell, Doubleclutchin, Root 66, KathyRo, archfan, GlenJay, alexinv, karenfryxell, Gooberpea, Angus J, 510Russ, Michael R, Brett, BillyB, bobzyerunkl, Alex, jsmakbkr, Marchbanks, Commishbob, Jimmy Longshanks, DoninVa, mgolden, Alonzo, Dag, Juan de la cruz, bobstothfang, Ice gang, Rute Boye, Vonderbees, Ad Orientem, MacKenzie Kavanaugh, JazzDad, Maniak Productions, EvenSteven, Doghouse Riley, John.Debold, Sewickley, Paul A, and jd taylor. And let’s not forget some of the people we haven’t seen for a while: stanton_square, aenthal, Mr Mel. (My apologies to those I have not listed.) Best of the season to you all, my fellow Shorpsters!
Who's WhoDavid K - Dave runs the joint, so he's the three piece with the cigar. TTerrace is his major player on this site, so he is the guy looking over Dave's left shoulder. Now we just need someone to post a picture with numbers, and we label them.
Maligayang Pasko all.
Re:Shorpy Ion Dept@davidk, I'm the one peeking from behind the Christmas tree.
I hope everyone in the Shorpy pantheon enjoys all the holidays!
Postcards From The EdgeWhen I got mine, I literally jumped for joy seeing the people that I love and cherish so much. Now I can look at them anytime throughout the year, not just at Christmas.
And, thank you to DAVIDK for the mention.
[@davidk, I would be the guy with the object upon his head]
Our own office partyI love seeing this photo every year and thanks to davidk for the guest book entries of our office. Top of the season everyone!
Still HereEvery time I see this picture I think that these people could have been my mom or dad.The time and ages represented are almost perfect. It reminds me of aunts and uncles and family friends who are long gone although I will never forget them. I just turned 80 years old this past July and can remember a lot of people who would have been right at home in this picture. Thank you davidk for including me in your list of people who have liked this picture in the past and a big Merry Christmas to Dave and tterrace for maintaining the site.
This one never gets oldHow is it that an old picture never gets old? Every year, I always notice something new that I hadn't noticed before. This year it's the guy with the beard, hiding behind the tree.
Also, the woman just above and just to the left of the woman in the striped blouse (her left, that is) - could that be Johnny Depp's great-grandmother? I see a definite resemblance.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Love itI love this photo. The expressions, the faces. Some of the women are quite attractive. The man with his hand draped across the shoulder of another man is interesting.
Office desk sultry beautyI wonder why the dark hair beauty is staring off to the side? Was she jilted? Was she sick of the many advances by the suited men, or despondent that the one she wanted got away. Why does the women in the RBG collar stare at her? Does she know what happened?
I love the captions from another commenter.
Michael ScottIf Michael Scott were the manager of this office, I wonder if he would have said (as he did 85 years later on the TV show), "Unbelievable. I do the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for these people and they freak-out. Well happy birthday Jesus, sorry your party's so lame."
Merry Christmas, Shorpy! And for the record, I don't consider this a lame birthday party, and I doubt Jesus would, either.
Bal MasqueNinety-five years later, if there even would be a party! With an added suspense -- what does Hermione look like, under that mask?
Socially DistantWould they have believed it had someone told them that in 95 years their photograph would be the highlight of 2020 for a group of remote observers?
Merry and BrightThis photo has become the official kickoff of the holidays for me.
Best wishes to all the Shorpy regulars and particularly those who keep this place running.
Neither here nor thereEach year my attention is drawn immediately to the three beauties at the bottom left of the photo: sultry beauty far left floor level, looking off to her right at someone/something off camera; the lady to that lady's left who seems to be watching her with deliberate intent; exquisite beauty just behind the desk corner, beheld with what appears to be fond regard by the lady just behind her to her left; and wholesome beauty smiling behind exquisite beauty, being kept tabs on by the lady in the Police Department helmet.
I do eventually get past these women, to study the remainder of visages and postures and wonder about the other long-dead revelers of both genders, but it is these six who take up most of my time each year as I wonder what might have been the complexities of the various relationships. And as always, I hope each one in the photo had a Merry Christmas that year and many years after. I know that the likelihood is slim to none that all lived long and were carefree throughout, but that's still what I wish for in this suspended moment that so many have celebrated for so long, thanks to Shorpy.
So a Merry Christmas to beloved Shorpy and its erudite, esteemed company of gazers no less fascinating than any who attended Office Xmas Party: 1925.
Thanks Again Dave and Merry ChristmasThanks again Dave, I've been waiting for it. Obviously, we all love this yearly Christmas "surprise". I enjoy everyone's take on this party I missed awhile back.
Questions, questionsEvery year I wonder.
What is that thing on the postal scale? A misplaced elf? A misshapen magus?
Why is that woman with the oil can looking at me? Am I safe?
And why is the Christmas tree so scrawny?
Merry Christmas Dave!And to all the crew at Shorpy! Thanks for the memories and keeping some of us sane in 2020!
What I want for ChristmasI don't care what it is, I want one.
[Update, thanks to all the gizmo identifiers. I love tape dispensers! Now I really want it!]
Nothing stops this partyOh, thank goodness the Shorpy party is still on! It's the only event the pandemic cannot cancel!
Judging youDon't know what got into her holiday spirit. Not too pleased with someone.
Re: tterrace What I want for ChristmasIt's a gummed tape dispenser, similar to this one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-vintage-ornate-cast-iron-...
She of the averted gazeI know that we enjoy interpreting what is in - or not in - this photograph each year. However, eight people, including "she of the averted gaze" are looking in that direction, suggesting something was going on while the picture was taken, sufficient to distract. A further basis for interpretation and speculation, perhaps? Merry Christmas.
Only one bow tieAmong all those Windsor knots on the gents, third on upper right. In group after group they are always in the minority, even until today.
Going to a Go-GoNothing says Christmas like a Go-Go party hat.
That machineMay be a gummed tape applicator.
National Package Sealer model #206
Do they know?Do you think the two women wearing the exact same necklace (dripping pearls) suspect that it might have come from the same man? Are the pearls from the handsome young gentleman with the pen sticking out of his pocket? Is this an early version of "The Bachelor" that we are witnessing? Which one will he choose?
Austerity Christmas?From the Charlie Brown Christmas tree to the lack of any visible food or drinks (except for a few candy canes) to the blank, unimpressed looks on some faces, it looks like an Austerity Christmas in Anytown this year.
Well, Merry Christmas TermiteYou can probably still find one somewhere. It's an automatic wetter and cutter for wide, brown packing tape. You just mash down on the handle and it shoots out a measured length of wet sticky tape and cuts it when you release. There is a messy water reservoir up front. I used one in a shipping department in 1974.
Buddha Bear!Puts in his once a year appearance.
Merry Christmas to Dave & Ken & tterrace and all the naughty boys & girls at Shorpy!
Nice $-value todayThat horse that guy in front of Christmas tree is holding. All with bit of wear and patina collected in 95 years.
Another yearWe all get another year older and they stay the same.
Five groupsPart of the endless fun with this photo is deciding which part of it to center as the embiggened image on my screen. I fluctuate between the five main Ion Dept. groups: on the left, the ladies on the floor, the ladies standing, and the men standing above them, and on the right, the lower men and the upper men. (If I had to distinguish a special sub-group, it would be solo guy behind the tree and the fellow on the very far right who hovers between the upper and lower groups.) Once I have the group du jour embiggened, I focus on the individual characters. As we who have been doing this for years well know, that’s when the fun begins.
Might I take this opportunity to offer the best of the season to Dave and Ken and tterrace and all my fellow Shorpsters. In this extraordinary year of greater screen time than ever before, I find that my Shorpy screen time is even more intense and valuable, if such a thing is actually possible. Bless Shorpy, and bless you all.
Elbow to elbowEvery year I have a different response to this photograph, depending on general mood and the state of the world. This year, I truly envy those people. They get to stand together in a bunch, breathing one another’s air, touching each other casually, sharing food and drink, simply going in to work at an office. They all lived through a plague of their own six years earlier, and they look fine now, so there’s hope.
Happy holidays to all the people who create and enjoy this wonderful website that gives me joy and perspective on a daily basis.
Re: Elbow to elbowI must concur. Having spent nine months wearing a mask, practically bathing in hand sanitizer every time I touch anything, and staying as far removed from people I don't live with as humanly possible, I'm jealous of these long-dead coworkers for being able to crowd together, enjoying one another's company in person, rather than over Zoom or FaceTime.
It's been a bad, bad year, there's no denying that, but Shorpy has been a bright spot in my day since January, much as I'm sure it's been for the rest of you. Happy Holidays to all the Shorpyites out there — may you find some contentment and peace in the face of all this tragedy and come out the other side hale and hearty.
That Time of Year AgainThrough the miracle of photography and our friends at Shorpy, we are able to visit this party again.
A Vintage CrumpleAfter all these annual viewings I finally noticed what looks like a lone crumpled piece of paper at lower right. We'll never know what was on it. Maybe a dig at one of these people? Or love note? Ah, the mysteries!
Christmas Past, Present, and Future all at once!Every year I wonder about the dark-haired smiling young woman third from the front, beside the desk. With her modern-looking bob, she looks like a Time Traveler, so that's what I've named her. (Not far away are The Maniac, Da Boss, and The Very Secret Lovers.) This photo, along with its subjects, never gets old, and I hope the Holiday Spirit that originally inspired it never does either. Happiest of Holidays to everybody who produces and sees Shorpy, and a New Year of peace, love, courage, and good health to all.
12 Years of ChristmasMerry Christmas Shorpy. Thanks for the memories.
[This is Shorpy's 14th Christmas! - Dave]
PerspectiveThey all lived through a plague of their own six years earlier, and they look fine now, so there’s hope.
Thanks, jdtaylor--I'm sure I'm not the only one who needed that perspective today.
Happy holidays to Dave and all the Shorpyites. This site has been a great distraction lately!
Time to Move OnI vote that next year you post the 1926 photo. Some of the lingering issues must have been resolved by then.
The X-mas Party Presents!And here you may have a look on how Christmas looked 100 years ago in the U.K. (including a display of toys made by Meccano in the toy department of Whiteleys store in Bayswater).
Mysterious machineNow that the gummed tape dispenser has been identified, I hope someone will be able to reveal the secret of the machine on the desk behind the in-box. A perforator or a mimeograph machine perhaps?
[It's called a typewriter. - Dave]
Dead ringer, etc.At the very back and far left - the attractive woman 3 in - I have a friend who looks exactly like her but with a more modern hair style, but identical facial features. How eerie!
Something tells me that Oil Can Mary's wicked smile indicates that she is already planning what flapper attire she will wear at the local speakeasy that night. Her future toast might be: "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— It gives a lovely light!" Published in 1920. Edna St. Vincent Millay.
I often wonder what became of all these people. It is my hope that they all lived long, happy, prosperous lives but alas, as we know, life can be more complicated than that.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year you ghosts of Christmas past!
The only Christmas party I'll go to.Merry Christmas to Dave and the Shorpy Crew, as well as my fellow Shorpy followers. It appears that I've been around for 12.5 of the 14 years of Shorpy.com, though it seems like yesterday and DoninVa no longer lives in Va. There's always something to be found in a Shorpy photo: the young woman framed in the glass of the door is the doppelganger for someone I once worked with. Cheers!
Newcomer To The PartyAfter viewing Shorpy for some years now, I finally decided to join this party; I'm in awe of the many observations, and for now, am unable to come up with any new angles on this fascinating photo. I do want to say that the comments of jd taylor and BethF most definitely struck a chord with me; I, too, envy those in the photo, survivors of even greater trouble, coming as it did following The Great War. Hope to see you all back at the party next year, and a few other places along the way. May you all find peace and hopefully some joy this Christmas.
A Merry Christmas to You All!It's been a rough few years for me (family deaths, health issues), and my Internet usage dropped off considerably. I may have stopped commenting, but I never stopped reading, and I've looked forward to this photo every year for a long, long time. I'm glad that for all the things in flux in this world, the Shorpy Office Xmas Party remains the same.
I wish you and yours the very merriest and happiest of holiday seasons. May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white. :-D
EerieWhy the rush?
[??? - Dave]
MassafornianWhat a great comment, thank you. I’ve never colorized, and I use Photoshop for barely 10% of what it can do, but I truly appreciated your insight into the process. More amazing is that you’ve named them all. Gosh, I’d love to know who the others are, in addition to Mary, Bobbie, Lulu, and Lila. And how honest to share with us your faves, Mary and Bobbie, made legit by your wife asking. I agree about Lila: trouble. Also the lady with the marcel wave in the purple dress and blue coat with fur fringe behind the bear and oilcan and house: you might think of her in off moments but you could never make it work. (What’s her name?) Thanks for explaining about Remini because I wondered how their teeth and various other features were so brilliant and precise. And don’t worry about the rouging: it raised the temperature on the whole event (and not just on the ladies – it’s perfect for that guy third from the left in the upper right, the older fellow with the red tie, who’s had too much to drink or is about to have a stroke or both). One more thing: I’d never really noticed that unsightly blotch on the forehead of the boss with the cigar – you did it full, gross justice. Again, great job, and thanks, man!
I'd like to be the first this yearSurely, it's not too soon for this Yuletide Jewel ...
The Oilcan Need an explanation for the purpose of the oil can at the party.
[It's not a party unless everyone is well-lubricated. - Dave]
Now the season is complete!I look forward to revisiting this every year. Thank you!
- Ken
Colorized versionI've been working off and on to colorize this wonderful image throughout the year. Here's the result. You can also find it here in high resolution:
http://www.hearthworks.net/1925/1925_office_xmas_party_12.12.jpg
Merry Christmas!
[Bravo! - Dave]
Amazing colorization!@ Massafornian -- thanks so much for that epic job. It adds so much to an already incredible image. (Judging by your username, I suspect we are compatriots -- I was born in Massachusetts and live in California.)
Merry and BrightWith retirement, our lives have been simpler here so the Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier. But it isn't *really* the season until the annual Shorpy office party. Happy Holidays to Dave and the regular contributors that make this place special.
BTW...it's kind of odd that I get older but none of the partygoers ever seem to. Must be something in the eggnog.
As We Seek Normalcy, This Pic Provides it!The last two pandemic driven years, makes most of us seek glimpses of normalcy. Having this Christmas tradition each year, having a peek into the office Christmas party, gives a moment of that peace. Knowing these, and their children, and their grandchildren...made it through the Great Depression, WWll, the Cold War, etc., etc., still, a moment frozen in time, gives a certain reassurance, that everything is going to be ok!
Merry Christmas, office party, as well as all the Shorpy members that crash the party each year!
Bravo, indeedWell done on the colorization, Massafornian. It adds a level of vibrancy to an already-lively photo of an intriguing bunch of people. I’m also surprised at some of the effects, for example the oft-commented-upon woman in the lower left, sitting against the desk, craning her neck for a beady glare offstage – the rouge on her cheeks and the lipstick blunt the ultra-crazy impression and make her look, dare I say, somewhat fetching. Thank you for your addition to this seasonal favourite. And best of the season to my fellow Shorpsters and to the toilers in the digital mines who bring us this much-loved website.
Everybody's back in the officeNobody's working from home and the party is ON! Happy holidays!
WFHAs we head into Covid Christmas #2, it again strikes me that these folks would have no idea what working from home would even mean. (Taking in sewing?) Here they are, in joyous proximity one to the other, while we are still asked to distance, mask up, etc. Their mingled exhalations, their casual touches, the humid density of their gathering – how I envy them. Well, we come here to dream and fantasize, don’t we? Happy holidays to my fellow dreamers and observers and to the hard-working trio who bring us the stuff that dreams are made of.
Up to good or no goodI am incredulous that I have never really noticed the girl at the far left of the photo, just in front of the door -- the last of the women. She is concealing something. Knowledge or intent, benevolent or nefarious ... no matter. Keep a weather eye on that one.
Egad! New versions!Shorpy Patreon members have been treated to a short, elegant--well, creepy--music video in Ken-Burns-goes-Edward Gorey style. And now a colorized photo with costumes straight out of Technicolor heaven. And in 2021 they all sneaked in to party on Saturday!
Old FriendsI've seen this picture so many times over the years at Christmas time on Shorpy that the faces have become like familiar old friends. I'm of the opinion that Christmas will never be the same for me unless I get to see this photo at least once during the Christmas season.
Girl At The Far LeftNo one tried to say a thing
When they took him out in jest
Except, of course, the little neighbor boy
Who carried him to rest
And he just walked along, alone
With his guilt so well concealed
And muttered underneath his breath
“Nothing is revealed”
Time For A Rhyme...or TwoIt's Christmas Party time again, so back to yesteryear,
To faces from so long ago, we now hold somewhat dear
They lived through their pandemic, and now we've had our own
For some, it was an ordeal; of much more time alone,
Yet, gazing at these faces here shows us things will improve,
And then to next year's gala even more will gladly move!
A Merry Christmas to you all, here at this special time
I thank you all so very much for bearing with my rhymes,
May next year's party be the one our current trial's behind us
But our friends from 1925 will be there to remind us ...
A very special thanks to Massafornian for the superb colorization!
A bit more on the colorizationThe colorization was done by hand, for about an hour most every morning, when I had the spare time while listening to podcasts. I started in early January and completed it around April. I am sure that most Shorpians know that colorization is tedious, mostly due to the need to mask objects and details as much as possible, to distinguish them from other objects. (The Christmas tree with its fir needles and tinsel was a bit of a job). Automated colorization just doesn’t compare in quality to doing it by hand.
Each person is a smart layer in Photoshop that in turn contains many layers of isolated bits to colorize. The fun part was choosing the colors of people’s attire. Hopefully what I chose is close enough to what this cast of characters might’ve actually worn in 1925, but I won’t claim any historical research was performed for color accuracy.
I could easily spend the same amount of time on this image again, by further masking textures and smaller objects, and separating their colors. If anyone wants the original layered PSD to do more magic, you can have it here:
http://www.hearthworks.net/1925/1925_office_xmas_party_12.12.2021.psd.zi...
You have exactly one year to post the next refinement!
You might notice in the high resolution version that the faces are oddly higher resolution than the surrounding parts of the image. This is a bit of AI deployed on the faces, called Remini. Google it to learn more, but in a nutshell, Remini analyzes a face that is low resolution or blurry and magically reconstructs it in high resolution by drawing from a huge library of face components. Remini reassembles face components onto a map based on the original image. The process is hit-or-miss as far as how it can interpret low-quality image data. It was fun to apply it to this image one face at a time and integrate the rendered AI faces back into the master image.
I feel that I know all these characters in the photo intimately, having spent a lot of time on each one of them. I’ve given them all first names to distinguish the Photoshop layer names. My wife asks me which lady I might’ve fancied back in the day, and I think it’s a tie between ‘Mary’ (the blonde in front of the ‘504’ door wearing purple) and ‘Bobbie’ (third-to-the-right of ‘Lulu’, (the pixie by the desk), with brown hair, a green coat and blue dress, looking directly into the camera). Those two have nice, approachable personalities. I’m intrigued by ‘Lila’ (the mysterious lady on the floor in front of the desk), but she’s perhaps too brooding for 1925 Me to take on; and ‘Lulu’ is far too racy and trendy for my sensibilities.
I was born in 1963, so I imagined a lot of these people from 1925 as being my many older relatives who were a huge part of my childhood in the 60’s and 70’s. My grandmother was born in 1890 and her gaggle of five sisters had birth years that ranged between 1885 and 1902. Though elderly, they were all alive and vibrant for most of my childhood, and greatly influenced me.
I’ve been patiently waiting for this time of year when Dave publishes this wonderful photo, to submit my contribution. I think this version turned out pretty nice.
@ Born Too Late - my geographical fate is the opposite of yours: I started out in the Alameda, California and moved to Massachusetts some 20 years ago. Massachusetts is really a great place to live—weather be damned!
@ DavidK - Yes, ‘Lila’ did indeed turn out to be beautified by the AI software, Remini. In retrospect I think I got carried away with rouging people’s cheeks, but without it, the skin tones just seemed too flat.
Cheers,
—Massafornian
HUAAgreed, davidk ... most likely she's a downright dollbaby but there is a definite glint in her eye and you must admit she has a secret or two or ten. Maybe she's even got something on some of the other girls.
Not nefariousI’ve had my eye on that woman on the far left in front of the ION window for years, JennyPennifer. She has a touch of high color, and I really like that ringlet that has broken loose by her right eye. She seems mild yet ready for fun. Not naughty.
At this rateI'm thinking that by the 2025 centenary we should be ready for an animatronic enlivening of this ongoing party.
Cast of charactersAbsolutely outstanding job of colorization, Massafornian!
It really brings out details that were easy to overlook.
I see the Serbian Anarchist, peering out just to the right of the Big Boss with the cigar, and wonder what he's planning. And the guy hiding just below the life of the party, with the STOP/GO headgear - he looks like he's hiding something, for sure.
But is the Big Boss truly the Man? My money is on the distinguished looking silver haired gent at the top right, overlooking the affair with a cautious gaze ...
And, who really *is* the mustachioed guy to his left, glaring at the photographer?
Is he worried about this photo getting out? Does he appear on a Wanted poster??
Merry Thank YouBecause it's never Christmas until the Office Party and new Office Party Comments.
Office Stories@ DavidK - If you have Photoshop, try downloading the PSD and you’ll see their names in the layers palette. The oilcan lady I named ‘Janelle’ because she looks like my cousin who has that name. I believe ‘Janelle’ to be the well-regarded office trickster.
The aging lush in the top-right standing group of men is named ‘Redd’. Me thinks he’s barely evading his mortality this fine evening, and perhaps is about to fall off of whatever he’s perched upon, to be carried out to a waiting cab, muttering something about his childhood pet dog, Wilberforce. After his early departure his hip flask was found on the floor, where he fell. No one knows what happened to it, or its contents.
The leader of the pack is named ‘Boss’, for obvious reasons. My wife thinks that perhaps he has a familial connection to ‘Bertha’, the large lady in the red dress. Boss’s blotch is an expanding skin growth. By 1945, it will have grown over his face, poor fellow. Unfortunately, the portly Boss died of a heart attack in 1946 while un-crating his new supply of Consuegra cigars and munching on a donut.
I note in this photo that there is no evidence of food or drink, save the candy canes. So while we have conjectured on this post about the state of inebriation these people might be in, strong drink seems unlikely at this event, particularly in the age of prohibition these people find themselves in. (Redd is the exception, having brought his own supply of spirits.) The food might be in another part of the room, but the lack of it has me thinking that this event was a relatively brief gathering after work.
‘Lulu’, the office pixie, is only 19 years old. She is Boss’s niece. This makes her somewhat problematic for all concerned in the office, and something of a political figure. She’s not exactly incompetent at her job, but the office matriarch, ‘Ursula’ (sitting on the floor in the green dress) was grudgingly forced to hire her. Lulu got married to a Studebaker salesman in 1928, moved to Pasadena in 1930, and had 4 children. She died in 1988 in a car accident.
The thing about the brooding ‘Lila’ that no one knew was that she had a very wealthy aunt in New York City. In 1934 her aunt passed away, and Lila inherited nearly $3 million dollars in property and bonds. She moved to the Upper East Side in 1936, but never married. She lived to the age of 103, dying in 1998.
Here's a closeup of Lila:
Go-GoIs that something hanging from the wall or sitting on the man's head as a prank? Has it ever been commented on before? Though not shown, there has to be a portable Victrola and stack of jazz records somewhere for when the party gets hot! This was the height of the Charleston era and there are plenty of flappers present!
A White Elephant In The RoomMay explain the oil can, the Honey Bear, and all the other strange gifts.
I don't know how long the White Elephant Gift party has been around, but my wife and I just had one at our house.
That is one thing that I have been looking at all these years on Shorpy (the crazy gifts), and now realize the crazy gifts could be from the White Elephant in the room.
Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year to all my Shorpyite brothers and sisters.
(Thanks archfan. Good to know that it is still around after all these years)
Colors!Kudos, Massafornian! At first I thought, hm, some of those dresses are awfully bright, but then I realized of course that for the office party some people always wear a “special” outfit. I doubt that woman in the red satin dress would have worn it any other day but it’s so Christmasy how could she resist!
Colors!Kudos, Massafornian! At first I thought, hm, some of those dresses are awfully bright, but then I realized of course that for the office party some people always wear a “special” outfit. I doubt that woman in the red satin dress would have worn it any other day but it’s so Christmasy how could she resist!
Re: Go-GoVictrolaJazz asks if the mini traffic signal on the head of the man at the back, to the right of the tree, has been commented on before. Yes! Many times over the years, in fact. This would provide a fine opportunity to review the long and enjoyable string of comments where you will find the following: Going to a Go-Go (12/12/2020), Still GOGO after all these years (12/20/2019), Festive Dress (12/19/2015), Must have been a heck of a party (12/23/2014), No one seems to have noticed (12/14/2012), Office A-Go-Go (12/25/2010), Slow on the uptake (12/24/2010), Kimono-wearing parrot? (12/23/2010), I can’t find Don Draper (12/23/2010), Naughty Naughty (04/21/2009), Getting Oiled at the Office Xmas Party (12/15/2008), Dramatis Personae (12/15/2008), and, finally, A Story in every face (12/15/2008) which includes a Dave link to a Shorpy post with a real GO-GO traffic signal in it.
Time travel?Either Johnny Depp was the original Doctor Who time travelling as a woman or his mother was working Working for Western Electric that Christmas
A white elephant party?I hadn't thought of that and now I'm disappointed. For years I have been daydreaming about the oil can lady, the one with the unnervingly lascivious direct look.
Then I remember she'd be old enough to be my grandmother. Jeepers.
Grateful Holiday pome These people, alas, are all now dust.
But we on Shorpy surely must
visit them once more.
Cheer to all on Shorpy!
Sad or Stimulating, or a bit of both?Having been recently retired, with no more company Christmas parties to attend, I am faced with a conundrum.
Is it sad that the 1925 Christmas Party on Shorpy is now the Office Party I look forward to the most, or is it tantalizing that the faces and actions of these folks, now long gone, give all of us smiles nearly a century later?
Let this serve as a reminder to treat every moment as if that moment is also "frozen in time"!
Merry Christmas, Dave, and the entire Shorpy family!
MomObviously, this is another photo in the Shorpy Hall of Fame inaugural class, but the best thing about it for me is that it was likely taken when my mom was just a newborn, having come into this world on December 17, 1925. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy Heavenly 97th Birthday to my mom!
My how time fliesSeems like it was just a month or two ago when last Christmas flew by with this pic.
NobodyHas changed much from last year. Remarkable.
Gag Gifts?I look forward to this party every year, and I notice something new each December. It's occurred to me that everyone in the photo is holding some kind of small gift, and all of them look like "white elephants": a toy horse, an oil can, a little bear, a toy policeman's hat—perhaps it was a "Secret Santa" kind of gag gift swap, and each gift was appropriately unique to the receiver. The photograph makes every one of these people forever young, and I always wonder what happened to each one of them: all those life stories that we'll never know. (I hope they all got a Christmas bonus!) Happiest of Holidays—and a Happy, Healthy New Year—to every Shorpyite.
The finer detailsI’ve chosen to focus on some of the smaller, obscure points this year in my investigation of this beloved photo. The woman in the bobby hat towards the left? Go south to the hand of the woman in front of her, the hand on the shoulder of the woman in the light-colored dress: that hand looks disembodied and is therefore creepy. Person who looks most Photoshopped in? The woman to the immediate left of that hand, staring right into your soul. Stuff like that. The picture is positively filthy with wacky, kooky, scary little things.
Sober thoughtFourteen years of beautiful fascination. Wonder if some folks who commented earlier, by now "are with the people on the photo" too?
Go-Go indeedI just wanted to second the man at the back, being bald myself. Go Go, folks.
Christmas TreesIf nothing else, we have made great advances in Christmas tree technology.
Every year they look a bit youngerMeanwhile, every year I look less like my father and more like my grandfather.
Love the ones you're withThanks for the labor of love and commerce Shorpy is. Years ago this photo evoked for me speculations about what may have divided these office mates. Now what comes out of this photo is the love that is possible if only ... with enough time and enough patience and enough "having lived through" being absent from one another we arrive at a finality of cherishing "in spite of" or even "because of" the uniqueness we bring.
The big read 1925I wonder how many of them were concealing new books in their purses, briefcases, or desk drawers. It was an era of readers, and 1925 was a banner year. Here are some of the newly-printed titles waiting for them in bookstores:
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Hemingway, In Our Time
Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
Dreiser, An American Tragedy
Christie, The Secret of Chimneys
Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer
Cather, The Professor’s House
Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Milne, a Winnie the Pooh story at Christmas
Kafka, The Trial (if you read German)
Proust, Albertine Disparue (if you read French—though some of them may still be working through the 1922 translation of Swann’s Way).
By December, early subscribers could have accumulated ten months of the new “New Yorker.”
But let’s hope that they still had a few years to be blissfully unaware of Mein Kampf, published in Germany in July.
There's one in every office. Frank is holding up an equipment assignment sheet while calling (vainly) for the frivolity to end and a return to work. He will not succeed.
Group AnalysisObviously far too long a comment, but Shorpy is so inspirational. Still had fun thinking and writing, as well as viewing picture again.
I was wondering about the woman at the far left. She is showing a sideways glance, and nobody else in the picture has a sideways glance. A sideways glance can be a powerful indication of attention to a subject, like romantic attention or professional attention or just surprise, but in any case something out of the ordinary. Like here, it seems different, just that one woman.
Trying to analyze a sideways glance, there is the face angle (determined by the nose angle) and the eyes angle. For a sideways glance like this, the eyes are directly pointed at the subject, but the face is pointed elsewhere. Using a reasonably limited choice of angles (0, 15, 30, 45) and expressing angles as "eyes angle / face angle" (eyes come first, most expressive), then this mystery woman with the sideways glance could be a 0/30.
Directly below her on the floor is a 45/0 woman, and her eyes angle is the extreme opposite. Seems absolute difference between the two angles can show degree of interest or attention, not the amount of either angle. With any 45/0 difference then attention seems to be very much elsewhere. The 30/45 woman to her right apparently has her attention directed to the same subject, but not to the same degree, more a casual interest, just a difference of 15 between her angles.
And the next woman above is a 30/30, also looking in that direction, but no difference between her angles, no indication of interest or attention, just looking.
Also just looking, but now at the camera, are all the 0/0 men and women, no differences, the largest group. They seem to be posing conventionally for the picture, and there is no apparent sign of interest or attention (other than to the camera). The exact pose varies by individual, some are smiling more than others, but they are all 0/0's. Some 0/0's may be simple conformists, and others may be nonconformists bored stiff (they can still smile, for the camera), but you can't probably tell which is which from the picture.
The big boss on the right is a 0/0, and the men in line with him are mostly 0/0's too, diligently following his traditional example. Above him are three 45/45's, you may not be able to tell about attention or interest from a 45/45, no difference there, in that way like a 0/0. However they are definitely not posing for the camera in any conventional way, not following the big boss example, and probably not in line to succeed him. His successor would probably be a 0/0 closest to him.
We could also consider tilt angle of the head as a variable, but that's more difficult to determine, because it varies with perspective, further away or closer to the camera. Also could consider extent of smiles, but that also difficult to determine. Eyes angle and face angle (nose angle) should be easier.
These angle measurements are probably useful only in a posed office photo, like this one. In a family photo 0/0's can be visibly full of emotion. And in real life anyone can look at you straight on, a 0/0, with amazement or fury or love or anything else. So angles won't help much in real life, although a sideways glance can still show interest and then create reciprocal interest, even mutual interest.
Mistletoe and High Voltage for all the women!I love how the ladies' hair has that "Bride of Frankenstein" look ... creepy yet sexy. It reminds me to get the yule log out.
ZoomThat was a quick year.
Another Year Gone ByBeen seeing this annually for a long time now, am I the first to comment ?? Anyways all these souls, their troubles and happy days are behind them and now are just dust in the wind … enjoy yourselves as we will be dust too! Merry Christmas
My Newest Favorite Christmas Tradition!I have gotten to the point of looking so forward to this party each year, it has indeed become one of my favorite Christmas traditions! LOL
For most of those attending the party, they are indeed, "living life!" That is so valuable, the ability to live life. On a personal note, I am learning that this year, having lost my precious wife in March, to Dementia. As iamjanicemarie well noted, all of these, are now just "dust in the wind."
Which makes me wonder, in what order did they pass? Did some in the picture in 1925 not survive till the party in 1926? Who was the last to go, and in what year? In the hundreds of comments, some pointing out actual things, others just speculating ... we can learn one lesson.
Live Life Fully Every Day. Who knows, a hundred years from now, you may still be having an effect on someone who you never even met!
Merry Christmas, Shorpy family!
What's up with the gals?Are they wearing kryptonite jewelry?
Old friendsI never get tired of this party and these coworkers. The job, yeah, I'm sick of it, but the people make it all worthwhile. I feel like I've known them forever.
Welcome Back, Dear 1925 Office Party Friends. . . and all Shorpy friends, too!
I look forward to seeing this wonderful photo every year. These folks never age, unlike the rest of us. I find this reassuring: life goes on, as it did for the office partiers whose lives continued through the Depression, WWII, and possibly even on to the 1990s. I always wonder who they were and what happened to them.
Here's to a Happy Holiday season and a peaceful 2024.
Seems Like Old TimesNice to see familiar faces, even though I never met them. However much they aged after this photograph, we'll never know, so just once each year, it's 1925 again.
StableThis firm has a very stable workforce. Every year, it's the same folks in the Christmas photo.
Macabre variationAlthough certainly macabre, I do like the door that iamjanicemarie tentatively opened and that HarahanTim swung fully open. In what order did these people pass? The annual response to this photo has definitely taken a curious turn, but I’m glad to chime in.
First to go, I believe, was Boss Man with the cigar, the very next morning, in the wee hours. He’s clearly in bad physical shape, a massive coronary waiting to happen. And it wasn’t the fault of one of those young ladies sitting on the floor that it happened in her bed. It was a different time when office and sexual politics were vile, and everyone was drunk.
Last to go was Heather on the far left in back, framed by the glass of the door. She’s only 23 in the photo, and she lived right into the next century, dying at 102 in 2004. She had moved back to Ohio, and on her last day was surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even one of her great-great-grandchildren. They all loved her very much.
It's finally Christmas ...... when this bunch show up. I checked; they're all there. Proceed to celebrate. Merry Christmas, everyone xoxo
In the officeIt's hard to imagine this bunch "working from home". The dynamic would be lost with a "Zoom" holiday party.
Fire ExtinguisherJust behind the gentleman with the "GO" signal on his head it looks like there is a classic soda/acid fire extinguisher that I noticed for the first time today. Conveniently located next to what appears to be a rather combustible tree. Season's Greetings to Dave, tterrace and the whole Shorpy gang.
Well, having had time to ponderabout these folk for a good decade since discovering Shorpy, I have come to a tentative yet preliminary assessment.
The only woman with no apparent makeup and yet the most beautiful features is the lady sitting on the floor at bottom left. Really in a class of her own in this crowd with those almond eyes and high cheekbones, yet with hair and dressed a bit out of date, but still sporting brand new shoes judging by their soles. How they got her to sit on the dirty floor for the pic is beyond me.
In any case, the photographer has just given her a huge suggestive wink, and she's snapped her head to the right in response, looking faintly amused / bemused, no doubt used to the unwanted male gaze. The woman second to her left is staring at her, annoyed that Gloria (for that is her name) has caught the roving eye of the photographer instead of her -- the body language is obvious. The flapper two to the left of Ms Envious is giving the photographer a bit of a come-on with her lopsided grin -- she has sussed out his game.
Mr Fatlips the boss is terminally near-sighted but for photos and thus posterity takes his glasses off when posing, as one can see. What he looks like with them on is a subject for a horror movie.
The rest of the crowd barring a few are to a greater or lesser degree tipsy on smuggled-in booze, it being Temperance Time, er, prohibited drinkees time in America
I'll have an update in future when other things become more clear to me from my favorite Shorpy image.
Merry Xmas to all!
Finger WavesThe blond and brunette whose backs are against the door and doorjamb, respectively, look modern. The other modern looking girl is two rows in front of them, also a brunette. These three look timeless. The other women either still have long hair wrapped up some way or they have those awful finger waves that look like ridges in their hair. None of the girls that have finger waves have benefitted from that style. It does not flatter any face shape, it just looks weird and kind of Bride of Frankensteinish.
The blond miss sitting on the floor is looking daggers at the moody looking woman sitting against the desk. I will always wonder why.
Holiday Party Fun (2023)Dear Shorpy folks and friends of the site.
This year I used this very photo to make a SPOT THE DIFFERENCE game at our work Christmas party.
Each of the participants had 20 minutes to spot all 19 differences. I used Photoshop and AI to make the changes to the photo and we all had so much fun with it.
If you would like me to post that image here, you may have fun too! Let me know Dave!
Also, we have some new friends that might be joining us on this site as they were fascinated by all the expressions of this 1925 party. I did inform them of the site and URL.
Merry Christmas everyone
What is on the hand of the number 2 guy next to the boss?There is something on his pointer finger and thumb. Could these be some type of grippers for leaving through papers? Could it be he was working until they forced him to come get his picture taken? He is clearly annoyed to be there. Maybe he is plotting to have the boss removed so he can be in charge?
Half a MillionI expect that the number of reads for Office Xmas Party will pass 500,000 shortly. Is this a record number of reads for a Shorpy photo?
[Office Xmas Party holds the No. 2 spot. Shorpy's most popular post is ... Lady in the Water, with over 640,000 reads. And at No. 3 is The Beaver Letter. - Dave]
Merry Christmas to all Shorpians!May your holidays be merry and bright. A special Merry Christmas to Dave and tterrace who keep this very special website going. And to all pictured from that office party held nearly 100 years ago, a Merry Heavenly Christmas to all!
ONE MORE TIMEAfter passing this photo around for everyone to look and laugh at, it was probably hung on the wall for a time, then taken to someone's home and put away in a chest and forgotten ... perhaps copies were made.
But how would these people feel if they knew that almost a half million people have studied it?
Also those desks have been in their current positions for a very long time, the floor below them new and pristine.
[This was not a casual snapshot -- the National Photo Company was primarily a news service. Its photographs appeared in newspapers, advertisements and publicity material. This particular image might have been used for Western Electric's in-house newsletter or a company Christmas card. - Dave]
Thank ya Dave for clearing that up.
Meet some of the boys ...Introducing ...
Charles S. Barker, District Superintendent: "With the right personnel and a good organization, you can do anything in telephony"
E.N. Searles, Division Superintendent
J.E. Grant, R.D. Dick, and...
Walter W. Lodding, Division Accountant
... with an invitation to Christmas at the Loddings':
This image was featured in the December 1926 issue of the Western Electric News with the title: "YOUTH AND THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT" and caption: "Santa Claus did right by this little lad the son of W.W. Lodding of the Installation Division 11 Headquarters"
Looking daggers?Susanhumeston wondered, "The blond miss sitting on the floor is looking daggers at the moody looking woman sitting against the desk. I will always wonder why."
I have always been intrigued by that interaction. Pretty much come to the conclusion that three of the ladies were diverted by something off set to the left. One (Charlotte) clearly annoyed, one (Lila) merely taking it in, and one (Gwen) mildly amused.
NamesMarkJo - nice job finding the real names!
I'm fascinated by the different names and nicknames in all the posts. Then I scroll to 12/23/21; alex_shorpy did a great job labeling everyone. Or go further back to 12/22/19 and see davidk's comment.
I also don't look at these folks as having turned into dust. Every year they come alive in the imaginations of many readers.
Maligayang Pasko to all.
Well, what else?Say, we don't view the full size for a micro-study. What we see is the "pyramid" of working stiffs that retracted into one side of the office against the forceful advance of upper management group. Sharp diagonal dividing line was disturbed somewhat at the bottom, by the lady and gent behind her.
There he is!Every year I look forward to seeing dear old Mr. Hilter at the top of the picture looking so skeptical!
"Mildred, what did you do with my flask"?This party was during the TEETH of prohibition too! The REAL fun will come later.
(The Gallery, Bizarre, Christmas, Natl Photo, The Office)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/32246u.thumbnail.jpg "Office Xmas Party: 1925")
- Night Movers: 1943
- ... for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Night Moves The term Dave's title plays on was known in 1943 from railroads ... Posted by Dave - 07/06/2024 - 11:34am -
- Night Rider: 1943
- ... job.
A Bogart film Reminds me of "They Drive By Night"
Mack EQ The first truck my father bought was a used EQ model Mack ... Posted by Dave - 08/29/2024 - 1:17pm -
![March 1943. "John Phillips enroute to Mobile, Alabama, on U.S. Highway 29 near Greenville, Alabama." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Bulldog MackJust look at those tires. I can imagine that truck grinding up the hills. The condition of the truck speaks to the skill this driver had to bring his load in safely.
GreasyThe kingpins in the front suspension need to be greased regularly. These are the pivots that allow the wheels to turn left and right. I was taught to wipe off the excess grease so it doesn’t look like this mess. You can clearly see where a mechanic wiped the grease from his fingers on the inner sidewall of the left front tire.
Could that be a Fruehauf trailer?In 1918 the Fruehauf Trailers Company was born. With this semi-trailer invention and many other innovations, the Fruehauf story is an integral part of North American transportation history.
Where is It?I see a Mack Tractor and a Fruehauf trailer but where is the SHORPY watermark?
[Scroll up. - Dave]
Got it. Nice job.
A Bogart filmReminds me of "They Drive By Night"
Mack EQThe first truck my father bought was a used EQ model Mack like the one in the photo. It was powered by a gas engine of about 450 cubic-inch displacement. He cut the sides off an open top freight trailer to make a flatbed and started hauling steel from the Allegheny Valley to western New York. Mostly Buffalo.
DriversI can see John Phillips, but where are Bogart and Raft?
Only one windshield wiperVery spartan equipped truck. Or was this to save rubber during the war years?
Workhorses of my childhoodFruehof and Trailmobile trailers were the most common makes seen in upstate NY in the '50s. Tractors were by Mack, White, Brockway, Autocar, Reo, Diamond T, GMC and others. Diesels of any make were rare; Kenworths and Peterbilts even more so.
RE: Only one windshield wiperI think it has a manual wiper. I believe that the lever that you see just in front of the driver at that top of the windshield is for moving the wiper, so the driver has to use both hands to drive the truck without power steering, but also use his right to shift gears as well as power the wiper.
[Um, no. This is 1943, and the wiper is pneumatic. - Dave]
I had never heard of pneumatic powered wipers until now. This site has some good pictures of what the driver would see of the mechanism. Probably much better than the vacuum powered wipers, which would slow down under acceleration, or mechanical (used in the '42 GP and '43 GPA a friend of mine owns). I learned something new!
Truck NoirWhat a photo! That lighting slants right out of Double Indemnity. (So that's how you do italics in these comments! Dave, did you do the italics for me, or did I magically generate them, myself?)
Joad on the RoadThis reminds me of "The Grapes of Wrath." Tom Joad manages to hitch a ride, even though the sign on the windshield says "No Riders". He then proceeds to scare the crap out of the driver by saying that he just got out of prison for homicide.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Mobile)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d15719a.thumbnail.jpg "Night Rider: 1943")
- Night Rider: 1943
- ... of War Information. View full size.
They Pose by Night His engine is warm and he has 60 lbs of air but his Mack's speedometer ... his head smacked into it in an accident!
He Drives by Night Like the previous entry by Mr. Vachon, this photo has a very noir-ish ... Posted by Dave - 02/02/2017 - 12:40pm -
![March 1943. Pearlington, Mississippi (vicinity). "James Hall, truck driver, en route to New Orleans on U.S. Highway 90." Header placard: "Accidents Help the Axis." Photo by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
They Pose by NightHis engine is warm and he has 60 lbs of air but his Mack's speedometer is at zero and it looks like he doesn't have any oil pressure and the battery is slightly discharging.
[Not to mention the door is wide open. -Dave]
That windshield wiper motor looks a lot like the pneumatically-operated "Air Push" devices found on locomotives.
A slow wipeIs that cylindrical thing above the windshield a vacuum-power windshield wiper actuator?
I hated the way the old vacuum wipers would slow or even stop when you opened the throttle wide. This would of course happen when you were accelerating to pass another vehicle, the exact moment when you need clear vision !
Another comment is that in those days, there were no seatbelts. That wiper motor could be a real problem if his head smacked into it in an accident!
He Drives by NightLike the previous entry by Mr. Vachon, this photo has a very noir-ish atmosphere to it. Both photos chronicling the work of wartime truck drivers remind me of films like "They Drive by Night" and "Thieves' Highway". The FSA-OWI photographers really knew how to use shadow to great effect in their pictures.
"Let us Marfak your car"So says the sticker partly visible on the left side of the dashboard. Once commonly displayed on Texaco service stations, it's seldom seen these days.
http://www.brandlandusa.com/2010/01/23/marfak-lubrication/
Fast WipeWhen I was a little guy my dad had a '39 Chevy with vacuum wipers. Once, when descending a 9,000 mountain road in a very heavy rain he closed the throttle completely and the wipers ran so fast the blade came off. He cursed all the way down.
Live WireThat spotlight must have gotten a lot of use for it to need repair with electrical tape. The tape looks like the old kind made of sticky black fabric (not the plastic kind used today). Spotlights were more common back in those days--even on cars. My Dad had one on the Nash Ambassador that he bought shortly after the end of WWII.
Friction TapeThe proper name of the old-style sticky black fabric tape is "friction tape". It is still available. (Ref: 3M 1755)
It's used as a protective overwrap to protect wire from sharp edges.
Spotlight tapeThis is a terrific photo of things seldom seen anymore. But, the spotlight's taped wires may only be where the pigtail from the manufacturer joined with wires brought up from the ignition switch or other source of power. I still have a couple of rolls of friction tape and use the stuff now and then where some heat is involved. Not as good as it gets, but serviceable.
The Fabric of our LifeThe cloth tape was known as Friction Tape, and was used on everything from electrical repairs to wrapping baseball bats.
Not so long ago Back in the mid-70's I used to work on and drive a late-30's White. It was not very far removed from the truck in this picture. Except it didn't have pneumatics, but instead it was fully vacuum. You haven't lived driving a truck until you have driven with Vacuum/Mechanical brakes! The last daily driver I had with Vacuum wipers was a 1972 AMC Matador. Today my wife's 1962 Mercury Comet has vacuum wipers, so we occasionally still get the thrill of climbing a hill in the rain!
Pneumatic or vacuum?I think Phare Pleigh is probably right that the wiper is air operated. It looks like the pneumatic king pin release found on many tractors today. Since the truck has air brakes it makes sense to use that system for other things.
Also if the engine is a diesel there would be no vacuum.
On the other hand, most trucks back then were still powered by gas engines. Even the Sherman tanks operating around the world at the time were gas powered. So it could be vacuum.
Thanks to the ReadersI am always blown away by the depth and breadth of Shorpy readers' ( Shorpy-ites?) knowledge of antique vehicles and machinery. Model numbers, obscure manufacturer names, details about the internal mechanics, comparisons to similar models from that time -- you guys know it all!
Thanks for sharing all that info.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d27714a.thumbnail.jpg "Night Rider: 1943")
- Freight Night: 1943
- March 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. A yard jockey backing up a truck that has just come into the unloading platform at the Davidson truck terminal." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. ... Posted by Dave - 09/13/2024 - 4:44pm -
![March 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. A yard jockey backing up a truck that has just come into the unloading platform at the Davidson truck terminal." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Job prospectsAs of this writing, twelve yard-jockey jobs are available in Maryland, according to indeed.com. It's a category distinct from truck driver, with the advantage that you get to go home after your shift(ing) ends.
International D-40 I believe International didn't have model year, so had to say when I was manufactured.
[When WERE you manufactured?? - Dave]
(The Gallery, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d45051a1.thumbnail.jpg "Freight Night: 1943")
- Night Rider: 1943
- March 1943. "Truck transportation from Baltimore to New Orleans. Evergreen, Alabama -- refueling a Montgomery-to-Mobile truck at 3 a.m." Less than a hundred miles to go. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Informati ... Posted by Dave - 08/20/2024 - 12:19pm -
- Good Night Nurse: 1943
- January 1943. "Penasco, New Mexico. Evenings are long for Marjorie Muller [Mueller], in her lonely post as resident nurse at the clinic operated by the Taos County cooperative health association." Acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of ... Posted by Dave - 06/19/2024 - 3:47pm -
![January 1943. "Penasco, New Mexico. Evenings are long for Marjorie Muller [Mueller], in her lonely post as resident nurse at the clinic operated by the Taos County cooperative health association." Acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size.
The American MagazineThe American Magazine was one of the most popular periodicals in its day. It was of particular interest to my family because of a feature article about my father's WWII tank warfare experiences in North Africa that appeared just 6 months after the issue the young lady is reading.
The High Road to TaosPenasco is along the "High Road" to Taos. Its beauty is almost magical. It's a wonderful getaway from the city, but I can see how a young woman would want to be in a more lively and urban locale.
The rest of the story?There appears to be more to this story than the caption implies. She's wearing a diamond ring and the magazine is addressed to John Mueller of Penasco, NM.
(The Gallery, John Collier, Medicine, Rural America, Small Towns)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d13924u.thumbnail.jpg "Good Night Nurse: 1943")
- Mrs. New Tunes In: 1924
- ... thing is going to stop flashing '12:00' if it takes me all night!"
Another one. "NOBODY twirls my knobs but ME!"
Stuck on You ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:32pm -
![January 14, 1924. "Mrs. Harry S. New," wife of the Postmaster General. This might be good fodder for a caption contest. Which commences right now with yours truly as the judge. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
hrm...I suppose:
"Tune in, Tokyo"
is too obvious, too crass, or both...
[Our first entry! It has fully met my expectations. - Dave]
Mrs New's Caption Her (Post)master's Voice
So that's why they called her "Fingers""It wasn't until Harry New bought one of them new fangled radios that he discovered his wife, Myrtle, had been a safe cracker before they met."
Mrs. N"I can't wait for TV."
Snoop Dogg"I just know that Snoop Dogg concert is here somewhere."
3G"First thing tomorrow, this iPhone goes back to the store!"
Strange, Strange MusicRuth told me to be sure to tune in at 8 p.m.
"Never gonna give you up..." '
Mrs. NewThe Postmaster's wife always dials with two hands
(Yeah, yeah, I know, McKenzieK's is *much* better...)
Mrs. New......uses all her powers of concentration to control the third dial telepathically...
The inaugural Winter Olympics"Shush, Harry -- I'm trying to hear Sonja Henie skate!"
Settings"This thing is going to stop flashing '12:00' if it takes me all night!"
Another one."NOBODY twirls my knobs but ME!"
Stuck on You"OK, who's the wise guy that put super glue on the radio dials!"
Harry's Other Wife"Harry, the man on this thing says that radio will disrupt domestic life, that women will spend all day listening to it and ignore what their husbands are doing, and ... Harry? Harry?"
New Radio"Mrs. New is befuddled by her new radio, as evidenced by her placing the set's headphones in her lap."
Ms. New"Asked for an iTouch... and Harry gave me this damned Zune."
That's Heavy"Hello, listeners. Tired of old fashioned radios that weigh so much you need 4 tables just to support them?"
Yeah, I got nothing. jnc took the best one already.
RCA Victor trademark developmentBefore the famous RCA Victor "Nipper - His Master's Voice" trademark became successful, RCA's first trademark attempt with "Mrs. New - Her Husband the Postmaster General's voice" failed with the marketing focus groups and was consigned to the dustbin of history.
http://www.designboom.com/history/nipper.html
Lawsy.I hear ... ALIENS !!!!!
Caption"What's the frequency, Kenneth?"
Captain Caption Says:"Old Mrs. New: Turned On & Tuned In"
That's what she said"Get your own darn dinner, can't you see I'm busy?!"
High Infidelity"We're broadcasting live from the Better 'Ole Nightclub downtown and we've never seen a crowd like this. Everyone who's anyone is here ... why, I've even spotted the Postmaster General dancing the Black Bottom with his beautiful young wife ... or is that his daughter?"
AnticipationMrs. New is such a fan of Jack Benny that she makes sure to tune in to his show eight years before it goes on the air.
Can't Get No SatisfactionMrs. New listening intently waiting for the chance to win the Rolling Stones concert tickets.
She says “I was only 5 years old when the Rolling Stones first appeared on the scene but I always liked their music. Even though he’s older than me I still think Keith looks hot.”
Crank It"Although unsure why she'd ever want 'that extra push over the cliff,' Mrs. New was delighted to know that the dials on her new pride and joy went up to eleven."
The Shorpy Photograph HourMrs. New listens to her favorite program, "The Shorpy Photograph Hour." While she enjoys the detailed descriptions of the photos, she particularly enjoys the comments from the audience.
[Fascinating. Who's the sponsor? - Dave]
DANCE, MOUSE!I SAID DANCE, MOUSE! DANCE!
YOU'LL KEEP DANCING IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YA!
No drinkypoo for the Mrs.Damn that sneaky mailman! He's locked up the liquor cabinet!
OrgasmatronMrs. New placed the sound receivers in the correct location and gave her newfangled Orgasmatron a workout.
"It's turned up all the way, Harry dear, and I don't feel a thing."
"Yes, dear, I knew that already," Mr. New said with resigned sigh.
Ripped OffWait a minute--this Etch-a-Sketch doesn't work at all! That's 32 cents I'll never see again.
Regarding the caption contest....What does the winner win?
[Silly me, how could I have forgotten. The winner receives a 50 percent ownership stake in the Republic of Iceland! - Dave]
What do you take me for?Iceland just declared bankruptcy yesterday. Nice try Dave.
[How about a quarter-interest in Ford or General Motors, then? Your choice. I'd have to count out my spare-change jar first, but I'm pretty sure I can cover it. - Dave]
"New" woman"China Clipper calling Alameda, China Clipper calling Alameda"
Honey, can you help me?I'm having trouble opening the safe.
*Pfff*I swear, this pie will never bake if I can't get the gas...to...headphones? Wow. I am so stoned.
Quickly now"Mrs. New rapidly rotates the knobs to 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42! Whew! That was close!"
Sssh.No one knew Alice Gore invented the radio. It was a big secret.
That's 34 left, then 24That's 34 left, then 24 right--no, that was not the tumbler--26 right.
"I hear dead people.""I hear dead people."
Knobs'Mr. New began to get ideas.'
Caption"Mrs. New first learns that she's been officially renamed 'Mrs. Old' "
Quiet!Y'all hush now, the president is coming on !!
My New Joe Biden TV! "Why, it's President Roosevelt ... who hasn't been elected yet ... commenting on the Stock Market Crash ... which happened four years before he was elected! Gosh, I just love my new Joe Biden™ television!"
Almost ThereHalf turn to the right, quarter turn to the left and I'll have all the gold of Fort Knox!
Darn.I could have sworn KDKA was here a minute ago.
WoTW"Earthlings, it is useless to resist. Put down your primitive weapons, no human power can stop us -- AAH-CHOO! -- feeling weak ... so tired ... "(Sound of spaceship crashing, then static.)
War of the WorldsMartians have landed in Grover's Mill, New Jersey!
Oh there it is... 'Sister Kate'...."... I think I've figured out what 'shimmy' REALLY refers to!"
W.O.L.D.DJ: Go ahead caller; you’re on the W.O.L.D. All Oldies Request Line.
Caller: Yes, my name is Harry New and I would like to request a tune and dedicate it to my wife.
DJ: No problem, what can I play for you Harry?
Caller: It was played at our wedding.
DJ: Ah, that’s sweet Harry. What was it?
Caller: I believe it was cave man hitting rock with stick.
Hello Senator"And now a word from the junior Senator from Arizona, the Honorable Mr. John McCain!"
Mrs. Harry"Even though my new name is New through marriage, I prefer the use of my given name first, then New."
Suspense"Who knows what evil lurks -- "
And now let's go to our man in the street..."–lly Ballou here, reporting live from Union Station where General Pershing, Senator John McCain, President Roosevelt and Scranton Pennsylvania paperboy Joey Biden have just arrived!"
The truth..."Radio waves, my foot...I KNOW there's a tiny orchestra in there!"
A word from our sponsor...Einbinder, the finest in flypaper.
Ooh!"How strange. Listening to President Coolidge is giving me a tingle down my leg! Or is it just a short in these infernal ear things that Harry insists are the cat's pajamas?"
A new record?I believe this is a new record for the number of posts to a picture. Have we bettered the "Leave it to Beaver letter" picture?
[The Beaver Letter has 70 comments; this one has 57 so far. No, wait. 58! - Dave]
It's Going, Going..."Oh drat! Every time the Cubs have a chance to win a series this darn radio stops working."
She Has the AnswerWho knows that evil lurks in the hearts and minds of men? MRS. NEW KNOWS!
"Can I Pick Up Duluth?""Duluth??? Bucko, you can get Tierra del Fuego!!!"
New Job for New"Mrs. New relished her new job with the NSA and found the Army's pillow talk especially titillating."
Would you hush up for a while Harry?"I'm trying to hear the advertisement from People's Drug Store...Myrtle told me that they are repeating their unprecedented one-day sale on Star vibrators like they had in 1921 and I need to get rid of these wrinkles and get relief from my stiff neck."
Page 2"Oooh where is that program? Honey, you have to come listen to this program I herd yesterday. It was interesting, but I don't think it will last very long. Now what was that guys name? Oh yeah, it was Paul Harvey."
TransmissionMrs. New? Are you receiving me? This is your master's voice. You will tell your husband to accept my illustration of a mallard for the newest US Postage stamp. Then my dream of world domination will be realized! Muwahahah!
That Was The Year That Was, 1924Oh, what wonders are afoot! Grandmothers are bobbing their hair, naked angels have been seen cavorting about, some boys are certainly up to no good, families are living in automobiles, fist-pounding rabble-rousers are making trouble, puppies are on the loose, an elephant has a toothache, the Babe enlisted, and Meg Ryan is out driving around in one of those hybrids. Time for a nap!
Happy Hour News Team"It was hotter than Hooker in Heater today, and hotter than Heater in Hellmouth…"
(As long as we're doing Firesign Theatre.)
Can You Hear Me Now?If I get these just so, I get five bars... isn't technology amazing??!!
Art"Art Bell learns the secret of time travel."
TV"I just heard John Logie Baird has invented a television. Now if I fiddle with this knob a bit I might be able to see what all the fuss is about"
ZZZZAAP!!Another victim of a poor HMO, Mrs. Harry S. New demonstrates her "Fry King" home electroshock machine.
WOO-HOO! I just realized I'm the 71st comment, breaking the Leave it to Beaver's letter record of 70 replies!
If my witty caption doesn't win a prize, perhaps this achievement will secure me a place in Shorpy history.
Earth to MarsCan you hear me now?
"Sigh....""I am sorry, my dear, but I definitely feel some resistance in between the second and third windings of the primary transformer coils. Honestly, if you would stop fooling around, posing for those silly photographers down at the factory during your work time, this sort of mistake would not occur!"
Mrs.New finds her purpose in lifeDialing up a Prosperous (and timely) Happy New Year.
11These go to eleven.
Radiola IVThe receiver is an RCA Radiola IV, made in the General Electric factory in Schenectady about 1923.
War of the WorldsCome in, Commander Zord, come in!! We have infiltrated and the mere humans are none the wiser. But couldn't you have found a more comfortable race for us to dress as? This girdle is killing me.
Winner?Have you picked a winner yet?
(Technology, The Gallery, Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/25237u.thumbnail.jpg "Mrs. New Tunes In: 1924")
- Throck and the Kats: 1921
- ... them by Policeman Roberts, who, with the assistance of two night watchmen, raided the Krazy Kat, which is something like a Greenwich ... for the government by day and masqueraded as Bohemians by night — were examined.
Those against whom charges were placed gave the ... Posted by Dave - 09/04/2024 - 4:19pm -
![July 15, 1921. Cleon Throckmorton at the easel on the terrace of the Krazy Kat, an establishment described by the Washington Post two years earlier as "something like a Greenwich Village coffeehouse." Scroll down to the comments for more on "Throck," an engineering graduate who made his name designing sets for Eugene O'Neill's plays, and was the first art director for CBS in the early days of television. National Photo Company Collection. View full size.
Krazy Kat Raided!
Washington Post / Saturday, February 22, 1919
ROW IN KRAZY KAT LANDS 14 IN JAIL
Carefree Bohemians Start Rough-House and Cop Raids Rendezvous.
Fourteen would-be Bohemians yesterday appeared in police court and demanded a jury trial on various charges preferred against them by Policeman Roberts, who, with the assistance of two night watchmen, raided the Krazy Kat, which is something like a Greenwich Village coffee house, in an alley near Thomas Circle.
Roberts, under orders to watch the rendezvous of the Bohemians, heard a shot fired in the Krazy Kat shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday morning. The watchmen were quickly pressed into service and a raiding party was organized.
When Roberts climbed the narrow stairway leading from a garage to the scene of trouble, he found himself in the dining room of the Krazy Kat, confronted with gaudy pictures evolved by futurists and impressionists and what appeared to the policeman to be a free-for-all fight.
At the Second Precinct police station 25 prisoners, including three women — self-styled artists, poets and actors, and some who worked for the government by day and masqueraded as Bohemians by night — were examined.
Those against whom charges were placed gave the following names:
John Don Allen, Cleon Throckmorton and John Stiffen, charged with keeping a disorderly house; Charles Flynn, drinking in public; J. Albion Blake, disorderly conduct; Walter Thomas, assault and disorderly conduct; Harry Rockelly, drinking in public; George Miltry, disorderly conduct; Mitchell McMahon, drinking in public; Joseph Ryon, disorderly; Anthony Hanley, drinking in public; Frank Moran, disorderly conduct, Leo Cohen, drinking in public and disorderly conduct, and Raymond Coombs, disorderly conduct.
----------------------------
February 17, 1957
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A $50 bet, an engineering diploma and a hobby turned Cleon Throckmorton from the world of structural design to a lucrative career in art.
A native of nearby Absecon, Throckmorton, now in semi-retirement, has designed settings for over 300 plays all because a friend bet him $50 he couldn't earn a living from art.
"A few of my artist friends and myself were kidding around years ago in a restaurant in Pittsburgh and I said anyone with an common sense could paint," he explained.
Art was his hobby and the bet was collected after two of his works were accepted by the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., for its semi-annual exhibit. "That made me really serious about art," he says.
Although he had just earned an engineering degree from Carnegie Tech, "Throck" started on a career in theatrical setting design and is still going strong here as a designer and painter of party backdrops for a beachfront hotel. Unlike the conventional artist, "Throck" uses gallon jugs of paint and does his work on the floor with a brush attached to a long bamboo pole.
Throckmorton, now 59, spends about six months each year at his Atlantic City work with the raimainder of his time scattered at spot jobs in Hollywood and New York.
-------------------------
October 25, 1965
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Cleon Throckmorton, 68, who gained prominence as a set designer for playwright Eugene O'Neill, died Saturday in hospital after a brief illness. Throckmorton joined O'Neill at the Provincetown Playhouse in Massachusetts and prepared the sets for O'Neill's Emperor Jones, The Hairy Ape, and Beyond the Fringe, which were later produced at the Theatre Guild in New York. During the pioneering days of television, Throckmorton became the Columbia Broadcasting System's first art director. He is survived by his wife.
Krazy ManThis is becoming quite the detective story! I cannot wait for the continuing adventures of Throckmorton & his crew. Given that the bust happened two years before these pictures, it seems that Cleon kept his establishment running for a while.
Thomas Circle looks, unfortunately, fairly well re-developed as of the last time Google snapped a picture.
I will be in DC in May (I grew up not far from Glen Echo Park, actually). I may take a little visit down to Thomas Circle to see if there are echoes of the Krazy Kat in some alley there...
[Throck was enrolled at GWU. Still to come: Photos of the alley. Which, coincidentally, is just a couple blocks from my day job of the past 13 years. - Dave]
Mrs. ThrockmortonJust a quick search of the 'Cleon Throckmorton' name dug up something kind of fun -- an archived letter to Time magazine from 1947.
Pages two and three have Mrs. Throckmorton's sister disputing TIME's claim that it was Mrs. Throckmorton photographed puffing a cigar at opera. If I'm chasing the right trail, Throckmorton married Juliet St. John Brenon. Her father was a (highly respected it would seem) NYC music critic, Algernon St. John Brenon. It would be cool to know if one of those girls was Juliet, wouldn't it?
ThrockI wonder if there is any chance the young lady he is painting became Mrs. Throckmorton.
ThrockGoogle this guy. He was a major player in the theatre world. Very interesting.
Gaudy pictures evolved by futuristsWhat a great line, in a fascinating story. These women look dangerous to me; not just flappers, but vamps!
Alley KatsIs the alley in question Green Court, off 14th near Thomas Circle? I worked in one of the buildings on 14th and could look out on the alley which then, the '90s, housed the Green Lantern, a gay club. I think it became the Tool Shed.
Ahh, yes, looks like my hunch was correct...
From "Gay Life Remembered" by Bob Roehr in Independent Gay Forum...
Krazy Kat in 1920 was a "Bohemian joint in an old stable up near Thomas Circle ... (where) artists, musicians, atheists, professors" gathered. Miraculously the structure still stands, five blocks from the White House, as a gay bar called the Green Lantern.
I really do empathize...with "Throck." My wife is always charging me with "keeping a disorderly house." I keep trying to tell her she just doesn't understand my absurdist aesthetic. It's not easy being a visionary, I guess.
No Connection!(Washington Post / Saturday, February 22, 1919
ROW IN KRAZY KAT LANDS 14 IN JAIL
Carefree Bohemians Start Rough-House and Cop Raids Rendezvous.)
...........................................
There is no connection ..... but the date of this Post article was the same day my father (bless his soul) was born.
This is good stuff Dave. Thank You.
My new hero(ine)... is the woman who is having her portrait done. Not only is she beautiful, but as evidenced in the other photos, she seemed to have a bit of a rebellious streak for daring to show so much skin (someone earlier referenced that she seemed to be wearing - *gasp!* - a miniskirt, in 1921.) That rules, in my book! Plus, she has such a coy look about her. It's fun to think that maybe she's a gypsy who has found the fountain of youth, and she's still roaming around and haunting places like Soho artists' lofts and tiny Parisian cafes, looking exactly the same now as she did then, smoking cigarettes and taking everything in through those dark eyes....
A sword? Looks like the lady on the table might have some future swashbuckling planned.
Heart Stopping , Sucking In Air GreatThis photo is so good on so many levels it hard to take it all in. Whew
About that Cigar & Mrs ThrockmortonThe 1920 Washington Census shows Cleon's father, Ernest U. Throckmorton, as proprietor of a cigar shop. Could be it's true she was smoking a stogie? Other info on this sheet has the parents at 55 yrs old. Mother's name is Roberta, born in Indiana. Cleon was 22. Home address is 1536 Kingman Place (something) NW.
[According to his N.Y. Times obituary in 1965, Mom & Dad's full names were Ernest Upton and Roberta Cowing Throckmorton; Cleon was born October 18, 1897; his wife was the former Juliet St. John Brenon. - Dave]
Green LanternBy coincidence, after reading about the Green Lantern here yesterday, I was watching a 1918 Charlie Chaplin comedy called "A Dog's Life", and noticed that the saloon in that film is called "Green Lantern".
It made me wonder if that phrase has some particular "folk meaning" or significance, or relevance to saloons or drinking, but I can't find anything on google but the comic book hero by that name.
Throckmorton Place $895K in '04!Shucks...you missed your chance to buy the Throckmorton home. From some 2004 Washington Blade (another gay connection!) classifieds...
LOGAN CIRCLE New listing! Fabulous renovated TH. 1.5
blks from Logan Circle, Whole Foods & more! 3 story TH w/
separate bsmt apt and 2 story owner’s unit w/ beautiful gar-
dens and deck. Live in 2 BR, 2.5 BA unit w/ hdwd flrs, lots of light,& lrg bathrooms. Rental 1 BR w/ private entrance. Great condo alternative. Must see! $895,000 OPEN SAT 5/15 &
SUN 5/16 (1 - 4 pm) 1536 Kingman Place. (202) 332-3228
Jeff Shewey, COLDWELL BANKER / PARDOE.
CleonWhile looking online for his paintings I found this:
Throckmorton, Cleon (1897–1965), designer. Born in Atlantic City, he studied at Carnegie Tech and at George Washington University before embarking on a career as a landscape and figure painter. After a few years he turned to the theatre, assisted on the designs for The Emperor Jones (1920), and later created the sets for All God's Chillun Got Wings (1924), S.S. Glencairn (1924), In Abraham's Bosom (1926), Burlesque (1927), Porgy (1927), Another Language (1932), Alien Corn (1933), and others. By his retirement in the early 1950s he had designed sets for over 150 plays. Throckmorton also drew up architectural plans for such summer theatres as the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts, and the Westport (Connecticut) Country Playhouse.
Cleon & JulietCleon's wife, Juliet St. John Brenon, according to her IMDB bio, was born in 1885, making her 37-ish during the time these photos were taken. Her uncle Herbert Brenon was a well-known silent film director who worked frequently with Cleon.
Apparently they had some connections to Society:
Baron Franz von Papen, three postcard autograph messages signed in the mid-1930s to American friend Mrs. Juliet Throckmorton in New York.
[Her November 1979 obituary in the New York Times gives her age at death as 82, which would mean she was born around 1897. Of course actresses (and actors) have been known to fudge their age. - Dave]
Throck of AgesFor what it's worth...the SSDI lists her as follows:
JULIET THROCKMORTON 01 Sep 1895 Nov 1979
It would appear that IMDB is quite mistaken, Hollywood fudging notwithstanding.
Juliet's ObitNovember 22, 1979 (NYT)
JULIET B. THROCKMORTON
Juliet Brenon Throckmorton, a stage and screen actress in the 1920s, and widow of Cleon Throckmorton, a noted stage designer who worked closely with Eugene O'Neill, died Sunday at Cabrini Medical Center. She was 82 years old and lived in Manhattan. Mrs. Throckmorton had in recent years been a contributor to Yankeee magazine, writing, among other subjects, about Eugene O'Neill, E.E. Cummings and other well-known people who had frequented her husband's Greenwich Village studio.
Krazy"Keeping a disorderly house," indeed. The place was probably *shocking* by contemporary standards. I'm with Laura where the model is concerned, the lady is stunningly attractive.
Jeet HeerThe writer Jeet Heer has mentioned Shorpy's posts of the Krazy Kat, and noted that the place was also a haunt of gay people; it's mentioned in "Jeb & Dash", a rather amazing diary by a gay man living in 1920's DC.
http://sanseverything.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/a-gay-old-kat/
(Jeet Heer writes the introductions for Chris Ware's gorgeously produced volumes of the "Gasoline Alley" comic strip- they're called "Walt & Skeezix", and they're up to Vol. 3, 1923-4. And they're delightful to a nostalgist like me.)
[Very interesting! Jeb Alexander, in his diary, writes that the Krazy Kat was a "Bohemian joint in an old stable up near Thomas Circle ... (where) artists, musicians, atheists, professors" gathered. But calling it a "haunt of gay people" just because someone who happened to be gay mentions in his diary that the Krazy Kat is a "Bohemian joint" seems like kind of a stretch. - Dave]
Cleon Throckmorton art in Greenwich VillageOh, boy, was I excited to see your Cleon Throckmorton pix. You see, Mr. Throckmorton's lusty dancing girl sketches are displayed at one of my favorite Greenwich Village eateries, Volare (147 West 4th Street). The proprietor, Sal, hipped us to the origin of these Reginald Marsh-style pictures that came with the joint when Volare took it over. (You can kinda see some on the NY Magazine slideshow -- third pic -- at http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/volare/ )
Location background from the Songlines site sez "Ristorante Volare was Polly Holliday's, a noted Bohemian restaurant that moved to this building from around the corner on Macdougal Street. John Reed wrote 10 Days That Shook the World in a room upstairs. By 1939 it was known as Mother Bertolotti's. For the past 25 years it's been Volare. This building also housed the Whitney Studio Club, an art school and gallery."
Throck's Genealogy Cleon Francis "Throck" Throckmorton's maternal great-grandfather was U.S. Representative (R-VA) Charles Horace Upton (1820-1877), of Upton's Hill, Arlington, VA. Upton served only nine months in the House (1861-'62) and was ultimately denied a seat in Congress because an investigation revealed he was NOT a resident of Virginia. He was a resident of Zanesville, OH where he voted in the 1860 Presidential election. President Lincoln then appointed him Consul to Switzerland in 1863, where he served until his death in 1877.
Juliet BrenonPlaying a hunch, I Googled the name "Juliet Brenon" and came up with this portrait photograph. It isn't definitive, but she looks an awful lot like the young model that Throckmorton is painting, i.e., the future Mrs. Throckmorton.
Throckmorton's first wife?It appears that Cleon Throckmorton was married twice. He married Katherine Mullen, his first wife, in New York "just the other day", according to a Washington Times article dated Feb. 5, 1922. She is described as a "young model and pupil". So, it seems much more likely to be her. I haven't found out how their marriage ended, but clearly she was out of the way by his 1927 marriage to Brenon. BTW: I have written a Wikipedia article on Throckmorton, so now he has one.
Katherine was Throck's first wifeA blog post, written earlier this year on Krazy Kat the cartoon by an Australian, has a reproduction of a Washington Times almost full page article from the July 5, 1922 edition on Cleon Throckmorton, again written by Victor Flambeau. There are two sketches of Mrs Katherine Throckmorton, one showing her in a short dress. Since the rather vampish woman who appears in all these Shorpy photographs shows a lot of leg compared to the other women, my guess is that Katherine is the woman that has intrigued male Shorpyites over the years.
However, I am even more intrigued by the wonderful handle, Cleon Throckmorton. I can well imagine the flourish with which he signed his name. Unless he dashed it off as Throck on the hotel register. The article explains how he took a $50 bet and turned it into an art career. Quite the Kat. And his educational background gives an idea how he erected a spindly treehouse that didn't fall down.
https://timalderman.com/2020/05/02/gay-history-a-gay-old-kat/
The relevant repro is a long way down the webpage. Here's a snippet:
"And only the other day he gave his friends, many of them, the biggest surprise of all, when he married, in New York, at the Little Church Around the Corner, the charming Miss Katherine Mullen, his beautiful model and pupil. Mrs Throckmorton who has already shown marked talent for drawing, will continue her studies, and will also collaborate with her husband in his work. The Krazy Kat Klub, which had been recently changed to "Throck's Studio" has now re-opened, and the elect of Washington's Bohemia regularly gather there."
Kleon & KatHas anyone tried to research the other people besides Cleon? I know the cool looking flapper with the bandana, if that's what she would have called it, is Katherine 'Kat' Mullen, but nothing more about her besides, according to Wikipedia, her being a singer and ukulele player who was on radio programmes. And the others, not even a name.
There must be some audio somewhere of Katherine on the radio?
Dare I say it?The Kat in the hat
(The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Krazy Kat Club, Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/04656u.thumbnail.jpg "Throck and the Kats: 1921")
- Chicago: Night: 1943
- ... buildings, while back then the offices were pitch black at night.
It seems there is a lit plane flying past the tower on the left... ... big cities, though mostly on the East Coast. - Dave]
Night photo Great composition of light & dark, Jack sure knew how to ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:28am -
![Illinois Central freight cars at the South Water Street terminal, Chicago. May 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.
Nights were darker back thenIt's interesting to compare this photo with the nighttime scene in any modern city - nowadays there are so many lights in the office buildings, while back then the offices were pitch black at night.
It seems there is a lit plane flying past the tower on the left...
[This was during World War II. There were blackout regulations in a lot of big cities, though mostly on the East Coast. - Dave]
Night photoGreat composition of light & dark, Jack sure knew how to take great photos. It looks like the boxcar is lit up by an auto's headlights.
[Jack used a floodlight. - Dave]
Line in upper left?What is that? Were commercial planes that common in 1943 like tsturm suggested?
[Aircraft running light? Whether military, civilian or interplanetary, it's hard to say. - Dave]
My guessThere are at least two streaks here, in the same trajectory. This glow is later dusk, nautical twilight, while these streaks are stellar in origin. The bright object is Venus.
This being shot in May, the zodiac would appear to be dipping to the northwest. Given that the Chicago skyline was west of the lake, and the railway ran along the Lakeshore back then, this is facing west-northwest.
Kodachrome of that day was either ASA8 or ASA10 speed, which is incredibly slow. Also, Kodachrome has poor reciprocity failure, meaning that it requires much more time to make very long exposures like this. Even time exposures with Kodachrome 64 in 2010 is pretty slow.
(Just to be sure, I pulled up Astroviewer.com's interactive night sky viewer, plugged in May 15, 1943, 8:50p CST, Chicago, and Venus is indeed in the western sky; the dimmer star is probably Theta Aurigae).
Nerd time over.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34790u.thumbnail.jpg "Chicago: Night: 1943")
- The Night Is Young: 1940
- ... started to have a more defined style.
Being White at Night I'm not seeing much diversity in this party group. I'd be willing to ... Posted by Dave - 06/20/2018 - 1:19pm -
- Game Night: 1942
- ... the kitchen table. Board games and card games almost every night before television.
The Watcher on the Wall The photograph is of ... possible, I would not have been in the room.
Game Night: 1942 This family was Joseph A. Winn, wife Hanna, and daughters Janet ... Posted by Dave - 01/18/2017 - 3:37pm -
- Night Moves: 1941
- ... the last inspection tag on it from 1969.
They Drive by Night ... 1940 movie with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ida Lupino and Ann ... off the road.
Look Out, Railroads! Looks fly-by-night, but it was the future. The railroads held most of this traffic at the ... Posted by Dave - 12/04/2018 - 5:19pm -
- Super Chief: 1943
- ... prevent Axis spies from seeing them traveling through the night. The E6 model pictured, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General ... at the Hutchison, Kansas, stop. The biggest thrill was the night, like every other night, the Santa Fe Chief pulled into the station, and ... Posted by Dave - 07/29/2024 - 9:58pm -
- Starry Starry Night: 1940
- ... foot on the accelerator peddle and hope.
A cold winter night in Maine I can just hear those 6 volt batteries groaning in the ... I marveled at the brilliance of stars in the pitch black night sky. When the mercury vapor lights started showing up on the occasional ... Posted by Dave - 05/21/2020 - 12:07pm -
![December 1940. "Trailer parked near service station. Bath, Maine." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
On Route 1, I would guessI lived in Maine for 25 years, and this feels like home to me.
Heat it to beat it.I wonder if they move out of the house in the background and into the smaller trailer in the foreground because it's easier and cheaper to heat in the winter?
Looks like an "addition" has been added to the trailer to lower the chance of winter claustrophobia. That light in the window sure looks warm and homey.
[The trailers in these photos were housing for war workers at the Bath shipyard and iron works. - Dave]
The sky is fallingLook at the stars. It must have been a long exposure time and I imagine the photographer would have to be patient in that cold. But the exposure time and the cold air made the image really sharp and bright.
War of the Worlds?Either this photo was a long exposure or there was an alien attack.
Yikes!My hat is off to anyone who could drive those tall, ungainly, skinny-tired, rear-wheel-drive cars on ice like that!
The Real SkinnyHeretical though the idea may seem today, those skinny tires were quite capable in winter traction conditions. Instead of maximizing flotation, as do modern wider tires, they tended to cut through snow and ice and get to the bottom of things. However, that is not a desirable characteristic in deep mud, where it is obviously best to stay on top.
Lights, camera ...There is something about incandescent lights that make a scene feel so warm. We have three 1950s-era radial-wave streetlights on our long-ish driveway and I just love the light they cast off.
Ever Slower Grinding MoanThis frigid scene reminds me of the pleasures of starting an icy cold carbureted engine with a 6-volt electrical system. Pull out the choke, press the accelerator deeply two or three times, turn on the ignition switch, press the starter peddle with your toe, position your left foot on the accelerator peddle and hope.
A cold winter night in MaineI can just hear those 6 volt batteries groaning in the morning trying to turn those engines over.
Grinding moanI learned to drive in the seventies on an automatic, in a very cold place (Winnipeg), and my dad always warned me that on the coldest days you had only one crack. Press the gas pedal to the floor and, as you ever-so-slowly eased up on it, turn the key and don’t let up till the motor catches. If it didn’t turn over, you’d get that depressing, fading, dying sound (Phare Pleigh’s grinding moan), which meant you had to give it a few minutes rest so as not to flood it, and even then, good luck with that second try.
Hello darknessAs a kid, I marveled at the brilliance of stars in the pitch black night sky. When the mercury vapor lights started showing up on the occasional farm, they were almost like earthbound stars.
These days the sky stays a dim gray all night long from all the city lights.
I envy those folks who live out west where they can still enjoy the night.
(The Gallery, Gas Stations, Jack Delano)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8c04035a.thumbnail.jpg "Starry Starry Night: 1940")
- Night Shift: 1911
- ... Dominion Glass Co. A few of the young boys working on the night shift at the Alexandria glass factory. Negroes work side by side with the ... work, and they've been letting him know that all day.
Night Shift: 1911 Almost all the workers in factories and mills at this ... Posted by Dave - 08/04/2011 - 7:51am -
![June 1911. Alexandria, Virginia. "Old Dominion Glass Co. A few of the young boys working on the night shift at the Alexandria glass factory. Negroes work side by side with the white workers." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
"Side by side with the white workers"It seems as if Mr. Hine wants to say that that is a shame apart from young boys working.
Perspectives Do ChangeWhen Mr. Hine noted that "Negroes work side by side with the white workers," I don't think he thought that was a good thing.
How times have changedAnd kids these days think they have it hard when the internet goes down for an hour.
Just the factsI'm not getting any kind of point of view from reading the associated statement. Sounded like the writer was stating a simple fact. Maybe the writer felt he needed to explain why the black kid was in the photo.
Those poor children. My heart is heavy just looking at that photo. They should be in school or playing. And yet, from their expressions I get the feeling that these kids ended up okay. I wish I could say the same thing about of lot of the young boys around today.
Working togetherAt a time when blacks and whites weren't always seen working together, even if they did. It is a plain statement of fact by the photographer that they work together at the mines.
Huh?Actually, I thought Mr. Hine's note was taking pains to point out that at lower class levels the races were mixing - over the dual issue of working to pay rent and provide food for a family. Nowhere does Hine apply a pejorative sense. He had been a crusader who used his art to help end child labor. So I don't think he would have minded at all.
Two things come to mind1. The boy on the far right seems to think he's a pretty tough guy.
2. The variety of the facial features show how unique we all are. I'm glad God didn't make us all from the same mold. It would have been pretty boring by now.
Hey you - photog!Kid on the right appears to be saying: "here, hold my jacket while I give that photog a bunch in the nose!"
Expressions on their facesI see Apprehension, Anger, Fear, Indifference, not much Joy though.
Glass Could Be Half FullWhy must Hine's comment be interpreted in the negative? As he was documenting child labor, it may have struck him as a pleasant surprise that the boys worked together regardless of race. Encountering such comraderie in Virginia a mere 46 years after the end of the Civil War might have had a lot to do with it.
[The caption information comes from more than one photo. Hine took several pictures of just the black workers. - Dave]
Called OutThe boy with half a jacket on (2nd from right in front) looks like he's scared enough to pee his pants. My imagination tells me that the boys to either side of him (especially the one with his hand against his shoulder) plan to beat him up on his way home from work, and they've been letting him know that all day.
Night Shift: 1911 Almost all the workers in factories and mills at this time were white. The country was segregated - remember? That's why it is very rare to see an African-American in Hine's child labor photos, especially in a state like Virginia. The fact that this situation is an exception is the only reason Hine mentioned it. That's all there is to it. Hine was not a racist. He believed deeply that everyone had dignity and should be treated with respect. But he was not a 1960s-style civil rights worker. Had he been a photojournalist in the days of the bus boycotts and the Selma marches, his camera would have been right there on the front lines.
Old Dominion Glass
Washington Post, Feb 24, 1907.
Mammoth Bottle Plant.
Old Dominion Glass Company One of Alexandria's Big Industrial Concerns.
…
The factory is the largest south of New Jersey. Its daily output is in the neighborhood of two carloads. The number of bottles varies, as it takes a much longer time to make the large bottles than it does to make the small vials. A team, however, turns out from five to six thousand bottles a day. The Old Dominion Glass Company makes a specialty of beer and soda bottles, which are not only guaranteed to stand the highest pressure from within, but also the hottest steaming. Not less than 2,000 molds are kept by the firm. These vary in size and style from the one dram druggist vial to a fifteen-gallon carboy.
This plant covers four or five acres and employs not less than two hundred and fifty blowers and molders. Here everything in the manufacture of the glass bottle may be seen. First the visitor is carried to the enormous sand pits, where hundreds of tons of glistening white sand is being hauled away to be mixed with soda, ash and lime in chemically exact proportions. This mixture, which has to be carried out with great accuracy in order to secure the best results, requires the employment of a special chemist for that purpose. It is then placed in an enormous furnace or retort. Here it is subjected to a temperature that is almost inconceivable. The foreman will tell that this mass has to be brought to a temperature of 2,800 degrees before it will fuse. This intense heat is obtained by burning unrefined coal gas under heavy pressure. At this plant there is a separate manufacturing department for this gas, and here many tons of coal are consumed daily in order to get the necessary amount of gas.
As the sand, lime and soda ash fuse into a liquid mass, it flows to the end of the furnace, where swarthy workmen, scantily clad, stand with long iron pipes. They dip the ends of the pipes into the white-hot mass and draw out a small bulb of it. This they roll on slabs until it cools to an orange color. It is then thrust into a mold and the glass blower inflates the bulb, making it fill the recess. The bottle is then taken out of the mold with pincers and placed upon a pair of scales. Here one must stop to marvel. Every bottle tips the scale and makes it balance absolutely. It is this feature that enables the glass blower to make from eight to ten dollars a day. If he should get the fraction of an ounce more of the liquid mass on the end of the iron pipe, the thickness of the bottle would vary and of course the weight would be a variable quantity.
…
(The Gallery, Factories, Lewis Hine)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/01301u.thumbnail.jpg "Night Shift: 1911")
- Night Game: 194x
- New York circa 1940s. "Night baseball at Ebbets Field -- Cincinnati Reds vs. Brooklyn Dodgers." ... of game I believe this is might be a photo of the first night game ever played at Ebbetts Field June 15, 1938. The last year the ... to be close.
The Reds have experience at this night stuff... They were the first Major League team to play a game under ... Posted by Dave - 01/17/2018 - 12:16pm -
- Saturday Night: 1941
- April 1941. "Rollerskating on Saturday night. Chicago, Illinois." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm ... today a group of young people roller skating on a Friday night dressed to the nines as these people are! They all look like they're ... Posted by Dave - 09/25/2018 - 4:56pm -
- One Second Fast: 1943
- ... it up there under the switch. Then turning it off at night. So practical. Not like today where light switches and coat closets are ... Posted by Dave - 07/29/2024 - 9:58pm -
- Grandview Cabins: 1941
- ... a flush toilet.
Color available (15¢ a night)
As we're often told: postcards sometimes took liberties .
Light Up The Night It would be great to have some of those old neon signs. The newer LED ... Posted by Dave - 09/07/2022 - 12:15pm -
![October 1941. Berkshire Hills County, Massachusetts. "Tourist camps stretch in an endless village along the Mohawk Trail through the Berkshires." Chicken and Spaghetti, 50 cents! Acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Flush ToiletsWas that a feature or a request?
Maybe five of fifteen cabins surviveI found a postcard for Grandview Cabins, which identified its location as four miles north of Holyoke on Route 5. The first cabin is named New Jersey, then four more cabins with the names of states before the cabins turn left and directly face the road. These cabins on Google Street View look to be the same size and are at the same angle to the road. If you look beyond the road in the 1941 photo, you'll see a mountain range. That would line up with this location and the mountains in Skinner State Park.
More than a request, Bodych, there are those who would demand a flush toilet.
Color available (15¢ a night)
As we're often told: postcards sometimes took liberties.
Light Up The NightIt would be great to have some of those old neon signs. The newer LED signs do not give off the same glow as neon.
Ginger AleUsed to almost as popular as orange soda. Now days it is mostly a mixer. I've always loved the aroma but not so fond of the taste.
What did you use ...If you didn't have flush toilets? Chemical toilets?
[Pit toilets -- what you'd find in an outhouse. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Camping, John Collier, Travel & Vacation)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8c25893a.thumbnail.jpg "Grandview Cabins: 1941")
- Coney 1905
- ... its own right.
Wish I could have seen this lit up at night I can only imagine how wonderful it would have looked.
Night view? I would love to see the same view at night.
If you look for ... Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:57pm -
- Trans-Lux: 1949
- ... then grab a bite at the Automat? View full size.
Night Unto Night Film noir with Ronald Reagan and Viveca Lindfors. I believe we all ... Posted by Dave - 04/05/2018 - 9:09pm -
![New York, 1949. Another Kodachrome slide of Times Square sent to us by Shorpy member RalphCS, this one taken at the Trans-Lux theater on Broadway. Who's up to see some shorts and then grab a bite at the Automat? View full size.
Night Unto NightFilm noir with Ronald Reagan and Viveca Lindfors. I believe we all know who he was. She (1920-1995) was a Swedish actress of stage and screen (more than 100 films) who moved to the US in 1946. She said of her co-star, in People in 1981, "Ronnie was not a big star. He didn’t carry enough weight. To think that the guy became President is really kind of funny."
That Billboard Phone NumberPEnnsylvania-6-5000 will still get you to a certain Glenn Miller tune or the Hotel Pennsylvania but PE-6-5300 could once get your name up in lights on Broadway.
Thank you, RalphCS!These photos are wonderful - I like this one because we can see the people more clearly, the women in their summer dresses and the men in their wide-shouldered suits. The color really makes these photos come alive!
Studebaker by StarlightThose Studebakers like the grey one on the right with those wrap-around windows simply fascinated me as a kid and I couldn't wait to sit in the back seat of one to see how it looked and felt from the inside! We didn't know anyone who had one and it was several years before they started turning up used so I could satisfy my yearnings! They were the first new design following World War II and were well-built, good-running, highly underrated cars.
Of comfort to meI'm not at all suited to big city settings. Not to live, and not even very long to visit. But, the flag above the street makes me feel a little better.
I wonder why it isn't visible in the earlier photo, since they seem to be taken on the same photo shoot. Curious.
[The top of the building with the flag (the New York Times tower at 1 Times Square, best known today as the New Year's "ball drop" building) isn't even in the other photo. - Dave]
Like I said, I'm not at my best in the city. Seems to have upset my perspective. It looked to be to the rear of the marquee in the earlier photo. Thanks, for clearing it up for this westerner.
[It's on the right side of the street in both photos. - Dave]
Old MoneyI knew I'd seen the name "Trans-Lux" somewhere before. New Yorker cartoon.
GirlsBetween the Strand and Automat signs there is part of a sign for The Hour of Charm, with Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra, featuring Evelyn and Her Magic Violin. A big hit on radio at the time.
'47 StudebakerThe guy behind the Studebaker on the right curb is probably wondering "which way is it going"?
Tango PalaceI was intrigued by the "Tango Palace" sign, did a little searching, and came up with this article from the Village Voice in 1970: https://www.villagevoice.com/2010/11/10/times-square-christmas-eve-1970-...
Who Needs a Tie?The guy on the right, may be a New Yorker but he's clearly sporting the very latest from the Ted Williams fashion collection of Boston.
Stylin'The gentleman in the double-breasted suit with a pocket hanky, cool hat, and two-tone black and white shoes is the absolute last word in fashion.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Movies, NYC)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-N4-017A.thumbnail.jpg "Trans-Lux: 1949")
- Night Lights: 1905
- New York circa 1905. "Night in Luna Park, Coney Island." A veritable wonderland of incandescent ...
Ooh. I would have given anything to spend a night at the old Luna Park.
The blurred figures bring this photo to ... Park fit this photo perfectly:
With the advent of night a fantastic city all of fire suddenly rises from the ocean into the sky. ... Posted by Dave - 05/20/2014 - 6:46pm -
![New York circa 1905. "Night in Luna Park, Coney Island." A veritable wonderland of incandescent illumination. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.
Thanks DaveI would crawl inside this photograph if I could.
The Luna Park CircusAs if the architecture wasn't enough, the cafe mezzanines overlook a "floating" circus ring supported on arched trusses over the central lagoon. In the Shorpy image, Ring No. 1 is set up for a trapeze act. Here's a tinted postcard of a performing horse act on the same elevated platform.
Ooh.I would have given anything to spend a night at the old Luna Park.
The blurred figuresbring this photo to life! I love this website!!!!
Ethereal glowI really like how the camera captured an aura around some of the lights. Even today this would be considered a beautiful display of lights. I can't imagine how magical it must have been to people who grew up without electricity in their homes and still may not have had it.
I think that people too easily forget about some things in the past, like the original Ferris Wheel, and Coney Island in its prime. Modern day designers would do well to learn from these works of engineering art.
WOW.They didn't waste any time taking advantage of electricity, did they?
FWIW, I found this site yesterday and it is the most glorious corner of the Internet I've yet found. Just incredible. You have a new fan for life!! I was originally looking for Lewis Hine photos for a lecture ... and found more than I ever could have imagined! Keep up the good work!
[Aw shucks. Thanks! - Dave]
Job security!Can you imagine having the job of changing the burned-out light bulbs there? I imagine it'd have to be done after dusk so you could see which ones were out. Wonder if they bulb arrays were rigged so they could be lowered to the ground for maintenance, or if the poor workers had to scale the heights!
GorgeousBut hardly a surprise it burned down.
What a Sight Even the most staunch Victorians were impressed with this -- actually "awed" might be more appropriate. I've read a lot about Luna Park but don't remember anything about those elephants.
Glowing praiseOne of your best choices yet -- an amazing photo.
Oriental FantasiesThere's never been anything quite like the hallucinatory grandeur of the architectural mashups seen in amusement park and exposition buildings in this period. The primary quotations appear to come from Cairo minarets and Mughal Indian archways, but these have been all mixed up with motifs from Chinese pagodas and old Russian church spires, Venetian balustrades and Italian baroque shields on the balconies. Then there are the what-the-heck details like the phoenix-head fern planters erupting from the bases of the flagpoles all around the upper deck. What shall we call it all -- Electro-Moresco-Sino-Baroco?
Lights - actionI have seen a number of photos of Luna Park, and they are all astonishing. It must have been a fabulous place!
Hey, Dad!Can I borrow the time machine tonight? I want to head on over to Coney with the gang. What an unbelievable shot. You've done it again, Dave. Sadly, about all that is left of the old Coney Island is the Cyclone and Nathan's.
Disney's inspiration?The attention to detail is amazing. I have (happily) wasted a half an hour on this picture and still find new details!
AC/DCWhat makes this photo truly remarkable is the fact that even in 1905 there still wasn't an electrical standard. Was the power Edison's DC or was it Tesla's AC? I'm betting on AC.
My grandfather, born in 1875, would regale us with stories of Coney Island. He would weave these almost impossible sounding stories about the grandeur of the place. Now you have to remember, the Coney Island of the 1950s and the 60s and then into the very depressing 70s was a very far cry from his experience, so it was almost as if he was telling fairy tales.
It really must have been something else back then for the blue-collar worker. Working six days a week, up to 14 hours a day and taking your only day off to go to Coney Island. We have gained so much, we have lost so much.
Few places I'd rather bethan Luna Park and Coney Island in 1905. What an interesting, fascinating and exciting place it must have been.
HauntedI watched Ric Burns' documentary about Coney Island several years ago and it was so haunting and eerie that I can't look at this photo without getting chills. The 1903 footage of a Coney Island elephant being electrocuted for the "crime" of attacking a handler who threw a lit cigarette in her mouth still haunts me.
Time machine pleaseIf I had a time machine, I'd take it back, throw a huge blanket over this place and tell them that they couldn't touch it for another 100 years, when they could appreciate the grandeur of all that is here. Those architectural details! Today's buildings are just squares and rectangles. No pomp! No curlicues! No flourishes!
How amazing it must have been to see all this electricity in one place. All that light. Must have been like they imagined the future would be.
Where do you think we live, Luna Park?!While growing up on the Lower East Side of NYC in the 60's and 70's my grandparents and parents were always admonishing us kids to "turn off the lights when you leave the room!" If they ever had to turn the lights off after we carelessly left them on they would always say, "Where do you think we live, Luna Park?!" Or, my father's favorite, "the place is lit up like Luna Park!"
Now I see what they meant!
Fascinating photo. Thank you.
Luna ParkMaxim Gorky's remarks about Luna Park fit this photo perfectly:
With the advent of night a fantastic city all of fire suddenly rises from the ocean into the sky. Thousands of ruddy sparks glimmer in the darkness, limning in fine, sensitive outline on the black background of the sky shapely towers of miraculous castles, palaces, and temples. Golden gossamer threads tremble in the air. They intertwine in transparent flaming patterns, which flutter and melt away, in love with their own beauty mirrored in the waters. Fabulous beyond conceiving, ineffably beautiful, is this fiery scintillation.
NicopachydermI must correct Mattie below. The elephant was certainly electrocuted at Luna Park, but not because a handler threw a lit cigarette into her mouth and she killed him. She was killed because she had killed three men in as many years. While it was true that she was abused by patrons and had in fact been fed a lit cigarette by someone, that incident was some time before and her handler was neither whom she killed nor who fed her the lit cigarette.
Luna in filmI was just flipping through the channels and Turner Classic Movies is showing a silent film called "The Crowd" that features a montage of the lead characters enjoying the sights of Luna at night.
The shots were just as spectacular as the photos of Luna park here at Shorpy.
(The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-4a12429a_0.thumbnail.jpg "Night Lights: 1905")
- New York Central: 1900
- ... be open for longer than normal, such as low light rooms, night-time fireworks, etc.
The Light at Night Does anybody know if those are oil or gas lamps in the car? Seems ... Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:01pm -
- Skill Ball: 1939
- 1939. "Night street scene in Butte, Montana." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur ... the same.
View Larger Map
Ladies Night According to the book "Mining Cultures: Men, Women and Leisure in ... her good name. No poker for these ladies!
Light the Night Neon lighting is so effective. Understand it's making a comeback. ... Posted by Dave - 09/08/2010 - 12:46am -
- Girls' Night Out: 1941
- December 1941. Washington, D.C. "Washington Hot Shoppe restaurant." Tableware, clothes, shoes -- discuss! Photo by John Collier. View full size.
Aligator shoes! And, I am surprised nobody has identified the auto out the window. I can't ... Posted by Dave - 11/26/2012 - 5:11pm -
- The New Raleigh: 1912
- ... a nearby bar and got drunk. Had Johnson been killed that night, a constitutional crisis would have ensued. Under a 1792 law, Lafayette ... Posted by Dave - 09/04/2024 - 4:13pm -
- Night Service: 1939
- ... San Augustine, Texas. "Oil and gasoline service station at night." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full ... Posted by Dave - 03/25/2018 - 1:24pm -
![April 1939. San Augustine, Texas. "Oil and gasoline service station at night." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
A little worse for wear202 E. Columbia Street.
Superb LightingMakes the Sinclair station look like an addition to a Lionel train setup.
Fill NoirWhat do I see all along the utility line above? Perhaps some gizmos to keep squirrels off?
[Those are cable hangers. - Dave]
Where’s the dinosaur?Although, I don’t see the green dinosaur, I loved these filling stations because of them as a kid! The same for Mobil’s flying horse. Sadly, dad was an Esso man.
"Mellowed 100 Million Years" Sinclair's advertising writers first had the idea to use dinosaurs in Sinclair marketing back in 1930. They were promoting lubricants refined from crude oil believed to have formed when dinosaurs roamed the earth. -- Sinclairoil.com
It's a long walk from Pennsylvania. I guess Dino hadn't gotten this far south yet.
1936 FordAiring up the spare on a Tudor Touring Sedan.
Wire wheels on that FordIndicate that it's a 1935 model. That was the last year that Ford used wire wheels. The 1936 Fords used the steel wheels with the very large bolt pattern, which were used up to, and including, 1939. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful car.
(The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8b21781a1.thumbnail.jpg "Night Service: 1939")
- Born a Rebel: 1860s
- ... Library of Congress. View full size.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down That Judy Collins Joan Baez* song would ... paid for the good weapons his men used.
Re: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down The other way around. The song was written ... Posted by Dave - 07/16/2013 - 10:13am -
![Ca. 1861-65. "Young soldier in Confederate shell jacket and forage cap with single shot pistol." Sixth-plate ambrotype, hand-colored. Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Library of Congress. View full size.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie DownThat Judy Collins Joan Baez* song would fit right here. So young.
*Covering The Band
Thanks, my error.
Poor RebsThey had to do with what they got in many cases. That that fellow
wouldn't be carryin' no cap gun if he was in Bedford Forrest's outfit.
Forrest paid for the good weapons his men used.
Re: The Night They Drove Old Dixie DownThe other way around. The song was written by Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm of The Band. It was later covered by Joan Baez.
The pistolThe pistol was more likely a prop owned by the photographer. A study of military images from the era shows numerous instances of photos soldiers hold the same pistols, knives and paraphernalia.
As for the members of Forrest's command, his first outfit benefitted from his wealth, but those raised later in the war relied increasingly on captured Union weapons and equipment.
Reversed PhotoThe photo is reversed. The lock mechinism is on the wrong side of the pistol and the buttons are on the wrong side of his jacket.
[All tintypes are reversed, as they are camera originals, not prints from a negative. -tterrace]
(The Gallery, Civil War, Portraits)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_00225u.thumbnail.jpg "Born a Rebel: 1860s")
Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.