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March 30, 2008
On the Sorrows of the Plains
I was digging through a box of photos I've had for years but hadn't looked through in a while when I came across this school photo. It's a kindergarten class most likely from Blair, Nebraska (the photo is credited to A. E. Hanna Blair, Nebr. on the back). I'm guessing it dates from around 1930.
Here are a few close-ups.
To see the close-ups of the entire class click here.
Posted by nick at 10:33 PM | Comments (3)
March 26, 2008
Bad Girl
Posted by nick at 08:40 PM | Comments (1)
March 25, 2008
Just Plane Joe
Posted by nick at 02:03 AM | Comments (1)
March 24, 2008
The Limits Of Memory (I think I remember this place)
On the back is written, "Pretty good for the both of you to be on the move, you'll probably recognize the places. I think I remember this place." though the writing on the front must have bled over from another photo that stacked on top of it.
Posted by nick at 02:06 AM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2008
Regarding The Infinite In Oswego
"Southern Pacific Bridge across Willamette River between Menefee Siding and Oswego."
Posted by nick at 02:20 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2008
First Snow
Posted by nick at 01:37 AM | Comments (3)
March 13, 2008
On The Limits Of Memory (Summer 1958)
Posted by nick at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
March 12, 2008
In the Park
Posted by nick at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
Pets
Posted by nick at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2008
Touch-Down
What Was On (In Space) has arrived!! 50 photographs of the television coverage of the golden age of space exploration. Click here to see them all!
Posted by nick at 09:42 PM | Comments (1)
March 07, 2008
In the American West
This is some 16mm home movie footage from my collection of a rodeo in Dubois, Wyoming in 1927. It came from the estate of a wealthy Illinois family (wealthy in 1920s-30s anyway) who vacationed at a dude ranch near there. The footage is a bit problematic- my copy of the film is a dupe made in the 1930s and obviously the speed of the transfer was off so the whole thing runs a little fast. Also, like a lot of old film, unfortunately it's shrunk slightly which makes it a little jumpy. I have another reel taken at the rodeo which I'll hopefully get transferred at some point- it features a cowboy/indian tug-o-war (the indians are Arapahoes by the way). At some point I'll do a cowboy/indian show over at Square America but for now enjoy the film (the first bit's a little slow but it picks up from there)!
*Thanks to Andy Uhrich for the transfer!*
Posted by nick at 07:57 PM | Comments (1)
March 06, 2008
Teaser
I'm working on a new show that should be finished by Monday. It's another in the What Was On series of TV photos (for those of you who don't care for these photos--it should be the last one for a while). This one will called What Was On (In Space) and feature photos of various NASA missions in the 60s and early 70s. Most of the photos are from a large lot I got of photos of a couple different Gemini missions to which I've added a bunch of photos from later Apollo missions. One of my earliest memories is of watching the first moon landing (I was 4). I think its worth remembering that most people watched those missions on B & W TV sets (often with poor reception) making the race to the moon even more other-worldly. Of course, the broadcasts also feature some very cool 60s graphics. Here's a little sample.
Posted by nick at 06:32 PM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2008
Jack Ashore
jack ashore phr. [late 19C-1900s] larky, excited, tipsy. [jack tar, n. and his habits when in port] From Cassell's Dictionary of Slang.
When Jack's ashore he'll make his way, to some old boarding house.
He's welcomed in with rum and gin, likewise with fork and Scouse.
And he'll spend and spend and never offend, 'til he lies drunk on the ground.
But when your money's all gone it's the same old song,
"Get up Jack, John sit down." Traditional sea shanty
Jack Ashore
For a score of years, the condition of the sailor in the port of New-York has been rather worse than that of the plantation slave in the palmy days days of Southern Slavery. He was bought and sold, beaten, robbed and murdered. On landing here from a foreign voyage he fell at once into the hands of the sailor's boarding-house keepers- a class of men who Legree would have acknowledged to be his superiors in heartless wickedness. He was systematically made drunk and kept drunk, until his money had either found its way over the bar of his boarding-house, or had been deliberately robbed from his person. The New York Times. August 5th, 1872.
...The night scenes of the dance-room give the truest idea of the contaminating influences that are exerted for the moral impoverishment of sailors and the enrichment of the landlords. Behind the bar, appropriately is situated the crib, wherein are held the revelries which draw our mariners down to a criminal level... In a low-roofed dimly lighted apartment, only a few feet square, a reeking audience gathers. The "dance" is, of course, a bold euphemism for indescribable sin... In writing here we cannot be more specific. From the article Jack Ashore by William H Rideing in the July 1873 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine (subscribers only).
In doing my (admittedly cursory) research on the phrase "Jack Ashore" I was surprised at how many of the articles I found portrayed sailors as helpless innocents who were preyed upon by boardinghouse keepers (in addition to the Times and Harper's articles above see also this chapter from Darkness and Daylight; Or Light and Shadows of New York Life by Mrs. Helen Campbell) rather than focusing, as assumed they would, on sailor's wild behavior when in port. Though I did find one Times article that painted a less forgiving portrait of sailors.
Most of the photos I do come across of sailors on shore leave have little to do with drunken carousing. I recently went through a box of photos from the estate of a man who served in the US Navy during the 20s & 30s and the only photos I came across that even hinted at bad behavior were this pair of photos: The first of a pair of Hula girls dancing on board the U.S.S. Richmond,
and the second, a souvenir photo labeled with a curious disclaimer, "Wild Man With Tail, Not On Board U.S.S. Henderson."
Most of the photos I come across are, perhaps not surprisingly, of WWII sailors simply posing for portraits.
Though some are better than others.
Unfortunately, I guess that most sailors who set out for a wild night in port simply chose to leave the camera back on board the ship.
Posted by nick at 06:28 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2008
Miss Russia (In Disquise)
Posted by nick at 01:35 AM | Comments (1)