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Law for Tombstone: 1939
... who lived in their (segregated, of course) dorm, and one night they all went downtown to see a Movie; dialog is approximate! Ticket ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/06/2012 - 12:13pm -

October 1939. Memphis, Tennessee. "Entrance to a movie house on Beale Street." The double feature: "Rhythm of the Saddle" and Buck Jones in "Law for Tombstone." 35mm nitrate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Stay away.More than fifty years ago my late grand mother, a belle of the South from a different era, once told me, "Boy, if you ever go to Memphis stay away from Beale Street." Too much blues music I guess! I hear it is the place to go to in 2012. Cowboy HeroBuck Jones, was wounded, in 1907, while serving in the US Army during the Moro Rebellion in the Phillipines. He died, at age 51, in November 1942, during a tragic nightclub fire in Boston. He was one of 492 patrons of the Cocoanut Grove when he was trapped as guests tried to flee, many of them were there at a party honoring him. Attached is a better view of the movie poster. Pastime TheaterI think this is the Pastime Theatre at 324 Beale St. Also SeenAbove the big poster for "Law Of Tombstone" is a poster for "Rhythm Of The Saddle" which starred Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette and Pert Kelton. Burnette was famous for being Gene's comedy relief sidekick and when Gene went into the Army Air Force he worked with other on screen partners at Republic Studios including nine movies with Roy Rogers. A later generation knew him as Charley Pratt, the engineer of the Hooterville Cannonball on "Petticoat Junction" until his death in 1967. Pert Kelton is probably most famous for being the original Alice Kramden in the Honeymooners sketches opposite Jackie Gleason of the "Cavalcade Of Stars." The nightly feature, seen in the postere in the background is "St. Louis Blues" with Dorothy Lamour and Lloyd Nolan. Lower down on the cast list was William Frawley, probably best known to us today as Fred Mertz from "I Love Lucy," or Grandpa Bub from the episodes of "My Three Sons" that are never syndicated anymore because they're in Black & White. Gene AutryRhythm of the Saddle is a 1938 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Pert Kelton. Gene Autry, of course, competed with Roy Rogers and Tex Ritter as "singing cowboys." In the early 1950s, my great-uncle, a Montana rancher, took a number of us, his grand-nieces and nephews, to see Gene Autry at the Big Timber rodeo. The star was too drunk to get on his horse. A couple of cowboys threw him into the saddle and he made the grand entry, but a few young cowboy hearts were broken that day. Segregated theaters could be strangeWhen I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, I frequently spent long stretches of my summer vacation in Mississippi visiting my grandparents and various other relatives. An older cousin went to college at Mississippi State in the fifties, long before the school was desegregated. He and his roomates were on good terms with an African engineering student who lived in their (segregated, of course) dorm, and one night they all went downtown to see a Movie; dialog is approximate! Ticket clerk: "I am sorry, sir, we do not admit Negroes." College kids: "He's not a Negro, he's from Ghana." Ticket clerk: "Oh, OK." This was a smooth and familiar situation, and there was no issue at all! (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Memphis, Movies)
Goes to School Now (He Says)
... in summer and sprinkled water on our sheets and pillows at night. Sometimes an alligator would stroll by the porch in the moonlight and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2007 - 3:09am -

On streets near Daniel Mill. Lincolnton, North Carolina. November 1908. Right hand boy is Dan Biggerstaff. 10 years old. Has worked three years. Goes to school now (he says). Left hand, John Erwin. Said 11 years old. Has worked nights. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Goes to School:Now I know what knickers looked like. Also, it must have been unbelievably hot there in the dead of summer without air conditioning. Living in the south before air conditioning or never having it would certainly nurture strength of character. Bee. Hot, Hot, HotI grew up in suburban West Florida before the advent of home air conditioning. It was used in some stores ("20 degrees cooler Inside!"). We slept on screened-in porches in summer and sprinkled water on our sheets and pillows at night. Sometimes an alligator would stroll by the porch in the moonlight and my sister would always get up and lock the door, which I thought stupid. My grandmother had brought back two large Hummel dolls, Hansel and Gretel, from Germany and Mother stored them on the top shelf of a closet. They were made of real rubber and melted...actually melted. Work at 8Children often worked alongside their parents back then. My 87 year old dad is the youngest of seven children & only surviving child. His brother ran away from school and at age 8 began working in a furniture factory; his father would lift him up to reach the time clock to punch in & out. He never learned to read or write, but worked for that company all his life, for many years as a supervisor. My dad's sister worked in a textile mill from age 13. She said the children would be hidden away when the labor inspectors came. She had more schooling, but not a lot. My dad dropped out of high school, but after serving in WWII returned & also went to business school on the GI Bill. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Special Agent: 1943
... May 1943. Chicago. "Special agent making his rounds at night at the South Water Street freight terminal of the Illinois Central ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/18/2017 - 12:12pm -

May 1943. Chicago. "Special agent making his rounds at night at the South Water Street freight terminal of the Illinois Central Railroad." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. You guys can be slick...by putting your "Shorpy" logo on that IC reefer in a nearly-matching font. nice jobGreat job of placing the "Shorpy" in this photo. I'd bet Mr. Delano would've had a chuckle over of it like I did. Long time exposure plus flashI do believe that this, in a way, is a self portrait. At least, in the style of the Renaissance painters who would include a likeness of themselves as one of the background crowd. Based on the two bright streaks in the sky, likely planets rather than stars, this appears to be a rather long exposure as would be necessary to get a decent exposure of the buildings while using a moderately small aperture to get adequate depth of field. At some point during the exposure the person in the lower right (Delano probably) manually triggered a flash, lighting the rail cars and leaving themselves as a silhouette. Great technique (except the slight bump to the camera seen as a wiggle in the trails of the planets. [The caption identifies the person in the lower right. It isn't Delano. -tterrace] Channeling ShorpyHe would have loved this tribute, God rest his soul. Great choice of type by the way. Nicely done Detective StoryThe agent's silhouette could very well be the logo of a detective story series, it's such a suggestive image! Wonderful image! Shorpy RRReally like the Shorpy watermark on the box car. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Corpus Christi: 1943
... outside my window. I loved looking at it, especially at night. We moved to Corpus when I as a teenager and I lived there until I joined ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2013 - 10:29am -

June 1943. "Corpus Christi, Texas." The Ascension. Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. There's a Red Flying Horse By the Road SideI saw this picture and the line above from the Kevin Welch song "Early Summer Rain" immediately popped into my head. He also has a nice story about memories of the red flying horse on his Blawg. I also have childhood memories of the red flying Pegasus above Mobil stations but they are much fuzzier. Still ascending over DallasThe pegasus was originally the logo of the Dallas-based Magnolia Oil Company, which became part of Mobil Oil through a merger in 1959. A renovated version of the logo "flies" atop the Magnolia Hotel in Dallas. A history can be found here: http://www.magnoliahotels.com/pdf/pegasus-article-121211.pdf Escape from the mundaneThis is a classic photographic composition in my opinion, a study in stark contrasts, which includes a narrative: Earth and sky, dark and light, the simplicity of life, and the dream of winged escape from the mundane. I'd recognize that shadow anywhere.Having pumped Ethyl as a wee lad, I wore the Mobil Pegasus on my chest while doing so. Dave's Mobil in Blue Springs, Missouri. Somebody knows, but I don'tWhat's the hoopy thing? [A stand to hold a round sign, like those here and here. -tterrace] Two thingsTwo things about this photo strike a chord with me. In 1969 (when I was nine) a had surgery at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. There was a Pegasus, perhaps the one in kirkbrewer's post, outside my window. I loved looking at it, especially at night. We moved to Corpus when I as a teenager and I lived there until I joined the Navy in 1982 (I haven't been back since, except for short visits). There's not a lot in this photo from which I can get my bearings, but it sure is as flat and nondescript as I remember. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Horses, John Vachon)
Yuen Hing & Co.: 1921
... tables or silk brocade Or see a bold and brassy night club show, On the most exciting thoroughfare I know -- Grant ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2015 - 2:05pm -

"REO Speedwagon grocery truck, San Francisco, 1921." Compare with our previous Speedwagon. Glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Musically speaking,We're on Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA. [Most interesting. I wonder how one would travel there. - Dave] [Ideally in a trolley, but you have to settle for a cable car. -tterrace] Weather-beatenLots of mud splatters. Could be from riding the storm out. Can't fight this feeling anymore...I like this truck. Stopping distanceI wonder what the stopping distance was for one of these trucks when fully loaded, using rear wheel only mechanical brakes, on a steep San Francisco hill. Lots of smoke, then right into the Bay! Having Learned To Drive in San FranciscoOne learned quickly the streets that were too steep to comfortably drive. Trucks, unless they were delivering locally, were usually banned from streets like Divisadero (seen in the movie "Bullit"). These delivery trucks usually had a "granny gear" which was a very low 1st gear and would hold the vehicle to a crawl when descending steep hills. Brakes were not usually needed. Chinatown Telephone ExchangeOn the side door of the truck you can see the letters "PHONE CHINA" and the beginning of a numeral. San Francisco's Chinatown had its own telephone exchange from 1887 until the 1940s when dial phones replaced the switchboard operators. How it all worked is explained here. A Hundred Million Miracles"Grant Avenue San Francisco" was in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway hit "Flower Drum Song" from 1958. The film version released in 1961 was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. Western street with Eastern manners, Tall pagodas and golden banners, Throw their shadows through the lantern glow. You can shop for precious jade or teakwood tables or silk brocade Or see a bold and brassy night club show, On the most exciting thoroughfare I know -- Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. Looks down from Chinatown Over a foggy bay. You travel there in a trolley, In a trolley up you climb, Dong! Dong! You're in Hong Kong, Having yourself a time. You can eat, if you are in the mood, Shark-fin soup, bean cake fish. The girl who serves you all your food Is another tasty dish! You know that You can't have a new way of living Till you're living all the way On Grant Avenue --Where is that?-- San Francisco, That's where's that! California, U.S.A.! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco, Stores & Markets)
H Street Market: 1920
... a set number of loves a day, but the bread was baked at night and delivered at dawn before the store opened. The delivery driver and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:23pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "The New H Street 620 Market." Another glimpse of a long-vanished item of urban street furniture, the bakery delivery box. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Corby's Florida connectionBrothers Charles and William Corby built and grew their bakery into the largest in Washington D.C. in 1920. They were ahead of other bread bakers with automation and were able to deliver 90,000 loaves per day. Charles died at a polo match in Florida in 1926 and his son also died in Forida in 1937 while vacationing from the bread business. Both had heart disease. Charles was 55 and his son was 44 when they died. A hard way to live & maybe an easy way to die.This could almost be my Grandad's Grocery on Singleton St @ LeGrande Ave. Indianapolis, Ind. 1924. He was shot down during a holdup in 1925. It was a hard way to make a living, and for an unlucky few, an easy way to die. But for 30 years it provided a family of 4 with a warm home & a fine upbringing for my dad & his sister. Sometimes it is dificult for us to see past the black & white of the photograph, but the ghosts are all there with their own stories to tell, to those of us who can hear them! Old-time DC bakeriesMore about the history of both the Corby and Bond bakeries, which were located on either side of Georgia Avenue near Howard University, can be found here. Bakery delivery boxCan anyone tell us, foreigners, how the bakery delivery box worked? Was it used to deliver the fresh bread to the customers? They could take out and pay later, or how? Thanks Jess, for the answer! The Bread BoxAlex, as a former wholesale baker, I can tell you how the bread box worked. The store had an account for a set number of loves a day, but the bread was baked at night and delivered at dawn before the store opened. The delivery driver and the grocer both had a key to box. It was a safe place to leave the bread so it wouldn't be stolen before the store opened. The grocer would get the bread from the box and sell it in his store. Wholesale bakeries in large cities still work like this. At my NYC bakery, our baguettes would be delivered at dawn and, if there was no one to receive the bread, it would be left outside of restaurants until the opening staff retrieved it. If you wander Manhattan around 5:30 AM you will see bags of fresh bread on the sidewalk outside of many nice restaurants! It's a system that works better than you think it might, and we didn't use the old boxes because no one can keep track of thousands of keys if you have thousands of accounts. PS- I'm working on opening a small green grocery now, I love this picture! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Color Wheels: 1943
... on the B&O RR. We'd leave them a few cars about every night, just inside their gate. They moved them around in their facility with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2017 - 12:03pm -

May 1943. "Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards, Baltimore. Ship painters loaded on a truck." Photo by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. PopeyeThe truck is a circa 1937 International D300 COE. No raises in 1943...due to price controls and rationing. Those boys are happy to be sending another boat on the way to fight Hitler and Tojo, I think. They're also happy because a few years ago, a lot of them were unemployed. Did they just get a raise?That's the happiest group of workers I've ever seen. A customer of mineWay back in the mid 70s/early 80s time frame, Maryland Shipbuilding was one of my customers on the B&O RR. We'd leave them a few cars about every night, just inside their gate. They moved them around in their facility with self-propelled cranes. Of course, the amount of work there in my time was a fraction of what it was for these fellows in the photo. Maryland Shipbuilding folded about 1996. The last time I was down there, Toyota was using the large lot to store new autos. Armstrong Cork?Looks like that sign on the truck's side could be Armstrong Cork. I think they used a lot of product as insulation on USN ships. Power steeringI drove a flatbed of the same vintage when I worked in a tannery. The power steering worked the same way as the power brakes, and the non-synchro transmission, muscle power. Notice the wide arc of the steering wheel. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, WW2)
Greetings From Camden: 1938
... Welles fella with all that crazy talk on the radio last night about Martians? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2008 - 5:03pm -

October 1938. "Homes near the gas works. Camden, New Jersey." 35mm negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Who knew?Looks like Camden has been the worst place in the world for a good while now. Oh, Anonymous.You made me laugh out loud. (Unlike this picture, which is SO depressing...) The Gashouse GangNo, I'm not referring to the St. Louis Cardinals of 1934, although I understand they got their nickname due to the fact that these large storage tanks were a fixture in many Eastern cities up to the 1950s. When I was a child, our neighborhood had one that was at least five times the size of this one. I recall it must have been the height of a 30 story building. To call it gigantic might have been an understatement. Its size always intimidated me; it was an imposing landmark that could be seen for miles around. Up close it made the wooden utility poles beside it look like little toothpicks. The superstructure had pulleys that would allow the tank to expand upward or contract down as the volume of gas increased or decreased. With the advent of natural gas coming east, these structures became redundant and largely disappeared from the urban landscape. I've been looking for photos of these tanks; thanks for posting this one. [Very interesting. So where was it? More pix here and here and here. - Dave] P.U.There was one in Columbia, SC, when I was a kid. It smelled like a skunk. Was that there before we went to bed?And who's this Orson Welles fella with all that crazy talk on the radio last night about Martians? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein)
Ray Schalk: 1924
... On the Topic of Baseball Tonight will be opening night for the Washington Nationals in their brand new ballpark ... took the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/07/2008 - 5:16pm -

"Schalk, Chicago, 1924." View full size. National Photo Company Collection. BaseballI just can't wait for the season to begin. Thanks for posting these classic pics of the great game. RayThere's a soon-to-be published biography on Ray Schalk coming from Brian Cooper, a journalist and fan of the "deadball" era of baseball and the Chicago White Sox during the early years of the past century. Cooper's biography of White Sox pitcher (and spitball artist) Red Faber is a wonderful evocation of that era. Schalk caught a majority of Faber's 254 career winning games. [It'll be interesting to see what they use for cover art. - Dave] On the Topic of BaseballTonight will be opening night for the Washington Nationals in their brand new ballpark ... took the virtual tour at their official website ... incredible place. Also... using photos from the National Photo Company Archives at the LOC ... have a "baseball project up at youtube.com, in time for the opening of the 2008 season ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_idXc_3rus even includes a bit of Harry Carey, and Abbott and Costello Dale BaseballDale, it's excellent - thank you Opening DayAnother great one, Dale. Thank you (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Sports)
New Magnolia: 1906
... mirror. Rooms that didn't include a toilet rented for $5 a night. Every floor had a public bathroom that people who rented those rooms ... access to a toilet and sometimes a bathtub rented for $7 a night. The bathroom was situated between two hotel rooms, with a door on either ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2018 - 1:47pm -

1906. "The New Magnolia, Magnolia, Massachusetts." Completed in 1891, this resort hotel near Gloucester was destroyed by fire in 1907. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A familiar fateIsn't it amazing how many of the grand old hotels built around this time were eventually destroyed by fire, and usually in a relatively short time after they were constructed? Toilet inquirySerious question to Shorphites: What were the toilet arrangements in fine old hotels like this. Did rooms have their own "Victorian bathrooms," or were there several communal ones on each floor? Or were private baths limited to the expensive suites? Re: Toilet Inquirey Prior to the Great War most English language travel guides tended to classify hotels as being First class, Second class or Third class, much like accommodations on ocean liners. By the turn of the twentieth century it was generally expected that hotels of the Second Class would have indoor plumbing. And hotels of the First Class were expected to have a large percentage of their rooms equipped with en-suite bath and water-closet facilities. Third class establishments were hit and miss in terms of their sanitary facilities, with some still using old fashioned chamber pots collected by the hotels staff. Toilet ArrangementsI grew up in a hotel that was built in 1906. Very few of our rooms had direct toilet access, even in the 1960s when my parents ran the hotel. Every room had a sink and a mirror. Rooms that didn't include a toilet rented for $5 a night. Every floor had a public bathroom that people who rented those rooms used. The second floor bathroom included a shower, the only one available to guests in the hotel. (Even our apartment, created from several adjoining rooms, only had a bathtub.) A room with semiprivate access to a toilet and sometimes a bathtub rented for $7 a night. The bathroom was situated between two hotel rooms, with a door on either side. You had to make sure the other door was locked when you were using it. Now, our hotel wasn't the fanciest - it had been built to service railroad passengers. Maybe a bigger, fancier place such as the Magnolia had better toilet access. But that was how our hotel was designed. After we moved out in the early 1970s, the place was torn down. It's a parking lot now, but I will never forget growing up there. (The Gallery, DPC)
Stop and Go: 1941
... could wait until I checked into my hotel room for the night. Now Banned in Brattleboro Vermont prohibited billboards in 1968, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2019 - 2:43pm -

July 1941. "Road on the outskirts of Brattleboro, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Ford V8 passing a ChevyAt least I think it's a Chev. Wish the shutter speed were a bit faster. Are YOU using unregistered restrooms?First I find out I'm not getting enough fiber in my diet, and now I learn that, with the absence of Texaco in my home state, I've been using unregistered restrooms. My congressman shall hear about this. Planning AheadThe fire hydrant system is all ready to go. Hope someone can find a newer picture at this location; that bend should make it fairly easy. Won't see that todayIn 1968 Vermont banned billboards. The states of Hawaii (1927), Alaska (1959) & Maine (1977) also banned them. https://twistedsifter.com/2014/10/why-vermont-banned-billboards/ Yup, a FordLooks like a '39 or '40 Tudor. Can't see the taillights well enough to differentiate. Bet he was hoping there wasn't a cop sitting behind the billboard! Great SignageThis puts me in mind of my cross country road trip a few years back that took me through Texas. There was much that impressed me about the Lone Star State, but one of the things I really appreciated were its modern and absolutely immaculate highway rest areas. Anyways, it was late in the day and I had stopped an hour or so earlier for lunch when I felt the need to offload some ballast, as we used to say in the Navy. So I stopped at the next rest area and was just about to step into the gents WC when I saw the sign posted directly by the door -- "Watch out for rattlesnakes," with a nice image of one of the little buggers for added effect. I quickly reconsidered and decided that my immediate needs would be handled from the standing position and any other requirements could wait until I checked into my hotel room for the night. Now Banned in BrattleboroVermont prohibited billboards in 1968, leaving the task of directing travelers to Texaco stations to state-owned informational directory signs. Phantom billboardA closer look at the billboard reveals the previous advertisement was also for Texaco. (Sky Chief gas.) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano)
Cuppa Joe: 1940
... out of business. It had nothing to do with Joe, but one night, very late, my spouse and I were there for dinner and they were closing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/01/2016 - 8:28pm -

San Francisco circa 1940. "Joe DiMaggio and friend pouring coffee in restaurant kitchen." Prequel to this curious image. 5x7 nitrate negative. View full size. A possibilityHaving lived in San Fran from 1962 until 1966, I enjoyed lots of seafood at Fisherman's Wharf and at that time, there was a DiMaggio's Restaurant owned and operated by Joe's uncle and cousins that has since (long ago) gone out of business. It had nothing to do with Joe, but one night, very late, my spouse and I were there for dinner and they were closing up the place, not even a half dozen people remained, and who do you think came in, alone, to visit with his family, tanned like a coffee bean, dressed impeccably and elegantly in a very sharply tailored suit, shined shoes, hair perfectly groomed and striking in his handsomeness? Yes, it was THE Joe DiMaggio and he was very polite and gracious to the few people who were still there. We got his autograph, for my son, on one of their menus but like everything else in my house I cannot find it. I do know it is here somewhere though and this is a true story. I have been told that the many current restaurants around the U.S. with names like joe dimaggio's , etc. are not family-owned or connected to Joe in any way. Joe's BroThere seems to be only one picture of him online, but "Joe's friend" is, almost certainly, his brother, Tom. [Doesn't look much like Tom DiMaggio. -tterrace] Hmmm.... further investigation shows this to be Tom Laird, a noted sports writer. It was, confusingly, tagged as Tom and Joe DiMaggio. This photo was taken about 10 years after the coffee pic. He does bear a striking resemblance to the mystery man. [No he doesn't. Tom Laird had a big cleft in his chin. - Dave] Joe's WatchAny vintage watch collectors out there? What type of watch does Joe have on? Hamilton? Waltham? Elgin? Can anyone identify it? Not relatedAs to it being Vincent Marotta? Maybe, but I wonder about the time/age issue. [Mr. Coffee inventor Marotta was sixteen years old in 1940. -tterrace] George Thierbach, America's "Mr. Coffee" of 1940Aha--solved it! Arcadia (CA) Tribune, 21 March 1940. The picture's caption solves the puzzle; Googling Mr. Theirbach turns up a bit more for the curious. TWELVE cups daily--wow!!! [Excellent, thank you! -tterrace] (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Kitchens etc., San Francisco, Sports)
Streets of San Francisco, Cont'd
... everywhere! That street must have been quite a sight at night! I'm really looking forward to the day when old-fashioned neon signs ... 
 
Posted by rsyung - 07/28/2014 - 3:36pm -

Chinatown, San Francisco, August 1957. Taken on the same visit as the drive down the "Vertigo" location. Kodachrome slide, Contax camera. View full size. SF ChinatownGrant Ave at Sacramento St. View Larger Map Ford Day in Chinatown?Along the curb we have a '50-52 shoebox Ford, then a '53, a '55-'56 (looks like '56 trim) Victoria, a '55-'56 station wagon, and a '57. Mystery Solved!Now we know how the mysterious blue and red smears showed up on Grandpa's step van. SF ChinatownMapped out and Street Viewed this photo in our SF Bay Area history project, with Ron's permission. Neon everywhere!That street must have been quite a sight at night! I'm really looking forward to the day when old-fashioned neon signs become so antiquated as to be fashionable again. I really miss them! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
The Letter: 1906
... is evident. Makes me want to go to a ball and waltz the night away! (The Gallery, Gertrude Kasebier, NYC, Portraits) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 12:39am -

"The Letter." New York, 1906. Studio portrait of the Gerson sisters in costume for the Crinoline Ball. 8x10 glass negative by Gertrude Käsebier. View full size. The GersonsTwo of the three Gerson sisters one being married to American painter William Merritt Chase. The home of the Gerson sisters, Virginia, Minnie, and Alice composed something of an artist's salon in the late 19th century. Lovely GownsThe lovely gowns on these sisters remind me of paper dolls I had as a child, with Victorian costumes based on fashions found in Harper's Bazaar. I remember the dolls' names: Beatrice, Caroline, and Abigail (which happens to be my name). Such EleganceSuch a beautiful picture. The detail and elegance of the dresses comes through. The beauty of the young ladies is evident. Makes me want to go to a ball and waltz the night away! (The Gallery, Gertrude Kasebier, NYC, Portraits)
The Light Refreshment: 1957
... York, 1957. "Broadway Theatre District -- Times Square at night." Now playing at Loew's State: "The Sweet Smell of Success." 35mm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2018 - 6:08pm -

New York, 1957. "Broadway Theatre District -- Times Square at night." Now playing at Loew's State: "The Sweet Smell of Success." 35mm negative from the Look magazine photo archive. View full size. Moses in TechnicolorThe Ten Commandments is playing at the Criterion, which is where I saw it on a school field trip back in those days. Beau JamesThe marquee is promoting the 1957 biopic of New York Mayor Jimmy Walker (in office 1926-1932), starring Bob Hope in one of his few dramatic roles. Also starring Paul Douglas. DuMont signThe DuMont name was not long for the consumer-facing world in 1957. DuMont Television Network operations had already been sold to John Kluge in 1956. These became Metromedia, which in turn became Fox Television Stations later. Allen DuMont sold his television manufacturing division to Emerson Radio in 1958. Pepsi Cola Hits the SpotIt would thrill me to no end to see that neon Pepsi sign in action! I'll bet any amount of money that those bubbles "moved", too! @ BillyMazz: That video was awesome! I especially liked how the bottle cap lit up. It was better than I anticipated. Thanks! Camel BillboardYou can see the edge of the celebrated smoking Camel cigarette billboard, which was mounted on the Hotel Claridge. On calm days, the smoke rings would blow half way across Times Square. Nice footage of the Pepsi sign in actionIn response to Root 66's post about the Pepsi atop the Bond building, I found this on YouTube. Look around the 1:10 mark. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/TIPnMB_KOsM (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK, Movies, NYC)
Fate of the Rebel Flag: 1861
... the blue field with seven stars being formed by the night sky. Lightning strikes the flag from the upper left. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 3:01am -

Available as a Juniper Gallery Fine-Art Print, "Fate of the Rebel Flag" is the second of a pair of patriotic lithographs with a militantly Unionist theme based on paintings by William Bauly and issued by New York art publisher William Schaus in September 1861 at the start of the Civil War. In a spectacular nocturnal scene, a large warship sinks and burns, the flames taking on the configuration of the first flag of the Confederacy, the blue field with seven stars being formed by the night sky. Lightning strikes the flag from the upper left. View full size. (The Gallery, Art & Design, Civil War, Patriotic)
Tailgater: 1943
... (Born too late for stream.) The best visit was a late night Thanksgiving with a gentle snow & 2 caboose back to back with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2015 - 9:35pm -

March 1943. "Chillicothe, Illinois. A helper engine is taken on for added power on a grade extending eight miles on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Chillicothe, Illinois, and Fort Madison, Iowa." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Coordination?I wonder how they coordinate power levels, or maybe the lead engine goes all out and the trailing one controls the speed. Must Be a Steel CabooseIn earlier times, a wooden caboose was placed behind the pusher. Leaving it between the loco and rest of the train could end badly for the tail end crew. Risky BusinessUse of helper engines was a common but dangerous practice prior to automated controls. My father, a long-time railroad special agent/claims agent, listed a couple of helper-caused wrecks as two of the worst he had to deal with. Helper Engine#3286 was one of 128 locomotives ordered from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The locomotives were built between 1917 and 1920, and delivered in batches, with 3286 being the next to last delivered. The Santa Fe was a steady customer of Baldwin-built locomotives over the years. 3286 was a 2-8-2 Mikado Class engine. All of the 128 locomotives of this class were gone by 1955. Minor Refinement to LocationGreat photo! The location is where the Santa Fe (now BNSF) crosses the Rock Island (now IAIS). The train is starting on the climb up the 1% Edelstein Hill. As a child I spent a lot of time at this exact place watching freights & the Chiefs. (Born too late for stream.) The best visit was a late night Thanksgiving with a gentle snow & 2 caboose back to back with flickering oil lanterns. (Which surprised me since I always thought they were electric.) Considering the year & month, it is probable my grandfather was clerking at the station & my Dad was working on the bridge in the background over the Illinois River. Pusher manAfter the helper is coupled, there is a simple application/release air test.In preradio days, we'd hold off on the release until we were ready to go. When the air released, the helper would start shoving and the lead engine would start pulling. You'd be amazed how fast a long freight can get up to speed from a standing start with engines on both ends. The lead engine aways controls the speed. The helper's job is to push. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Deputy: 1938
... won. Soon after his original win in 1934, Platt replaced a night jailer with his own pick, resulting in litigation about whether the ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 04/01/2016 - 11:02am -

The accompanying paperwork states: "L. Metropoulos, whom Edward A. Platt, of the Town of Sherman, in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, appointed an Honorary Deputy Sheriff on November 4th 1938." It's okay Mr. Platt, I wouldn't have said no to this guy either. View full size. Sheriff PlattEdward A. Platt was first elected Sheriff of Fairfield County in 1934 (on the Republican ticket), and was repeatedly re-elected every four years until his retirement in 1959. That means that he was indeed up for election the week he appointed this gentleman an honorary deputy, and won. Soon after his original win in 1934, Platt replaced a night jailer with his own pick, resulting in litigation about whether the state's veterans' preference act left it to the civil service commission to make such choices. Platt won in the superior court, and by 1954 was the longest-serving incumbent in Fairfield County government. Motor VoterNovember 4, 1938. Just 4 days before election day. Making the owner of a taxi business an Honorary Deputy Sheriff is an effective way for the party (either one) to get out the vote, if you know what I mean. Front Pageare you sure this isn't from the stage production of "Front Page " On Becoming An Honorary DeputyThere are many municipalities that, in return for a political honorarium or public deed, will grant a businessman such a title. The paperworkYouse will make me a Deputy, got it? L. MetropoulosLouis Metropoulos was the owner of the Norwalk Taxi Company in the 1936 Norwalk City Directory. I understand the necessities of the taxi business having cordial relations with the political establishment. But Sherman is 40 miles North of Norwalk. I'll bet that Mr Metropoulos was an Honorary Deputy Sheriff in more than one town in Fairfield County. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Hello Up There: 1929
... enjoy the lamps, all cleverly shaded to not interfere with night vision. Read more about it here . WOW How did he stand all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2013 - 10:51am -

Washington, D.C. "Prof. H.E. Burton, 8/5/29." A Star Search matinee. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Deferred maintenanceSure, we can afford a million-dollar telescope but paint the walls? Nope! U.S. Naval Observatory 26 inch refractorThis was a rather large telescope. Notice that the floor is elevated to provide a comfortable viewing position. Also enjoy the lamps, all cleverly shaded to not interfere with night vision. Read more about it here. WOWHow did he stand all that weight on his eye? Sophisticated EquipmentThe bentwood chair is a nice touch. (Technology, The Gallery, Astronomy, D.C., Natl Photo)
Durward Nickerson: 1914
... 18 years old. Lives in Bessemer, R.F.D. #1. Saturday night, Sept. 26, 1914, he took investigator through the old Red Light on Avenue ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2011 - 3:49pm -

"Durward Nickerson, Western Union messenger #55. Birmingham, Alabama. 18 years old. Lives in Bessemer, R.F.D. #1. Saturday night, Sept. 26, 1914, he took investigator through the old Red Light on Avenue A, pointed out the various resorts, told about the inmates he has known there. Only a half dozen of them were open now. Durward has put in two years in messenger work and shows the results of temptations open to him. He has recently returned from a hobo trip through 25 states. He was not inclined to tell much about the shady side of messenger work, but one could easily see that he has been through much that he might have avoided in a profitable kind of work." View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. Lewis HineLewis Wickes Hine: Photographer, social reformer and busybody party-pooper extraordinaire. Shady workI had no idea messenger work could be so seedy. LisaHe looks old beyond his years. Great idea for a blog. I subscribed to your feed. Durward NickersonDurward M. Nickerson was the son of Otis Graham Nickerson & Hattie E. Shepard, great-grandparents of my husband, Jack Graham Weaver. Durward died in 1937 in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, at the age of 42. Patsy Weaver [Oh my. What happened? Did he leave a family? Thanks for the info. He seems like a dashing young man. - Dave] (The Gallery, Birmingham, Lewis Hine)
Instant Message: 1942
... freezing, moist, winter air. Need I say more? One night a new kid on the block weighed about 100 cars, and he asked the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2013 - 11:47am -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. These pneumatic tubes in the Illinois Central Railroad yardmaster's office connect him with the general office." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. No new thing under the sunWe used a pneumatic tube system on the Milwaukee Road until the late 70s, just as the caption says: connecting several yard offices with the central office. I have to wonder if Milwaukee officials were ‘inspired’ by the IC device. The system we used was really not up to the task, and I suspect it came from some department store that had quit using it for handling sales cash. The three tubes, about a mile each in length, were all exposed to Milwaukee’s freezing, moist, winter air. Need I say more? One night a new kid on the block weighed about 100 cars, and he asked the yardmaster what he was supposed to do with the scale tickets. The yardie, never having read “How to Win friends and Influence People,” barked at the kid to put the XXXXXXX things in the XXXXXXX tube to Muskego. So the guy did. Without a canister. For about two weeks, every now and then a scale ticket or two would come fluttering into the main office from the West End. Yes, they reweighed the whole cut of scalers. Vital piece of equipmentThe ubiquitous coffee can is an essential piece of the apparatus. AirpunkThe lesser-known cousin of steampunk. Scrap metalNever mind giving extra tires to Uncle Sam -- the quantity of iron in that tube machine looks like it would be nearly enough to build a Sherman tank from. I wonder when it got scrapped. Dress for successI am always amazed at how men and women during the war years always seemed to be well dressed at work, often despite their occupations. This man has dress shoes and well pressed, creased pants. My uncle, who worked for many years as a lithographer in NYC, would go to work in a suit and tie, change into work clothes in the printing company's locker room, do a day's work, then change back into his suit and tie for the trip home. (Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Park Avenue Noir: 1958
January 3, 1958. "Seagram Building. Night view, Park Avenue." Large-format acetate negative by Samuel H. Gottscho. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2013 - 12:13pm -

January 3, 1958. "Seagram Building. Night view, Park Avenue." Large-format acetate negative by Samuel H. Gottscho. View full size. A less dominant viewRecessing the Seagram Building behind a plaza was an innovative idea at the time but now means that it doesn't particularly dominate the Park Avenue streetscape. If you go a block or two north and look to the south, similar to the view in this photo, you'll barely see the Seagram Building at all as most of it is blocked by its next door neighbor at 399 Park Avenue. That 41-story building, which opened in 1961, is built out to the sidewalk line and hence much more visible. Fortunately, the Seagram Building is more visible from the south, as its southerly neighbor at 345 Park is also recessed from the sidewalk line. That building was a decade in the future at the time of this photo, and some older buildings are seen on what became its site. To the Seagram Building's right, further south on Park, the towers of the Waldorf-Astoria are in plain sight. Like the Seagram Building, the Waldorf has had remarkably few exterior changes over the decades. While I'm not positive, I believe that the building under construction to the left of the Seagram Building is 750 Third Avenue. It was one of the first of the big office buildings to sprout up along Third Avenue following the demolition of the Third Avenue El in 1955. While the loss of the El was a major setback to the city's transportation infrastructure, one which has never been (and probably never will be) remedied, it did make formerly down-at-the-heels Third Avenue a desirable location for businesses. After doing a bit of research it's apparent that the photo's date is incorrect. It had not snowed for at least two weeks prior to January 3, 1958 (yes, old weather records are easily found online), and any snow that had fallen earlier in December would have melted in the unseasonably warm weather at year's end and on New Year's Day. A bigger issue is the construction site just to the north of the Seagram Building, where 399 Park Avenue now stands. Construction on 399 Park Avenue did not begin until 1959. It may be that the developers had cleared the lot by the beginning of 1958, and erected a fence around the property, but did not start actual construction for another year. I haven't had any luck trying to research this situation online. MoodyCue up Park Avenue Beat (Perry Mason Theme Song) I can hear my father now..."Every light in the building is on! Do you kids have any idea of how expensive electricity is?" Too Lazy to Sweep off the SnowI guess that, since the invention of the automobile, there have always been those people that can't be bothered to fully remove the snow from their car. At least they cleared the windows. That appears to be a 1953 or 1954 Ford. The car that looks alarmingly like it is going the wrong way down the road at a quick glance, due to the bright tail lights and front-end-shaped back end is a 1956 or 1957 Ford. Not sure about the others. I'm sure a car expert will show up to ID those. [1957. -tterrace] We Try HarderThe snow laden automobile in the foreground was a rented car. The NY State license plate 2Z1949 that year was yellow numerals on a black background. The colors were reversed every so often, The letter Z indicated a rented car. That practice ended in 1993 when a tourist drove a rented car out of an airport and was followed by armed thieves who then robbed, shot and killed him. Arriving travelers were chosen because they usually carried large sums of money and jewelry. CarsThe snow-covered Ford looks like a 1954; the 1953s had different tailights. The car next to the 1957 Ford is a 1955 Plymouth. The car next to it is hard to make out but may be a 1955-56 Oldsmobile. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Fire: 1926
... There were lively times in the "Division" last night. About 10 o’clock Officers Flathers and Kilmartin took a girl, who ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 2:46pm -

Washington, D.C. "Fire at Thomas Somerville plant, July 20, 1926." 312 13th Street N.W. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. GoneIt looks like the entire block was razed a long time ago, and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center stands on the site now. ApparatusI may be wrong (I often am), but would guess the fire apparatus at right was probably once a horse-drawn ladder wagon, and a motor tractor was added in place of the "old" horse power. A hot time in the old houseNo. 312 Thirteenth Street had a colorful history. Washington Post article of Dec. 16, 1895 gives a glimpse into the neighborhood's earlier character. Three Disorderly Houses Raided. There were lively times in the "Division" last night. About 10 o’clock Officers Flathers and Kilmartin took a girl, who said her name was May Martin, out of the house of Lizzie Peterson, 1309 D street. At the First precinct station house the girl was charged with being under age. She claims that she is twenty-two years old. An hour later the house of Alice Linden, 312 Thirteenth street, was raided by Sergt. Shilling and a squad of officers. Mrs. Linden and six women were captured. They were taken to No. 1 station house and charged with keeping a house of ill repute. [Since "The Division" was in Northwest, this would seem to be the same address, as opposed to 312 13th Street Southeast, Southwest or Northeast. - Dave] "The Division" explainedDuring the Civil War, General Hooker's command was stationed in Washington, DC. The rowdy troops gave so much business to the local houses of ill repute that the entire red-light district was nicknamed "Hooker's Division" and hence led to the later practice of a prostitute being referred to as a "hooker." [I think that's been pretty much debunked as legend. Prostitutes were called hookers well before the Civil War. - Dave] American LaFranceThe fire truck is an American LaFrance Type 31 circa 1916. This model was made all the way through 1929 without many changes. This is D.C. Truck No. 1 as shown on the raised ladder. What is really interesting about these models is that the driver's seat swivels with the ladder. Look behind where the fireman is standing on the truck and you see the driver's seat facing backwards. Note also the dual front tires found on the earlier of these models. The Washington, D.C. Fire Department also had a 1922 American LaFrance Model 31 with a 75-foot spring-raised water tower (water cannon/snorkel). This was Water Tower No. 2. It served the city for more than 30 years. I hope the water pressure doesn't change and cause the hose on the sidewalk to topple the ladder on the sidewalk. (The Gallery, D.C., Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Fun With Freon: 1953
... remember her. Your Show Of Shows Every Saturday night our family (mom, dad, older sister, younger brother and yours truly) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2013 - 6:41pm -

April 1953. "Comedians Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca posed in humorous situations with air conditioning units. Includes Caesar dressed in his 'professor' costume and Coca dressed as a mechanic, looking at a diagram of a cooling system." From photos by Arthur Rothstein and John Vachon for the Look magazine assignment "Air Conditioning -- How It Works." View full size. In a nutshellYeah. That's pretty much how it works. Reassuring Her LandlordIn 1951, with the zany Ms. Coca drawing a fine salary from the network, NBC-TV VP Sylvester "Pat" Weaver (Sigourney's dad) seems to have been asked to to provide a sort of "reference letter" : I think that Sidis pointing at the misrepresented blower vanes My Favorite YearSid Caesar is still with us, in retirement, on the West Coast, at age 91. The 1982 movie "My Favorite Year" was loosely based on his prime time TV shows. The year was 1954. He was portrayed as "King Kaiser" by Joseph Bologna as the tough guy that Sid really was. Another character was Alan Swann who was based on Errol Flynn and played by Peter O'Toole. NoviA.R.A., Frigiking, Mark IV in the early to mid-50's all used one of those huge V-4 type compressors in their air-conditioning systems with the evaporators mounted in the trunk before air-conditioning was available from the factory. It had a huge pulley to lower the RPM as compared to the much faster running engines of the day and had no clutch. I always loved to open the hood and see one of those things! 1953 was the first year factory air-conditioning would be available from the Big Three, except for a few units installed by Packard in 1940. Aunt Edna!Thats how my generation will always remember her. Your Show Of ShowsEvery Saturday night our family (mom, dad, older sister, younger brother and yours truly) happily awaited the start of an hour and a half of true comic genius. No curse words although my father used to cover my ears at times when they did their ersatz German language routines, no wardrobe malfunctions, no insult jokes. It was a magical 90 minutes which transported you away from whatever troubles you had and kept them away for a time. The only sad time was when the credits rolled and you realized that book report was still due next Monday. (Technology, LOOK, TV)
More Friendly Than The Bates Motel
... windows that open to a cross breeze" and it's only $35/night. I've stayed in small town motels that weren't much more than ... 
 
Posted by BernieSC - 09/20/2011 - 9:31pm -

The Sunset Motel in 1957. Brevard, South Carolina. View full size. Sunset Inn.It exists, but one TripAdvisor reviewer called it a "Five-Star Dump." The sign...is amazing! The motel looks so cozy too. I wonder if this place still exists? Just Over the BorderBrevard is in Transylvania County, North Carolina. Yes, it's still there.The Sunset Motel - 415 South Broad Street - Brevard, NC? Another review from tripadvisor: "The rooms are extremely out dated (the TV might have been older than I am) but clean. The woman who worked in the office was extremely nice and very helpful." It's not the Holiday Inn, it's a small town motel. And, it's still there!! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48979-d94016-r20475779-Sunse... From travel.yahoo.com: "Pleasant 60's style motel, well maintained, all ground floor units with windows that open to a cross breeze" and it's only $35/night. I've stayed in small town motels that weren't much more than cardboard boxes (Jordan, MT) and others that were perfectly preserved time capsules from 1950 (somewhere in eastern NM). The Sunset Motel might be "in between". Sunset Motel Brevard NCAccording to my daughter who lives there, It's very much there and open for business. BTW, Brevard and surrounding area is a nice place to visit. Here and Better Than Ever!Some may be glad to hear that I bought this gem in April of 2011 and have restored it to glory. The Sunset Motel is, once again, a respectable community partner and is a very popular lodging choice, even featured in "Our State Magazine" - Oct 2014. If you'd like to see what it looks like today: www.thesunsetmotel.com (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, On the Road)
Low Noon: 1936
... a duster rolled into town and made everything as dark as night. To avoid breathing the dust, we tied handkerchiefs over our noses while ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/18/2008 - 3:41pm -

March 1936. "Heavy black clouds of dust rising over the Texas Panhandle." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Dust StormsThis photo brings back memories. Our schoolhouse in Tulia, Texas, had no electric lights (or indoor plumbing), so we were dismissed when a duster rolled into town and made everything as dark as night. To avoid breathing the dust, we tied handkerchiefs over our noses while walking home from school. The storms left a coating of dust about a quarter of an inch deep on everything inside our closed-up houses. The cleanup afterward was quite a chore. Gene Howe, a writer for the Amarillo Globe News, claimed that the dust storms were healthy and invigorating and maybe he was right. The dust storms and the effects of the Depression left us with backbone to spare. I don't recall anybody in those days complaining about how tough times were as opposed to all the whining heard in today's America. Dust BowlWe lived in Arkansas on the river across from Oklahoma and even though Texas and Oklahoma were the worst hit, my folks got plenty of the dust. It certainly gave us backbone for years to come. This generation shouldn't wonder why great and great-great grandparents died so young. They worked themselves to death way too early. It would be hard to visualize today's teenager cleaning up the mess with a straw broom, bar of lye soap, and old rags. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Dust Bowl, Landscapes)
Livingston Channel: 1910
... heavy steam equipment! If you transit this channel at night it looks just like an airport runway being so straight and lighted at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:41pm -

Stony Island, Michigan, circa 1910. "Livingston Channel." Construction of the navigation channel along the Detroit River on an icy day. Panorama of three 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Love the heavy steam equipment!If you transit this channel at night it looks just like an airport runway being so straight and lighted at the margins. International BorderThis channel is actually part of the border between the United States and Canada. Looks like they cut the island in half right down the border! Conquering the Hell-Gate Technical World Magazine, March, 1909. Conquering the Hell-Gate of the Lakes By Len.G. Shaw … Using Stony Island, a marshy tract some few acres in extent, as a starting point, the contractors began construction of the largest cofferdam ever undertaken. Dredges were used in casting up the walls of rock and clay, taken from the river bed at various points in the new channel where excavation in the old way was comparatively easy. An area 2,800 feet in length and with an average width of 1,600 feet was enclosed by a wall some forty feet through at the base, reaching ten feet above the surface of the river, and at the top being wide enough to permit the laying of a narrow gauge railroad track if desired. … With the water out of the cofferdam, excavating was undertaken. Great towers, more than one hundred feet in height, and mounted on tracks permitting their being moved wherever desired, were erected 720 feet apart, being connected by cableways capable of sustaining a weight of ten tons, and on which ran ten-ton "skips" or trays, operated by compressed air and manipulated so that they could be dumped in midair without the slightest delay. Channelers were put at work, these knife-like devices cutting courses through the rock lengthwise of the channel and some six feet apart. At regular distances across the proposed channel holes were drilled at angles, filled with dynamite, and the charge exploded. Then the sixty-five ton steam shovels were put in operation loading the skips, and the task of gouging out a channel through the solid Niagara limestone was well under way. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Glad Tidings: 1920
... of its work. Two gospel services are conducted every night, one in John Marshall Place and the other at the Georgetown Branch, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 1:14pm -

"Gospel Mission, Georgetown Sunday school group, circa 1920." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. 15 cent mealsThis photo is the southeast corner of 30th and M in Georgetown - now one of the swankiest strips in Washington. I believe this building still stands. John Marshall Place no longer appears on D.C. maps. It seems to have been a side street where the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse is now located. Washington Post May 18, 1919 Meals at 15 Cents in Gospel Mission Average price per meal, 15 cents. One might think this is the wording of some utopian signboard. But here's the truth of it: Right here in Washington, where in a restaurant a dollar vanishes like thin air, the Gospel Mission, 214-216 John Marshall place, has put Old Man H.C of L. [High Cost of Living] to rout by serving 15-cent meals. Not only this, but according to Herbert W. Kline, superintendent of the mission, 5,878 free meals were served this year. But the Gospel Mission does not specialize in meals alone. From the report of Superintendent Kline 36,211 persons attended services held by the mission and 427 professed conversion. More than 1,000 requests were made for prayer. Forty-four jail services were held, 58 families sheltered and 1,400 babies treated at the diet kitchen. During the past year the mission has greatly enlarged the scope of its work. Two gospel services are conducted every night, one in John Marshall Place and the other at the Georgetown Branch, Thirtieth and M streets. A Chinese Sunday school also is in operation. The thirteenth anniversary of the mission is celebrated today. SardinesThis reminds me of the old school bus from the weirdo baptist church in Washington, Iowa, that collected kids in neighboring towns. The wire on the sides of that truck—and their destination—sure says “paddy wagon” to me. And I bet they had a well–used jack in that tool box. SardinesThey didn't need no stinkin' jack, they had all those kids! Model TThe smaller Model T Ford to the left is an early version with a brass radiator shell. And she doesn't look too happy with that load on her as the right side of the hood is open and could use some air in the tires. The larger truck is a Model TT Ford, a little newer with a stamped sheet metal radiator shell. And built to be a heavy duty truck with a longer frame and solid rubber rear tires. Tha nks for these great pictures! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Unread Messages: 1943
... of a hot firebox is dazzling - it would take away one's night vision for a while.) (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2016 - 12:21pm -

March 1943. "Isleta, New Mexico. The Santa Fe depot. Horizontal arms on pole indicate a 'red beard,' that is a message is to be picked up by the train crew." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. MultitaskingThe indication also required (I think) the engineer to step into the office and sign for the orders. It was also used in a not-by-the-book way by the station operator to slow down a train moving at high speed. Setting the indication would change the preceding track signal(s), telling the engineer to essentially approach at medium speed. This would give the operator extra time to transcribe or prepare train orders being given over telegraph or phone. Hopefully, the operator could reset the signal(s) before the train reached the station and pass the written orders to the trainmen on the fly as usual. Beard??I think that should be "red board", not "red beard". Signals were known as "boards"; the origin is pretty clear in this example. Interesting that both arms are horizontal (red boards), indicating that the operator has train orders (the "message") for trains in both directions, eastbound and westbound. Bad handwriting?Red board, he probably meant to write. He's next to the line to El Paso, looking north; the line west to California curves away. Sure not what it used to beIn 1986 an agreement was reached between the nation’s railroads and the Transportation Communication Employees Union which voided the exclusive right of operators to handle train orders. Operators had for a long time arranged for the written orders train crews were obliged to follow. Radios, computers and fax machines essentially rendered train orders moot, and hence the need for operators. Operators handling train orders today are very few and far between. Yours truly was one of them up until 1990, and I’m quite certain the control operator at the station I worked still handles them occasionally. After 1986 train dispatchers generally supervised train movements directly, issuing instructions to train crews by radio, often using track warrant and/or DTC operating authority. Regarding steamghost’s remarks, a “31” order had to be signed for, a “19” order did not. Order BoardsThe "messages" were Train Orders transmitted by the Train Dispatcher located usually in the division offices. Rules often specified that the signal remain at stop both ways until the engineer blew four short toots to "call for the board" . . . . if no orders, the operator would clear the signal in his direction, then reset to stop after the train had passed. This practice varied by company, but was a "fail-safe" to make sure the train received any orders. Most Western railroads abandoned the practice later, leaving the signals clear most of the time. If there were orders some orders would be delivered on "the fly" but certain orders required signatures. Again, it varied by railroad. E. W. Luke Retired Train Dispatcher. All StopIn some locations, order boards were to be left in stop position. When a train approached, if there were no orders, the signal was cleared. Form 19 vs. Form 31 Train OrdersThere were two commonplace forms used for Train Orders; Form 19 and Form 31. A Form 19 order can be "hooped up" to a passing train, meaning that the order was fastened to a wooden hoop on a lightweight pole handle, and the crew of a passing train would catch the hoop on their arm, pull off the orders, and drop the hoop for re-use. Two hoops would be prepared, one to pass up to the locomotive and one to pass up to the caboose. A Form 31 order must be "signed for", so the train must stop to receive it. The operator would keep a signed copy. Train Orders are nicknamed "flimsies" because the pre-printed forms were on a translucent "onion skin" paper so that they could be read by holding them up to the glow of a kerosene lantern or a steam locomotive firebox, just slightly opened to let out some light. (The full glare of a hot firebox is dazzling - it would take away one's night vision for a while.) (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Mansfield Quarters: 1936
... Sunday, as Sundays were reserved for Church (morning and night services) and some much needed down time in between and afterwards. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2013 - 5:00pm -

1936. "Georgetown County, South Carolina. Mansfield Quarters, Georgetown." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. The Poverty of the SouthI was born in Georgetown, SC in the mid 50's. I've mentioned earlier that these homes might be located at the Mansfield Plantation, but the sidewalks and water faucets make me think otherwise. Looks to be more within the city limits. I think many people do not understand the true face poverty. I saw many homes just like these that were being occupied into the late 1960's. The yards were daily swept clean of all grass with a broom made from local bushes, the dirt packed down tightly. No grass was considered a well kept yard. My mother was born in 1935 and she did not see running water until the early 50's. Wood stoves were still in use for cooking and heating. She gave me a quick rundown of the weekly routine. Below are a few of the highlights that I recall offhand. Baths in tubs or showers were nonexistent... you used a wash bowl and a wash cloth to wash, rinse with a damp cloth and dry the area, then move to the next section of your body until you finished head to toe. If you were out of the city limits, you'd have a hand pumped well on the back porch and a bucket... no running water. Mondays were laundry day... an all day chore, consisting of 3 large wash tubs, one of which was cast iron with a fire under it. Clothes went from the soapy boiling water to the other two wash tubs for scrubbing on a wash board and rinse, and a 4th wash tub with starch if required. Tuesdays were ironing day... All the clothes washed the previous day, as well as the pillow cases and sheets were ironed. The iron was heated on the wood burning kitchen stove. Another all day chore. Wednesday was clean the outhouse day. Broom was used to clear out all spiders and webs, and bleach was used to clean the stool and seat. This job was relegated to my mother. Thursdays were clean the hardwood floors day. No mops... bucket with wash rags on hands and knees. Food was prepared on Saturdays for Sunday, as Sundays were reserved for Church (morning and night services) and some much needed down time in between and afterwards. During all this time food was prepared on the cast iron wood stove, Food stored in an icebox (that drained through a hole in the floor). Garden and chickens had to be tended to, and there was usually one hog in the pen. Living was a full-time job... not much time for leisure. It was a very hard life... and those buildings show it. I've long since left the area, but when I return to visit I remember many of the hardships my family endured. I didn't see the wash days or the cast iron stoves, but the outhouses, wood chopping piles, and wood burning stoves in each room were still common. So was the dirt yards, gardens, chickens, and hogs, and a hunting dog or two. The difference between Georgetown, SC and Miami, FL (where I spent much of my childhood) in the early 60's was like moving through a time machine back and forth 30 years into the future. The included picture shows the reality of life in Georgetown in the mid to late 1950's. The young girl is a near relative of my age. We take so much convenience for granted... I've got questionsDid they rent these out? Were they for migrant or seasonal workers? Or were they for sale at the time, when apparently no funds were available for any kind of paint? The chicken wire newly added around the foundation hints at finally controlling critters. Plus the thin sidewalk seems new, too. Looks like lots of work spiffing up a very drab residence of sorts. The Swimming PoolIs it heart shaped? Crisp new concrete sidewalksIt's only 1936, and they're already going all Colonial Williamsburg on us. Boo Radley's HouseI dare you to knock on the door. Slave QuartersAt Mansfield Plantation. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
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