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The Soprano: 1920
... November 1920. New York. "Murray singing 'Queen of Night'." Robert Murray, "phenomenal boy soprano" from Tacoma, Washington. 5x7 ... has it that Mozart wrote the part of the Queen of the Night, in Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute) for a soprano he didn't like. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2013 - 3:03pm -

      "Robert Murray, boy soprano with a voice reaching to the D which falls on the sixth ledger line above the treble clef, said to be the highest voice on record, has been astonishing New York City. His imitations of bird calls at a concert given at the Hippodrome are said to have been remarkable." -- The Etude, January 1922 November 1920. New York. "Murray singing 'Queen of Night'." Robert Murray, "phenomenal boy soprano" from Tacoma, Washington. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Koenigen Der NachtRumor has it that Mozart wrote the part of the Queen of the Night, in Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute) for a soprano he didn't like. I've sung part of that role in a scene recital and it was a BEAST! Yodeling to the rescueThe famous "Queen of the Night" piece with its piercing, stratospheric, wine glass shattering high notes is a standard tour de force for boy sopranos with big lungs and vocal cords of steel. In fact, the most challenging notes in that piece are not that hard to hit via the strategy of yodeling rather than singing. But when all is said and done, the enduring appeal of girls is a fair trade off for the temporary ability to fly off the top of the treble clef. High-Pitched Voice, High-Pitched RoofQuite a detailed story (1921) here about his physiology and some commentary by the musical "names" of the day: Father was evidently then Tacoma's former city attorney; interesting architect-designed house (1901): Did he notice the smell?Boy sopranos weren't the only performers at the Hippodrome. There were many touring circus companies in those days, and the Hippodrome was a regular stop for several of them. In the early 1930's, workers building the Sixth Avenue IND subway adjacent to the Hippodrome kept complaining of a strong, unpleasant, but unfamiliar odor in the tunnel. Some workers actually were overcome by the stench and had to be carried up to fresh air. It took weeks of investigations before engineers were able to identify the strange odor. Circuses have elephants, and naturally enough elephants produce ample quantities of manure. For many years Hippodrome employees had thrown the manure into a basement storage room that was walled off from the rest of the structure. Over time it fermented, and the resulting odor seeped through the unfinished walls of the adjacent subway tunnel. By that time the Hippodrome had fallen on hard times, a victim of the Great Depression and changing tastes in entertainment. It closed in 1939 and was demolished soon after. Poor kidI bet he got a lot of Slushies thrown in his face by the Jocks. House & Voice ChangeThe Murray's house is now 10 rental flats and the website for the rental company states, "Robert’s music career ended abruptly when he reached puberty, his voice changed, and he lost his extraordinary talent for high notes." The home was built in 1899 - 1900 according to the website and that Robert was adopted by the Murrays. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Music)
Plastic n Plywood: 1942
... Connecticut. "Defense homes. Fred Heath works on the night shift at the Warren McArthur plant in Bantam, and spends his days with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2012 - 4:10pm -

January 1942. Bantam, Connecticut. "Defense homes. Fred Heath works on the night shift at the Warren McArthur plant in Bantam, and spends his days with Mrs. Heath and their three-year-old daughter, Ann. Here they are in the living room of the Heaths' new four-room apartment, part of the new eighty-unit defense housing project just five minutes walk from the plant. The Heaths, who pay thirty dollars rent, like overstuffed chairs, and Ann also likes her overstuffed Teddy Bear." 4x5 nitrate negative by Howard Hollem. View full size. RentUsing the inflation calculator the equivalent rent today would be $435/mo. I wonder what the dad's salary equivalent today is. Cushy job?Of course they liked the overstuffed chairs. The Warren McArthur plant in Bantam made upholstered seating for bombers and other planes. Its name changed many times following the war, from Warren McArthur to Aerotherm Corp., to Aerotec Industries, UOP Aerospace Division, PTC Aerospace, and finally, in 1992, B/E Aerospace. It closed its Bantam operations in 2002, and shifted its CT operations to facilities in Ireland and North Carolina. BoomThis instantly reminded me of one of those "typical" rooms the military had set up in the blast range during the atomic bomb tests in the 50's. Re: RentI have no idea what this dad's salary was, but last week while touring the Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum here in Baltimore, I noticed in a display case a 1944 "New Employee" info card, for unskilled labor. His starting hourly wage was 60 cents an hour = about $5.50 today. Cute little Anndoesn't care that the walls are plywood! Idle chatterIn the context of the photo I know why the overstuffed chair thing is relevant, but when I read the caption it seemed like such an odd thing to say about a family. You can almost imagine one of the neighbors: "Oh, the Heaths? Nice folks. They sure like their overstuffed chairs, those kids do." Nice to knowI am wondering if little Ann would remember this? She would be 72 now, so maybe she is still alive. Would one of our many genealogy researchers like to find out? DiplomaI am guessing that it is the mother's high school diploma from Torrington HS in Connecticut that is on the wall. Her first name appears to be Mary but I cannot make out the last name or year. The last name does not appear to be Heath. If we could enlarge that section we might have her maiden name and a good guess on her age for the genealogy folks to use. Some time back I was able to download the large tiff files from the LOC and view them, but I don't remember how I did it. Can someone help me out. [The link to the tiff is on this page. - tterrace] Mary Giarneseb. 12/27/1922 d. 08/23/2000 Radiators and ply wood wallsHow strange that there are still homes who use those radiators today. I have heard that they are in homes all over NYC. I don't remember ever seeing a home with ply wood walls. Like a childHer Daddy is her biggest Hero.you can see it in her smile. Where The Heaths Live Here's a shot of a wintertime, ice and snow covered street in the business district of the town where the Heaths have taken up residence while Mr. Heath works for Warren McArthur. (The Gallery, Howard Hollem, WW2)
Dairy Queen: 1942
... nothing quite as nice as being serenaded to sleep at night by strolling musicians. I Hope That there were not too many ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2013 - 6:51pm -

August 1942. "Interlochen, Michigan. National music camp where 300 or more young musicians study symphonic music for eight weeks each summer. A student eating an ice cream cone." Photo by Arthur Siegel. View full size. A Pretty Girl Is Like A MelodyThe fly is smiling, too. What a cute girl!Got to love that smile, just a little on the dangerous side. Dully NotedThose were the days before permanent press. Everything had the marks of ironing. Also black flies. The pin on her collarThe little violin suggests her choice of instrument. I agree with Zoomer -- a dangerously cute smile. Summer camp in knickersI went to Interlochen in the mid-'60s. What an enjoyable place. There's nothing quite as nice as being serenaded to sleep at night by strolling musicians. I Hope That there were not too many broken hearts in the horn section of the Interlochen Camp Orchestra. IDHer badge indicates that she's Judy Lambert, from Plainfield, NJ. Judging from the photo, she'd have been born in the mid to late 1920s, making her almost 90 if she's still alive. [EDIT: It's hard to discern which, but the city might be "N.Plainfield" or "S.Plainfield," both of which sit just adjacent to Plainfield, NJ.] Band campI went to band camp (as we called it) at Fort Hays State College in Hays, Kansas, in the summers of 1963-65. It had none of the prestige of Interlochen, but we had fun, too. This photo is very evocative. A guy could fall in love . . . .Amazing what a freckled cheek, a saucy haircut, a coy and confident smile, and . . . well, an ice cream cone on a warm summer day, can do to a fellow. I like this girl. Re: A guy could fall in love . . . .A guy did (and a Scion of Industry and fellow violinist at that). She married him in 1950 and they had three kids and seven grandchildren. He died last year and she's named as a survivor in the obit, so no names for privacy's sake. But it looks like our girl had a pretty good future waiting. Classic BeautyI'll bet Ms. Lambert had no idea she would be making men swoon 70 years later. I love this photograph - my wife went to Interlochen for high school, and she had to wear those knickers. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Music, Pretty Girls)
Drunken Ducks: 1925
... like the cops busted up a speakeasy or a covert still the night before. The broken barrel is a good clue, and the ducks are drinking from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2008 - 12:02pm -

Sept. 5, 1925. "Intoxicated ducks at 611 Yon.[?] Street." This one's a mystery to me. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Mystery Solved?It appears to be a scene of the aftermath from a prohibition-era raid. Note the remains of the barrel (hoops and staves) behind and to the right of the ducks. The one duck looks like it's getting a sip of the hooch that came from the busted barrel. Prohibition ViolatorsLooks like the cops busted up a speakeasy or a covert still the night before. The broken barrel is a good clue, and the ducks are drinking from the pool of whatever was in the barrel. And 1925 was in the middle of Prohibition. My grandfather tells tales about ducks and geese just gobbling up half-rotten berries and getting intoxicated off them back in Yugoslavia. A TheoryEither these two flappers were observed leaving their favorite quackeasy, or they were drinking from a puddle of hooch. Birds are often drunkWe had several fruit trees at one time, pears, apples, peaches and cherries, and when the fruit would fall on the ground and ferment in the hottest months of summer, some of the birds went nearly berserk to get ahold of the intoxicating sour mash on the ground. They could not even walk straight after indulging excessively and would even become lethargic (squirrels also). As kids, we found it quite amusing. Beer Baron"Where'd ya cop the hooch, rummy? Is some blind tiger jerking suds on the side?" "Um, yes?" Yon.[?]Yon. short for Yonkers, maybe? There is a Yonkers Avenue. [This is in or near Washington, D.C. "611 Yon" might be an erroneous transcription of "Kenyon." There was also a raid around this time at 607 I ("Eye") Street. - Dave] You Who?I'd guess that the address is U (You) Street in DC, on a block that has seen a good many more raids since 1925. (The 600 block of U is the western end of that fabled Washington street, and was near the old Griffith Stadium featured in several Shorpy photos.) [Brilliant! That must be it. - Dave] Guzzling it (eider)downOne of the funniest things I ever saw was a PBS documentary years ago of animals in Africa who couldn't get enough of fermented fruit available at a certain season: all of them - elephants, antelope, birds of all kinds, zebras, giraffes, you name it, were all staggering drunk. Eye Street HypothesisWhile respectfully not negating GlenJay's "You [U] street" hypothesis, I will throw this additional information into the mix. The following account of a moonshine raid is the nearest match I can find in the Post archives. The address of this incident, 607 I street, is curiously close in number to the photograph: #607 is two doors down from #611 and events in a rear alley could easily overlap the addresses. Additionally, I street is often spelled "EYE street," potentially being transcribed as "Yon." There remains, however, a date discrepancy of several days. Numerous explanations are possible: Simple transcription error. The National Photo photographer was tardy arriving at the scene and discovered the ducks on the 6th day of their bender. The date corresponds to the day the plate was developed. Also unknown to me is how often bootlegger raids occurred in D.C. at this time. Would every one be reported in the newspaper or only those with additional juicy details such as the offender ramming a police car? Raid On I Street Nets 70 Gallons Arrest Made; Burlingame Nabs Driver Ramming His Pursuing Car. Capt. Guy E. Burlingame and his "flying squadron" swooped down on the premises at 607 I street northwest yesterday, where they found more than 70 gallons of alleged "white whisky," 13 bags of mash and a complete outfit for making liquor. Anthony Consoli, 21 years old, who gave the above address, was taken to the Sixth precinct and charged with manufacturing and possession of liquor. Burlingame and several of his men escaped injury, except for a shaking up, when an automobile they were pursuing in an alley between Fourth and Fifth, near N street northwest, yesterday rammed the police car. John Carter, colored, of 93 L street northwest, driver of the car, was charged with transporting and illegal possession of twelve gallons of corn whisky. Washington Post, Sep 1, 1925 Ducks are Notorious PikersNever heard anyone say, "Drunk as a Duck." But Skunks are another matter. Fermented fruitAmarula, a cream cordial from South Africa, has a label with elephants and the marula fruit. Elephants and other animals enjoy getting tipsy from eating the fermented marula. Tipsy Fauna"Crazier than a peach orchard boar." My dad, born in in Oregon in 1909, often used this old-timey expression to describe obnoxious persons of either gender who could not hold their liquor, the inspiration being the wild pigs from the woods that would raid the orchards to feast on the fermented fruit under the trees. Since we owned a businessman's-lunch restaurant and bar in the hard-drinking 1950s, even our waitresses picked it up from him and started using it back in the kitchen where the customers couldn't hear them. (The Gallery, Animals, Natl Photo, New Year)
Convertible Bear: 1958
... Baltimore turned out for Barnum in a big way last night. … Tonight the circus, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey ... traffic tie-ups to hurry to the curb with their kids last night were able to see: Eight good-sized tigers, pacing in or scowling from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2013 - 3:12pm -

"Circus parade, 1958." Mr. Bear in a 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire, probably in Baltimore. From the Kermy & Janet collection of Kodachromes. View full size. Charles at East 31st StreetUsing the parade route posted by stanton_square I "drove" the route looking for the building they are standing in front of and came up with this possibility. It's not a perfect match, but the architecture is similar and I think I see one of those concrete balls behind the guy in the black shirt. There have probably been a few changes in the last 54 years also. View Larger Map View Larger Map Circus March Baltimore Sun, June 18, 1958. Parade Seen by 150,000 Circus March is City's First in 3 Decades Baltimore turned out for Barnum in a big way last night. … Tonight the circus, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, begins a five-day open-sky stand at Memorial Stadium with seven performances scheduled. … The thousands who fought some big traffic tie-ups to hurry to the curb with their kids last night were able to see: Eight good-sized tigers, pacing in or scowling from small cages, Twenty elephants, A little steam calliope on the back end of a pickup truck, A very leggy blonde performer in black mesh hose plus several other circus ladies of interest, riding in convertibles. … The parade started at Exeter Hall avenue and Loch Raven road, moved to Twenty-fifth street, then to Charles, up Charles to Thirty-third and wound up at the stadium. A most amazing photo"Convertible Bear: 1958" is truly the most incredible photo I've ever seen on Shorpy, and that's quite a statement. It's so unassuming but so terrific. The up-to-date modern sharpness of the wonderful convertible, with those wide, wide whitewalls, the cool casualness of the lady driver, who's apparently done this before, the nonchalant bear tamer and of course . . . what else is in the back seat, with no restraints, guards, guns or other safety measures?? Oh yes, it's a live bear. Have you seen that in a recent parade? Nope. And what are most folks in the crowd thinking? Ho-hum, interesting. Now, wonder what the next float will be? See what I mean? An absolutely incredible photo. RestrainedThe Bear does seem to have a muzzle on and there appears to be a chain running down from his neck. My Brother Had One of TheseHe bought it from the widow of an executive living near us in New Jersey and used it to travel between home in Chatham and Lafayette, Indiana where he attended Purdue University. He told me he recorded 120 MPH on the Ohio Turnpike one time returning for Thanksgiving. I was 6 years younger and thought this car was the greatest thing I had ever seen. [Darn, I thought you meant the bear. - tterrace] RE: A most amazing photoThere were a few in the crowd that didn't seem to have a "ho-hum" attitude. Check out the kids in the front row, just above where the car's hood ornament is located; they seem a bit nervous being that close to a real bear. One WondersGiven the fancy chauffeured ride, one wonders what type of bed that bear slept in ? Parade LocationExcellent detective 'footwork' by Vintagetvs to determine the location of the photo. Not much of the building is viewable in the original photo, but what can be seen matches quite well with the building on the SE corner of Charles and East 31st Street. The location also helps explain at least part of what makes this such an exceptional photo. The parade occurred on the evening of June 17th, 1958, and given the viewpoint, the setting sun would have been behind the photographer, bathing the street in warm glowing colors. (The Gallery, Animals, Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes)
High Bridge: 1907
... distance you would have had to travel on a sleety February night to get to the privy. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:17pm -

High Bridge, Kentucky, circa 1907. "High Bridge and Kentucky River." At right is a section of the stairway seen here yesterday. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Those houses along the banksOr rather, cabins. I wonder who lived there and what they lived on. Those patches look way too small to be more than supplemental sustenance. And between the bank and the foot of the escarpment it looks like every time there is high water it would be a wash-out. Thanks, I'll take the high ground and the long way around. Still around?Is this bridge still there? I tried googling it but I'm getting a bunch of other bridges instead. [Yes.] General observationI'm glad Buster Keaton didn't see this photo. For sale cheap4 houses with river view, dry almost 8 months per year, bring rubber boots and a canoe, also included a large supply of logs donated by high water for that new barn. Nice View Of The RiverDo you think those houses ever got flooded out??!! Yes Vinny,It's still there. Courtesy Bing 3D. And another thing: I just can't get over the beauty of this photo! Maybe I'm crazyI realize we can't see the whole communtity, however, what a strange place to build houses. You have to get off the train and climb down those long flights of stairs, then when the river floods you have to run back up the stairs. Also, you have the critters near the water like mosquitos, snakes, rodents and belligerent loggers. A wonderful railroad site but I'd still be on that first train out of town. [The stairs were for the use of visitors to the park and resort at the top of the cliff, not access to the riverside houses.] Kinda Still ThereTo answer Vinny's question further: "A" bridge is still there, but not "the" bridge in the 1907 photo. The structure has been rebuilt; the stone towers are gone and the framework and supports are far heavier than before. If you move around in the Bing Bird's eye view that rvdroz provided in the stairs photo, you can see the differences. It was doubled-deckedYears ago on a steam train excursion that crossed High Bridge, I was told by a docent that High Bridge was widened to accommodate two tracks. He told me that that rail traffic used a temporary upper deck while the lower deck was under reconstruction! I've wondered if I misunderstood. If it is true, I wish I could see pictures of that! Whipple TrussBuilt in 128 days! The stone towers were originally intended for Roebling's never-completed suspension bridge. The towers were taken down in 1929 to allow for double tracks. More photos and info at BridgeHunter: [Link 1], [Link 2]. Baltimore Sun, April 24, 1877. An Excursion on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. Testing the Great Bridge. On Friday last a delegation of Cincinnatians, representing largely the wealth and business interests of the city, made a tour of inspection of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to the Kentucky river. The road was found to be in excellent condition. The track is heavily ballasted with broken stone to the depth of fifteen inches, the ties are laid close, and the splendid steel rails, of which the whole line is to be laid, are well put down. … The bridge was subjected to the severest tests possible, which it stood admirably, the deflection of the spans, with a weight upon them of 1,082,000 pounds, ranging from three inches down to three-quarters of an inch. This bridge is believed to be the highest railroad bridge in the world, standing as it does 275 feet above the river. Its trestles, 87 feet high, rest upon iron piers 175 feet in height, which in turn stand upon huge stone abutments 66 feet and high and 130 by 17 feet. The three spans are 375 feet each in length, though the middle section really reaches past the pier a considerable distance on each side, receiving the other sections in telescopic form. The cost is $404,000, the builders the Baltimore Bridge Company. The work was begun October 16 and ended February 20. The bridge is known as the Whipple truss double intersection girder, or continuous cantilivers. The whole structure is wrought iron. … Stand By MeIs this the bridge Vern dropped his comb off? This OneThis one goes in the wallpaper file for sure. Thanks Dave! About Those HousesI did a little traveling via Google maps and discovered an Old Saw Mill Road above those cliffs. Could they have been used for work crew temporary housing when there was a load of logs to be wrangled? For those who wish to return to the days of yore just check the distance you would have had to travel on a sleety February night to get to the privy. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Reunion: 1862
... living in his own home, a terrible noise was heard one night about 2 o’clock. Ten Federal soldiers came to our home and burst the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 4:05pm -

Prince William County, Virginia. "Along Bull Run near Sudley Church. March 1862." Each of the dozen or so sticks lined up in front of the boys marks a grave. Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size. GreatJust logged in and saw this moving picture. Thank you. MournersThey appear to be the same boys seen here. That TuneThanks to Ken Burns whenever I see a Civil War scene on Shorpy or anywhere else, "Ashokan Farewell" starts playing in my head and stays there the rest of the day. I was surprised to learn it was the only modern song used in the series, being written by Jay Ungar in 1982. It's my home town! As a kid I hated going to the Battlefield. My mom used to drag us out to all the historical sites, or worse, stop on the side of the road and read the historical markers. As an adult with my own child to embarrass, I now realize just how lucky we are to live so close to such an important piece of history. Fill in the BlankWar is ____. Lost in memories and sadness?Perhaps they were drummer boys. It wasn't unusual in some outfits to be comprised of an entire town. So when there was a lot of slaughter, a couple of drummer boys could have lost uncles, father, brothers. 150 years agobut the anguish comes through the Photo like it was last week. I wonder if they were brothers, friends, Cousins, was it someone they knew in that grave? Unknown SoldiersDo these graves have markers? There's obviously no way to tell who these individuals were; there may have been none even after the battle. But do they have individual stones for the "Unknown"? My father used to drag us out to graveyards as children, although we were looking for deceased relatives. In New Jersey, there were still a great many family plots, as well as abandoned churchyards, dotting the landscape in the hinterlands. As a child, I hated looking at the headstones. The whole pastime seemed morbid. Now, though, I realize that my father had inherited a "Civil War devotion" to the graves of the ancestors that had struggled to create the America we inhabit today. He remembered all the memorial services that *he* had been brought to as a young boy. Some of his earliest memories would have been of his great-grandfather, who lived until my father was 8. His great-grandfather lived until his 90s, and as a teenager had been brought from New Jersey to Gettysburg to help inter the swollen corpses of the fallen into the cemetery. At that battle, here were more than 7,000 men killed, and 3,000 horses, all lying where they had fallen. It created a major public health emergency for a town of 2400- 4 corpses for every inhabitant, an impossible number for the residents to handle alone. Gravediggers were called in from as far away as New York City. Apparently my great-great-grandfather deeply impressed upon my dad the reverence that one showed to the bodies of the deceased servicemen. 150 years later, I can only view Civil War dead philosophically, not viscerally. For these boys, they would have been kneeling by the graves of men they had known and perhaps loved. In that respect, they were standing in for millions of Americans in every state and territory, who had lost loved ones in the War. Certainly, that would have been Barnard's intent, whether he posed the scene or not. Great-great-grandfather saw the elephant hereVery interesting story. I remember my grandfather born in 1905 telling me how when he was a boy in school, on Veterans Day their grandfathers would come to school and tell about their experiences in the Civil War. My great great grandfather had apparently served with the Union, an abolitionist from Charleston now West Virginia. Was in both battles of Bull Run. He was a disappointing teller of stories to my grandfather, because all the other vets told hell-for-leather stories of battle, he instead would apparently not glorify what must have been an awful experience, but instead would tell little tidbits and nuances. Apparently, my GGF's memory in one of the battles had to do with being stationed behind a hill. The Confederate cannon were shooting into the far side of the hill, and the cannonballs were rolling up and over the hill and down the other side where they were waiting, and were apparently too hot to touch with bare hands. Seeing this picture of the hillside, I wonder if it was here that those cannonballs rolled. Samuel and Joseph Thornberry Here's a link to an article with several other views of these kids. They are most likely the Thornberry kids and one picture shows them standing in front of their own house. Their father was a confederate soldier who was wounded at First Bull Run. He was pulled out of his house by union troops and almost lynched for spying. "After my father got back, living in his own home, a terrible noise was heard one night about 2 o’clock. Ten Federal soldiers came to our home and burst the front door down. A piece of it struck my mother in the face and disfigured her very badly as well as hurting her. They arrested my father…for [spying]. … The next morning before taking them to Washington, the soldiers got a rope to hang my father, placing it around his neck. This did not occur in our house but just outside of our yard. My brother begged and cried like a baby not to hang his father, “He didn’t do anything.” One of the men said “Search his pockets before you draw that rope.” There they found a diary of his whereabouts. That saved him; he always kept one." (The Gallery, Civil War, Geo. Barnard)
Midwest Cafe: 1941
... floor in winter. Also, leaving the family car running all night in winter. Then, there was the unpleasant task of hanging laundry that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2022 - 11:04am -

September 1941. "Main street of Craig, Colorado. A new and thriving boom town in the Yampa River Valley." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Straight 8, V-12, Straight 6The Zephyr, with its aerodynamic lines and V-12, was a marketing coup for Ford Motor Company in the depths of the Great Depression. It came back for 1946, then was gone. Out of stateInteresting that none of the cars shown are from Colorado. The left car has California plates, the center is from Montana, and the right from Wyoming. Craig seems like an unlikely tourist destination, but perhaps the food at the Midwest Cafe was worth the detour. Air ConditioningI enjoyed seeing the "air conditioned" sign. It reminds me of the old Kool cigarette ad on many a restaurant door: "Come in, it's KOOL inside." The cars are the Stars!The partial car on the left is a 1940 Buick Special coupe. The middle car is a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr, and the car on the right is a 1937 Chevrolet Master Business Coupe, which came with only ONE (the left one) taillight! This Boomer Boomed From CraigJust a bit after this photo was made, I was conceived in this place. My mother said there were reasons I was NOT born there. Mostly, she said it had to do with exiting the family house from the second floor in winter. Also, leaving the family car running all night in winter. Then, there was the unpleasant task of hanging laundry that froze nearly instantly, including my sister's diapers. Mom said people were neighborly. If you were starving in winter, they'd bring you a deer carcass to gnaw on and trade eggs for a cup of coffee. Also, Mom did say there were decent cafes & bars, but that they absorbed too much of my old man's time. So one blistering cold winter morning Mom packed her bags, determined to get the Hell out of there. My old man said, "If you'll wait a day, I'll go with you." Over the months ahead, there were reasons I was not born in Alaska, Washington, California nor Texas. There's a whole armoire of inherited family photos in the next room, some of which almost certainly were processed by those folks at Irwin's. KodaksUnlike in Canada, where we say Kodak and Lego (which are the actual names), in the US people say Kodaks and Legos. Why? ["Kodaks" = Kodak cameras. - Dave] +81 YearsThe Midwest Cafe was located at 520 Yampa Avenue, now the Spicy Basil. Oh yes ...Yes please, three over easy, hash browns, whole wheat and gravy, coffee for sure. AAA approvalBet it was good back then. KodaksInteresting how brand names take on a generic item identification. Kodaks refer to Kodak cameras specifically, but could have been used for all cameras? Similarly in the UK 'Hoover' became used as a generic term for vacuum cleaning: "I"m going to Hoover the carpets" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns)
The Empress: 1922
... Low Chinese restaurant on Ninth street northwest, last night, and suffered only a broken arm, police say. Headquarters detectives ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 9:37pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Hahn's shoe store, 414 Ninth Street N.W." Next door to the Empress Theater, where Mack Sennett's "Crossroads of New York" is playing. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Why don't we decorate things anymore?Note the scrollwork on the bracket of the truck roof (!) on the left; and the beautiful details on Herbert's. Art for art's sake, it's called. WirelessThis shows a great close up view of how Washington's streetcars were powered without overhead wires. Between the tracks is a slot between two metal pieces. The cars picked up power with a "plow" that ran through the slot to a power source below the street. This is particularly relevant now since the City Council wants to bring back streetcars but allow overhead wires to power them. Current law still prohibits all overhead wiring in specified areas of D.C. to protect the views. Hong Kong [what??]Note the doorway between the Empress and the shoe store, topped by the elaborate pagoda-style entry. The door leads upstairs to the Hong Kong something-or-another, according to the folded awnings in the windows. A restaurant, most likely. Maybe a dry cleaners, or custom-made clothing. Or perhaps an opium den, or oriental massage. Nawwww. [Your "Hong Kong" is reflected signage across the street. Oops. Now I see it. - Dave] OverdueMay I just add an overdue "Thank You!" to Stanton Square. Always adding interesting info and answering questions. A very appreciated mainstay at Shorpy. At The Movies - Crossroads of New YorkThe Empress is playing "Crossroads of New York" and "The Fire Chief" starring Dan Mason. The latter is a two reeler comedy an entry in a series starring Dan Mason as Pops Tuttle, released in 1922. Mason was 65 years of age (born 1857) and cranked out about 11 of these in 1922-23. In the next few years he would take supporting roles in feature comedies and in dramas. His last role was an uncredited role in the now lost sound film "The Awakening" which was nominated for an Oscar in 1928. Mason died in July 1929. "Crossroads of New York" is in most ways the more interesting film. Legendary comedy producer Mack Sennett, who introduced Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton and a host of others to the public, decided to make "Crossroads of New York" as his first dramatic feature. When it debuted (under the name "Heart's Balm") it was met with howls of laughter. Not one to let something go, Sennett had it rewritten and rereleased as a comedy. It failed as a comedy too. It starredGeorge O'Hara (whose career died with Silents), Noah Beery, whose career as a character actor made an easy transition to sound, Ethel Grey Terry, and Australian comedian Billy Bevan. Hong Kong LowThe cute pagoda marks the street entrance to Hong Kong Low, a Chinese and American Restaurant located on the second and third floor. It opened at this location in 1917. Try their Delicious Chop Suey after the theater. Arthur Stanton (no relation) let the fun get out of hand one Autumn evening in 1924: Washington Post, Oct 6, 1924 Man Fractures Arm In Three-Story Fall Arthur Stanton, 21 years old, 41 T street northwest, fell three stories to the street from the Hong Kong Low Chinese restaurant on Ninth street northwest, last night, and suffered only a broken arm, police say. Headquarters detectives were called and after investigation said Stanton had been drinking. A friend of Stanton's said he had been pushed from the window by a Chinese. Police say he wandered too close to the window and fell out. Spiffy ShoesIt looks like the ghost has just left the shoeshine parlor. Something New Every Day DepartmentUntil this Shorpy post came along, I labored under the delusion that it was Max Sennett who made the early movies. Great entertainmentNot at the Empress but two doors down. Come see Herbert's incredible contorting delivery man, Zeke "Crazy Legs" Monroe. Penn-CeraA product of Consumers Brewing Company of Philadelphia. Completely forgotten, up till now. Hot times at the EmpressIn the first year of its operation, the Empress (at 416 9th St., N.W.) suffered a fire in the operator's booth when a film machine burst into flames, as reported by the Washington Herald of May 12, 1910 and reprinted in Headley. With a full house unaware of the danger, employees subdued the flames with fire extinguishers. The Post reported, "The audience was dismissed, the admission fees were returned, and everybody left thinking the machinery had broken down." Remodeled in 1915 (with a redesigned external entrance to the booth, for safety), the Empress was in operation until about 1945. [There was also a lightning strike in 1912, and a fire in 1924. The proprietor, Marcus Notes, died in 1951. Below: March 20, 1910. - Dave] Go ahead, break my heartThe famous Gayety Burlesque house was in the same block, although the Empress was long gone when I first checked out "the strip" as a kid from the back seat of my parents' 1956 Ford Fairlane. The whole block was full of cheesy sex joints then, only blocks away from not only the National Archives, but also DC's central family shopping corridor, home to Lansburgh's, Kann's, The Hecht Company, Woodward & Lothrop, Jelleff's, Garfinckel's and dozens of specialty stores where you found goods ranging from lowbrow to the most elegant. I miss all that. A lot. I knew Bill Hahn in the late 1970s, when he was quite a senior gentleman. He must have worked in this family shop when a youth. He was a most charitable and generous person. Zoom in on the architectural details of the building on the left. Wow. (The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Stores & Markets)
The Family Bus: 1924
... traveled 4,000 miles. They arrived in Washington last night. Nine weeks ago they started from Matamoros, Mexico, and since then have ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:46pm -

September 2, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Auto house of Will A. Harris of Texas." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. I just know there's someone out there who can tell us who these people are. Great piece!Do you reckon they hitched up the field gun when they went on trips? Love this site, by the way - discovered it 3 days ago and hardly left it since. Endlessly fascinating. SmithsonianThey are parked along the west side of the Arts and Industries building of the Smithsonian, a neat building. Just out of view on the left is the rear of the Smithsonian Castle, another neat building. Every Modern ConvenienceWashington Post, August 29, 1924 Mr. and Mrs. Will A. Harris Arrive Here from Matamoros, Mex. HAS EVERY CONVENIENCE In a paper house on wheels, Mr. and Mrs. Will A. Harris, their 9-year-old daughter, and a pet armadillo have traveled 4,000 miles. They arrived in Washington last night. Nine weeks ago they started from Matamoros, Mexico, and since then have traveled through many States and have been in Canada. Their house is made of highly compressed cardboard and is mounted on an automobile chassis. The entire length is 18 feet. In this house there is every modern convenience. There are electric lights, a bath, a gas stove, sixteen windows, a clothes closet, couches, rugs and pictures, to say nothing of the armadillo's cage. Mr. Harris and his family are from Texas and are teachers of hand writing in schools. They are on an educational tour and visit historic places. Yesterday was a gala day in the paper house as the daughter, Loreta, was 9 years old. The tourists will remain here some days and hope to see President Coolidge. The Motorcycle CandidatePerhaps this fellow, given the motor vehicle and political inclinations? (Although it looks like he never made it to the House -- http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/tx.html). Mr Harris is a member of the Presbyterian and his fraternal affiliations are with the Woodmen of the World, the Modern Woodmen, the Woodmen Circle and the Homesteaders. Politically Mr. Harris has been somewhat active and is one who may yet reckoned with by opposing forces in the field of politics if the signs of the times are Being read aright. In 1912 he was a candidate for the nomination for the office of Congressman-at-large from Texas, and the Fort Worth Record under date of November 1913 had to say of him the following: "Will A. Harris, head banker of the Woodmen of the World for the jurisdiction of Texas and editor of the Woodmen Journal, attended the Saddle and Sirloin Club banquet to visiting newspaper men. Mr. Harris made a race for Congressman-at-large in 1912, becoming known as the 'motorcycle candidate' because he used one of the in going about the country campaigning for votes. He was born on a farm and hustled his way to the editorship of the Journal. He may become a 'motorcycle candidate' again next year." A History of Texas and Texans. By Francis White Johnson, Frank W Johnson, Eugene Campbell Barker, Ernest William Winkler Ever hear of Beaverboard?When I was a kid, many people used a product called beaverboard to build temporary structures, partitions, etc. I believe it was made from wood pulp, as is paper, and this paper house reminds me of that light tan material. They certainly look like a very happy trio. My dad often sang a song he called "We don't have any money, but we have a lot of fun." This photo reminds me of that because they obviously followed that philosophy. I love this picture. Everyone's pride in Dad's handiwork is quite apparent. Thanks for the memories. Winnebago.....the early years. First Motor HomeI am sure driving it is just like driving a large pinto. I can't imagine having a "pet armadillo". Loreta HarrisIf still alive, Loreta would be 93. I wonder what kind of stories she told her grandchildren about the days when she, her mother, father and pet armadillo took to the road. I love these photographs. Shorpy has won another dedicated follower. See the USA...... in your Chevrolet. Surprised no one's commented before. Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Unsafe at any speed?I'm just trying to imagine driving that thing down the road with the very limited visibility it appears to have. OMG! Loreta's current status?I searched the Social Security Death Index and there are no hits for "Loreta Harris." Under "Loretta Harris," the only person who could have been the right age was born and died in Ohio; not consistent with a traveling family from Texas. This leaves several possibilities: 1. Loreta died before it was common to have an SSN. They didn't exist until 1936. 2. Loreta never got an SSN. It sounds strange, but during my EMT training in 2006 I ran a wealthy elderly patient who somehow still didn't have one. 3. Loreta is alive and well at the ripe old age of 93, still traveling the United States with her 5th pet armadillo. This one's my favorite possibility. 4. There's information on her but I'm missing it. User error. My least favorite possibility. [You're missing the most obvious possibility -- Loreta got married and has a different last name. You would need to know her married name to look her up in the SSDI. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
City of Cleveland: 1905
... Nightly Adventure Departing Cleveland for Buffalo every night on the C&B Line while Lake Erie was ice free at 7:45 with a 7:30 a.m. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 11:13pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1905. "Cuyahoga River from the Viaduct." The sidewheeler City of Cleveland. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. A city on the moveTwas a bright time in Cleveland's history; it was then America's seventh-largest city (it would peak at fifth place in the 1920s) in the midst of a whole civic-building boom downtown. I have a soft spot for my hometown, and am always glad to hear the good news about its renaissance. From DetroitIf you look on the back of the boat you can see that "The City of Cleveland" is from Detroit. I wonder what Cleveland residents thought of that. Pollution TestI never knew rivers could burn. The old joke around here is that someone once dipped an exposed film plate in the East River and it developed. FlammableThe Cuyahoga is notable for having been so polluted that it has caught on fire. According to Wikipedia there have been at least 13 river fires, with the earliest being in 1852. A fire in 1969 was an impetus for the environmental movement. SafetyFour lifeboats for a vessel of that size? Is it owned by White Star Line? Interesting photoI helped refinish the walls and floors of the warehouse building on the right (the one with the word "Ship") in 1978. It was at that time being used as a furniture showroom and warehouse. It is nice to see the old place standing more than 70 years before that! LifeboatsUntil the wreck of the Titanic rules regarding lifeboats were significantly out of date. The British regulations were based on the ship's tonnage. The Titanic actually carried a more lifeboats than the regulations required her to have; vessels over 10,000 tons were required to have boats for 1060 passengers and the Titanic had boats for 1178. The fact that she had a tonnage of 46,000 tons and a maximum capacity of 3,000 people wasn't covered by the regulations. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the City of Cleveland met and exceeded American regulations at the time - seven years before the Titanic. We've Got Gas!The two round brick building to the right are gas holders for coal gas manufactured at a gasworks. Coal gas was used for lighting and for cooking, and, sometimes, to power coal gas internal combustion engines similar to liquid gasoline engines. The circular framework next to the two brick gas holders is a rising and falling gas holder where steel tank sections telescope together and rise and fall with the volume and pressure of gas within. The framework holds the sections true where they slide up and down in guides on rails on framework similar to guides on elevators. Only the top rising section has a 'lid', against which the gas presses from below, raising the other round segments which are similar to a tin can with the top and bottom removed. The sections interlock so the top rising sections pick up the next going up, releases it going down in sequence. Coal gas and their gas works were replaced in the Fifties and Sixties by natural gas. Thank You. Round buildingsDoes anyone know what the two large round buildings in the back right were used for? Nightly AdventureDeparting Cleveland for Buffalo every night on the C&B Line while Lake Erie was ice free at 7:45 with a 7:30 a.m. arrival in Buffalo. If you were off to Detroit from "The Forest City" you left at 10 p.m. (after arrival of all trains of the Erie and of the Bee Line) with a 5:30 a.m. arrival in the not yet "Motor City." Name confusionThis is the 3rd of 4 D+C boats named "City Of Cleveland", plus another early one named simply "Cleveland". This one was built in 1886. Like most of the early D+C boats, she had twin stacks athwartships, and a walking beam engine. When the 4th one was built in 1907, this boat became City Of St. Ignace, and later Keystone. The Great Lakes are a researcher's nightmare (or dream), with most boats having had multiple names during their lives, and many names recycled repeatedly to new boats. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC)
Stuyvesant Dock Terminal: 1900
... engine terminal really spent some time on cleaning every night. I can assure that my local Canadian National/Illinois Central yard is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:01pm -

Louisiana circa 1900. "Stuyvesant elevators, docks, R.R. terminal at New Orleans." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Harrison Line, LiverpoolAccording to a German/Weimar Cigarette card book "Lloyd Reederei-Flaggen der Welt-Handelsflotte" published by the Martin Brinkmann AG Zigarettenfabrik circa 1933, the flag represents the Harrison Line, Liverpool (Charente Steamship Co., Ltd.) The flag is a red Maltese cross on a white background. Working in: England to the West Indies, Gulf ports and Mexico, Brazil, and Africa Operating: 42 Cargo boats with small cabins 2 Passenger Freighters Total Tonnage: 239,720 Honoring Mr. FishThe Stuyvesant Dock Terminal was named for Stuyvesant Fish (1851-1923), President of the Illinois Central Railroad, presumably because not even he was happy with the idea of calling it the Fish Dock Terminal. The opening of the terminal was a great leap forward for the New Orleans and Louisiana economies, and it was dedicated with "imposing ceremonies" conducted by Governor Murphy J. Foster and Mayor Walter C. Flower, on November 4, 1896, and with remarks by Mr. Fish on behalf of the railroad company. According to the New York Times (10-26-1896), "The construction of these docks is the beginning of a great effort that the railroad will make to bring European shipments via [New Orleans] for Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and all Western cities. The wharfage will be absolutely free to all steamers landing at the docks with interior freight for shipment by the Illinois Central Railroad, and such a saving in port charges, it is believed, will bring a great body of traffic this way." Pristine tracks and locomotiveWhat really stands out to me in this photograph is the pristine condition of the yard tracks and the 0-6-0 that is hard at work. In 1900, stub switches were still in vogue in the South and West, as was unballasted track. The frog switches show that the Illinois Central was dedicated to being a truly modern railroad, as willc's research shows. I'm fascinated by the shiny boiler jacket and controls in the locomotive's cab, I suppose the same crew ran this locomotive daily or the engine terminal really spent some time on cleaning every night. I can assure that my local Canadian National/Illinois Central yard is being switched by a diesel that is no where as clean as this little teakettle! And in 1905Disaster strikes. History repeatingThe Stuyvesant Docks were on the Mississippi between Louisiana and Napoleon Avenues, stretching for twelve blocks before they burned in 1905. If you google that area today, you can still see the footprint of the massive railyard and the skeletal remains of the docks which burned again just a few years ago. Backward CompatibillityThe slot and hole in the knuckle of the switcher's coupler are there to accommodate a link and pin, if a car with the just recently obsoleted (and dangerous) link and pin coupler needs to be moved. You can still see these coupler modifications on a few museum engines. Dead or AliveThere isn't a man dead or alive who wouldn't jump up and sit on that tender next to the sign "Keep Off" because that's the way we are wired. Gotta love us… Where in the world?Can anyone identify the flag atop the ship mast? It looks like a Maltese cross, but a quick search turned up no such flag. Shipping Company House FlagsMost commercial shipping companies had house flags that were flown from the highest mast, at least in port. There were hundreds of designs, only a portion of which were recorded in registers. I didn't find a plausible match online for the flag seen here, but found several similar designs in the 1912 edition of "Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels," a sample from which is seen here to illustrate the idea. Colorized versionI colorized a major portion of this photo. Please look here and list any comments you may have. Thanks.. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
New Denechaud: 1908
... It's a very nice hotel with a unique touch. Every night at 11, they serve to the guests peanut butter sandwiches on silver trays, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:24pm -

New Orleans circa 1908. "New Hotel Denechaud, Poydras Street." A century later, it's the hotel Le Pavillon. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Le PavillonMy wife and I stayed there several years ago, and we had dinner there just a few weeks ago. The dining room is on the ground floor in the corner nearest the camera. It's a very nice hotel with a unique touch. Every night at 11, they serve to the guests peanut butter sandwiches on silver trays, and hot chocolate from silver urns. But the people who work there apparently can't pronounce the name of the hotel with proper French diction. Creole, not CajunNew Orleans is not a "cajun" city. It is creole at best, and if anything most street names aren't pronounced correctly either. French diction?This isn't Paris -- it's Nawlins! CoverageAre those sea shells on the roof in the foreground? I believe most modern roofs use stones. Interesting. Very beautiful building! I can imagine how impressive it was at the time! Roof GardenIs that a little ivy garden boxes on the roof of the building in the corner? Sure looks it! [Horticulture a la Morticia Addams. - Dave] LouisianaWe dont speak French here. We speak Cajun, a 200 year old corruption of French, so don't expect proper French pronunciation. Early Sunday morningGiven the long shadows for the low sun and the orientation of Carroll Street, and the absence of anyone except the lone blurred horse and cart (deliveries), sure looks like an early Sunday shot to me. Real nice photo too! [Also note the shadowy figure in the alleyway. - Dave] Denechaud / DeSoto / Le PavillonIn between its opening as the Denechaud and the current name of Le Pavillon, for generations the hotel was known as the DeSoto. I recall when the question of correct pronunciation of "Le Pavillon" came up, a local old timer piped in "De Soda." The text on the back of the attached early 20th century postcard view of the lobby reads "$1,000,000.00 Hotel DE SOTO New Orleans. The ONLY ABSOLUTELY FIREPROOF HOTEL IN NEW ORLEANS. ALL OUTSIDE ROOMS. Famous for its Creole Cuisine. Rates $1.00 and Upwards." The lobby is still one of the most beautiful in the city. I believe the rates have gone up. Lots of charmLovely building! The chimney is blowing off quite some smoke - must have been a windy day!? Le Pavillon still looks charming today and, I just found out, seems to be famous for the occasional ghost apparition. Max Barnett Furniture Co.Max Barnett Furniture Co. can be seen in the background. It was established there on Poydras St. in 1899, and was located there until they moved in 1928. Smokestacks still thereThe two smokestacks are coal burning stacks, which were used for producing electricity until 1973. They are located in the 1200 block of South Peters Street. Maybe someone else can help identify the other tower, as it was prominent in the New Orleans skyline until a few years ago. Yes, shells on roofThere are no stones in south Louisiana. Mollusk shells dredged from brackish Lake Pontchartrain were used as gravel throughout the area until quite recently. Dredging in the Lake was banned in 1990 to reduce the turbidity and stirred-up pollution. The lake is now clean enough for swimming much of the time. I've also seen oyster shells used for gravel in NOLA. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans)
Against the Wind: 1902
... only black and white, stations where I lived signed off at night and then back on with the morning farm report. One station signed off ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2022 - 6:02pm -

September 19, 1902. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "Side view of Dan Tate, left, and Wilbur Wright flying the 1902 glider as a kite." 5x7 glass negative by Orville Wright. View full size. We have liftoff!It's hard to say where this photo was taken in relation to Kill Devil Hill, but looking towards the right, you can see what looks like the base of a sand dune. I've taken a screenshot showing Kill Devil Hill today from Google Earth and did an overlay with today's Shorpy. So much has changed since the brothers were there in the early 1900s. Searched "Dan Tate" -and found only "Bill" Tate as postmaster, host to the Wrights, and everything else in Kitty Hawk. [Daniel Tate was Captain William Tate's half-brother. - Dave] If God wanted man to fly... He never would have invented the bicycle. The FactoryWhere the later commercial planes for the military were built on Home Ave off 3rd Street in Dayton, was one of my first jobs as an IT person. The old Home Avenue factory building (Named building 6 by GM who owned the plant) was where the Wrights built the planes. I was privileged to sit in the office of the Wrights when I called to fix the GM foreman's computer (the building was now a machine shop), who was the most recent occupant. He told me that the desk in which I sat belonged to either Wilber or his brother. As a note of interest the roof still had the steel girders attached with chains to move the planes to the double doors for exit. The building was marked with the blue Historic Building disc. But, alas, the building is now just a shell of its former self. Plus a 1997 photo of the monument at Kitty HawkWhen TV was in only black and white, stations where I lived signed off at night and then back on with the morning farm report. One station signed off with film of jet airplanes leaving vapor trails, and narrated with this poem by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air… . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high un-trespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. Ohio, First in FlightKitty Hawk, North Carolina provided "regular breezes and soft sandy landing surface," as well as seclusion from reporters and the circus-like atmosphere that got in the way on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Wright brothers did all their theorizing, design, and building in Dayton, Ohio. Every time I see a North Carolina license plate, I scoff. (And I have no connection with Ohio.) Worth a visit when near the Outer BanksThe Wright Brothers National Memorial has an excellent, if small, museum. Standing on the site where their flights took place, you can easily imagine Orville and Wilbur's small planes taking off and landing. The longest of their first flights in 1903 covered just 852 feet. Less than two years later, Wilbur completed a flight of 24 miles in 40 minutes. Artist's Rendering?Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a drawing? (The Gallery, Aviation, Wright Brothers)
Desert Hero: 1919
... I'd love to see that Madison Theatre electric sign at night. What fun replacing bulbs! John Breitmeyer's Sons Florists ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/11/2011 - 5:58pm -

Detroit circa 1919. "View of Madison Theatre and Woodward Avenue." Now playing: "Choosing a Wife" and Fatty Arbuckle in "A Desert Hero." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A musical cityThere appears to be nine or ten piano companies in a two block area. How many more must there be that are out of frame? OK, Now You're TalkingThis is my kind of picture. We've got awnings, theaters that show double features, an Edison Shop, trolley cars, piano stores, department stores, Old Glory with 46 stars, Coca-Cola signage, double-parkers, a Best Buy, an Apple Store, 4 Starbucks and I haven't finished looking yet. [48 stars. - Dave] Did you count them? I tried but couldn't. They look like uneven rows, the 48 star flag would have been a solid 6 rows of 8. The 46 star flag would have had both rows of 6 and 8. [Some 48-star flags had staggered rows. - Dave] Angel StatueI have to ask about the angel statue in the lower right, set into the parking area. What's up with that. [It's looking at the angel across the street. - Dave] Ha! noticed that soon after my comment, but, really, what's the story. I presume the City put them there since they're on 'public property'. More importantly, are they still there? Thanks for the answer to my query! The beauty of SHORPY: ask a question and get an answer. Beautiful. No Neon Yet?I'd love to see that Madison Theatre electric sign at night. What fun replacing bulbs! John Breitmeyer's Sons FloristsIn the left background is the 8-story tall Breitmeyer Building. In the early 90's I was part of the architectural team that restored the building - except for the ground floor storefronts, it was almost completely original, and we restored those. The building was one of the first in Detroit that actively catered to African-American professionals (Doctors, Lawyers), giving it some historical significance. Originally, the entire first floor was a florist shop, and the basement contained huge brick boilers, which ran a steam engine for refrigeration equipment (all gone by the 90's). Attached is a picture of a paper model of the building I made at the time. Pianos to the right of me, pianos to the left I seeLOVE the picture! Remember that this was the year before broadcast radio got its start, so if you wanted some music, you played it yourself, either on a piano from one of 2000-odd US manufacturers, or on your Victrola (or Edison!) player. It seems funny that in The Motor City, ten years into Henry's Model T, very few of the cars in this view are Fords. Close to home Incredible! As I type this, I'm sitting approximately behind the lower edge of the Schroeder Hardware Company sign on what we know as the Hartz Building at 1529 Broadway. This photo shows an incredible street scene on both Broadway and on Woodward, and no doubt was taken from high up in the Fyfe Shoes (now Fyfe Apartments) building at West Adams and Woodward. I can just make out the front of the Edelweiss Cafe on John R and Broadway and the cigar company water tower as shown earlier on Shorpy. I'll let the owner of the Hartz Building know about this picture, as the building is positively full of large scale vintage prints. Thanks Shorpy! Hair's RestaurantReally? [I recommend the soup. - Dave] Angels of VictoryThe angels are long gone. I believe they were "angels of victory," part of a campaign to sell War Savings Stamps. On the GridI'd hate to be the guy who had to keep all the bulbs lit in the Madison Theatre sign. The rectangle of lights in the center must have been used to spell out something. I wonder if it scrolled? If it did and the sign was animated, I'll bet it took a room full of equipment to do it. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Movies)
Romance of a People: 1942
... for havdallah - the end of Shabbat ceremony on Saturday night. (That's probably also a second havdalla spice box just above the bottom ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/29/2014 - 9:10am -

August 1942. "New York. Window of a Jewish religious shop on Broome Street." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Another Creative Shorpy Watermark LogoThis picture's pseudo Hebrew Shorpy logo is just too funny. You do a good job with those. Odds are some, if not all, of the books are in Yiddish, which uses the Hebrew alphabet, rather than Hebrew. Thought Provoking While the Jews in Europe were being exterminated by the Nazis those in America were free to practise their faith. Corner StoreI tried to ID the location by flipping the image in the glass. There is a store called "Corner Store", which is pretty darn unhelpful, but it does tell us it's at a corner, and there are some distinctive buildings across the street. I looked around but couldn't find them. Maybe someone else will recognize them. Probably the corner of Norfolk & BroomeThat is now mostly a parking lot. That building you can see in the reflection where the top floor is open I remember as being on Broome & Essex. The building is surrounded in scaffolding in this street view. View Larger Map Hebrew and YiddishThe books are both Hebrew and Yiddish. The book between the Magic Shave boxes is a Book of Psalms from the Hebrew Bible. The pamphlet hanging up by the "God Bless America" banner is entitled "A Citizen" and one would imagine it being a patriotic tract in Yiddish. Magic shaving powder, by the way, was awful stuff. It contained sodium hydroxide (lye) with other ingredients to remove facial hair. Sort of like Nair or other products women use on their legs. The "Hebrew" watermark is genius! Howard FastThanks to Bill for clarifying that the "Magic" on display is a toiletry and not a remnant of old world superstition. Howard Fast wrote another history of the Jewish people about forty years after "Romance of a People". Specifically, it was a history of the Jewish people in the movie business. I find it particularly memorable because of its title: MAX WindowsWe used to have a store up the street when I was a kid, the owner always had a Miss Budweiser sign in the window. It seemed like it was there my entire childhood. One day I walked in to buy a drink and here was his cat sitting on the cutting board he used to cut his meat.... Kozel nailed itYep, no doubt about it. If you wind the timeline in Streetview back, you can see the old building, and it's apparent that the odd-looking windows are skylights in the far building. Corner Store and the building to the left are no more. Fourth commandmentThe Hebrew writing on the shiny piece of fabric with tassels at the top of the photo are the opening words of the fourth commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. The fabric is the cover for the ceremonial loaf of braided egg bread (challah), part of the ritual table on Friday evening. We’ve seen this window before: www.shorpy.com/node/12926. [Same store, but different windows. - Dave] Indeed. And the objects in the different windows are way more similar than the buildings reflected in them. Fast ForwardThe book in the window, "The Romance of a People," was authored by the prolific Howard Fast. He also wrote the 1951 bestseller "Spartacus." Jews 1942I live in Europe (Poland) and I have one and only thought... God bless America... PS. this girl is nice. And watermark is nice, too. The Almanac is the clueThe Hebrew Almanacs in the window bear the imprint of M. Mirsky & Son. The 1940 Manhattan telephone Directory lists M. Mirsky & Son books at 68 Norfolk Street, GR5-8596. This is right at the intersection of Norfolk and Broome. Seward Park CampusThe building with the funny roof in the window reflection was Seward Park High School. It is now the NYC school system's Seward Park Campus, housing several small High Schools, located at 350 Grand Street, lower Manhattan. The unusual roof was for the rooftop gymnasium. It supported netting to keep balls from going off the roof. Current pictures showing the roof superstructure can be seen here. Various Objects and Book Titles Identified, ExplainedAenthal, Nobody really used Hebrew in 1942. You prayed in Hebrew, of course, but you spoke and read in Yiddish, and then, in America, in English. The Hebrew revival in Palestine/The Land of Israel was small, obscure and far away from American consciousness at the time. Immediately below the girl's face is a spice box for havdallah - the end of Shabbat ceremony on Saturday night. (That's probably also a second havdalla spice box just above the bottom of her hair to the right.) To the left of the spice box is a Sefer Tehilim - Book of Psalms. I do not recognize the book above and to the left of that, labeled in Hebrew letters "Shas Tehena" Behind her forehead is a book that may be "Sefer Tikkun Olam" - the Book of Healing the World. (The letters are obscured by a Shabbat candlestick) Hanging on the line to the right of the "I Citizen" pamphlet is a talit (prayer shawl). In front of it are candle sticks for Shabbat and holidays. More such candlesticks are scattered through the display. There is one 9 candle menorah for Hanukah with a Star of David in the center and two lions on either side of it. At the top left hangs a fringed cloth that reads "Remember the Shabbat Day and Keep it Holy" and a seven branched menorah and lions and other mythological beasts. It might be intended as a cover for challah (bread) on the Shabbat table, but I'm not sure. The lower left hand corner, in a circle, appears to be an image of "The Tower of David" in Jerusalem, or might just represent Jerusalem more generally. The five book boxed sets immediately behind her head read (it appears to me) "Col Bo" - (roughly, Contains it All,or Everything In It") I was unable to identify this series of books but the left most volume is labeled "Shavuot" (Festival of Weeks), and the second volume appears to say "Rosh HaShanna" (The New Year). Then comes "Yom Kippur" (Day of Atonement). Then comes Sukot (Festival of Tabernacles). Then comes "Pesach" (Passover.) It is probably a series of books of customs and laws for each of the big holidays. I didn't know what the "Magic" was but if it is indeed a depilatory chemical the reason for it to be sold in a Jewish store is that traditional/orthodox Jewish men would be prohibited from taking a razor to their beards, but were/are permitted to remove hair by other (albeit painful) means. (These days electric shavers are OK too... for technical reasons to complex to get into here. Maybe they hadn't been invented yet in 1942? I'm not sure.) In the bottom left corner of the window is a rounded object with a big handle - I wonder if that might be a Purim grogger - a loud rattle to shake and drown out Haman's name every time it read from the Book of Ester on Purim? Best. Watermark. Ever.Nuff said! Col Bo"The five book boxed sets immediately behind her head read (it appears to me) 'Col Bo' - (roughly, Contains it All,or Everything In It)" These are Machzorim (plural). A Machzor is a prayer book organized specifically for one holiday. The five Machzorim are: Pesach (Passover), Succos (Tabernacles), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Shavuos. These books are still available. See http://www.seforimcenter.com/product.asp?P_ID=3282 I wrote the names of the holidays, Succos and Shavuos in their Ashkenaz forms. Most Jews today would say Succot and Shavuot. In that store, though, they were pronounced as I wrote them :) This is a terrific photo, and just about everything in there, with the exception of the "magic" powder, would be usable and make sense today. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Father Dead. Gives Money to Mother.
... his widowed mother. Louis stays out until 12:30 every night and goes with his brother, Stanley, who is a messenger, on all calls because Stanley is afraid to be out on the street alone at night. Louis is clean, bright and willing. Visits saloons. Don’t smoke. Works ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2009 - 4:26am -

May 1910. Wilmington, Delaware. "Louis Birch, 4th & Pine Streets. Newsboy, 12 years of age. Just started selling. Made 10 cents one day. Father dead. While not under any compulsion to sell papers, Louis, of his own accord, took it up in order to help support his widowed mother. Louis stays out until 12:30 every night and goes with his brother, Stanley, who is a messenger, on all calls because Stanley is afraid to be out on the street alone at night. Louis is clean, bright and willing. Visits saloons. Don’t smoke. Works 9 hours per day. Gives money to mother." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Too young to look that tiredThe look on his face, combined with the caption, will break your heart. I wish there was some way to find out what happened to Louis and Stanley. Figured it out.Aha! It came to me last night... the mother remarried, Louis and Stanley took their new father's last name, and thus disappear from the record. [AT, you are a Super Genius! - Dave] Hmm...I can't find records in the 1920 and 1930 censuses or the WWI Draft Registration for either Louis or Stanley. [What about Burch? - Dave] NopeNo likely matches under Burch either. A Lewis Birch of the correct age (born 1898) appears in 1900 in North Carolina but no Stanley (who was born in 1895). [Closest I could come was a Louis Burch, born 6/28/1898, died 1/1986 in Missouri - Dave] HeyHe looks like Toby Maguire. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Mercado de San Marcos: 1890s
... and Aguascalientes is one of the cities we stop in over night. When I mentioned this photo to a friend who lives near there he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:36pm -

Aguascalientes, Mexico, circa 1890s. "Portales of the market of San Marcos." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Watering HoleHot waters. Sister city to Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. Hats off to you! Sombrero CentralThere are some mighty fine looking lids in this market. No wonder all of these guys are sporting hats. Well, maybe the sun had something to do with it. Third Hombre From RightLooks like his interest in hats is taking yours. What the???Does anyone know what the heck the protrusions from the building opposite are? I could almost imagine them being rifles pointed at the unsuspecting fellows across the way. [Those are drains. - Dave] For all your needs...As long as all you need is a hat. Location?Dave, do we know where this was taken? I mean, in which city? Thanks! [Aguascalientes, which I have added to the caption. - Dave] Prosperity!A clean local market. Swept sidewalks, plenty of goods on offer, well maintained buildings, even electric lighting! This is obviously a place of prosperity. Even the young lad in the foreground has that "I'm going somewhere" look about him. Gives lie to all the spaghetti western portrayals of Mexican towns. A Fistful of Dollarswould probably buy this entire marketplace (and the employees). I see Lee Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood in earlier days. Now I need to go to Chilino's for my favorite Mexican lunch of chimichangas and refritos frijoles. See what you started? Packing heatI bet those guys didn't have issues with concealed carry. You're in Hot Water nowThe protrusions on the building across the street are Mexico's version of rain gutters, a very common site in Mexican architecture. Having raced in the world famous La Carrera Panamericana, considered the most dangerous and grueling race in the world, I have seen many locations throughout Mexico that resemble this exact scene. In fact when I first saw this photo it looked to be an almost exact replica of the one in Morelia Mexico. La Carrera Panamericana begins near the Guatemala border and continues all the way back to the United States and Aguascalientes is one of the cities we stop in over night. When I mentioned this photo to a friend who lives near there he wrote, "It is the Old Parian, the market in downtown Aguascalientes, the picture is from the first version, that was demolished in the 50´s, then the second until the 80s and the new Parian now has many levels including underground parking." Curious GeorgeNow we know where "the man in the yellow hat" shops. TimelessThis scene could have been from the 1980s when I lived in Mexico; less has changed than MORE has changed. The blankets and hats, the portales...all there just twenty years ago. Maybe it still is. (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets, W.H. Jackson)
Chinatown: 1900
... A world famous institution since the 1930s, for all late night club-goers, at 17 Mott Street. This view is facing south. Chinatown: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 7:02pm -

New York circa 1900. "Chinatown -- Mott Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The view todayMany of the buildings are still there, and looks like as fun a place as ever to explore! View Larger Map Interesting architexture The railings on the buildings on the right hand side of the street are reminiscent of the ones in New Orleans. [A delight to the touch as well as the eyes. - tterrace] I should have used spell-check...:-) Where Dr. C.S. Bok livedThis postcard is in my family’s collection. Dr. Chu Soule Bok lived on Mott St. near the place pictured on the postcard which was sent in 1911. Dr. Bok and my grandfather C.M. Austin became friends after meeting at Centenary Collegiate Institute in Hackettstown, NJ, in 1891. Several of C.S. Bok's letters are also in the family collection. MSGHalf an hour after looking at this Shorpy photo, I felt the need to look at Shorpy again. Am I seeing things?In the street, to the front and to the right of the horse-drawn wagon, there is something on the road itself -- a puddle, a piece of debris, something -- and the odd thing is it looks like it has letters on it? I see "ROBDEV"? It really does look like a puddle, but if the letters were a reflection, wouldn't they be backwards? I also thought that maybe the photographer playfully left his name on the spot? Dunno, would love to hear what y'all think. [The thing you're seeing is a manhole cover with holes in it. -Dave] Across the streetIs the WO HOP Chinese restaurant. A world famous institution since the 1930s, for all late night club-goers, at 17 Mott Street. This view is facing south. Chinatown: 1900"And tell me what street Compares with Mott Street In July? Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by. The great big city's a wondrous toy Just made for a girl and boy. We'll turn Manhattan Into an isle of joy." -Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart HeadlightThe candle lantern on the front of the horse cart should be adequate at 5 mph. Step stylesIt is a fascinating picture, but one thing that struck me of all things is the variety of styles of steps, and that most are constructed out of wood, for a city block made of brick and stone, I thought this a little odd, not what I expected to see. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Uncle Albert: 1960
... the first episode from the new Perry Mason set last night, too. No planters, but a cool T-Bird, and Robert Redford to boot. But I ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 4:50pm -

Connoisseur, bon vivant, raconteur, collector of first editions, advertising executive, typography historian, WWII Army Air Corps Photo Recon NCO, and my mother's twin brother, Uncle Albert hoists a Christmas toast in the living room of his San Francisco home in December 1960. You can tell it's Christmas by the holly in the table vase and the star ornament sticking up from the areca on the right; that's his Christmas tree. I took this with my Brownie Starmite. Full size. Was he the guywho owned the white MG? Classic TripodClassic fiberglass tripod planter. Which episode of "Perry Mason" was this? Yes, he's the guyWith the MG. It was cream-colored, actually. May I interest you in something Cool?Oh, I bet he was an absolute blast! His look in the pic is priceless. On a wild guess, was he a "confirmed bachelor," as they used to say? Winging ItMy grandparents had that same chair, theirs was red. More MGAnother slide of Uncle Albert with his MG, c.1956. Red Wing ChairThat leather chair was also red. He had a matching green one in the room, too. The MG and MeThanks for this one too. When I saw the first MG pic I thought, "Wow. San Francisco. 1955. Driving an MG around. must've been a heckuva time." As a matter of fact, I wish I could've driven a cream-colored MG around San Francisco in 1955. The Case of the Fiddle-Leaf FicusYesterday a package from Amazon arrived at my doorstep with Season 4, Volume 1 of "Perry Mason." The answer to my question would be "The Case of the Provocative Protege," original air date November 12, 1960. Eerie, no? America's Most Amazing CoincidencesWe had one of those planters around this time as well, in our dining room, a white fiberglass one, first with a split-leaf philodendron and later a dieffenbachia. I always thought of them as egg shell planters, but bullet seems to be the more common descriptor. No photos, alas. And I just watched the first episode from the new Perry Mason set last night, too. No planters, but a cool T-Bird, and Robert Redford to boot. But I digress... Perry Mason 1960The acting in a lot of these runs the gamut from wooden to leaden. But you gotta love the cars. There are a couple episodes featuring the 1960 Mercury Park Lane (one as the murder weapon, or so we're led to believe). And then an episode whose main stars seem to be the 1960 Buick. The Case of the Dueling Le Sabres, I call it. One has a side mirror that wobbles very noticeably when the door is slammed. The episode with the tripod planter has the pianist character killed after his car plunges off a cliff -- a 1930s sedan in an ancient clip used several times on the series. These are the episodes with no Hamilton Burger, after William Talman got fired for violating the morals clause in his contract (nekkid pot party). But I digress. We're so sorry, Uncle Albert. Q. and A.Uncle Albert bears an uncanny resemblance to broadcast personality Robert Q. Lewis. EvolutionPeople in those days just looked different than they do today; and it's not the clothes or hairstyle. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas, tterrapix)
Royal Crown: 1941
... in 1896. Overtown was the scene of Miami's hottest night life (think jazz) up 'til the late '40s and early '50s when the Model ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:33pm -

Somewhere in the South, possibly Miami. Another snap by Daly from the summer of 1941. Medium format nitrate negative. View full size. Refreshing - DeliciousPa-Pi-A I'd love to see this photo in color! OvertownThis photo was almost assuredly shot on NW 1st Place in Miami's oldest black neighborhood. Called Overtown by the locals, it was officially designated as "Colored Town" when the city was incorporated in 1896. Overtown was the scene of Miami's hottest night life (think jazz) up 'til the late '40s and early '50s when the Model Cities urban renewal projects changed its character. Today it's pretty much ghetto, with only about a fifth of its pre-war population. Here's a shot of 1526 NW 1st Place today: Want a drink?I counted: Sun Spot, Vanti (pa-pi-a)Coca Cola, MB root beer, Delaware Punch, RC cola, Nehi, 7up, seems people were thirsty back then. Pride of the RegimentThe soft drinks ads are closely paced by those for tobacco products. Cigars listed are Tampa Nugget, El Producto, and John Ruskin, while smoking tobacco is represented by Model and George Washington Cut Plug. Cigarettes seen are Avalon, Camel, Kools, and the classic ad for Raleigh. Lots of signsIn today's collector's market those signs would be worth a small fortune! The Raleigh girlis hott Did the building cross the street?The 6 appears to be painted over a 7. I knew about Sir Walter Raleigh cigarettes, but I never knew about John Ruskin cigars. Why can't we have product names like that anymore? Walker Evans?It appears Daly shot this pic but I would swear that Walker Evans was standing behind the lens. Raleighs and AvalonsRed Skelton started doing his comedy show for Raleigh (not Sir Walter Raleigh - that was their pipe tobacco brand) Cigarettes starting in September 1941, with Harriet Hilliard and bandleader Ozzie Nelson. Before that Skelton appeared on Avalon Time, sponsored by Avalon Cigarettes. Avalons were a budget cigarette selling for 10 cents a pack. BC powders BC powders are still sold widely down South! Being a Northerner I never knew about them till I resided in Nashville for a spell! Yes they do work but the powders need a chase of a mint julep or laced sweet tea! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Miami, Stores & Markets)
Mrs. Foote: 1933
... where the refugees sat up in a tin shack through a night that never seemed to end, waiting for a ship to sail, Mrs. Foote arrived ... Mr. Foote got what remained of his staff together. That night they spend tearing up official papers and when morning came, and there ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 11:03am -

1933. "Mrs. Walter A. Foote, portrait with dog." Harris & Ewing. View full size. Beautiful shadows.Mrs. Foote's shadows on the wall are beautifully placed. But where's the dog's Gramophone? StandardsSo many nasty comments about women on this blog. Too bad -- I love it otherwise. And, yes, I am rather a homely broad myself. And if 80 years from now people are taking cheap shots at a picture of me on whatever blog equivalent is available by then ... well, actually, I will be dead and won't care. But still. I assume...... that Mrs. Foote is the one on the right? That DogOK, that dog had to be some movie actor dog. I think he is just way too cute and perfect. I'd steal him if I could! Yip.The doggie is completely adorable and I happen to think Mrs. Foote is a rather handsome woman. From another homely (old) broad. I get a weird vibe...that Mrs. Foote would have been an interesting gal to hang out with. Hear hear!Well I'm no "homely broad" just any average Joe and I agree, the number of misogynistic comments on Shorpy is as astounding as it is dull. Makes an otherwise brilliant blog a tad tiresome. And it's not about being politically correct chaps it just shows a lack of imagination. Mrs Foote's dog looks like it has more class than some commentators. Enjoy the show and leave the petulance on your desktop. [If only. - Dave] Shorpy GirlsI have made a few snarky comments about the appearance of some of the women on Shorpy. I really don't mean it as a personal insult to the (long dead) women themselves or as an insult to women in general. For me, it's the contrast of what women looked like before the modern cosmetics industry, before daily baths became the norm and especially before dentistry evolved to its current level. Sometimes, Shorpy makes me feel nostalgic for a simpler time. Many of the Shorpy women make me happy to be a modern man. Oh...And Mrs Foote looks like a young Donald Sutherland in drag. A diplomat's wife.I couldn't find anything about Mrs. Walter A Foote, but Google gives up the occasional factoid about Walter A. himself. Follow the leads through the URLs below if you'd like. Walter A. was born in Greeneville, Texas in 1887, served in the military during WW I and was appointed to the US diplomatic corps in or about 1921. His first job was in Port Said. (He was paid $3000--per year, it looks like.) He rose through the ranks, we can assume, and was eventually appointed Consul General to Indonesia. He was there in 1947, aged 60, when these Life photos http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=ffb8b49d78f10f41&q=%22Walt... were taken. Notice his hat. Still a Texas boy. Here are a couple of other references. http://www.archive.org/stream/registercontaini1922unit/registercontaini1... http://books.google.com/books?id=Nf1yXJfnakoC&pg=RA1-PA89&lpg=RA1-PA89&d... Cheers and enjoy! "Tiresome and Repetitive"For every comment on a woman's appearance on this site, there must be ten times as many complaining about those comments. And they all sound exactly the same. Talk about tedious. Margaret FooteWalter Ambrose Foote's obituary (Dec 1, 1954) lists his wife's name as Margaret. She must have been an adventurous soul to travel the world with her husband. I think she looks lovely. Below is an account of the Footes' escape from Java just in advance of the Japanese invasion: The wife of "Uncle Billy" Foote, who as a member of our foreign service has a longer career of service in those islands than any of his compatriots, Mrs. Foote left Batavia "just before the last." Leaving from Tjilatjap where the refugees sat up in a tin shack through a night that never seemed to end, waiting for a ship to sail, Mrs. Foote arrived in Australia after a series of adventures. From Australia to New Orleans was the next leg of the voyage that was to ultimately bring her to a "duration" home in the Capital. during the two months of her journeying, she had no word of her husband. Like Dr. van der Plas, he wanted to stay on in the indies, but officials convinced him that he could help them more by leaving and carrying on the struggle from "outside." After receiving word that it would be fatal to tarry and longer in Batavia, where he was Consul General, Mr. Foote got what remained of his staff together. That night they spend tearing up official papers and when morning came, and there would be no danger of it being used as a beacon light by Japanese bombers, a huge bonfire was started. Then came the trek to a port - driving along overgrown jungle roads to avoid the danger of parachutists who were clogging up the main roads. Two months later, his ship put in at San Francisco, and this was the first news either husband or wife had of each other. Now "Uncle Billy," as he has been affectionately known by officials in the Dutch East Indies for years, is again serving overseas. He will represent this country in dealings with the Netherland's officials in Australia. His wife has been kept busy attending auction sales - where she picked up all the furniture for her attractive apartment at the Dorchester. One does not bring back household goods from an invaded territory. English-born Mrs. Foote, who worked in New York for the Red Cross in the last war, is filling her hours with war activities. Working with the Dutch unit of the Red Cross as she is in Washington, is nothing new for the soft-spoken Mrs. Foote. For many months, she was a hard worker for numerous women's defense organizations in Batavia who had a chance to prove the effectiveness of their training under fire. "They were magnificent," accolades Mrs. Foote, as she tells story after story of their "extraordinary calm, cool bravery." Washington Post, Aug 2, 1942 And I'm sure......that you're just beautiful in every way yourself, Bill! Or at least as pretty as Mrs. Foote -- or, indeed, a young Donald Sutherland. I don't think anyone is taking these comments as a "personal insult." It's just tiresome and repetitive and kind of sad, and not, perhaps, of tremendous interest to others, to know whether a given lady pleases the eye of a particular modern male. Though I can't speak for anyone but myself, naturally. As you note, the ladies in question have usually lived out their lives -- happily and usefully, we all trust, and in times when gentlemen, whatever they thought of ladies' looks, declined to make crude remarks about them in public forums. (The Gallery, Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
Rest Stop: 1936
... and cold drinks in an ice chest and we slept in motels at night. Here I see SEVEN kids, not a sign of a toy in sight, everyone looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2012 - 10:01am -

July 1936. "Drought refugees from Bowman, North Dakota, in Montana." En route to Oregon or Washington. Medium-format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Seven kids in one car!I agree with you OTY. The despair these people must have known in their lives. Seven mouths to feed and bodies to clothe. I can't imagine. Is that a AAA Trip-Tik she's reading in the car? It sure looks like one. "I'm Bored"Along with the words in my comment title, here are some of the things my four kids said on our cross-country auto trips 45+ years ago. "He's touching me." "There's nothing to do." "I'm thirsty." "I'm hungry." "I need to use the bathroom." "Mary keeps looking at me." "I'm too hot." "He's taking up the whole back seat." "Are we there yet?" That is just a small fraction of the crabbing, even though we had books, toys, little cars, games, crayons, snacks and cold drinks in an ice chest and we slept in motels at night. Here I see SEVEN kids, not a sign of a toy in sight, everyone looks exhausted, hungry and tired and their treat will be water rationed by Dad. We cannot even imagine the despair in the lives of these people but I bet there was not one single peep from anyone about their discontent, despite the lack of Gameboys, Hot Wheels, snack-paks, cold beverages, iPods, auto TVs, etc. What strong character they had, even the tiniest of the group, and we are so spoiled. As if all this toil and trouble weren't enoughOne of the triplets has managed to bust himself an arm. Big sister, I am sure, is quite a help to Mother, who comforts the most recent addition to the family while checking a map. That rear tire could use some air but I'm guessing that's the least of Dad's worries right now. And whoever told him Montana's the place to go must not have seen this particular spot. Hanging water bags up front in the airflow helped lower their contents from hot to tepid, some times. Often it was useful to knock the dead bugs off before you drank, so some of them didn't join the water going into your mouth. The Canvas water bagworks on the principle of evaporation. The bag is slightly porous and the evaporation of the water that comes through the bag cools the water. It's out on the radiator to get lots of air. And I assume as a side benefit the cooler air passing around the bag may help cool the radiator. My Dad had one. Being born in 1889 I imagine he used them on trips. I believe the bag is still around in the house or garage somewhere. I'll have to look for it. Wade Water bagTo those of a certain age (like me), a familiar sight was what's sometimes called a "desert water bag" hanging in front of the radiator on passing cars. Here's a rare shot of one in actual use. I'd always assumed the water was strictly for the radiator, not human consumption. I'm Next!I drank from one of those until 1953. Nice cold water. We always carried it out west from Texas to California and back. It was the only thing that was cool on our '38 Pontiac in the summer. I wonder if he got to go to Disneyland when it opened in 1955? He seems to already be a fan of Mickey. Why did they have seven kids?Because there wasn't room for eight of them in the machine. My grandfather was about this man's age and always referred to any automobile as "the machine." I think that was rather common terminology for his generation. Brother!This shot just makes me puddle up! Wow, a family of nine.Let us hope they did all right. [Papa was evidently no idler. -Dave] The 2-Door Sedan Picturedis a 1927 Chevrolet Coach. The Coach was one of eight body styles available that year. It had a 171 cubic inch, overhead valve 4-cylinder engine and a 3-speed transmission. Chevrolet made just over 1,000,000 vehicles in 1927 and outsold Ford for the first time. Meryl Streep lookalikeThe oldest daughter looks like she was self-consciously reaching to take off her glasses before the photo was taken. (She also bears a striking resemblance to Meryl Streep.) She must have been miserable crammed in the back of that car with five younger siblings (assuming that the baby rode up front with Mama). Shoes for girls, barefoot boysInteresting to note that here we have a clear example of where the kids being barefoot is not an issue of poverty as we might have otherwise assumed. Seeing several barefoot boys in a cramped car in the Depression era would suggest parents too poor to provide shoes. But the fact that all the girls, even those younger than some of the boys, wear shoes proves that the boys are barefoot out of choice. Or perhaps because it was more socially acceptable or even expected for boys to run around that way but not for girls. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Great Depression, Kids)
The Cherries of Wrath: 1940
... the strength to influence legislation. Maybe we do. Good night, and good luck." Have I met their grandkids? I live in Berrien ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2009 - 12:33am -

July 1940. Berrien County, Michigan. "Migrant fruit workers from Arkansas." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the FSA. View full size. Fear NotPearl Harbor was a little over a year away. The country would change forever and for the better. They could return to Michigan for a job that would make them not rich, but not in the dire straits they appear to be in. However, nobody knows. Perhaps they returned to Arkansas and continued their hardscrabble life or maybe even prospered there. Life is a box of cherriesHow is it that men can age and weather in the elements and look kind of intriguing, rugged, and sexy, but women just look beaten down?! From Mr. Corncob Pipe's hands, you can see that he isn't that old, but the lady next to him, from the lines around her mouth and nose to her piercing expression, looks like she's seen millions of cherries, and all of them sour. Just going on record as saying it isn't fair... Hard work did itMeet John, age 28, and his wife, age 26. Purple and RedStalin banned showings of "The Grapes of Wrath," because it showed even the poorest Americans had automobiles. Must be the pipeAt first glance I thought of Norman Rockwell. Harvest of ShameMaybe they did get back home and give up the migrant life, but many who earned their bread cultivating and harvesting kept on doing that for another generation or longer. In 1960, Edward R. Murrow presented a documentary, "Harvest of Shame", on the plight of migrant workers on CBS. It was quite hard-hitting and made many Americans aware of this social program for the first time. Below are Murrow's opening and closing statements from "Harvest of Shame" This scene is not taking place in the Congo. It has nothing to do with Johannesburg or Cape Town. It is not Nyasaland or Nigeria. This is Florida. These are citizens of the United States, 1960. This is a shape-up for migrant workers. The hawkers are chanting the going piece rate at the various fields. This is the way the humans who harvest the food for the best-fed people in the world get hired. One farmer looked at this and said, "We used to own our slaves; now we just rent them." and The migrants have no lobby. Only an enlightened, aroused and perhaps angered public opinion can do anything about the migrants. The people you have seen have the strength to harvest your fruit and vegetables. They do not have the strength to influence legislation. Maybe we do. Good night, and good luck." Have I met their grandkids?I live in Berrien County, the southwesternmost in Michigan, right on the lakeshore. One wonders if they stayed, maybe found work in the various machine industries that were prevalent at the time. These days, there are fewer cherry orchards, most being farther north. By contrast to the pair in the photograph, the last time I picked cherries, it was for the pleasure of a day in the orchards, and the indulgence of making my own jelly and pies with fruit I picked myself. Corncob pipesMy grandfather always smoked half & half tobacco in a corncob pipe. If we bought him another kind of pipe it would just sit on the shelf and he would tell us the flavor is not the same if it's not a corncob pipe. I know a couple a lot like this duoThey eat at our soup kitchen every weekend, and they both are seriously disturbed. He fights off a rage that makes him want to kill people. She is so shy and ashamed, she can't look you in the eye ever. But it's remarkable; their faces are almost identical. Almost as if they've been soul mates in past lives and are together again now. Makes you sort of wonder... Words on TruckWould love to know what it says on the side of the truck. ["Nashville Tenn." - Dave] My great-grandparents and their children were migriant pickers out of Western Oklahoma who picked tomatos and strawberries into Arkansas in the 1930s on their way to settle in Northwest Arkansas. So, while everyone else was going west, they were headed east. Lot of people on the move in all directions back in those days. Ma and Pa The fabric Ma's dress is made from is gorgeous, and her jacket is kind of pretty, too. Look at the broken in nature of Pa's work jacket. We pay $85 now for items of clothing that are artificially broken in before they're even worn. Pa's eyes are sensitive, intelligent, and defiant. Bogart could have played him. Ma, on the other hand, looks a bit like one of the browbeating wives that Laurel or Hardy might have been shackled to. I'll bet Pa knew to mind his Ps and Qs. I wonder how often he loaned her his pipe. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon)
Three Skyscrapers: 1912
... Star" and "Horatio Hall," going eastward, the Sound by night, the Massachusetts and Maine coasts by day; going westward, the coasts by day, Long Island Sound by night. Time of passage 20 hours. United Fruit Company They had a pier ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:59pm -

New York circa 1912. "Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn." The Singer Building rises at left along with the Woolworth tower and Municipal Building, both under construction. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. What's There NowTo put it in perspective, Pier 16 is home to a major NYC attraction , the South Street Seaport. It is frequented by tourists as well as the workforce from the nearby Financial District. On Friday evenings the place is packed with young people celebrating the end of the work week. Harold Lloyd point of view in Speedy (1928)This view matches the view of the same three buildings as they appear on the title card to Harold Lloyd's 1928 silent comedy feature Speedy, filmed on location in New York during the summer of 1927. The title card artist must have used an older photo, such as this one, as a reference, because by 1927 the Woolworth Building had acquired a 44-story neighbor, the Transportation Building. My new book, Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York through the films of Harold Lloyd, contains over 80 pages of photos of where Lloyd filmed Speedy in and around New York, including several from the Library of Congress that first came to my attention here at Shorpy. To see a few New York locations, a tour of where Lloyd filmed scenes in Brooklyn, and a few locations from my books where Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton filmed, check out my blog below. http://SilentLocations.WordPress.com 80 Maiden LaneI worked at 80 Maiden Lane, the large white building on the left, for a number of years (including 9/11, as a matter of fact). It was overshadowed by most of its neighbors. Neat to see it standing head and shoulders above the rest, when it was just a youngster. More Harold Lloyd point of view in Speedy (1928)Here is how the view looks during an opening scene from Speedy, filmed in 1927. The Transportation Building stands to the left of the Woolworth Building. Here also is how I incorporate the title card from Speedy, the opening shot, and the Library of Congress photo presented here, in my Harold Lloyd book Silent Visions. http://SilentLocations.WordPress.com Maine Steamship Company The Official Guide of the Railways, July 1902. Maine Steamship Co. Direct line of fast modern passenger steamers between New York and Portland. A short, refreshing sea trip. New steamers North Star and Horatio Hall now in commission. The route to Bar Harbor, White Mountains, St. John, and all the famous eastern coast resorts. Leave Pier (New) 32, East River, New York, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5:00 p.m., and Franklin Wharf, Portland, same days at 6:00 p.m. Freight received daily up to 6:00 p.m., for all point in Maine, New Brunswick, Canada, and the West and Northwest, and all local points on the Grand Trunk Railway. No re-handling of freight. Cars run to steamers' dock at Portland. Ticket office in New York: 290 Broadway, corner Reade St. Fare: One way, $5.00 — including berth in cabin. Staterooms and meals extra. … Water Exploring, A Guide to Pleasure Steamboat Trips Everywhere, 1902. Journey LXVII. Between New York and Portland, Maine, by the steamers of the Maine Steamship Co., "North Star" and "Horatio Hall," going eastward, the Sound by night, the Massachusetts and Maine coasts by day; going westward, the coasts by day, Long Island Sound by night. Time of passage 20 hours. United Fruit CompanyThey had a pier in Weehawken, NJ that was served by the New York Central RR in the 1950's. I worked there one time, loading bananas into refrigerator cars. I was told that you could take what you wanted of the bananas. After that, I didn't want to buy them in markets. Also, look out for the scorpions. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Candid Living Room: 1955
... than wearing pins during the day, I rolled my hair at night and had to sleep on the things not to mention that my new husband had to ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:01pm -

Previously in our living room we saw what it looked like with the family dressed up and posed formally. Here's what real, every-day life was like, captured by my brother in this candid, available light shot on 35mm Kodak Tri-X on April 21, 1955. Newspapers strewn around on the floor; my mother in her ubiquitous apron with her hair up in curlers; Father with his slippers kicked off, looking up from his paper (looks like our local Marin County daily, the San Rafael Independent-Journal) across the room at the TV. What that giant pile of stuff is next to my mother I haven't been able to figure out; some big, fabric-related project of hers perhaps. Where am I? My guess: behind my brother, on the floor, eyes glued to the TV. View full size. Adopt MeI think you have the all American family. If I could go back in time, do you think you mom and dad would adopt me? Tell us more about your parents. What did your dad do for a living? Did mom work (of course, being a mom is a full time job). Father Knows BestDid you grow up on a sitcom soundstage? Or is there a ceiling up there somewhere? Don't Touch That Dial"It's the the Tterrace Show, sponsored by the North American Lighting and Lamp Council, in cooperation with the California Curtain Advisory Board!" The BeavYour name wouldn't be Cleaver would it? Going somewhere?Why did moms always have a head full of rollers or pin curls? I thought the point back then was to look good for your man when he got home, but I remember my mother with a never-ending head scarf and picky, picky bobby pins underneath it. ChairwomanI think the fabric is upholstery fabric. It looks like there are some springs and arm rests underneath the fabric, so I suspect that your mom was upholstering a chair! Judge not, lest ye be judgedStyles at that time required curling of the hair so when did you do it? Like many women, I worked outside the home so, even worse than wearing pins during the day, I rolled my hair at night and had to sleep on the things not to mention that my new husband had to sleep with them too. When curling irons came back on the scene, now electric, out went the curlers. Leave It to TterraceNice observation, Anonymous. That piece of trim that fakes the viewer into thinking it's a ceiling is the first thing I usually notice when watching sitcoms. The perspective of this photo also makes it appear that the walls (at least the left side) do not meet at 90° angles, but something much wider, just like sitcom rooms. She let him live?Clearly, your mom never saw this photo. Jeez, I'd have had my ears set on fire if I so much as mentioned that mom had her hair in curlers, never mind taking a photo of her like that! Walls and ceilingsThis house was built before 1955 before the era of drywall construction. This looks just like the living room of the house we had built in 1953 that had wet plaster walls and a coved ceiling and what looks like a moulding, which I think was plaster, to separate the wall from the ceiling. We would paint the ceiling white, the walls light blue. Curlers and wallsIn regards to curlers, I'll just mention that prcrstn8 hit the nail on the head and say no more about that. As to seattlekid's speculation about the vintage of the walls, our house was built in 1906 as a Presbyterian church. Our front porch had been the bottom portion of the belfry. Just a few years later, the congregation moved to the neighboring town of Corte Madera and the building remained vacant until 1923 when it was purchased and remodeled as a dwelling. My folks bought it in 1941 (for $3000!). The walls and ceilings were plywood overlaid with plaster stippling. In the most recent sale a couple years ago, the house apparently went for somewhere around $1,500,000. Not the Larkspur I grew up in. We almost know themTheir photographic series of black and white vignettes causes us to stop and melt in nostalgic wallowing, while for most others it's no more than vague reminisce, but the connection is there, so we persist, and share our lives, happy to show that we are all the same at heart, regardless of race, creed or social standing, this is America at its best, I say, how say you all? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Key West: 1900
... trees, guava trees, coconut palms...Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks." Obviously written the day after ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:54pm -

Circa 1900. "Key West, Florida. View from hotel." With nary a T-shirt or flip-flop in sight. Detroit Publishing Company dry-plate glass negative. View full size. "With nary a T-shirt or flip-flop in sight"That's because there's nary a person in sight. [Polish those bifocals and take another gander. - Dave] One, two, three ...I see at least seven people and a number of horses. Papa's Town"It’s the best place I’ve ever been anytime, anywhere, flowers, tamarind trees, guava trees, coconut palms...Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks." Obviously written the day after Hemingway pioneered the "Duval Crawl." Which I've done a few times and highly recommend. VantageThis was probably taken from the tower of the Jefferson Hotel, around the middle of the 100 block of Duval. You can see a little of the brick Sawyer Building in the lower right, the end that now houses the Hogsbreath Saloon. The Custom House can be seen clearly flying a flag, now an art museum. To the right of it is Building 1, which is one of the oldest buildings on the island and has had many lives. Fort Taylor and its causeway can be seen on the horizon at the left; this was long before the landfill connected it with the island. Only two or three other buildings in the picture still stand. Then and NowFebruary 8, 2009. Same general direction, different angle. Beautiful building nonetheless. Key West 1965I was a not-dry-behind-the-ears 17-year-old sailor in 1965, assigned to Fleet Sonar School at Key West Naval Base, learning how to hear and identify those nasty Soviet submarines. Two days after reporting, Hurricane Betsy rolled through and I found myself behind boarded windows in the school, wondering how paradise had become so windy and noisy. The highlight of the post-Betsy period was walking Duval Street with long-handled hoes, killing snakes driven above ground by surge water. Ah, what a sailor once had to do for his country. And the Conch Republic. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
The Ryan: 1905
... Had this been preserved you would have to be paying $600 a night! A lot of work I can't imagine sitting down at a drafting board ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:32pm -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Ryan Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. First skyscraperThe first building in St. Paul greater than 6 floors. Read more here. Short Line to ChicagoBut only if it's on one of those electric lighted trains. CrosseyedTalk about ornate! Oh and Dave, I'll be sending you a bill for eyeglasses -- my search for milk has left me feeling the computer screen. A magnificent memoryThe Hotel Ryan was demolished in 1962 and the site was a parking lot for the next 19 years. I wished I could have seen it, in person, in its heyday. A popular and opulent placeThere are so many images of this luxury hotel on the web. It lasted from 1882 to 1962, and had many, many postcards made of it. But it makes sense that there must be shots like this of hundreds and hundreds of hotels like the Ryan, all across the country. Every large hotel had to have its postcards available for use. What a fascinating book it would be to see the history of hotels in postcards, from various cities. Dave, if we asked you super-nicely, would you put up images from the cities we request, such as our hometowns? Thank you for this one. It originally gives the impression of faceless, ubiquitous homogeneity. But it delights with its small, sudden discoveries. [I guess you could say it was opular. Or populent. - Dave] Grand ViewI wonder who had access to the sitting area above that entrance. Another wonderful spot to sip a whiskey and enjoy a good cigar while watching the busy world pass you by. And not care one whit. Call boxesOn the corner, you can see a police or fire department call box. These were considered a great innovation at the time, and cities spent a lot of money installing them. Prior to the call boxes, policemen would have to summon help by hollering or using whistles. High maintenanceWhen I look at this I think of maintenance costs. It's fascinating to see something with such ornate detail -- but imagine it today and think of all the work that would be required, especially in a freeze/thaw climate. Look at the slate roof -- when one of those shingles lets go, look out below! Modern architecture is very simple and generally uninteresting by comparison, but it's relatively low maintenance. Had this been preserved you would have to be paying $600 a night! A lot of workI can't imagine sitting down at a drafting board and coming up with something this ornate. Then think of the poor masons who had to build it in Minnesota weather. How much would it cost to reproduce something like that today? (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Coal Weather: 1912
... shake and clear the ash and clinkers. But it would run all night without tending, and that must have seemed like a modern miracle in 1930. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:19pm -

Circa 1912. "Coke delivery wagon and workers, Detroit City Gas Company." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Sure, it's a Packard!You can just make out the logo below the seat! Lifting a tub of coke.Coke weighs only about half as much for same volume as hard or soft coal. It was probably delivered to a basement door or window to slide down a chute into the coal bin near the furnace. I agree, a wheelbarrow or wagon would have made their job easier. What IS that?It looks kind of like a telephone pole, but with hoops (?) instead of crossbars? [It's a maypole-style line drop. Seen in many of the Detroit Publishing and National Photo pics. - Dave] Thanks for the info. Boy, those would sure put the spice into kite-flying and hang-gliding. Back breaking workYou'd think they could at least afford to supply the crew with a wheelbarrow! And an imaginary cabPretty sure that's a Packard truck. Couldn't have been much fun to drive in the winter. Also, a terribly inefficient method of delivery from truck to basement. No fuel like an old fuelIn 1951 we lived for a time in a four family flat in Detroit. It had a coal fired furnace in the basement which provided the steam heat. There was no automatic stoker so each family would take a turn manning the coal shovel and raking out the clinkers. It was a treat (I speak for myself) to go down with my parents and watch them feed the beast. I still remember the coal bin smell. An even bigger event was watching the coal truck deliver the coal with a gravity fed chute into the coal bin via a steel door just below our kitchen window. When we moved into a new house Detroit in 1952, we had a forced-air furnace with a 100 gallon fuel oil tank in the basement. However, many of my friends in the area had houses with the old "octopus" coal-fired gravity furnaces in the basement which had been converted to oil burners. The coal bins had been turned into storage areas and many still had the telltale coal odor. The gents in the picture are probably taking the coke directly into the house or the back porch since many houses in 1915 did not have central heat via a basement furnace but relied instead on parlor stoves. In many areas of old Detroit the houses were so close together you could touch both houses as you walked between them. No room to turn a wheelbarrow around. Ten Thousand TonsI was on a merchant ship that brought 10,000 tons of coal to Cork, Ireland, in 1949-50, unloaded by hand 24/7 in canvas baskets. We were there a week. re: Telephone TalkNote the one just posted in the Member Gallery ("Cross Connect Terminal"), along with several other early telephone photos. Music That horn is a thing of beauty. Telephone Talk These distribution rings came in various sizes and facilitated duplex subscriber drops in tight, typically urban areas. The one shown with the "soup can" hides the "dry spot" connection blocks. The other shows a "cabinet" type application. These rings disappeared early and in 45 years of collecting, I never saw one (even abandoned) still in the air. Carbon copyWe also live in a house that converted from coal at some point. The furnace that came with the house was an ugly black monstrosity, covered with welded-shut grates and hatches. Its heat output was pathetic, and it drank oil like a stevedore knocks back brews. One of the firs things we did was replace it with a much smaller and more energy-efficient furnace. But the traces of this house's coal-fired past still remain. The basement walls are still dark with coal dust in some obscure locations. The former bin is a storage area. Beautiful lumps of coal emerge when we dig in the spring, ranging in size from marble to baseball. These photographs give me even more insight into the life of our house. We who own historic building have a responsibility to preserve them for future generations. Fuel for thought Our 1820's farm had an enormous octopus coal furnace with an 'iron boiler man' auto coal feeder attached to it. Semi-auto to be honest, you still had to fill the hopper and shake and clear the ash and clinkers. But it would run all night without tending, and that must have seemed like a modern miracle in 1930. We ripped it out at first chance and switched to gas heat. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Room and Bird: 1936
... better than any of them after a long, sticky, hot summer night spent in my air conditioned home rather than sprawled out on the front ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:31pm -

January 1936. "New Orleans architecture. Cast-iron grillwork house near Lee Circle on Saint Charles Avenue." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. $2I forgot to make reservations this year for the Mardi Gras parades, do you think I can still get the advertised rate? TweetDid anyone else search every square inch of the grillwork looking for the bird? [Hello? They're right in front of your nose. - Dave] Re: TweetI, too, searched for the elusive bird, never thinking to look IN the window. Guess my super-sleuthing abilities are somewhat less than super. Conservative Chimney...It leans to the right. And it's singing . . "I'm only a bird in a gilded cage" Bebop on down to BirdlandNew Orleans. Jazz. SAINT CHARLES. Who needs a gilded cage? Am I Psyhic or PsychoThis image looks to me to be a repeat. The frontal scene and especially the ornate grillwork struck a memory chord. However, I searched Shorpy using various combinations of caption words or phrases (cast-iron, grillwork, ornate, etc.) to no avail. Is this the same of smilar to a posted picture in, say, the past 6 months? (Should I mention that I have been having vivid and interesting dreams of late?) [Did you search for "Orleans"? - Dave] Chez IgnatiusSweet mercy. When I see pictures of the glorious past of New Orleans, my first thought is: How in the living hell did they stand the heat in the summer? Yes, I know. As my mother whose clan is from New Orleans says, they were much tougher folks in those bygone days. I just bet they were. But I guarantee I smell better than any of them after a long, sticky, hot summer night spent in my air conditioned home rather than sprawled out on the front porch because it was too damn hot to sleep inside. Motel 2The $2 room is the one overhanging the alleyway with floor about to give way and wrapped in high-voltage wiring! Lake PontchartrainIn a gentler time, during the New Orleans summer, thousands of people would sleep out on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. (The Gallery, New Orleans, Walker Evans)
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