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Diner at Seven: 1940
... Look at the condensation on the window. Not a good night to be outside in your shirt sleeves. Whre in Clinton? Can anyone ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2018 - 11:03am -

February 1940. "Truck driver in diner. Clinton, Indiana." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. French Fried Popcorn- - am I reading that right?? [Mrs. Klein says, "Yes." -tterrace] Milk for the truck driverAnd I see Sen Sen in the background. They tasted like soap to me. Bus DriverHis change dispenser is on the counter to his left. [That's what those pants made me think. I saw Greyhound drivers still wearing them in the 1950s in Marin County, California. -tterrace] [Also, his cap-badge says BUS. - Dave] I'd kill to have that light fixture!There's so much going on in this photo. The more I look at it, the more questions I have. 5 cents a bagWhat in the world is french-fried popcorn? I want some! French-fried popcorn?Pretty much what it sounds like: Heat a deep fryer load of oil, put in a basket, and pour in the kernels. Cover(!!) and wait until the popping slows to a stop; lift out the basket full of popcorn. Local NewsThe driver is reading the February 19, 1940 issue of The Daily Clintonian. The reward mentioned to the left of the masthead was for E. C. Harris, who stole the money from a $26,000 Clinton bond issue, and for Earl "Doc" Potter, a former cemetery superintendent who had embezzled city funds. Street Car ConductorThe gentleman looks like a street car (light rail) conductor. There was a spur of the Terre Haute, Indianopolis & Eastern Traction Co. that ran up to Clinton from Terre Haute. Clinton was a small town of about 7,000 residents at the time. About 3,000 of these residents have strong ties to Italy because their parents or grandparents came from Northern Italy. [As noted below (as well as on his cap), he is a BUS driver. - Dave] Baby It's Cold OutsideLook at the condensation on the window. Not a good night to be outside in your shirt sleeves. Whre in Clinton?Can anyone zoom in on the Store License (over the shoulder of the waitress)? The address and perhaps the name of the owner might be legible. Clinton is not that large a town. I suspect it might have been near the bus station--when it existed. Bulk Buying Bargain!Charles Thomson. 3 cents each, or five for 15 cents! What's in the little tubes?The name is obscured. Something-phos? Sanitized for your protection...Note the transformer and wires up on the wall (next to ceiling light) probably leading to a neon sign in the window behind the valence or maybe an outside sign. The way the wires are strung and the way that switch is wired to the overhead light, I predict a fire in their future. Especially since someone spent all that time, cutting up crepe paper to trim the shelves. I wonder about the condensation on the window indicating the temperature outside. Probably the result of all that cookin' going on inside. If you have pots boiling or a steam table holding food at temperature, you would get condensation inside the windows. Also very surprised to seen "whoopie pies" on the desert shelf, a Pennsylvania delicacy. Finally, I note the "Sanitary" nut dispenser. "Sanitary" was a big buzzword then, even to the point of there being diners named "Sanitary Diner" in Indiana back then. The Pinball MachineMy Cousin the Pinball Guru came up with a make and model for the Pinball Machine. It's a 1937 Bally "Arlington" Probably named after Arlington Park in Illinois, Bally was based in Chicago. Who knew there was an Internet Pinball Machine Database. http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=88&picno=6566 What's in the tubes -- Answered?If you check the illustration above the tubes, you'll see a hand pouring a tube's contents into a glass. This leads me to believe it's either a headache powder, or something akin to Alka-Seltzer. Sometimes it pays to do internet research, or just ask."We received your inquiry on a picture that was found of a 1940s diner in Clinton Indiana. "We believe that it was the Speed Grill on 114 N. Main St. Thanks." Christina Hardesty Librarian Assistant Clinton Public Library 313 S. 4th St., Clinton, IN 47842 PHOSShort for phosphate. I have found kali phos (potassium phosphate), ferrum phos (iron), calc phos (calcium), and mag phos (magnesium), all homeopathic treatments for a range of ailments from pain and fever to anxiousness and sadness. But I haven't been able to find an image of those 1940 tubes, and I can't make out the word to the left of PHOS on the display panel. [It's Bromo-Phos liniment. - Dave] FirestoneI wonder what kind of product is sold under the brand Firestone: "Mar..tips"? or ".......ES"? [Matches. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Eateries & Bars)
Jim and Jack: 1943
... one of my grandfather's Kromers in a box of hats last night. It's just like the one hanging on a nail behind the brakeman. ... you never left your job, and yards were never quiet day or night. They added weight to trains, generated no revenue, added switching ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2009 - 10:30am -

March 1943. "Conductor James M. Johnson and brakeman Jack Torbet having lunch in the caboose on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Waynoka, Oklahoma, and Canadian, Texas." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. ATSFThe wearing of trainman badges (Conductor, Brakeman) on a fedora style hat really seems to have been a Santa Fe thing that was not prevalent on other railroads. That's a bad brim.The brakeman is sporting one very cool lid and I think he knows it. Jack Delano does it once again. Nice mug, buddyMy grandmother had those huge white stoneware mugs that could keep coffee hot for hours. The glaze was crazed from decades of us. When her farmhouse was emptied, I always regretted not snagging one of those. They likely were thrown out. I can't say much about the tin cup the other guy is using. The heat conductivity would burn your fingers and lips, and you'd have to drink fast if you wanted anything hot. The only time a metal cup was a good idea was dipping it into the milkhouse cooling trough for a cold drink. By the way, I've never seen anyone look more dapper in overalls, of all things, than this fellow. It's as if he should break out in song after tapping out a rhythm on the table with his cup. ToppersFedoras rock! Warm TopperJust found another one of my grandfather's Kromers in a box of hats last night. It's just like the one hanging on a nail behind the brakeman. CaboosesA good friend retired from the railroad and was working when the caboose was still used. The railroad had the caboose as someplace for the workers to stay when they were not on shift. For long cross-country trips, the caboose was used for sleeping and recreation. The railroads determined that this was a luxury for the workers and then eliminated the caboose. Nice Mug, Buddy reduxI agree with Jano on the mug. As a potter, I looked at the bowls and mug first. The bowls look like Japanese tea bowls, with a nice foot ring. The mug reminds me of the days on the road as a musician drinking cup after cup of coffee from just such a mug. Thick and heavy, they could keep a cup of coffee warm for hours. They are the bright spot in the photo, in the center. Whose hat is hanging on the wall? This is a great photo with superb detail. AT&SF trainmanMy grandfather, an AT&SF engineer during the same period these men helped get freight over the road, had his "Engineer" badge on a ten-gallon Stetson. After he exclusively ran diesels (this was in 1953, he was a passenger engineer), he switched over to a white hat just to make the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific engine crews envious of working conditions on the Santa Fe. I still have the hat and badge. Worker's Paradise - NOT!The caboose was hardly a "luxury for the workers." First up, it’s not the safest place on earth. Especially during steam days, the slack action (the front of the train starts before the back; the force of acceleration is transmitted and increases between cars) could be so severe that crewmen were thrown from their seats and injured — have also heard of cabooses being jolted so hard the stove broke loose from the floor. Rear end collisions were also a fact of life, adding to the danger. In helper districts, it was possible to shove too hard and buckle the underframe. Cabooses in this period were assigned to a conductor; they didn't go "cross-country," but roughly 100+ miles between division points. The car served as office and lookout to increase safety, its function as bedroom and kitchen was secondary – engine crews stayed in nearby boarding houses or railroad hotels — train crews slept in the car, spotted on a designated caboose track in the yard or near engine service areas. Basically you never left your job, and yards were never quiet day or night. They added weight to trains, generated no revenue, added switching and maintenance costs and were basically wearing out by the 1980s. Technology and progress made it possible to eliminate them, much as diesels replaced steam. Mugs still availableGreat photo, and my eye went to the mugs as well. These are still available. I found my first one at the Original Cafe in L.A. in 1992. Cost two bucks, and is (or was?) a place that Jim and Jack would recognize. I have another which I bought maybe 5 years ago, at a restaurant supply store, for not much more. The difference was that this one had the handle in the "wrong" place. Thanks again for this great photo -- made my lunchtime today. The coffee pot on the floor would look great in my kitchen, too. Sweet vestThe guy on the right looks to be wearing a Brown's Beach Coat vest. Very nice piece of Americana workwear. The guy on the left is just pure style from his fedora to his railman boots. Love this photo. This is a beauty.I LOVE SHORPY! Jack's TimebookJack Torbet's railroad timebook is on exhibit at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas. If I recall correctly, it's open to a page from WWII. Timebooks are where railroaders keep a record of their trips for pay and tax purposes. Apparently Mr. Torbert donated several items to the museum at some point. Jeff Ford Amarillo (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Titanic Orphans: 1912
... surviving the sinking. There were many stories from that night far more heart wrenching than that of the fictitious lovers portrayed in James Cameron's film. Btw the book, "A Night To Remember", by my fellow Baltimorean Walter Lord, was made into the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 5:48pm -

New York. April 22, 1912. "Titanic survivors." Brothers Michel ("Lolo") and Edmond Navratil, ages 4 and 2, whose father perished when the RMS Titanic sank 100 years ago today, and were known as the "Titanic orphans" until their mother was located in France. Our second look at these Titanic tots. Lolo, the last male survivor of the Titanic, died in 2001. Bain News Service photo. View full size. Michel & Edouard, the later yearsEdouard Navratil worked first as an interior designer then as an architect and builder. He joined the French Army at the beginning of World War II, but was taken as a prisoner of war. He eventually escaped but he was in poor health for the rest of his life. He died in 1953 at age 43. Michel Navratil Jr. attended university and eventually earned a doctorate in philosophy. He married in 1933 and had at least one child, Elizabeth an opera director who wrote a fictional account of her father and uncle's story for children called (in English) "Survivors". The boy's father Michel Navratil was traveling under the name Louis Hoffman, so it was assumed that he was Jewish. As a result he was interred at the Baron de Hirsch cemetery in Halifax, the facility designated for the bodies of Jewish victims. In 1996, following a cruise to the site of the Titanic wreck Navratil visited his father's grave for the first - and as it turned out the only - time. Michel Navratil Jr. died at his home of Montpelier Franc at age 92 in 2001. He was the last male survivor of the wreck. What a doll!Poor little guys. I'm glad their mother was located and that they were not orphaned, though deprived of their father. The cutie on the right looks just like a Cabbage Patch doll! Cabbage Patch KidsOkay, now I see where the inspiration came for the dolls. The child on the right is just the perfect Cabbage Patch model - round face and round eyes. +1 on the Cabbage Patch KidI suppose we're all terrible people, given the circumstances, but good grief. There is no way not to think "Cabbage Patch." Their FacesOne hundred years later a photo of their faces melt my heart. I hope life was kind to them from that point on. You can read their storyThe March 2012 issue of Smithsonian Magazine has several features about the Titanic including the lives of these little boys. Briefly, their father (estranged from their mother) under an assumed name was taking them home to the U.S. against the wishes of their mother, who was not on board. Survivors remember him crouching with his sons, making sure they were dressed warmly as they waited for the last life boat. With his sons safely on the lifeboat, he saluted them and stepped back into the crowd, not surviving the sinking. There were many stories from that night far more heart wrenching than that of the fictitious lovers portrayed in James Cameron's film. Btw the book, "A Night To Remember", by my fellow Baltimorean Walter Lord, was made into the 1958 film of the same name and is considered by many to be superior to the Cameron film. Its special effects, of course, were accomplished with no computer magic. My rather faint Six Degrees of Separation from the Titanic: One person who cancelled his and his wife's passage on the Titanic was Milton Hershey, whose chocolate company in Pennsylvania was already quite successful. Several generations after that I was on the company's corporate staff for 10 years, a rewarding experience I very likely would not have enjoyed if old Miltie had not made it back to town. Great job plus one unique perk: Every coffee station had a big plastic container that was kept stocked with various kinds of chocolate products. From the Fortean Times this monthAnd from an article on a series of strange premonitions and dreams surrounding the Titanic as reported in the Fortean Times this month, Fortean Times FT287 p 35. "She( the mother) had no idea that he had left the country with them and was planning a new life… On the night of the sinking, Michael appeared to her in a dream, handing her a black bordered envelope. During the next few weeks, Marcelle, reading accounts of two orphan children saved from the disaster, repeatedly dreamed of the missing infants and of funerals. It was not until 22 April that she recognized similarities between the children in the newspaper stories and her own boys, and began to suspect the babies might be hers. Despite her dreams, the idea seemed incredible - but she was finally reunited with the children on 16 May." (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Kids)
Old Hat: 1920
... Turner and Silent Olson , a deaf-mute. "Christmas night he beat Joe Turner, for ten years champion middleweight wrestler." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 12:01pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "814-816 Ninth Street N.W." Moldy negative of a decrepit storefront, with many musty details. National Photo Co. View full size. Motocycles?I just learned that the folks at Indian didn't know how to spell "motorcycle." The Indian Motocycle shopI find the partial view of the Indian Motocycle shop more interesting than the almost-derelict storefront that's the subject of the photo. Here's a photo of a 1920 Indian Motocycle; the "Indian" name and the fuel tank (I assume) it's on look the same as in the window of that shop. http://parkerindian.com.au/1920PP.html "Silent" OlsonThe poster above the For Rent sign is for a wrestling match between Joe Turner and Silent Olson, a deaf-mute. "Christmas night he beat Joe Turner, for ten years champion middleweight wrestler." They came and went.BEAUTIFUL Indian in the window next door. One please, to go ! Washington RedskinsWhile the out of business hat store has its decrepit charm the store to the left has much more to offer. Indian brand motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles are all on display. What a treasure trove. Also,the reflection in the hat store window shows cars in the street and what looks like someones legs on a ladder or scaffold rung. I wonder if it is somebody in the store working or perhaps the reflection of the photographer in the street getting a raised perspective. The Gold Medal Flour sign up above states "Why Not Now?" No time like the present indeed. Elementary ParticlesNot sure, but that curved white line with the little black teardrop at the top ... I think it's the Higgs Boson! New HatIt's all gone now, replaced by the U.S. Mint Headquarters. View Larger Map Lady of the Lamp Looks like she left it on the sidewalk in front of the Indian dealership. Also looks like the rear of the hat store has collapsed. Sniper!Top window, second floor! Or maybe it's some sort of Rube Goldberg drainage system. The Lady of the LampThe sign in the window to the right is a play by Earl Carroll, closed November 1920. The sign states Dec. 6. Seems it never made it to that date. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=8963 [December 6 is the performance date in Washington. The Broadway Database dates are for performances on Broadway, in New York. - Dave] Motocycles and motorcyclesThe corporate name was always "Indian Motocycle Company" but it made motorcycles and advertised them as such. Well the nearly new 1946 Chief I owned was called a motorcycle, but company name was still "Motocycle." Dang, I sold the thing for $75 in 1958 to a guy who had never ridden one. I had to drive the bike into his pickup truck and he said he was going to unload it in a 40 acre pasture and learn to ride. He figured there weren't many things to hit in a pasture except for the cow patties. Too dark to see in the daytimeWhat's with the kerosene lantern on the sidewalk? Now a Parking LotNo, not the U.S. Mint headquarters; that's on the east side of Ninth Street, the odd-numbered side. Where 814-816 Ninth Street was is now a vast parking lot, where the old new Convention Center used to be, till it was mercifully torn down. Even a parking lot is preferable to that awful building. If the Hoover FBI building and the OPM building at 20th and E could go the way of the old new Convention Center, even if they became nothing but parking lots, Washington would be a better place. F.L. Leishear, Indian MotorcyclesThat's F.L. Leishear's motorcycle shop to the left, also seen in Shorpy post Wireless Apparatus: 1919. The previously open D. Neufeld Hat Manufacturer has since closed and lost its most prominent signage. Washington Post, Jun 23, 1921 Motorcycles PRICES reduced 20% on new 1921 Indian motorcycles and side cars; also used machines at exceptional prices. F.L. Leishear, 812 9th st. nw. A LeopardIt seems strange that there is a leopard skin in the Indian window. One item that Indian made that does not appear to be on display is a canoe and trailer that can be used with a motorcycle. (The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Hotel Walton: 1908
... Philadelphia circa 1908. "Hotel Walton, Broad Street." G'night, Mary Ellen ... 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2012 - 10:03am -

Philadelphia circa 1908. "Hotel Walton, Broad Street." G'night, Mary Ellen ... 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Foot traffic Looking closer at this photo, it appears that there are many people from all the ghost images -- mostly feet, as the footfall would be still for a bit longer for the image to form. Shoe shine Busy doing his work with boot black! Sharp dressersI found myself admiring the dapper men on the right. Granted, we're a pretty casual society now, and that's comfortable, but sometimes there's nothing finer than a well-dressed man or woman. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
Company D: 1864
... and ended up wandering the streets of D.C. on the fateful night of April 14th. He was arrested and hanged for this troubles anyway. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 8:33am -

August 1864. "Group of men of Company D, U.S. Engineer Battalion, in front of Petersburg." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Put that in your pipe and smoke itI see at least 5 pipes displayed in this picture (plus some object in the hands of the guy on the first row, second from right). Wonder if they were actually smoking when the photo was taken. Or did holding a pipe in a photo mean something more to these men? Tremendous photoNever seen a two-foot pipe before. There is some world class beards in this group, too. I also like how the guy in back row, far right wears his hat. This is a great picture, Dave. Thank you. Reach out and touch someoneIn all-male group photos from this era, I'm often struck by how unselfconscious men were about showing physical affection for their pals. If one were to photograph this same group today, there would be few (if any) hands resting on shoulders, and no interlocking arms. Somewhere along the line, the rules governing when men could touch, and under what circumstances, changed. It's really interesting. KepiI think the guy on the back row with the weird hat is actually wearing a "bummer's kepi." This is sort of like a regular CW kepi, but has an elongated crown that allows the top to flop forward like the one in the photo. There appears to be a couple more in the photo, but they are being worn more in regulation fashion. Note also the number of hats with wide brims in these old CW photos. Yankees soon found out that kepis did not offer much protection from our Southern sunshine. Two-Foot PipeHow in the hell could he stick that in his pocket when he was in the field fighting? Soldierly affectionIn our modern military world any misinterpretation of demonstration of male affection could lead to dismissal under "don't ask, don't tell." That's why we don't see this in group military photos. Thousands of trained military personnel, some with Arabic and Farsi language skills for anti-terrorism intelligence have been let go, also many decorated combat fighter pilots. Putting your arm around your buddy has become suspect and risky. Men With and Without HatsI'm fascinated by the variety of hats in the photo. I guess they took whatever they could find to cover their heads at that point in the war. Forage capThe bummer's cap and the "regular CW kepi" are the same thing. Reclining guyWhy is it that there's a soldier or two in a reclining position in the front of the group in many of these photographs? Atzerodt lookalikesIt's interesting to see a few of these men--by my count three--sporting what I call the George Atzerodt look. A good example is the grizzled one sixth from the right in the front row, on the ground. Atzerodt, of course, was the man assigned to assassinate Vice President Johnson at the same time President Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward were attacked in April, 1865. Curious George sought courage in the bottom of a whiskey bottle instead of making his appointment with destiny, and ended up wandering the streets of D.C. on the fateful night of April 14th. He was arrested and hanged for this troubles anyway. The decline of the recline?Actually, people in the front row recline in mass group photos today, too, so they can fit in more rows of heads. Clay pipesI can't really tell from the picture but I know that in revolutionary times, many places had a "communal" pipe that was made of clay with a really long stem. When you wanted to use the pipe, you broke a piece off the tip for sanitary purposes. Eventually the pipe would get too small and be thrown out or have a new tip made. We used to occasionally find bits and pieces of them in my friends garden, as her house was from that time period. Perhaps the tradition continued and that is why he has a long pipe. Otherwise you know what they say. It isn't the size of the pipe but ....... Whittling warrior...I think the aforementioned guy in the front holding a pipe-like object is actually whittling a piece of wood with a pocketknife... he may even making a pipe. Hell, I would. Everyone else has 'em. Whittling away the War (Between the States)To me, it looks like the guy on the first row, sitting down, second from right, was whittling on a stick with a knife. He was holding the knife in his right hand while using his right thumb as a leveraged brace on the end of the stick that is pointed toward his body. (You can also see what looks like the end of his right thumb on the end of the stick.) He was cutting (whittling) on the stick with a controlled upward "slice" in the direction of his right thumb. Notice how deftly he was keeping the anchoring thumb on his left hand out of Harm's Way by holding the stick just below the whittling line. On the expanded "View full size" photo, I think that I can see a slice of wood being whittled off the stick. Regardless what this soldier in this photo was doing with his hands, the soldier's hands stayed rock steady for several seconds in order to capture a crisp photograph. Can somebody with Photoshop software tools blow-up (expand) this section and post it to see for sure? [He has something looped around his finger. - Dave] The Long and the Short of ItThose long Irish clay pipes were very common -- made to be broken off shorter and shorter as the mouthpiece wears. Clay Tobacco Pipes by Eric G. Ayto (The Gallery, Civil War)
High Bridge Depot: 1907
... life in the early 70s was walking out on High Bridge at night while, well, pretty darn high. Apparently, this was a popular stunt. ... a God knows how many car freight train blowing past you at night and close enough to reach out and touch feels like from the late winter ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2012 - 4:14pm -

Circa 1907. "High Bridge station, High Bridge, Kentucky." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The spur best not takenDon't think I want to be switched onto that spur to the left. I wonder if there was originally an incline to move materials up the mountain? High on High BridgeOne of the barely remembered memories I have of University of Kentucky college life in the early 70s was walking out on High Bridge at night while, well, pretty darn high. Apparently, this was a popular stunt. Four or five of us thought this would be a good idea at the time. Until the train lights and whistle kicked in. Thanks to Shorpy for getting me thinking of how a God knows how many car freight train blowing past you at night and close enough to reach out and touch feels like from the late winter of early 1973. Mr. White HatJust had a brilliant idea. Never Saw This BeforeIf you go to High Bridge, KY on Google Earth, there is a full three dimensional rendition of the present-day bridge. No station, though. Signal smorgasbordA train crew would have to be alert to the various signals on display here. On the depot, above the bay window are the signals that alert the crew that train orders from the dispatcher need to be received. Across the tracks between the depot and turnout is a block signal that informs a train crew about what is ahead of them, or possibly informs them if they are to take siding here. And just to the right of the bridge is a Ball type of signal that may be part of the regular block signal system or one that assures the train crew that all is well on the bridge, or it is one that stops all trains if activated by a maintenance crew that would have work to perform on the bridge. Why the NameBuilt to cross Stating the Obvious Creek. Stay behind the yellow line!As an Amtrak agent for 23 years, I can say with certainty that standing as close to the track as possible while a train approaches is an obsession with the public. I've had several hundred people standing on a platform while a train was bearing down, all pressing each other as close to the tracks as they could. It scares employees to death, especially engineers. They would not be able to stop if someone fell off the curb, and then everybody would get to see how sausage is made. You just hope and pray that if it ever happens, it won't be a child. The towersAs you might have guessed, originally this was planned to be a Roebling suspension bridge. But that project got cancelled by the Civil War. (And that's probably a good thing, since I don't think suspension bridges of that era were very good for railroads.) [More here.] High Bridge SignWhat are the two numbers on the sides of the High Bridge sign? One reads "CIN 100.3" and the other reads "CHA 234.8." Thanks. [Distances to Cincinnati, Ohio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.] Pedestrians Welcome?There's a gent who appears to be heading onto the span. If not a RR employee, I wonder if the bridge was open to pedestrians to cross. My gut tells me the RR wouldn't allow it, but the deck seems wider than need be, and could those be pedestrian hand ropes on the left edge? Re: Pedestrians WelcomeIt wasn't unheard of for pedestrians to legally cross on railroad bridges. If there wasn't a nearby road or footbridge then the railroad would allow it. They'd often provide a walkway alongside the tracks for this purpose. In fact in some they still do. The CPR bridge here in Saskatoon has a pedestrian walkway that's used by university students to cross the South Saskatchewan River. It was designed for that purpose back in 1909. Re: Signal smorgasbordThe white signal posing as Mr. Hat's brilliant idea is in fact a Hall or Banjo signal. Another can be seen on the other end of the bridge. Most likely this is part of a block signal system or possibly a block protecting only the bridge. The signal to the left appears to be part of an interlocking plant, rods for the switch and a point lock can be seen to the left. And of course the signal on the station is in fact a train order signal. The mishmash of train control here is great and typical of the time. Two namesThis station has two names. When the agent communicates with the dispatcher or other stations using Morse or voice, his station name is "KR". KR would also be used on train orders, clearance cards, and anything else affecting train movements. What's that short post with the number 103.2 on it? A mile post with a cross arm and insulators on it? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Blossom Restaurant: 1935
... years. Researching old recipes, determining the cost of a night of fine dining for a family of four in 1935 compared with today, or the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2016 - 7:59am -

Oct. 3, 1935. "Blossom Restaurant, 103 Bowery, Manhattan." 8x10 gelatin silver print by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Art Project. View full size. Close shaveThat looks like one very angry barber! Mmmmm!Pigs head! I'll be right over. Window dressingI'm curious about the stacks of plates, apparently with food, that are in the front window. Was this common practice? Does anyone have a guess? You haven't liveduntil you've had the oxtail goulash with buttermilk. On a budget.I'll just have the soup & bread since I've only got 5c Now what will it be for me thirty cents. Three large chops or hair cut and shave; I think I'll take the chops! Jimmy the BarberHe needs a surname and a supporting role in The Godfather. Elementary ExampleI have used this photo in my 5th grade classroom for many years. Researching old recipes, determining the cost of a night of fine dining for a family of four in 1935 compared with today, or the rate of inflation. So many possibilities. InflationPrices have gone up. A "shave and a haircut" is now more than "two bits," a bit being an eighth of a dollar, or 12½ cents. Your order, please.I'll have the pigs feet and kraut, and a hair bob for the lady. Nyuk, nyuk, nyukThe fellow in the stairwell looks like Larry Fine on a good hair day. Just So You KnowYou can see the buildings still located at 98 and 100 Bowery in the reflection of the windows above "BLOSSOM RESTAURANT" and "SOUP BREAD 5c. There's 15 cents burning a hole in my pocket,And the Tripe a la Creole is winking at me. Tripe a la Creole"Cut a pound and a half of tripe into small pieces, fry them in a pan with two ounces of butter, one chopped onion, and half a green pepper, also chopped. Brown them slightly for six minutes, then transfer them to a saucepan with one cut-up tomato and half a pint of Espagnole sauce (No. 151). Season with one pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper, adding a bouquet (No. 254), also a crushed clove of garlic. Cook for ten minutes and serve with one teaspoonful of chopped parsley." That doesn't sound too bad. But I think I'd substitute some Andouille for the tripe. I have no stomach for tripe. Peyton?The guy in the stairwell is a dead ringer (pun intended) for the very much alive Peyton Manning. Where to eatOne of the difficult things about time travel is the dearth of vegetarian restaurants in the past. It's nice to know I can get a veg. dinner for a dime at this place. Changing neighborhoodThis storefront is now a Chinese variety store, according to Google maps. Pigs feet and kraut - 10 centsNow there is a meal that will stick to your ribs. I could see my father ordering that especially if there was a good dark German beer around to wash it down. Most of the neighborhood bars I frequented as a young man in Baltimore always had a big jar of pigs feet along with pickled eggs for individual sale and I can attest to the fact that pigs feet and beer is a good thing but you can hardly find it anymore. Pickled eggs and horseradish wasn't a bad taste treat either and if your sinuses were blocked they became unblocked with the whiff of pickle juice and horseradish plus it seemed to help ward off colds. I'd vote for any politician who promises to get them back into every bar in America. Now that would really be making America great again. (The Gallery, Berenice Abbott, Eateries & Bars, NYC)
Memorial Bridge: 1931
... Virginia you see the old Lee mansion. It's even better at night, and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Watergate ... Washington this week and we walked over this bridge last night around sunset. With the gold bridge statues and the Lincoln Memorial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2019 - 4:08pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1931. "Construction of Arlington Memorial Bridge over Potomac River." Acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. The Drawbridge of DignitariesAt the time of the Memorial Bridge's design, planners anticipated a dock for berthing the ocean-going ships of foreign dignitaries visiting Washington, D.C. Such ships would ply their way up the Potomac River and through the drawbridge span, shown in detail here. Immediately upstream of the bridge was a dock featuring a sweeping array of steps on the river's eastern bank up to the Lincoln Memorial. This dock was seldom if ever used, and is now gone. The steps are still there, however, serving as the extreme western limit of the Mall. [Steps perhaps better known as the Watergate. - Dave] Bridge on the River PotomacBeautiful shot. It gives a look at construction methods of the day. I love the perspective given by the three guys under the bridge. Do any DC Shorpsters know the building on the left edge of the frame? [It's the Lincoln Memorial. Next up for identification: That big building down the street with the humongous dome. - Dave] Really builtSo wonderfully built, it should have been named the Thisbe Memorial Bridge. Giant StepsThe steps are so still there, past the Watergate Hotel, Kennedy Center and the volleyball courts. They're used most often now by folks adding a little more aerobics to their jog. I've always wanted to know their purpose. [They are the "water gate" that the Watergate is named after. - Dave] Views from the bridgeCrossing the bridge in to DC you see a beautiful view of the Lincoln Memorial, crossing in to Virginia you see the old Lee mansion. It's even better at night, and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Watergate concertWhen I was stationed there in the late 1950's those watergate steps were used for musical concerts. A barge was placed at the foot of the steps for the stage. Having very little money in those days, my wife and I were very appreciative of what we were able to observe for free. The entertainment was first-rate. The airplanes flying into Washington National were very noisy but we loved it. Like a RockLooks like a proper stone bridge when you cross it. Wear good shoes...Geezer, you will be stunned. I did just the same thing last week. The city -- especially the Mall and surroundings -- is incredibly walkable. No matter who is temporarily occupying those iconic buildings, the history, majesty, power, and beauty of DC was overwhelming--especially at and after sundown. I was a bit unprepared for the emotions I experienced. I wish every citizen could spend a day there at least once in their life. Up and DownThis is the draw span under construction. The Potomac was navigable to Georgetown, north of Memorial Bridge. Until the Roosevelt Bridge was built upstream, Memorial would be opened for river traffic. There was an oil dock in Rosslyn across the river from Georgetown where coastal tankers would make deliveries through the '50s. See for myselfThat does it. My bride and I just talked it over and we're going to DC in two weeks to walk over this bridge and then spend a week wandering around and filling big gaps in our knowledge of our nation's capital. Dave, it was your reply to my comment that did it. I'm an American; I should have recognized the Lincoln Memorial. Who Knew?As an area resident, I consider myself pretty well up to speed on lots of the trivial parts of DC, but I can't say I knew Memorial Bridge could open. There's a great shot at the LOC website. Massive ProjectAs noted by other commenters below, I had no clue that this bridge contained a moveable lift section in the middle. It is a testament to the beautiful design that such basic functionality could be so well disguised. Not to nitpick, but since Hoover witnessed the spans raising at the time of the following article (January 1931), I would venture that the date of this photo is more likely to be circa 1930. Washington Post, Jan 23, 1931 Hoover and Party Inspect New Span Workings of Arlington Bridge Viewed by Officials, With Grant as Guide President Hoover yesterday inspected the nearly completed memorial bridge which spans the Potomac River between the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee home in the Arlington National Cemetery. He was accompanied by Vice President Curtis, Speaker Longworth, Lieut. Col. U.S. Grant 3d and others connected with the huge project. The President stood in the middle of the bridge and watched the giant spans operated. Then he went to the control rooms of the bridge to watch the machinery slowly and soundlessly lower the two giant leaves of the bascule bridge. The control rooms are in the central pier of the bridge, partly below the water line of the river. They are reached by a stairway leading down from the bridge surface. The President and the inspection group then waled to the Virginia side, where the bridge enters the Arlington Cemetery, athte base of the hill on which the Lee mansion stands. After the inspection the President returned to his desk at the White House. His only comment on the trip was, "It is a massive project." Open and ShutThe draw span for Memorial Bridge was welded shut about forty years ago. The bridge no longer opens. D.C. SojournMy wife and I are visiting Washington this week and we walked over this bridge last night around sunset. With the gold bridge statues and the Lincoln Memorial behind them, it was quite a sight. The whole D.C. experience is very emotional, as DJ noted. It is my wife's first visit to her adopted country's capital and it has been an incredible experience for her. Thanks for the prompting, Dave, it was your comment that got me out of NYC and down to D.C. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Shoofly Hangers: 1939
... worked on the ground and the lower tier poles with me. At night, Ralph worked as a guard at a local prison, and I went to football ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2022 - 3:38pm -

July 1939. Shoofly, North Carolina. "Son of tenant farmer hanging up strung tobacco inside the barn." Nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dirty Jobs 1939 style,Dirty Jobs 1939 style, somebody get Mike Rowe a time machine! overallsMy husband hung tobacco like this in the mid 70s. He says that temps got upwards of 120 degrees in the barns. He'd take off his shoes to grip the beams better. The white on the boy's overalls are salt stains from dried sweat. Actually, there's TWO people up there...There's another pair of feet above the son's, so there's at least two people up there doing that. You can see the feet of theYou can see the feet of the hanger above in this great photo. It took two hangers working together to fill these tall barns. Top guy had the best job as he only hung his racks and did not have to pass the sticks up. white on pants legsSee those slanted wide white marks on the lower legs of his pants? Bet they are from being bleached by the sun where they were hung over a clothes line. 1984We were still doing it this way in Martin County, NC in 1984. There was usually a boy on the ground as well, taking the sticks from the pallet and bringing them in to poke up to the first guy. I seem to recall the sticks with bundled leaves of green tobacco weighed about 30 pounds each. The tobacco was very wet in the morning and it rained water and tobacco juice down on everyone in the barn until about 10:30 am. The "beams" they are standing on are called "tier poles." The highest one in the barn is called the "wind tier." Contrary to this picture, the man on the lower tier poles usually faced the opposite direction of the man on the upper tier poles to make poking the stick up easier. Once the higher tiers were hung, the lower man would come down on the ground, and things would speed up. The man up top was usually the senior man, because hanging the sticks correctly with proper spacing for equal curing was critical to the farmer. Also, he wouldn't get "rained on" as much up there. As a white teenager in the 1980s, I "helped" a local farmer every weekday, from 7am to 6pm, July through August, for $26/day. A black man, named Ralph, was the senior man in the barn, and he was the descendant of a tenant farming family that had lived on the same farm generations before. His son and nephew worked on the ground and the lower tier poles with me. At night, Ralph worked as a guard at a local prison, and I went to football practice from 7:30-9:30pm. Then we would get up and do it all over again. We road in the back of a pickup truck to and from the farm each day. It was grueling work. Some farmers used more modern "bulk barns," but many farmers believed the pole barns cured a better product. The sticks were much lighter, but much much dirtier, when they were pulled back out of the barn after curing. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Rural America)
Yin and Yang: 1928
... If Velma and Daphne were to go out together on a Friday night, all the boys would initially fly over to Daphne, quickly be bored to tears by her and spend the rest of the night buying drinks for Velma, who would keep them entertained with clever ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:26pm -

1928 or 1929. Production workers at the huge Atwater Kent radio factory in Philadelphia. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Where's Scoob?I've always preferred Velma to Daphne. Yin and YangA bit harsh David. I'm disappointed. ["Harsh"? - Dave] Milk and waterThe so called good-looking one looks insipid to me, milk and water. The plain girl looks like she has a bit of life in her. Anyway, glasses make anyone look less attractive. David!I find it hilarious that someone called you David- like a mother calling her child's first AND middle name when they break a window or something... Anyway- I don't find it harsh at all, there was no inference that one is better than the other. As stated, some prefer Velma to Daphne! I still vote for Yin, though! The one with glasses...is very cute. Dustin HoffmanHe was doing Tootsie way back in the 20's? Beautiful on the insideNo, the nose does not come off with the glasses, but being the oldest living person on the planet, I would bet my life that the less comely girl on the right was a loyal and devoted friend and a family-loving faithful relative to her loved ones. Yes, we all believe that a "pretty" exterior means that the interior matches the pleasing countenance. I can verify that such is not always the case. The homeliest woman I ever met was also the most wonderful, caring, giving and trusted woman I ever met. Do not judge a book by its cover. Just so you knowOld "Dave" is quite a joker as he himself added the diagram of the internal organs to my lowly comments, just to spice things up. It reminds me of the cuts of meat diagrams at the butchers with the chuck roast, kidneys, round steak, etc. Thank you Dave for always being witty and a sport. I really am addicted to Shorpy in case you didn't notice. Live long and prosper. NecklaceI would LOVE to have that necklace that woman is wearing. Miss Yin, Miss Yang1) To: The Gentlemen who are able to see beyond the cover, your comments lightened my heart. From: A good, old ugly book. 2) To further support the yin and yang, I borrowed from Wikpedia: The concept of yin and yang describes two opposing and, at the same time, complementary (completing) aspects of any one phenomenon, object or process. Yin -- shady place, north slope, south bank (river); Yang -- sunny place, south slope, north bank (river), sunshine"; From me, you can't have one without the other. SpectacularThe girl wearing the eyeglasses may or may not appear as attractive, but she does look smarter. Judy In DisguiseI guess I'll just take your glasses. Quick to judge...I find it funny to read comments that rush to the defense of the woman in the George Burns glasses - it's like people feel sorry for her or something. For all we know, she may have been a terrible person named Hildur, and been the office pariah. Or perhaps she was a saint in disguise. Who knows? Most of the time we have absolutely no idea what these people were like - but it's certainly fun to try and fill in the blanks! Anyhow, I think the woman in the center of the image is very beautiful with that gorgeous skin and the hint of a smile. I'll BetIf Velma and Daphne were to go out together on a Friday night, all the boys would initially fly over to Daphne, quickly be bored to tears by her and spend the rest of the night buying drinks for Velma, who would keep them entertained with clever jokes and bawdy songs. (The Gallery, Factories, Natl Photo, Philadelphia)
The Accident: 1906
... rumbling diesel train plowing through my house late at night! Falling This time exposure does a very good job of capturing the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 5:18pm -

November 12, 1906. "Accident at Michigan Central R.R. depot, Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Accident or genius?I don't know if the motion blur was planned or simply unavoidable given the lighting, but it makes this photo come alive. It's particularly effective with the one fellow in the bowler just standing still and watching all the activity around him. Bad Day to Report to Work EarlySault Sainte Marie Evening News, Monday, Nov. 12, 1906 ONE MAN DEAD; SEVERAL HURT Depot Smashed Michigan Central Locomotive Ran Away Today; Fatal Accident at Third Street in Detroit; Men Buried Under Big Pile of Wreckage. George R. Booth Killed While at Work in Parcel Room -- Fire Broke Out but was Soon Checked. Reported killed: George Booth, the parcel agent; Reported injured: Donald Thomson and Earl McFuen of the Pullman company, and Bert Haner, Michigan Central conductor.         Detroit, Mich. Nov. 12. -- One man was killed and a number of others injured, three of them badly, today when a Michigan Central railroad freight train ran away and crashed into the Third street depot, tearing down a large section of the structure. ... The engine was switching in the yards about a mile from the station about 7 o'clock when it is said the crew saw the passenger train approaching behind them, thought a collision was about to occur and jumped. The engine was running at a good speed and unchecked dashed over a mile to the station, flew into the train shed at a terrific pace and hit a bumper erected at the end of the track. The huge steel pile was torn out by the roots and the engine jumped across the platform and hit the west wall of the station near the parcel room. A section 25 feet wide was crushed in and the second and third floors over this part of the depot caved in.         Conductor Haner came down to the station early this morning and was working on his reports when the accident happened ... Suddenly he found himself being carried down rapidly in a heap of wreckage and when the descent stopped he was pinioned in all sides, with escaping steam hissing about him and the hot boiler of the engine underneath him. He was so tightly held by the debris that he could not call for help. His face was next to the boiler while his hands were under his abdomen. It took 20 minutes of frantic digging to extricate him, after a piece of paper had attracted the attention of the rescuers to the fact that a man was buried there. Doomed DepotThis depot burned again, and completely, in 1913: http://www.forgottendetroit.com/mcs/history.html It was then replaced by a grand terminal/office tower, now an infamous abandoned ruin in the slums of Detroit: http://www.forgottendetroit.com/mcs/photos.html Executive Summary        Detroit, Nov 12 -- A switch engine ran wild in the Michigan Central yards this morning. Before it could be stopped it crashed into the waiting room of the Third street depot, demolishing a large section of the building and burying a number of employes in the debris. George B. Booth was taken out dead. Others are seriously, perhaps fatally injured. The engine was completely buried in the falling debris. Disturbingly beautiful.I love the single focused figure among all the ghosts. Very HauntingI live very close to a R.R. line and have had nightmares of a big black, deep rumbling diesel train plowing through my house late at night! FallingThis time exposure does a very good job of capturing the snow as it falls. Almost like watching a movie. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Summit Cut: 1904
... a good train. I especially love the sound of a train at night and the call of the horn. That surely is harsh light on those kids. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2014 - 3:13pm -

Vermont circa 1904. "Summit Cut, Green Mountains." I see seven eight people here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. You didn't countthe garden gnomes did you ?? In plain sightour 8th subject stands. Dave's sharp eye alerted me to search closely for our shy passenger. WonderfulMy grandpa would have loved that picture. He was obsessed with everything to do with trains to the point where he would sit and listen to recordings of trains. Trying to figure this one outI'm trying to figure out what exactly is going on in this picture and I have a theory: The train was the first to use this route and they stopped at the summit of the mountain to for a picture to commemorate the momentous occasion. The people on the side of the tracks are passengers. The little girl is waving a flag in celebration, sort of in the same way that a mountain climber might plant a flag at the summit of a mountain. Am I close? [1. This is not the top of a mountain -- or else this wouldn't be a "cut." 2. Incline tramways aside, trains generally don't go to mountaintops. - Dave] There's only 7 I'm sureSo where is the 8th person? On the cliff face, there are four people: two kids, a short man with a bowler hat and a dark skinned man behind him. On the train side, there is the engineer, conductor and the woman in the long skirt in the back. There is something across from the woman that could be a figure with a black jacket and a white collar, but I'm fairly sure that is just an illusion and it is just the cliff face. Where's #8? [Right in front of your nose! It was another commenter who pointed him out to me. - Dave] Instant SouvenirSee the penny on the rail? Later the locomotive will squish it really, really flat for the owner to keep as a remembrance. When I was a kid I'd do this when the Barnum and Bailey Circus Train came to town. Summit CutSummit Cut was the high point on the Rutland Railroad's line between Rutland and Bellows Falls. This photo appears in the book "The Rutland Road" by Jim Shaughnessy (I thought it looked familiar). This is some sort of company publicity shot or a souvenir photo taken during an excursion, perhaps booked by the Detroit Publishing Company. Mastadon bones were unearthed on this spot in 1848 during the digging of Summit Cut. The CutThis road passes through a very interesting section of country, and is no doubt destined to be a favorite line of travel with the tourist, seeking health and pleasure. The summit cut in Orange is a work of great interest and labor. This cut is through solid granite for the distance of a quarter of a mile, and in some places thirty feet deep. The extreme summit is about seven hundred feet above the level at Concord, and five hundred above that at Lebanon." -- "The Eastern Tourist" (1848) There is also view which shows the train approaching and a view without the train showing what appears to be a bridge crossing high above the cut. She's a SpecialFlying flags, with link and pin coupler, the kind that would take away fingers, and one coach. This is a special train with brass collars aboard that will stop when and where they please. Frozen in time, for as long as a Shorpy will find them, praise be. [Another caption for this image describes the train as a "Photographers' Special." - Dave] Maybe before 1900The deadline for removing the coupler style shown was set by Congress in 1893 as January 1898. By 1905 several complaints had been heard before the ICC and Fed courts that upheld the ban on couplers that required "a man to go between cars." "Summit Cut" denotes the summit (high point) of the railway, not the mountain. Is this a ninth person?I see something that looks like a bearded man up higher on the cut face. [I see a horsy and a ducky. - Dave] Trains!I love a good train. I especially love the sound of a train at night and the call of the horn. That surely is harsh light on those kids. Makes them look like they are made out of stone. On the MapSummit Cut is in the town of Mount Holly on the rail line between Bellows Falls and Rutland. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Watch Your Step: 1933
... Harried by accident, Pennsylvania Railroad officials last night were bringing up heavy reinforcements of workmen and machinery for the ... The string of mishaps at the wreck scene continued last night when a beam fell from a wrecking train, crushing the foot of William ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2014 - 4:58pm -

CRESCENT LIMITED TRAIN WRECK at ANACOSTIA BRIDGE         WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 1933 -- Harried by accident, Pennsylvania Railroad officials last night were bringing up heavy reinforcements of workmen and machinery for the task of reopening the main passenger line into Washington, closed by the collapse of the bridge under the Crescent Limited just inside the District near Kenilworth early Thursday. Two persons were killed and 13 injured in the train crash. A huge pile driver swayed from its fastenings yesterday and plunged into the Eastern Branch. This mishap followed the toppling of a telephone pole, which killed one workman and seriously injured another. A score of men missed death or injury as the pile driver careened into the river. The string of mishaps at the wreck scene continued last night when a beam fell from a wrecking train, crushing the foot of William Covington, colored, Baltimore laborer. Covington was taken to Casualty Hospital ... August 1933. Washington, D.C. "Crescent Limited train wreck." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Big Wheel: 1977
... in 1977 Medford you could leave a toy like that outside at night and it would still be there in the morning My Dad Invented the Big ... Royal Crown Dear rizzman1953, To my eye you are the Night-Time Ansel Adams of 1970s Eastern Massachusetts. Not merely nostalgic ... 
 
Posted by rizzman1953 - 06/03/2012 - 3:06pm -

Medford, Mass., late fall 1977. A vintage Big Wheel toy by Mattel. (You can tell it's Mattel -- it's swell!) Kids were crazy for these things. Back when kids played outside! View full size. SeatYessiree. Thems was the days. Remember the seat had 3 positions? I think everyone had a "flat spot" on the front wheel! I bet around back is the GREEN MACHINE. Safe CityI guess in 1977 Medford you could leave a toy like that outside at night and it would still be there in the morning My Dad Invented the Big WheelOn my fourth Christmas in 1950 I was the recipient of a Murray Tricycle and a Fire Chief peddle car. As you can see from the picture the Murray was built like a tank and sported a dual spring cushioned seat and rear hubcaps. About 4 years later my interest was shifting to a two wheeler. In an apparent attempt to stave off such a purchase, my Dad modified the old Murray. He basically swapped the handle bars with the front wheel and flipped the frame over. A new hole was drilled in the frame for the seat. It was an instant hit with me and all the kids in the neighborhood, low slung and almost impossible to tip over. In those days there were no ads on the radio or TV urging you to patent your invention. There must have been Mattel spies in the neighborhood. The rest is history. Big Wheel's limitationsAs a little kid in Houston in the early 70s, no doubt the Big Wheel was one of my favorites. However, we moved out to the country in 1973 and soon found that the Big Wheel didn't have an all-terrain capability. One needed lots of paved sidewalks for it to run at peak performance. Thanks for the memories, Rizzman, and keep 'em coming. Mattel? Sure Mattel is swell, but the Big Wheel was actually the last dying gasp of the Marx Toy Company! Here's a commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTAA_da97w BigWheel KidsOur 2 children, now in their 40s, were genuine Big Wheel kids. Our son, especially. He could make his spin and slide in imitation of those car chase scenes in movies. Royal CrownDear rizzman1953, To my eye you are the Night-Time Ansel Adams of 1970s Eastern Massachusetts. Not merely nostalgic family snaps, but composed art brimming with tone and texture. Please keep them coming. Wanted the Green MachineYup, had a Big Wheel, but my backyard neighbor and best friend had a Green Machine, which I thought was way cooler and loved whenever I had a chance to try it. And yes, eventually the front wheel got a flat spot, resulting in a distinctive clunk-clunk-clunk sound while racing around the neighborhood. We probably drove the neighbors crazy with the noise, but we were in our own world pretending to be the characters of CHiPs on our 'bikes.' Super-size it, you say?Here's the Marx page (it is Big Wheel's 40th anniversary) with a super-super-sized Big Wheel as well as one in Adult Extra Large, with an engine. http://www.marxmuseum.com/thebigtoys.html Super-size it!My kids had these and I thought Big Wheels also should have been been available in adult size. That would have been real father-son bonding! Fingernails on the blackboardGosh. How many times did I gently hiss dark oaths through clenched teeth as those hollow plastic wheels screeched and clattered about the neighborhood? The kiddos may have loved them, but Big Wheels caused one to want to live up on a mountainside faaar awaaaay from civilization and Big Wheels. Heck's AngelsMy daughter, now 33, and her buddies used to tear up the sidewalk in front of the house, racing, spinning out, skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust. She managed to wear through the plastic front wheel doing that and was heartbroken when we couldn't find one to replace it. Great memories! A Great Little RideOh yeah, I had one of those. It was awesome! They originally came with little springs on the back wheels that caused them click and clack very loudly. Oddly enough, mine was "modified" by dad not too long after Christmas! Wish I still had it. B&W Big WheelI always look at the picture before the title or date, so these B&W shots from the 70s always throw me for a second! I think I'm looking at something from the 50s or before, until I see something like a Big Wheel! My kids weren't born for a few more years, but I can still picture my sons, at age 2-4, flying up the hills of the small German town we lived in, at the time, on their Big Wheels. The kids who did that developed extra large thigh muscles! Good old advertising. Upon watching the old commercial for the H.W., I can't help but wonder what they did to make that kid go spinning on his trike. They never show how he initiates the spin, and the cut begins just as the spin takes effect. Ah, the magic of advertising. Thank goodness a low center of gravityOur kids used them on a very long steep driveway that curved and shot across a small bridge over a stream that bisected our friends property. If they didn't get lined up right for the final approach they went sailing over the side into the creek - they had to keep their feet up as they rocketed down or they'd catch a foot and flip (big tears and road rash) - they loved every minute of it. If We Make It... It Can Take ItAll of the kids in my neighborhood had a Marx Big Wheel. They were AWESOME! I wore holes in the front tire of mine from locking the pedals up and sliding. Don't even ask about the right rear tire. Great times and great fun! No airbagOne Sunday morning I crashed one of these into the neighbors' wooden fence sometime before 1973. I cut my forehead open and my mother took me to the doctor for stitches. When I got home, my father said I looked like Frankenstein. Ben is rightNow I finally know where the big wheel came from, an upside down trycycle. Fascinating (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
The Nurses: 1910
... books! I adored them, and got caught reading late into the night with my sheet and blankets pulled up over my head, with a small ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 11:04am -

Continuing the Shorpy Group Portrait Weekend, we have this circa 1910 Harris & Ewing glass negative titled "Providence Hospital nurses." View full size. Cap habitI showed this to my RN wife who asked me to print this out so she could take it to her hospital here in Japan, she recently has been appointed Director of Nursing and the Hospital's cap policy is under discussion, she thinks this will be a great tool in her efforts to keep the caps simple...Thank you Dave. Everyone has a twinEven though it has been nearly 100 years, I can see people I know in these pictures. The girl on the far left in the front row reminds me of Renee Zellweger. BrrrrrIt's OK to smile ladies. It helps to reassure and calm the restless patients. They do look efficient, though, and very clean. SssssThose hats look like a deflated chef's toque. A checkupAs a modern-day RN aware of the subservient history of the profession, I couldn't help but think when I saw the man in the window, "And there's a doctor, waiting for them to come back in and get him coffee." Glad those days are long gone! (In seriousness, I'd rather think that the man is more of a curious admirer.) I wonder if Providence Hospital allowed their nurses to be married back then? I see no wedding rings. Fallen WomenOh my goodness, how did anyone keep a straight face? Thirteen little souffles in a row. "Wipe that rouge off your face!"This picture makes me want to dig out my old Cherry Ames books and give them another read. Starch!Boggling how much starch they must be using. On some of the girls in the front row, you can see where their aprons aren't resting on the shoulders. They are standing up totally unassisted. C.U. School of NursingThe Providence Hospital School of Nursing was absorbed into the Catholic University of America (in the neighborhood) between 1939 and 1949. It is thus in a direct line with the current Catholic University School of Nursing. They did give up the hat style, unfortunately. Married NursesStudent nurses were not allowed to be married, even in the 1950s, at most nursing schools. The exception were the 5 year University programs, some of which allowed married students. The thought was, that if a married student got pregnant, it would interrupt her studies, and she might not finish the program. The three year hospital nursing schools had a set curriculum, and did not have the flexibility of the University based programs, which ran on a semester system. These are student nurses, witnessed by the striped sleeves. This was perhaps their capping ceremony, or perhaps a graduation photo, as they are all wearing pins. Once they began working as graduate nurses, they would wear all white uniforms. And possibly have a velvet band or an emblem on their caps to designate the school they graduated from. And yes, nursing education has changed greatly. Having graduated from a three year hospital based program in the 1950s I can say that I had excellent hands-on bedside training. But we were also taught to bow and scrape to the doctors. Now there is a more collaborative relationship. It took me a while to start calling the MDs that I worked closely with by their first names. It got easier once I was an older nurse and the MDs were young enough to be my children. An old RN Re: Cap HabitHmmm, I'm thinking that a clever Japanese hospital would have hats that reflect the nurse's mood. They would be relaxed - as these girls are in the picture and then inflate gradually as stress levels elevate. It would make life a lot easier to know which of them to avoid (ie: the ones where the hats don't fit through the doors anymore). In Praise of NursesProvidence Hospital seems to have had an association with Catholic University long before they were eventually absorbed into it. Thus far, I can't find any reporting in the Washington Post of a commencement which matches the number (13) of nurses seen in this photo. Of interest to me, is the fact that men, while not pictured here, were training as nurses at this time. Also, maybe someone can explain the title of "Mgr. Diomede Falconia." While the contemporary interpretation of "Mgr" is "manager," I suspect the Catholic Church of a century ago used this abbreviation for something else. Falconio Praises Nurses Pays Tribute to Profession in Presenting Diplomas at Providence Hospital Nurses as "women who must always be prepared to give in a spirit of charity and kindness" were praised by Mgr. Diomede Falconio, the apostolic delegate, in his address delivered at the commencement exercises of the hospital training school, held on the roof garden of Providence Hospital yesterday. Mgr. Falconio presented eleven girls who were graduated with their diplomas, and then delivered his address, which was a tribute to their profession. The exercises were attended by several hundred persons. Following the invocation by Mgr. Falconio addresses were delivered by the Rev. J.W. Melody, of the Catholic University, and Dr. C.C. Marbury, both of whom spoke on the duties which the "art of nursing the sick" imposes on those who follow it. Washington Post, May 10, 1911 Nurses Receive Diplomas Class of Eleven Complete Prescribed Course at Providence Hospital At the graduation exercises yesterday afternoon at Providence Hospital eight young women and three young men received diplomas as nurses. The exercises were held on the roof garden of the hospital, which was decorated with the class colors and flowers sent by friends of the class. The Rev. William J. Kerby, Ph. D., S.T.D., delivered the opening address. He reminded the graduates that they were emissaries of the hospital, and that they were, in reality, a part of the organic home of the country, and public-spirited servants of the afflicted. Dr. J.F. Mitchel, who delivered the address in the afternoon, referred to the fact that the three greatest developments in surgery since the fifteenth century were anesthetics, listerism, and trained nurses, and that without the latter the first two are inadequate. He ended his remarks by quoting the Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem, "The Morning Visit." J.M. Stoddard spoke on behalf of the hospital board of visitors, and Dr. Marbury presented the members of the class with their diplomas. This is the first class from Providence in which men have received diplomas as graduate nurses. Washington Post, May 15, 1912 "Mgr."Usually "Msgr." -- Monsignor. [The first of 23 comments giving this answer! - Dave] Pince-Nez glassesIn addition to the uniforms, it's interesting to see how eyewear style has evolved. Two of the four ladies are wearing pince-nez style glasses. To me, Pince-Nez always looked like they would very uncomfortable to wear for long periods, especially with the heavy glass lenses back then. This image was taken just after Teddy Roosevelt's administration, and I believe he caused a nationwide resurgence in the popularity of the pince-nez style glasses for a time. Cap and GownI'm shocked that anyone anywhere still allows nurses to wear caps, let alone mandates it. So many studies done about the invisible petri dish of germs that caps become when worn in the clinical setting... I graduated with a BSN in 1994, and even back then the use of caps was so discouraged that students could no longer purchase them through the college as a souvenir. We got to wear one for graduation pictures. And I do mean "one" - the school only had one cap available, and we took turns having our picture taken in it. Is it just my imaginationOr are those ladies corsetted up something fierce? The nice folks at The Bob & Tom Show assure me that "nurses are hot and ready to party", but from this evidence it would appear that was a development that took place considerably after 1910. At any rate, I call first dibs on the beauty in the front, camera left. Re: "Starch!" & "Wipe that rouge off your face!"One of the benefits of attending nursing schools "back in the day" of living in dorms, nurses residences, nurses homes, or whatever you wish to call them, was that your laundry, or at least your uniforms, was taken care of for you by the industrial type laundry that was a part of the hospital where you trained. The advantages were clear, considering the laborious processes involved at the time, for such things as stain removal, washing, draining, rinsing, starching, drying and steam pressing those very VERY stiff bibs, aprons, cuffs, collars and hand pressing the caps as well. Plus the striped dress worn underneath and/or with all those other pieces. The amount of space, the plethora of equipment and laundry supplies - soaps, brushes, starch, etc., - and most of all the TIME required to accomplish such a task weekly, on 5 to 7 pieces of each item and double on the cuffs, made the whole process quite impossible for over a dozen girls to accomplish properly, if at all. In addition, time in classes, time on the wards, and time studying, much less time to eat, sleep, and have some kind of what could be considered a healthy, active social life at the time would render the whole thing ridiculously impossible to even consider! So, the hospital laundry, accustomed as it was to handling such things with the most up-to-date industrial laundry equipment available, was the obvious choice. All that was required of the students was to mark each individual piece of her own uniforms with the standard laundry marking required by that school, in order to ensure it's prompt return once washed and processed. Personal laundry was another issue entirely, and depended completely on the arrangements made by the school, if any, with any local commercial laundries. As for Cherry Ames books, I still have the first four of the series in their original "dark cherry red" first edition bindings, which belonged to my mother. She got them from her parents as gifts, as soon as they were published, during WWII when she was the same age I was then, and her dad was an officer stationed overseas in the army with Patton's staff. She gave them to me to read when I was nine, and stuck home in bed during a nasty endemic of the swine flu as it hit the whole east coast in the middle 60's! I was so, so sick for a while when it first hit me. But not nearly the only one! It was so bad, that doctors were back to making house calls again! And ours came to our house, instead of him filling up his office with contagious patients and not-sick who only needed check ups, especially babies! Anyway, after I could actually sit up and take notice, as they used to call it, I was soon bored to death after working on my class work for a while, or listening to the radio. She knew I had always wanted to be a nurse, so she gave me her books! I adored them, and got caught reading late into the night with my sheet and blankets pulled up over my head, with a small flashlight, so I could read them after my official 9:00pm bedtime! I later got more of the contemporary editions for Christmas and birthdays! Since I've grown up, married, had children, become a Surgical Technologist (suited me perfectly when nursing wasn't quite the "fit" I had been seeking, etc.,) I found that eBay has helped me fill in the gaps where I had not received the right issues to fill out my set when I was much younger. As for the rouge comment, that's one of my very favorite ones in the book, and forever launched the "War with Dr. Wylie!" He's absolutely insistent that her rosy cheeked coloring is the result of the use of "rouge" - blush to us - which is forbidden to student nurses, except for the occasional evening formal occassions, that he's constantly extolling the loud command for her to "Wipe that rouge off your face!" (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Medicine, Portraits)
The Phantom Stroller: 1910
... without all the clutter of today. Illuminating The night porter is making his rounds here, ghostly legs fleetingly visible. A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:43pm -

New York circa 1910. "Suburban concourse, Grand Central Terminal, New York Central Railroad." Note the light trail left by a lantern-carrying phantom stroller in this time exposure. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Only one lanternTo me it looks like he was only holding one lantern, and the light ribbons just happened to line up towards the spittoon (that he kicked closer to the column). Near the second column from the left, you can see the two ribbons diverge as he moved closer towards the information booth. The Third LevelThis makes me think of Jack Finney's "The Third Level." The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I thought that was wrong, but I kept on walking. All I could hear was the empty sound of my own footsteps and I didn't pass a soul. Then I heard that sort of hollow roar ahead that means open space and people talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I went down a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central Station. For just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in the center was wood and old-looking. And the man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors. The lights were dim and sort of flickering. Then I saw why; they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a glint of light caught my eye. This is great!I probably wouldn't have noticed that for a while if you hadn't pointed it out! The Great Spittoon MysteryThis shot prompts two questions: What was the phantom stroller's direction of travel, and why his attention to the spittoons? My answers: toward the camera, and he was a spittoon attendant. First he stops at the drinking fountain to wet his whistle. The first ones he comes to may be one in two positions; the left one is much lighter, possibly indicating it was in that spot for a briefer period during the exposure. But there seems to be only one light trail, so that part's still a mystery. The next two he approaches from this side of the pillars; they'd be out of sight from his direction of travel. He determined that the nearer one didn't need emptying; the light trail indicates he approached it just enough to eyeball it. The farther one was either the same, or he managed to get it back close to its original spot. The last one, closest to the camera, he emptied, but replaced it in a different spot. One in each hand?The light tracks aren't just parallel, the up-and-down jiggles match, too. UnseenSure the phantom stroller is a great find, but I'm amazed because I don't think I've ever seen a picture of the old Suburban Concourse. It's much different today as restaurants have replaced the ticket windows, and that room in the back was completely replaced with a new staircase during the recent restoration. I've always loved the Lower Level's straight lines, and it looks even better without all the clutter of today. IlluminatingThe night porter is making his rounds here, ghostly legs fleetingly visible. A monochrome, indoor version of Jack Delano's nocturnal light trails. Why light?My question is what is making the light streaks? Flashlight? Candle? Reflection? Why would he/she need a light when the place is already lit up? [Janitors may have carried lanterns for the darker parts of Grand Central, where the tracks were all underground. - Dave] 1910!!Keep in mind that this remarkable scene dates from 100 years ago, when most homes in America had no electricity, indoor plumbing or telephones. The traffic at Park Avenue and 42nd Street would have been mostly horse-drawn. The world beyond the gleaming marble of Grand Central Terminal was largely constructed of wood and brick. There was no radio or TV. I'm not sure "computer" was even a word. If you wanted to go to Europe, you took a boat and spent the next week or so of your life heaving over the side rails. Once you crossed over into the wilds of Yonkers and Westchester County, there were more dirt roads than paved. This building simply took people's breath away. [Telephones had been around for over 30 years in 1910, when there were almost 6 million in the United States alone. Radio goes back to the 1890s. - Dave] Baby is safeHarder to see in this photo are Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia (poised behind columns and ready to come out shooting). As we know now, the baby in the stroller was unharmed, although mom was terribly frightened. LovelyAs a somewhat serious photographer, I can't help noticing that in 1910, they had wide angle lenses without barrel distortion. Today, after your lens renders the scene shaped like a pillow, you have to straighten it in Photoshop. Baggage, telegraph and womenall kept out of sight. The Great Exposure MysteryThis scene is chock full of light fixtures blazing, reflections and glare off the polished walls and floor, especially at the ticket counter closest to the camera. How could the exposure have lasted long enough for the "stroller" to have covered all that distance without the shot being a complete washout? Just curious. [The light fixtures etc. look as bright as they do because it's a long exposure. - Dave] A thing of beautyHow sad that we seem to have lost our penchant for aesthetic beauty. Junior'sJunior's restaurant is in this space now, in front of the ticket windows. This is one case where I actually think it looks better now. In the photo, the place looks (obviously) empty and a bit scary. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Watching the World Go By: 1906
... and accessories off of these porches almost every night. Nothing stays the same and I fear those days are gone forever. Luckily ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:08am -

"Park Avenue." In the resort community of Bay View, Michigan, circa 1906. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "A Place by Itself"Bay View, in Petoskey, Michigan, was founded in 1875 as a summer resort and spiritual retreat for members of the United Methodist Church, although residents of other faiths have always been welcome. The grandparents and great-grandparents of an old friend of mine in California were among Bay View's original investors and summer residents, living in Detroit for most for the year, but always summering among their lifelong friends in Bay View. My friend's grandmother eventually retired to her house in Bay View, a couple of streets over from those seen here, and lived there year-round until her death in 1961. A brief history of Bay View can be found on the present-day Bay View Association web site. Sign me upI would love to live in any of these houses. Assuming they had electricity, central heating and indoor plumbing. SometimesWhen looking at pictures like this one, I wish I was born there, in 1906. Everything seems so peaceful and uncomplicated. But I know life was much tougher for most people in those days. Ignorance is blissNo radio, television, air conditioning, computers. I wonder how these poor people could possibly be happy in those circumstances. What a beautiful scene. I would love to visit. Thanks to Shorpy I suspect I may have been born 100 years too late. Different valuesIts interesting that the sidewalks are beautifully paved but the street is dirt. Today, so many neighborhoods, while having well paved streets, have no sidewalks at all making them merely collections of houses, rather than true neighborhoods. A Summer PlaceI plan on summering here, on Park Avenue in Bay View, 1906. I wonder if they offer timeshares? Look Ma, no screensFunny, no screens on the windows. Were they uncommon in 1906 or unnecessary in Bay View?? Pleasant place to sitCertainly looks a pleasant place to sit, but there doesn't seem to be much passing by. One wonders also whether the neighbours actually speak to each other. Were neighbourhoods like that any friendlier places than similar ones today? [This was, as noted in the caption, a resort community (affiliated with the Methodist Church, it was also among the original Chautauqua communities). These were mostly vacation cottages for rent. Note the signs advertising furnished rooms. - Dave] For all we knowFor all we know, these guys could be bored out of their minds. They might be sitting there wishing they had some advanced dentistry and DSL. Not much has changedHaving been in Bayview many times, I can tell you that some of these cottages, and they were then and still are summer cottages, haven't changed at all. The streets are mostly paved now though. Very beautiful area. Oh, the upkeep While the beauty of those Victorian homes is nearly beyond words, the idea of having to paint all that gingerbread by hand just causes me to shudder. Aptly Named LocaleThey didn't call it Bay View for naught: After taking in the view, drive around a little on the streets behind you and enjoy the cottage architecture. View Larger Map Re: Pleasant place to sitFunny, this immediately reminded me of the (beautiful) Chautauqua Institute that's on Chautauqua Lake in New York. Thanks for tying that together for me, Dave. Seeing how the well to do livedWhen I came home from WW2 I started taking my family camping in this area, which is beautiful. We would drive by these and other very nice homes and one of the more interesting ones was the Loeb Estate on the south shore of Lake Charlevoix. It looked like some thing from Robin Hood's England. My children, all senior citizens now, still remember having my "Rabbit Ears" pancakes for breakfast. Windows 6I almost never get a good opportunity to spout off about how much I like black window sashes and muntins, but boy, I sure do like black window sashes and muntins like those on the house on the far left. I think that looks mighty spiffy. All dressed up!And no place to go! It's really hard to relate to people who put on formal attire just go sit on the porch. I guess back then that would not be formal attire. Get inside and lock your doors, this is 2010!I grew up in a similar residential neighborhood in Connecticut in the 1940's and early 50's where we also had full size porches. It was the custom on long summer days, after supper, for virtually everyone to go outside and hang out there until dark or even later. Neighbors DID visit and the adults and kids all mingled, it was idyllic and familiar fun in a secure town where we all knew each other. Sorry to be a wet blanket, but things change. Just last week there an old, disabled man was mugged and robbed of his wallet by a passerby while sitting on his own front porch in mid afternoon. My brother told me that now someone is stealing all the outdoor furniture and accessories off of these porches almost every night. Nothing stays the same and I fear those days are gone forever. Luckily we can relive them in beautiful photos like this. [Or you can move to a better neighborhood. - Dave] Re: screens and sidewalksScreens on windows are still an unusual item in parts of Europe, so not surprising at all they weren't the norm in Michigan in 1906. Most photos from that era seem to be screen-free. And the paved sidewalks vs. dirt roads? Well, people don't like walking in mud much but horses don't mind, so it made perfect sense at the time to pave sidewalks and leave the streets dirt. Mainly, what I love is that everyone's out on their porches just enjoying the day. You could walk down the street and say howdy to dozens of people. (The Gallery, DPC, Petoskey)
Ensley Furnace: 1906
... on the running board of the locomotive to the left for night work. The rolling stock is eclectic, to say the least, their ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2012 - 10:37pm -

Ensley, Alabama, circa 1906. "Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co.'s furnaces." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Flatcar 1021Looks like flatcar 1021 is about to have a catastrophic failure. Smoke gets in your eyesWoe to those who live downwind. That flatcarbetter not be in interchange service! Aside from the fact that it's about to break in two, it has no brakes whatsoever. Safety Last.The locomotives have oil burning headlights and there are two lanterns on the running board of the locomotive to the left for night work. The rolling stock is eclectic, to say the least, their stenciling amusing in our era of 140 ton cars. Must have been a hazardous environment in darkness with no in-plant lighting, holes in the ground and junk all around to fall over. Working within the mill itself would be no treat, either. Thank You. John Whitby AllenAs the master HO scale artist of the 1950s, John Whitby Allen would have modeled that flatcar exactly as she sits. He loved this kind of rolling stock on his Gorre & Daphetid Railroad. His work is something see to this day. He was a photographer by trade and did justice to his amazing creation. Ensley Works 1888-1976Ensley Works was the largest producer of steel ingots and rail in the south for most of its history. By 1920, half the steel made in the south came from these open-hearth furnaces. The open-hearth method of steelmaking was rendered obsolete by more modern integrated methods, and this plant was closed by U.S. Steel in 1976 as a result. Pictures of this site taken in 2008 can be found here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310280 A short history of the Ensley Works can be found on the BhamWiki: http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Ensley_Works View Larger Map FlangelessThis may just be down to the view, but do those locomotives have small or no flanges on their inner drivers for working round tight curves? I thought that only happened in the model version. Birmingham Southern 1021Brakes. we don't need no stinking brakes. It will fall apart if it hits anything. Flangeless wheelsFlangeless center drive wheels were common on full size railroads as well as models. Just as with model engines, the sharp curves found in industrial yards required some sort of provision to enable the locos to make it around the curves without binding. It would have been better to have one of the several makes of locos with drive shafts like Climax, Shay and Heisler. Sharp curves presented no problems to them. (The Gallery, Birmingham, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Merrimack Street: 1908
... and his high school pals encountering the existential night. Uneeda Biscuit mentioned in Uneeda Biscuit mentioned in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 6:58pm -

Lowell, Massachusetts, circa 1908. "Merrimack Street looking west." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Massachusetts Oriels No, not birds of any kind but those lovely protruding windows about half-way down the block, supported on the stone brackets. Bay windows are similar, but do not have the supporting bracket. For comparison see the window of V.E. Darlings' office in the Courier-Citizen building. "In Rain or"Or what? what I say?, I must know! Now I won't sleep tonight. Uneeda BiscuitNational Biscuit Company (Nabisco) had only been in business 10 years when this photo was taken. In rain or shineUneeda Biscuit! Is it Adam Good?Signs painted on the buildings on the right of the picture advertise either A Dam Good Co. or Adam Good Co. The street level store just below that sign sells coffee, tea, butter and cheese. I'm confused (as usual). A Dam Good PictureA plethora of great signs here, but I was initially surprised to see the sign for the nicely-named A Dam Good Company, especially in 1908 New England. Took me a minute to realize the sign was for the Adam Good Company. Propped bikes todayI've seen bikes propped up against the curb like that in Tulum, Mexico, but never in the U.S. Pretty nifty. Pioneer SignageThe O.J.Gude Company of N.Y. the company that made the Uneeda Biscuit Sign, partially seen in this picture, was a preeminent outdoor advertising company. They must have had a deal with the other NBC (the one that makes the Mallomars) to paint their signs wherever in the nation that the biscuit company felt it was needed. I think they also made the first electrically lighted outdoor sign as well. Streetcar TracksMust have been a real challenge to buggy drivers to keep those narrow wheels from becoming trapped in the tracks. (Still a problem today, albeit for bicyclists at diagonal railroad crossings). Nat'l Biscuit Co. logoHere's a link to a brief, interesting history of the National Biscuit Co. (later, Nabisco) logo, the first incarnation of which is the version depicted in the photo: http://www.bfdg.com/other-thoughts/nabisco.html Who's paying for this pic?This picture raises a question I've had generally about how these photos got made. Did Detroit Publishing, National Photo, etc, just send photographers out in the field to take pictures at the photographer's whim? And then hope to sell them later? I can understand the party photos, portraits, etc, I would imagine someone called up the local photographer and wanted a photo shoot. But what was the motivation for the more "arty" shots that we see? Or the last picture, where we see people hauling granite? I'm thankful they did, but don't quite understand how the bills got paid. [Detroit Publishing, which had retail galleries in New York, Detroit and other major cities, was mainly in the postcard business; National Photo was a news service and commercial photography and portrait studio whose pictures were commissioned by its clients. -Dave] Then and nowI live downtown. Still a fun city but with fewer horses and buggies. "Propped" Bicycle.The young guy on the right appears to be picking up his bicycle from where he parked, or "propped" it at the curb. By positioning the bike exactly as shown, it would stay that way without falling over. If the curb wasn't high enough, the pedal would also help by being placed to hold it at the top of the curb. We sometimes parked our bikes this way as kids, and without the benefit of Kryptonite locks, they were always there when we came back. But then again, it was the 1950s. On the street . . . . . . where, about thirty years later, you'd find Jack Kerouac and his high school pals encountering the existential night. Uneeda Biscuit mentioned inUneeda Biscuit mentioned in the opening number of The Music Man (as the train approaches River City): "The Uneeda Biscuit in an airtight, sanitary package, made the cracker barrel obsolete, obsolete...." Nabisco Logo OriginsJohnB, thank you for the link regarding the history of the National Biscuit Company logo. It traces its origin to a 15th century printer's design used in Venice, which in turn was derived from early Christian art. Perhaps it was inspired by this Byzantine icon of the Archangel Michael found in the church of San Marco in Venice. Note the orb held in the Archangel's hand: Adam Good Companyis it this lot? http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NhVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K6QMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5... (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
Bridge Wreck: 1925
... his daughter Mrs. Lois Virginia Macias, were killed last night when the sedan automobile which he was driving ripped through the guard ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/31/2012 - 3:59pm -

June 17, 1925. "Klingle Ford Bridge wreck" in Washington, D.C., just off (and under) Connecticut Avenue. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Who can identify the car? Nash Six?Photos here and here. David www.pbase.com/dajavu Looks like a DodgeIt has some of the hallmarks of a '24 or '25 Dodge Brothers, but more precise than that is above my pay grade. David's right...It looks like a 1925 Nash to me as well. Here's a pic of a '25 roadster. Gender stuffEver notice that in group photos like this from this era, you pretty much only see men? I finally saw one recently of a baseball stadium crowd that had a couple of women in the sea of men. Makes me wonder if all these guys' wives and girlfriends and sisters wanted to see the car wreck too, but they had to stay home because it wasn't ladylike. 1924 Nash 625Great photo. I think it's a '24 Nash 625. Check this link (it even has the same sill [scuff?] plate): Link Those style wheels were also present in the '24 model year: Link Maybe, David Klingle Ford BridgeThe Klingle Ford Bridge is a couple of blocks northwest of the National Zoo, where Connecticut Avenue crosses Klingle Road. Looks to be a pretty swanky compound just west of the bridge - wonder who lived there in 1925, if extant, that is. Goober Pea Summer home of Alexander Graham Bell?I'm pretty sure that's Twin Oaks, the current Taiwanese Embassy, although if you really zoom in on it you can see Crew boats and fields that make it look more like a school, but the map looks like it has to be Twin Oaks. Here's the scoop from Wiki: Gardiner Greene Hubbard, first president of the National Geographic Society, built the colonial Georgian revival Twin Oaks on 50 acres (200,000 m²) in 1888. It was used as a summer home by the Hubbard family, including Alexander Graham Bell and is today home of the diplomatic mission of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Bell's Summer HomeActually Alexander Graham Bell spent most of his summers at his estate on Cape Breton Island, Beinn Bhreagh near Baddeck Nova Scotia. In fact he spent most of the last thirty years of his life at Baddeck where he maintained a laboratory complex which was responsible (among other things) for the first aircraft flight in the British Empire (in 1909). Totally off topic, but related to Google Maps, to the south south west of Twin Oaks is the US Naval Observatory, which is the home of the Vice President. The image of the circular Observatory grounds is pixelated. The Google Maps image of the White House is clear and undistorted in all details. QuestionsI agree with the 1924 Nash 625. How did it get so wrecked though? [The bridge is 75 feet up. - Dave] Shorpy's TriumphTHIS is why Shorpy is such a great site - Thanks, Ross and Brent, for the background on the Klingle Road compound. Thanks to Shorpy (and Dave) for one year of amazing photographs and intersting discussion. Congratulations on your first anniversary! Since discovering Shorpy my work productivity has diminished - but my workdays have been enriched ... bravo! Goober Pea It's a NashThat badge on the radiator shell is a dead giveaway, the other posters are in the right age range too. They built cars a bit differently back then, that lovely steel bumper is bolted directly to the frame and by the looks of it the driver smacked something solid at speed, the dents in the drivers-side cowl and rear quarter make me think it rolled on the way to where it was photographed, bodywork in those days was wood framed and nowhere near as sturdy as we're used to today. Klingle Bridge PlungeWashington Post, June 17, 1925 2 Killed, 2 Injured in Plunge of Auto from High Bridge Henry A. Thayer, chief of the supply division of the U.S. veterans' bureau, and his daughter Mrs. Lois Virginia Macias, were killed last night when the sedan automobile which he was driving ripped through the guard railing of the Klingle bridge on Connecticut avenue, plunging 75 feet to a creek below. Thayer's son-in-law, Joseph A. Macias, a clerk at the veterans' bureau, and his 2-year-old granddaughter were injured, Mr. Macias critically and the baby slightly. ... Early last evening Mr. Thayer started with the family for a ride about the city and suburbs. They were returning to the city and reached the Klingle bridge about 10 o'clock. The front wheels of the auto were seen to wobble and before the car could be stopped it swerved across the roadway, struck another car, and caromed off the bridge into space. As the auto somersaulted 75 feet to the highway below, passersby heard the shrill screams of the baby, which were lost in the terrifying crash of the auto. ... Passing at the time of the accident were Max Hay and William Washington, colored. They ran to the wreckage of the car and endeavored to free its occupants. Other passersby ran to telephone and summon aid. Truck company No. 9 was dispatched to the scene and ambulances from Emergency hospital soon arrived. ... The Klingle bridge is a wooden one and is a short distance from the entrance to the Zoo. This section of highway is highly traveled, and news of the accident spread rapidly, bringing scores of autos and pedestrians to the scene. Police reserves from several precincts were necessary to maintain order. Witnesses expressed the opinion that the steering knuckle of the auto broke, rendering it beyond Mr. Thayer's control. It was said that the machine was traveling at a moderate speed, but that the narrowness of the span did not give Mr. Thayer sufficient space in which to stop his car before it crashed through the railing. Mr. Thayer formerly was an officer in the U.S. navy, serving through the world war with the rank of commander. He was 50 years old and retired from service a few years ago. He lived at 113 W street northwest an Mr. and Mrs. Macias and their daughter made their home with him. Mr. Macias is 24 years old and Mrs. Macias was 28 years old. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
City Gas: 1905
... Steel coke cars would sometimes glow in patches at night. I do not know if there are any gas holders of this design left. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2019 - 11:14am -

Circa 1905. "Gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." A familiar sight from the era of "city gas," when municipalities had their own gas plants in the days before long-distance transmission of natural gas. The telescoping sections rose or fell as "illuminating gas," which was made by heating coal, was put into or removed from the holder. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Gas Holder Fun FactsAs my 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica states, "A gasworks should be sited with some care as it does not improve the neighborhood." Water was kept between the telescoping sections as a seal -- the internal pressure was not that great. Cincinnati, a town which has creatively repurposed its older infrastructure, has a gasworks park with creative "sculptures" made from the old apparatus. Oval GasGasometers are still a feature of some British city skylines, one of the most high-profile being in the background of the Oval cricket ground in South London. WiredI am mesmerized by those wires coming in from the upper right. I suppose they run behind the container and that it's only their shadow that continues perfectly across the front until diverted by the curve - but, as I study them, they play tricks on my brain jumping from foreground to background amongst the geometric shadows. [The wires run across the photo in front of the tank. - Dave] So THAT's what that thing was!There was a framework that looked like this to the west of I-435 in Kansas City on the river bluffs - I wondered for years what it was. Thanks for clearing up that mystery! Ka-BOOMGot a light. West coast gasWhen I was growing up out here in California these things were a familiar sight in just about any city of a goodly size, even suburban San Rafael just to the north of us in Marin County. There was an enormous one in San Francisco up through the mid-1960s, at the east end of the Marina District. Here it is at the right in a section of a slide I took from across the bay near Sausalito in early 1965. Gas Tank ParkNew York had dozens of these structures. Some of the most famous were the Elmhurst tanks. They were knocked down in the 1980s and now the site of Gas Tank Park. Near most of these structures were the gashouses which produced the illuminating gas -- sites often requiring remediation to remove the contaminant plumes of benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons which dripped into the ground. Got gas?Hi tterrace. That tank is now the site of the upscale Marina Safeway. However, its memory lives on in the name of the sailboat marina right across the street: Gas House Cove. Worried ?Wonder if the people living next door ever worried about an explosion. That being said, I have never heard of one blowing up. Gas lines, yes. The neighbors most likely never had low pressure in their lines, at least. A while back I was looking at some of these in Europe and UK online; some gas holders overseas have been converted to condominiums or apartment buildings! "Gasometers"I live in London, and you will still see these structures all over England and particularly in the large cities. We call them "Gasometers," and they are still part of the national grid for gas distribution. Love em in London!These things seem to inspire the same fond feelings as water towers. So big and matter of fact and useful! The number 8 gasometer down the road from me in King's Cross, London, is being zhuzhed up as part of the regeneration of the area. Hopefully they'll keep it a little bit weird and rusty. http://www.bp-k.com/projects/Gasholder.html An Illuminating Subject.When I was young, not far from our home was a coking plant which had two huge gas holders of the type shown. They would slowly rise as gas was produced and fall as gas consumption exceeded supply. The adjacent gas works would emit an atomic cloud of steam as a coke oven was "pushed" and the glowing coke quenched by water before it was loaded into steel hopper cars. On occasion a wood-sided hopper was used, the coke not completely quenched, and the resulting fire caused by the wind of the train's motion would burn thru the car side and a glowing lava of coke pour out as the train moved down the track. Steel coke cars would sometimes glow in patches at night. I do not know if there are any gas holders of this design left. I would like to ride on top of one and watch it inch up by looking at the framework, and see it pause as the pressure inside had to increase to lift the next section. I tell younger people about them and they do not grasp the idea of the telescoping sections at all, how the pressure inside, although low, was enough to lift the tons of metal the tanks sections were made of. Other gas holders were circular and made with bricks, not rising nor falling. The whole coke plant and the gas holders are long gone, ugly to be sure, being replaced with even UGLIER slumplexes of high-density housing. LandmarksThose Elmurst, NY, Gas Tanks were a staple for many Long Island Expressway Commuters. Traffic reporters would announce, with almost every daily (weekday) morning drive heading to The Queens-Midtown Tunnel, that the major tie-ups would be in the vicinity of the gas tanks. Incidentally, the tanks themselves rose and fell according the volume of gas in them. They could have preserved itby turning it into a park, like we did here in Seattle. Same in St. LouisThere was at least one of these on highway 64/40 in St. Louis that I used to pass daily on my commute. It would rise and fall and I always wondered what it was. I'd heard it was for natural gas but I never really understood, but now I do. Great photo- thanks for posting! http://www.builtstlouis.net/industrial/gasometers.html Roll up the windows! We passed two of these tanks en route to Grand-ma's Brownstone in Brooklyn, NY. But the associated cracking plants and their gas flare towers sent the pervasive stench of rotten eggs drifting over the county for miles around. We all held our noses and made rude noises until shushed by the adults. Wow, popular topic! I just wanted to add that modern tanks act as flow buffers, just like water towers. Instead of just storing locally made gas, they store a 'back-up' quantity of product to handle periods of high demand, but are fed by massive pipelines from distant plants. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Ford Family, Cont'd.
... This photo showed up in Ken Burns' "The War" on the second night. Oddly enough, it was used during a segment describing the influx of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 1:27pm -

March 1936. "Resettlement Administration official investigating the case of nine living in field on U.S. Route 70 between Camden and Bruceton, Tennessee, near the Tennessee River." View full size. Photograph by Carl Mydans. Children = Poverty?When you combine a high infant mortality rate and no social security net of any sort, having six, seven, eight children (in the hopes that a least a couple would live to adulthood and support his/her parents) was a practical way to guarantee that you didn't starve to death in your old age. Also, don't assume that birth control was available or affordable. Even information about birth control was deemed obscene and therefore illegal. It wasn't until 1936 (the year this photo was taken!) that the Supreme Court ruled the federal government couldn't interfere with a doctor providing birth control devices to patients. History. Learn some. I love this series of photographsThese are my favorites of all the Shorpy pics. What a story they tell. Hopefully the Resettlement Administration was able to help them out. This is a monument to human tenacity. I doubt having that many children changed their situation much, it was common to still have large rural families at the time. This set of photosI agree this is one of the best of all of the series, look at all of the comments!! You can see how much of our history people don't know or understand, some refuse to believe it was real? Having 6 kids back then was normal and families stayed together for better or worse. Times were hard and they did not have the options we do now. I love how the oldest girlI love how the oldest girl is literally in the middle of the other kids. And I suppose having six children didn't in any way contribute to their economic condition (the Depression too, of course). The Men Have ShoesInteresting that only the three sons (on the left) and the father get to wear shoes. The Oldest GirlWhoa. Is she pregnant? where are they nowSeveral of the children could easily be alive somewhere right now! I'm dying to know! My bet is those women ownedMy bet is those women owned one pair of shoes, and they weren't tennis shoes. Women wore heeled shoes back then. When you're pregnant your feet swell up. And heels sink in the mud. entertainedThey all seem to be enjoying confounding the fellow with the clipboard. Ken Burns' "The War"This photo showed up in Ken Burns' "The War" on the second night. Oddly enough, it was used during a segment describing the influx of rural people into Mobile due to the demands of the ship building industry. [I noticed that too. Plus two other non-war-related pics that I will try to post tonight. - Dave] Actually...Actually there were seven children, not six. A little girl behind the mother, between mother and father. I remember this photo fromI remember this photo from when it was first posted. I wonder what's up with those mischievous grins the older boys and mom seem to have? You'd think they wouldn't have much to smile about, but I guess even in the worst situations you can't stay sad the whole time. Actually....It was the boy, not a girl (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Great Depression, Kids, Rural America)
Loud and Clear : 1922
... “Goodnight, Station 6ZH.” Even on this eventful night, he clung to his old familiar call, and in the interval, he told of the ... why Picker did not fill the chair on the platform that night. One day he was installing a new 55-foot mast at his new station and the ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 8:47pm -

Lester Picker listens to his shortwave radio through earphones while convalescing after breaking his back when he fell 55 feet erecting an aerial for the radio. Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, April 18, 1922. View full size. (Updated with additional information on Lester — click here and scroll down.) At least……he finished the job, didn't he? Finished The Job......One might think so. Ah, the things that we radio buffs go through to get a signal in [or out]. Lester's radioLester's rig looks like a single band receiver, probably the AM broadcast band. The receiver designs back then were very simple and touchy to tune. The most common three dial receiver design used three tubes to amplify the signal, the design today is called a TRF receiver. The dials didn't have kHz marks, just 0-100 logging marks. There was also a gain control that had to be constantly adjusted as the signal faded or strengthened. I used to have a very similar antique receiver, called a 'Freshman Masterpiece'. It had five tubes, three for amplifying the radio signal and two for amplifying the audio... and they were all the same type, O1-A triodes. Pentodes and tetrodes were still on the horizon. If you look on top of the receiver, you can see an array of batteries, since that was the common power source back then. There would be a -22 volt grid bias battery, a 6.3 volt lead-acid battery for the filaments (usually recharged from a windmill generator) and a +90 volt plate battery. I think his Diploma of Graduation was either from a radio school or it could have been a high school. Is he a ham?wondering if that diploma on the wall is a Federal Radio Commission ham license? or one of the many "radio school" diplomas around back then? Does anyone have a Radio Amateur's Callbook from that era to look for the name? Lester Picker, 6AJH and 6ZHLester was a licensed shortwave (or "ham") radio operator who achieved national fame after his fall. From the Brownsville (Texas) Daily Herald of April 25, 1922: The Decatur (Illinois) Sunday Review of April 16, 1922: From the Oakland Tribune of March 11, 1923: FAN BREAKS BACK BUT GRADUATES BY AID OF RADIO San Ysidro Youth Addresses Class by Air; Whole Coast Is Friend (By a Listener-In) SAN YSIDRO, Calif., March 10 — There is not an amateur up and down the Pacific Coast who will not cut in and answer when he hears amateur radio station 6ZH calling. These call letters, meaningless to so many radio fans, have a deeper significance in the hearts of dot-and-dash amateurs. They know that 6ZH is the only one among them who has the right to be lonely. “How are things tonight?” they say. Sometimes they pause for a lengthy chat. Their reward, though unseen, is a smile lighting up the face on a pillow thousands of miles away. At the word of greeting a hand will reach to the bedside and fondle an old brass key. There is a splutter, the tubes light up, and singing back through the ether comes 6ZH’s answer: “Fine, Old Man. How are you?” Down on his luck, but what of that? — 6ZH Lester Picker, District Superintendent of the American Radio Relay League, has brought the whole world to his bedside and you will find him there in the evening with his chin up, talking to his pals of the A.R.R.L. along the coast. He knows most of them, the amateurs, from Vancouver to the Gulf and now and then he will seek out an old friend to the banks of the Mississippi. There is fun in distance when you measure your own movements by inches. If there is anyone who can get action out of his [illegible], Picker and his signal is like the crack of the whip. There is much to take into account, of course, if it were not for amateur radio in the first place. Picker would not be lying there with that ache in his back, but still, if it were not for radio, life would be lonely. And, yes, here is another thing, too: it was amateur radio that enabled Picker to be graduated with the rest of his class at the Roosevelt Memorial High School in San Diego. The accident happened only a short time before the exercises and he was due to receive his diploma with the rest. A rather difficult situation, you might think, for a chap whose back was broken, yet the seemingly impossible was accomplished and not only is the diploma hanging on the wall, where 6ZH can glance at it proudly, but he also gave an address from the platform of the auditorium. The chair where Picker was to sit with his classmates was vacant, but who will say he was not there? At a word from Principal T. A. Russell, someone telephoned a San Diego amateur, who relayed the message by radio to 6ZH; a switch was thrown in and a hush fell over the auditorium, while the eyes of those present turned toward a big horn on the stage. “Picker,” thought his classmates, and listened carefully. In the next few minutes, there was no other sound except Picker’s voice, not until he signed off, at least, with his customary “Goodnight, Station 6ZH.” Even on this eventful night, he clung to his old familiar call, and in the interval, he told of the pleasure which it gave him to be graduated with the others in his class and expressed the hope that he might join sometime his mates of ’23 and talk over experiences. And now you must wonder why Picker did not fill the chair on the platform that night. One day he was installing a new 55-foot mast at his new station and the guy wires broke. “Radio again,” you say. But now you know why the amateur radio “ops” listen when he calls. And finally, from the "A.R.R.L. Events" column of the Woodland (Calif.) Daily Democrat, March 18, 1925: Lester Picker, 6ZH, has received his O. W. L. S. appointment and has already begun to sign his wavelength after communications. LesterExcellent info, Dave. Thanks for clearing up all the mystery. 73 de Ham Radio Curmudgeon (sorry, I learned long ago to not use my call letters on the net.) Not a HamThe certificate on the back wall appears to be a Diploma of something (probably Graduation but the cable obscures a couple of letters) so that's no proof of whether he's a Ham operator. What we're looking at appears to be an old three dialer with headphones for listening rather than a speaker horn - probably due to the rather primitive state of amplification in those days. [Not so. See above. - Dave] Callsigns?So if I've got this right, 6ZH was a subsequent call sign he probably earned after upgrading his license from the earlier 6AJH? The callsign format is way before my time, and I've been licensed for close to 30 years.... What license classes were each of these? 73's Sid LesterHere's a QSL he sent in 1925... Some notes on his antenna on there too! http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/USA/California/6zh.htm Morse code keyOn the large photo you can clearly see a telegraph key on top of the receiver. These were used to send morse code transmissions and those wires hanging down connect to this key and I suspect go to a transmitter in another room since transmitters in those days were quite bulky and would be too big to fit on the table. Lester PickerI'm so happy to have stumbled onto this page! Lester Picker was my grandfather's first cousin. He was born December 26, 1905 in San Francisco and died in Los Angeles on May 10, 1930 from complications due to his infirmity. His younger sister, Sylvia Picker (1909-1981), was an actress, mostly on radio. The family moved from New York to Southern California because Lester's father Herman had tuberculosis, and needed the dry climate. He died anyway in 1924 at age 44. After Lester died, he was returned to San Diego for burial next to his father. Sylvia Picker McGrawSylvia was my step-grandmother. We loved her dearly and miss her. She married my father's father Stokely McGraw. My dad was Roland George McGraw, who lives in the Palm Springs area. Kelly KMcGraw48@hotmail.com (Technology, The Gallery, Curiosities)
Sick Bay: 1898
... for the normal sickbay. Morning After a rough night at the Enlisted Men's Club. The MO prepares a carefully calibrated dose ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:53pm -

Aboard the cruiser U.S.S. Brooklyn circa 1898. "Sick bay." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Paint LockerBased on the identification plate it would appear that this was at one point the ship's paint locker. This compartment was most likely used as overflow capacity for the normal sickbay. Morning Aftera rough night at the Enlisted Men's Club. The MO prepares a carefully calibrated dose of the Hair of the Dog. Can't kid a kidderSome of these guys fake it so they can have a turn in the great hammock. Kinda darkAside from the powerful light the photographer used, I don't see any lighting fixtures in there. Portable lanterns? It appears that this is in the bow of the ship, so those guys would have had a bouncy ride. Good thing they are armored in those fancy and sturdy sick bay bunks. On the right the patient is being offered something in a filthy cup, but he already has a filthy cup. And a filthy blanket to go with it. Where did they do the amputations? In that chair? Ah, the romance of the sea. Canvas coffinsYipes -- I don't like the looks of those sickbay beds. Looks like it would be way too easy to carry them up on the deck for a quick burial at sea! Ouch!I wonder what happened to the hand on the poor man holding the cup. It seems to work but boy oh boy is it 10 times bigger than normal. Poor seated guy on the left!That guy looks like he's been rode hard and put away wet. But mostly, I'm fascinated by all the mustaches. Isn't facial hair no-go in today's Navy? But these guys are elegant! LocationBeing an astute marine aficianado, I surmise the location of the sick bay is in the pointy-end of the ship. Forward CompartmentBased on the curvature of the bulkhead, the sick bay was located very near the bow of the ship. A safe distance from the engines and ammo lockers, but hardly the most comfortable ride when the ship is underway. On the mustachesLooking at all these naval photos, I have come to surmise that the only ones to have facial hair are the NCOs otherwise known as POs or petty officers. Mustaches seem to be a badge of the petty officers, and they seem to wear them proudly, and I have seen few POs without a stache. Join the Navy!But best not to get sick, really. It's not easy being greenI am feeling queasy just imagining those hammocks swaying every time they hit a swell. Back and forth ... back and forth ... back and forth. If I wasn't feeling sick before going to sick bay, I would after five minutes in there. PerplexedWhy in the world would you put sick people in a hanging swing on a weaving boat?? HammocksHammocks were the standard sleeping arrangement for enlisted personnel in most navies until well after World War II. The British and Canadian Navies didn't give it up until the 1950s. The US Navy seems to hav largely given them up by the start of World War II if not earlier. Supposedly a naval hammock is better than a bunk because it sort of enveloped you like a cocoon. The most obvious advantage was that in a swell the ship may be rocking but the sleepers were stable. Some even claim that they're safer than bunks on the grounds that if a ship rolls far enough or hard enough someone in a bunk could get tossed out or otherwise injured. The HammocksIt does seem odd to put sick bay in the bow where you're going to get the roughest ride, but the suspended hammocks would soften things. Rough seas would produce swinging, not jolting, and you'd never be thrown out of a bunk. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Medicine)
Central Union Station: 1905
... That cart load of kegs might come in handy on a Saturday night! Not all it could have been While not a bad building, it's fairly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 3:11pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1905. "Central Union Station." You there in the window -- get to work! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. VestigesYou'd never recognize the neighborhood now (which is made up of parking lots beneath interstate highway viaducts, north of the Bengals' stadium). But if you look carefully from the same angle at the corner of Central Avenue and Third Street, you can see that a piece of the northern facade of the station is still in place: the area between the two 1905 loiterers, from the window sill to the sidewalk. AutomobilesWhile enjoying the street scenes of the beginning of the 20th century, I have noticed how quickly the automobile burst upon the scene. It seems that up until about 1905 there were few, if any, autos on the streets. Starting about 1906, there were quite a few. By about 1908, they seem to dominate. I can only wonder how quickly the auto changed the pace of life. Pyrotechnics Unless I am decieving myself visually, there is what appears to be a spent bottle rocket nestled in the inside corner of the two angles on the ledge in the immediate right foreground - on my screen it's just to the left of the SHORPY logo, in the very bottom right corner of the photo. A forgotten remnant of the last 4th of July parade? Enduring evidence of a mischievious boy? Also, above it - check out the already-frayed wire draped over the ledge - and above that, the classic knob-and-tube electrical work. Those were the days! And that's why we have Underwriters Laboratories! Enough buildings burned down and boilers blew up.... Guess I'll head across the street for a beer or three. But delicious Lion Beer is on handWhile not Hauck's or Moerlein's beer, the Windisch Muhlhauser "Lion" Brewery seems to be delivering. The foundations are still there and should be familar to anyone tailgating for a Bengals game: View Larger Map Window treatmentThere seems to be more use of curved glass in buildings and even display and curio cabinets in the first half of the 20th century. Another SlackerIn the room to the right of the gazer, under the awning, is another unproductive gawker, camouflaged by the dark suit. The wonder of it all.I always kind of wonder; "Pardon me, but would you mind if I set up a huge camera and take a picture out of your office window? Shouldn't take but an hour--or two. Oh, and I'll need to open your window and push your desk out of the way." That's definitely old Cincinnati.BEER HALL. All that's missing is a George Hauck or Christian Moerlein sign. Missing Beer?Look to the right and you will see a delivery of some keg beer from the Lion Brewery. Must be a strong horse to pull all those kegs. Where are the Clydesdales? Lion BrewThat cart load of kegs might come in handy on a Saturday night! Not all it could have beenWhile not a bad building, it's fairly pedestrian considering it was the most important train station in the city. It's a far cry from the original design by W. W. Boyington of Chicago. In "The Railroad and the City," Carl Condit writes: It is unfortunate from the historical and operational as well as the civic standpoints that this impressive design was never built, since the actual work that was begun in the spring of 1882 and opened on 9 April 1883 was inferior to it in formal and spatial characteristics. The headhouse was much reduced in floor area and height ... and the formal treatment of the building was so much inferior to that of the original as to suggest that Boyington's work was redone by the heavy hand of a company architect. I tend to agree. The original plan has the kind of whimsy and grandeur appropriate for a major railroad station. The one that was built looks like nothing more than a small office building. The Addams HostelryIf Charles Addams had been an Architect, this would have been his style! Wonderful building! Lots of nooks and crannies to enjoy and study. RemnantsFinally, a use for these photos I took a year and a half ago! This station was one of the handful of stations that were replaced by Union Terminal in 1933. The remaining piece of wall still standing is from where the man on the left is leaning, to the awning to the right. The road was obviously widened later. As for my photos: The first one was taken from a parking lot behind it which was once obviously the basement. The second one is just a close up. The third one is from the same corner as the original, but street level. Horsy parkersA while back someone on Shorpy wondered how a wagon could be parked squarely against the curb while the horse was parallel to the street. Notice the Lion Brewery wagon in the right foreground is parked in such a manner. The operation is simple, back the wagon straight against the curb and then swing the horse or horses around parallel to traffic. The small front wheels allow this as they can pass under the front of the wagon box and horses can walk sideways when asked to. Farm wagons usually had large front wheels because they were easier to pull on soft ground, plus they would probably not find themselves in a situation where they needed to be parked like this. Take it from an old ice wagon driver as I ought to know. I know about road apples also, but the city (Jackson Tenn) had a high powered street sprinkler truck. "C" cab MACK with solid rubber tires. One used to fill up at the fire hydrant across from my home fairly frequently. Gothic splendorThe architectural details are breathtaking. Not exactly subtle, I know, but then I've always gone in for overkill. What's worth doing is worth doing well. I could stare at these photos for hours, absorbing the minutiae with reverence and glee. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Charm City: 1903
... across the Inner Harbor still exists, now as a venue for night clubs and sports bars, including the Hard Rock Cafe and an ESPN Zone. Of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:09pm -

Circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." A freight terminal (O'Donnell's Wharf) and the Patapsco flour mill. Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. The Babe's old stomping groundsThis is where a young George Herman Ruth got into all that mischief which led him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys. There, he met a gentleman named Brother Mathias who taught him the game of baseball. Baltimore RocksThe powerplant across the Inner Harbor still exists, now as a venue for night clubs and sports bars, including the Hard Rock Cafe and an ESPN Zone. Of course, the harbor is no longer a working harbor. Rusty Scupper, National AquariumLooks to be taken from roughly the location of the Rusty Scupper Restaurant on the south side of the Inner Harbor, near where the Key Highway bends around from west to south. The National Aquarium in Baltimore now occupies the space where Pier B's two buildings are, as well as the Northern Central Freight Station pier. Three SheetsI love the waterfront photos on Shorpy! The three-master in the center is a beautiful boat, I would love to have seen her under sail! Boy is it different todayYou can still see power plant though the Northern Central Freight Stations building was replaced by something more modern. The Arthur Andersen office used to be there and have a glass center wall that overlooked the Barnes & Noble. Phoenix shot towerThe crenelated "smokestack" to the right of the power plant is the Phoenix Shot Tower, from 1828 until the 1880s the tallest structure in the USA. The neighborhood to the right of the picture is "Little Italy" (correct Bawlmer pronunciation: "LiddleIddlee") which is now among other things a concentration of restaurants. An OutingThe little two-masted sailing vessel to the left of the Northern Central warehouse seems to be filled - with people? An excursion, perhaps? Seems a funny place to be starting from, but the boat is too far from the dock to be anchored there. Fire!Just one year before the Great Baltimore Fire destroyed much of what you're looking at. Amazing. A grim place.Baltimore looked grim then, and is far worse now, from personal experience. Train FerryThey had a ferry for railroad cars. They move entire trains from one side of the harbor to the other. You can see parts of it at the "New York and Baltimore Transportation Lines." +111Below is the same perspective from July of 2014. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories)
Something Fishy: 1906
... are also provided to cover the fish during rains and at night, the tops of the boxes being pitched to shed the water. These flake boxes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 4:23pm -

Gloucester, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Drying fish." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lots of saltI expect that the fish is heavily salted which should keep the sea gulls and bugs away. They should dry quickly so as to miss the rain. Salt CodThink they are drying cod which we see as salt cod around New York, for some reason. Never had it and probably never will. During the 1930's depressionMaritimers sent dried cod to the people on the Canadian prairies and there were reports that they used them as shingles on their outbuildings and tried to cook the salt cod without soaking out the salt. Cod of Our FathersI presume that these were codfish. They were very plentiful off New England in the early part of the 20th century. They were heavily salted first in brine and then liberally sprinkled with rock salt to aid in the drying process. The brine and salt combination tended embalm the fish. Even today you can get salt cod. You need to soak it overnight with multiple changes of water to get the salt out. Lord of the FliesWhat keeps the flies and other bugs from infesting these fish? I'm surprisedNo sea gulls. Would have expected there would be massive problems with birds with the fish laid out like that. Check those barometersThey must have a contingency plan in case of rain, right? Please tell me they have a plan or else I may not sleep tonight. ProcessingDid they salt the fish before putting it out to dry? As someone else posted, how did they keep the flies off the drying fish? The process worked but how did they adjust for humid days? I just never did consider the process of drying fish. Too many questions but not enough answers. I'm lost. A Simple SolutionThe seagulls are all off to one side, on their own drying racks. Nuoc MamWhen I took my all expenses paid "vacation" to Vietnam in the Sixties, this was a common sight near the villages and much of the overripe fish was used to make a very pungent fermented fish sauce known as "nuoc mam". The odor was extremely unpleasant, at least to my "western" nose, and so strong that you could tell you were nearing a village just by the smell. The Vietnamese used it for a dipping sauce, or like ketchup. I still shudder at the thought of it. Perfect Sunny DayFlies and seagulls? Are we not Gloucestermen? Gloucester Flake Yard Preparation of the cod and other salt fish for the market, 1911 Drying The fish are dried on flakes and the drying yard is known as the flake yard. The flake consists of a lattice bed about 8 feet wide, 30 inches high, and as long as the requirements may demand. The lattice used on this bed is made of triangular strips 1 inch on the base, and these are placed about 3 inches apart. The fish therefore rest upon a sharp edge about every 4 inches. This is for the purpose of giving the maximum circulation of air about the fish. … The flake yards are located near the fish factory. Formerly they were all placed on the ground, sometimes near a street, but the practice has changed, and they are now found above the butt sheds or other buildings, thus avoiding the dirt and dust which might be distributed by passing vehicles. Some of the flake yards are built over the water. At regular intervals along the flakes, crosspieces are provided over which to stretch a canvas to protect the fish from sunburn during hot weather. Boxes or coops are also provided to cover the fish during rains and at night, the tops of the boxes being pitched to shed the water. These flake boxes are about 38 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 14 inches high, and will cover from 20 to 40 fish; during the day they are pushed under the flakes. Salt CodMy guess is salting would stop the bugs/fly larvae infesting them before they'd dried, but I'm not sure whether that'd prevent birds - do birds eat salted fish, or would they learn to stay away? Salt BankersGloucester fishing schooners (and "sloop-boats") -- you can see both types in the background of the picture -- are called salt bankers for good reason. After the dorymen caught the fish with longlines, they were filleted and salted the same day and stowed in the hold with layers of salt separating layers of fish for the run back to harbor. A schooner would stay out for several days or weeks; a sloop-boat usually did not stay out overnight. There's a dory tied up to the schooner in the left background. With all that salt in it, gulls and bugs may not have shown much interest in the drying fish. On a recent trip to St. John's, Newfoundland, I found drying racks set up in residential areas and on part of the waterfront. Plastic bags were tied to clotheslines stretched above the racks and I think their fluttering in the wind was enough to deter gulls who hadn't tasted the salt fish yet. The drying fish had no detectable smell at a reasonable distance. Oooh, That SmellI can smell it from here, in distance and time. DelicacySalt cod goes for up to $25 a pound and is considered to be quite the yummy treat by many. Others, however, say it's stinky and impossible to debone. Mental pictureI recently finished reading "The Hearth and the Eagle" by Anya Seton. It takes place in Marbleheadand describes the early days of the fishing trade there. Now I see what the fish flakes look like. They sleep with the fishesThis is truly one photo where you can honestly say, "They're all dead now." Bacalhau -- yummySun-dried salted codfish is the Portuguese national fish, it's called there "bacalhau". Portugal has, by far, the highest yearly consumption of sun-dried salted codfish per capita, worldwide. However, the most of it nowadays comes from Norway. As a matter of fact, Portugal consumes 20 percent of the worldwide codfish catch every year. Portugal has a population of just 10.5 million! There are more than 1,300 different bacalhau recipes known. Even the typical Christmas eve food, is, you guessed it, bacalhau. If you want want to surprise yourself, go and visit the next Portuguese restaurant near you and ask for bacalhau. I am sure you won't ever forget the delicious taste of a well-made bacalhau. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Ponce Parlors: 1890
... Spooky Not sure I would want to be here at night. Looks like a good place for ghosts. Spanish Beauty The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:35pm -

St. Augustine, Florida, circa 1890. "Parlors of the Ponce de Leon Hotel." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. The anti-Bauhaus... or everything the International Style rebelled against. European elegance made possible by American industry- with tassels! No smoking?I don't see a single ash receiver or cuspidor in this room. Highly unusual for an 1890 parlor. We'll leave a light on for yaHoly cow. Motel 6 it ain't. PoshThere is no other word for the elegance of this area. From the piano stool to the chandelier and then the awesome ceiling treatments. This was not a hotel for the day-to-day tourist. WOW!!! Where are the rope swings? Add about four feet of water to this room and you'd be all set! Great roomYou can almost smell the cigar smoke and sea breezes. Curiosity SatisfiedI used to live near St. Augustine and have been riding past these hotels for years. I always wondered what they looked like in their heyday. Thanks, Dave, for giving us look inside these grand hotels. Furniture an AfterthoughtWhat an odd mix of furniture styles, and none of the pieces look very happy about being in the room. A strange atmosphere, somehow. PonceAhhh, the Gay Nineties... SpookyNot sure I would want to be here at night. Looks like a good place for ghosts. Spanish BeautyThe portraits of "exotic beauties" are great, especially the "Spanish" one over the piano. I wonder what became of them? Are they hanging in a private collection, destroyed in a storm or fire? It would be great to see them today. As Shakespeare wrote,"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John (Act IV, Scene ii). The Gilded AgeA perfect illustration of the term "gild the lily." The Not So Exotic BeautiesThe portraits of the women are actually the famed Shakespeare heroines. They were a part of Henry Flagler's private collection. The hotel is now a college and the paints still hang there. Though I don't believe they are in their original locations. Also there are no ashtrays in the room because this was the parlor for the women. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Custom Royal: 1956
... from NBC. It's still there and good as ever. Every Friday night (at least during the summer) car collectors from all over the San ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/18/2013 - 8:54pm -

        At Bob's ("Home of the Big Boy") in a 1956 Dodge Custom Royal convertible in the very mid-Fifties color scheme of coral and black. June 1956. "Aspects of life in Southern California, including cars at drive-in restaurant, drive-in laundromat, drive-up bank, shopping center." (Next stop: the Pantorium.) Kodachrome by Maurice Terrell for the Look magazine assignment "Los Angeles: The Art of Living Bumper-to-Bumper." View full size. Rancho Cucamonga?Perhaps with Mt. San Antonio to the north? Could some SoCal resident let us know? And, does anyone have a time machine handy—if only for an afternoon? 1950s auto design evolutionBy 1956 cars like the Dodge convertible pictured were making the Buicks, Cadillacs and Mercurys of the late 1940s and earlier 1950s as seen in this parking lot look pretty dated. We still had my grandfather's 1950 Plymouth in 1956 and though still shiny and new appearing, it was no match style-wise for the cars just a few years newer and looked pretty dowdy. My older brother's gold 1957 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop he got soon after looked as though it were moving forward even when at a standstill. Back to the FutureThe passenger in the adjacent Buick is either 50 years ahead, on his cell phone, or has a toothache. [Wrong car. - Dave] What's wrong? [The person is in the car to the right of the Buick. -tterrace] A valuable rideDepending on how well it's been restored, that car would be worth between $35,000 and $50,000 today, maybe even up to $60,000 in some cases. Can anyone familiar with Los Angeles give an approximate location for this photo, based on the distinctive peak in the background? Bob's on Riverside Drive in BurbankThat's Bob's drive-in in Burbank. Not far from NBC. It's still there and good as ever. Every Friday night (at least during the summer) car collectors from all over the San Fernando valley bring their cars to show off. Jay Leno is a frequent visitor. On the other side of that mountain is the Hollywood sign. Disney studios and NBC and Warner Brothers are within about a mile to the left. Universal is off to the right. [Actually this Bob's was in Pasadena, not Burbank. See above. - Dave] American GraffitiThat would be the oldest remaining Bob's, an historical landmark, at 4211 Riverside Drive in Burbank. They have "Classic Car" get-togethers every Friday but if you're out for a bite, better to check out "Mo's" across the street. http://www.bobs.net/events/classic-car-show\ [Actually this Bob's was in Pasadena, not Burbank. See above. - Dave] Neat carI used to want one of these in the worst way when they came out. Instead I had a '50 Merc coupe like the one in the background. Wish I had it back now. Old DodgeMy dad had a 1956 Dodge Custom, a nice running car but the tinworm had eaten thru it by 1959! Still that '56 ragtop is gorgeous! The car hoplooks like he could be Bob himself! Not Burbank, it's PasadenaThose are definitely not the Hollywood Hills in the background, and this isn't Burbank. The hills are pretty clearly the foothills of the San Gabriels, north of Pasadena, and it looks to me like the sign that says "Office" in the background has an address with the words E. Colorado Blvd on it (I used special software to try and make this out). Judging by the now not entirely overgrown firebreak in the background, I would have said the photo was taken along Colorado Blvd somewhere near Kinneloa, that is at about 3121 E. Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. Looking online, I found that someone had mentioned there having been a Bob's at 3130 East Colorado, just east of Pasadena City College. My guess is this is that Bob's. [You are right! Below, a comparison of the peaks in the 1956 view and the current Google Street View looking north on Kinneloa. - Dave] Location, Location, LocationI am almost certain that is not the Burbank Bob's. The sign is the tipoff. The original sign is still there today and is much larger and more elaborate than the one pictured. Also, the streets don't jibe. Across the street should be Papoo's Hot Dog Show, which predates Bob's, but there seems to be a trailer park instead. Since the next pic was taken in Sierra Madre, I suspect it may be in Pasadena. [I share your suspicion. - Dave] The forward lookCalifornian made the point that his brother's 57 Plymouth looked as if it were moving forward even when standing. No surprise there, as the head of design at Chrysler at the time, Virgil Exner, intended it that way. He branded the entire mid fifties product line "the forward look." His designs were a very radical departure from the pre 1955 grandpa style Chrysler line. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK, Los Angeles)
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