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Inner Harbor: 1906
... Plant Line to the Provinces! one night at sea to a foreign land! a clipping from the Boston Evening ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/04/2016 - 10:40am -

1906. "Boston, Massachusetts, from East Boston across Inner Harbor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Flour and Grain ExchangeThe conical roof at the center of this image is the Flour and Grain Exchange building. Built from Milford pink granite in 1892, it still stands at the intersection of India and Milk streets. It's one of my favorite buildings. The Customhouse tower, another Boston landmark, will not be built for another 9 years. Lewis WharfOn the far right is Lewis Wharf now the site of luxury condominiums. Buildings Torn DownRobert R Mcnutt From the Architectural Annual, MIT 1901-1902 https://books.google.com/books?id=HetCAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA42&lpg=RA3-PA42&... Plant Line to the Provinces!one night at sea to a foreign land! a clipping from the Boston Evening Transcript. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC)
Lux Luna: 1905
Coney Island, New York, circa 1905. "Luna Park at night." Panorama made from three 8x10 glass negatives, previously seen here ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2019 - 11:19am -

Coney Island, New York, circa 1905. "Luna Park at night." Panorama made from three 8x10 glass negatives, previously seen here, here and here. View full size. Lit up like Luna ParkThe phrase "Lit up Like Luna Park" would take on a whole new meaning when it would burn with a final fire in 1944, but there were others in 1911, 1917, 1934. The famous Incubatorhttp://columbiasurgery.org/news/2015/08/06/history-medicine-incubator-ba... Family entertainmentInfant Incubators with Live Infants. I work in GraphicsThe seamlessness of these plates is amazing! Kudos to the artist, I'm guessing Dave, well done! Infant incubators?Turns out, it's the real thing, and not a thrill ride. (Panoramas, Coney Island, DPC, NYC)
Headed back to Dallas via the Grand Canyon
... got there right at day break. Hours through the desert at night was brutal in trying to stay awake (and find open gas stations). We'd ... 
 
Posted by Zone47 - 05/18/2022 - 8:12am -

My college buddy and I drove in a 77 Ford Pinto from Los Gatos to the south rim of the grand canyon and got there right at day break. Hours through the desert at night was brutal in trying to stay awake (and find open gas stations). We'd been up for 24 hours but I don't think it was a problem as the sun was coming up over this breath taking place. The Pinto by the way broke it's timing belt the day after we got back to Dallas. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Moldy Manse: 1937
... of Orleans and Dauphine. Then, after a dark and stormy night, the cottage was found empty with a newly dug grave in the garden along ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/07/2013 - 2:24pm -

New Orleans, 1937. "Le Pretre Mansion, 716 Dauphine Street, built 1835-6. Joseph Saba house." Our third look at the so-called Sultan's Palace. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Not so much moldy as batteredThis Old House has it listed as a murder house; although the whole sultan's murder (+ all of his entourage) may be apocryphal. And it still looks pretty much the same: This is exactly the placeI pictured in my head that Ignatius J. Reilly's mama had her automobile accident. Origin of the LegendThe Gardette-LaPretre house, aka the "House of the Turk" and the "Sultan's Palace." The legend of the massacre, much beloved of New Orleans ghost tour guides is, of course, bogus. The legend, initially published in the 1840's, probably predates the 1836 construction of the still extant house shown in this lovely 1930's photograph. The first mention of the story that I'm aware of is in Charles Gayarre's History of Louisiana, published in 1846 in French. This is only 10 years after construction of the present building, and Gayarre claims that he first heard the story around 1820 from an eighty-year old gentleman who heard the story from his own father. In Gayarre's tale, the incident took place in 1727 over a hundred years before construction of the Gardette-LaPretre house, and before any of the present buildings in the French Quarter were built. At that time, most of the city residences were crude wood-framed cottages, of which none remain. Referred to by the author as a legend, his story is actually relatively simple and plausible. A member of the Ottoman sultan's family, possibly a brother, escaped disfavor by fleeing to Paris, and was, for diplomatic reasons, exiled by the French to the then very remote and undeveloped colony of Louisiana, being kept under house arrest at a small cottage at the corner of Orleans and Dauphine. Then, after a dark and stormy night, the cottage was found empty with a newly dug grave in the garden along with an engraved marble plaque: "The justice of heaven is satisfied, and the date-tree shall grow on the traitor's tomb. The sublime Emperor of the faithful, the supporter of the faith, the omnipotent master and Sultan of the world, has redeemed his vow. God is great, and Mohammed is his prophet. Allah!" There is mention of a Turkish vessel seen in Barataria Bay and a troop of murderers lurking through the storm. Shortly afterwards an unusual date palm sprouted from the grave. Apparently fratricide was at one time part of the normal means of succession of the Ottoman empire, and at the time of the supposed events, rival family members were often put under house arrest in the palace harem. Perhaps the crisis associated with the 1730 Janissary revolt. Succession of a new Sultan could have caused an important Ottoman to flee Istanbul. In any case, the story seems to have centered on explaining a well-known, curious old palm tree that was present on the site at the time of Gayarre's writing. The more lurid tales of a bloody massacre told today seem based on a work of fiction by Helen Pitkin Schertz, "The Brother of the Sultan," in Legends of Louisiana (1922). The curious date palm has it's own romantic legend, but that's another photograph. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
City Terminal: 1941
... is aligned to prohibit entrance to the flagged track. At night, a blue lantern serves the same purpose as the flag. Only the person, or ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2020 - 9:25pm -

June 1941. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Carloads of fruits and vegetables at city terminal." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gulf TowerSo prominent then at 44 stories, lost in a sea of taller brothers now. Which boxcar goes where?How did they ever figure it out. Either people were a lot smarter or they had more fingers and toes back then. Each boxcar has a number and paperworkRailroads "group" freight cars in trains by destination. Each car had (and has) a multi-digit car number. Each loaded car has paperwork called a waybill. Freight train conductors and the switching foremen get copies. A buddy of mine used to work for NY Central and check car numbers of loads placed at an A&P warehouse. The car numbers were six and seven digits long and he said, "Typos mess everything up." So every evening he would get the switch list and trudge through the warehouse sidings "checking numbers." Once in a while he found a mistake but not too often. Nowadays they use computers, computer-generated car lists and scanners in the big freight yards. Good question! Blue FlagThat metal flag clipped to the rail at the lower center of the photo is a "blue flag", so named because, yeah you guessed it, it's blue. Decades before OSHA was invented and created "lock out - tag out" safety rules for machinery in all American industry, the railroads created a similar rule protecting workers on and around locomotives and cars from unintentional movement while servicing this equipment. A blue flag is placed on the approach track, and/or at the controls of a locomotive attached to such cars, to forbid entering that track, or coupling to or moving cars on that track. The switch stand controlling entrance to that track is further locked with a blue painted padlock. Note the track switch is aligned to prohibit entrance to the flagged track. At night, a blue lantern serves the same purpose as the flag. Only the person, or foreman of a group of workers, may remove such as flag or lock. Lots of ChangesAnyone familiar with the current configuration of Pittsburgh's famous Strip District may find this photo pretty confusing. It took me a while but I think I have it figured out. The row of fairly tall industrial buildings are on the south side of what is now Smallman Street. The White Terminal building and the building just to the left still stand today between 17th and 18th streets, although the White Terminal building has been chopped up a bit. The long two-story building that extends along the north side of Smallman has to be the famous produce terminal (currently being converted into luxury condos). But that building now extends all the way to 21st Street (just out of the picture on the left) and was somehow reduced to a single story. This is what confused me, and I couldn't find anything on the web that talked about a major change. But a Google Earth view clearly shows that there is a splice in the building right around 18th. So there must have been a major modification after the war when they removed the railroad yard and the terminal switched to purely truck distribution. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
The Road to Mecca: 1923
... DoninVa Friday: With my fez still in the air, after a night's sleep I realize we are talking apples and oranges. While all Shriners ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:09pm -

"Almas director." Officials of Almas, the Washington D.C., Masonic temple, at the Shriners Convention of June 1923, which hosted a quarter-million delegates from lodges and temples across the United States. Imperial Potentate James McCandless and President Warren Harding, himself a Master Mason, were among the dignitaries present for a week of parades along Pennsylvania Avenue, which was strung with thousands of electric lights and rechristened the "Road to Mecca" at a time when interest in fraternal organizations was at its peak. View full size. Hats off to ya...This image may be indicative of an era when people had a lot more free time on their hands. Counting ShrinersAs a Shriner I have often heard of our membership number woes. The peak of membership, if I recall correctly, was actually after WWII, but in the 1960s the decline began with the deaths of men in their 60s and 70s. The current concern about membership is rooted in our support of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children, which provide orthopedic and burn care absolutely free of charge. Each year we have fewer men to assist in the fund raising efforts. Also, I doubt 250,000 delegates showed up for the convention; that was probably the number of Shriners nationwide in 1923. [Masonic membership at its peak in the United States was around 4 million. The population of Washington was expected to grow from 437,000 to over 700,000 during the week of the Shrine convention in June 1923, according to the New York Times. The Washington Post put the number of guests at 500,000. - Dave] Dave, I raise my fez to salute your always excellent research abilities. - DoninVa Friday: With my fez still in the air, after a night's sleep I realize we are talking apples and oranges. While all Shriners are Masons, not all Masons are Shriners. I was considering Shrine membership, not Lodge membership; by 1930 there were 600,000 Shriners. MasonsTrue. They had just reached the point where you didn't need to work 18 hours a day just to survive, the country was in decent shape economically, and kids' sporting events, dance recitals and all of the other stuff that occupies people's lives had not yet been invented. However, back then, you had to seek activities for your leisure. Today a lot of folks turn on the TV and crack a cold one because leisure is handed to us via satellite. That is definitely a factor in Masonic as well as other existing fraternal organizations decline in numbers. The old-timers die off, younger folks have other outlets. Fraternal OrganizationsHats Off you are right about more free time for many people. The Lodge Hall was a more respectable place than a local tavern, especially during Prohibition. The camaraderie was another factor and there were some good works involved. I think it started to unravel after WWII. Harding the MasonThe Harding biography "The Shadow of Blooming Grove" covers the subject of W.G.'s masonic aspirations in great detail. He was actually denied entry into the masonic order until later in his life, after his first term as a congressman, due to the rumors around Ohio that he was of Negro ancestry, an accusation used by Harding's enemies in those race-conscious times. As his prestige rose and he entered the Senate he basically forced his way into the order and was shuffled quickly through its ranks to the highest levels. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Jr. O.U.A.M.: 1938
... look of things, no longer "meets each 1st & 3rd Sat night." Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Still a going concern. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2012 - 11:48am -

April 1938. "Lodge hall in Guilford County, North Carolina." The Jr. O.U.A.M., or Order of United American Mechanics. Which, by the look of things, no longer "meets each 1st & 3rd Sat night." Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Still a going concern. It looks they have since dropped the "white" requirement and focus on the manufacturing trades, and have decided to maintain a conservative constitutional agenda. Their symbolism appears much like the Masons. References here, here and here. Buy and Hire AmericanOr we'll erect hideous architecture everywhere! The OUAM and Junior OUAM were nativist organizations that arose in response to a rapid increase in immigration from abroad in the several decades prior to the Civil War. According to the Wikipedia article (never a conclusive source but often a good place to begin one's enquiries), its membership was restricted to white males born in the US, and and its main objective was to foster preference for goods produced domestically and employees who were native citizens. No doubt but that the character Bill the Butcher from "Gangs of New York" would have been an enthuisiastic member. The term "mechanic," by the way, was used in the 18th and 19th Centuries to describe almost anyone who was involved in the making or repair of complex objects, from steam engines to buildings. Like the "Know Nothing" political party that existed roughly contemporaneously with its early days, the OUAM failed to prevail, and seems to have lived out its remaining years like many other lodges, providing a venue for social intercourse and bestowing death and burial benefits for indigent members. Or was it another clever front for the insidious Illuminati? We have a winnerWorld's Ugliest Tower of Wood Construction in North Carolina. (The Gallery, John Vachon)
Bus Kennel: 1943
... neon sign is real neat. I would like to have seen it at night. Indianapolis Traction Terminal The buses are resting in the shade ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/25/2017 - 1:25pm -

September 1943. "Indianapolis, Indiana. A Greyhound bus station." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Neon Greyhound Dog RunningIn case haven't seen what the old Greyhound neon signs looked like in action. Eagle DownBoth of those eagles on the roof were moved and mounted at the entrance to the former State Museum, which was located in the former City Hall on Alabama and Ohio Streets. In 2012, while they were hanging some silly Super Bowl banners, the crane hit one of the eagles and destroyed it. It has been replaced with a new one, but a piece of history was lost. Running GreyhoundThe running greyhound neon sign is real neat. I would like to have seen it at night. Indianapolis Traction TerminalThe buses are resting in the shade of the Indianapolis Traction Terminal, built in 1904 and used by interurban electric railways until 1941. It was one of the largest terminal structures ever built specifically for interurbans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Traction_Terminal (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Esther Bubley, Indianapolis)
Louisiana Noir: 1932
... "Louisiana State Capitol at Baton Rouge. Tower lights at night. Gov. O.K. Allen. Weiss, Dreyfous & Seiferth, client." Where Huey ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2014 - 4:05pm -

September 1932. "Louisiana State Capitol at Baton Rouge. Tower lights at night. Gov. O.K. Allen. Weiss, Dreyfous & Seiferth, client." Where Huey Long was assassinated. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Period typicalThat looks very much like the Los Angeles City Hall. Or, particularly if there is an orange filter on the uplighting, the University of Texas Main Building (better known at The Tower). Both buildings date from the period of 1928-1934, although the UT Tower wasn't completed until 1937. Well, Martha, it's either the State Capitolor the Woolworth Building. Tower EnvyThe story goes that Huey Long liked the form of the Nebraska State Capitol (then under construction) but made sure his was going to be taller, which is why the one in Lincoln is the second tallest state capitol building. Every Building a PalaceThis is the kind of photo we Art Deco/Moderne fans live for -- an exceptionally beautiful twilight image, much enhanced by the framing provided by the shrubbery and the reflections in the water. UT TowerThe 1975 movie "The Deadly Tower" with Kurt Russell as Charles Whitman used this for UT Tower. The top portion of this is a polygon with many more faces than the square-shaped one in Austin so the drama of having to make the 90-degree turns at the corners on the deck as they approached Whitman is a bit muted. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
New Year's Eve 1956
... my mother always told me that December 31, 1956, was the night I was conceived. Now I know what was going on and what people were doing! ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 7:12pm -

December 31, 1956 (or January 1, 1957). A party my brother, then 19, went to. Other than recognizing a couple family friends, that's all I know about this Ektachrome slide. View full size. Village People"Photo by Patrick McGoohan." SphereThanks, No. 6; I was trying to come up with some snappy remark about the pink balloon, but I gave up. Conception DayThis is truly wild: my mother always told me that December 31, 1956, was the night I was conceived. Now I know what was going on and what people were doing! Shorpy Countdown!Hey Dave, where's the Shorpy Top 20 Images Countdown of 2008?! My votes go to the 1925 office Christmas party and the Krazy Kat series. [This year we have the "user-customizable countdown." Whichever photo you like the most wins! - Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, New Year, tterrapix)
Trick or Treat: 1948
Oct. 31, 1948. "Bond's, New York City. Night exterior, Fifth Avenue." Headless on Halloween! Large-format negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/14/2015 - 9:08pm -

Oct. 31, 1948. "Bond's, New York City. Night exterior, Fifth Avenue." Headless on Halloween! Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. And the address is...007 Fifth Avenue? Another Fallen TitanOnce the largest men's wear chain in the US. Founded in Cleveland, OH in the 1920s and with its major manufacturing site in Rochester, NY, it was in the process of being broken up and sold off piecemeal by 1975. Bond's popular prices made them the outfitters for working and middle class men whose business attire included a jacket and tie ... in those days, almost everyone but manual laborers and uniformed workers. Though Bond's styles were usually quite middle-of-the-road, I still recall with a shudder a Bond suit my parents bought for me in the '50s ... rust tan with a gold metallic pinstripe! I could not grow out of that wretched garment fast enough! At a glance... I thought this was a wider angle version of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" with the angle of that center window. Mighty Fine-Looking LinesNice post-war design, somewhere between art deco and googie...very sleek and clean looking! Just one thing bothers me, though; the light is out above the "O." I want to hop in my time machine and fix it! (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Light Industry: 1941
January 1941. "Textile mill working all night in Lowell, Massachusetts." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2018 - 8:20pm -

January 1941. "Textile mill working all night in Lowell, Massachusetts." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I'm near here all the timeThe Lowell Gas Light office on the corner is an art gallery now and the building on the right houses the streetcar museum, or did. Complete with ghost truckI wonder how long the exposure was? 22 Shattuck StreetEstablished in 1849, the Lowell Gas Light Company supplied piped coal gas that lit the city’s mills, businesses, and street lamps. Designed in the more contemporary and elegant Italianate style, the building contrasted with earlier Federal and Greek Revival structures downtown. Built to house the company’s administrative offices, the original building was added on to several times, the last being a 1920s gable-roofed rear wing containing a gas appliance showroom. - via Richard Howe's Lowell Politics & History Worth a visit todayLowell National Historical Park is a 141-acre urban park comprised of preserved canals, locks, mill buildings, and other historic structures related to textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. Having been raised in the Motor City (Detroit, Michigan), I am amazed to learn about the history and organized labor of an industry other than automobile manufacturing. We visit LNHP every time we visit our son and daughter-in-law in the Boston area, and learn something new every time. It’s definitely worth a visit. One can see the very same view that is shown in the Shorpy photo. https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm Beat streetA view that Beat Generation legend Jack Kerouac, a native of Lowell, undoubtedly saw many times. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
Hotel Rainbow: 1941
... No Vacancy Except for Ghosts and Spirits of the Night. Vacancy There's always room under the rainbow. First National ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2020 - 10:55am -

September 1941. "Buildings on main street of ghost town. Judith Basin, Montana." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Geyser MTIt's Geyser, Montana. The bank building is still there. No VacancyExcept for Ghosts and Spirits of the Night. VacancyThere's always room under the rainbow. First National BankA sturdy-looking brick building of fairly recent construction, but already an economy store, and then boarded-up windows. A sad, short life. (The Gallery, Frontier Life, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns)
Poor Guy: 1939
... block over from us for many years, used to go to sleep at night listening to it and the trains that went past the house. May Avenue is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2018 - 5:44pm -

July 1939. "Bed with roof over it in May Avenue camp, Oklahoma City." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. He May Not Be Down on His LuckHe's wearing a Cities Service patch on what looks like a uniform that is in overall decent shape. Probably has a job. Interesting history of the company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citgo [People sleeping outdoors on trash are down on their luck! - Dave] He may be down on his luck,But he's sporting a pair of well-used Chuck Taylors. AirbnbAir, Bed & Board. May AvenueI think many of the people of Oklahoma City have forgotten how rough it was here in those days. I wasn't born then, about 15 years later, but I heard a lot about it from my family. My great grandparents even had a land grant from the Run. The house I grew up in on the south side of the city had a working oil well one block over from us for many years, used to go to sleep at night listening to it and the trains that went past the house. May Avenue is very different now, of course. (The Gallery, Great Depression, OKC, Russell Lee)
Car Haven: 1963
... silly reason Google Street View shows this in the dark of night). That tall building at the right is the New Haven Railroad office ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2018 - 12:28pm -

1963. "Parking garage, New Haven, Connecticut. Interior looking down ramp. Paul Rudolph, architect." Photo by Ezra Stoller. Paul Rudolph Collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Car heavenSuch a highly evocative photograph. The dramatic lighting on the car on the left is downright cinematic, and the detail in the concrete of the formwork is endlessly fascinating, so wood-like in appearance. The swooping form of the overhead structures is lovely, and captured to maximum effect with the camera angle. Finally, those are the cars that populated the environment of my 6-year-old self, in that year, and seeing them casually parked and coming up the ramp is like some time-travel dream. Thank you, Ezra Stoller, whoever you are. You remind me in the best way of Samuel Gottscho. [His obituary. - Dave]         Mr. Stoller was not merely a documenter but also an interpreter of buildings, translating an architect's three-dimensional vision into two-dimensional abstract compositions that had a sweeping beauty of their own. Famous for his ability to capture a building from just the right angle and in just the right light, he was often commissioned by the world's leading architects, who spoke, in hopeful tones, of having their creations "Stollerized." All new all over againBetween these two Chevys, '54 on left and '59 on right, are huge differences in design (compare the hoods), and in between those were three vastly different designs, the '55-56, then classic '57 and my fav of all, the '58. Each very different in design and mechanicals. Those were the days of great new model rollouts. [The "Tri-Five" Chevrolets of 1955-56-57 were basically the same car with different sheet metal. - Dave] Little detailsA couple of things are revealed about both Chevies in the photo. The '54 is a stick shift otherwise you'd see the PowerGlide gear shift pointing at the 1:00 position behind the steering wheel. The '59 is an Impala by trim and a 283 by engine choice because of the "V" on the hood--a 348 would have cross-flags above the "V". The '55 Hudson and VW Bug say "me too"! [The “'55 Hudson” is a 1957 Rambler. -tterrace] Still ThereThis looks like the Temple street garage in New Haven CT (for some silly reason Google Street View shows this in the dark of night). That tall building at the right is the New Haven Railroad office building, now a board of education office building. Function and Form and FlairThe Temple Street Garage of New Haven, a fine example of urban architecture that deftly blends function and form. Architect Paul Rudolph said, "I wanted to make a building which said it dealt with cars and movemement. I wanted there to be no doubt that this is a parking garage." While most parking structures are unremarkable stacks of concrete slabs, Rudolph molded into this building gracious curves that invoke the motions of vehicles on superhighways. Stacked Board formworkBrutalism at its "finest". Note that the concrete is given its texture, rhythm and direction from the naked, unfinished boards stacked together as a concrete form. The wet concrete flows up against the boards and takes on the grain, not-holes and records the spaces between the planks. He could have used plywood forms, or smooth, non-textured formwork. The garage would have had a vastly different feel from those techniques. He also uses the formwork to create flat ceilings, arched barrel vaults and arched beams that go from column to column, as if this were a great medieval cathedral. Well, it was america in the 1950s and what other use did we have for religious architecture? Can we stand this stuff today? (Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Clinton L. King
... sax; Paul Bailey, drums, played an engagement Thursday night at Smalley's Lakeside Pavilion, Otsego Lake, Cooperstown. It is ... day, has an option on further work at Smalley's. Friday night they furnished the music at the I.O.O.F. sponsored clam bake at the ditto ... 
 
Posted by Sharon King - 09/20/2011 - 8:28pm -

My father played the sousaphone in this picture but he played several instruments. I used to curl up inside this horn and toot. I must have driven my parents nuts. View full size. Yo-Sko-Haro OrchestraNot all Shorpy fans will know that the Yo-Sko-Haro Orchestra, was the dance band of the Schoharie High school at Middleburgh (which according to the information I found has to be spelled with an "h"), NY. The Altamont, NY, Enterprise of Friday, September 13, 1929 reports in the Schoharie and Central Bridge Journal section: Ruland and his Yo-Sko-Haro dance band of five pieces; Charles Holmes, piano; Nick DeMarko, banjo, also doubling on guitar; Tom Pryor, violin and leader; E. C. Ruland, sax; Paul Bailey, drums, played an engagement Thursday night at Smalley's Lakeside Pavilion, Otsego Lake, Cooperstown. It is understood that the orchestra, which completed an eight weeks run at Warner's Lake Labor day, has an option on further work at Smalley's. Friday night they furnished the music at the I.O.O.F. sponsored clam bake at the ditto hall at Central Bridge. I am sorry your father was not mentioned in the 1929 article! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Music)
Sunset Lodge: 1918
... High beam I just wonder who had to climb a ladder every night to light the little lantern over their sign? Or maybe they just lit it on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/11/2014 - 1:35pm -

The Pacific Northwest in 1918. "Kissel Military Highway Scout Kar at Sunset Lodge." Our first look at what seems to have been a Kissel Kar promotion tied to the war effort. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. High beamI just wonder who had to climb a ladder every night to light the little lantern over their sign? Or maybe they just lit it on special occasions. [Maybe they had a pole. With a hook. - Dave] Porcelain welcomeNothing says "Howdy stranger!" better than a chamber pot waiting by the front steps. Kissel Kar in camouflageThis is the same car and driver shown here. That separate link carries fascinating information about this patriotic stunt, including a couple of captions from the newspapers of the day. The ladies, who do not appear in that other picture, must have been members of the staff at Sunset Lounge posing for a picture. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, WWI)
The Goblins Next Door: 1911
... in northern New Jersey. They had "Ragamuffin Day" the night before Thanksgiving. The preferred treats were nuts and apples. When ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 9:28pm -

November 1911. "Thanksgiving maskers." A door-to-door ritual for kids in costume back when Thanksgiving was a kind of proto-Halloween. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Ragamuffin DayMy mother grew up in the 1930s in northern New Jersey. They had "Ragamuffin Day" the night before Thanksgiving. The preferred treats were nuts and apples. When did costumes switch holidays?I remember reading about costumed children on Thanksgiving in the book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." When did dressing up make the jump to Halloween? Was it a gradual transition? Was this also a regional difference in the US? Trick or Turkey?SNL had a skit last week incorporating this concept. Is there really some historic basis for it? (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Kids, Thanksgiving)
Wash Ave.: 1906
... lots and isolated office buildings now. It's desolate at night. I doubt there's a single building in this picture left standing. I like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 7:15pm -

Newport News, Virginia, circa 1906. "Washington Avenue." Points of interest include bills advertising Morris Bros. "up-to-date hatters," a nice carbon arc lamp and the No. 43 streetcar. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. So sadI grew up in Newport News. This picture was taken about 20 years after the C & O railroad pushed east from Richmond to Newport News, transforming a sleepy fishing village into a boomtown. In the 1950s and '60s the black population in the downtown area grew and whites fled to the west. Most of the buildings along once thriving Washington Avenue slowly were abandoned and then demolished in the '60s and '70s. Save for the shipyard at the western end, most of the street is empty lots and isolated office buildings now. It's desolate at night. I doubt there's a single building in this picture left standing. I like the poster to the right of the Morris Brothers signs, for a performance of "Tom Sawyer" at Buckroe Beach about 10 miles away in neighboring Hampton. You could take the trolley from Newport News to the beach when this picture was taken. Not many telephones in those daysThe poles with the many small wires are for telephones. 10 insulators per row and 6+5 rows = 110 wires or 55 pairs for 55 telephones. Not much by today's standards. Re: Not many telephones in those daysMultiply by 3 to 5 for party line subscribers, but still not as dense as today. Of course, soon there will be virtually NO wires for phones... Ahhh, Newport NewsYears ago, there were signs stating "Sailors and Dogs, Keep Off the Grass" in Newport News. (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
Coffee Shop Cadillac: 1964
... "St. Clairs Coffee Shop and Mosher Record Store, Boston, night." Neon with a side of tailfin. 35mm negative, photographer unknown. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2015 - 10:44am -

"St. Clairs Coffee Shop and Mosher Record Store, Boston, night." Neon with a side of tailfin. 35mm negative, photographer unknown. View full size. HeadscratcherThe 1969 Boston phone directory lists the St Clairs Coffee Shop at 180 Tremont St., which matches the number on the door, and Mosher Music next door at #181 (indicating street numbering only on one side of the street - the Boston Common is on the other side of Tremont). But the building now at that address (as seen in Google Street View) has clearly been there since at least the 20s or 30s based on the architectural style. I'd be curious if any of the folks who have posted remembrances on the other photos from this set recall where this building was - has Tremont been renumbered since the 60s? Tremont doorwayThe doorway with the "rosette-like" decorations around it marked 182 Tremont at the far right in our photo above seems to match the door currently marked as 180 Tremont in the Google street level view. Edison Electric Illuminating CompanyGood eye, gwad! That is definitely a match. So, this places the St. Clairs' and Mosher Music on the first floor of the Edison Electric Illuminating Building, originally 180-182 Tremont St, but now renumbered as just 180 Tremont. Perhaps if the photo had been taken in daylight we'd be able to see the distinctive metal-edged overhang that appears on the building today, although it's possible that that's been retrofitted and wasn't there in the 1960s. Interestingly, the Edison building was home to one of Boston's first radio stations, WEEI ("EEI" standing for Edison Electric Illuminating). It still exists as an AM/FM sports station, although it's now located elsewhere in Boston. And now that the building is owned by Emerson College, their own radio station, WERS, has its studio space just where the St. Clairs' was. I always wondered why they put the radio station there; perhaps it was because the building was already fitted with an antenna (although I'm sure it had to be upgraded). In my research online I found that there was a St. Clairs' Fine Foods located nearby, on the corner of Berkeley and Boylston (where the Starbucks is now, for locals). I wonder if they were related businesses - the apostrophe in the same unconventional location is otherwise an unusual coincidence, perhaps. (The Gallery, Boston, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, Found Photos)
Reflections on a Stop Sign: 1936
... inexpensive red paint. The need to reflect headlights for night use led to extensive use of small round "button" reflectors inside the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2014 - 9:22am -

March 1936. Washington, D.C. "No caption (man with stop sign)." Our second look in as many days at traffic sign history. Harris & Ewing photo. View full size. Sliding tile game? Hey, boss, look at all the different words we can make if the letters can be swapped! TOPS SPOT POTS STOP POST Don't stop me, I'm on a roll here. Shapes, Colors and ButtonsThe color of this sign is likely yellow. While the octagon shape was adopted fairly early, making it red was optional in the absence of a durable inexpensive red paint. The need to reflect headlights for night use led to extensive use of small round "button" reflectors inside the text. This sign may have been testing letter coloring and reflectivity. Multi-purpose"And by simple letter substitution, the sign can urge the motorist to shop!" Upon close inspectionit seems the sign was a grade eight woodworking class project. Reflector buttonsModern stop signs also use spherical reflectors, but they are now teeny-tiny glass balls embedded into an adhesive tape, made by 3M. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Harris + Ewing)
1948 Chevrolet Fleetline
... headlights did for seeing where the heck you were going at night. But they too added coolnicity. That amber Indian face on the Pontiac ... 
 
Posted by Roland B. - 09/01/2010 - 8:03am -

Granddad Roland's brand new 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline in Omaha, Nebraska, 1948. View full size. Half blind in the gathering darkness, he pressed onWhat the sun visor did for aerodynamics, those chrome shields (in the color photo) covering the upper half of the headlights did for seeing where the heck you were going at night. But they too added coolnicity. That amber Indian face on the Pontiac hood (viz., Chief Pontiac) lit up. In the middle of the last century when I wrecked both of my parents' cars in six days, one was a 1942 Buick sportin' one of those visors. I think even that was totaled. The part sticking over the windshieldIs that a sun-visor or something? Windshield visorThey were a not-uncommon accessory back in the 40s and 50s. I'm not sure whether most people who got them did so for practical purposes or just to make their cars look cool, sort of like rear fender skirts. They sure didn't do anything for the aerodynamics. But coolness: 1948 Chevy FleetlineCost around $1400 or figuring the average yearly wage in 1948 of $2950 you had to work 6 months to pay for that car. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Imperial Hotel: 1940
... off the shelf at the grocery store and played cards at night. Went to a blind auction at the town hall. A wonderful weekend. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2020 - 2:09pm -

September 1940. "Old Imperial hotel built in Silverton, Colorado, during its heyday." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still GrandMy wife and I stayed there a couple of years ago, and it was a pleasant visit. The rest of Silverton keeps it grand. Still in businesshttps://www.grandimperialhotel.com Awesome photoI would have loved to see Silverton back then before the tourist wave hit. Beautiful little mountain town. I'll bet that building could tell some stories. I'm told this is where the phrase "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight" came from. Still a beautiful area. One of the most beautiful places on EarthI stayed here for four days about 12 years ago and found it to be incredibly beautiful and still largely unspoiled. It was Labor Day weekend and very uncrowded. The train pulled into the middle of town and there was a brass band under the streetlight. The statue of Christ of the Mountains made of Italian marble is impressive. When we were there the town had a dispute with the cable company so they cut off all the cable so we had no internet, no TV and one religious radio station. We went and rented old movies off the shelf at the grocery store and played cards at night. Went to a blind auction at the town hall. A wonderful weekend. I want to go back (The Gallery, Frontier Life, Mining, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
An Essential Part: 1939
... mill in Canal Flats, near Cranbrook, B.C. This was at night, and the lower portions of the burner were glowing red hot, and sparks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2019 - 7:05pm -

August 1939. "Pelican Bay Lumber Company. The burner is as characteristic of the Northwest landscape as grain elevators are to the Plains. There are many types of variations. It is an essential part of the sawmill. Disposes of sawdust and waste. Near Klamath Falls, Oregon." Photo by Dorothea Lange. View full size. Usually wigwam shaped.Most of these waste burners, at least in the Northwest, had flared sides (Google "wigwam burner.") Many of these rusty relics are still in place, although no longer used for reasons of air pollution. In addition, the scraps and sawdust from a lumber mill are no longer considered to be waste. They make up useful biomass which can be used for construction materials, mulch, fuel, etc. This impressive erection must have been an unusual case. [In other words, not shaped like a shuttlecock. - Dave] NSFWIs this the new Shorpy? Beehive BurnersIn British Columbia these were called beehive burners, since most of them had that shape. The last one I saw in operation was in the 1990s at a lumber mill in Canal Flats, near Cranbrook, B.C. This was at night, and the lower portions of the burner were glowing red hot, and sparks and cinders were flying out of the screen at the top into the dark sky. It was quite dramatic. The mill is still there, but the beehive burner is long gone. The City of New Westminster, near Vancouver, interviewed a worker who maintained a beehive burner here, and CBC television news covered an artist who painted them here. There's Gold In Them There Sawdust Now.When I worked for Georgia Pacific the sawdust was collected as logs and plywood panels were cut to size and sucked outside to a waiting freight car to be sent someplace where there must have been a deficit of sawdust. Unused wood, bark and damaged panels was also processed in a grinder and reduced to splinters before being sent off. There was very little waste generated. I always imagined the sawdust was sent to Pringles and combined with potato mush to be made into Pine Cone Delight Potato Chips. Off The Grid A sawdust burner is part of the plot in the C. J. Box novel "The Disappeared". (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Industry & Public Works)
College Ices: 1908
... to make a "college ice" as a treat for us kids on a Friday night. Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and whatever fruit was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2013 - 1:33pm -

Circa 1908. "Allyn House, Hartford, Conn." At the drug store: Egg Drinks and "College Ices." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A respectable lifespanDowntown Hartford has many nicely preserved older buildings, alas the Allyn House is not among them. Which isn't to say that it met a premature end. Built in 1857 as the city's first hotel, and standing at the northwest corner of Asylum* and Trumbull streets, it lasted a respectable 103 years before being demolished. It hadn't been used as a hotel for many years. The Allyn House was demolished on account of general decrepitude, not because the site was urgently needed for something else. In fact the site was a parking lot for a decade before the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center) was built on it. * = Asylum Street, one of Hartford's major thoroughfares, takes its peculiar moniker from the former name of the American School for the Deaf, once located along it. "College Ice"is just another name for the old fashioned ice cream sundae. My father used to make a "college ice" as a treat for us kids on a Friday night. Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and whatever fruit was available. Delicious. Allyn House (1857-1960)From whatwasthere.com: "The Allyn House, on the corner of Asylum Street and Trumbull Street, was the finest hotel in Hartford when constructed in 1857. It was designed by Octavius J. Jordan and was located near the railroad station. It was demolished in 1960. William T. Stevens was the proprietor of the Hartford Optical Co. Charles Avery sold boots and shoes at 148 Asylum Street." Philo W. Newton & Co.I looked up Philo W. Newton & Co., the drug store pictured above in the Allyn House, and found this from the Druggists Circular and Chemical Gazette, April 1904: "Charles F. German, a member of the firm of Philo W. Newton & Co., has recently been quite ill, but is now improving." Druggist, heal thyself. Or maybe that was the problem? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Private Hospital: 1939
... successfully using Edison's invention for lighting up the night, we are all in for a shock come January. The bulbs that now sell for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2011 - 11:30pm -

January 1939. Herrin, Illinois. "Operating room at Herrin Hospital (private)." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Now fetching $1,100.00 on FleaBayOr at some hipster antique shop near you. How many 25 watt bulbs does it take to perform an appendectomy? I hope the maid got all the dust off those fixtures! No More Incandescent BulbsAfter more than 100 years of successfully using Edison's invention for lighting up the night, we are all in for a shock come January. The bulbs that now sell for about 25 cents each will no longer be available. Our alternate choices will be costing us anywhere from $5 each to $50 each. Having personally used fluorescent lights occasionally, I found it to be a hassle and hazard to dispose of them (mercury and gas) and a few burned out within a couple of months. The LED's give a different light and cost more. The "halogen" bulbs get as hot as 800 degrees and start fires. This issue will come as a surprise to many low income people who can barely buy food and/or pay rent who will not have the money to replace $50 or even $5 lightbulbs. Just the facts ma'am, just the facts. [Mistaken notions vs. the facts. - Dave] More than 25 wattsJudging from the physical size, these are 150 watts or larger, as appropriate for the application. Very large incandescents are hard to come by nowadays, having been supplanted by halogen in this type of environment, and fluorescent or HID elsewhere. And no, one need not spend $5 for a compact fluorescent. At my local store, I can buy 60W incandescents for 32 cents each, vs. $2 each for a 14W CFL (four-packs). Even if the CFL only lasts 2,000 hours rather than 10,000, it will still save $10 in electricity. And yes, I have metered it. The math doesn't lie. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Medicine)
Flower Power: 1925
... to the public from 9 o'clock in the morning until 9 at night. Wise Byrnes, head of the greenhouses, will have charge. “It ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2014 - 8:27pm -

March 9, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Among the first to visit the 1925 Amaryllis Show at the government greenhouses on B Street was the new Secretary of Agriculture William M. Jardine." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Handling the new jobAs a new Secretary, Bill did not yet know all the rules. Unintended?What you see here can only be described as irony ColorizersHave at it! Jungle Reds Washington Post, March 8, 1925. Amaryllis Show Opens This Morning The twelfth annual amaryllis show of the Department of Agriculture will be opened at 9 o'clock this morning in the department greenhouses at Fourteenth and B streets northwest. The show this year will include 1,100 plants, ranging in color from the deep, rich red of the jungle to the pure white flowers which are the product of years of breeding. Each of the plants has from one to four flower stems, on each of which there are from two to six flowers or buds. The show will continue eight days and will be open to the public from 9 o'clock in the morning until 9 at night. Wise Byrnes, head of the greenhouses, will have charge. “It is largely due to his work and that of his father, who preceded him, that these flowers and the chrysanthemums which will be shown in the autumn, have been perfected to their present state of size, color and form,” the Department declared. William JardineJardine was later the president of the University of Wichita (now Wichita State University.) The old liberal arts building on campus is named for him. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Almost Done: 1911
... to me. - Dave] I'd like to see this scene at night illuminated by the hanging lamp! Well preserved City Hall (and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2019 - 5:16pm -

Portland, Maine, circa 1911. "New City Hall, Congress Street." Photobomb by our old friend the carbon arc lamp. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A Dead Ringer for NYCThis building was obviously inspired by the design of New York's City Hall, designed by Joseph Mangin and John McComb, Jr. (winners of the 1802 competition) and built 1803-1812. The relation of the side wings to the central block and the form of the tower are quite close to the original. The section at the back right is different nonetheless. Odd architecture?What are thos walls at the top? Very strange to see them just standing there. What is their purpose, or the style they embody? [They look like chimneys to me. - Dave] I'd like to see this scene at night illuminated by the hanging lamp! Well preservedCity Hall (and the building to its left) look almost the same as the original picture. It's nice to see they got the clocks installed. +97Below is the same view from October of 2008. (The Gallery, DPC)
Fasten Your Seat Belts
... and a line of light installations to guide the planes at night. On occasional Sunday afternoons we would go down there, pull off the ... 
 
Posted by Barrydale - 09/07/2012 - 7:42pm -

Greg Herbert remembers piling into the station wagon and the family heading down to LAX. They would make it an outing just to see the planes land. You used to get pretty close to the runaways before they built the big fences. Photo taken 1950's by Mary Herbert. I remember watching the planes land, tooIt was in Birmingham, Alabama, though, not LAX. There used to be a road that cut across the flight path between the end of the runway and a line of light installations to guide the planes at night. On occasional Sunday afternoons we would go down there, pull off the side of that road and watch a few planes fly overhead. That was in the early- or mid-1960s. They closed that road to the public well before 1969 when we moved away. The airplane is an American Airlines Douglas DC-7, possibly a freighter converted from a passenger version. This is the "two-five" complex, or south complex where the two runways are 25 Left and Right. The scene in the 1969 movie "Easy Rider" where Fonda makes the deal with Phil Spector (in his Rolls) was filmed right about here, behind the jet-blast deflectors that are still there. The north complex (runways 24L and R) was constructed in the very early 1960s. Crazy CaliforniansBoy you folks out there sure do things differently from the rest of us. I did a lot of flying in the Army and afterwards and thought I knew about airports. Runways are generally numbered according to the compass heading on approach, meaning they have reciprocal numbers at each end adding up to 36 (360 degrees). Not LAX! According to the airport map, the two runway pairs are 6-24(R,L) and 7-25(R,L), neither of which adds up correctly. Anyone know the answer? Those runway numbersThose runway numbers are correct. It's not that the two number add up to 360, but that there's 180 degrees between the two headings. So, for runway 6-24, subtract 60 from 240 and you get 180. The same for runway 7-25: 250-70=180. CrazinessThank you, Mike-76NYSV for correcting my miscalculations. I knew the runways were straight and they haven't changed the compass since I last used one. It must be my brain that's the problem! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
A Little Cottage: 1938
... all winter if possible, with bricks radiating heat all night as the fire died down to embers, to be rejuvenated ASAP in the morning. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/17/2017 - 12:13pm -

1938. "Thebideau (Thibodaux?) cabin, Franklin vic., St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Related name: Mrs. Streva." Photo: Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Alternate spellingsThis surname could also be spelt Thibedeaux or in several other ways. The first "e" is sometimes rendered as an "i," "a," or "o." As an amateur genealogist, I am often confounded by such alternate spellings, which reflect variations in dialect across Medieval and Renaissance France as well as later modifications made in the New World. Interesting DesignThat porch seems to double as an open-air hallway, giving access to all the rooms. Was that a standard design in those parts, back in the day? Thibodeauis the usual spelling here in Nova Scotia, from whence the Acadians were expelled by the British in 1755. Many ended up in Louisiana. From our National Post newspaper telling about a Thibodeau reunion here in 2013: "Don Thibodeaux, a former accountant from Baton Rouge, La., (Cajuns — Acadians who migrated to Louisiana after the deportation — add an “x” to the surname), traced his line to a spot near Moncton, N.B., only to discover it’s now a bowling alley parking lot." Note that after much wandering, many Acadians were allowed to return to Nova Scotia by the British, who gave some of them land 100 miles away from the fertile valley they had lived before the deportation. My sister-in-law hails from Clare. There is a lively tourism between Cajun country and the Maritime provinces of Canada due to a shared past. Plein Air!Porlock, yup: that is a typical Deep South feature of southern homes built way back BAC (before a/c), to allow fuller ventilation of the rooms. Also typical was a FULL hallway right through the house (a dogtrot), as shown in the below floor plan. The below plan also has the more typical southern arrangement of chimneys on the outer walls, so that the heat from them radiates or escapes out of the house, while the Shorpy example has the chimney in the center. In the north typically, the chimney would either be in the center, or it would cover an entire end wall. In both cases, the chimney would be waaay more massive than structurally necessary to retain heat. The fire would be kept going all winter if possible, with bricks radiating heat all night as the fire died down to embers, to be rejuvenated ASAP in the morning. ThibodeauxOne of the greatest Cajun names ever [of course, I'm a little biased]. I'm a descendant of Pierre Thibodeaux, first settler of that name in Louisiana in the late 1750s. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
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