Homeless During The Depression
This scene is from 1932 along the waterfront. Our copy of the original news caption from the rear of the photo is incomplete. Continue reading
Old New York In Photos #148 – Homeless Shanties 1932
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Tag Archives: Great Depression
Managers Connie Mack & John McGraw Decide Who Bats First At The First All-Star Game
Athletics Manager Connie Mack & Former Giants Manager John McGraw Have A Contest Before The First All-Star Game 1933
Photo shows – Manager Connie Mack of Americans (left) Manager John McGraw of Nationals choose for first up with the aid of a bat.
In the game of the century played at Comiskey Park, Chicago, July 6, the picked team of the American League defeated the picked team of the National League 4-2. Photo: Acme July 6, 1933
It’s hard to believe that this is how they decided home field advantage in the American League’s Comiskey Park for the first All-Star Game, but it’s true.
Kids used to do this in pick-up games in parks to see who would bat first. Continue reading
Joe DiMaggio Ends His Holdout For More $
Joe DiMaggio Signs A Contract, Then Autographs For Fans – April 23, 1938
Back In Harness With Fanfare
Back in his Yankee uniform after a long holdout, Joe DiMaggio is shown April 23 in the home ballpark in New York City as he obliged autograph-seeking youngsters in the bleachers. The San Francisco slugger expected to be in playing form within a week. The Washington Nationals celebrated DiMaggio’s presence in the park by beating the Yanks 7-4. Photo: Associated Press April 23, 1938
Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez recently signed a seven year $141 million contract. Mets pitcher Max Scherzer will earn $43,333,333 in 2022. Mike Trout possibly the best position player today will earn $35,541,667 playing for the Angels this year.
In 1937 Joe DiMaggio’s second year in the majors, he played 151 games, scored 151 runs, with 215 hits, 46 home runs, 167 RBIs and posted a .346 batting average. He also walked 67 times while striking out only 37 times.
DiMaggio was paid $15,000. Continue reading
New York Scenes From “Central Park” – The Movie 1932
Central Park 1932 Movie, On Location Shots
An out of work man, a beautiful woman, gangsters, an about to retire visually impaired cop, an escaped lion and a robbery at The Central Park Casino make up the plot of Warner Bros. 1932 drama Central Park. Continue reading
New York City’s Famous Drake’s Restaurant 1900-1937
Drake’s Restaurant Was Open 24 Hours A Day For 37 Years Until Labor Troubles Set In
In our previous story we briefly told the story of Jack’s a famous New York restaurant that never closed. There was another “never closed” restaurant which was a New York institution for 37 years.
Drake’s was located at 111 West 42nd Street near Broadway. The restaurant was founded in 1900 as Rigg’s as part of the Rigg’s chain. Continue reading
American Magazine Advertising 1904 – These Companies Are Still Around 117 Years Later
Part I – Advertising From The Century Magazine October 1904
Companies That Have Survived
Whitman’s chocolate as it was advertised in 1904. The company was started in Philadelphia in 1842 by Stephen Whitman. In 1877 he began to box chocolates. Russell Stover Candies is the current owner.
While browsing through The Century Magazine issue for October 1904 I couldn’t help but notice the advertisements.
While a great many of the firms are out of business, a surprising number are still around today. For part one we will look at the ads of the companies that are still here in 2021. They’ve survived different owners, mergers and changing public tastes. It’s interesting to see how these enduring products once portrayed themselves with strong images or many words or a combination of the two.
Let’s have a look.
We may not have servants drawing baths for us now, but you can still buy a bar of Pears’ Soap and give yourself a bath. Founded in 1807, the worldwide company is now run by Unilever. Continue reading
Baby Ruth – She Wasn’t Fat Enough
At Over 800 Pounds Baby Ruth Pontico Wanted To Be The First Woman To Weigh Half A Ton
She Didn’t Make It
Baby Ruth Pontico Ringling Bros Circus Fat Lady 1941 photo AP
A Big Baby
Weighing 16 pounds at birth does not necessarily mean you will become the Fat Lady of the circus. But during a time in history when people enjoyed staring at human oddities, its better to be paid for having people gawk at you.
Ruth Smith was born on February 8, 1902 in Kempton, Indiana. At age one her weight was fifty pounds. By age ten she was 300 pounds. Continue reading
New York City Tourist Attraction Ticket Booklet 1934
Hotel Victoria’s 1934 Three Day All Expense Tour Booklet Of New York City
Accommodations, Fancy Dining, Night Clubs, Museums, A Bus Tour, Ellis Island, Top Of The Rock & More – All For $11
In the midst of the Great Depression visitors still came to New York to see the sites. If you were staying at the Hotel Victoria (7th Avenue and 51st Street) you could purchase this booklet with prepaid tickets for accommodations, entertainment and various attractions around the city.
When I acquired this booklet the most valuable tickets had been used by the previous owner. Though there is no date on the booklet. The directors of each attraction are listed, and based on that information I was able narrow the date of the booklet to 1934.
So for $11 this is what you got. Continue reading
Salary – $6,500 A Year
Ad Says, $6,500 Per Year. That Was A Good Salary?
It Was.
When?
Bad Timing, Just a Few Months Before the The Crash Of 1929
This ad appeared in the 1929 World Almanac
Here is the snappy, convincing text form the ad.
I used to know him when he was a kid—we went to grammar school together. Then his father died and he had to go to work, Got a job with Brooks & Co., but couldn’t seem to get ahead. Then something seemed to wake him up. We could all see that he was doing better work.
“Then Old Man Brooks became interested—wanted to know how Ned happened to know so much about the business, Ned told him he’d been studying through the International Correspondence Schools. ‘H’m,’ said Mr. Brooks, ‘I’ll remember that.’ .
“We did too. Put Ned out on the road as a salesman for a year or so and then brought him into the main office as sales manager.
“He’s getting $6500 a year now and everybody calls him ‘the new Ned Tyson.’ I’ve never seen such a change in a man in my life.”
An International Correspondence Schools course will help you just as it helped Ned Tyson. It will help you to have the happy home—the bigger salary—the comforts you’d like to have.
At least find out how before the priceless years go by and it is too late.Mail the coupon for the free booklet.
$6,500.
In 1929 it was a grand salary.
This advertisement is similar to what online colleges do today. Just take courses through a correspondence school. The inference is that you too could be making $6,500 per year. That may not sound like a lot of money now. Adjusted for inflation by the consumer price index that’s the equivalent of $97,464 in 2019 dollars.
The problem with Ned’s job and millions like it, is the stock market crash would occur just months after this ad ran. Continue reading
Classic Hollywood #85 – Cary Grant, Queenie Smith & Emanuel Cohen
Cary Grant and Queenie Smith Attend The Emanuel Cohen Banquet
Screen Folk Fete Studio Head
Hollywood, Calif.: When a testimonial dinner honoring Emanuel Cohen, studio head, was given last night, all of filmdom turned out in their finest. Among the many stars present at the gala affair, were Queenie Smith, motion picture actress, accompanied by Cary Grant, handsome screen lover and estranged husband of Virginia Cherrill, beautiful motion picture actress. Hollywood wonders if this is a new romance. Credit photo: Wide World Photos 10/13/1934
For Cary Grant and Queenie Smith there was no romance. The publicity agents at Paramount made sure Grant escorted women to various Hollywood events. At the time Grant lived with actor Randolph Scott, an arrangement that lasted until the early 1940s. Cary wed heiress Barbara Hutton in 1942.
But, who was Emanuel Cohen?
Paramount Pictures, Emanuel Cohen on the set of a film
Cohen is one of the forgotten behind the scene power brokers of the 1930s film world. As vice president in charge of production at Paramount Studios, Emanuel Cohen (1892-1977) was largely responsible for keeping Paramount afloat during the Great Depression. In the early 1930s the studio was essentially bankrupt. Continue reading