A freak hail storm hit the Nation’s Capitol. Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1938. The rain storm, brought down pellets of hail as large as moth balls. The hail pellets pierced cloth auto tops as if they were made of paper-mache. Rep. Patrick Boland of Pa., House whip, inspected the hail storm (Harris & Ewing, photographer April 29, […]
Month: April 2016
Ellis Island was the gateway to America for millions – remarkable photographs and film of their arrival
Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the nation’s busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. Millions of newly arrived immigrants passed through the station during that time–in fact, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current U.S. […]
Extraordinary photographs from 1914 of immigrant families in west Texas
Lewis Wickes Hine (September 26, 1874 – November 3, 1940) was an American sociologist and photographer. Hine used his camera as a tool for social reform. His photographs were instrumental in changing the child labor laws in the United States. Below are some photographs he took in 1913 in Texas with his comments. The song below, […]
The large family of William Rall in Sheridan County, Kansas were prepared for the winter in 1939 – great pics
Sheridan County, named for General Philip Sheridan, was organized by William Stevens; W. M. Rogers; W. C. Hausafus; and K. A. Ellithorpe, on June 2, 1880. Sheridan County contains the towns of Hoxie and Selden. Local legends in Sheridan County states that Sam Morgan was believed to be the earliest settler in the county, and […]
Migrant children in Michigan in 1942 – remarkable photographs tell the story of their life
We often think of California having migrant workers, however, they traveled throughout the United States. In July of 1940, photo/journalist John Vachon took these remarkable photographs of migrant children in Berrien County, Michigan. Migrant child, Berrien County, Michigan July 1940 Migrant children, Berrien County, Michigan July 1940 Migrant child from Arkansas, Berrien County, Michigan 1940 […]
Fashion Fads are nothing new but the hobble skirt is really strange from 1910 – this is why it became popular
Hobble Skirt One short-lived fad around 1910 was the hobble skirt. A hobble skirt was a skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer’s stride. Parisian fashion designer Paul Poiret designed the restrictive skirts. Observed Mrs. Hart O. Berg It is thought he may have been influenced by observing the behavior […]
A cool vintage film of a day at the beach in San Francisco in 1903 and everyone is in suits and hats!
Life was certainly different in 1903 when this film was taken. People dressed much differently for a day at the beach compared to today. This film above by American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. taken in 1903 is an afternoon panorama of weekend crowds at the north end of Ocean Beach, the western shore of San […]
Morven, Princeton, New Jersey – property was purchased from William Penn [pics, story & film]
Beautiful pictures and film of this historic house! In 1701, Richard Stockton purchased, from William Penn, the 5,500-acre property. His grandson Richard Stockton (1730–1781) had 150 acres, on which he built the house that his wife Annis Boudinot Stocktonnamed “Morven”, after a mythical Gaelic kingdom in Ireland. *Note: Some of the language below may be a little antiquated because […]
This is What You Can Do When You Did or Said Something You Shouldn’t
YOU CAN’T UNRING A BELL By Joyce Ray Wheeler (b. January 4, 1926- d. November 1 2012) Stuck between pages of my Bible is a torn page from a legal pad on which I had written hurriedly these words. “When a thing is done, it’s done. You can’t un-ring a bell.” These words are not […]
Take a ride on a train in 1902 with this rare film of San Francisco Bay area before the bridge was built
This steam engine train ride in San Francisco in 1901 must have been thrilling! The film is photographed from the front of a moving steam engine and it shows the scenic portion of the Ferries and Cliff House Railroad route along the bluffs and cliffs of Lands End (at the northwest corner of San Francisco) […]