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That Great Street: 1910
... things they don't do on Broadway. Do they only do them at night ? ? ? I am not surprised by the crowds ... Remember, folks, for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/31/2023 - 12:35pm -

On State Street, that great street, I just want to say They do things they don't do on Broadway. They have a time, the time of their life -- I saw a man who danced with his wife In Chicago, Chicago my hometown. Chicago circa 1910. "The busy crowd on State Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Such crowded streets!I am amazed at the density of the crowds in images like this. I haven't been in a busy downtown in years, but it seems incredible to see so many people crowding the sidewalks! It is wall to wall people, or storefront to curb anyway. In my lifetime I have only seen crowds like this during parades etc. Was this normal in turn of the century cities? Same question applies for the beach scenes with only inches between quaintly costumed revelers... MotorizedIn answer to loujudson's question, all of those people are now in their cars. The sidewalk is easy to traverse, but the street has bumper-to-bumper traffic. re: Crowded StreetsThe opposite sidewalk is closed for construction, doubling the crowd on the near sidewalk. Still a hell of a lot of people. I FEEL CHEATEDI can't see even ONE person doing things they don't do on Broadway. Do they only do them at night ? ? ? I am not surprised by the crowds ...Remember, folks, for years the corner of State and Madison Streets (shown here) was touted - on post cards and other media - as "the busiest corner in the world!" Good grief!Is that a man dancing with his wife under the Marshall Field clock? Mercer or Stutz?Marshall Fields clock center background at the corner of Sate and Madison. I'm going to guess that is a Stutz or a Mercer parked at the curb. Can anyone identify the building?Just out of architectural curiosity, what is the ornate little building next door to Mandel Bros.? Somebody sure had fun designing that place! (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Hop Till You Drop: 1923
... tune of the Anniversary Waltz: "Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, if you think we danced, you have rocks in your head." (second verse) "Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, we danced and we danced 'cause the room had no bed." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:25pm -

April 1923. Washington, D.C., or vicinity. "Marathon dancers." Participants in a pop culture fad that lasted well into the 1930s; woman on the right holds a Baltimore newspaper clipping with the headline DANCERS BREAK WORLD RECORD AND DISAPPEAR. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Victor Victrola VV-100The phonograph is a Victor Victrola VV-100, produced from 1921 to 1925. Original price $150. One sitting behind me in my library right now. Low-down on the Victrola VV-100http://www.victor-victrola.com/100.htm Manual includedThis link has a page by page instruction manual for that Victrola. I have one of those victrolas......and it still works. Looks like they have the volume turned all the way up Oh, how we dancedThis sorry looking group of incongruous personalities reminds me of the 1950's rhyme sung to the tune of the Anniversary Waltz: "Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, if you think we danced, you have rocks in your head." (second verse) "Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, we danced and we danced 'cause the room had no bed." (I know it is like eighth grade boys' locker room humor, but it all comes back even sixty-plus years later.) Yowzah, yowzah!I guess all the other horses have already been shot. Comfy ShoesNotice they all have them to make this grueling task as painless as possible. Wonder why the young lady seated seems so surprised by the photographer? Movable Marathon Washington Post, April 21, 1923. As the third lap of Washington's marathon dancing contest got under way last night, eliminations had narrowed the field to three at the Arcade auditorium and four a the Central coliseum. Upon completion of a 48-hour stretch of continuous dancing, Miss Florence Gentry, the last girl competitor at the Arcade, became hysterical, and was carried sobbing and shrieking from the floor. The remaining entries were Aubrey W. Gilbert, 22-year-old marine from the local marine barracks; Joe Boltrotsky and W.C. Mendenhall, of Mount Rainer, Md. At the Coliseum Elsie Weber held the honor of being the only contestant still dancing in the two contests. Her male competitors there were Edward Fleury, Louis J. Hulleran and Walter Keefer. The Arcade dancers who are still dancing at midnight will continue their gliding at that hour in a moving van, which will convey them to a dance hall in Virginia. The Coliseum dancers will in a similar manner take themselves to Baltimore to finish their efforts to gain a world title. The Baltimore Sun, April 22, 1923. Only three of the five marathon dancers who started out Wednesday night to set a new recod were left at 1 o'clock this morning. One of them is Miss Elsie Weber, of Baltimore, who recently danced 53 hours in that city. Just before midnight the dancers, who were staging there contests in two halls one-stepped into phonograph equipped trucks and [departed] for Virginia or Maryland so as to evade the District of Columbia Law. … In the meanwhile Miss Weber, the other two contestants and William T. Farrell, of Baltimore, an added starter, had crossed the district line into Maryland. They went to Beckett's Hotel at Marlboro and were going strong at 1.30 this morning. The Baltimore Sun, April 23, 1923. All records for endurance dancing were shattered last night by Miss Elsie Weber, of Baltimore and Eugene Linder, of Washington, who dashed from the floor of Ducket's Hotel, at Marlboro, Md., five minutes before midnight after they had danced for exactly 96 hours. Miss Weber and Linder, in company of William T. Farrell, of Baltimore, who had completed 71 hours of continuous dancing, jumped in a waiting automobile and disappeared. It was thought that they were going to Washington to continue the contest. Police and newspaper men watched various dance halls in Washington for the arrival of the dancers, but at an early hour this morning they had not been found. Washington Post, April 23, 1923. Three contestants for the world's record for marathon dancing passed the ninety-six hour of continuous dancing last night at 12 o'clock at Duckett's hotel in Marlboro, Md., where they were taken from the Coliseum at midnight Saturday because of police regulations prohibiting public dancing here Sunday. The three dancers who were reported to be still going strong are Mrs. Elsie Weber and Eugene Linder, both of this city, and William P. Farrell, of Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun April 24, 1923. Eleven competitors in the Marathon dance contest at Hazazer's Hall completed their first day of continuous dancing last night in their efforts to win the title of world's champion endurance dancer. … Claiming to have danced 109 hours, Miss Elsie Weber and William Farrell, of Baltimore, were stopped by the police at the Pen Gardens, in Washington. Police declared the management of the Pen Gardens did not have a permit to conduct the contest. Spectators who went to Ducket's Hotel, at Marlboro, where the dancers fled on Sunday from Washington to dodge the police, according to dispatches to THE SUN, declared they were disappointed at the long rests given the dancers. Miss Weber last night denied reports published in Washington that stretches of several hours had been spent in sleeping since the contest started. The Baltimore Sun April 27, 1923. Up at Hazazer's Hall it is difficult to tell whether they are holding a non-stop dancing contest or a non-stop sleeping handicap. Yesterday the hall was closed from 2 P.M. until 11 P.M. No spectator was admitted. Dating In The ThirtiesMy parents used to go to the Dixie Ballroom at Gwynn Oak Park in Baltimore to watch these dancers in the 30's on a date. Years later my mother would shiver with disgust at the tortured looks on the dancer's faces when she would tell us about them. To top off the date my mom and dad would go to speakeasies in the Remington area for some illegal beer and tell my grandmother (mom's mother) they had gone to an ice cream parlor and took a walk home the long way. I always smile when I think back about the tales my parents told me they did as young people. Yep mom was a proud flapper with bobbed hair and dad made beer in his parent's basement. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Mildred's Place: 1938
... October 29, 1938         Last night I had an adventure. Of the 1st water. To have it I had to get kind of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 11:42am -

October 1938 at the Alamo. "Mildred Irwin, saloon singer at North Platte, Nebraska. She entertained for 20 years in Omaha before coming to North Platte." Medium-format safety negative by John Vachon. View full size. Letter from John Vachon to his wife, Penny: October 29, 1938         Last night I had an adventure. Of the 1st water. To have it I had to get kind of stiff. And I did, dear. Pretty plastered. But it was all in the line of duty, eminently legitimate and justifiable. About eight o'clock I went into a corner saloon. It was a saloon in the grand tradition. I drank only beer, but great gobs of it. At the piano was a big huge large fat blonde woman of 45 to 50 yrs. With beautiful smeary red makeup on her puss, and huge mammy type bosoms. And her voice, O that you could hear her voice. She has Sophie Tucker in the wastebasket   . . . Hah!The boys at the bar look like they're rethinking the idea of moving to North Platte! Mildred IrwinApparently she was a popular entertainer in her day. You can buy her CD (or just listen to her bang out "Little Rock" on the piano) here: http://www.croscrane.com/mildred.htm John on MildredMr. Vachon may have had photog skills, but he's not too bad with a pen, either. Pretty colorful descriptions. The phrase...1st water...which I've heard only occasionally, seems used in the same sense as 'of the first order'. But 1st water also makes me think that it refers to bath water which in earlier times was a shared commodity. Handed down, so to speak. And first water would be, obviously, the first and best. We kids had to share bath water a lot back in the 50's, that part I do know. I'll definitely have a listen to the link. Now to figure out what he meant by Sophie Tucker in the wastebasket. [He means Mildred is the better singer. She puts Sophie to shame. - Dave] Piano tuner neededI listened to the clip on the web site posted by Mattie. Either that piano was badly in need of tuning or Mildred Irwin preferred to use some bizarre non-Western scale. First WaterThe phrase "Of the first water" comes from gemology. Mildred's Audio ClipThat's the music I hear in my head when I think of "honky-tonk." That was great!! Did you see the disclaimer?Here's the disclaimer on that site: DISCLAIMER The music on this compact disk is a studio re-creation. It is not an actual recording. We do not wish to mislead anyone into believing that Mildred Irwin -- a real entertainer who played the piano at the Alamo Bar, a real bar in North Platte, Nebraska -- actually played the music you hear on this disk. She did not. As described in Charles M. Von Rosa's notes included in the booklet inside, this music was re-created using the limited information available. Like the bulk of the music heard on the radio these days, this music is fake. However, as our purpose is to honor a long neglected fabulous entertainer, here it is. We sincerely hope you enjoy this recording as much as we enjoyed putting it together. - Croscrane™ Audio ClipActually, if you read the fine print on that site, it basically says that audio file has nothing really to do with Mildred except being inspired by her. It's a modern recording intended to sound old---and to my ears it sounds much like a midi file, which they didn't even have in the '30s. Kind of a questionable tribute to the lady, really... Not a vintage recordingDid anyone read the disclaimer towards the bottom of the page Mattie linked to? It says it's a studio re-creation of Mildred's playing...doesn't say when it was re-created...could've been a year ago. Mildred (Not)I missed the disclaimer. I bet Mildred wouldn't be happy with that. Too bad there are no actual recordings of her playing. Pat AstMildred is the spitting image of Pat Ast. Mildred IrwinI live in North Platte and do alot of local historical research. I've seen all the pictures of Mildred that John took through the Library of Congress website. My question is what happened to Mildred after she left North Platte? I can't seem to find any references to her anywhere. Just curious. Mildred is mentioned here"It was John Vachon, however, who met the most audacious array of non-conformists, and he quickly fell under their spell. He eagerly photographed one old man who lived in the town dump and who "displayed a magnificent sense of humor." Somewhere near Big Hole, Montana, Vachon made friends with a sheep rancher, who took him deep into the range country, cooked him a meal in the open, and gave him his first horseback ride. (This fellow was hardly the defeated victim that Nathan Ache's sheep herder had been.) Although Vachon felt the rancher was an 'individualistic type which has probably outlived its usefulness,' Vachon still thought this character was the salt of the earth and an irresistible subject. But it was in North Platte, Nebraska, that Vachon found his greatest infatuation. At a local bar he discovered Mildred Irwin, "a big fat blond woman of 45 or so, with a beautiful red smary paint job." She had been an Omaha prostitute for nearly twenty years and had then retired to North Platte to play honky-tonk piano in the bar and sing "like Sophie Tucker--only very nasty songs." Completely smitten with this woman, Vachon took picture after picture of her, and "made 3 trips back to the hotel for more flash bulbs." By the late 1930s and early 1940s, documentary photographers were increasingly on the lookout for the likes of Mildred Irwin and searched less and less for subjects like Lange's "Migrant Mother". As conditions slowly improved and the crisis receded, it seemed less important to promote social legislation or confront the "realities" of the decade, and documentary photographers gradually turned to savoring the eccentricities of the people they met." from Hope Among Us Yet: Social Criticism and Social Solace in Depression America By David P. Peeler University of Georgia Press, pp 105-106 (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon, Music, Omaha)
Dark Shadows: 1920
... out of "Nightmare on Kalorama Road." If it were Halloween night, I'm not sure I would go knocking on the door. Great Shorpy Timing! ... cackling or a wolf baying under the cover of a gloomy night Mrs. Tumulty's House Photo Caption, Washington Post, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:53pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Tumulty house, 1917 Kalorama Road." Residence of Joseph P. Tumulty, President Wilson's private secretary. View full size. Secret ShotThe frayed edges of the photo give it a somewhat clandestine look, like it was shot covertly with a spy camera or with a camera hidden from view. Gable carvingsThe gable carvings seem lighthearted and cheery to me. I'd bet in color, this would not look nearly so 'haunted' -- but as is, a great Halloween house. Wonderful rounded corner as well. Run!My wife and I agree, this is a spooky house. If we were kids we would have to run past this one in the evening. Dr. TJoseph Tumulty had a son who became a physician at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the first Chief of Internal Medicine within the Department of Medicine. He was considered by his interns and colleages as one of the finest clinicians. His patients loved him as did anyone who knew him. Painted ladyI disagree with most of the comments made here so far. This is a lovely and nicely proportioned Victorian home. It would have been painted cheerily, probably with three bright colors. If we had this shot in color, it would seem like a warm and welcoming place. Knock knockAppears to have been vacant for a while from the looks of the unsecured shutters and the vines overtaking the balcony. Either that or Joseph wasn't much of a honey-doer. HauntedLooks like the residence of the local Addams family. Makes Me ShudderWere the camera shutter speedier, it would have caught witch Griselda leaving through the upper left bedroom window on her broom. (Note shutter ajar.) It's a perfect haunted house. HauntedIf it were still standing, I'd say it was definitely haunted. Very appropriate for Halloween week! No moreThis is now a block of "prewar"-style apartment buildings, from what I can see on Google Street View. Kalorama is still a nice neighborhood, but certainly a lot more urban and dense than it was in this photo. This Old HouseChez Tumulty circa 1921 after a makeover. Click to enlarge. Groovy GableThe gable carving in the original iteration has a "Summer of Love" look to it. Chez TumultyThe guy sure liked his chicken wire. Maybe he used his house as a parade float. Does Freddy live here?This could truly be a scene out of "Nightmare on Kalorama Road." If it were Halloween night, I'm not sure I would go knocking on the door. Great Shorpy Timing!With Halloween just around the corner, this house seems to perfectly fit the classic haunted house image -- just add a few cobwebs, a headstone or two, and you can almost hear a witch cackling or a wolf baying under the cover of a gloomy night Mrs. Tumulty's House Photo Caption, Washington Post, Nov 14, 1920 Famous Washington Home Bought By Wife of White House Secretary Mansion erected by former Gov. Alexander Shepherd, of the District, which was purchased last week by Mrs. Joseph P. Tumulty, wife of the secretary of President Wilson. Henry W. Seymour is the former owner of the house, which had been occupied by the widow of Gov. Shepherd since the latter's death. It is located at Twentieth street and Kalorama road northwest. The house was razed circa 1929 to make way for the apartment building currently occupying the corner. I double dog dare you"C'mon Davey, go up and ring the doorbell. What, you chicken? Scaredycat!" ChangesThis is a case where the subject is not well served by being in Black & White. Typically these old Victorians were brightly painted in several colours to emphasize the decoration. So what looks like it would be a gloomy and scary place would really have been a riot of colour. The house was ill-served by the 1921 makeover. It appears to have been painted in a single colour, the upstairs balcony was enclosed, the porch columns were replaced and simplified, and much of the "gingerbread" that was a feature of Victorian architecture was eliminated or simplified. That can be seen by comparing the fan feature above the front steps and above the balcony/bump-out on the second floor. Wouldn't be surprised if they did away with the end balcony and simply put a roof over the brick first floor. Looks like they were trying for something approaching a Craftsman style look. Boss ShepherdSo this was Boss Shepherd's house? Cool. Alexander Robey Shepherd (1835 – 1902), better known as Boss Shepherd, was one of the most controversial and influential civic leaders in the history of Washington, D.C., and one of the most powerful big-city political bosses of the Gilded Age. He was head of the DC Board of Public Works from 1871 to 1873 and Governor of the District of Columbia from 1873 to 1874. He is known, particularly in Washington, as "The Father of Modern Washington." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Robey_Shepherd Original Addams Family HouseI know for a certain fact that the Addams Family house was inspired by a home in Westfield, New Jersey. I wish I remembered the location to street view it. It was the house that Addams drew for the comics, not the location from the tv series. I betBarnabas Collins would love this house! Boss ShepherdI passed Shepherd's bronze likeness frequently when I lived in D.C. He had a sense of humor -- he named his large and forbidding mansion (not this one) "Bleak House." Classic haunted houseWhat a wonderful photograph, so rich. Old and daunting as it looks here, it must have held a tremendous amount of life and living in its time. And, unless boxy inside, it looks to be quite spacious. LOVE the wraparound porch. The chiaroscuro qualities of the photo is spooky. Matches many an iconic classic haunted house image. My relatives' homeMr. and Mrs. Joseph Tumulty were my great-great grandparents and we have other images which I can now place on the porch, etc. It is wonderful to find this long forgotten family element. Thank you! -- Alicia Gordon, Boston (Daughter of Alicia Donnelly Barry, daughter of John Donnelly and Alicia Tumulty Donnelly, daughter of Joseph Tumulty). P.S. Lovely to hear such a wonderful mention of our Uncle Phil who I do know to have been loved and respected by all at John Hopkins. Thank you once again. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo)
The Klan: 1922
... ending up the way it did. They started scaring people at night as part of the fun and then realized it could be used for a darker ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2011 - 5:00pm -

Washington, D.C., or its Virginia suburbs. "March 18, 1922. Ku Klux Klan." And Klanmobile. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. DoucheWay to post only the pc liberal comments. [Not so. You're the first "douche" we've gotten. - Dave] Good start, bad endingSuprisingly, the Klan was started as a fraternal organization and had no intention of ending up the way it did. They started scaring people at night as part of the fun and then realized it could be used for a darker purpose rather quickly. Cockeyed KlanWhat's with the tippy hoods? I would have thought that their pointy little heads would have kept them sticking straight up. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated Six weeks later, May 1, 1922. Automotive sponsorI don't know the make and model of that vehicle, but, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was manufactured by the White Motor Company. The Pyramid SchemeI read an interesting essay about the financial side of the 1920-30s Klan. It was essentially a multilevel marketing scheme, with recruiters recruiting recruiters to get a cut of the then-steep membership fee. Robe sales were a big income generator, too. I like how there's a target conveniently over their hearts. Extra starchThe robes are looking rather sloppy and wrinkly. You'd think if you were going to wear a ridiculous get-up in public, you'd at least take the time to iron it first. The Klan in NY State in the 1920'sMy mom and dad witnessed a Klan gathering in Walden NY back in the late 1920s. My dad was threatened with violence by a white-robed and masked Kluxer when he failed to remove his fedora promptly enough, as they hoisted Old Glory up on their flagpole. Their recruitment scheme is still going on with many "organizations" in this day and age: recruit members who recruit members who recruit members who recruit members. Highly profitable and very pyramidal. Laundry DayGives new meaning to the term "whiter whites." DixielandWashingtonians have often described the District of Columbia as just another big ol' Southern town. This kind of brings it home. This photoGives me the willies. Yummy At least while they wore those pastry bags over their heads they would have been able to lick the icing off the insides. That would explain why so few of them had teeth. The Mighty KlanDipshits. 590According to DCplates, these plates may have a reserved number, possibly for somebody important. A December 1921 Washington Post article about the distribution of 1922 plates indicates that "Tags numbered from 200 to 500 have been reserved for the motor corps of the Home Defense league." On the day that 1922 plates first became available (the final day of November 1921), several three-digit plates were issued to foreign diplomats and embassies, such as 190 to 197 to the Russian embassy and 750 to the foreign minister of Ecuador. Run those plates.I wonder how many Senators and/or Congressman were in that crowd. Don't LikeHoping that the new Facebook "Like it" button won't get much use on this photo. Is that a teabag I see?At least they are all dead now. Thanks, MelThis sort of thing is easier to take if you just think of "Blazing Saddles." The Urban Klan of the 1920's and my GrandpaMy state of Indiana was a hotbed of Klan activity under D.C. Stephenson in the 1920's. They were known as the "second wave" of the Klan and was more organized than the first incarnation. A rumor in my family is that my maternal grandfather was "forced" to join the Klan in the 1920's. I don't think the Klan influenced him if he were a member, because Gramps always got along fine with all people (he worked in the steel mills of Northwest Indiana where you worked alongside all races), and let his daughter (my mother) marry a second generation Polish American (my dad). Call DMVI wonder if the District of Columbia 1922 motor vehicle records still exist. At least we would know the registered owner of 590. Any DC archivists in Shorpydom? Watch out for the FBIBy the 1960s, the klan was heavily monitored by the feds. One of my father's coworkers was a member and tried to recruit anyone who would listen. Within 48 hours of the JFK assassination, the FBI came calling to find out where he was when the president was shot. Immediately, he resigned and for the rest of his life, denied any involvement in the orginazation. The Bright SideToday I am grateful for evolution. I visit here to avoid politicsCan we not turn this into a political website? This comment should be removed. Deceptive "Marketing"One of my ancestors was talked into joining under false pretenses about what the Klan was about. He quit two weeks later after he found out what they really stood for. The CarProbably not a Lincoln. Shorpy PolitcsThank you for the amazing images, history, and photographs presented on this site. I've enjoyed the many visits I've made here the past few years, and I think I've recommended it to just about everyone I know --a better escape from the day-to-day nonsense of modern life I haven't found. However, I don't come here for political discussions or cheap shots; the 'teabag' comment is unacceptable and just plain lame. I can get that sort of stuff anywhere, so I will be moving on. Best of luck to you and your family (whose pictures I think I enjoyed the most). [My family? You're a wee bit confused. Not to mention thin-skinned. - Dave] Really LowOnly .0001267 percent of viewers "liked" this photo. I think we're safe. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo)
Lunch Liquor Lunch: 1941
... change. But it made me think of my next comment. Last night some friends and I went to the first night of the 2023 Dallas Auto Show. No surprise, electric cars are the coming ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2023 - 4:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1941. "Thomas Circle at 14th Street and Vermont Avenue N.W." Medium format acetate negative with no photographer credit. View full size. MispLacedIf onLy this were on L Street! Is this still standing?If not, what is there now?? Portland heightsWhich is what you get when you stack "flats" on top of one another 1881-1962. Further evidence I was born just a little too late, as well as being - yet another ! - District intersection that went from hero to zero, architectural interest-wise. Residence Marriott Pharmacy I'm losing my hearing anywayI'm sure the truck was stopped at a red light and the woman was hurrying to beat the light change. But it made me think of my next comment. Last night some friends and I went to the first night of the 2023 Dallas Auto Show. No surprise, electric cars are the coming thing. They have instant torque so accelerate much faster than combustion engines. But electric engine batteries do not go really long distances before they need to be recharged, and recharging takes time. A very knowledgeable woman representing Lexus also mentioned another emerging problem -- electric cars run silently; many people have been hit by an electric car they never heard coming. She said some automakers, like Lexus, are adding an artificial engine noise, the volume of which the driver can control. [We know it's a red light because of the crossWALK signals. Average range for 2023 EVs is 220 miles, with some makers (Tesla, Lucid etc.) offering 400 to over 500 miles between charges. Starting in 2018, all EVs and hybrids have been required to emit sounds during battery-only operation when traveling under 19 mph. - Dave] As it so happens ...I continue to carry on the "lunch liquor lunch" tradition to this day. Woo-Woo-Woo-Woo ...Yeah, EV sounds are iffy, at best. "Starting in 2018, all EVs and hybrids have been required to emit sounds during battery-only operation when traveling under 19 mph." Great! So that kid with his foot in the battery, traveling city streets at 40 MPH is running silent! [Any car doing over 20 is plenty audible, from tire noise alone. - Dave] They don't build them like they used toDC has lost of lot of good buildings. Just pains me to see these photos of how pretty the city used to be. There are still many buildings left. The biggest threat is to rowhouses that are being bastardized with "popups." For shame. (The Gallery, D.C., Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Charleston Noir: 1910
... South Carolina, circa 1910. "King Street lights at night." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... from my friend in Charleston: I checked this out last night when I went home. This is in fact the corner of Wentworth and King. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:37pm -

Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910. "King Street lights at night." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Previously on ShorpyA daytime view, posted here two years ago. The YMCA clock is on the Hirsch, Israel department store. What's missingNo dentists! Cable PianoMy parents had one. 'The Cable Piano Company, established by Herman D. Cable of Chicago in 1881, claimed to be "the world's greatest manufacturer of pianos, inner player pianos, and organs." Exhibit ALooks like the camera caught someone driving under the influence. YMCA needs help!The "Y" needs another $140,000 to meet the goal of $150,000 for its new digs. I wonder if it ever got built. Exhibits B, C & DThose light trails have to be the traces of four someones, since they're not parallel. On the SquareIt looks like the Brethren have closed the lodge and moved onto the sidewalk for a few cigars before heading home. +100This is looking north from Wentworth. Below is the same view from May of 2010. Past is betterI like the old view better! String of LightsI can recall in the 1960s, some small towns still had a string of incandescent lights across Main Street. The newer photo is not as interesting. Charleston updateHere's an update from my friend in Charleston: I checked this out last night when I went home. This is in fact the corner of Wentworth and King. The building in the right hand foreground is extant. It is the old Masonic Hall. The ground floor is now a women's shoe store (aren't they all?) and the upper floors are slated to become lofts, but the economic collapse saved - oops, stopped the destruction of the old Masonic meeting room. The beautiful building on the left with the YMCA fund raising wheel was torn down and replaced with a modern building c 1960. Base Ball on tapWhat wonderful signage here! Having been born and raised in NYC, I'm wondering what makes the New York Shoe Shine Parlor (on the left side of the street just past the department store) New York-ish. I don't have the means to enlarge a section of the photo for more detail, so I'm also wondering about the "Base Ball" poster in the store's window. re: +100 CharlestonTimeandagainphoto's +100 shot is gorgeous. Was it pure luck that kept the display windows from getting blown out while at the same time getting detail in the low light and shadow areas, or deviously clever trickery and expertise on your part? Whatever the case, bravo. re: re: +100 CharlestonThanks tterrace. It was actually luck combined with an improvised "tripod" (a temporarily liberated trash can nearby) and very little traffic at that time of night. I am nowhere near your mastery of Photoshop. Light trailsI agree with tterrace on the light trails. There is one pair of headlight trails, and the four taillight trails were made by four vehicles. A single taillight was the legal minimum until sometime in the '50s (grandfathered on models as late as 1960 under Texas law). In 1910, I'd be surprised if one vehicle in a hundred had a matched pair. They would also have been quite a bit dimmer than modern ones. [In 1910, a taillight on a car or wagon would have been a kerosene or oil lantern. Which might have swung side to side a little. - Dave] Somehow diminished nowThe older photos always look more grand compared to the modern day vantage points. Must have something to do with the lenses used. Buildings look bigger, streets deeper, etc. (The Gallery, Charleston, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Mardi Gras: 1906
... Krewe of Comus, the last Krewe to ride on Mardi Gras night. When the courts of Comus And Rex meet at midnight, Mardi Gras is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2018 - 9:27pm -

New Orleans circa 1906. "The Rex pageant, Mardi Gras." Laissez les bons temps rouler! Panorama of two 8x10 glass plates, Detroit Publishing. View full size. Fallout Shelter"The building at the left edge appears to be the designated fallout shelter, though I wonder why that was necessary circa 1907. You might say I am Curie-ous about that." Did you notice the letters under the symbol, MKC? That stands for Mystic Krewe of Comus, the last Krewe to ride on Mardi Gras night. When the courts of Comus And Rex meet at midnight, Mardi Gras is officially over. Trading PlacesIt appears that the people stand in the street and watch the parade go down each sidewalk. Strangest parade I ever saw. HatsI want the hat concession. No way, no howThere is no way in Hades you could entice me to sit in or stand under those balcony. I have a hard time believing, with all the balcony disasters of late, that that would ever be approved these days! Bon temps sans beads.None of the women are wearing beads! Mardi Gras is better now. The way to get beads and dubloons in 1907"Show us your ankles!!" Throw me something, mister!Regarding kirkbrewer's hilarious comment, "Show us your ankles," with a woman's footwear of the day, she would probably have to show a bit of calf to get some beads. Those lace-up "high tops" of that era must have been murder to get on and off! Old Maison BlancheAnother view of the lovely turreted department store, although not at Mardi Gras: LaughterFrom most of the photos we see of the early 20th century, we might get the impression that people then were rather a stoic bunch. The woman in the white hat in the foreground (left of center) of this photo, frozen forever with her expression of honest laughter, is a refreshing departure. Safety FirstI like how they use those 2x6 braces to hold up the buildings to support all those extra people. Looks really safe. Modern Google street viewIt seems the photographer was right about at Bourbon and Canal Streets. The taller white building on the right is what replaced the Maison Blanche building in 1908 and is now the Ritz-Carlton. The red building on the left side of the street with the bay windows seems to have survived since 1907 though. View Larger Map Viewing standsThose "balconies" are viewing stands; they still have them today, but are made from steel scaffolding. They are completely independent of the buildings. Also, this is Canal Street. It has an incredibly wide neutral ground (medians to you non-natives); it's large due to the many networks of street car tracks. They DID have throws back then, but the doubloons (which were likely wooden) & the beads were hand strung from China and were EXPENSIVE. You'd be very lucky to catch one of anything. The sign hanging in the middle of the street reads "French Opera," so this would lead me to assume it was at Bourbon St. since the Old French Opera House was on Bourbon at Toulouse and burned down in 1919. It is the site of present-day The Inn On Bourbon. The only tell-tale sign that the Opera House was there is the indent on the sidewalk where the carriages would pull up on the corner to drop off their passengers. "Show me your ankles" made me L O L! WMKC New Orleans@History_Fan: Yes, I did notice MKC, but had no idea what it stood for. Your explanation probably explains fanhead's comment about two parades down the sides and the people watching from the middle. Picture must have been taken before midnight. ;-) Is the photographer known?If not, my guess would be Alexander Alison. He was a New Orleaniean who photographed many many great photographs of New Orleans. [The photographer was an employee of the Detroit Publishing Co.; this photo is from their archive, which was donated to the Library of Congress. - tterrace] Meet me at the paradeI'll be wearing a derby. And why not?I am so looking forward to seeing a version of this appear in the 'Colorized Photos' section. Just the thing for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Packed in Like SardinesThe number of people in the Mardi Gras photo is scary. If there were an emergency, how would ANYONE be able to get help in there? There were obviously few restrictions in those days as far as safety was concerned. A Curious Notion of UtopiaThe parade theme sign "IN UTOPIA" identifies this as the 1906 Rex parade. The float and costume designs were by Bror Anders Wikstrom, an immigrant from Sweden to the Crescent City who produced some of the finest Mardi Gras designs of the late 19th and early 20th century. Attached is a depiction of one of the floats in this parade, "Where Submarines are Used as Autos". Yes, the "red building" with bay windows on the left is still there, it's the Macheca Building from 1901. Even more significant is the shorter white building just this side of it; that is the Boston Club building, constructed in 1844, housing the exclusive private club connected to Rex. The Rex parade is still a beautiful highlight of Mardi Gras. I caught it yesterday, though Uptown on Napoleon Avenue rather than on Canal Street. My photo shows "The Butterfly King" float. Ankles, that's a good one.Today, we have the same floats, riders' costumes, and buildings. But the crowds! This Canal Street crowd is larger than most of today's, but they are quite nattily dressed and extremely well-behaved by today's standards. Granted some of today's Uptown and Endymion Mid-City crowds are as large, but not on Canal, not to mention the sloppy dress and unruly behavior. Many more men than women on the neutral ground - it's a bowler forest. Also almost no children - I can only find a couple of small children in their parents' arms. Rex parade no longer loops around to be on both sides of the Canal Street neutral ground, but several other parades do. Today, the Canal Street neutral ground is mostly blocked off for emergency responders. If you ride on the sidewalk (right) side today (parades now run the wrong way on Canal), you gotta unload most of your throws before hitting Canal. Before movies and TV, just the spectacle of the floats, costumes, and crowds was enough to draw massive crowds without requiring a constant barrage of throws. (Panoramas, DPC, New Orleans)
Family Style: 1942
... than you." Elegant dining If this is a regular week night supper with no company coming, then Mrs. Babcock certainly worked hard at ... the bold design. And it looks like it's a meatloaf night at the Babcock's. I'm not surprised that the sliced bread is going ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2017 - 11:59pm -

September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks at the dinner table." Continuing the saga of war worker Howard Babcock and his family. Large-format negative by Ralph Amdursky for the Office of War Information. View full size. Envy?Either way, most Europeans of that time and age would have been downright envious. Short of being major farmers with friends in the food production oversight and collection administration to look the other way, few could have put up a table like that, even on a Sunday. Room for one more?It looks like they can squeeze in another place setting to Sis's right. I'm a vegetarian so I hope Mom's not offended if I don't take a slice of pot roast, but I'll make it up to her by having seconds of everything else on the table. Does anybody else want the last roll before I take it? A slice of the past.This picture certainly reflects the way meals used to be eaten, when I was a kid; the whole family gathered at the dinner table. Times long gone. I suppose meatloaf comes as close as anything to describe the main course, but what's on that table doesn't resemble any meatloaf I've ever eaten. And everyone seems to be avoiding their vegetables - perhaps just saving them for later. (Mom made sure I ate all the veggies on my plate - or else!) Jewel TeaSomeone mentioned Jewel Tea. My grandma often talked about the Jewel Tea man coming around when living in Superior, Nebraska in the 60s and 70s. The photo looks like it could have been painted by Norman Rockwell. The Unfairness of It All"Just drink your milk, boys. Your sister can have coffee because she's older than you." Elegant diningIf this is a regular week night supper with no company coming, then Mrs. Babcock certainly worked hard at laying out a beautiful table with an immaculate damask table cloth, real china and many very appetizing home-made food choices. Also it is being served in the dining room, (not the kitchen) and everybody is clean, dressed and using nice manners. I believe today that family suppers are more common being eaten out of a microwave tray or a pizza box, running out the door or standing over the sink. It does bring back the feeling of the 40's and 50's family meals where we sat down together and had a civilized bit of togetherness while enjoying Mom's good cooking. What's for dinner?Meatloaf w/ gravy Boiled Potatoes Peas & Carrots Sliced Tomatoes Celery Sticks Green Olives (queen sized) Sliced Bread and Yeast Rolls Coffee for the adults Milk for the kids At first, I thought they might be having a small pot roast, until I saw the fat drippings in the serving dish. And where's the ketchup for the meatloaf? :-) BladesI love the collection of pocketknives on the chest behind Mr. Babcock. Is that some sort of succulent plant on the left windowsill? Love the carpet patternIt would be great to know the colors. Since people back then had no problem mixing colors and patterns I'm imagining strong colors to match the bold design. And it looks like it's a meatloaf night at the Babcock's. I'm not surprised that the sliced bread is going begging. I'd choose a roll, too! Precious CoffeeWith rationing limiting families to only one pound every five weeks, coffee was a precious commodity. My wife and I easily go through triple that and we're not huge coffee drinkers. Perhaps the Babcocks had acquired a taste for Postum. Jewel Tea CompanyThat's the source of the bowl in the center of the table that looks as if it may contain what likely was oleomargarine in 1943. Jewel was an Illinois-based door-to-door grocer that provided among other things free dishes manufactured by the Hall China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio, as sales premiums. This was their Autumn Leaf pattern. Jewel sold and gave away more than 43 million pieces between 1933 and 1976. South PawsLooking at the positions of everyone's forks, I'm 'left' to wonder if both of the boys are left-handed, while the parents and sister are right-handed. Hot houseShort sleeves in March in Rochester? Must have been warmer than today there--28. And those tomatoes look pretty good. Were winter tomatoes better then? The dinner looks classic though. Pot roast? gravy, boiled potatoes, peas and carrots and hot buttered rolls. Northpaws?From the positions of the knife handles it looks as if it would take the right hand to wield the knife. Dad is spreading his butter right-handed. So homeyWhat a comforting picture!!! It's sad to admit, but one of my first thoughts was the daunting task of washing and IRONING that tablecloth! But it reminds me of growing up in the 50s and I did the same family sit down dinners for my family in the 70s. Now my husband and I sit in front of the TV. Sigh.. The Babcocks' Dining Room ChandelierWe took off the little dangling metal tassels from our similar ones too because tall people kept bumping into them and being annoyed. It did however make them look somewhat incomplete, as did theirs. Doubling Down?Geez, it looks like a regular dinner (meat and potatoes) in front of everyone and the making of big time sandwiches (bread, sliced tomato, etc). Sunday DinnerSince this is during the war, I would bet that this was a Sunday. Besides the fact that they all seem to be quite dressed up, they have meat as a main course. Unless Mr. Babcock was a farmer who raised his own meat, most meals would have contained only a small amount of animal protein. SideboardMy grandmother had the same sideboard in her living room. I can fondly remember the revolving (Lazy Susan) candy jars that sat out of my reach! RightiesWatches on the left wrist for righthanders, on the right for lefties. On top of the sideboardIt looks like a row of pocketknives lined up for easy access. Probably even more important now to carry at least a small folder, what with plastic packaging that is practically bullet-proof. Interesting difference.The table manners observed by H.i.Fla @ Piyer to us Aussies and the rest of the Commonwealth. We cut our food with our right and eat with our left. Righties use fork in left handAs a full-time restaurant owner and part-time people watcher, I can attest that a huge number of the 90% of right-handers in the US of A use their knives in that hand for cutting food, and wield their forks lefty-style to shovel it into their mouths. Left-handers represent only 10% of the population, but you never see that based on how folks hold their utensils. Right, Left, Front, BackWe have friends/extended family from Wales, who visit here in California most years. I was amazed the first time I saw most of them, all right-handed, eating. NOT because they, as I often do, conveniently keep the fork in the left hand, but at the way they would use the knife to pile food on the BACK of the fork for the trip to the mouth. I'm told it's a fairly widespread Commonwealth trait. Lefties and rightiesLefties who use the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left, and wear our watches on our left wrist because the watches are awkward to use on the right. Lefties tend to be a bit more ambidexterous than righties because we live in such a right centric world. Heck, I even leave my computer mouse button placement as a right handed mouse, although I make sure it's on the left side of the keyboard. ShorpchronicityI'd never heard of Jewel Tea Company china until I read Larc's comment, but there it was yesterday - that very bowl - staring at me in the thrift store. I was sorely tempted to buy it just for the Shorpy connection, but it was chipped, scratched and overpriced. I did snap a photo of the mark on the bottom, though. Tested and approved by Mary Dunbar of the Jewel Homemakers' Institute! Nice sideboardI could use a nice oak Empire Revival sideboard! Would go with my china cabinet. (The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester)
Beached: 1942
... to slap something together before I hit the hay for the night. :) Not so sandy any more View Larger Map ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/21/2023 - 10:20am -

June 1942. "Redding, California. Youngsters at the beach on the Sacramento River." Kids these days! Nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. Sorry KidsBut in this photo the bridge wins! Good old daysBack when bridges had visible steel. Kids Today 2013Forgive my quick and extremely sloppy photo manipulation, but I had to slap something together before I hit the hay for the night. :) Not so sandy any moreView Larger Map Sacramento RiverExciting to see my neck of the woods! The still impressive railroad trestle, Southern Pacific at the time, now Union Pacific was new trackage permanently rerouted due to Shasta Dam construction (1938-1945) on the Sacramento River. The old right of way along the river is now a path from Redding CA to the dam. The kids are in an area that was a popular swimming spot, the beach at various times was imported as the area is more gravel, rock and clay than sand. Hair pullingUgh! I HATED those rubber bathing caps! They were hot and they stuck to your hair and pulled it getting it on and taking it off! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Kids, Russell Lee, Swimming)
Dallas Noir: 1942
... shot Oswald. "Did you ever see Dallas from a DC-9 at night? Well Dallas is a jewel, oh yeah, Dallas is a beautiful sight. And ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2018 - 4:41pm -

January 1942. "Elm Street -- Theater Row in Dallas." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Clean CarburetorsThat's Elm Street in Dallas = Deep Ellum as in Deep Ellum Blues as in "when you go down in Deep Ellum, keep your carburetor clean, 'cause the women in Deep Ellum sellin' dirty gasoline." The Majestic Theater opened in 1921 - history here: http://www.liveatthemajestic.com/history.shtm Goober Pea [Thanks, Goob. - Dave] Hotel ShorpyCute watermark on the wallpaper! Neat...I always wanted a high-res pic of world famous Shorpy building! Two signsThe Majestic is playing "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" which was the fifth Tarzan film that MGM did. Released in December 1941, it starred series regulars Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Johnny Sheffield as "Boy." It co-starred English character actor Reginald Owen, and Irish character actor Barry Fitzgerald just three years before his double Oscar nomination for "Going My Way." (Fitzgerald was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the role of Father Fitzgibbon - he lost Best Supporting Actor and won Best Actor and spawned a new Academy Awards rule that you couldn't be nominated in two acting categories for playing the same role in the same movie.) The other sign is something I see at the very end of the street, just to the left of the Palace Theater sign [below]. I swear the letters are F A K E Weird huh? All GoneMost of these wonderful buildings are gone. Go to Google Maps and enter 2036 Elm Street and click "streetview" and look west. Mostly parking lots and garages. It looks like a street (Harwood St.) now runs perpendicular to Elm a couple of buildings east of the Majestic, about where Winn Furniture stands in the photo. This area got pretty seedy in the late 40's and 50's. Two blocks south of the photo location was The Carousel Club, owned by Jack Ruby - the guy who shot Oswald. "Did you ever see Dallas from a DC-9 at night? Well Dallas is a jewel, oh yeah, Dallas is a beautiful sight. And Dallas is a jungle but Dallas gives a beautiful light." - The Flatlanders Goober Pea Dallas NoirI love your addition to the "supersize" wallpaper! Great Photo!This photo is taken looking west down Elm Street from the corner of Olive. The good news is that not all those buildings are gone. On the right side, the Majestic Theater (1921) remains, as well as the Hart Furniture Store Building (1888) next door to it. Do you see the heart-shaped neon sign that reads "Hart's"? That building is still on the NW corner of Elm and Harwood Street. The Tower Building is also still standing just beyond the Majestic with the stair stepped roof. The entire block between Harwood and Olive on the right side of the photo however is now surface parking. On the left side of the photo the Titche-Goettinger department store building is still there and is condos and apartments (at Elm and St. Paul). The White Plaza Hotel is also still there but is now called the Aristocrat Hotel. The left side of the street across from the Majestic is now a 5 story parking garage. What a great photo! Thanks for posting! Re: FAKE__The street actually takes a pretty big dip where that sign is. I can vouch for that as I walked that sidewalk two days ago and drew a picture of the Titches building on the left from where that sign was. Fakes FurnitureHaving lived in Dallas all my life (born 1936), I can recall the scene looking exactly as pictured above. In response to Brent who spied the FAKE sign past the Palace Theater, allow me to clarify that it actually said F-A-K-E-S, as in Fakes Furniture & Carpet Co., located at 2509 Elm. For what it's worth, I still own a bedroom suite my parents bought at that Hart's store beside the Majestic. Abbott and Costello at the MajesticI was living on Eastside Avenue and Carroll Street in Dallas in 1948. I was 10 and recall getting on my bike and riding downtown to the Majestic to see "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." I don't remember locking my bike and I know my parents never locked our doors. It was a different time in America. The Majestic had a big living room up the stairs with a TV which most people didn't have as yet. After watching a movie I would sometimes watch TV with other patrons. Not Deep EllumJust a comment: this is not, nor was Deep Ellum. If you were to walk a few blocks east, you would find Deep Ellum. This part of Elm was considered Theatre Row. Haverty's Furniture...is still alive and well, with locations throughout north and central Texas. Interesting to see all the lights [only a month after Pearl Harbor]. By the summer of 1942 blackout rules would be in effect and "the lights wouldn't go on again" [to paraphrase a popular wartime song] for another 3 years. Dealey PlazaIf you keep walking in this direction on Elm, you'll find yourself at the front door of the Texas School Book Depository. Titche-GoettingerMy parents purchased a baby carriage for me at Titche-Goettinger on December 22, 1949. Price $39.95. TemptationI cannot explain what drew me to open the super size wallpaper image, but I am glad I did. You constantly outdo yourself, Dave. Judy Garland's Palace Song"A team of hoofers, Was the headline, At the Majestic, Down in Dallas. But they cancelled the day, Their agent called to say... You can open the bill at the Palace!" WatermarkPlease tell me where it is. I've been looking for quite some time. [Click the Wallpaper link in the caption. - Dave] Deep EllumIn the 1960s, when I lived there, native Dallasites talked about "Deep Elm" (pronounced ELLUM by some--as they enunciated each letter of ELM, with a full pronouncement of "M" such as "EL-M"). Anyway, I was never sure of the exact location of Deep Elm. Now that we have Google, I am directed to Wikipedia, among other places, for an answer. Wikipedia says, "Deep Ellum is a neighborhood composed largely of arts and entertainment venues near downtown in Old East Dallas, Texas." Fair Park, the location of the Texas State Fair, the Cotton Bowl, and Big Tex, is just east of Deep Elm. The Baylor University Medical Center adjoins the north side of the district. I don't think Deep Elm was an artsy neighborhood back in the sixties. It was a run-down area--as I surmised when I drove through there on the way to the Fair or some other more distant location. In fact, it is probably still run-down, but trendy. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Sins of Passion: 1937
... those Norwegian bachelor farmers wound up on a Saturday night! "Sins of Passion" does not show up on IMDB. Were there second rate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2010 - 2:21am -

August 1937. "Early morning scene. Tower, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I want that Phillip Morris sign.Is this Lee Harvey Oswald's dad? Still standing on Main.View Larger Map Opera singers!Not only does Lucky Strike have Madeleine Carroll selling tits wares, but also Metropolitan Opera singer Helen Jepson. Even better than a doctor! The resemblance to Oswald is spooky! So that's where all those Norwegian bachelor farmers wound up on a Saturday night! "Sins of Passion" does not show up on IMDB. Were there second rate theaters that sidestepped the Hayes Office, showing this kind of film without getting arrested? [The Hayes Office was an arm of the motion picture industry. Which of course didn't have the power to arrest anyone. - Dave] It's HIM!! Wow, I was thinking the same thing! Suspicious cigarette he has there. B.V.Ralph Fiennes, Before (Lord) Voldemort. Saturated MarketInexplicably, I have the desire to use tobacco products. CALLING...PHIIIIIIIIILLLLIIIIIIIP MOOOOOORRRRRIIIIIIISSSSSS!!!!! Time traveling tterraceWhere'd tterrace get the time machine? And if he could go back in time, why'd he pick this bar to hang around? "Sins of Passion"A "sex hygiene" short produced by Maurice Copeland. Generally classed as an exploitation film with the ostensible topic of venereal disease. As if we needed itEven more proof that LHO had been in some unexpected places. People's BeerFrom Oshkosh. First black-owned brewery in the U.S. http://www.mainstreetoshkosh.com/2008/02/peoples-beer.html Lucky Opera SingerHelen Jepson chose Lucky Strikes because of her voice. Her arias must have been something, punctuated, as they must have been, by coughing fits. On the Sunny Side of the StreetThis place does not appear to be there any longer. The building below in the Google Street View is on the south side of the street facing north. The shadow of the time-traveling tterrace shows him to be on the north side of the street facing south. Helen Jepson saysHelen Jepson sang lead soprano with the Metropolitan Opera from 1935 to 1941. She was also popular on radio shows and had a brief film careen. Do you suppose she REALLY smoked Luckies "because of her voice"? SundayReminds me of Edward Hopper's "Sunday" from 1926. Beautiful downtown TowerI've been to Tower -- on business, believe it or not. Can you say "middle of nowhere"? SmokesWe see ads for Lucky Strikes (before Lucky Strike green went to war and didn't come back) featuring actress Madeleine Carroll and soprano Helen Jepson; Chesterfields (whose theme song contains a line "while your Chesterfield burns" that was highly alarming in Canada where chesterfield is another name for a sofa); Philip Morris (featuring Johnny, the Bell Boy), Camels, as well as Van Dyck and White Owl Cigars, and "Model" which looks to me to be some sort of pipe tobacco or tobacco pouch. In fact, besides the ad for the movie, the only non-tobacco things I can see here are a sign pained onto the glass for Peoples Beer (a small brewery out of Oshkosh) and a small sign telling people that this place "serves" "we have Wrigley's" Spearmint gum. JohnnyThe "Call For Philip Morris" Bellman was Johnny Roventini, a 4-foot-7 actor who was a national celebrity in his time. More Doctors Smoke CamelsDid you know? Censorship, Mad City styleA November 1937 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that the City of Madison's censorship committee (led by its acting mayor) concluded that "Sins of Passion" could not be shown in the Capitol Theatre - but instead could be shown only "as an educational film in a school auditorium or some other public place." The Mayor's last name was Gill, not Quimby. The sun is in the morning. The sun is in the morning. In Minnesota, the sun rises in the northeast in the summer. So I believe the google picture could be correct. This ain't Florida. In summer you have 18 hour days or longer. [Back to school for you. The sun doesn't rise in the northeast anywhere north of the Tropic of Cancer.* - Dave] *Actually, back to school for me. The sun will never pass directly overhead north of the Tropic of Cancer, but it can rise north of due east, and therefore can shine from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere. I think. - Dave North and SouthIt's not astrophysics, but the sidewalk is sloping downhill to the left in the Lee photo. The Google Street View below seems to show the sidewalk sloping in the opposite direction. From what I can tell, most or all of Main Street in Tower slopes downhill east to west. The two stores are probably on the opposite sides of the street, the Street View store on the south side and the Lee photo on the north. On the other hand, step down the street to the old building next to Hardware Hanks on the north side of Main Street. View Larger Map I think this is probably your old store, or at least a better candidate. The sidewalk has been raised (as wasn't too uncommon in many midwest towns as the roads were improved and built up) but the short step inside the alcove seems to still be there. The photo isn't very good and someone parked a silly trailer home partially in the way of our better view!! Sunrise[Back to school for you. The sun doesn't rise in the northeast anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. - Dave] Oh, yeah — just like a rocket can't work in a vacuum, I suppose. I suggest that you go back to school. In the northern hemisphere, for instance, after the autumn equinox and before the spring equinox, the sun rises south of east — and between the spring equinox and the autumn equinox, it rises north of east, the number of degrees north dependent on the latitude and date. In extreme cases, such as just south of the Arctic Circle (which one might note is in the northern hemisphere), on the day of the summer solstice, say, the sun will rise just east of due north, and set (24 hours less a bit later) just west of due north. Thus, there certainly are dates and (north) latitudes where on those days and at those locations the Sun will rise exactly in the northeast. (Similar arguments might be made about southern latitudes, but that wasn't what you tried erroneously to dismiss.) [Back to school for me indeed! - Dave] This Post's PopularityCourtesy of Instapundit. (The Gallery, Movies, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Jewel in the Kitchen: 1942
... Forget the snack I sleep terribly when I eat at night anyway. I want a bathrobe like that! Still in use That sandwich ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2023 - 8:16pm -

Winter 1942. Washington, D.C. "Jewel Mazique, worker at the Library of Congress, getting a late snack." Hey, we'll have some of that. Large format nitrate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. LookalikeShe certainly looks a lot like Phylicia Rashād. My Mom used to make us kids grilled sandwiches on a waffle iron just like that one. ( I know it's not set up to make waffles, but that's what we called it ). ClaireI hope there's more food in the oven, because that's not enough food for Cliff, Theo, Rudy, Vanessa, Sondra and Denise. Heck maybe even Elvin. Nice kitchenIt must have been state of the art at the time the photograph was made. I wish I could still buy linoleum like that for my 1936 kitchen. My sink is a copy of the one in the pic, with a slightly different plumbing fitting. We used to have a waffle iron with plates that could be flipped over to provide a grilling surface similar to the grill shown. No Joke (Cliff, Theo, Rudy, et. al.)As it turns out, the 1940 census shows Jewel as the 24 year-old head of the household at "1861 California," a dwelling that includes her husband, two sisters, and ten (!) additional lodgers. A nice Adams Morgan address even today. Snack with a cocktail ?Closer examination of this picture revived a very dim memory from early childhood. The plates and cocktail shaker are resting on metal sheet that has a pad built into it on the bottom to protect the surface underneath. Must have been the fashion back then as we had one on our stove. Think we used it to make extra surface area as we put it over two of the burners on the stove. In this case it would keep the temperature down of items that might be above a heated oven by providing insulation. Not Just a Pretty FaceJewell Mazique was a prominent mid-century labor and civil rights activist in Washington. She died in 2007. Forget the snackI sleep terribly when I eat at night anyway. I want a bathrobe like that! Still in use That sandwich grill looks exactly like the one my mother still uses today to make grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches for her lunch pretty much every day during the summer. It even has the same cloth insulated cord. Really nothing else works as well. Home on the (Art Moderne) Range The stove's Tappan logo and matching timer-knob escutcheon are just too cool for words. Clever PhotographerHe turned the handle of the Coffee Pot towards the camera so you wouldn't see his reflection, well maybe just a little bit of him. That pad!When we got a new electric stove in 1959, we had to get a "pad", an asbestos mat with a metallic top, because the bare painted tops of modern ranges would be damaged by placing hot pots on them that were fresh off the burners. Older stoves had iron tops that could stand the heat in the kitchen. The handles are red Bakelite.On the very similar gas range that's sitting in my garage. It's not quite as deluxe as this model, it doesn't have the timer or the fancy Tappan logo, just a small, nondescript nameplate. But the stainless steel burners with built-in covers, efficient drip pans, and excellently engineered operating valves caught my eye and I just had to save it. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I had been trying to date it, and this photo helps a lot. About that protective pad... if you look closely you might be able to see that the stove surface underneath is not white enamel. Anticipating that the surface would become scratched and worn, Tappan used a different finish in that area, gray with "swirls", that would not show scratches like white would. It almost corresponds exactly to the protective pad in the photo. (The Gallery, D.C., Jewell Mazique, John Collier, Kitchens etc.)
Devine's Place: 1905
... street light (at the right) so it must have been dark at night. I don't think the trolley poles would survive a midnight collision with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:57pm -

Circa 1905. Our latest installment from the Duluth, Minnesota, panoramic series. Anyone for a round of Blatz? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. That street in the foregroundis probably the kind of place that your mom would tell you to never walk down. Trolley wireI have never seen a trolley wire suspension system like the one in the photo. Maybe there weren't enough wooden poles so they resorted to the iron poles and arches, but it would seem that insulation of the wires from the ground would be difficult. Anyone seen this system in any other Shorpy photos? WonderfulThere are two really superb looking Victorians at the middle horizon that would be well worth a second look. Charles Addams could have been the architect! Grand! Is that Andy's place? I'm buying but ...it'll have to be the hometown Fitgers, or at least the cross-port rival, Superior. I'll take a passon that Blatz. But I could really go for an ice cold Battle Ax! Battle Ax -- The beer that made Duluth, well, Duluth! Well goshNow I have an urge to go grab me a chew of "Mail Pouch." Isn't advertising wonderful? Still standingThe dark church and the Fitgers smokestack are still there in this panorama: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Skyline-Duluth-200603... Now I have a hankering to visit Grandma's Saloon again for old time's sake. It was a day trip from my home town of Minneapolis, but it's a long ways from where I live in Texas now. Sigh. I'm surprisedthat Dave didn't name this photo "(S)hoes and rubbers" but that might have been just a too bit racy. Pleasantly SeedyNotice how The Builder's Supply building in the foreground has a first floor below the road. I wonder if all of the buildings on the other side of the bridge approach - including Devine's Place - at one time had first floor storefronts and then the buildings were modified once the bridge was built. Just a wonderful, wonderful picture. The beer made in Superior...was Northern. Duluth had a couple other breweries besides Fitger's Brewing (Fitger's & Rex Beer). Duluth Brewing & Malting (Royal Bohemian, Stag, Moose & Karlsbrau Beer) & Peoples Brewing (Peoples, Regal Beer, Olde English 600 Stout). All brand are gone except Olde English 600, which still lives on as Olde English 800 Malt Liquor. Battle Axwas a brand of chewing tobacco. If "Mail Pouch" wouldn't turn off chaw customers, why would "Battle Ax"? A complete version of a wall painting, courtesy of Olivander's Flickr site, is below. Well engineeredThe guy who designed the elaborate chimney flu on the building next to the hotel was determined to not let one tiny bit of rain or snow get down into the house. [Achoo. - Dave] Luxe accommodationsIn just a single-block stretch of seven or eight storefronts there are the Scandinavien Boarding House, Zenith Lodging and the Sven (?) Hotel. And they all look a little rough around the edges. I imagine these fine establishments were most often frequented by merchant seamen coming ashore after crossing Lake Superior, before reloading the next day to head back east through the Great Lakes, perhaps all the way to the St. Lawrence Seaway. They were probably a little rough around the edges as well. Great photograph. [The St. Lawrence Seaway didn't open until 1959. - Dave] City GasDuluth must have had a municipal gas system in those days. Above the Blatz building you can see the frame for storage. Norse StreetThis looks like a real Scandinavian street, with the Scandinavien Boarding House, Svea Hotel, Northland restaurant and A.W. Anderson's shop. Maybe that's one of my immigrant great-grandfathers sitting under that awning. I'm curious where the dirt road that goes under the bridge leads to, though. Fire!In the middle left are the ruins of a building that looks like it burned down. Duluth had what this country neededA good 5 cent cigar! Star of DavidI see a Star of David symbol in three locations: on the Blatz Brewery sign, on a storefront just to the right of the Northland Restaurant, and on the side of the large white building at upper left. Was there a significant Jewish presence in 1905 Duluth or does the symbol indicate something else? [In Germany, the hexagram or Bierstern (beer star) was a symbol of the brewers' guild. - Dave] Flimsy trolley polesThe trolley poles are amazingly flimsy. They look like they're made out of steel water pipe. The insulators look about the size of those used for low voltage telephone wires. I can only see one street light (at the right) so it must have been dark at night. I don't think the trolley poles would survive a midnight collision with a hefty Scandinavian dock worker full of Blatz. ChurchvilleI can see at least four steeples in this shot as well as the building with the onion dome might be one (I am inclined to think it's a hospital or a school). Just how much "churchin'" did one town need? Did anyone notice the Coca Cola sign on the left? Also, judging by the size of some of the mansions in town, there was some serious money in Duluth at this time. Stables!Finally spotted a stable! J. Hammel & Co, sale and exchange stables. Would love to see a close up of it or other stables from long ago for that matter! Points of interestThe large white building with the Star of David at the left edge of the photo is the local Orthodox synagogue in Duluth, still standing and in service. The onion dome sits on top of the Masonic Temple Opera Building, built in 1889 on Superior Street. The dome was later removed so as not to "mock the Classic purity of the Orpheum Theater" being built next to it on the avenue, according to a local architectural guide. Those trolley polesI saw a couple of comments about the trolley wire infrastructure and I've lived in a city that still has streetcars my whole life, so hopefully I can clear a bit up: The insulators don't look that big in the picture and they don't look that big from the ground either, when you're standing on the sidewalk looking up. The are substantial pieces of porcelain when you're holding one in your hand. Also, they only need to insulate against 600 volts DC, which isn't that high. With respect to the support poles, they're probably painted steel poles. Notice that they are only carrying the span wires and trolley wires above the tracks as well as some DC feed circuits. They aren't carrying nearly as many circuits or heavy objects like transformers that the electric utility poles are. Poles like the ones in the picture have lasted between 60 and 80 years at home. The support poles have to be installed on a slight angle, leaning away from the street, when they're installed because the tension of the overhead wires above the tracks and the span wires supporting them tends to pull the poles in towards the street. If you look closely at the support pole at the far right of the picture on the sidewalk closest to the camera, you can see it bending in towards the street. That suggests that it either wasn't installed correctly or (more likely from the way the pole appears bent) the span wire' tension's much too high... Streetcar wire like that's one thing that hasn't changed much over the last 100 years and the stuff hanging above the tracks a block from where I'm writing this looks the same in 2009 as it does in the picture from 1905. A Battle Ax in Indianapolishttp://www-lib.iupui.edu/static/exhibits/circle/exhibit3_1.html While on an entirely different expedition, I just came across another old photo showing a 'Battle Ax' mural, right here in my hometown. Thought I'd share... http://www-lib.iupui.edu/static/exhibits/circle/exhibit3_1.html Did the streetcar company have one of these?I've just come back from holiday in Greece. Trams and trolley buses are alive and well in Athens and Pireaus. The modern trolley poles look pretty substantial, but here is a delightful 1910 photo (courtesy of the ISAP archives) of a horse drawn tower wagon for inspecting the tram wires on the Pireaus waterfront. The Duluth trolley poles at the right of your picture look very similar to the one on the left of this one and the insulator is indeed very small. I wonder if the Duluth streetcar company had such a handy vehicle? Panoramic Duluth1890s. Click to enlarge. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Sangria Seventies
... corner, behind the laundromat. Oh, I'll never forget the night Nixon resigned -- people were dancing in the streets of Santa Cruz! ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/22/2011 - 5:21pm -

If a single photo could capture 1970s Northern California culture, this might be it. The hair; the clothes; the round oak table; the funky old apartment with painted-over wainscoting; the giant bowl of sangria. I ought to know, I was there. In fact, there I am, at the left, at my brother's Santa Cruz place with his wife (lower left) and their friends in October 1973. My brother's Ektachrome slide. View full size. Autumn of LoveOh my. Do your parents know about this? Peace, ManIt's hard to believe all the changes we've been through since then -- but it still looks like a fun way to spend the evening. Where's the ashtray?I think it's missing a giant overflowing ashtray. Back then it seemed like EVERYONE smoked. Pine StreetWas this house located on Pine Street in east Santa Cruz? It looks like the kitchen in the house we moved into in 1978. The door would lead to the back porch/stoop area. Great photo! Groovy!Love the headband! I think the only thing missing in this picture is a bong. October 1973Seems like a long time ago – or just yesterday. On October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt launched a military attack on Israel starting the Yom Kippur War. On October 16, 1973, OPEC cut production of oil and placed an embargo on shipments of crude oil to the West, with the United States and the Netherlands specifically targeted. As a result, oil prices rose to $3.65 per barrel – a year later it peaked over $12 per barrel. President Richard Nixon would sign the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act authorizing price, production, allocation and marketing controls on November 27, 1973. In the United States, the retail price of a gallon of gasoline rose from a national average of 38.5 cents in May 1973 to 55.1 cents in June 1974. I remember my grandfather hoarding gasoline – against all warnings and advice – at our small farm in East Texas. He had a couple 55-gallon drums in the barn, which he filled 5 gallons at a time from Earl’s Truck Stop on I-30. My mom was scared to death that the barn would explode and we were forbidden to go there. Other October, 1973 events, no doubt provoking dinner conversation at tterrace's table: October 5, 1973 - Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize marijuana. October 9, 1973 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce. October 10, 1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns as vice president of the United States after pleading nolo contendere to a count of tax-evasion. October 12, 1973 - President Nixon announces Gerald R. Ford as vice president. October 19, 1973 - At Watergate hearings, John Dean pleads guilty to his role in cover-up. Maybe on the radio in the kitchen - Billboard Top 10: 1. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack 2. You're So Vain - Carly Simon 3. Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross 4. Sing – Carpenters 5. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder 6. Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips 7. Daniel - Elton John 8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone - Temptations 9. My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings 10. Yesterday Once More – Carpenters On SeabrightHere's the place, on Seabright Ave., in a 2011 Google street view: Corningware bowlsI find it interesting to see the four Corningware bowls with their matching lids on the table. We have had the exact same bowls for years and still find them great for food storage and reheating food. Punch bowlI have two of those punch bowls. It is a Anchor Hocking "Star of David" design. It came with a stand and matching cups. Billy Jack and Charles KrugAs W. C. Fields might have said if he was younger, "Aaaaah, yes, I remember well those days of Charles Krug wine." It was quite cheap in those days of Billy Jack movies, Indians taking over Alcatraz and my marriage in Santa Cruz. We were so "into it", the hippie wannabees we portrayed, the gypsy lifestyle, that when my kids look at our old pictures, especially those taken in and around the Grand Canyon, dressed in Indian headbands, turquoise beads and homespun Indian shirts, they comment "that is when Mom and Dad were Indians". It cracks me up every time, because we are now really very dull, very straight, sober as judges and hating old age, but we LOVE remembering, thanks to your fabulous photos. You are doing us old fogies a huge favor. That Mexican dinner looks delicioso. I lived in Hayward thenLooks just like similar gatherings at my home! Sangria & other stuffI have similar pix and lived in similar places, albeit in Ohio in the late 60's and early 70's. Someone commented on that everyone smoked in those days, and that was true. But we smoked more than tobacco, if you know what I mean and I think you do. 1973In 1973 I was serving as one of America's Last Draftees. Inducted in August 1972, the draft ended a few months later. For the remainder of my service they loudly proclaimed having an "all-volunteer" Army. I would have gladly been discharged to make it true, but viewed from today if I hadn't have been drafted I would have just worked another 2 years in the corporate world. I really like the tupperware serving dishes, had some of those a couple of years later when I returned to college. Those were the days . . .Those were the days, my friend We thought they'd never end We'd sing and dance forever and a day We'd live the life we'd choose We'd fight and never lose For we were young and sure to have our way B+C+T+AThat looks like an outtake from "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice." Not trying to be a wet blanket, but the 70's appear to be within the living memory of almost everyone here (myself included). As much as I like Tterrace's slides, do we really need to have such recent stuff as this (the 70's) on Shorpy? If I coulda I wouldado 1973-1974 all over again. Inspite of all the world affairs garbage, it was a wonderful year for this (in 1974, that is.. ) 14 yr old kid... Thanks for posting this... I personally dig the 60s and 70s stuff.... Peace out... Viral HistoryDear Wet Blanket (anonymous tipster), The fact that the 70's are within the living memory of most Shorpy devotees (Shorparians? Shorpiites?) is precisely why they should be included and interspersed with images from throughout the brief 160-year photographic record. Imagine the knowledge about many of the photos here that was lost because there was no reliable method of capturing personal accounts of the scenes and persons depicted. Often, hastily scribbled photographer’s notes or captions produced by a bureaucrat are all Dave and Team Shorpy have to go on…along with intuition and their own impressive historical knowledge. Someday, our historian grandchildren will study Shorpy as an excellent example of viral history and assimilate the witty anecdotes found here into their telling of our times. I say let the 70’s groove on… It is very easy to bypass images that don’t interest you on this web site…just keep scrolling until you find a clingy wet wool bathing suit or street urchin or choo choo train to ogle. Goober Pea End to the rantGood for you Gooberpea. Hope this is the end of the discussion about what should or should not appear on this site. How many times we have wondered what a particular picture was all about or when or where. Future generations won't be left quite as puzzled. You Go Goober PeaI'm with Goober Pea. I love 70's photos. These could've been my older siblings. I was only a kid and what the mind remembers is vague, so seeing a moment like this brings a lot back. Besides, what's the ratio we're talking anyway? 50-1? Anyone have a shot of the movie theater lines going around the block when Jaws opened the summer of 1975? 70's Child Somewhere within spitting distnceHa! I was a student at UCSC when this picture was made. I lived on Barson Street, I think. Thanks Seabright & Murray! 1973!The corner of Seabright & Murray had no residences on it, only shops. Yet that's where we all seemed to say we lived. When the buses stopped running (remember crazed Ed the bus driver?) that's where we'd tell someone picking us up hitchhiking where we were headed. I lived three houses in from the corner, behind the laundromat. Oh, I'll never forget the night Nixon resigned -- people were dancing in the streets of Santa Cruz! Ahh Memories! Boy does that picture bring back the memories. I graduated high school in 1973 so that looks like countless parties i went to then. I know it's fashionable now to dump on the decade "me decade" and all that but I had a blast then. Cruising in my Trans Am, chasing girls, hanging with my buddies, what a time. And we moved to Santa Cruz in 1980We moved to La Selva Beach just after my sister was born. My mother was always so lovely - I'm happy to be told I look just like her. I wish she would grow her hair out again like she used to have. This is me standing behind her in Santa Cruz. CorningwareAnd the very popular 70s Corningware!! Do they even make that anymore or is it just a garage sale treasure or a "find" on E-bay! Corningware Cornflower Blue still very much available The Corningware in tterrace's picture is in the 'Cornflower Blue' pattern is still very much available. According to the Wikipedia article here, production was stopped in 2000, but restarted again in 2009. I know it's readily available in the US either in the parent company World Kitchen stores in outlet malls, or in department stores, or Amazon. Great!You forgot the guacamole, Tupperware, Corning ware, etc., very 70s! And those curtains! Especially in California for the guac, if my husband wasn’t originally from Mexico, I would’ve never known about guacamole in 1973 in NYC! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Great Northern: 1905
... He made an appointment to meet her on the second night after that at Second Avenue and Superior Street, near the Roller Rink. ... story I quote in the girl's own words. "I met him that night at the appointed place and he walked home with me. On the way home he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:51pm -

We're making up for the Duluthlessness of the past few days with this ultra-detailed circa 1905 view of the Zenith City. Detroit Publishing. View full size. Ideal Beer Hall.As if there could be a bad beer hall. Go-togethersPaine and Nixon. I ExcelI see that the Thompson Produce Co. is a proud purveyor of the "IXL" brand of foods. Originally an Australian fruit and jam company, IXL was later bought out by Smuckers, and then by Coca Cola. Evidently the brand name was a play on the owner's personal motto of "'I excel in everything I do'. IXL? OU812! I love the detail in this oneWhat strikes me is that there's so much commercial activity in relation to the number of residences. Was the main residential area behind the photographer? [Only if you're a fish. - Dave] Todas las casitas iguales. Todas mirando para el mismo sitio.Es impactante la persistencia de un módulo específico de edificación y la consistente orientación de casi todas las fachadas. Otra cuestión, este trozo, ¡parece un barco fluvial! Gracias Shorpy. These are great!I live in the Twin Cities and get up to Duluth every couple of years. Many of the old buildings are still there, so it would be fun to find a current panorama of the city and make some comparisons. The ones I can find are shot from up high out toward the harbor. Superior SlabsThe slabs in the railcar would have been locally quarried Wisconsin brownstone, which was in vogue at the time. There were a number of brownstone quarries operating along the Lake Superior shore. Variety of rolling stockNot many railcars are visible in this picture, but there's quite a variety: regular boxcars, coal cars, refrigerator cars, flat cars carrying logs, flat cars carrying what look like cut stone slabs, and even a livestock car. Deja vu all over againThe swaybacked coal car returns. This time one of the kids has jumped on top of the coal. The other is on the roof of the boxcar. Well, Professor Harold Hill's on hand...Is that a brass band walking along the tracks, front and center? Looks like the 2 lead walkers are carrying baritones or euphoniums. And further along to the left is a man carrying what might be a tuba. Re: Well, Professor Harold Hill's on hand...A lot of organizations had brass bands in the 1890s, so I wonder if this is someone returning from "Northern Pacific Brass Band" practice. But I don't see enough instruments to make up the full band, so maybe this guy retreated to the rail yards to practice, where any bad noises would be drowned out by the trains (kinda like when my brother was learning bagpipes and he was banished to the basement to practice.) Horse on the roofIs that a horse on the roof of the Minnesota Candy Kitchen? [It's on the street. - Dave] A trip to the candy storeExcerpts From "Panders and Their White Slaves" By Clifford Griffith Roe, 1910, pages 29 & 30: The case of the girl from Duluth, Minnesota, which I recalled during the trial of Panzy Williams, came to the notice of the courts December 15, 1906...Morris Goldstein, alias Leroy Devoe, in the latter part of 1906, met Henrietta B__ in front of the St. James Hotel in Duluth, Minnesota. Goldstein approached the girl and said: "Good-evening. Where are you going?" The girl told him that she was going home. He answered: "Well, can't I talk to you a little?" The girl said, "I don't know you." He then explained that he was the manager of a play and would like to get some more girls for his company... He made an appointment to meet her on the second night after that at Second Avenue and Superior Street, near the Roller Rink. The rest of the story I quote in the girl's own words. "I met him that night at the appointed place and he walked home with me. On the way home he talked about the play and asked me if I had ever had any experience. He said nothing out of the way that night and I then made an appointment to meet him the next Saturday night at the Minnesota Candy Kitchen at six-thirty p.m. I had told my folks that I was to meet the manager of a play before I left home Saturday..." PuzzlingI would love to see a puzzle made out of this picture. It would be intense. Pile DriverThey must have run out of pilings for the pile driver as I see no smoke or steam coming from the hoisting engine. Nice Duplex pump beside the hoisting engine. Groceries Wholesale & ConsumerWere those windows punched out after the sign was there, or...? I can't come up with another explanation for the placement of that sign. A nice townOh how I hate driving up that hill in the winter. Coming down it in the spring, summer, and fall is another story, though. Driving down you get a great view of the lake and will often see boats. During the shipping season you see a lot of bulk carriers, which we usually just call ore boats, even though they sometimes carry other things. They're thousand-footers that look dwarfed by the vastness of the water, but so big for a lake all at the same time. Northern Minnesota, especially along Lake Superior, is such a beautiful part of the country and I feel blessed to live here! Directions to DuluthFor those who've wondered at there being no people around, and how gritty everything looks, you're looking at the south end of a city facing north. In downtown Duluth the streets go east and west, and the avenues go up and down the hill. In the six photos of the panorama on Shorpy (so far I've found four), west is to the left and east is to the right. The viaduct in the far right of "Duluth 1905" is Lake Avenue, which is the starting point for the numbering of avenues. The Union RR Depot at the left edge of "Duluth Cont." (just left of the "SELZ" sign) is on Fifth Avenue West and Michigan Street. The row of buildings between the two face Michigan Street, but you are looking at the backs. One block up the hill is Superior Street, the main drag of downtown. That's where all the people are. I'm another RR fan, fascinated at the rolling stock. Coal was the principal heating fuel and it was everywhere. When in doubt presume a gondola is filled with coal. Like so many other cities, Duluth had its industry concentrated at water's edge for transportation. After Ike's Interstate Highway system developed, the city needed to spend many years cleaning up the coal dust on the waterfront for the tourism industry. Ideal Beer HallI have a puff piece newspaper article on the opening of the Ideal Beer Hall. They carried "Bud." It was supposed to be a classy place. My g-grandfather's brother had a sleazy saloon downtown, but it was on the avenue and can't be seen. Drat. It's probably too long to post here. I'll find a place to post it and get you a link. (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Fountain of Youth: 1920
... you home those evenings your friends are out having a gay night on the town? Those loose strands may be a symptom of deeper ills -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:20pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "People's Drug Store, 14th & U Streets, interior." Is flyaway hair holding you back? Keeping you home those evenings your friends are out having a gay night on the town? Those loose strands may be a symptom of deeper ills -- malnutrition the consequence of egg-based-beverage deficiency, perhaps aggravated by tooth-brushing with an inferior dentifrice. Ladies, am I talking to you? Then come see this man. He is the gatekeeper to hair-nets, toothpaste, Egg Drinks -- and so much more. (Rubber gloves, for one thing, but that's another story.) The day you pick up a Glemby Hair Net -- or two, or hell, why not a dozen -- is the first day of the rest of your life! View full size. Hard Uncomfortable SeatsApparently counter space is at a premium and the stools here were installed to ensure a rapid turnover. Speaking of seats, if a physician ever approached me wearing one of those rubber gloves there would be a fight. Oh boy!I'll have a Cherry Smash! Molecular physicsI was a soda jerk one summer in the '50s. One day the boss handed me a large bag of sugar and pointed to a full bottle of water, and said "Mix it in." I complained that there wasn't enough room for all that sugar. He just smiled and said "Try it." A half-hour later the sugar was all gone, the water level hadn't risen perceptibly, and I had a jug of simple syrup. The drug store was Easterling's in Jacksonville, in case there are any other natives out there. Bob was confident, so very, very confident.Bob knew he looked darn swell, with that tire knotted just right by his mom, and the way his soda jerk jacket fit, and he was confident that, one day, when SHE came through the door, brunette tresses flying and probably a lavender silk scarf or it might be powder blue trailing behind, the scent of her alluring perfume trying to keep up, that she would see him there, and she would stop, suddenly. Yes, she would do that, because it was a very small store and if she did not, she would bump into the counter, maybe trip over one of those stools, and hurt her knee or even a foot. But he was ready for her. He could handle that, for he knew exactly which shelf held the mercurachrome. What is itThe big cylindrical gizmo with a spigot -- coffee machine? Key PersonWho has the job of winding the clock? Glemby Hair NetThe Lorraine Hair Net, manufactured by Glemby and made with real human hair, seems to bear a striking resemblance to a merkin! Mr. Glemby: Rich Man, Poor ManAttached is an article from the January 22, 1932 edition of the NY Daily Star. Evidently there was good money to be made in hair nets. It is somehow oddly ironic that Mr. Glemby's first name was "Harry"! Coffee/tea urnHere's one that looks just like this one. The jerkWhy is he doing nothing when there's all that sugar on the floor? What's the deal.......with the covers (?) on some of the light fixtures ? And wouldn't the fan work better if someone attached some blades to it? Pre Cell PhoneIf I had a nickel, maybe I'd make a call on that phone in the back right corner. As with so many of these photos, I'm crazy for the tin ceiling. Barber shops and drug storesI remember that floor tile pattern in the 50's and 60's still in use even in public bathrooms Those bottles behind the young man might be flavors for the ice cream sodas and sundaes. Does anyone know for sure? Soda Jerks' ExposéLike Bull_Durham below, I was a soda jerk 50 years ago, too. I did my stent at a Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor in Coral Gables, Fl. There's a little secret amongst us jerks that I'll let you in on: there's NO egg in a "Egg Cream Soda". There isn't even any cream; it's just syrup shot with seltzer to make it foam up like meringue. Sorry, not a lot a food value, but a real money maker for Mr. Jahn! Fascinating.Wonder how many of the medicines actually worked, and how many of those that worked can still be found on shelves or in the pharmacy today. Only the finest ingredientsBehind our intrepid counterman are bottles of Clicquot Club, a popular brand of late 19th- and early 20th-century soda. For background, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clicquot_Club_Company What is thatWhat is that gizmo on the right wall? Our soda man has a problem I see may times in shorpy, how to make bushy curly hair look glued down 20's style. Imagine all that hair oil on a hot day. Site of the Start of the 1968 DC riotsFor some reason the Washington D.C. 14th and U addy rang a bell in this old man's head and the ringing proved to be correct ... I am trying to imagine the scene 48ish years later when this store was the starting point of the 1968 DC riots. http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/people-were-out-of-control-... IHAP Speaking of hair netsHere I am in 1974 in the main plant of Hershey with hair-netted Shirley Temple Black who’s learning all about making chocolate from someone who didn’t know much more about it than she did. She had just been named U.S. ambassador to Ghana, a major cocoa bean source. I couldn’t tap dance, either. For high fashion fans, I am sporting a lovely light blue, white-stitched, denim suit with tastefully flared trousers and a dark denim belt. Note how my gorgeous paisley shirt picks up its pattern cues from Mrs. Black’s frock. Or the other way around. The hairnet? Employees and visitors both had to wear them. This was after public tours were ended and only VIPs were allowed (the massive production area was not designed for large numbers of outsiders who affected the factory heat and humidity levels, and there might have been safety concerns). Few people can say, as I can, that I saw the beautiful Dorothy Hamill wearing a Hershey’s hair net. Glemby or not, she still looked darn good. What that isIs the end of the cash register. What we're seeing is the printing mechanism and the paper tape. Egg CreamsAs a resident of Brooklyn and not of the Sixth Borough - South Florida, with all due respect to bryhams...while (s)he is correct about egg creams having neither egg nor cream, it does have milk. Without the milk, it's merely a chocolate soda. And, for it to be a TRUE egg cream, it has to be made with U-Bet chocolate syrup. Stool sampleSame stool bases as Boo Koo burgers down Texas way! https://www.shorpy.com/node/12857 (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Simulcast: 1922
... station down in my heart, And it calls in my dreams all night long; It is operating just for you and me, And it's spanning the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2011 - 3:25am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "McHugh & Lawson." The name of a music store selling pianos, radio sets, phonographs and, it seems, light fixtures. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. "Kiss Me by Wireless"I found the lyrics and the cover of the sheet music to "Kiss Me by Wireless," which is the last song in the 10:30-11:30 hour on Woodward & Lothrop's station. Change the below to "cell tower" and there you are. There's a wireless station down in my heart, And it calls in my dreams all night long; It is operating just for you and me, And it's spanning the hills and the sea. Your message I love the best, The call to happiness. Chorus Send each caress to me by wireless, Its tenderness you can to me express; I love to call you dear, Across the atmosphere. I hear your voice, It thrills me through and through. My lonely heart sighs for you, just for you! Oh, radio-phone the answer "Yes!" Kiss me by wireless. There's a pulsating current, Runs 'round my heart, It's attuned with your own sweetheart mine; Though you're far away, We're never apart For the radio station's my heart. So on the air impress, Our new found happiness. (repeat chorus) That'll teach you!Someone gave the poor violinist a black eye - did she hit a sour note? You rang? I'm sorry to have to say this, but that worman looks like "Lurch" on the Addams Family. And bare knuckle boxing in the backDig the shiner on Miss Fiddle Player Live broadcastThe sign above the piano, and the gent in the background (who is evidently adjusting some equipement with his right hand), make me think this duo is being broadcast live on radio station WJH. The first broadcast station authorized in the Washington DC area was WJH, the White & Boyer Company, on December 8, 1921, so this would have been a very early broadcast. McHugh & LawsonThe store was at 917 G Street in DC. It's now the site of the MLK Memorial Library. Full-Contact ViolinAnd our lesson today is not to use too much rosin on your bow as this may lead to eye-injury. WJHChronology of call letters WJH Date: April 1, 1922-June 30, 1923 Frequency: 833 khz (April 1, 1922-June 30,1922) 1140 khz (June 30, 1923) Location: Washington, District of Columbia Owner of license: White & Boyer Company In those days the letters 3NR could be Amateur Radio, or perhaps experimental. Wonder how the violin lady got that shiner? Or was 3NR TV and she was painted up to look good? Can you see me?Second lady has a hat and makes four in the photo. Be still and don't blink. ShinerI have a friend living on the Upper West Side in an apartment above a professional harpist. Her practicing is totally annoying, not only the harp music but the vibrations. I have to show him this picture in order for him to understand that violence doesn't work, in this case she's still playing her violin. Ba dum dumWith such a small store they must have a small overhead, which is ironic because there's so much over their heads. Broadcast to You LiveFrom our spacious showroom. Another marvelous look back. Stations 3NR and WJH? More proof that you've gotta 'full size' these wonderful photos or you'll never come close to full appreciation of the secrets they hold. Who hit her?Did the pianist give her that shiner? "E-flat. E-flat, I tell you!" MakeupI'm wondering if she was going for a really interesting bohemian look. Because if she was, she succeeded. She appearsto be quite deceased. Ghost of SchubertI suppose Princess Leia's kiss of death face stems from blinking during exposure? Took me a while to find the pretty lady with the turban (?) reflected in the piano. Maybe she should have posed with the fiddle. EquipmentI love the pickup horn. The radio engineer in the back does his duty, intently. Pity the violinist's eyes! 3-NRAccording to the March 10, 1922 "U.S. Broadcast Station List" (Radio Service Bulletin 59), White & Boyer Co. owned WJH, with "authorization to transmit on the 'Entertainment' wavelength of 360 meters (833 kilohertz)." It also owned amateur station 3NR ("Amateur Radio Stations of the U.S.," Dept. of Commerce, Radio Division). One can only wonder how the stunning virtuosa came by the apparent shiner. Are they playing Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, or something by Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers? Half dozenI count six in the photo: two musicians, one technician, the lady with the hat and two men in the background. Arc, Spark, RadiophoneWashington, D.C., "Amateur Radio News" from 1926, and a schedule from 1922. Note that the Post Office had its own station. (3:30 p.m. -- "General fruit and vegetables.") Interesting to see how amateur call letters were the 1920s version of screen names ("3NR took a trip to Baltimore"). "Radiophone" would be audio broadcasts, which in 1922 would be heard mostly with headsets. The other broadcasts would, I am guessing, be the original "wireless," i.e. telegraphy. CasualtyIt looks like the dear woman might have been the victim of "violins in the workplace"! I think it's makeupAnd probably applied by the same hands which selected the dainty wristwatch. Some have a "look" that best befits radio. Mrs. Ritterhouse!Or, more likely, her mom. There does seem to be a strong family resemblance between 3NR's soloist and George Booth's irrepressible Norene Ritterhouse, seen here in a detail from her July 7, 1980 New Yorker cover, performing "The Battle of the Somme." Needed: Lemon PledgeAnother photo showing how our grandparents and great-grandparents lived in dirty and dusty places. Couldn't anyone see the thick dust settled everywhere? The floor needs sweeping and wax. Grimy fingerprints on the piano...tsk, tsk, tsk. I guess everyone was waiting for 1935 when Johnson's Wax would become the radio sponsors of Fibber McGee and Molly and America learned to clean and wax! Hey Princess LeiaThe force was a little too strong with you, no? Violence And The ViolinThe fellow wearing the headset appears to have a bandage on his nose making me think the piano player belted him too. A Radiola RecordI found a recording of "Kiss Me By Wireless." No words, and I could only somewhat follow along, but it was still fun to hear. How do I prize Thee'' Those common appliances would be 'Lowbrow trash' by the thirties, only to become exquisite antiques of today. The light fixtures alone are worth six figures. and what about the vegetation..tucked into her belt? Helped her to "keep thyme"? The Victrola horn is being used to gather the sound for the radio broadcast. Note the wires leading from it. (The Gallery, D.C., Music, Natl Photo)
Wabash Bridge: 1908
... Three Rivers Stadium. I learned that from watching Monday Night Football. You see, you can learn something on TV! I see my apartment! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:13pm -

Circa 1908. "Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Wabash Bridge, Monongahela River." Back when Pittsburgh was sans H. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. SternwheelersIt's striking to me how low the river-level is compared to present times and construction of the modern lock-and-dam system. Of course, during flood, I'm sure the residents were appreciative of those tall banks. Of the pictured sternwheelers, I could find information, and additional photos, on three: M.D. Wayman: built 1891 in Pittsburgh; 125 feet long; could be hired for $50/day as tender for dredging operations in 1909. Isaac M. Mason: built in 1893 for the Mason Line; ran Belle Vernon-Morgantown on the Monongahela River; 122 feet long; burned Mar 4, 1913 Cooks Ferry, Ohio River. Keystone State: Built 1890; converted in 1913 to the excursion boat Majestic. Are you ready for some football?If that is the Monongahela in the foreground, then does that mean that in the background I see the Allegheny? If that is the case, then the Ohio river should be just to the left and this is the spot where they would someday build Three Rivers Stadium. I learned that from watching Monday Night Football. You see, you can learn something on TV! I see my apartment!Well, okay I see the area that was razed where my apartment building stands now, but still *sweeeet*! I'm working on finding a present view, but I stink at google-mapping. Hopefully someone can do it better than I, but I'll keep trying. Hausman & WimmerOh my gosh! My mother was just telling me that, before my great grandfather started W.F. Wimmer Company, he had another business with his cousin, whose name was Hausman. I'd never heard this story before two weeks ago and now here is a photograph of their building! How exciting! ----------------------------------------------------------- [Hausman to Wimmer: "Tarnation! Where in blazes are these confounded mice COMING from?" - Dave] Now You Knowwhere trolley poles come from. Three RiversIndeed that is the Allegheny in the background, and the warehouses and depots to the left where the cityscape starts to narrow is now what is Point State Park, where the Mon and the Allegheny join at the "Point" to create the Ohio. Three Rivers was almost directly across from the Point, between the Pirates PNC Park and the Steelers current home, Heinz Field. Only the supports left nowIt's interesting to get to see this bridge whole. I've never seen it. The supports are still left, and I always wondered about the bridge that used to be on them. Where's Heinz?Did this picture predate the dominant presence H J Heinz has had along the Allegheny River? Unless I have my bearings wrong, it would have appeared in the back right of the picture along the bend in the river. Boggs & BuhlThe Boggs & Buhl building on the far left was an upscale department store that catered to the wealthy and upper middle class who lived on the North Side or The City of Allegheny as it was known before it merged with Pittsburgh. A New WondermentThe need for such an elaborate lightning-rod installation on such a huge conductor? They sure are pretty though! Built in the U.S.A.What continues to amaze me about urban Shorpy shots is the enormous industrial activity one sees. You can almost feel the urban industrial power of the U.S. taking shape, at least in the North. By comparison, Canada was still a fairly quiet, predominantly agricultural country, except for Montreal and Toronto, which were still comparatively small urban centres. Of course WWI changed all that. Canadians went straight to the front in 1914, and supporting the war effort resulted in a huge wave of industrialization. Lightning rodsHave sharp points to 'bleed' off static charge in an effort to avoid attracting a strike. Drill, baby, drill!Also to be seen on the river bank just past the River Coal barge (right hand side of the pic) is the Oil Well Supply Company. Even though Pennsylvania oil production was already declining, business must have been pretty good. The name stretches across two buildings. Wabash BridgeThe railroad bridge is long gone but some of the stone piers remain at the bank. What's in a nameWhat strikes me is that the vast majority of business signs you see in these pictures are people's names, or the name of a recognizable location, often coupled with a real product - Boggs & Buhl, Glesenkamp's Carriages, Pittsburg Trolley Poles. Even the bank building is labeled in full "The Diamond National Bank", not "DNB" or (worse yet) "DiNat." Not a contraction or acronym to be seen. Thank you!I grew up in Pittsburgh. My grandparents would be born about five years after this was taken, so it's fantastic to look on the city as they knew it as children (and to realize that I recognize essentially *nothing* here.) The piers for the old Wabash are still there -- you can see them in Google maps, near Station Square (now a mall, but then a train depot connecting to the tracks in the picture) That would make the large street on the right side of the picture Market, most likely. So the center of the picture, right around the sign for "A.J. Logan & Co" would be the modern PPG Place, and the void that's behind and to the right of that building would be Market Square, which goes more or less back to the founding of the city itself. I wonder if the Buhl in "Buhl & Boggs" is the same Buhl in "Buhl Planetarium" that was around when I was a kid. And the Frick in "Frick & Lindsay" is probably the same Frick in "Frick Park" What a lovely photo. Extant ExamplesA number of the buildings shown here still exist. The Century building in the back, the Union Bank building, and many on the rightmost block along Fort Pitt still exist. The Conestoga building is the one cut in half. I would not be surprised if the twin stacks across the river belonged to the Heinz plant. Up the hill a bit on the North Side should be the old Allegheny Hospital. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bo/?id=102614 Fort Pitt BoulevardMany of the row-buildings to the sides of the Trolley Pole Company are still standing on what is now Fort Pitt Boulevard. Including one of my favorite buildings in the city -- every day on my way home in traffic I marvel at the intricacy of the fire escape. It might be the one that is fourth over from the trolley pole factory. It's a shame downtown isn't really a "downtown" any more (the place shuts down at 5pm and all the action moves to the various outlying neighborhoods); it's such an underrated architectural gem. Pier TodayAlways love when Pittsburgh is on Shorpy! View Larger Map +103Below is the same view from July of 2011. Hausman & WimmerWhat a fantastic story!! I live in the suburbs and our library systems have been adding photos just like these to their website for everyone to enjoy. I have seen an inferior photo of this but nobody is alive to remember those type of details. Thanks!! Wabash Bridge PiersThe two piers that were left after the Wabash Bridge was demolished was purchased for a very fair price by a local politician who lived in Mt Lebanon by the name of Jim Corbett. Then later became part of the busway system that traveled from the Airport to downtown by entering the existing and renovated tunnel next to McArdle Roadway near the intersection of Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Blvd) that ran under Mt Washington and crossed the Mon River over the new bridge built using the same piers seen in the photo. I hope my memory is serving me well here. At 87 years young it can be a little unstable at times. I just found this site and really love it. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Vagabonds: 1937
... trailer committee, sometime this week, he said last night. "Private property for a trailer camp would be pretty high and most ... a special camp "there would be 500 trailers here every night." Knode Among Doubters J.S. Knode, manager of the tourist ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:18pm -

Washington, D.C. June 4, 1937. "Trailer camp." Harris & Ewing takes us into the late 1930s with a "new" batch of 1,945 glass negatives. View full size. Parade flagCurious flag mounted on the fender, could it have been required when pulling a trailer? The Good Old DaysWhen a stubborn car could be cured with the tools you could cram into your back pocket and there were no electronic gizmos involved. Looks like a Dodge. I was born in 1937and look forward to more pictures of my parents' world at the time. Too many moving partsWhat my father and his friends always said about the latest newfangled washing machines. Is the father in this picture secretly wishing for the simplicity of his old Model T, with no water pump, distributor, generator, battery, starter, gas gauge or roll-up windows to worry about? Or is he glad these conveniences have been brought to a reliable state of mass production as he teaches his son the finer points of adjustment? Cool ShortsNot often Shorpy shows clothing that fits today's style. The kid's shorts would fit perfectly today. Correct length and all. But not his shoes. Not by a longshot. Don't Look Like VagabondsAn orchard in the background suggests a labor camp but the travel trailer and the car suggest a vacation of sorts, maybe a "working" vacation. The trailer looks almost new, no dents, broken glass, windows open, roof vent operational ana d the car looks to be in good shape, too. The bottom of the spare tire shows road dirt but this doesn't strike me as a "Grapes of Wrath" type migration. hey, is that a radio antenna sticking out of the top of the trailer? ["Vagabond," in addition to meaning wanderer, was a brand of travel trailer as well as the name of countless motels. - Dave] Plugged InThere seems to be an electric light with a shade and an empty light cord comming down from somewhere out of sight from the top of the picture. Grapes, UpgradedSeems straight out of "The Grapes of Wrath," though these folks seems a little better off. Trailer CampThe trailer looks like it's plugged into electric and there's an electric light hanging overhead - Grapes of Wrath this is not. Curious Flag... That's a fender marker. So you could see where the edge of your fender was while parking and not bash it all up. The other side should have one, too. 1931 De VauxThe car is a 1931 De Vaux 6-75 sedan, made by the De Vaux-Hall Motors Corporation. It was the brainchild of Norman de Vaux, who had on-again off-again ties with General Motors and built the Chevrolet and non-GM Durant factories in Oakland, California. Starting at $595, the De Vaux was an inexpensive assembled car – that is, it was put together with parts from different manufacturers. The car bodies were leftover 1930 Durants with different fenders, hood and grill – all made by the Hayes Body Corporation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The engines at first were a 65 hp design by Elbert J. Hall, who had co-designed the Liberty engine of WWI fame and co-founded the Hall-Scott Motor Car Company in Berkeley, California. That is the engine in the picture and it was capable of moving the car along at 70 - 80 miles per hour. Later Continental supplied four and six cylinder engines, as they did for Durant, Peerless, Jordan and many other makes. De Vaux-Hall Motors acquired the Durant factory in Oakland as well as a factory in Grand Rapids leased from the Hayes Body Corporation, and began building De Vaux automobiles in both places. Unable to keep up with sudden demand, De Vaux-Hall only produced 4,808 vehicles in 13 months before they sold to Continental Motors Corporation in 1932. Continental reportedly produced another 4,200 cars called the Continental De Vaux before discontinuing production in 1934. Norman de Vaux repurchased the assets in hopes of restarting production, but in 1936 finally sold the Oakland factory to GM. There are some 23 Oakland built and around 32 Grand Rapids built De Vaux automobiles still surviving today. As far as the travel trailer goes, it is the ubiquitous “bread loaf” shape made by numerous manufacturers in the 1930’s including Roycraft, Schult, Kozy Coach, Glider, etc. There were over 2000 trailer manufacturers in 1937. Pierce Arrow made a few hundred of them in the late thirties, and even the Hayes Body Corporation manufactured a similar style. Plus there were dozens of do-it-yourself plans available for the handyman. My best guess is that this is most likely a mid-thirties Silver Dome Hyway model. ContrastInteresting modern electrical connections to the trailer contrasted with the befringed pull-down shade on the driver-side car window. Caravan park all rightThe crud on the spare was most likely thrown up from the front wheel. The name "HALL"appears to be embossed on the engine block. Would that indicate what make of car it is? What's the make ...of the car? The engine block has the word "HALL" cast into the side. 110V of Fine Livin'It looks like the light is plugged/spliced into the top of the trailer. The trailerWhat kind of material is the trailer made of, I wonder? Old travel trailersWhat would the external walls of the travel trailer in this photo be made of? It looks sort of like fiberglass although I figure it would be much too early for that. It does have a pattern on it. [Painted aluminum would be my guess. - Dave] Fairly well offThis family seems to have fared quite well through the Depression. They look well dressed and the man sports "romeros," slip-on shoes popular until the 1950's. The car and trailer both look well maintained. It appears another member of the family or a neighbor friend is coming around the front of the trailer. For most of 1941, our family of four lived in a 19-foot trailer similar to this, with two doors on the curb-side. Hall-ScottTwo talented young Californians, Elbert J. Hall and Bert C. Scott, founded the legendary Hall-Scott engine company by producing gasoline powered rail cars. The duo then went on to build motor cars from 1910 to 1921 before moving on to aircraft and marine engines, where the enjoyed their greatest success. In WWI they produced a family of engines for the “Liberty Motor” program. The engines shared the same cylinder dimensions in 4, 6, 8 and 12 cylinders, with interchangeable parts, designed to be mass produced. No matter the size engine, these low RPM engines were reliable and light weight, producing a very favorable power to weight ratio. Hall-Scott engines were among the best known in aviation history. After WWI, Hall-Scott left their leadership role in the aviation market to turn to producing engines for trucks, buses, boats and power units. American Car and Foundry bought Hall-Scott in 1925. ACF used Hall-Scott's fame to advertise their buses as being Hall-Scott powered. They refused to sell engines to others. ACF made an exception for International trucks. The Internationals sported Hall-Scott engines in the 1920s and early 1930s. The engines ran vertically or horizontally, on LPG or gasoline. deVauxWow! Good answer! Thanks Trailer CampingTrailer camping was a new phenomenon in the 1930s: it was accompanied by great speculation, and also fear, as to how this would reshape the housing, labor, and tourist economies. The immediate pragmatic concern in D.C. appears to have been issues related to hygiene and sanitation. Based on other photographs in this series at the LOC showing the proximity of the Washington Monument (will we see them Dave?), my hunch is that this photo is at the Washington Tourist Camp, located "on the bank of the historic Potomac River, and in the midst of the rare and magnificent Japanese cherry trees." Washington Post, Jul 6, 1937 Hopes Appear Dim for D.C. Trailer Camp Only 25 Auto Nomads in Potomac Park During Fourth. Although prospects for a District trailer camp do not appear any too bright for him, Assistant Corporation Counsel Edward W. Thomas will call a meeting of the Washington trailer committee, sometime this week, he said last night. "Private property for a trailer camp would be pretty high and most other land around here is already in the national park system. But we will meet to discuss trailer health and traffic problems." The committee was appointed in February by Commissioner George E. Allen to make a study of the trailer situation. Due to activity of District officials at the Capitol during the past few months, no meeting has been held. In the meantime - as the touring season reaches its peak - there are at least two schools of thought concerning the need for a trailer camp. Less than 25 trailers were parked in the Washington Tourist Camp over the holidays. Some of their occupants expressed opinion that if the District provided a special camp "there would be 500 trailers here every night." Knode Among Doubters J.S. Knode, manager of the tourist camp, is among those who have their doubts about that and who wonder whether the economist was right when he predicted that a big portion of the American public would be living on wheels within the next decade. There is rarely a time when the Knode camp could not accommodate a trailer or two more. The only "homes on wheels" he turns away regularly, he said, are ones bearing District license plates. "Strangely enough, we are always turning them away. We're just for tourists, but it's hard for them to realize it, apparently." Washington offers no inducements for touring nomads who wish to settle down for two or three months as they do in Florida during the winter. The tourist camps place a two-week limit on their stay, and it is rare that health regulations can be met when the trailer is parked on private property. "Gypsy Law" Broken. Under an old "gypsy law," any vehicle used as living quarters can not be parked on any lot for more than 24 hours unless water and sanitary facilities are provided. Another hindrance that Thomas considers might stand in the way of a special trailer camp is the District building regulation that requires all new structures to be made of masonry. Trailers have but little brick and mortar in their construction. Takoma Park, Md., officials last month had to "declare war" on trailers which were parked in violation of the gypsy law. They reported last night, however, the situation was corrected easily and that several trailers are now "hitched up" in that vicinity. At the tourist camp in East Potomac Park it was evident that trailering soon settles down to a routine just like any other type of travel. Nobody appeared to be much concerned with what the neighbors were doing, or even conscious of the State printed on their license tags. As isolated as if they lived in adjoining apartments some of the nomads sat on doorsteps to read their evening papers - apparently unaware of children who tried to shoot firecrackers in the wet "backyards." Camping and trailersIn 1954 I took our family of five to see D.C. We stayed in a tent at a campground near the Jefferson Memorial. We had all our camp gear in the 14 ft. boat we trailered on our vacations. This same trip we took the kids to see the Statue of Liberty. In Manhattan, I got in trouble for having a car and trailer on Riverside Drive. We used the boat when we camped at Fish Lake in upstate New York. Our trailer looked like the one here. I had to report back to the 20th Armored Division in California. Hearing there was a shortage of housing at the base near Lompoc, we bought a trailer in Detroit and towed it west. This was wartime and we had many flat tires. But we got there and sold the trailer when we left California for home. Vintage TrailerI love seeing photos of vintage trailers. I camp nearly every weekend with my family in our Airstream trailer. It's neat seeing how others fared back before trailers were outfitted with mind-boggling luxuries such as satellite systems, minibars, TVs and so on. This photo was taken shortly after Wally Byam introduced the first Airstream trailer model, the Airstream Clipper. Interestingly enough, Airstream was the only trailer manufacturer to survive the Depression. Something about 1930s trailersIn those days practically all trailers were made of wood and covered with Masonite. This was surprisingly durable when painted, they lasted at least 10 years. Much longer if painted or kept under cover. A few examples of Masonite trailers survive from the 30s and 40s. More expensive models had a special leatherette material over the Masonite. This may be what is on the trailer in the picture. The roof was also made of Masonite. It was covered with canvas over a layer of cotton padding then the canvas was sealed with 2 coats of special paint. In the picture you can see how the edge of the roof canvas is tacked down over the padding. The most expensive trailers were covered with sheet aluminum. But this did not get popular until after WW2 when better, cheaper, and thinner aluminum became available. The electrical socket on the roof is a bit of an optical illusion. It is a light socket hanging in the air. Look to the right and you can see a light fixture shaped like an inverted bowl. There must have been a row of these lights suspended from a horizontal wire . The trailer looks brand new, the car would have been about 5 years old. There were many brands of trailer that looked like that. If you wanted to pin down the exact brand you could compare to the advertisements and pictures at Atlas Mobile Home Museum website. They have the largest collection on the net. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Fairview Hotel: 1916
... Say! I think I stayed there one year Thursday night! Roof Garden For me a most entertaining aspect of the photo is the ... or the proximity of modern dwellings. On Saturday night the place takes on something of its old glory. In the smoke-begrimed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 1:21pm -

Washington circa 1916. "Fairview Hotel, 1st Street and Florida Avenue." The proprietor is former slave and "colored philosopher" Keith Sutherland. See the comments below for more on him. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Room comes with outside bar.I wonder if he ever tried to patent his Pepecual Motion machine? Soup to GoTake a good look at the wooden cart. It has a kerosene container with a tap. It looks like it goes under the "soup" pot. Maybe Mr. Sutherland took his cart around and sold food as a vendor. He has a counter on both sides! Amazing. I don't know why......but I have sudden craving for a delicious CORBY CAKE™. Gold Dust Twins"I will agree with you sister why do they want to break up Fairview for" Cryptic sign. One might assume the city wanted to tear down the, um, stately Fairview Hotel. I can't imagine this was seriously a room for rent, unless it's just the check-in. Looks more like a ramshackle lunch stand. Fair View?Why, I'd say it was better than fair. It's downright byootyfull. Gold Dust Twins"Fairbank's Gold Dust Washing Powder - The Many Purpose Cleaner. Gold Dust products were represented by the Gold Dust Twins, two African-American children surrounded by gold coins. The orange box with the universally recognized twins practically jumped off the shelf. In fact the twins were one of the best known trademarks of the 19th century. Let the Twins Do Your Work was the tag line. The back of the box shows the twins tackling several household chores as well as a list of 34 cleaning jobs made easier by using Gold Dust. http://www.the-forum.com/advert/golddust.htm Wow!Now this is one of the most interesting photos posted on Shorpy in a long time. I would love to know the story behind the "I will agree with you sister..." sign. This Quaint StructureWashington Post, September 3, 1916. PLEAD FOR QUAINT HOTEL Hundred Neighbors Sign a Petition To Save Sutherland's "Fairview." A petition eight feet long, signed by about 100 neighbors of the Fairview Hotel, First street and Florida avenue northeast, will be introduced as evidence against the condemnation and closing of this quaint structure when a hearing is held at the District building Tuesday to determine whether the property shall be razed for sanitary reasons. Keith Sutherland is the aged colored proprietor, and he hobbled to the District building last week and appealed to Daniel Donovan, secretary to the board of commissioners, to save his place. Since filing his appeal the health department has investigated the property. Its report has been turned over to Commissioner Brownlow, and will be heard at the hearing. Fairview is a one-room hotel, opposite the Baltimore and Ohio freight yards. On the spotless whitewashed walls the proprietor, Sutherland, has written some quaint bits of philosophy for the edification of his customers -- truck drivers and employes about the yards. Corby - Washington's Biggest BakeryArticle from October 1915 issue of Bakers Review courtesy of Google Books: The largest bakery in Washington--and model one, too, in every sense of the word--is that owned and operated by the Corby Baking Co., one of the most progressive baking concerns in the United States. The firm was organized twenty years ago, when they started a little bakery down town. In 1902 they bought out a baker at 2305 Georgia Ave., (where their present plant is situated), and then built the first addition. In 1912 they built again, giving the Plant of the Corby Baking Co., Washington, D. C. building its present size. The article even has pictures! Say!I think I stayed there one year Thursday night! Roof GardenFor me a most entertaining aspect of the photo is the three rusty tins being used as planters on top of the shack:     FAIR     VIEW     HOTEL And the whiskey bottles on the stand tell a lot about this place. Those signsKeith Sutherland's quaint signs would qualify today as genuine folk art. Gold Dust TwinsFred Lynn and Jim Rice were known as the Gold Dust Twins in 1975. I figured the name came from somewhere, but I didn't know it was from washing powder. Sage DiesWashington Post, Feb. 21, 1933. Sage Dies Former Slave Prophesied Voters' Landslide for Roosevelt. Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher and prophet whose political forecast won him the thanks of President-elect Roosevelt, fulfilled his final prediction Sunday when he folded his hands about a Bible and died at his home, 1640 Eleventh street. The former slave felt the approach of death Friday, his children said. He called his family together and instructed them to prepare a funeral, saying that he would die on the Sabbath. Last August Sutherland dreamed of a great voters' landslide for Franklin D. Roosevelt. The dream was so "clear" that he wrote Mr. Roosevelt a description of it. Mr. Roosevelt responded with a "thank you" note saying he found the prediction "very encouraging." For the past half century Sutherland has kept a restaurant in Washington where the walls were posted with his prophecies, many of them showing unusual foresight. He was 79 years old. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the P.A. Lomax funeral home, Fourteenth and S streets. Interment will be at Harmony Cemetery. He is survived by four children. The Real McCoyIt actually looks like Grandpappy Amos McCoy's apple cider stand. Hostelry Spared Local News Briefs Upon recommendation of both the health officer, William C. Woodward, and Building Inspector Hacker, the District commissioners decided not to condemn "Fairview," the famous hostelry at First street and Florida avenue northwest , owned by Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher. About a month ago complaints reached the health office that "Fairview" was insanitary and a menace to the health of the city. The commissioners decided to investigate, but before they were ready to take action, an eight-foot petition signed by hundreds of residents of the northeast section, asking that "Fairview" be allowed to remain, was presented to them by Sutherland. Washington Post, Sep 9, 1916 District Building Notes Keith Sutherland, the aged colored proprietor of the Fairview Hotel, at First street and Florida avenue northwest, impressed city authorities so much last week with a plea for the retention of his property, which had almost been condemned to be razed, that it is likely the "hostelry" will be allowed to stand. Sutherland hobbled to the District building and presented a petition for his place signed by about 200 neighbors. Health Officer Woodward investigated the property and it is understood reported favorably on letting it remain. The building inspector, Morris Hacker, has the matter now under consideration. Sutherland is famous throughout his section of the city for his bits of philosophy, with which the walls of his establishment are painted. Washington Post, Sep 10, 1916 Alley Cook-ShopsWashington Post, Jan. 1, 1897. LICENSES FOR ALLEY COOK SHOPS. Judge Kimball Decides They Are Liable To a Fee of $25 a Year. The alleys of this city are filled with colored cook-shops, which heretofore have paid no license fee. Judge Kimball said yesterday, however, that every one of them must pay $25 a year. Only the police and the people who visit the numerous alleys and little streets of the city know how many of these cook-shops exist. The colored people generally resort to these places for pigs' feet, meat pie, and substantial provender prepared by the old mammies and quaint old colored men who run them, and cook dishes to the taste of the people of their race. The police yesterday brought into court, as a test case, Keith Sutherland, who has conducted a cook-shop for many years at 1111 R street. He was released on bonds after he took out a license, and as the matter has now been tested the police will bring all the proprietors of unlicensed cook-shops to the Police Court. Into the FutureThe descendants of Keith Sutherland's little counter 100 years ago were still going strong when I moved to Washington in the 1980s. I was directed by my new colleagues to explore the alleyways around our offices at M Street and Connecticut Avenue for (legal) hole-in-the-wall eateries for lunch and breakfast. It didn't take long for these places to become favorites of mine. I've been gone from D.C. for 20 years now; I'm wondering if these establishment still exist. Sutherland Family 1880 Census 1643 Vermont Avenue Sandy Sutherland, 54 Rach Sutherland, 57, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 12, (son) Keith Sutherland, 25, (son) Hattey Sutherland, 22, (daughter-in-law) Mary Sutherland, 6, (daughter) Willie Sutherland, 4, (son) 1900 Census 1112 R St Keith Sutherland, 46 Hattie Sutherland, 44, (wife) Arthur Sutherland, 3, (son - adopted) Webster Sutherland, 32, (brother) 1920 Census 104 Seaton Place Northeast Keith S Sutherland, 65 Hattie D Sutherland, 64, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 52, (brother) ???, 14, (daughter) Arthur L., 21, (son) Cora, 15, (daughter-in-law) Pinkey ???, 52, (mother-in-law) Just like India of todayHere in India, we still have thousands of "hotels" just like this one. I can walk to the end of the street here and find three of them that in black-and-white wouldn't look so different. Many are even on wheels (carts with bicycle wheels). Most have similar folk-art signs complete with misspellings. And similar records of cleanliness. I always thought it was interesting that restaurants in India are still called hotels. Now I see it's not odd, just archaic. Corby BakeryIt later became a Wonder Bread bakery (last time I was by there, the old "Wonder Bread" sign was still in place). The Corby buildings are still there (east side of Georgia just north of Bryant Street) and now house a strip of retail shops and fast food places. "Arbiter of all Brawls""Keitt" Sutherland was getting towards the end of a colorful life here. Washington Post, February 4, 1900. EX-KING OF THE BOTTOM Once Dominated a Notorious Section of the City. WHERE CRIME AND EVIL REIGNED. Reminiscences of "Hell's Bottom," Which Formally Kept the Police Department Busy, Recalled by "Keitt" Sutherland, the Odd Character Who Figured as Self-appointed Arbiter of all Brawls –- His Curious Resort in Center of that Section. KEITT'S. I, am, going, to, put, my, name, above, THE DOOR. The above legend with its superfluity of commas, inscribed on a piece of board about a foot square, nailed above the door of a tumble-down building at the intersection of Vermont avenue, Twelfth and R streets, marks the abode of the “King of Hell’s Bottom.” The structure thus adorned is the pool room of “Keitt” Sutherland, overlord and supreme ruler of the negroes in the vicinity. Although the encroachments of modern dwellings, increase in the police force, and other accompaniments of growing metropolitan life have somewhat shorn him of his feudal rights and curtailed his former realm, “Keitt” is now, and always will be, monarch of all he chooses to survey. It is still within the memory of the present generation when “Hell’s Bottom” was a fact and not a memory. The swampy, low-lying ground bred mosquitoes, malaria, and – thugs. It was the quarter set apart for and dominated by the tough element of the colored population. A white man with money in his pocket studiously avoided the locality after dark, or else set a fast pace to which he adjusted the accompaniment of a rag-time whistle. Half a dozen saloons congested within the radius of a block served the barroom habitués with whisky as hot as chile con carne and as exhilarating as Chinese pundu. Fights arose approaching the dimensions of a riot, and the guardians of the law had all they could do to quell the disturbances. A policeman or two was killed, and that, together with the growth of the city, led to the rehabilitation of “Hell’s Bottom.” Now it is interesting mainly in its wealth of reminiscence. “How did I happen to put up that sign?” Keitt repeats after the inevitable query. “I’ll tell you. You see my folks used to own that property, and they was sort o’ slow dyin’ off. I knowed I was going to come into it some day, an’ I thought I might as well let people know it. About that time a show came along, and they sang a song somethin’ like this: “I am going to put my name above the door. For it’s better late than never. An’ I’ll do so howsomever.’ It gave me an idea. I just put that sign above the door. After while the folks died, an’ I got the property.” Queer Sort of Place. Guided by the much-be-commaed signboard, the visitor goes to the door of the poolroom and inquires for “Keitt.” He finds the room filled with colored youth of all sizes, the adults of which are engaged in playing pool at 5 cents a game. The balls on the table are a joblot, the survivors of the fittest in many a hard-fought game. The cushions are about as responsive as brickbats. But the players do not seem to care for that so long as they can drive the balls into the pockets and make their opponents pay for the sport. An ancient, dingy card on the wall informs the reader that he is within the precincts of the “Northern Light Poolroom.” The same placard also gives the following warning: “Persons are cautioned against laying around this building.” “Where is Keitt?” inquires the intruder, who finds himself regarded with suspicion. “Two doahs down below. Jest hollah ‘Katy,’ an’ he’ll show up,” is the answer. “Keitt” on inspection justified the right to the title of “king.” He is a giant, weighing 250 pounds, well distributed over a broad frame six feet and one inch in height. He looks like a man who would not shun a rough and tumble fight. He does not have to. A registered striking machine off in the corner shows that he can deliver a 500-pound blow. He might do better, but unfortunately the makers of the instrument did not figure that a man’s fist was a pile driver, and 500 pounds is as high as the machine will register. Many are the tables told of his prowess; of how he whipped in single combat the slugger of the community, a man who had challenged any five to come on at once; of how when only a bootblack in the ‘60’s, he sent three bullies about their business with broken heads and black eyes; of how he used to suppress incipient riots in his saloon by means of his strong arm and without the aid of the bluecoats in the neighborhood. Indeed, the police used to say that “Keitt” was as good as a sergeant and a squad with loaded “billies.” But “Keitt” (the name is a popular conversion of the more familiar “Keith”) has not won his way entirely through the medium of brawn. He is a man of intelligence, and has a keen eye for business. He is the magnate of the neighborhood, with property in his name, money in the bank, and a good comfortable roll about his place of business. He can go down in his pocket and bring out more $50 bills than the average man caries about in the $5 denomination. If one hints robbery or burglary “Keitt” simply rolls his eye expressively, and enough has been said. No one cares to tamper with his till. Plenty of Local Color. The saloon on the outside looks like a combination coal and wood shed. “Keitt” apologetically explains that it was formerly a stable, and that he has not had time to fix up much. Nevertheless, the fish, beans, sandwiches, and other eatables are so tempting that the frequenters of the place do not pay much attention to external appearances. The magic of the proprietor’s name draws as much custom as he can attend to, and fully as much as the customers can pay for. There is a charm about the old haunt that cannot be dispelled by police regulations or the proximity of modern dwellings. On Saturday night the place takes on something of its old glory. In the smoke-begrimed room – hardly 12 by 12 – are found thirty or forty men eating and talking. Through the thick clouds of smoke the lamps throw out a dim gleam, and the odor of frying fish and the fumes of the pipe struggle for the mastery. The crowd gets noisy at times, but any attempt at boisterousness is quieted by a word from the dominant spirit of the gathering. If any one gets obstreperous he is thrown out on the pavement, and it makes little difference to the bouncer whether the mutinous one lands on his head or not. This is the negro Bohemia. They who live from hand to mouth love to come her. The boot-black with a dime receives as much consideration as the belated teamster with a roll of one-dollar bills. Business is business, and “Keitt” is a business man. Consequently there is very little credit given. “Five or ten cents is about the limit,” says the autocrat. But “Keitt” is something of a philanthropist., although he makes his charity redound to his personal benefit. An illustrated placard, done in what appears to be an excellent quality of shoe blacking, has the figure of a man sawing wood. It bears the following words, “Just tell them that you saw me sawing wood at Keitt’s for a grind.” The term “grind” is synonymous with mastication, the wood sawyer thereby being supposed to do a stunt for the recompense of a square meal. This does away with the tearful plaint that is ever the specialty of the hungry and penniless, gives employment to the idle, and increases the size of “Keitt’s” wood pile. The latter is sold to the negroes of the neighborhood at prevailing prices. “Keitt” figures that his method is wiser than giving unlimited credit, and he is probably right. “Keitt” is a mine of reminiscence. He has been in Washington 1862, when he came from Charles County, Md., where he was born a slave. He was a bootblack around the Treasury building, and he remembers seeing Lincoln’s funeral pass by, with the white horse tied behind the hearse. His history of the rise and fall of “Hell’s Bottom” is quite valuable from a local standpoint. Divested of dialect, it is as follows “’Hell’s Bottom’ began to get its name shortly after the close of the war in 1866. There were two very lively places in those days. One was a triangular square at Rhode Island avenue and Eleventh street. It was here that an eloquent colored preacher, who went by the name of ‘John the Baptist,’ used to hold revival services, which were attended by the newly-freed slaves. The revival was all right, but the four or five barrooms in the neighborhood used to hold the overflow meetings, and when the crowds went home at night you couldn’t tell whether they were shouting from religion or whisky. “Then there was what was known as the ‘contraband camp,’ located on S street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth. The negroes who had just been freed stayed there waiting for white people to come and hire them. They got into all sorts of trouble, and many of them settled in the neighborhood. Money was scarce and whisky was cheap – a certain sort of whisky – and the combination resulted in giving the place the name which it held for so many years. The police force was small. There was no police court, and the magistrates before whom offenders were brought rarely fixed the penalty at more than $2. Crime and lawlessness grew terribly, and a man had to fight, whenever he went into the ‘Bottom.’ “The unsettled condition of the locality made things worse. Men used to shoot reed birds where Corcoran street now is. I have caught many a mud turtle there in the 60’s. I saw a man get drowned in the creek at Seventh and R streets. At the point where the engine-house is now located on R street a man could catch all the minnows he wanted for bait. Tall swamp grass afforded easy concealment for any one who wanted to hide after a petty theft or the robbery of some pedestrian. Consequently, it is small wonder that the law was defied in those days. Many Disorderly Rowdies. “A white man never wanted to cross the ‘Bottom’ after dark. If he did he had to keep stepping. Just how many crimes of magnitude were committed there no one can tell. The life of the negro was far from easy. If a fellow took a girl to church, the chances were that he would not take her home. A gang of rowdies would meet him at the church door as he came out. They would tell him to ‘trot,’ and he seldom disobeyed. They escorted the girl themselves. It was impossible to stop this sort of petty misdeeds. “At times the trouble grew serious. I have seen 500 negroes engaged in a fight all at once in ‘Hell’s Bottom.’ That was during the mayoralty elections, and the riot would be started by the discovery of a negro who was voting the Democratic ticket. I have had big fights in my old saloon, but there was only one that I could not stop with the assistance of two bouncers I had in those days. There were fully fifty men in the saloon at the time, and most of them were drunk. They began to quarrel, and when I could not stop them I blew a distress call. About fifteen policemen came, for in those days it was useless to send two or three to quell a disturbance around here. When word came that the police were after them the last man of them rushed through the rear part of the saloon, and I’ll give you my word that they broke down the fences in five back yards in getting away. Not a man of them was captured. “Ah, those were the days. Things are quiet around here now, but sometimes we have a little fun, and then the boys go to the farm for ninety days. I keep ‘em pretty straight in my place, though, let me tell you.” (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Stocking-Stuffer: 1922
... Rudolph, with his nose so bright, to guide his sleigh that night. And the rest went down in history.. Merry Christmas to the Shorpy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:56pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Oldsmobile sales window." Some of us beyond a certain age might remember the Oldsmobile, or even have driven or owned one. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Magritte's Inspiration?I have always been fascinated by Rene Magritte's Surrealist painting of 1938, "Time Transfixed." I've seen it many times at the Art Institute of Chicago, and I've always wondered where the artist got the idea of making a steam locomotive come puffing out of a fireplace. Now I know the answer! Oil leaksSo this is a brand new car and it has a drip pan underneath it? Olds ForeverI am of that age. My step-father had a '48 when he married my mom and was still driving them until the day he died. Always a plain-jane, no frills model up until he had open heart surgery. His doctor told him it was time he had A/C for his health. The last one he bought was the first he ever owned with any option. I learned to drive on a '56 Rocket 88. He did appreciate that big V8 engine, and so did I! I was sad when they went out of production. Merry Christmas and Best Wishes to everyone at Shorpy. My first carwas an Olds---a 1965 Cutlass. Being young and foolish I didn't realize that maintenance was required. I ran it nearly out of oil, the lifters were making lots of racket. As soon as I gave it it's proper allotment of oil it said "Thank you very much" and we went on our way. Still being foolish, I didn't know to make sure that the antifreeze solution was correct to withstand a Wisconsin winter, and allowed the radiator to freeze nearly solid. Once again, when I put in the proper fluids the car said "Thank you very much" and we went on our merry way. What a great car!! My current car is also an Olds. This time an Alero. Though not as hardy as the Cutlass was, it too, has been great transportation. Not dead yetThis is going to be my favorite surreal window display photo for a long time. My late mother drove a series of Oldsmobile 98s from 1964 until she passed away in 2008. I'm still driving her last car, the 1993 model with a transverse 4.2-litre front end drive, fuel-injected engine that gives me more than 20 mpg in town and 24 mpg on long freeway runs, and it still easily passes the increasingly stringent California smog tests. Its fuel efficiency won't impress many folks these days, but my old Chevy 3/4-ton pickup rarely gave me better than 9 mpg even downhill. I love driving this Olds and can't afford to replace it yet, even though it's getting damned hard to find many parts for it that 1993 Cadillac owners can still take for granted. Dear SantaCould you send one of those down my chimney tonight too? I promise not to have a fire burning in it. If my 12" diameter chimney is too small, just have the reindeer kick on the roof and I'll push the remote button to open the garage door. Santa's Failed Head Lights ExperimentAfter this 1922 failed use of modern head light technology to navigate chimneys, on December 24, 1923 Santa returned to the traditional use of Rudolph, with his nose so bright, to guide his sleigh that night. And the rest went down in history.. Merry Christmas to the Shorpy site. You guys are great! MerryeYes, Lucille is longing for a ride in her Merry Oldsmobile! It's now parked in the back with the Plymouth and the DeSoto and the Edsel and the Mercury. That's a very clever display gimmick. Here's wishing a Merry Oldsmobile to all my fellow Shorpy regulars, and a great New Year with lots of signage, fascinating people of the past, and—as always—a keener sense of history. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Seasonal OldsmobileThis car must have made one heck of a stocking stuffer. OldsmobubbleMy uncle followed the General Motors path of lifetime GM ownership; starting with Chevy, moving on to Pontiac, then Oldsmobile, then Buick, and finally ending with Cadillac. I think of all those cars, the Oldsmobile Aurora was his favorite, although the Cadillac CTS ranked pretty highly too. It’s difficult to imagine that an automaker such as Oldsmobile, with their 107-year history is gone, but with so much model redundancy I suppose it was inevitable. I want one of those!Now that's what I call a stocking-stuffer! I really like the way they decorated the sales window to look like somebody's living room. And how thoughtful of Santa, to also put a sparkling-clean tray under the car to catch the oil droppings! (I wonder if new cars came with one of those trays as standard equipment back then...) Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all our fellow Shorpyites! Nah - can't be.Hey, is that a reflection of tterrace in one of the ornaments on the tree? Only kidding naturally. A very Merry Christmas to everyone in the Shorpy "family", and a special thank you to Dave for providing many enjoyable moments spent on his website this year. It was so nice of Santato leave something to catch the oil drips. And I love that lamp. Christmas CreativityThat is some very creative Christmas advertising! Merry Christmas, Shorpy!!!!! Almost had an OldsI was looking to buy my first car in 1994, and I thought about buying a late 1980's burgundy Olds...I ended up going with a 1986 gold-colored Pontiac Sunbird, instead. Tree Topper NeededI see that there is nothing at the top of the tree but if you know of Yosh and Stan Schmenge, you would remember that their custom is to toss a hat onto the top of their tree. As for Oldsmobiles, when my two oldest sons were ages 2 and 3, we moved next door to neighbors who owned a 1966 sleek powder blue, chrome-embellished loaded Toronado and they both admired and desired that car, even up until today, ages 46 and 47. It was a primo dazzler and they were just beginning to notice sharp vehicles and they still talk about it. It was "the car of the year" in 1966 and the word "toronado" had no meaning but it was pretty slick and my Chevy Impala at that time did not impress them. Merry Christmas and gratitude to all the jolly good producers, contributors and commenters of Shorpy, the best ever website. The first post WW2 factory hot rodWas an Oldsmobile Super88. This was a big Olds OH valve v8 in a Chevy sedan with Olds trim. A lot of fun was had in one of these at the early drag strips. 1951 OldsA Rocket 88 as I recall with the OHV V-8 and 4-speed Hydramatic transmission, owned briefly around 1975. Bought from a genuine Little Old Lady who let the transmission seals dry out and the fluid run dry. It would go for a little while on a couple of quarts, but after pumping a few quarts thru, I re-sold the car to someone who could afford to rebuild the transmission. Never did really care for the "frowny face" grille of that period. Early Nascar champ not forgottenFor 40 years I owned and drove a 1951 Hudson Hornet, the car that could blow the doors off of the Oldsmobiles of its era. Oil leaks? Oh yesAs a proud, long-time owner of several old cars manufactured during the 1920s and 1930s, there are indeed good reasons why drip pans were and are used. Come 'n listen to a story ...Trivia: The Beverly Hillbillies' truck was a 1923 Olds flatbed. Getting crowded back thereYes, Lucille is longing for a ride in her Merry Oldsmobile! It's now parked in the back with the Plymouth and the DeSoto and the Edsel and the Mercury. There's also the Pontiac and the Saturn, not to mention that big Hummer. And a Saab just pulled in. Auto mo-bubbling in my merry Oldsmobile.I had a 1973 Olds Cutlass S 2 door. Blue, with white interior. Clean. 350 Rocket. I wish it had a 455....... Olds and youth...In my youth, I owned a 1968 (maroon) Cutlass, a 1970 (gold) Cutlass, and a new 1976 Cutlass S (silver) in succession...all good cars and all had the 350 4 bbl. I have many fond memories of driving them as well as the other activities (wink-wink) they were used for. I still can't believe this hallowed marque is gone. Cutlass was SupremeThe Olds Cutlass Supreme was the best selling car in America in the mid 1970s. Not too long ago, when I was broke and needed a car, a co-worker sold me his '79 Cutlass Supreme for 200 bucks. I spent 10 bucks on an AM/FM radio out of a junked Buick Regal (same car, really), and, aside from tires, a water pump and an ignition module, drove it every day for two years without a problem. My mechanic neighbor waxed rapturous over its bulletproof small block V8, "You can't kill these things!" If it wasn't for the rusty frame, I might've kept it longer, but I was afraid the trunk was going to fall off in traffic. Oldsmobile, like Pontiac and Saturn, was the victim of an evolving American market, one where GM could no longer expect buyers to stay with the General over a lifetime of car ownership. The same could be said for Mercury and Plymouth. Hummer died because it was an insane product and people finally came to their senses. Now This Was An OldsmobileThe first of my three daughters, Robin, at the wheel of my 1963 Olds Starfire. Kodachrome slide from 1964. My last Yank TankMy last American car, and actually the ONLY new car I owned that was truly an American car, was my 1993 Olds Cutlass Cruiser that I ran for 11 years and 271,000+ miles. It drove great in the snow, and was a faithful vehicle until it was just too run down to keep going. I wish this division had been retained by GM, since it had better quality than its other fellow divisions. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Christmas, D.C., Natl Photo)
Kindergarten Couture: 1952
... ruffled socks out for the next day of school every night before going to bed. When I turned 16 Miss Ingalls was at my party! She ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:09pm -

Baby boomers, first wave, all born 1946, showing how we were dressed for kindergarten. Notice how we don't look like gang members, convicts or concentration camp inmates. Of course, for class photo day, most of us had probably gotten decked out a bit better than normally, but still. By the following year a new school had opened up in Corte Madera and our class size shrank dramatically. That's me at the bottom right. View full size. MemoriesWOW! Could have been MY Kindergarten picture, but in 1953 (I was born in 1947) and in Keasbey school #8 in Keasbey, NJ. Have you attempted to contact anyone in the picture for a possible re-enactment? Now THAT would be cool! KWith a few exceptions, this could have been MY kindergarten picture, in 1984. I guess what goes around comes around in the 5-year-old fashion world. re: the captionNotice also how there are no African American, Asian, Hispanic, or any other race of kindergartners. Not that that's the kids' fault, but still. So little changeI was born 15 years before these children, my daughter 12 years later. This could have been either of our Kindergarten pictures -- when girls wore dresses even when it wasn't picture-taking day. Notice, only one boy is making a face but he's sitting behind the teacher so he probably felt brave. I agree, a re-enactment would be be really cool. Good luck. re: re: The caption etc.My little friend Stanley, bottom row fourth from the right with the cool boots, was Filipino, I believe. And I don't think Fred, third row back on the left, is actually sticking his tongue out, he's just caught in mid-giggle. I met up with several of these folks four years ago at our Redwood High 40th reunion and we all agreed it would be fun to get together and reenact a class photo, but we never got around to it. Stylin'TTerrace, that is some outfit you had there - western shirt, loose tie with steerhead slide. Doin' the Hopalong Cassidy thing there, huh? Lack of 'diversity'Re: the lack of 'diversity': the country was demographically very different in 1952. Blacks made up only about 10-11 percent of the total population. Hispanics were a much smaller percentage. Not every school will have a predetermined quota of each group, then or now. I'm of the same age group as these kids, having started school in 1953. It was a different world then. We can't apply today's standards to it. [And today black people make up almost exactly the same proportion of the population -- a little over 12 percent. So your point is? - Dave] Li'l FolksI do not see obese or too large children as today. All look in perfect health. One can also guess who will be the seducer, the hard one, l' intellectual. 37 to 1Note: 37 kids, one teacher. The InnocentI was born in 1948 and remember my kindergarden then same way; everyone bright and cheerful. Good memories. Teacher of stylish, cheerful kidsHer name was Miss Ingalls, a surname fairly common in the British Isles, apparently. My clothes: I can't tell you how much I wish I had any memories of that outfit; whose idea it was to get it, me wearing it, anything. The main thing I remember about clothes back then was that before I even thought about going in the house after playing in the back yard all day was to dust off my jeans thoroughly, including all that junk trapped in the cuffs. I wasn't cheerful on the first day of Kindergarten. When the horrible realization suddenly hit me that my mother had gone, not to come back, leaving me there on my own in a roomful of complete strangers, I ran out of the room and down the street after her screaming. I got over it. I wonder what cornball gag or shtick the photographer pulled to get us all smiling. That 70s ClassI started kindergarten in '73. Our outfits were very different. We were much more flammable. Diversity... I grew up in Santa Monica, California, in the 1950's. My school had nearly equal portions of blacks, Hispanics, Asians and white kids. My mother, on the other hand, didn't see another person of any other ethnicity until she was eight years old. She lived in a small Icelandic community in North Dakota. It was, and still is, all about where you lived. I actually think the teacher might be Hispanic, and Tterrace....I would know you anywhere! Love the boys with their hands in their pockets! Kathleen Ya like plaid?There is enough plaid in this picture to satisfy the Bay City Rollers, but as I remember it, plaid signified "back to school" and there were millions of different ones for dresses, sportshirts and jackets (my mom had a full length, multicolor plaid overcoat). I love the eager, fresh faces, the willing innocence open to being taught by the enthusiastic, happy teacher. Best of all, none of the boys look like gang bangers and none of the girls look like prosti-tots, but these were the days of unquestioned obedience, respect and discipline. I hope they all did well, they are a great looking bunch of kids and the world was awaiting their unique talents. I can relate!Don't feel bad about your first day of Kindergarten, tterrace. If you placed me in a room with 37 weepy moms and 37 active five year-olds, I'd run down the street screaming, too...and I'm the teacher! (There is no way my secondary--grades 6-12 only--history education major/English education minor could prepare me for Kindergarten kids. I used to teach the K-2 class at my church, and those tykes were spectacularly EXHAUSTING!) I love AmericansI emigrated from England years ago. The wonderful photographs on this site, no matter the subject matter or point of view, show Americans as they really are--a simply magnificent people. Born in '52I still have my KG class photo, too, and I swear some of these same people in the same outfits were in my class in 1957 in Pasadena. Me TooYep, that could have been my kindergarten pic too from the mid 60's. Cotton dress (my mother complained constantly about how much she ironed) little white socks and oxfords. Girls couldn't wear pants, no matter what the weather until 73/74. Kindergarten hadn't become part of public school curriculum yet in my area. If you went anywhere it was church sponsored, which was what mine was. Great time though. Found my first love then. Ahhh... A Year LaterI was in KG not far from there in Paso Robles ... and I swear if the sign wasn't in front of your group I would spend hours trying to figure out why I wasn't in the picture with the rest of my classmates. Cheers. Down Under WearWith a few exceptions (some of the boys' clothing), all the children were in my 1950 kindergarten class here, Down Under. Re: PlaidMy mother, also born in 1946, is always wearing a plaid dress with a white bib in grade school pictures. I asked her if Grandma let the same dress out every year, but she said that her aunt bought her an identical dress every Christmas. Old-SchoolI was born in 1943, so that makes me slightly older. We had a dress code due to the fact that there were a lot of really poor people in our neighborhood. This was to eliminate competition fashionwise. I'm a firm believer in a uniform dress code. Look at the schools which set high standards; all have a dress code. Girls wore navy blue tunics and a white blouse. There were no jeans or runners permitted for either boys or girls. Discipline was strict and immediate; parents usually backed up the teachers. We moved about the school in an orderly fashion; double file and no talking. Boys entered one end of the building and their girls the other. Recess was strictly segregated as well. We sat up straight at our desks with our feet on the floor. No calling out was allowed; we had to raise our hand and be recognized by the teacher. We stood, as a class, any time any adult entered the room. I never heard of ADD, ADHD or all this nonsense which has become pandemic. You behaved or there was hell to pay. Nor was there a fleet of personal cars waiting to pick students up at dismissal. There were no school buses for us; you walked or used public transportation. Bicycles were not to be brought to school either. From kindergarten on I walked to and from school; usually alone. This was in a big city of over a million people. I think, all in all, that we became a very responsible productive generation. The Good Old Days!I was in Miss Ingalls´ Kindergarten class of 1960-61 and apparently, on the first day of school I sent my mother away before I even got in the door!! And from that moment on I have so many good memories; the cherry tree blossoms in the playground, nap time on our little blankets, the playhouse! and laying my little dress and matching ruffled socks out for the next day of school every night before going to bed. When I turned 16 Miss Ingalls was at my party! She had married and her name was Mrs. Vining. GaolbirdsBeing easily distracted didn't appear in the last twenty years. Back then, kids who displayed ADHD symptoms were MUCH more likely to drop out of school or go to gaol then they are now. The good old days, as long as you weren't black, a woman who wanted to be something other than a housewife, or slightly different. I really dig the cowboy boots on the kid just to the right of the sign. I wonder what were cooler, sneakers or black leather school shoes? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Education, Schools, Kids, tterrapix)
That Toddlin Town: 1900
... lunch? It's not only free, it's HOT. You can even get an night lunch, according to the sign. Tacoma Building The tall building on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 5:55am -

September 1, 1900. Chicago, Illinois. "Madison Street east from Fifth Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Cable CarsBack in the late 1800s, Chicago had a cable car system. My great-grandfather was an engine house engineer for it. MY GOSH!!! the detail is amazing...These are without a doubt my FAVORITE type of Shorpy pics. The clarity and detail found in these 100 year old photos blows me away. Its so easy to imagine walking this street. I'd love to see what it looked like in color (but I must say, I prefer the B&W). I wonder what it smelled like? Question about the Fire.I'm curious to know if this area was destroyed by the Chicago fire. Horse & ElectricInteresting to note that one track is electrified while the other is for horsecars. The view todayThe photo must have been shot from atop the El. Here's the current view from Fifth (now Wells Street) looking east along Madison: View Larger Map Who Says?There's no such thing as a free lunch? It's not only free, it's HOT. You can even get an night lunch, according to the sign. Tacoma BuildingThe tall building on the left is the Tacoma Building of Holabird and Roche, built 1887-1889 and demolished in 1929. It was the first skyscraper designed by the firm, and it used to be described as the first skyscraper - period. (That honor is now disputed among several other buildings in Chicago and New York.) The Tacoma was also the first large building built by a general contractor, the George A. Fuller Company, which later built the Flatiron Building in New York as its corporate headquarters. No such thingRight next door to Vogelsang's restaurant (which presumably does NOT give it away), there is a sign advertising "Free Hot Lunch." I wonder what you had to do to qualify. Listen to a sermon? Make a long-distance telephone call? It must have been something. Because, you know the saying ... Wells to FifthMy first thought was there is no Fifth Avenue in Chicago. But I found that Wells Street was renamed Fifth in 1870 and back to Wells in 1916. What time is it?The hands of the clock in the building tower in the distance (Middle left) show the SAME TIME as the jewelry store clock in the lower right, even though the hands on the jewelry store clock are obviously PAINTED ON! Weird coincidence! [It's 3:40 by the tower clock. At the jeweler's it's always 8:17. - Dave] Billiards & bedsWhere would you stay: The Hotel Midland with rooms for 50¢, 75¢ and $1, or, the Calumet with rooms for 25¢, 20¢ and 15¢ plus the option of weekly rates of $1, $1.25 and $1.50? Think it over while spending 30¢ per hour in the pool hall. If you're a down on your luck pool shark, perhaps you could win enough for the (assumed) better rooms at the Hotel Midland. If you're losing at pool, save enough for a stay in the Calumet. BurnedThis area, along with all of what is now called the Loop, was completely destroyed by the Chicago Fire of 1871. But it was quickly rebuilt, mostly by 1873; many of the buildings in the foreground appear to date from that initial period of reconstruction. Signage CityWhat was "The Record"? That sign almost looks modern in its execution; like something out of the 50s or 60s. And it isn't a simple sign. Any ideas, anyone? [The Chicago Record was a newspaper published from 1893 to 1901. - Dave] Signs, signs, everywhere there's signsThere are at least three signs for sign makers in this photo, and from the looks of things they must have all been working overtime. Wabash ElCenter background is the El station at Wabash and Madison - Nancy says it's still there! A Free LunchFrom the mid 19th century until Prohibition, it was common for bars and taverns to have a "free lunch" table. It often consisted of sandwiches, roast turkey being common. (Turkey was the cheapest meat of the time, much like chicken is now.) Almost always, there was a one-drink minimum purchase required for access to the table, and the indigent or down-on-his-luck fellow might be found trying to eat and run without a purchase. Sometimes, the food selection ran towards salty in nature, so as to provoke thirst in the customers, but in other locations saloons would compete with each other based on the quality of their free lunch table. And, of course, this was the source of the saying "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch". No thanksOne has only to read "The Jungle" to know what you were eating at the "free" lunch counter. Ewwwwwwww! Wells and FifthThat intersection is only two blocks away from my office, where I'm sitting right now. Suffice it to say that virtually none of the buildings pictured (except some of those far in the background, at the east end of Madison) are still standing. Wells is both the original and current name of that cross street. It was originally named for Billy Wells, a hero of the War of 1812, but the street eventually became so notorious as a vice district that its name was thought to be an insult to Wells' good name, so in 1870 the name was changed to Fifth Avenue. Once the vice district was finally cleaned up, the name was changed back to Wells. West Chicago Street RailroadThe Madison Street cable car line was operated by the West Chicago Street Railroad, which was owned by Charles Tyson Yerkes, a famous robber baron. The line was converted to electric on August 19, 1906. May 2010Here's the view today from the same vantage, looking East from the L at Wells & Madison. Lon Chaney and the free lunchThis must have been the same thing that Lon Chaney Jr. (Creighton Chaney) spoke of in a documentary about his father. When Lon Sr. was a struggling stage actor, he would go to places that offered a free lunch. He would buy a beer, which entitled him to go to the free lunch table. He would make a sandwich, then wait until he didn't think anyone was looking, and put the sandwich into his pocket. Then, he'd make another, and keep doing that until he had enough to feed his wife and son, too, all for the price of one beer! Billiard History of ChicagoThis particular strip of Madison was a mecca for billiard businesses (and players) at the time. You'll notice the Breevort Hotel sign on the left. It was owned and operated by Hannah & Hogg, one of Chicago's most successful and well known liquor distributors, who also operated the city's most luxurious bars and billiard halls. Other billiard hall signs can been seen as well, including (distant on the right) a sign for Mussey's. This establishment (since the late 1800s) was well known across America as one of the nations leading billiard and bowling venues. Although you cant discern it in this photo, on Dec 15, 1892 at the intersection of Madison and State, Emanuel Brunswick (a stepbrother of Brunswick's founder - John M. Brunswick) was struck and killed by a street car as it rounded the corner. (same kind of car shown in photo) Officially known as a "grip cars," these streetcars vary slightly from cable cars. A grip car utilizes a moving cable under the street, whereas a cable car is usually driven by an electric line overhead. [The "cable" in cable car refers to the traction cable under the street. - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Streetcars)
Plane Crash: 1938
... Killed, Pilot Dies Also A special Army board last night was investigating the crash which killed and cremated two Army fliers ... Maj. Charles P. Prime, chief investigator, said last night that eyewitnesses have given conflicting reports regarding engine ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:02pm -

November 9, 1938. Washington, D.C. "Two U.S. Army fliers -- Lieut. Col. Leslie MacDill, General Staff Corps Officer, and Private Joseph G. Gloxner -- were burned to death today in the worst aerial tragedy in the history of the Capital when their plane crashed on a street in Anacostia, a short distance from Bolling Field. Three automobiles were wrecked in the crash. Col. MacDill was piloting the plane." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Conducting? Yes, in a manner of speaking.I think you'll find that the military man is "conducting" the operation of lowering (or lifting) the aircraft carcass and that his orchestra is the crane driver. A Man Cooked Alive!Stanton Square's observations about lurid old reporting styles reminded me of the way that the accidental death of one of my great-grandmother's cousins was described by a reporter for the Virginia City (Nevada) Territorial Enterprise, on December 21, 1871, under the tasteful headline "A Man Cooked Alive!" Michael T. Comerford, the deceased, was a silver miner who accidentally hit his head on a beam while going for some ice to cool his tea during a dinner break deep in the mine, and fell into the boiling hot spring at the bottom of the drift he was in, and was scalded to death. The article took nearly ten column inches to describe the gruesome details of his condition when his fellow miners found him a few hours later. A mild example: there were claw marks in the mud where he had attempted to pull himself out, and his hands were described as looking like old, swollen yellow kid gloves. It was a few days before Christmas, and Comerford left a young wife and three small children. The article concluded with these staunch words: "To break the terrible news to the poor man's widow was a task the miners shrank from, but it had to be done." North American BC-1Col. MacDill was flying a North American BC-1, used by the Army Air Corps from 1936 to 1940. The BC-1 evolved into the AT-6 Texan (or SNJ in Navy nomenclature, "Harvard" to the British). The AT-6 is often seen at air shows, as many of them were purchased as inexpensive surplus after the war. MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Florida, is named for Col. MacDill. Different detailsIndeed, it is interesting how ordinary news accounts of decades ago leave in details related to death and injury. Suicides were routinely reported. Even traffic accident reports from the '30s, an era of journalistic interest to me, note that someone fractured a leg, say. Now, whether because of heightened sensitivity to privacy, or of hospitals' legal reluctance to offer details, or of newspapers' awareness that offended readers can become ex-readers, the results of violence don't get described as often as they used to. (Of course, the reverse seems to be the case in sexual descriptions...) Heard Body PlopA revealing insight into how journalistic sensibilities have changed (evolved?) regarding the lurid details of a gory story. ("the head was torn from the other," "a plop which suggested to him falling of a human body," "I couldn't clean up the brains splattered on my car.") Washington Post, Nov 10, 1938 Army Studies Cremation of 2 Fliers Here Crash in Anacostia Fire Destroys Plane Officer is Killed, Pilot Dies Also A special Army board last night was investigating the crash which killed and cremated two Army fliers when their pursuit plane went into a spin, narrowly missed two houses and smashed to earth in Anacostia, 2 miles from Bolling Field. The dead were Col. Leslie MacDill, 49, of the War Department general staff, who lived at 3105 Cathedral avenue northwest, and Private Joseph G. Gloxner, of First Staff Squadron, of Reading, Pa. Both were instantly killed. Maj. Charles P. Prime, chief investigator, said last night that eyewitnesses have given conflicting reports regarding engine trouble. Coroner A. Magruder MacDonald said he would postpone decision on holding an inquest into the deaths until he had received the Army report. Trouble With Motor The BC-1 pursuit plane piloted by Col. MacDill took off from Bolling Field at 9:36 a.m. Three minutes later it crashed on S street, a block away from the busy intersection of Good Hope road and Nichols avenue. Accounts pieced together from numerous eyewitnesses indicate that something happened to the motor and Col. MacDill tried to get back to his field, and then with death staring him in the face aimed his plane for a narrow space between two houses in order to land on Thirteenth street, headed for an alley. The plane cut down telephone and power wires, knocked down a pole, clipped off tree limbs and plunged into the earth between the curb and street in front of the home of Robert Thompson, 1807 Thirteenth street, southeast. The plane immediately burst into flames, settled back on a parked car. Burning gasoline flowed down the street and destroyed three other parked cars. One civilian came within 10 feet of being killed in the crash. That was Clarence W. Ohm, plumber of 1612 W street southeast. He had parked his car directly across the street from the crash, and was just getting from his car when the plane struck. Flames Leap 50 Feet Both bodies were burned beyond recognition by the flames which leaped as high as 50 feet. One of the bodies was thrown from the fuselage, while the head was torn from the other. Fireman fought half an hour with water and chemicals. Louis Fiedler, mechanic, and Harry Rosenthal, manager of Mandell Chevrolet garage at Thirteenth street and Good Hope road, and Earl Hazel, of 1235 U street southeast, rushed to the plane with fire extinguishers. The heat drove them away. Fiedler's face was scorched. The street at the time of the crash was deserted except for Ohm. Few people were attracted by sound of the plane until it exploded because Anacostia residents have become accustomed to low-flying planes. Heard Body Plop Ohm related that because of a broken gasket on the exhaust pipe of his automobile, he heard nothing until a plop which suggested to him falling of a human body. From his parked car he heard a scream and saw a body on the pavement before an explosion "like a 16-inch gun" shot up huge clouds of black smoke and flames. Still shaking from his experience last night he said, "it was the most horrible thing I ever saw. I thought the world was coming to and end. I have felt so bad all day I couldn't clean up the brains splattered on my car." Col. MacDill was a graduate of Hanover College, University of Indiana, and the Army War College. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Marilla Augusta MacDill, and two daughters, Katherine Rose, 14, and Rose, 11. Col MacDill was first commissioned a second lieutenant, Coast Artillery Corps, in 1912. By time of the World War he had been promoted to captain of Air Corps. Overseas he organized the Aerial Gunnery School at St. Jean de Monts, France. In 1920 he was graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and held several commands until 1930 when he came to Washington in Plans Division, Office of Chief of Air Corps. After attending the Army and Naval War Colleges, he returned here in 1934. The bodies of both men are being held at Walter Reed Hospital. The crash scene today; remarkable how little the house has changed. View Larger Map A one, two, three, four...The military guy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth looks like Arte Johnson of "Laugh-In" fame. He seems to be conducting an orchestra in the middle of the street. Very surreal. Harry Rosenthal>> Louis Fiedler, mechanic, and Harry Rosenthal, manager of Mandell Chevrolet garage at Thirteenth street and Good Hope road, and Earl Hazel, of 1235 U street southeast, rushed to the plane with fire extinguishers. Harry went on to open his own Chevrolet dealership some years later. Mandell Chevrolet was owned by Ben Ourisman, who had named the dealership after his son. Military operationThe whole removal project was apparently carried out by the army. The three men to the right of the officer in charge are no doubt army men. One has staff sergeant stripes, one buck sergeant and can't tell about the other. The man on the viewer's right has coveralls over his uniform. The little billed fatigue hats are a sure sign. There is likely a navy man there too. The man in the white hat looks to be in a dungaree uniform with his white hat turned down. I'd guess that the navy furnished the crane from the Washington Navy Yard. The 'Before' PictureNot the exact plane, of course, but same model. ConductorThe Army man guiding the crane is not an officer. His cap device is that of an elisted man. Correction!OK, somewhat late to the thread, but the Washington Post article states: "Col. MacDill was a graduate of Hanover College, University of Indiana, and the Army War College." 'Tis and 'twas "Indiana University," not "University of Indiana. Harrumph. Spent 22 years in the USAF, never realized MacDill was named after a fellow Hoosier, tho. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Waiting: 1940
... about 40 people, had been killed by a direct hit the night before. He was taken to see a dead German airman hanging by his parachute ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2008 - 4:15pm -

England, 1940-41. "Battle of Britain. Children in an English bomb shelter." British Information Service/U.S. Office of War Information. View full size. FrighteningThis is perhaps one of the most frightening photographs I've ever seen. Blue SkyDid you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs? Kids TodayThe next time I see some spoiled kid whine about getting their stupid cell phone privileges taken away for a day… Their eyesTo these kids, the bombs dropping was real. I'm trying to look in their eyes and see fear, but I hardly do. In fact, they seem to be almost amused. I wonder how I, as a dad, would prepare my children to see the horrors of war. I honestly don't know how I would handle it. That's got to be one of the saddest and most difficult tasks a father must do. Those frightened facesI just finished reading Judith Kerr's trilogy Out Of the Hitler Time- an autobiography of her childhood fleeing Germany, being a Jewish refugee in France and then England. Her description of the normalcy of life before the bombing, then what it was like to be in a building when the one next door was demolished, was one of the most vivid accounts I have read. Judith Kerr would be about the age of the dark haired girl in the photo who is on the verge of becoming a young lady. I wonder what happened to these children. I wonder if any are still alive and if they know they are on the Internet today. Great picture"The next time I see some spoiled kid whine about having his xBox taken off for a month..." My thoughts exactly. And yes, this needs to be set to Pink Floyd music. FacesI find it interesting to look at the expressions on the kids' faces. Some look amused, others curious, some worried, one scared. Some of the older kids are holding the younger ones. All are looking up to see if the planes are coming. The trench itself looks awfully flimsy... makes me wonder how many people died in trench collapses instead of the falling bombs. Bomb shelterI have seen this picture before. The children are looking at British Spitfires fighting German Messerschmitts. Still a dangerous place to be. Children of WarNightly bombings of Britain were so numerous that they became expected, even by children. There aren't any "spoiled" kids in this trench. Maybe they don't look scaredMaybe they don't look scared because this is a staged photo. They are all looking in different directions. [There's no reason for them to be looking in one direction. - Dave] British Kids in the WarMy dad (b1928) has many stories of German bombing in Plymouth (UK) that show the mix of fear and excitement that children feel when exposed to danger beyond their understanding. With his friends he collected shrapnel, spent bullets and other souvenirs. He enjoyed the fires, explosions, sirens, searchlights, tracers, exploring bombed buildings, and plane spotting. He and his friends tried to set an unexploded incendiary bomb off by hitting it with bricks and then by putting it on a bonfire. Neither worked! He describes his class rushing as a mob to the windows of their school in Devonport to watch a Rescue Squad remove bodies and body parts from a large public air-raid shelter in the park opposite. Everyone in it, he thinks about 40 people, had been killed by a direct hit the night before. He was taken to see a dead German airman hanging by his parachute from a tree. He thought it was a laugh having all the windows at the back of his house blown out by a near miss. What wasn't funny was the winter nights in a wet unheated Anderson Shelter in the back garden. Or waiting 3 days for his father to come home after a raid (no-one knew where he was because he'd been trapped in a collapsed shelter, fortunately uninjured apart from being deafened in one ear). Nor did he enjoy being evacuated to live with strangers whilst his family stayed in danger. He was close enough to Plymouth to know when it was being raided. There was no telephone and he had to wait for a letter to know if they were OK; getting a telegram was feared because it meant death or injury. Almost no sweets and no imported fruit like oranges and bananas. Rationing didn't completely end in Britain until 1954 and dad still laughs at many WW2 Hollywood films because they get the details wrong by scattering the set with consumer goods that were extremely rare at the time due to U-Boats and a war economy. Incidentally, many thanks to the US for saving Europe then and for many good deeds since. Not the place here but it's sad that the nation that's been the biggest single force for good in the world since 1941 is so widely hated! (If you want to know the answer, it's because Uncle Sam is Homer Simpson. Kind, well-meaning, decent but ignorant, tactless, insensitive, greedy...) Hero's ReturnJesus, Jesus, what's it all about? Trying to clout these little ingrates into shape. When I was their age all the lights went out. There was no time to whine or mope about. -Roger Waters (The Gallery, Kids, WW2)
Weller's Pharmacy: 1915
... Weller, pioneer Washington druggist, who died Sunday night at the residence of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. R.W. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:13pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1915. "Weller's drug store, Eighth & I streets S.E." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Hmmmm chocolate!I love the Lowney's chocolate display advert in the back. It reminds me about 30 years ago of the Lowneys factory that was about half a mile from my house. They made the "Oh Henry" candybar and when the wind blew just right the air smelled of peanuts. Are those postcards to the right of the Lowney's display? It's a Wonderful StoreThe only things missing are a distracted Mr. Gower (behind the counter), Violet Bick (at the candy counter), young George Bailey helping out, and the future Mrs. Bailey ordering a chocolate sundae with no coconut. Label LustThe drugstore photos are among my favorites. They show what everyday life was like through the products people were using. That makes this photo one of the best and one of the most frustrating. There is so much just out of sight. I could spend a day in this store just reading labels. And thanks, Dave, for the sponge closeup. My point exactly. Two convenient locationsEventually Frank Weller had two pharmacies, at 755 Eighth Street SE and 3534 M Street NW. Click to embiggen. The folding seatsI would offer a suggestion that these unique seats, considering their height and location, may have been part of an actual fountain alluded to below in the comments, especially if one imagines that when the seats were originally installed there was no glass cabinetry on the underlying countertops. Rather, this may have been a true counter for enjoying the assorted delights one would find in a drugstore of the time. Without the glass display cases and the built up corner edging, these seats would have been at a more convenient height for patrons indulging in chocolate sundaes, egg creams and banana splits. This is one of those Shorpy photos when one wishes for turbo zoom feature on one's mouse. So much detail just beyond visual reach. Mystery MerchandiseCan anyone identify the things for sale in the curved glass case above the spittoon? The carved display cases are a thing of beauty. [Sponges. "Best bath, sponge bath." - Dave] 4:05 PM, I need a Carbello.I think if one was to ask me to describe what a classic drug store looked like, I wouldn't imagine being far off from this image. The tin ceilings, elaborate casework, patterned tile floor, paper-wrapped goods behind glass cases, it's all here. Of course, I probably wouldn't have imagined an ornate spittoon. [That's an apothecary jar. The spittoon is on the floor in the corner. And it's 12:54. - Dave] 12:54? Am I not clearly seeing minute hand on the 5, hour hand on the 4? [You are not. - Dave] FlooredAll quite beautiful, except for the dizzying floor. Any product put in such display cases instantly looks better. Washington EliteSomething tells me this is where the rich and fabulous Washington Elite shopped for their sundries, notions, lotions and potions. It is kind of near K Street. OutstandingMagnificent casework and displays! I can't guess what they would cost to replace in today's market, but it would really be a pretty penny! I love the folding stools for clients along the left side. All the detailsLove the retractable stools on the left. Very clever! Your Parents' Drug StoreWhat a great contrast to drug stores of today. Sometimes its hard to tell if you're in a drug store or a convienience store. Seems our town has a Walgreen's or CVS on every major block, not to mention the pharmacies in Wal-Mart, K-Mart and all the grocery stores. Waterman PensAh yes, Waterman's Fountain Pens, the fountain pen of my youth! Once, in Delaware in 1951, mine managed to spit out a blob of Schaeffer's Skrip blue-black ink onto the sports jacket cuff of Boston Braves' Manager Billy Southworth while he was signing my autograph book. That was sweet revenge for me, those Braves having beaten my Brooklyn Dodgers to the National League pennant in a tight race back in 1948. What goes around, comes around. The dirty look Billy gave me was priceless. Frank P. WellerThe 1900 and 1910 census records show Frank P. Weller and family living above his store at 753 8th st S.E. In the 1920s Weller teamed with druggist Thomas A. Moskey and the business began to be advertised as "Weller & Moskey Pharmacy." F.P. Weller is buried several blocks east of his pharmacy at the Congressional Cemetery (link to PDF of Congressional Cemetery record). I don't know what kind of store $350 could have built in 1890. The Capitol Hill Restoration Society database of building permits lists an August 31, 1892 permit for a $16,000 brick dwelling at 753 8th st SE. Washington Post, Sep 3, 1890 Building Permits The following building permits were issued yesterday: F.P. Weller, one brick store, at No. 753 Eighth street southeast, to cost $350. Washington Post, Mar 28, 1933 Franklin P. Weller Services Are Today Retired Pharmacist, Native of Maryland, Was Once in U.S. Navy Funeral services for Franklin Pierce Weller, pioneer Washington druggist, who died Sunday night at the residence of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Hynson, 3435 Thirty-fourth place, will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at the Hynson home. Interment will be in the Congressional Cemetery. ... Mr. Weller, 78, was born in Thurmont, Frederick County, Md., December 21, 1854, of Revolutionary ancestry. He came to Washington 70 years ago. During the early eighties he served as a pharmacist in the United States Navy on board the U.S.S. Galena. Upon his retirement from the Navy he engaged in private practice and opened a drug store in Washington at Eighth and I streets southeast which has been a landmark for a generation. he retired from business last October. He served in the hospital corps of the District National Guard for 27 years. He was a member of the Metropolitan Presbyterian Church, of the De Molay Commandery, Knights Templar, and St. John's Lodge, F.A.A.M. ... 755 Eighth Street SEIf this is the right corner, the building is still in fairly authentic condition: View Larger Map And if this is the same building, it is also where 200 WWI veterans stayed during the Bonus March in 1932. Gas lamps, no electricityEdison didn't get his hands in this store's cash till yet! Look at the details in the ceiling lamp in front. No electrical anything in this store. The Great Time DebateI have to say that it looks like 4:05 to me. With the inset small face showing seconds, the only hands on the main face should be the minute and hour, and the hand pointing at the digit one seems clearly longer than the one pointing at the four. [As we can see below, this is an approximately 60-second time exposure taken from 12:53 to 12:54. - Dave] Thanks Dave, I can see it in your detailed image, couldn't see it in my blowup from the on line image. Granddad's PharmacyWhere's the soda fountain? My granddad had a pharmacy like this from about 1914 to 1964. He worked there another 6 years or so after he sold it. It was located on the square of Piggott, Arkansas and it was the most popular place right after school let out each day. The soda fountain was the main draw for the kids. The display cabinets in this potograph look more ornate than the ones at my granddad's store. The clock does say 4:05 and those items in the curved case might be bath sponges of some kind. I also noticed a clock through the far left window of the pharmacy area. What happens at Weller's, stays at Weller'sAn amazing place. I'm sure I see the words "Sub Rosa" on a box in the central case, behind the jar that looks like a giant Faberge egg, indicating secrecy to "all ye who look in here"? Folding stools on the display case/counter at the left. Did ladies get cosmetic makeovers there? Did people wait for their prescriptions on a fold-out stool? And is that a rotary greeting card holder in the center right rear? Precursor of Hallmark? Postcards to the right? Those cases are more ornate than any drugstore I've ever even seen photos of. A place where money is no object, and the things in the center case are secret!? And I'll bet someone MIGHT have spit secretly in that Faberge egg jar. Apothecary globesSome examples from the Drugstore Museum and the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. CountersThe "carved" sections look more like painted cast iron or plaster, not wood. Woodcarvings and moreThe woodcarvings are a delight, I wouldn't have imagined such beauty into a store. Those days the things were thought to last and therefore they wanted good stuff I guess. Make such a thing today would require a little fortune. And I'm not sure if you can easily find the skilled woodcarvers to do it properly. Amd the stained glass on the door! I may have four of those stoolsThis is exciting! I have four similarly spring-loaded stools, which were described to me as being trolley seats at the time I purchased them. The era of the casting looks about right. (The wooden seats on mine appear to have been replaced.) Anyone got a guess, or (gasp) knowledge? Are these something like jump seats for a trolley, or more likely to be for sitting at the counter having a soda? Even if I learn nothing else, I've now got an image that confirms how/where to install these things! re: I may have four of those stoolsHere are the patents for Linda's folding stools. They are a little different than the ones in the photo, which have a single, s-curved support pedestal and what looks like a different spring-loaded locking mechanism. Yours are described in the patent specifications as being "particularly designed for use in connection with store counters", not trolley cars. http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=_uE_AAAAEBAJ&dq=644,789 http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=gZpFAAAAEBAJ&dq=596,931 (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Space Cadets: 1905
... their realization that when they boarded their saucer the night before, Ming "forgot" to tell them that not only was this a one-way trip, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:17pm -

Circa 1905. Anyplace, USA. "Schoolboys." In spiffy foil uniforms. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. UPDATE: This is the Saints Peter and Paul Academy, 64 Parsons St., Detroit. Whoever can identify this schoolIs my total Shorpy Hero. Precursor to the AFDBThese foil uniforms were quite a few years ahead of their time; it took several more decades for the full benefits of the Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie to be completely recognized. Tinfoil KnightsTin foil was common in 1905. However, judging from the facade of of this school (?), it was not the run of the mill PS 10. Perhaps the little knights were clad in the new aluminum foil which was not yet in mass production or even silver foil. The uniformity of their pants, hats and spiffy swords and belts implies a privileged background. Perhaps they are sons of lodge members posing on the lodge steps. Could easily beAnywhere USA, 2011. The faces and foils outfits of these boys look timeless. It does disturb me, though, that there is not a single smiling face. Well Armed Space CadetsWell, they all have swords anyway. Ears to YouFront row second from right.Yes, I know it's not nice but you gotta admit that is a fine pair. Things get bigThis photo reminds me of a remark made by a friend who saw my Cub Scout den photo: "Well, your head got bigger but your ears are the same size." Curses,Foiled again! RegardlessOf the location, what were they thinking? Anti-radiation suits? in 1905? Against what? Really a mystery. IndeedSpace Cadets:1905 Laughing out loud. A tip of the hat to the caption writer. You nailed it. Visions of MarsBy 1905 science fiction and space travel were well established genre for readers. Though his books were published after 1905, the space books of Edgar Rice Burroughs always featured swords. Re: Ears to YouLooks like the kid on the far left is his wingman! Mine looked like that at that age, too, I'm afraid. Most UnusualThis is surely the oddest photograph I have ever seen on Shorpy. I suppose they might be dressed to play knights, but the hats don't fit for that. If this were 1950 they could be spacemen, but this is 1905. Any guesses? Cradle to GraveThese boys look to have been born around the turn of the century. This would have placed them at military age at the end of WW1, married and raising children during the depression, having their children serving in WW2, watching college ROTC buildings burned and race riots in the streets on TV in their sixties, and listening to disco playing from the boom boxes the care home nurses would bring in when they were around 80 years old. What a fascinating era of American history they lived through. Has anyone consideredPerhaps these are not earthlings. Perhaps they are not even children or whatever the young are called where they came from. Maybe their glum faces reflect their realization that when they boarded their saucer the night before, Ming "forgot" to tell them that not only was this a one-way trip, but the special, shiny uniforms issued just before blast-off, despite what Ming said, were not about to lure any female species up onto those unusual slabs of...of something very hard that mysteriously makes everyone in the back look taller than Mork and his engine-room crew up front. Incredible Photo!This photo is really more than 100 years old! My grandma was born in 1905. The Who's WhoIt would be so interesting to know the names of the young boys in this photo and especially where they went and what they became later on in life. Of course, it would be interesting to know just what was going on here. Re: Has anyone consideredNow that that meme has been implanted, you have a point! Captain: Top left First Officer: Bottom, 2nd from left Chief Engineer: Bottom, 3rd from right, next to his assistant, "Ears". The rest look glum, but those three have that serious, "Our mission WILL succeed!" look! DatingHas the date been verified? 1905 doesn't seem likely based on the clothing style and the sheer quantity of the "foil". This looks more like mid-century to me, say 1940s to 1955 or so. [Circa 1900-1905 is correct. - Dave] Little CuirassiersThat's what they look like. Shining ArmorHasn't anyone ever heard of "knights in shining armor"? I wanted to make a foil suit like that when I was a tot in the early 60s, but my mom would only let me make it out of paper bags. Not so shiny. I had a rocking horse that was supposed to look western but I was much more impressed by thew movie "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" than I was by Roy Rogers. We Are Not MenWe are the Casale brothers' grandfathers. Jules VerneIt's possible that these boys were playing in a sci-fi epic from the great Mr. Verne. Pirates of PenzanceI am an orphan King! A passel of Major Stanleys? (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Kids)
PGH: 1905
... with its hat off. PGH 2011 Here is a very recent night view from a different location on Mount Washington. This one is for ... from the era. - Dave] Sentimental Journey The night before Amtrak took over rail passenger service I took the last westbound ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:15pm -

1905. "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Mount Washington." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mon Incline, Smithfield St Bridge, P&LE to either sideWe're probably on the Monongahela Incline, looking at the Smithfield St Bridge with the P&LE Station to the immediate left. Some of the buildings on the far river bank, to the left of the bridge, are still standing, and we've seen them in other Shorpy photos. On the right of the bridge you can see a sign for "Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad" I think that may be the old B&O station. On the right on the near bank, those are 'team tracks' for the P&LE, where local freight would be loaded onto wagons by teamsters (hence the name 'team track'). There's a flat car with what looks like marble or granite spotted by the stiff leg derrick on the far right, and closer to the river there's a wagon being loaded from what I'm pretty sure is a 'beer car', an insulated car like a reefer that does not have ice hatches. The barrels in the wagon would reinforce that view :-) To the left of that car, note the C&O car on the adjoining track with a noticeable dip. That car needs to have its truss rods tightened. Fill 'er Up!Looks like water being pumped into the open-top structure in the rail yard. I guess it got some natural fill from Mother Nature whenever it rained. Hellwith its hat off. PGH 2011Here is a very recent night view from a different location on Mount Washington. This one is for Train Lovers.The four-lane road to the left, crossing the Monongahela River, is Smithfield Street. The lovely masonry arches are still there by Google Earth Streetview (the lower tier anyway). Also still there is the 12 story building on the far side of the river, to the right of Smithfield. It looks like there were two railway passenger stations, one on either side of the river. The building in the lower left, with the two-level roadway access is still there too. The sign out front calls it "The Landmark Building" with address "One Station Square". The station across the river is gone, as are the tracks on that side. There are still two tracks parallel the river on the near side which probably belong to the CSX Railway (At least there are current pictures of CSX trains on these tracks.) CSX predecessor roads include Chesapeake & Ohio and Baltimore & Ohio, so perhaps the still-extant station building belonged to one of those. I really get a kick out of pictures of old towns, and old railway infrastructure. There seems to be many more pictures of locomotives, some trains, but few views of yards, stations, etc. Asthmatics BewareClicking on the "view full size" button might cause you to need your inhaler! Also still standing.. The courthouse!Also still standing is the magnificent Allegheny County Courthouse, designed in 1883 by Henry Hobson Richardson, built between 1884-1888. It's the humungous stone building near the top of the image, just to the right of the center. I've never seen it standing so proud; the march of progress has surrounded it with taller buildings that make its presence less profound. I'm sure there's significance to the fact that it has no smokestack billowing puffy steam/smoke. Off-site heating? Government holiday? Thermal inertia? StunningSo many landmarks to pick out. This is one I'll come back to over and over. I can almost see my office building from there, but it's just a tad too far away. ContrastThe railway cars and those tracks look like a very elaborate train set and across the river, the smog and smoke in the air serves to hide most of the visible city. Based on the plumes of smoke the wind during the shot seems to have been from this side of the river. Maybe the photographer waited for just the right moment. Steam.Quite a few buildings have a plume of white steam coming from a funnel-shaped exhaust, often located on the chimney stack, where the coal-fired smoke would exit. Is this an early form of pollution control? If it is, the air quality is still pretty grim. Or maybe it would have been even worse without the steam treatment. Since steam heat was common at this time the vents could just be excess steam escaping from the heating system. But it seems unusual to have such a vent arrangement like that. Did Pittsburgh have a central steam plant that delivered steam to buildings downtown? That might be the answer. [What is the coal heating? Boilers. Which are the source of the vapor. - Dave] Pittsburgh TodayIt's such a clean, beautiful city. What a change. Los Angeles, 2019 A.D.Heads down when those flying police cars buzz just overhead. Ahead of its timeIn the foreground and to the right of the flatcar load of stone is a rarity for 1905. The P&LE coal car is steel, rather than wood. Steel cars of any type were just starting to appear on the nation's railroads at this time. The extra deep bottom side sill on that car was totally unnecessary, however the earliest steel cars were built that way because some railroads initially didn't trust the steel and so overbuilt. The small freight yard in the foreground is an excellent example of a "team track." Customers were notified by the railroad their load had arrived (or empty car spotted for loading) and the customer would send a crew with wagon down to work the car, as seen being done here. Team tracks allowed businesses without their own rail siding to use a railroad's service, and allowed firms with limited capacity rail sidings or desire to use other carriers to move their freight. Most towns, even small ones, had at least a team track. Big cities had a number of team yards like this one. Pittsburgh Steam ExplainedThe boilers placed in these buildings usually served a variety of applications at once. Each application may have required different steam pressures and/or temperatures. So a boiler would be configured to generate steam for the biggest load. To serve a smaller thermal demand, steam would be branched off the main distribution line and the throughput would be “stepped down” by simply venting the excess steam, which is what you see here. Thermally wasteful? Sure. But fuel was cheap then. [On a more basic level: The large buildings here would have used boilers (mostly coal-fired) for steam heat and hot water. Hence the many vapor clouds in skyline photos from the era. - Dave] Sentimental JourneyThe night before Amtrak took over rail passenger service I took the last westbound B&O Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh, repeating a trip I'd taken more than a dozen times as a kid. As they had for decades, the B&O used this station which the P&LE kept in immaculate condition. I remember walking up the grand staircase with the shining brass handrails, and out that door to the bridge. It looked the same, with streetcars still running on the right side. There was even a steamboat -- a dinner boat -- tied up where the two are in this photo. As I walked over the bridge to get a better look, they cast off and chugged up the river. I truly felt I'd stepped into a time warp. PGH railroad cars Once again the old axiom is true: Every old railroad train picture has to have at least one Northern Pacific freight car in it! Wagon GaugeThe wagons traveling across the bridge are yet another rarely seen example of wagons having the same wheel gauge or width as railroads, or in this case, streetcars, 56½ inches or Standard Gauge. In close quarters like these, one set of wheels would eventually fall into the inside wheel flange groove while the other set of wheels rode just outside the rail. Certainly easy enough to pull to the side to get out, but usually one just "rode the rail". In cobble stone streets wagons commonly "rode the rails" as it was a smoother ride, while not literally on the rails, but just to one side. This width or gauge began with the Roman chariots fitting behind two horses and became standard down through the years. The beginning of railroads used horse drawn wagons or carts on wooden plank with the same gauge as the wagons previously. Early automobiles such as the model T also used the same width to run in the wagon ruts made before it. The wheel width is still in use as standard gauge. Sharpies!The radius curves there in the lower right in the yard are pretty tight. A few even has guard rails to aid the cars and locos around them. I wonder why kind of engine serviced this facility? 0-6-0? Probably nothing with a pilot wheel set unless they were very nimble. Green spaceA neatly manicured green space can be seen by the heating plant on the right side of the bridge; flower beds included. No doubt that was mowed with a "push" mower powered by muscle. Look at the golf green pattern; nice job. This was a common site on railway properties large and small. These were probably sacrificed due to cost cutting: pity. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Penn Station: 1910
... a coincidence! I was just watching "Metropolis" last night. Where is the Metal Man? Sensible Thinking Even with their minds ... NY The 11:31 to Babylon I see this same view every night when I catch the 11:31 to Babylon. Except now there is a ceiling roughly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:22pm -

New York ca. 1910. "Pennsylvania Station. Track level, main and exit concourses, stair entrance." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Erector SetMy brother made something similar in the basement in the early 60s. Stairway to HempsteadOne of those original staircases still exists: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatafarce/437171241/ Practice RunThough the station appears to have not yet opened for use there is a DD1 transfer locomotive a few platforms in the background. These locomotives used outside third rail and had a small pantograph to collect power from an overhead catenary. *sniffle*Every photo I see of the original Penn Station is like a little knife in my heart. As someone who didn't move to NYC until after its destruction, I feel like I've been deprived of something magical. What a coincidence!I was just watching "Metropolis" last night. Where is the Metal Man? Sensible ThinkingEven with their minds on all that beautiful iron, stone and glass and McKim, Mead & White still had the foresight to build large ports beside the tracks to quickly and easily sweep the trash that riders might toss. Railroad ObserverThis photograph shows the station when final construction and clean up was almost complete. The electrified third rails can be seen adjacent to the tracks. These powered some pioneering electric locomotives that would handle the trains between the west portal near North Bergan, NJ (known as Manhattan Transfer) and the station. An excellent read on the construction of this station and the far bigger challenge of tunneling under the Hudson River is, "Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels" by Jill Jonnes. We don't need no stinkin' rampsThe architects must have considered themselves generous to people in wheelchairs by putting those intermittent landings every 12 or 13 stairs. Not a soul in sightGood thing too with these nails sticking up. Beautiful ironworkI love all the lattice work, the lattice arches, and the rivet details. Everything looks all crisp and new in this photo. Booooard!Would be said soon, but not quite yet. The debris and construction detritus here and there, the temporary shack thing on the left, and more tellingly, the lack of track number signage on the arches over each stairway tell me this photo was taken before September 8, 1910, when Penn Station came online, no pun intended. Penn Station to my pre-teen small town mind was mind-blowing. When you entered from the street and started down its super scale main stairs, it was like entering another world, one that promised travel to distant and exotic destinations. My dad worked for the PRR so we went to NYC often, free. But our home destination was Altoona, Pa., not a hotbed of exotica. From NYC Architecture: In 1963, one of New York City's finest buildings was demolished to make way for a new $116M sports arena and entertainment complex. Sound familiar? Pennsylvania Station, the monumental 1910 Beaux-Arts masterpiece of architects McKim, Mead and White, was leveled, and replaced with the fourth incarnation of Madison Square Garden. In the 1950s the rise of the automobile and the frenzy of highway building had severely threatened the viability of passenger railways. The owner of Penn Station, the Pennsylvania Railroad, was near financial ruin. In the late 1950s the four blocks of land the station covered in Manhattan had become too valuable not to sell. So BrightIt's amazing how much effort was put into letting natural light into this space. From the windows and skylights to the glass block floors they did everything they could to maximize it. Unfortunately, with dirt and grime accumulating over time, it no doubt got more and more dark and foreboding. It's not something most would notice as it happened gradually, but that along with the inevitable dust and other detritus gathering on all that open steelwork I can only imagine how disgusting the place must have been in its twilight years. The lack of proper maintenance and utter disdain for classical architecture that prevailed in the mid 20th century certainly didn't help. Many historic treasures have been restored to an amazing condition that few knew existed. Images like this show just how breathtaking some of these great old spaces that we see today as grungy and dark can be if they're properly restored. A beautiful 20th century cathedral.I looked into Wiki to see when it was built and, as I thought, it was brand new in 1910 when the picture was taken. Based on the exterior photos I have seen, the current Pennsylvania Station doesn't hold a candle to this one. Penn's legacyAs many probably know, Penn Station was owned by the spiraling-towards-bankruptcy Pennsylvania Railroad. The Pennsy couldn't afford to keep this giant station operating when the air rights over the tracks were so lucrative (the space over the tracks now Madison Square Garden). Its destruction lead to the modern preservation movement. Many historic structures have been saved due to this building loss, and subsequent awareness of the value of significant buildings. "It was a crime to tear it down!"This is a moldy bit of received wisdom that's become tedious by constant repetition. Penn Station may have been pleasant to look at in 1910, but by 1960 it was a decrepit eyesore that was a complete bust as a functioning train station. If even half of the Monday-morning preservationists who bemoan its fate had been willing to put some money where their mouths were, it might still be around. Underlying fundamentalsPenn Station's success as a functioning train station is confirmed by the fact that nearly all the below grade facilities - tracks, platforms, and even some stairways - are still in use today. The universal regret over the loss of the superb public spaces above grade is reflected in the most recent proposal for the site, Moynihan Station, which aims to recreate these spaces right across the street inside the the shell of the old Post Office Building, another design from the office of McKim, Mead and White. Up and DownRamps were not needed since anyone in need could use elevators from the concourse towards the left that would take them down to track level. Though 99% of the architecture is lost, those same staircases and elevators are still in use today. Joe from LI, NY The 11:31 to BabylonI see this same view every night when I catch the 11:31 to Babylon. Except now there is a ceiling roughly 15 feet overhead, complete with various pipes and other assorted infrastructure that make the experience of travel so rewarding. Maybe not in its primeBut when I first saw it in 1958 it blew my 12-year-old mind. A fitting entry portal for the "Standard Railroad of the World." Form vs. FunctionA note to all the "Monday Morning Preservationists" -- would you prefer to drive to West New Jersey to see the Knicks? Rangers? Concerts? The dog show? A decrepit museum was replaced by a useful, functioning building. If you want to see what Penn Station would look like today, go across the Hudson to Hoboken and take a look at the Hoboken Ferry station. Without money to maintain its turn of the century glory, the ferry station has turned into a depressing mausoleum of days gone by. All the whining in the worldAll the whining in the world about how unsightly, grimy, or whatever Penn Station was in its declining years (all of which could have been dealt with by apportioning for its upkeep a fraction of the money that went into real-estate thugs' pockets in the transactions that led to its demise) can't obscure the fact that a soaring, beautiful monument to the aspirations of man was replaced with a squalid, stunted, cheap and uncomfortable monument to greed and hubris. The Sistine Chapel is reputed to be just awfully expensive to keep clean; why not spray acousti-tile over it and be done with the burden? When you stepped out of your train onto that platform, the astonishing and unexpected vastness of the space around you was a perfect metaphor for the possibilities of your future in America's greatest city. As I suppose the current incarnation is as well, in its own way, in this Age of the Bankster. I consider myself lucky to have there, grime, panhandlers, dirt, and all. No title needed.Imagine anymore the vision for having a building whose primary purpose would be to create a life experience for those passing through, and incidentally to also serve as a train station! We live cheaper lives now in many ways. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
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