1940s Trousers - Sepia Saturday

I couldn't find pinstripe trousers to match this week's prompt but thanks to Australia and my old pal creative commons I did find something else.

Three men, almost four, all in trousers and with two pairs of braces on view.

Soldiers and sailors line up for minor clothing repairs - Brisbane 1940.
(State Library of Queensland)

My post is short this week as I am at my daughter's in Michigan with three dogs waiting to play ball. 

However make sure you see what other Sepians have set out at Sepia-Saturday-192

Car Charging - Sepia Saturday

There was a time when a car would have been regarded as a newfangled contraption. I'm not sure that the prompt falls into that category.

At a time when we are told that the great motor city of Detroit is in trouble we may need reminding that not all newfangled ideas caught on.

Detroit Electric Car Charging - 1919

(By Cress-Dale Photo Co, Seattle - Library of Congress)

However manufacturers had been long sighted enough to have to have a highly valued electric car. This one with the delightful name of Grandma Ducks Car made it to the Brussels Autoworld Museum in 1916

(By Teesu Mantynen, Salo, Finland - CC BY-SA 2.0)

In this car both the bonnet and boot spaced were used to carry batteries used to propel the car. The Brougham body was typical of American cars which were appreciated in city use for being clean and quiet. They were highly valued for social events such as parties, galas and theatre visits.

We are right to ask whether the car industry has learned anything since.

Detroit cars made it all round the world and here's an early one I would have liked, but it was before my time.

A 1925 Gray Tourer (made in Detroit) in Brisbane, Australia

I know nothing about today's electric cars either in Detroit or in the UK. The local TV in North East England recently reported that 25% of charging points for electric cars in the area had never been used. And only last week there was a report that the Liberal Democrats were considering adopting a policy of banning petrol and diesel cars from 2041. Guess that's an idea that I shall never see - it would make me 104!

For other way out contraptions - newfangled or otherwise - drive over to Sepia-Saturday-189.

Top Hats - Sepia Saturday

This week's photo made me think of parties and then events where ladies get dressed up in their finery and the men wear top hats.

However the pair in my first photo don't look in the mood to party.

A veteran with his wife (1860s)

  (French Archives de la photographie 1840-1940)

He appears to be wearing a British Crimean War medal with bars - although it had previously been said that it shows an American Civil War (1861-1865) veteran, a dubious attribution. His wife is sporting a bonnet with ruffles, a paisley shawl and gloves.

The next pair are in party mode.

Cover of Puck magazine, 1916 Sep 9.

 (United States Library of Congress - Author Ralph Barton))

This photo was captioned:

                       "8:15 P.M.": Man, wearing top hat and tails, looking at extravagantly dressed woman, who is seated on floor with large cushions.

Gentlemen, if it's a cheap hat you want how about this? Not sure about the rest of the outfit though.

John Tenniel Illustration 1869 - Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Back in 1932 no public opening was complete without ladies in hats, fine dresses and of course dignitaries in top hats.

Opening of the Grey Street Bridge, Brisbane 30 March 1932

Governor Goodwin and party walking across the Grey Street Bridge after its opening. Sir John and Lady Goodwin with Neil Campbell and his wife, walking over the Grey Street Bridge. The men are wearing morning dress, top hats and spats. Lady Goodwin and an unidentified woman are carrying bouquets.

The Grey Street Bridge was renamed the William Jolly Bridge in 1955 after William Jolly, the first Lord Mayor of Greater Brisbane.

For more jolly japes you need to pay a visit to Sepia Saturday 126

Sepia Saturday - Hold very tight please! Ting-ting!

Omnibuses always remind me of the song ‘Transport of Delight’ by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. For those that don’t know it you can check out the lyrics  here.

One of the oldest pictures I could find was of these omnibuses of William Winterbottom, Hill End, Brisbane, ca 1889

 (Held in the John Loxley Library, State Library of Queensland)

The fleet of omnibuses is stationed outside some houses at the Hill End area of West End, Brisbane. Members of the Winterbottom family are posing with the vehicles.

Then I found these stereoscopic views from the Robert N Denis collection created in c1889, currently located in the New York Public Library

 South-Ferry, New York. Arrival and departure of omnibuses to all parts of the city.

Publisher: E. & H.T. Anthony (Firm)

The first recorded use of the word 'omnibus' as a designation of a vehicle occurred in a printed memorandum dated 3rd April 1829. Written by George Shillibeer (1797-1866) to John Thornton, the Chairman of the Board of Stamps (from whom a licence to operate in London was required), it announced that Shillibeer was engaged "…in building two vehicles after the manner of the recently established French omnibus…"

Shillibeer's service, between Paddington Green and the Bank, commenced on 4th July 1829 and introduced a new type of vehicle to the roads of Britain. This date is generally regarded as the start of omnibus history in Great Britain.

Shillibeer's First Omnibus

Shillibeer's first vehicles were box-like structures pulled by three horses abreast, with a rear entrance on which the conductor stood. Seating was on longitudinal benches with passengers facing each other. Later vehicles, including those of other operators, were generally smaller, pulled by just two horses.

 The 1911 built bus, number B340 (reg. LA 9928), built and operated by the London General Omnibus Company owned by the London Transport Museum, on the London to Brighton run, Sunday 7th May 2006.

Flickr user "Jon's pics" http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakedcharlton

(Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license)

B340 has been owned by the London Transport Museum since it was taken out of service in the 1920s. It saw service in the First World War taking troops to the trenches of France.

The vehicle behind is the Routmaster RM1, a celebrity vehicle in its own right, reduced to providing service as a tender vehicle for the day and given the job of following the B Type for 70 miles to Brighton. And back!

Now if you wish you can listen to the Flanders and Swann lyrics sung by Ian Wallace at http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/zT0lmusukAE

To visit other sepia posts check out Alan's Omnibus 98  

Up the Pole - Sepia Saturday

Alan's image of ladies with banners made me think of the suffragettes at first but then I had other ideas as you will see. I used 'poles' as my theme.

In deference to the ladies this is the first I came across

Brisbane fete 1915 (by John F Shale)

Group of women behind the counter at the fete, Brisbane, 1915. The ladies are helping out at the Produce Store stall at the Rosalie-Milton Patriotic Fete. The stall is decorated with bunting and flags and has a large banner over the stall advertising Advance Australia Produce. (The pole is horizontal this time). [Held by the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland]

In a gentle pursuit I discovered two ladies on a river with one fishing pole.[New York Public Library; Robert N Dennis collection of stereoscopic views]

One pole led to another but somehow I don't think the suffragettes would have approved of this:

Stripper on a pole

Perhaps I'd be on safer ground with an image of a maypole.

From a Little Pretty Pocket Book; 1767 Isaiah Thomas

I'm sure you will have noticed that all the ladies have disappeared. Now I switched to an even older theme - the hero of the Battle of Dettingen in 1723, one Thomas Brown.

Tom Brown House (sign)

You may read all about Tom's heroic exploits at The Valiant Dragoon. The sign remains in Yarm Town Hall, and has yet to to be erected on Tom's old house in the town. The colours he carries in the picture are those he recovered from the French at Dettingen.

Flags surround the statueof another local hero.

Andrew Mynarski VC, RCAF

Mynarski's statue stands outside the St George Hotel adjacent to the Durham, Tees Valley Airport. The hotel used to be the Officers' Mess at RAF Middleton St George. Mynarski was awarded a posthumous VC in October 1944. You may read his story at A Hero's Salute.

Don't forget to visit Sepia Saturday 95