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Amarillo Yardmaster: 1943
... for almost twenty years as the yardmaster. During the night in our small town we could hear the trains pumping the cars in the ... from the train yard. There were numerous trains each night in both east and westbound moving along the system between Chicago and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:15pm -

March 1943. Yardmaster at Amarillo, Texas, railyard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. paperless officeNotice how neat and arranged everything is? Bet he knew where everything he would need was .... and could get to it faster than someone today with the best of computers. Atlas ShruggedRead 'Atlas Shrugged' recently - this picture pretty much fits my imagination's. YardmasterSure brought back memories. My father was a yardmaster for the Erie Railroad in Meadville, Pa. in the 1950's and 60's. As a child I would go with my mother to pick him up after work and would go into the yard office. He was the westbound yardmaster and his clerk sat directly across from him at a two big desks. The phone was just like the one he had to stay in touch with the other offices along the system to Cleveland. They had a big pigeonhole system that the waybills for the freight cars were kept in when they would make up the order for the cars and their destinations in the length of cars pulled by the engines. The office was a busy place and they had three shifts each day on both the east and westbound sides of the division yard. He worked the midnight shift for almost twenty years as the yardmaster. During the night in our small town we could hear the trains pumping the cars in the process of making up the trains even though we were several miles from the train yard. There were numerous trains each night in both east and westbound moving along the system between Chicago and New York. There was always a saying in our home that when we would hear a train whistle we would say, "there goes a new pair of shoes." As long as the trains were moving Dad had a job and money to support us all. Both of my grandfathers worked all their lives for the Erie railroad. It's sad now when we visit Meadville and see that the yard just barely exists. The yard office that I remember as a child is no longer there. The new yard tower that he moved to in the late 60's is still there but doesn't appear to be functioning. Thanks for the picture and the thoughts it brought back. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Ashepoo P.O.: 1938
... The downside for the owner was that any time of the day or night, people who were in need of any given thing or service would pound on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/25/2017 - 10:40am -

December 1938. "General store and post office, sawmill town. Ashepoo, South Carolina." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Ashepoo, South CarolinaThere is no longer a post office in Ashepoo, as the postal district was folded into nearby Green Pond in the 1960's according to the postal records. I went back and looked at an assortment of USGS maps, and Ashepoo seems to have *never* been a large place. Most of the houses that comprised the village seem to have succumbed to time and nature. This is Ashepoo as it sits in modern times. You can still see where the roads once lay, and while the view is far too distant to make any details out, the lone surviving building looks kind of familiar. http://binged.it/1pPnMxF NO TIN SIGNS!How on earth will I know which tobacco and soda pop to ask for. Is this so far off the track that even the Coca Cola people couldn't find it? The dark sedanWaiting outside the store is a 1933 Chevrolet Master 4 door sedan, the same model our family had in those years and drove west to Los Angeles to relocate from Independence Missouri in May, 1937. Many years later in 1963 my brother and I bought 1933 Chevrolet 2 door coach from a neighbor for $100 and kept it over 30 years. Another sawmill townUntil I was about 11 years old I lived a few miles from Williams, SC in the early to mid fifties. There was a large sawmill there, on the east side of Williams, and right across the road was a row of small houses owned by the mill company and occupied by the mill workers and their families. I went to school with their children. The mill once had a large fire that melted the tin roofs. My father and I walked through the place after the fire and I picked up a glob of melted tin. I kept it for many years. A common sight throughout the south was large piles of sawdust left from temporary mobile sawmill operations. After a period of time the sawdust would settle and develop internal air pockets, causing it to collapse if climbed on. I know of at least one child that died that way. Ashepoo storeOwned by Benjamin Josephus Brant, died in 1946. See his gravestone on FindAGrave.com http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36433804&ref=acom Ashepoo DepooIt is/was on the Atlantic Coast Line RR main line (now CSX) between Charleston and Savannah. The Brants of AshepooIt is entirely possible that the prop. of the General Store was also the railroad agent. I thought the name sounded familiar, and sure enough, there was a J. J. Brant, born 10 years before the photo of the store was taken, who was first trick Clerk-Operator at Yemassee (a few miles south of Ashepoo) when I hired out in 1973. I would not be at all surprised to find that J. J. was B. J.'s son, since nepotism was (and still is) a fully-acceptable and often-practiced tradition in railroading. More info on the Brants...Michaelsjy: Out of nosiness, I dug a bit deeper on Benjamin to see where he was before (and after), and to see what family he may have had. He was born in Ulmers, in Allendale County. Up until he appears in Ashepoo in the 1920 census, he stayed put in the Sycamore/Ulmers/Bardwell area. He appears in 1917 in the WWI draft records as working for the "Berry Fortune Construction Company" as a bookkeeper. I couldn't find him in 1920, but he appears running the general store in Ashepoo in 1930 and 1940, and Ashepoo was listed as his usual residence when he passed away in 1946. Cause of death was stomach cancer that had spread to his liver. In both 1930 and 1940 he was listed as a merchant, and his wife was postmistress for Ashepoo, a position she held until 1960. There are no children listed in 1930, and in 1940 they have a 9 year old adopted daughter named Emma Jean Maddux listed as living with them. WowEven the moss looks beleaguered. Living up over the storeIt used to be (and perhaps still is)that business owners and their families in small towns would reside upstairs over their stores and this seems to be one of those instances. I love the comforting presence of the two kitties making themselves at home and the screened-in sun room which lends a touch of hominess to the place. As late as 1965 there was a very similar establishment just up the street from a second floor apt. which I was temporarily renting in a very small village in Ohio (New Knoxville). The downside for the owner was that any time of the day or night, people who were in need of any given thing or service would pound on the door until somebody answered. The upside was that your commute to work each day took no time at all. Life was simple then. Fresh Chicken anyone?Also the chicken by the front door seems happy. Until lunch that is! (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Beer Boulevard: 1938
... entering and leaving the mill at the same time. Later that night, while trying to fall asleep in a guest bed at my grandparents' house, I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/26/2017 - 12:49pm -

July 1938. "Main street (Franklin Avenue) in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania." Which you don't even have to cross if you're in the mood for a Duquesne. (If you're thirsty for an Iron City or Union Beer, you might have to dodge some traffic.) Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Doo-KaneRecently heard a local newscaster in Erie Pa say "Doo Qwes Nee" There goes the neighborhoodThis is a case of the entire neighborhood disappearing over time. The Joseph Building seen at the end of the street still exists as a shell on the Google Street View images, but the White Castle "clone" next to it and nearly every other structure in this picture is long gone, buried under a highway project. Those were the daysWhen this photo was taken, Aliquippa was home to a Jones & Laughlin steel plant. It closed -- I think -- in the late 1970s. In the early 2000s, I used to ride the 16A Aliquippa bus into Pittsburgh. That's probably an early version of the 16A in the old photo. ConstitutionalThe year before this photo was taken, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. that the Wagner Act (formally the National Labor Relations Act) was constitutional. The case arose from the Aliquippa steel mill's termination of workers for unionizing. The decision was one of two in early spring 1937 that signaled President Roosevelt (and a switch by Justice Owen Roberts) had tipped the Court's balance toward generally upholding New Deal measures. The picture shows the "Wye" area of Aliquippa, where three major streets came together near the entrance to the tunnel serving as the vehicular entrance to the J&L mill. The name of the roadway whose overpass design devastated the intersection and surrounding areas (with help from the mill's ultimate demise) is Constitution Boulevard. J&L MillBoth of my grandfathers worked in the J&L Aliquippa Works, and my father worked there part-time while in college. My father took me to the mill once during a visit to Aliquippa when I was a boy and we happened to be there during a shift change. I have a vivid memory of what seemed to be hundreds of men entering and leaving the mill at the same time. Later that night, while trying to fall asleep in a guest bed at my grandparents' house, I saw the sky glow orange every so often in the direction of the mill, due to the round-the-clock operation of the open blast furnace. Ford countryL-R: 1931 model A Ford; 1937 V8 rear view; Ford signs and lamps. The only tractor available in 1938 was the English imported Fordson model N. This would change in 1939 with the introduction of the Ford 9N tractor featuring the Ferguson 3 point hitch system forever changing farming for the better. Ah, Duquesne!"Best beer in town!" I mean, you can't lie on a billboard, right? I saw J&L close.During 1981-84 I lived in Ambridge, directly across the river from J&L and witnessed it's final death throes. In 1981 the sky was yellow from the mill's output. By 1984 the sky was blue, J&L shuttered, and Aliquippa was becoming a ghost town. Ambridge is often seen on Shorpy, but I wish I had a photo of the row house we rented while in grad school. At one point in it's long history is was a house of ill repute and the entire interior had been painted pink. The closing of the mill was hard for everyone in the community. Odd topsWhat are the domes on top of the light poles? Victoria CoupeThe Victoria Coupe facing away from us, on the right side of the photo, is a 1934 or 1935 Buick - probably a Series 60, Model 68. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
Shooting the Bull: 1913
... fired at it which went wild and killed George Beattie, night watchman of the building under construction at 24 East 55th Street. ... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 10:16am -

Nov. 3, 1913. "Shooting bull, Central Park." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Headline in the New York Times: MAN IS SHOT DEAD IN CHASE FOR STEER Frenzied Animal Tears Down Fifth Avenue, Police Shooting From Taxicabs. SEVEN OTHERS SCATTER Wild Bullet Slays a Watchman -- Waiter Is Wounded -- All the Beeves Caught or Killed. The steer which caused the excitement in Fifth Avenue was one of eight which escaped from the yards of the New York Stock Company at Sixtieth Street and the North River. In the pursuit another man was wounded, a policeman was trampled on, and a delivery wagon was wrecked. The excitement began about 4 o'clock yesterday morning and did not end until five hours later, when the last steer was shot to death in Central Park. The steer which alarmed Fifth Avenue was one of the wildest of the lot, and it was a police bullet fired at it which went wild and killed George Beattie, night watchman of the building under construction at 24 East 55th Street. ... The steer, bleeding from wounds, turned into Fifty-Fifth Street, followed by a string of revolver-popping automobiles. ... According to stockyard authorities, about 200 short-horn Oregon steers were unloaded yesterday morning, consigned to various butchers in the city ... Original Keystone Kops?"Police Shooting From Taxicabs" Good grief, maybe the Keystone Kops were a documentary. Running of the BullsPamplona has nothing on us. We not only had the the running of the bulls, but a Wild West shootout in Midtown Manhattan. There was the posse (cops in taxicabs), town folk killed and wounded as well as a stampede with one the Marshals trampled. I also learned about the North River, which is the southernmost part of the Hudson River. The best we can do now is an occasional shooting by patrons outside some nightclub in Chelsea. BeevesThanks for finally cluing me in the plural of beef! Neither my wife nor I had ever heard of "beeves". I looked it up in my dictionary and sure enough, it is the plural for beef! BeevesWe learned the plural of Beef in English probably back in the 6th grade, guess everyone did not have this or just did not remember. My great-grandfather!Can you tell me where this picture came from? The watchman who was killed by a stray police bullet was my great grandfather. I have seen the NY Times article before, but never this photo. Very cool! (The Gallery, Animals, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Newsboys Club: 1909
... 1900 than for some time past; average attendance per night was 140 boys; total expenses for the year 1900, $1,755; total receipts, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2013 - 12:11pm -

October 1909. Boston, Mass. "In the Newsboys Reading Room. Boys seated at tables playing games." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Or perhaps CarromConsidering the cue used on the far right. Possibly PitchnutLooks similar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitchnut Reading RoomIronic title, for kids who, were they not working at such a young age, ought to be in school. Making it up as they goAlmost looks like a shuffleboard type of game, and the kid at the third table over is using a pool cue while the matronly lady looks on approvingly. Meanwhile the boy resting his head on his fist has the devil in his eyes. Take me out to the Disc GameIt looks like they're playing Carrom, which I've only come across in Asian countries before so it's interesting to see it being played in this context. It's a little like playing pool but with discs instead of balls and I've seen it played with both a finger-flick and with a cue, which seems to fit the evening's activities. It's a real betting game - but probably not here! [I'm not so sure about that -- gambling newsies were a staple of the Hine repertoire. - Dave] From newsboys to business menIf the 10 Somerset Street address mentioned by Stanton_Square is correct, the address currently is home to Suffolk University Business School, two blocks from the Massachusetts State House. 15 Howard Street, between Andrew and Dudley Squares, looks to be an abandoned building today. No video gamesA little reading, a lot of face-to-face interaction. Those were the days! If Scrabble had been invented and they were playing itYou can bet one of the words challenged was "wuxtry". (Scrabble came along in the 1930s.) Free Games and BathsA post at the Looking for Lewis W. Hine Photo Locales blog identifies the location of this photo as the Burroughs Newsboys Building at 10 Somerset Street. Earlier accounts report that the newsboys met on Howard Street. Bacon's Dictionary of Boston, 1886. Reading-room for Newsboys and Boot-blacks. 16 Howard Street. Open from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M. A resort where books, papers, games, and regular entertainments are furnished. Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 1902. Report of the Newsboys' Reading-Room Association on Howard Street showed the attendance to have been larger during 1900 than for some time past; average attendance per night was 140 boys; total expenses for the year 1900, $1,755; total receipts, $1,643. This association was formed in 1870, and serves as a reading-room for licensed newsboys. Entertainments, games, drawing classes, books and periodicals of all kinds, as well as bathing facilities, are offered the boys as inducements to join. Everything is free. I Remember CarromWe had a Carrom board growing up in Nebraska in the 60s. On one side was a checkerboard and backgammon triangles. The other side had the setup for playing Carrom. It came with a couple of wooden cuesticks and a bunch of colored plastic rings, plus instructions for several games. In the four corners of the board were net pockets, and we played a billiard sort of game most of the time. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Whistler's Brother: 1936
... acted with Clark Gable in the 1934 film "It Happened One Night". She won the Academy Award that year for best actress. You can read all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2013 - 12:01pm -

1936. High Point, North Carolina. "Housing. Bedroom in company-owned home of workers in Highland Cotton Mills. This is one of the best there." Who are the glamor girls on the wall? Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. My guessI know that the photo above the vanity mirror is Claudette Colbert, who would have been 33 in 1936. I think the other picture is Alice Faye, who would have been 21. What is my prize? [The respect of your peers? - Dave] Glamor GirlLooks like Claudette Colbert on the left over the mirror. Glamour GirlsClaudette Colbert is the one on the left. Patricia Neal favors the one on the right, but it is not her as she was only 10 in 1936. Claudette ColbertThe photo on the left sure looks like Claudette Colbert, who famously acted with Clark Gable in the 1934 film "It Happened One Night". She won the Academy Award that year for best actress. You can read all about her life here. Bride & GroomingThe pocket comb is early geek. Right glamour girlMy vote for the one on the right goes to Ruby Keeler. Star PowerFirst person to ID the leading ladies was David McMath of Birmingham, Alabama, on the Shorpy Facebook page at 2:02 p.m., three minutes after the image was posted. Impressive! All right, BobHang your precious hussy pictures if you must, but put them high enough that I don't have to look at them! Claudette ColbertThe question is why his wife allows him to have that picture? [It's her bedroom, too. - tterrace] Hang 'em HighOne does have to wonder why the photos and then why are they hung so very high on the walls. (The Gallery, Lewis Hine)
Bar Harbor Panorama: 1901
... the sounds of the ocean coming in the barracks windows at night from Schoodic Point. Tipping Point I hope Casanova was turning ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2021 - 11:05am -

1901. "The Harbor from Newport House, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, Maine." Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Beautiful AreaNow there's a fine area as far as scenery goes; I lived in Winter Harbor (to the east across Frenchman Bay/Mt. Desert Narrows) several months in the spring of 1984 for technical school in the Navy, back when they had a facility in Winter Harbor. It was good "calendar picture country"; dotted with lighthouses and lobster fishing boats. Being from Pennsylvania, I noted how much earlier sunrise was, but remember the sounds of the ocean coming in the barracks windows at night from Schoodic Point. Tipping PointI hope Casanova was turning into the wake of the Frank Jones. It's awfully hard to swim in a wool suit or a linen dress and boots. Steamship named after brewer?I'm guessing the steamship pulling into port is named after Frank Jones the famous Portsmouth brewer and investor: https://www.nhmagazine.com/the-history-of-frank-jones/ Tourism had picked up in 112 yearsTook this from the same spot in 2013. Veranda with a ViewThis lovely merged view was likely acquired from the Newport House veranda, shown here in a colored postcard from ~1905. Note: The plantings have grown. PhotochromDPC themselves had the same idea. They made a colored version as a postcard, using the Photochrom process. Today this area is called Agamont Park and Newport Drive. Found the postcard in Maine's Statewide Digital Museum. In reply to Alex - PhotochromThe postcard color image looks exactly like the page image - except the sky seems different. There's an interesting short on Youtube that goes into this topic; how postcard companies often used the same set of 'sky templates' that were inserted into postcard images to make them more interesting. Thus you would get hundreds of postcards from around the country with exactly the same sky. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Navy Fighters: 1897
... changed that much, just the sports. I've seen Friday night smokers during my 20+ years, and recently ('95) we had a rugby team on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:14pm -

Circa 1897. "Boxing aboard the U.S.S. Massachusetts." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Gentlemen! Gentlemen!""You can't fight here. This is a battleship!" Ref's instructions"No hitting below the scarf, no climbing the smokestack, and in the event of a knockdown go to a neutral banister." Salty DogThat mustachioed fellow in the back looks pretty hardcore. Like he had some serious moxie. Something much more abundant in the U.S. Navy in those days from what I've heard. Not much had changedAlthough the hats are different, the dress blues were much the same as when I was in the Navy. (13 button bell-bottoms with the tie in the back, same dress jersey with flap and neckerchief.) I was wondering though if anyone can identify what they are wearing around their necks. Could those be hand-made rope "chains" with boatswain whistles on the end (stuffed in their pockets)? I was a boilerman, and they didn't let me stick my head out above decks. Moxie then and nowWell Salty Dog, don't know how long you've been out, but I've only been retired for a little over 10 years, and things haven't changed that much, just the sports. I've seen Friday night smokers during my 20+ years, and recently ('95) we had a rugby team on our ship that fought everyone in the Pacific area, and the key words are rugby and fought. When the injuries got so bad the Old Man said no more rugby games, the troops (and officers) still played and got into quite a bit of trouble. That's the same moxie you see in the photo, and it's the same moxie the Navy has today, the ships change, the sailors get smarter but stay the same on the inside: look at the Samuel B. Roberts or the Cole, that's moxie. Fleet on. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, E.H. Hart, Sports)
Dallas After Dark: 1942
January 1942. "Night view, downtown section. Dallas, Texas." Medium format negative by Arthur ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/02/2017 - 5:47pm -

January 1942. "Night view, downtown section. Dallas, Texas." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. Lane and CommerceIt seems I was off in my original post, this isn't Commerce and Lane, it's Commerce and Prather. The depth of field of the Google cameras can be quite different from the vintage photos. '36 TerraplaneA 1936 Hudson Terraplane sitting at the curb. The Magnolia BuildingThe main feature here is the Magnolia Building, completed in 1922. Headquarters for Magnolia Petroleum, later Mobil Oil, it was topped by the rotating, neon-lit Pegasus, put in place for the American Petroleum Institute's 1934 convention, hosted in Dallas. A replacement Pegasus sits atop the building today. Back then, Pegasus was visible for miles, as it was when my mother moved in Dallas the next year. That year (1943), it would be eclipsed in height by the Mercantile Bank Building, the only skyscraper completed during the war, and the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Today the Magnolia Building is the Magnolia Hotel, and the Merc has been converted into apartments. Pirouetting Pegasus Revolving atop the old Magnolia building, the red flying horse was a Dallas landmark for a couple generations. I remember competing with my brother to be the first to spot it as we drove into "Big D" on our semi-annual trips from Deep East Texas to Abilene. The return trip eastward usually put us in Dallas after dark and the glowing Pegusus was the halfway mark. I've heard they found and restored the neon sign and installed it at the Omni hotel downtown. Does anyone remember the song Big "D", little "a", double "l"- "a-s" - may have been a jingle? Goober Pea John F. Beasley Construction CompanyThis construction company is still going strong in the Dallas area, but the building under construction on the right in our photo didn't survive. Pegasus rebornHere's the story of the search for, and discovery and restoration of Pegasus. It's now front of the Omni Dallas, according to this. Big D, little aThe song "Big D" is from the musical "Most Happy Fella" by Frank Loesser. It's a delightful show, and popular among community theater groups. The same show also includes the show-stopping "Standing on the Corner" (as in "watching all the girls go by"). It's Actually the MercThe building under construction (directly across the street from Neiman-Marcus) did indeed survive, having been completed in 1942 as The Mercantile National Bank. It is presently 'The Merc' apartments. Here's a tidbit from their leasing brochure... "The Merc is more than a place to live. It is a place of history, rooted in the city's legacy of entrepreneurship, industriousness, and the good life. Completed in 1942, the 523-foot Mercantile Tower with its stately clock and soaring spire was the home of the Mercantile National Bank, founded and owned by Dallas' powerhouse banker and civic leader, Robert L. Thornton. This landmark building has reclaimed its place of honor amidst Dallas' vibrant skyline". The photo shows The Mercantile National Bank shortly after completion. Neiman-Marcus is directly across the street. It's actually not the MercNot that it really matters, and not that I want to be contrary, but the building under construction would be in the 1500 block of Commerce, in a spot now occupied by a parking lot (and/or the building now at 1511 Commerce). The Merc is a block to the east of here. Love this photo - now I need to go take a look at the Pegasus next summer during the annual family trip to the Metroplex! [You're off by two blocks. We're at the 1700 block of Commerce - note the address on the C.E. Hoffman Co. sign. Also, the building at the right, now with additional floors, is at the corner of Commerce and S. Ervay, immediately across S. Ervay from the Merc. -tterrace] Dang - you're right! I did see the address, but ignored it when I agreed with a previous post that this was the corner of Lane Street, and could not see Ervay passing to the north. I think it's easy to get fooled by the foreshortening difference between these photos and Google street view cameras! I learn something every day from Shorpy! I also shouldn't try to post things when I'm up past my bedtime. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Flygirl: 1918
... her survive the often sub-zero conditions of open-cockpit night flying, but as a friend of mine immediately said when he saw this photo, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 11:40am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Marjorie Stinson, aviatrix. Packard LePere plane." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. DC aviatrix, into leather.Those shoes look like they belong on someone flying a broomstick. Aviatrix,Dominatrix, whatever. Sister MarjorieI think this is Katherine Stinson's younger sister Marjorie. [I think you're right! Caption changed. Marjorie, not Katherine. - Dave] Nice touchI'm betting pinkie rings were not all that commonly worn by women at that time. It gives her a kind of rakish air. LOLAnd here I was just thinking that I wanted her shoes. Fetching EnsembleMiss Stinson's careful fashion magazine pose and her knowing grin suggest that she had fun mocking the supposed strangeness of being a pretty young woman who was teaching combat flying to the Royal Canadian Flying Corps. The gear she's wearing would have helped her survive the often sub-zero conditions of open-cockpit night flying, but as a friend of mine immediately said when he saw this photo, "Where'd she get her outfit - Frederick's of Duluth?" Women Who FlyI just finished "Women Who Fly" and now I find one of these forgotten pilots here. Thanks for the photo, as there were none in the book. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Sid Caesar: 1922-2014
... only one or two seasons. It was reincarnated on Saturday Night Live with Christopher Walken as the Continental. It was a lot funnier, ... who will be soon to follow? Live TV blooper One night during his live broadcast, the Continental mixed up his nouns and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/12/2014 - 9:26pm -

Sid Caesar, Pioneer of Television Comedy, Is Dead at 91         A list of Mr. Caesar’s writers over the years reads like a comedy all-star team -- Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart ... -- New York Times New York, February 1952. "Your Show of Shows comedians Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca doing a skit about a couple watching 'The Continental'." From photos by Charlotte Brooks and Earl Theisen for the Look magazine assignment "Takeoff on 'The Continental'." View full size. Uncomplicated TVThe Continental was an early 1950s TV show. The host, a European seductive type, invited women into his apartment for Champagne and and evening of pleasure, which included a movie. It lasted only one or two seasons. It was reincarnated on Saturday Night Live with Christopher Walken as the Continental. It was a lot funnier, but the 1950s show was, for its time, a bit risque, but tame by today's standards. Sid & Imogene's take on it must have been riotous at the time. [Obscure fact I had to look up: The Continental was played by one Renzo Cesana. - Dave] The cameraThat's a nice close-up of an RCA TK-10 camera. The knob and the hole at the lower left corner are not factory. Back then, studio engineers did a lot of actual engineering, making the equipment work better than new. A true pioneer in television comedyUncle Miltie might have been first funnyman on the airwaves, but Sid took it to the next level. His trusty sidekick went on to play Aunt Edna in the first 'Vacation' movie. What a pair! Back when you had 3 channels to pick from, think of the percentage of American homes that were laughing along with them. The Continental, SNL style.... First ShirleyAnd now Sid! It is strange how we seem to lose the greats in clusters of three! I wonder who will be soon to follow? Live TV blooperOne night during his live broadcast, the Continental mixed up his nouns and supposedly said "the stockings do for your face what the powder does for your legs." It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldWorth watching to catch all those wonderful comic actors doing their cameos. Caesar was a hoot, especially in the basement of the Hardware Store! He will be missed, thank goodness for YouTube and DVDs. Grindl!I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Imogene Coca when she was appearing in "On the Twentieth Century" opposite Rock Hudson when it was playing in San Francisco in about 1979 or 1980. As manager of a local theatre production, I was able to go backstage on several occasions and chat with her. Once I told her that I should have asked her to autograph a program as "Grindl." She laughed, and said I was too young to remember that! But I actually remember her in Show of Shows, when everyone came over to our house to watch one of the only TVs in the neighborhood. She was a delightful woman, and I miss her! Rock Hudson, on the other hand, was brusque, and not really suited to the part he was playing on stage. The best performance I saw of that show (I saw MANY!) was with his stand-in. (The Gallery, LOOK, TV)
Reliable Shoe House: 1920
... business at 930 and 932 Seventh street yesterday and last night be a formal opening, that was attended by great crowds of people. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 11:52am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. Hahn's shoe store at Seventh and K streets N.W. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Hahn'sThe building still exists, and the shoe store closed only about 10-12 years ago. I used to buy all my shoes there, including my first grown-up shoes for my first job, for a law firm across the street. That is neatI would give my bottom dollar to have seen what new-old-stock they had available when they closed down. Size 8 please... Hahn Shoes: 1891 The Washington Post, Oct 13, 1891 William Hahn & Co. Formally Open Their New Establishment William Hahn & Co. celebrated the occupation of their new place of business at 930 and 932 Seventh street yesterday and last night be a formal opening, that was attended by great crowds of people. The new building, which was demanded by the increasing trade of the firm, was built expressly for them. It is a beautiful structure, three stories high, and every available foot of space is devoted to the large assortment of goods handled by the firm. The fixtures are of oak, and the office cashier's box, and wrapping counter in the front of the main salesroom are an innovation on the usual methods of construction. The fixtures, for both gas and electricity, are black and form a pleasing contrast to the thousands of white boxes containing shoes. ... Hahn Shoe DCThe corner occupied by Hahn is the SW corner of Seventh Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. K Street goes west to Seventh and stops at Mount Vernon Square, where Carnegie City Library was built. K restarts west of Ninth Street all the way to Georgetown. [This is Seventh and K, not Seventh and Mass. - Dave] Hahn'sHahn shoes ware the best. Someone should start a Facebook for all Hahn's-related stuff. You Are HereThe address is also in the medallion on the corner of the building. The old hotfootHahn's shoe store was destroyed by a five-alarm fire on December 12, 1937. Luther Reason RayI found a design by architect Luther Ray while researching him in the Library of Congress archives. It appears to have been either a plan for a remodel of a this building or one for a replacement. Do we know if it was ever built? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
A Sterling Reputation: 1915
... pay off the balance he owed Galt & Bro. Jewelers the night he was shot; the Galt family took back some of the items the president ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:35pm -

Dec. 18, 1915. "Mrs. Edith Bolling Galt Wilson. Her jewelry store, Galt & Bro." When her husband died in 1908, Edith Galt took over the management of this store at 1107 Pennsylvania Ave.; the photo was taken on the day of her marriage to President Woodrow Wilson. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Why, oh, why?Why don't stores look like this anymore? It would be an uplifting experience to shop there. Also, I wonder what kind of deal Mr. Wilson got on the engagement ring. I wholeheartedly concur!Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. RegistryAt least she guaranteed no one would give her silverware for a wedding present.. Closed in 2001 ... "Abraham Lincoln's family never did pay off the balance he owed Galt & Bro. Jewelers the night he was shot; the Galt family took back some of the items the president had purchased for his wife, and forgave the rest of the debt. Nor, a century later, did Lyndon Johnson's White House pick up the plaque Galt's made for a gift that John F. Kennedy was to have given the Sultan of Zanzibar in December 1963. Kennedy of course died before he could make the presentation, and the plaque was still in Galt's vault, along with records of purchases made by Jefferson Davis and Ulysses S. Grant, when the 199-year-old Washington store finally closed earlier this year." Read the rest here. Where, not whyIn response to T.U.M. -- try England. I purchased some small silver items at a store in Cambridge that looked just like this, though somewhat smaller, and the service was the same as if I had spent a few thousand pounds. They do understand how to treat a customer. "Secret President" PocahontasEdith Bolling Galt Wilson was a descendant of Pocahontas through the famous Native American's granddaughter Jane Rolfs Bolling. Mrs. Wilson was also related to Martha Washington. Woodrow Wilson's first wife, Ellen Axson Wilson, died of kidney disease on August 6, 1914. Wilson was introduced to Edith in March 1915. President Wilson's intense courtship of the widow Galt drew much attention from the local Washington press. As one wag put it: "When Edith Galt heard the President propose marriage, she nearly fell out of bed." The couple were wed on December 18, 1915 at the home of the bride on S Street in Washington. When President Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke after returning from France and the Treaty of Versailles negotiations in 1919, Edith assumed many of his duties. She was called the "secret president" and "first female president" by supporters and detractors of the Wilson's "joint" administration. Kimball's in KnoxvilleThere was jewelry store that looked just like this in Knoxville, Tennessee, when I was a kid. My great-grandmother had one of those tiny little diamond watches women wore back in the 30's that was ALWAYS in a state of disrepair. She, my grandmother and I would walk downtown and go to Kimball's to either drop it off or pick it up. It was dark in there with emerald green walls. It closed in 2004 and relocated. Lincoln Watch InscriptionToday's NY Times reports the finding of a secret inscription in Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, engraved by a watchmaker employed at Galt's on the day the Civil War began. Lincoln's watch was apparently in the shop for a tune-up when the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The passage below is from a 1906 Times article that led officials at Smithsonian National Museum of American History to open the watch case yesterday. Mr. Dillon, then 84, recounted that he was working at M. W. Galt & Company, a watch shop on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, in April 1861 when the shop’s owner, Mr. Galt, hurried upstairs to tell him, “War has begun; the first shot has been fired.” “At that moment I had in my hand Abraham Lincoln’s watch, which I had been repairing,” Dillon told The Times, adding that he later learned it was the first watch that Lincoln ever owned. An immigrant from Waterford, Ireland, he told The Times, “I was the only Union sympathizer working in the shop.” The text of the inscription is: “Jonathan Dillon April 13- 1861 Fort Sumter was attacked by the rebels on the above date. J Dillon,” the brass underside of the watch movement reads. The inscription continues: “April 13- 1861 Washington thank God we have a government.” Thanks to Shorpy for providing photographic context to this remarkable story. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets)
Trick-or-Treat: 1957
... keep track of the "Zorro" episode on ABC-TV that Thursday night). The prior year had been my last in the "gathering mode" (in a group of ... to one-up, but I don't think we even had that $5 for a one-night costume. Gosh I got so tired of being a hobo every year... Cost of ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:09pm -

Halloween 1957, or "Tterrace and the Haunted Door Lock." Must be a dry run, since it's still daylight outside. My sister did the pumpkin decoration with an early felt-tip marker, and took this 2-1/4 square transparency. I'm 11. View full size. Costumes cost a lot less back thenMust be the good old days when you made your own costume, and the total cost of the costume material was less than $5. These days, an 11-year-old cannot even purchase a DECENT (retail) costume for under $30. How times have changed. [How well I remember my own mother seated at her spinning wheel next to the TV, whipping up a skeleton costume for Little Dave. Silk-screening the bones was the hard part. - Dave] Halloween 1957That year, at age 10, I was on handing-out-candy duty (while trying to keep track of the "Zorro" episode on ABC-TV that Thursday night). The prior year had been my last in the "gathering mode" (in a group of about a half dozen) - nicely amassing nearly 2 large bags' worth and getting back in time to watch the Disney "Halloween Special" while sorting my goodies. My Mother TooGee, up until now I thought my Halloween costumes had been store bought. Bless my mother. Cost-umeFunny, I was at our local Long's Drugs the other day and reflecting on the amazingly inexpensive price of the outfits! I made nearly all my kids' costumes (I don't sew, but they never wanted to be anything easy! I have become a master of papier mache masks) and now for my grandkids. It adds up fast! In contrast, the store-bought costumes retailed for $16 and were half price, accessories included! Eight bucks looked really good to me right then, as I was paying $10 for just the dye I needed. And I can't think of anything else that you can get now for $8 that was $5 in the 1950's! Great photo as usual, Tterrace! Had Two Sticks ... but no CostumeNot trying to one-up, but I don't think we even had that $5 for a one-night costume. Gosh I got so tired of being a hobo every year... Cost of costumesIf a costume cost anywhere near $5 in 1957, it would have been extra special! I never had a store bought costume nor did my mother make me any. I scrounged up what I could find--usually old clothes, and a bandanna hanging on a stick. Dave--your mother must have been a saint! My Mom tooFirst Halloween costume I had my mother made and she didn't even sew! That was in 1953. All I remember is my mother sitting at the sewing machine sewing black and yellow material. I can't remember what the costume was however. No picture either. I don't think she ever did it again. I never had a store-bought costume that I can remember. It was always something I or my mom thought of and put together. I have wonderful Halloween memories. I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween! NewspaperWhat's the shredded newspaper for? The Pumpkin PapersWhat's the shredded newspaper for, you ask? It's the jack-o'-lantern's hair. Part of my sister's overall design concept. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Halloween, Kids, tterrapix)
Message Received: 1943
... is not wanted in any locomotive cab - it cuts the crew's night vision. Timing Does anyone know how fast this train would have ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2015 - 1:10pm -

March 1943. "Dalies, New Mexico. Conductor C.W. Tevis picking up a message from a woman operator on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Belen and Gallup." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Clarence W TevisFound in the 1940 census with wife Ferol? in Gallup New Mexico. Both born circa 1891. Listed as Railroad Conductor. Died 4 June 1971 in San Diego CA. RIP PanacheExtraordinary photo, certainly shoots way up immediately in my Delano favorites. Here's a man, not at all young, with strong and hardened hands, performing a physical task nimbly and efficiently -- while smoking! -- with a cigarette holder!! I look forward to the comments on the details of this message device. (The woman: a blurred statue beside the dynamic conductor, caught crisply at precisely the right moment.) Re: Cigarette Holder.In those days, a lot of men rolled their own smokes as it was far cheaper than buying premade. Usually, this led to loose tobacco getting into your mouth, on your face or clothes (been there, done that). As a result, many chose to use a cigarette holder to crimp the smoke and keep the tobacco where it belonged. It wasn't just the fashion statement as in the case of FDR! The message device is called a Train Order Hoop even though it is Y-shaped. The name comes from the shape of an earlier device that was used for the same purpose, to deliver messages to non-stop trains as they passed a station. The paper containing the message was tied to a loop of string that in turn was held by the 'hoop'. The man on the train would stick his arm through the loop and snag the string with the attached message. This was a improvement over the older system where the entire hoop was snagged. After the message was removed the hoop was thrown from the train for the person on the ground to retrieve, sometimes quite a distance down the track. (It wasn't a great feat to get a crisp picture of the conductor, he was traveling at the same speed as the camera.) The practice continued This practice continued on Class ones until the advent of cab signals. Here is a Conrail train picking up orders at a temporary block station in November, 1978 On message hoops..There were variations - we at the CPR used a steamed wood hoop design, made in Angus shops. These worked well, unless you were the station junior clerk who had to gather them up from down the line after they were dropped by the train crew..in the pic, notice the flimsy dates from the Multimark era (the Multimark was in use from 1968 until 1987 or so) A. V. O.The "flimsies," so called because of the lightweight paper used, contained dispatching orders for the train. For example, that they should proceed to siding xxxx, clear the main line, and wait until train number YY passed before proceeding. This was part of an elaborate system of decentralized traffic control, documented in a book called "Rights of Trains," revised by Peter Josserand, head dispatcher of the Western Pacific railroad and a friend of my father. Flimsies and other forms used by the WP typically carried the letters "A. V. O." at the top, which stood for "Avoid Verbal Orders." Misunderstandings could be fatal. Why "Flimsies"Some of the other commenters have mentioned that the old-time train orders were nicknamed "flimsies" because they were on lightweight paper. The thin paper allows light to come THROUGH the paper. This allows the order to be read by the light of a dim kerosene lantern or even the light of an open steam locomotive firebox door. This practice of using translucent paper continued far into the diesel locomotive era. Bright interior lighting is not wanted in any locomotive cab - it cuts the crew's night vision. TimingDoes anyone know how fast this train would have been moving? I know nothing of railroads, but quite a bit about photography, and I'll say that even with great skill, the perfect timing of this exposure involves at least a little bit of luck for the photographer. And the faster the train was moving, the greater the luck/skill ratio required. Until a definitive answer arrives, I'll give an educated guess based on the relatively limited motion artifact that the train was not going very fast at all. More about "Flimsies"In addition to what SouthBendModel34 said, the paper used was thin to make it easier for the agent or operator to write multiple copies "in Manifold". Double sided carbon paper was used and placed behind the first page of a manifold, and behind each of the other odd numbered pages. If handwritten, a stylus was used as a writing instrument - not a pen or pencil. If typewritten, typewriters without ribbon were used. The first page and all subsequent odd pages had the message on the backside of the paper, and were read through the paper. Even numbered pages had the message on the front. As many as 10 pages could be prepared simultaneously, whereas if single sided carbon paper was used only half that number could be prepared at once. Another feature of the "flimsies" paper is that is was fairly waterproof, and that messages from the carbon paper did not smear. Here's a 60 year old example of such a flimsie as might be handed up to a crew as shown in the original photo. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Frank and Bacon: 1924
... combination. Nourishing for breakfast. Satisfying at night. And popular with every appetite all winter long. Think how easy it is to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:59pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Stephen Frank -- Auth Provision Co., Center Market." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Razed in 1931The block that Center Market occupied is now the home of the National Archives. D.C. still has markets like this. There is the more upscale Eastern Market, the oldest continuously operated fresh food market in the country. When Center Market was torn down, it was to make way for something more "modern" -- the self-service supermarket, where all the the individuals vendors in stalls were replaced by "departments" under one brand name roof. The 1930s saw an explosion of the chain grocery system, and Center Market was simply too old-fashioned. Too bad the owners had no idea that 50 years later, that antique system would be a tourist attraction. Still Around!Looks to be some tasty slabs of bacon he has his arm on. Possibly head cheese, salamis, and kolbas too. Thankfully, these types of markets still exist. Cleveland has one that closely resembles this photo. With many and varied vendors under one roof, each with their fresh specialty. It beats any supermarket, hands down. http://www.westsidemarket.org/ Detroit has its Eastern Market. It's not under one roof -- it much too large. It's an enjoyable adventure on a Saturday morning. http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/ Any others out there? Despite the cleanlinesslet us hope the temperature in there is a blistering 20 below. Agree on the BaconSo when did they start producing the fat slabs they now call American bacon? Look at the bacon sold online at those ethnic grocers. Really like these old "market & store" type photos. O StreetEastern market in DC still has this feel. Of course, the bacon slabs are in coolers behind glass now. I am not sure this photo was taken at Center Market. The "O" Street address in background suggests that it was actually taken at the Norrhern Market, which was also called the O Street market. [Look again. The sign says "Branch of" the main store at 620 O Street. - Dave] Harry Potter and the Half-Baked Hollywood HamNotice the young man to the right of the hanging scales. Is this a young photo of George Burns, before he took up his alter ego as Harry Potter? Cleanlinessdoes not seem part of his remit, given the state of his apron. Center MarketThe wonderful, cahotic chaotic Center Market was located on Pennsylvania Avenue where the Natioanl National Archives is now. A breif brief histroy history of it can be found here. I'll take 18 pounds of old Leather Handbags please. Bacon and BraunschweigerThe sign fragments in the photo are Berkshire Sausage and Charles B. Althoff, 620 O St. N.W., dealer of bread, pies and cakes. The faded sign is N. Auth Prov'n Co., Wholesale & Retail. Smaller signage includes Positively No Checks Cashed and These Stands Close Sat. at 6 P.M. During June, July & Aug. Washington Post, October 19, 1924 Ask For Auth's Always! Steaming hot, crisp, tender, nutritious — just as good to your stomach as it is to your tongue. No wonder thousands of well-fed families start the day with Auth's Sausage Meat regularly. Auth's Pure Pork Sausage Meat with hot cakes — is the ideal cold weather combination. Nourishing for breakfast. Satisfying at night. And popular with every appetite all winter long. Think how easy it is to prepare, too. In less than fifteen minutes, you can have a real meal. Auth's Sausage Meat Other Auth Products: Frankfurters, Pork Sausage, Scrapple, Smoked Ham, Bacon, Pure Lark, Pork Pudding, Cooked Ham, Royal Pork, Braunschweiger. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Nursery: 1915
... And There Is the Closet Whence the monsters emerge at night. Despite the Negative Comments I wouldn't mind having one of those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/05/2014 - 8:40pm -

"Nursery" is all it says on this 4x5 inch glass negative, which comes to us from a seller in Minnesota. Maybe someone with the right connections could run a check on these fingerprints. Probably from around 1910-1920. View full size. Nursery AccoutrementsPaint (lead, no doubt) chipping off cribs, screwdrivers and awls on changing table, picture of dead fish on the wall. What a lovely nursery! RunawaysI am sure the children ran away. The place is a deathtrap and the still life on the wall is enough to make me run. Nasty cribsWidely spaced bars, probably painted with lead. Tools on the dresser, pictures of fish on the wall. Looks like a nursery from a horror movie. It Looks Fishy To Me.Is that a picture of dead fish on the wall next to the mirror? [As noted below by the cultured Kait, that is a STILL LIFE. - Dave] FingerprintsThe nanny did it. No, wait -- the nurse. Okay, then -- the photographer. Nursery of the NastyIt is hard to believe that our ancestors made it through things like this to allow us to be born! Scary! The devil you say!This is where Rosemary had her baby. Looks like a nursery from a second-rate orphanage.Linen on the beds is clean, but the beds themselves are shabby. Too many clothes apparently hung up on pegs in the closet. [I wouldn't go anywhere near those beds without a tetanus shot. -Dave] Early indoctrinationFishing is the state pastime in Minnesota (along with hunting). Kids had to be indoctrinated from the cradle . . . And There Is the ClosetWhence the monsters emerge at night. Despite the Negative CommentsI wouldn't mind having one of those wrought-iron cribs to refinish. The brass work on them was quite nice, too. On the other hand, I wouldn't be saying, "Bloody Mary" three times in that mirror! (The Gallery, Found Photos, Kids)
A Toast: 1940
Summer 1940. "'Venetian Night' party at the Detroit Yacht Club, whose members represent the wealthier ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/31/2012 - 11:03pm -

Summer 1940. "'Venetian Night' party at the Detroit Yacht Club, whose members represent the wealthier class of manufacturers. Commodore and girls drinking." Happy New Year from Shorpy! Photo by Arthur Siegel. View full size. Rank does have its privileges.And the sailor on the outside looks like he's ready to start a mutiny, just to get a chance to speak to those lovely ladies. Cheers!Happy New Year, Shorpyites! Or should I just say "Shorpy New Year!"? A Toast: 1940The man in the middle looks like George Romney. Happy New Year, Fellow Shorpy FansA daily visit with Shorpy and his fans has been part of my life for almost five years now. Thank you, Dave; please keep it going. Attempted leer......but the sailor really needs to work on the upper lip curl part if he's going to nail it. What's the story?Interesting details. The lady to the left (on the Commodore's right) appears to be wearing a wedding ring, note where her left elbow and arm are resting...hmmm. and where exactly has the Commodore's left arm gone? And check out where the "wife's" gaze is directed...not at the Commodore, but at the younger woman gazing at him. Also, the wife's left hand, resting on Commodore's leg..where her hand contacts the other woman's hand, she sticks out her finger, just a little possessive reflex. All very interesting. Now if we only knew the details. Yeah, the sailor inside's look says it all. CelebrationAlways enjoy watching people celebrate my Birthday! Happy SHORPY New Year, one and all! Well lit.I'm constantly impressed at just how well these FSA/OWI photographers lit their subjects in such close quarters. I first noticed the quality of their work with John Collier's Hot Shoppe photos. Flashbulbs were fairly new technology in 1940. I wonder if the govt. photographers were using flashbulbs or flood lights. All of the close quarter photos look like they are lit with a key light and a fill light. Flash or flood it required some setup work. Maybe they had an assistant (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos)
Perry Mason: 1958
... Studios on La Brea Avenue. A stalwart of Sunday night television in the UK in the sixties. Lassie's Mom? I was sure ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2014 - 12:01pm -

The Case of the Gilded Lily April 4, 1958. "Photographs show actor Raymond Burr filming his television show Perry Mason with co-star Barbara Hale and others. Also includes Burr memoriz­ing lines with dialogue director Don Gardner; with executive producer Gail Pat­rick. Also Burr entertaining friends at his Malibu, Calif., home; feeding and playing with his pet dogs, duck, and burro; at the beach; helping move a large tree at the Mor­gan Nurseries." From photos by Maurice Terrell and Robert Vose for the Look magazine assignment "Raymond Burr: Perry Mason's prisoner." View full size. USO gigWhen I was stationed on Guam, 1953-54, Raymond Burr came with a USO troupe. He was emcee and did a funny skit that would be R-rated today. The guys loved it. The Perry Mason Drinking GameAs the story unfolds, answer the following questions: 1. Who gets killed? (hint: nobody nice). 2. Who gets falsely accused? 3. Who did it? 4. How did Perry know? Special bonus question: is the confession going to be a bang ("I could have killed him a hundred times!") or a whimper ("I had to do it. Don't you see ... I had to")? Brought to you by the Perry Mason fan club, a disorganized organization whose efforts have resulted in Raymond Burr being the most popular actor on Netflix. The Case of the Fiery Fingers?Broadcast 5/3/1958? If I'm wrong, please don't hold me in contempt, Judge!!! [Nope. Next! - Dave] Very PerryI had always thought it strange that he jumped into the part of suave Perry Mason, remembering him previously playing smaller parts as a sleazy/slovenly type in Westerns, etc. He almost didn't get the part because he was too heavy, and therefore went on a severe diet, losing the weight to capture the part. When he auditioned, author Earl Erle Stanley Gardner shouted, "That's him! That's Mason!" My mother never missed an episode. The Case of the Venerable Venue"Perry Mason" was filmed at Charlie Chaplin Studios on La Brea Avenue. A stalwartof Sunday night television in the UK in the sixties. Lassie's Mom?I was sure that was June Lockhart directly behind Burr, so I looked her up on IMDB to see if she had ever been in a Perry Mason episode. She had, but in 1964. I still think that might her in the photo -- maybe uncredited? [That's Barbara Baxley. -tterrace] Only LossPerry Mason Esq only lost one case, 'The Deadly Verdict', October 17 1963, and as The New York Times said after reviewing the preshow hype and writing that Perry would lose: "Presumably this is the first time in six years that . . . Burr has been called upon to register surprise." [Three, actually. Sort of. -tterrace] 3 Weeks Later"The Case of the Gilded Lily" aired May 24, 1958, on CBS opposite The Dick Clark Show on ABC, and Art Linkletter's People are Funny on NBC. Amana loveDella Street is so awesome that I am proud to own an old Radarange cookbook. (The Gallery, LOOK, TV)
This Land Is Your Land: 1939
... over their track. In June, you could probably get a decent night's sleep.... A sad time but he's makin' the best of it. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:38pm -

June 1939. Lincoln County, Oklahoma. Camp of migrant workers near Prague. View full size. Medium-format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. CrowdedI always like the cars in these pictures. This one's a bit crowded, though. Swan Song?Fort Smith & Western RR was in receivership in 1915, again in 1931 and ceased operations on Feb 1, 1939. In Sept '39 Missouri Pacific took over their track. In June, you could probably get a decent night's sleep.... A sad time but he's makin' the best of it.Late Ford Model T with Model A wheels. T's did not have front brakes and this doesn't either, just the drums that came on the wheels. This car will seat 2-3 at the most (no rumble seat). Great Photo. 1927 Model TIn 1927 one could get a bumper and spoke wheels. Also the gas filler access was moved to the ventilator in front of the windshield (accept for the four door model). This was a great improvement over the earlier models as prior to this one had to get out and lift the front seat to access the fuel tank and filler opening. The roofline is taller and boxier on the Model T than the later 1928 Model A Ford. This is a great photo. one can almost feel the challenges that the people in the photo have been through. Shades of Woody GuthrieLooks like he's playing a 'C' chord there. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, On the Road, Russell Lee)
Trenton Pinsetters: 1909
... Bowling Alley, Trenton, New Jersey. Photo taken late at night. The boys work until midnight and later." Photograph and caption by Lewis ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 3:11pm -

December 20, 1909. "Boys working in Arcade Bowling Alley, Trenton, New Jersey. Photo taken late at night. The boys work until midnight and later." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Interesting...mix of regular and duckpin bowling on adjacent lanes. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Duck pinsMy Dad told us kids that he once worked in a bowling alley setting duck pins. Didn't say how much he was paid or anything else about this job. This would have been in the 1930s in or around Clairton, PA, south of Pittsburgh. Later he would work as a hod carrier and parking cars in a parking garage before joining the Marines in 1940. He had a lot to say about these jobs. Joe Bartolini West Columbia, SC PercussionThose duckpins look like upside down maracas. Duck PinsDuck Pins is still a fairly popular variant of bowling in some areas. It's the preferred version in Quebec for example. Candle Pins (where the pins are basically straight tubes with only a slight bulge in the middle) is the found mostly in Eastern Canada and New England. Concentrate!Those kids must have been very distracting to the bowler. [I think they stayed behind the tarps until the ball came through. - Dave] The Tarps *I wouldn't bet on the pin setters dropping behind the tarps. Those are there to take most of the momentum from the balls so that they drop into the pit at the end of the alley. Needless to say the balls hit there with a pretty substantial force. Standing behind them and having limited visibility would be dangerous when some guy is hurling a 16 lb. bowling ball at you. As I understand it most later bowling alleys had a platform above the alley like the one these kids are sitting on but it had a sort of screen or wall in front of it. When a ball went through the kids would drop down set the pins and jump back up all while hoping that some sadistic SOB wasn't throwing another ball to hit them. [There are a few photos of the kids coming out from behind the tarps, which are not fastened at the bottom. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Sports)
Family Cookout: 1963
... of the folks who worked there. I'll never forget one night just before closing time when he came to the store where I worked. He and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2016 - 2:57pm -

1963. "George Jenkins, founder of the Publix supermarket chain, with his family at their home in Lakeland, Florida." 35mm negative by Marvin Newman for the Look magazine assignment "George Pleasures Them With Groceries." View full size. Aging and AgesI was struck by how much older George Jenkins looked in this photo than his wife Anne. Then I discovered the reason: he was 17 years older than she was. Anne died in 1998 at age 74 as a very wealthy lady. Some sadness afflicted this family despite their tremendous personal wealth. Earlier this year it was announced that Carol Jenkins Barnett, who was born in 1959 and so is likely the girl on the right in this picture, stepped down from the Publix board of directors due to early-onset Alzheimers at age 59. George and Anne's son Kenneth, born in 1952, died in 1974. George was a gentI was lucky enough to work for Mr. Jenkins' Publix firm for many years, and he was a wonderful person and a brilliant marketer. He had decided opinions, like not opening Publix stores on Sundays. He'd stop in the stores unannounced and never failed to remember the names of the folks who worked there. I'll never forget one night just before closing time when he came to the store where I worked. He and his wife had been divorced for some time when this occurred. Mr. George had a lovely blonde in his white Lincoln, and he dashed into our store to get a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. He paid for those and off he went! Mr. George seemed to me, in spite of his accomplishments, almost a shy man. The Publix chain was clearly an extension of his personality and his deep respect for the customer. He put together a leadership cadre that was absolutely committed to quality. This summed up his manner, in my opinion: At the grand opening of the remodeled Publix #76, in Naples, Florida, I saw a customer put a couple of items in her purse. The policy was to keep a shoplifter under surveillance until they left the store without paying for whatever they took, and I passed Mr. George as I followed this person. He instinctively knew what I was doing, and said, "Here's a better way to handle it." He took a large glass jar of our private-label peaches and handed it to the woman, saying, "Ma'am, I'm George Jenkins and I'm proud you're here today. I'd like to give you this jar of our new line of peaches. If they aren't the best you've ever had, please let Bob, your store manager, know, and he'll let me know." I followed the woman as she went back to the aisles where she had gotten the stuff in her purse, and watched her replace the items on the shelves. Later, I told Mr. George what she had done, and he quietly said to me, "She might shoplift again, but I bet it won't be at a Publix." Seven kidsJenkins and his wife Anne were married in 1947 and had three boys and four girls. The oldest one beside Mom could be no more than 16. So the parents had another kid yet to come? Anyway, they divorced in 1974. I also love those steaks and the briquets and the lighter fluid, not to mention the older boys' hair and Mom's bathing suit. [George and Anne had six children, three boys and three girls. The seventh child was a stepdaughter from a previous marriage. - Dave] Publix #1was in the town I grew up in in the 1960's. I was probably the same age as the oldest boy in this picture. It was built in 1930. In the mid '50s they moved Publix #1 to the Northgate Shopping Center, and turned the old building into a Morrison's cafeteria. It's still there and a thrift store now. Yabba dabba doThose are some Flintstone-style steaks! Wow, that article title was clearly not thought through"George Pleasures Them With Groceries" could win an award for the worst article title ever. [Publix's slogan is "Where Shopping Is a Pleasure." - Dave] Never thought I'd seeDapper Mr. G posing in anything other than a suit, like in his portrait that adorns the wall of every Publix. (Florida, LOOK, Swimming)
Marfak Lubrication: 1960
... fellow is describing to the cop the getaway car from last night's holdup. This Old (Gone) House At least one of the houses behind ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2022 - 12:00am -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1960. Our second look at John Holland's Texaco service station (and Midas Muffler shop, and "Official Georgia Tourist Welcome Station") on 13th Street. 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. Just another day at Holland's Texaco.It's only 1:20 P.M. and you have the guy at the far right rushing to the restroom after a spicy lunch and the guy on the bike in front of the Service bay is learning where the muffler's located. The boat on the trailer is still waiting to be lubed in the Marfak bay and at the Washing bay, they are still waiting for the afternoon shift to come in--- that's the reason for the "Blow Horn For Service" sign not being put out. And finally on the far left, the fellow is describing to the cop the getaway car from last night's holdup. This Old (Gone) HouseAt least one of the houses behind the location was still there, in 2007: Location, Location, LocationI would like to have resided in the big white house -- the one with the impressive dentil molding -- two doors from the Texaco. Then I could have popped down to the station whenever I wanted for a Kinnett's Ice Cream. Here's a link to a poignant reminiscence by the son of a Kinnett's employee, upon the death of John Robertson Kinnett in 2017: https://columbusandthevalley.com/tag/kinnett-dairies/ No Marfak for you, buy a mufflerNot so evident in the previous photograph is that the center bay, for Marfak Lubrication, contains what appears to be a fishing boat, probably John Holland's fishing boat. No doubt a perk of ownership. I also like the small Midas Muffler billboard at far right, advertising free installation. That's right folks -- for the same low price you can either carry your new muffler out the door or we'll install it in your car for you. Take your pick. (The Gallery, Columbus, Ga., Gas Stations, News Photo Archive)
High Society: 1939
... 1939. "Henderson, Adrienne, Miss, portrait." The town, a night on, ready for. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:57am -

Washington, D.C., 1939. "Henderson, Adrienne, Miss, portrait." The town, a night on, ready for. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Adrienne Returns!One more shot of the lovely Ms Henderson from her salad days, before she discovered her cowboy romance out West! KnockoutWow, that dress is just stunning. Econ 101You just can't buy pretty, can you? Adrienne, we meet againHer dress is absolutely lovely. From the other photo, I assumed it was mostly sequins, but this is much prettier. Love the elegant pose, too. A Perfect Hand Model!I would have been her hand groupie, a la George Costanza. They are lovely! MoonglowMy mother used to paint her nails like that, with empty half-moons at the cuticle. Do women do that any more? Lovely Lady, Lovely GownI think she's beautiful, charming and has the most elegant hands. Her velvet and sequined gown is to die for! And yes, Brooks, some of us still do paint our nails with a moon manicure and the little sliver off at the tips as well (that was a practical thing to do to help your polish last longer in those days. My grandmother taught me that and it still works today!) Har Dee Har Har!Was I the only visitor amused by Dave's photo caption? That was funny, right there! Fleeting moments of youth!Very pretty girl. She seems to have a pleasant demeanor. If she is alive today she would say, "It seems like only yesterday I wore that dress." Youth is indeed fleeting! (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
Five-Tube Chassis: 1937
... superheterodyne receiver. We were on Long Island but at night that beast could pull in the race results from Bowie in Maryland and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2013 - 7:57am -

March 1937. "Camden, New Jersey. RCA Victor. Five-tube chassis assembly line." Radio like Grandma used to make. Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size. Designed for mass productionCompare these to the Atwater Kents of the twenties. The A-K radios were more like an Erector set, all the little fiddly bits held together by screws and nuts. Every assembler had a tray of hardware from which to build the tuning assembly. The tuning capacitor and IF coils in these radios are made of stamped steel pieces, designed to fit together like puzzles and held together by bent-over tabs in slots. This style of construction was used through the sixties, when the Japanese replaced it with little molded plastic pieces. 1936 designed hardware ?Looks like a 5T7 model: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_5t7.html CuriousWhy were all the workers women? This looks more like a shot you'd see from 5-ish years later in the midst of the war. Not all womenThat is either a man in the background leaning over with his thumb to his nose, or the lady needs an apology from me. Women were better suited (no pun intended) for these types of jobs since their hands fit the gloves better. And when you aren't working, you can pose like a model and no one will suspect your true ambitions. Female workersWomen in the workplace was not a WWII invention. Women entered manufacturing at the dawn of the industrial revolution. In Lowell, MA the mill owners recruited young women and built living quarters for them. When food processing evolved, it was common to see plants full of women performing the cleaning and canning operations. By the turn of the last century, most apparel sweatshops employed girls and women - remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911? Still using a power transformerThe venerable five tube concept would not long after this abandon the big power transformer on the right for a direct, non-isolated connection to the AC mains. Saved a lot of money, but could be a surprise for an unwary tinkerer. "Miniaturization" during WWII would shrink the light-bulbish tubes and large coils to something about 1/3 the size of what we see here. That lead way to legions of bread-loaf sized radios in the 50's on, some of which are now considered art pieces. Should have held on to those things! Ah, the All-American Five!The five-tube chassis was a classic, and many versions graced American homes. These seem to have a power transformer that made the chassis safer than the cheaper models that ran directly off 110 volt AC power lines. A touch to a transformerless chassis and a good ground could deliever quite a shock! Atwater-KentsAnd, nixiebunny, the Atwater-Kents were tuned radio frequency (TRF) receivers that were cranky to tune and pretty unstable. These radios used superheterodyne technology invented by Edwin H. Armstrong that made using a radio easy, stable, and reliable. Armstrong also corrected faulty vacuum-tube theory, invented the regenerative receiver, the Super-regenerative circuit, and FM radio. Five-tube CrosleyThe lady wearing glasses in the foreground seems to operating with a decent chassis but more importantly when I was a lad Pop owned a 5-tube Crosley superheterodyne receiver. We were on Long Island but at night that beast could pull in the race results from Bowie in Maryland and River Downs out in Ohio. (Technology, The Gallery, Factories, Lewis Hine)
Dry Humor: 1916
... Amendment, charged in a statement made public last night. ... Representative Cramton, of Michigan, House dry leader, Capt. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 1:39pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1916. There's no caption for this one so we'll have to improvise: "Allegory of Prohibition with cook, goat and ledger-toting old-timer in blackface." National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Weird is not just a modern state of mindFreaky characters on this moldy old photo. It could be cover art for a Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails album, or even a Rob Zombie movie. What an incredible image. Goat = Subservience? To me it looks like a scene created by David Lynch - and I don't mean that in a positive way. The following articles offer one possible explanation of the presence of the goat: namely that it was a metaphorical symbol for the exertion of Congressional power to enlist the services of the D.C. police to enforce prohibition laws. I'm not entirely convinced that this is an accurate inference for the photo; it's what popped up from a search of the Post archives for the combination of "goat & prohibition." Perhaps others can provide alternative interpretations. On the other hand, and maybe it is just as well, I offer no interpretation of the symbolism of the black-faced man with the ledger. Wet Leader Fights Plan to Dry Up City with Local Police Declares Scheme Would Make Them "the Goats" in Volstead Law Enforcement. The plan to clothe members of the District police department with the powers of the Federal prohibition agents is designed to make the department "the goat" for the Federal prohibition unit, and Commissioner Oyster "apparently swallows the scheme hook, line and sinker," Capt. W.H. Stayton, founder and executive head of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, charged in a statement made public last night. ... Representative Cramton, of Michigan, House dry leader, Capt. Stayton said, "realizing that prohibition can not be enforced in Washington, is seeking to relieve the Federal prohibition unit from criticism of the drys and have the blame placed on the District police department." ... Washington Post, Apr 26, 1924 Lockett Indorses Plan to Give Police Dry Law Authority Sullivan Ridicules Assertion of Wets That His Force "Would Be the Goat." Full powers of Federal prohibition agents for members of the police force will meet the with full approval of H.M. Luckett, chief enforcement agent, said yesterday such a plan as proposed will take a great burden from the local unit and free the men for more important work. Under the present plan the Federal agents must constantly be called from important cases to be present at the arrest of a petty violator of the law, Luckett declared, and in such cases, if the police were clothed with the authority of Federal agents the presence of a prohibition officer would be unnecessary. ... "He is talking through his bonnet." That was the reply yesterday of Maj. Daniel Sullivan, superintendent of police, to the statement of Capt. W.H. Stayton, founder and executive head of the association against the prohibition amendment, that the plan to invest district police with all the authority of Federal prohibition agents was fostered by dry leaders to make the police "the goat" for the failure of the Federal enforcement machinery. Washington Post, Apr 27, 1924 Hold me, DaveThose three are freakin' me out! OverlookedIt's a lost scene from "The Shining." Satyr-eMy guess is the goat has something to do with lust. As for the chef, maybe gluttony. For the geezer, any of the five remaining deadly sins. B&W I can't decide if the cook is a red-nosed drunk or a blue-nosed Volsteader. (The Gallery, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo)
Pere Marquette: 1910
... re-entered service September 8, 1910, sailing late that night to Milwaukee with twenty-nine rail cars aboard. At 3 AM she began taking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:42pm -

The Chicago River circa 1910. "Pere Marquette transfer boat 18 passing State Street bridge." Railcar ferry built in a record 90 days after its namesake sank in Lake Michigan. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Father MarquetteThe first Pere Marquette 18 was built 1902 at Cleveland by the American Ship Building Company. During the summers of 1909 and 1910 the Pere Marquette Railway chartered this vessel to a group from Grand Haven, Michigan, known as the Chicago Navigation Company and who placed her in the excursion trade between Chicago and Waukegan. A rail ferry that ran across Lake Michigan from Ludington, Michigan, to points in Wisconsin, her car deck was used as a dance floor and rumored to also house gambling operations. Returning to Ludington after Labor Day, she re-entered service September 8, 1910, sailing late that night to Milwaukee with twenty-nine rail cars aboard. At 3 AM she began taking on water which the pumps could not handle. At around 4 PM her captain sent out a CQD (forerunner of the SOS) distress message by wireless, attracting the vessel's near-sister, the Pere Marquette 17, which attempted to maneuver close enough to the stricken Pere Marquette 18 to remove passengers and crew. Suddenly, a little after 7 AM, her stern plunged beneath the water and she went straight down in a matter of seconds, it estimated twenty-seven to twenty-nine lives lost. The Pere Marquette ordered a replacement immediately. Incredibly, the second Pere Marquette 18 was launched at the South Chicago yard of the American Ship Building Company on December 20, 1910, and entered service the next month. Removed from service 1954, as a little kid I recall her sitting forlornly on Pere Marquette Lake at Ludington until she was towed to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1957 for scrapping. The tug T. T. Morford shown was built 1884 by the Miller Brothers at Chicago, and her design proved so successful that she became the model upon which almost every subsequent Chicago harbor tug would be built. PM18 (II)Launched December 20, 1910, in Chicago. More here. T T MorfordThe TT Morford was a tugboat with an interesting history: The tugboat T.T. MORFORD was built in 1884 at Chicago and served the area faithfully until 26 October 1895, when her boiler exploded. She was rebuilt and went back into service adding another strange twist to history, for it was this same tugboat that 14 years later would rescue 20 or more people from Chicago's 68th Street Water Crib Fire. A fire which killed 60 men in January of 1909. The vessel shownis the first Pere Marquette 18 while chartered to the Chicago Navigation Company, taking summer excursionists to Waukegan, to clarify my earlier post. The second Pere Marquette 18 remained exclusively in the rail trade between Ludington and Wisconsin ports its entire career. [Why do we think this is the first Pere Marquette? - Dave] An Excursion?Seems to be a significant number of the fairer sex aboard, and the ship seems to be riding very high in the water, so I don't think it has a load on. The ship was launched December 20, and arrived in Ludington Michigan on January 30 - it sure doesn't look like mid winter in the picture - perhaps a spring or summer excursion for railroad employees? There's even a bass drum on board, right above the 'P' in the ship's name. [Midwinter would be February. December 20 is (barely) fall. But yes, it was chilly -- the high was 32, so this is probably not launch day. It may not even be launch year. - Dave] The control houseseems to match that of the first PM 18: http://www.carferries.com/pm/PM18/ vs PM 18 (II): http://www.carferries.com/pm/PM182/ (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC)
Splinter Alley: 1925
... Nevitt's men are to assemble at the armory. He stated last night that any motorist who will come by, fill his car with as many guardsmen ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2011 - 3:22pm -

July 11, 1925. Another look at the lineup on Laurel Speedway's board track. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Speed-Crazed Drivers Washington Post, Jul 11, 1925 14 Auto Entrants Qualify for Race Today at Laurel De Paolo Leads With and Average of 131.5 Miles for One Lap A wide board track, wrapping 80 acres of ground as a ribbon might encircle an ostrich egg, with a huge grandstand overlooking it all, is ready today to vibrate under the great motor gruel, the inaugural race at the Washington-Baltimore automobile speedway. Never level and in places almost up and down, it is to the arena of sixteen speed-crazed drivers, out on a Roman holiday to entertain the populace and in so doing to lower the world's speed records. Peter de Paolo, plucky aspirant for this year's motor racing fame, made himself and machine a fitting apparition on it yesterday and establishing a strategic place in today's get-away. De Paolo drove his racing Dusenberg around the course at a speed of 131.5 miles an hour, the greatest speed attained in the qualifying rounds. As a result he will have the preferred position at the start with Earl Cooper, who qualified Thursday with a speed of 129.8 miles an hour. ... An inspection of the approach to the track yesterday emphasized the traffic problem. While there is plenty of space to park machines both outside and inside the oval there is only a narrow road leading to it from the highway, a distance of about half a mile. Every effort, however, is to be made to keep traffic moving briskly. Those planning to go to the track in machines, should bear this in mind in arranging their running time. Special trains will be operated over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. They run directly to the track. ... Arrangements have been completed for handling the vast crowd expected to attend the race. Two hundred District national guardsmen, under the command of Capt. P.G. Nevitt, are to cooperate with the Maryland guardsmen, State police and regular soldiers in regulating traffic both inside and outside the bowl. Capt. Nevitt's men are to assemble at the armory. He stated last night that any motorist who will come by, fill his car with as many guardsmen as he can take will be given free parking space at the track. Hard to ImagineIt would be hard to imagine a modern race car going that fast on a wooden track. It must have been a heck of a time keeping the car under control with those narrow tires going over the parallel boards. Incredible. What a thrill it must have been to see. Wow! I love these shots of the old wooden tracks. This track was 1.125 miles in length so I'll bet that the straight speeds were approaching something over 140mph, in 1925! Straight Eight Flatheads, I'll bet. Look! There's no fence separating the grandstand from the track and the infield is wide open. And those cars, I'm sure, were pretty heavy. The danger here is astounding. These guys were truly fearless. Wow, indeedThe Duesies and the Millers had straight-8 DOHC engines with superchargers. No slackers here! Just for the recordWith its 48-degree banked track, Laurel was topped only by the 50-degree track at Fulford-By-The-Sea, near Miami. (Daytona is 31 degrees.) There were 24 board tracks in 13 states built between 1905 and 1926. Most lasted only a handful of years because not much was known then about making the pine boards most tracks used durable enough to withstand the cars' pounding and the weather. There was creosote but it was not acceptable for track surfaces (no traction). I don't have in my files the highest lap speed at Laurel, but the record for the fastest single lap driven on a board track (championship car) was set by Frank Lockhart on the 1.5 mile 45-degree Atlantic City track, on May 7, 1927, in a Miller 91 rear drive with an average speed of 147.229mph. This record was not topped until 1960 at Indianapolis (and not on wood!) with a qualifying speed of 149.056 mph set by Jim Hurtubise. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo, Sports)
All Aboard: 1930
... steam radiator to keep the crew warm on those long winter night runs. Then a heavy wooden door, and a view back through the passenger ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 6:46pm -

"Car interior. Washington & Old Dominion R.R." Another circa 1930 view of a decrepit Pennsylvania Railroad car that seems to have come into the possession of the W. & O.D. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Please Exit By Rear PlatformThis is a "Petticoat Junction" style mail-freight-passenger coach, but it has about ten more passenger seats and is about twelve feet longer. Otherwise, it's much the same. From the left in the photo, there's a mail sorting desk, the freight door, and a steam radiator to keep the crew warm on those long winter night runs. Then a heavy wooden door, and a view back through the passenger compartment. The ceiling is a clerestory roof with side vents, which would have allowed a little fresh air into the car on hot days. On the right, we see another radiator, and another freight door. Which was important, because the train crew could never be sure which side they'd have to unload the luggage and freight from in back then. The lamp (with its shade falling off) was probably a kerosene lamp. Something of a fire hazard, especially in a wooden car. But this one went all the way to the end of the line... where it was left to rot away. They don't make'em like that anymore.I would love to have that light fixture in my possession! I keep looking at how precariously the glass globe is perched on that fixture and wishing somehow I could save it! Nice door...There's a nice six-panel solid core door that I wouldn't mind having. HeatingIt appears to have had two wood burning stoves at one time. I guess the steam heaters where added later. It's funny to see that this car was old and worn out by the thirties. All wooden cars are pretty rare these days. It gallopedThis photo puts me in mind of a railroad oddment we used to see often in the Midwest up through the 1950s. It was a motorized rail car that was half cargo and half passenger. It ran between rural communities and metro areas, similar to an interurban, but on the mainline railroads, such as the Chicago & Northwestern. The nickname: The Galloping Goose! Classic CombineThis car is properly referred to as a "combine" since it combines two cars in one; baggage/express and coach seating. Judging from the rough track and the rural locale, it may have been working out its last years as a "miner's car," downgraded to commuter service where dirty clothes were a fact of life. If it ever carried mail, the equipment shown here is strictly non-regulation. Before WWI, postal regulations required a separate, enclosed area, known as the "apartment," usually 10 or 15 feet long on cars of this type, fitted with very specific sorting, storage and handling equipment. In the exterior shot of the car, there is no lettering for U.S. Mail (also required by regulations) or Express service. I'm inclined to think the pigeonholes may be a waybill box and a small desk for the conductor, and the car was being used in freight or mixed train (freight and passenger together) service. The steam radiators operate only when the car is connected to a passenger service locomotive and/or other passenger cars equipped with steam lines. In the shot of the entire car, note the large round device at the rear, mounted on the side of the roof. This is an exhaust for a separate car heater, so it could be run in freight or mixed train service and still be warm. As for lighting, the car has roof vents for gaslights. Again, in the shot of the entire car, note the large cylindrical tank at the lower center, which was actually a gas storage tank for manufactured or "town gas" like that used in cities. This was much safer and quickly replaced kerosene lamps. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Army Dually: 1918
... Correction: Please excuse my two mistakes for I was on night shift without the photo in front of me. In the picture I was referring ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 12:54pm -

Washington, D.C., 1918. "Pershing, John J., General, U.S. Army -- his chauffeur." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Same car, France 1919My wife's grandfather, Bruce M. Strong, was Pershing's driver in France a year later in 1919. I have a photograph of Pershing, The Duke of Windsor, and my wife's grandfather with this same car somewhere in France, and yes, it has the disc wheels another member described on it. They are outside of the car and easy to recognize. Years later, Mr. Strong would visit Pershing at Walter Reed during his long stay there and was an honorary pallbearer at his funeral in 1948 at Washington D.C. Correction: Please excuse my two mistakes for I was on night shift without the photo in front of me. In the picture I was referring to, the car still has the wire wheels.(I have another taken later with the disc wheels that caused the confusion.) It is the Prince of Wales(later Edward VIII) not the Duke of Windsor, though he had this title after giving up the throne. Blackjack Pershing's carThat car survived, though while it was in service in France the wire wheels were replaced with disc wheels - huge globs of mud would become trapped in the wire spokes of the dual rear wire wheels, throwing them badly out of balance. The car (with its disc wheels) ended up on a farm in the Gilroy, California, area and was later owned for a long time by a musician for the San Francisco Opera; he stored it on the top floor of a bakery building on Van Ness Avenue. Doughboy ThrillMany years ago, my maternal grandfather told me that one of his biggest thrills was the time his 36th Infantry Division (WW I) was reviewed by Pershing in France. Grandfather was from a small southwestern Oklahoma town (Doxey) that no longer exists today. Quite an experience for a farm boy! The makeI forgot to say (and nobody else did) the car is a Locomobile Model 48, a very high quality machine from Bridgeport, Conn. They had BRONZE crankcases and transmission cases. Pennsylvania AvenueThe car is parked in front of what was then the State, War, and Navy Building (now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) on Pennsylvania Avenue just off the corner of 17th Street. The Renwick Gallery is the building in the background. Dual Tires?Hard to tell with the shadows, but that sure looks like dual tires mounted on what is definitely a single, but wide, rim. [Hence the title. - tterrace] Overseas LimousinePershing's specially built Locomobile is purportedly on display at U.S. Army Ordnance Museum at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, but I can't verify that. Anyone been there lately? U.S. Army Ordnance MuseumGeneral Pershing's Locomobile is part of the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum collection. The museum is in a state of transition from Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland to Fort Lee in Virginia. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
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