Above Excerpt from Saltaire Brochure from mid 1930's text courtesy Larry Lynch
Post card showing original dock, Casino and Yacht Club
click to enlarge
Jon Lyon chimes in about the white lines on Broadway:
"Someone brought up an interesting observation on the white line boardwalk borders What was the state of street lamps at this time? If low wattage electrical, or dare I say, gaslight, the borders may have served an additional sightline purpose (beyond assisting the expected sway-walkers of your common nighttime Saltarian).
-Jon Lyon
Hugh O'Brien responds:
" I did notice, without commenting upon, the apparent absence of street lamps, and certainly electric poles, in that shot. Clearly this was pre-electricity, which came in in 1937 (with typical Saltaire timing), and if Harry Sr. is right about the prospect and no St. Andrew’s, then this would have been no later than 1920...which I think pre-dates most public lighting, or at least widespread lighting. That might have made the white lines that much more imperative. If only we could enlarge the photo sufficiently and zoom in to see if we could pick up any Harding-for-President buttons on the denizens’ pantaloons.Think of all the old summertime jobs no longer available in Saltaire...gas lamp lighter...line painter...telegrapher...telegram delivery boy...ice man...Casino shuffler...dune leveler...hurricane debunker...fire gong warden...rum runner, obviously...
-- Hugh O'Brien
Meanwhile, Jeff Weinlandt seemed a little peeved that Hugh is talking about "telegraph delivery boy" as if it were a part of ancient history. Not so, sez Jeff:
Jeff W: "And to think I was once paid by the Saltaire Postmistress 15 cents for each telegram I used to deliver from the Post Office...I was about 12 years old...and 90% of the telegrams went to Frank White's house...I guess Hugh was too young to realize that telegrams were still common in the late 1950's..."
Jeff Weinlandt
1 comment:
Jon Lyon chimes in about the white lines on Broadway?
"Someone brought up an interesting observation on the white line boardwalk borders (if you hadn't already): What was the state of street lamps at this time? If low wattage electrical, or dare I say, gaslight, the borders may have served an additional sightline purpose (beyond assisting the expected sway-walkers of your common nighttime Saltarian).
Post a Comment