Category Archives: Photography

Brooklyn Dodgers Begin 1955 With A Long Winning Streak

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Dodgers Shortstop Pee Wee Reese Counts Down The Wins To A Perfect Season

Brooklyn, NY – The undefeated Brooklyn Dodgers tonight equaled the Major League record of nine consecutive games won at the start of a season, by defeating Philadelphia 3 to 2. The only remaining member of the 1940 Dodger team which also won its first nine games of the season, captain Pee Wee Reese, prepares to draw a line through number 146 after tonight’s win. Looking on is Walt Alston. The mark was first set by the Giants in 1918 and the St. Louis Browns also won their first nine in 1944. photo: International News Photo – Herb Scharfman 4/20/1955

The Brooklyn Dodgers would go on to set a new record winning their tenth consecutive game the following day, beating Philadelphia 14-4. The Dodgers finally lost a game on April 22 to The New York Giants. Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #180 – Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island

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The Elephantine Colossus or Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island c.1890

For over 150 years Coney Island has attracted visitors to sample its beach, cuisine and amusement parks.

This magic lantern slide photograph shows an attraction that was more of a curiosity. Though It was only in existence for 11 years, hundreds of thousands of people came to see the Elephantine Colossus.

It was not a ride, but Continue reading →

Classic Hollywood #176 – Greta Garbo Is Interviewed 1938

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Greta Garbo Answers Questions Aboard The MS Kungsholm October 7, 1938

Great Garbo (1905-1990) was never fond of the press. The star’s apocryphal line of “I want to be left alone” did apply to almost everyone outside of her circle of close friends.

So it was rather surprising that Garbo allowed reporters to speak with her, after staying in Europe for ten months. Traveling back to the United States aboard the Swedish American Line MS Kungsholm, 100 reporters gathered in he ship’s lounge to question the Swedish Sphinx. Garbo then cagily semi-answered their questions.

Garbo Talks

“Did you ever say I want to be left alone?” a reporter queried. Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #179 – Grand Central Depot In Color 1895

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Grand Central Depot Circa 1895

It’s 12:20 in the afternoon according to the clock at Grand Central Depot as horse drawn vehicles congregate nearby.

We are looking north from 41st Street and Park Avenue. This contemporary colored magic lantern slide is from around 1895. Continue reading →

Classic Hollywood #175 – Vivien Leigh

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Vivien Leigh Stays In England -1943

Will Remain In Britain For The Duration
Vivien Leigh, who won swift fame as Scarlett of “Gone With The Wind,” plans to return to the American movies, but not until the war is over. Miss Leigh, pictured here in London, and her husband, Laurence Olivier,returned to Britain in January, 1941, during the height of the air blitz. He joined the fleet air arm and she signed for the leading feminine role in “The Doctor’s Dilemma,” by George Bernard Shaw. “Both my husband and I felt that we should return to England,” she said “and we both feel that we should remain here until the war is over.” photo Wide World 3/23/1943

Eight years earlier in May 1935 Leigh debuted in the play The Mask of Virtue at London’s West End. The 21-year-old beauty became famous virtually overnight. Six film companies, three British, three American offered her a film contract. Leigh signed with Alexander Korda for ten pictures in five years for £50,000. Continue reading →

Baseball’s First Electronic Ball – Strike Machine – 1950

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Branch Rickey Inspects An Automatic Umpire, Electronic Ball Strike Indicator

Newest Dodger
Vero Beach, FL –  (L-R) Branch Rickey, Dodger President, Dick Shea, electronics engineer from General Electric, umpire Bill Stewart and Fresco Thompson scout for the Dodger system. They are looking over Rickey’s newest pet – a mechanical umpire that calls balls and strikes and gives speed of pitch over the plate.It is worked by means of a magic eye. It won’t replace the human umpire because it can’t operate at night. photo: Gunther-Keystone 3/15/1950

The machine pictured above was called the “cross-eyed electronic umpire.” It was claimed the machine “could call balls and strikes closer than any normally endowed arbiter.”

Always the innovator, Branch Rickey said, “I expect it to be of definite value in determining the abilities of young pitchers since the machine also will establish the velocity of a fast ball as well as to show beyond question whether the ball is in or outside the strike zone.”

But Rickey also emphasized that he machine was “not intended now or ever to replace manual umpiring in actual games.” Continue reading →

Can You Spot The Turn-Of-The-Century Champion Coney Island Lifeguard?

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Which Of These Lifeguards Is Captain Thomas Riley Who Saved Hundred Of Coney Island Swimmers?

This circa 1900 Detroit Publishing Co. photograph is captioned “Capt. Riley and Life Guards, Coney Island, N.Y.”

But which of them is Captain Riley? Click on the photo to have a much closer look.

The obvious choice would be the man in the cap wearing a dark colored shirt that says “Balmers Life Guard.”

Wearing a lifeguard shirt does not mean you are one or in charge of a group. Continue reading →

A New Baseball Introduced At Spring Training 1931

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Manager Connie Mack Shows Pitchers The New Baseball To Be Used For The 1931 Season

Connie Shows His Men How The New Ball Works
Fort Myers, Fla: Connie Mack, veteran chief of the Philadelphia Athletics explains the new ball to Walberg, Grove, Rommel and Shores as spring training gets under way here. 3/5/1931 photo International Newsreel

With a new lively baseball introduced after 1920, it was no surprise that balls started to travel further. But as the 1920s progressed and hitters kept hitting more and more home runs, baseball writers, fans and those within the game felt that the hitters had achieved too much of an advantage. So after a decade of increasing run production, the National and American Leagues made the decision to try and curb the scoring by changing to a new baseball.

Big Numbers

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Old New York In Photos #178 – Elevated At Eighth Avenue & 110th St

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View Of Eighth Avenue At 110th Street – 1906

Our Detroit Publishing Co. photograph is from 1906 and shows Eighth Avenue looking north.  It is at this juncture the Ninth Avenue elevated completes its turn from Ninth avenue to Eighth Avenue at 110th Street and proceeds uptown.

As usual there was a postcard issued that almost certainly came from this photograph. The advertising and perspective are exactly the same, but the postcard contains many alterations.

For dramatic effect Continue reading →