Obscurorant 2.0

Some links concerning Massachusetts-That-Was:

The Ghost Cloverleaf of Canton

A picture of one of the original Howard Johnson’s in Wollaston.

And while we’re in the wayback machine - vintage posters for sale online.

I’ve been meaning to post these Flickr links for a while…

The Boston Public Library’s collection on Flickr. Includes this awesome set of posters for long-vanished Boston breweries and this set of war posters. Great stuff to dig through.

The Library of Congress on Flickr. Reaalll easy to get lost in there.

Here we have a set of Scholastic book covers from the 60s and 70s, some of which I can remember. No Dynamite magazine covers though.

UPDATE: I neglected to point out (for those interested) a number of Quincy postcards from this BPL set:

Aerial view of Quincy. The old Fore River bridge. The Square. Thomas Crane Library.

While we’re dabbling in old photographs, take a look at this series - titled ‘Medieval Boston’ posted on a message board. It’s an absolutely fascinating look at downtown Boston before the urban renewal projects of the 50s and 60s, before the Central Artery and the destruction of the West End.

Underrated song by an underrated band.

Greetings - Robilar from Mars.

Creature Double Feature!

Here we have a reminder of a) a time when TV actually turned itself off and b) just how Catholic New England is.

Some non-Boston extras:

Danger Island.

Adam-12.

Folks who have an interest in warbirds, like myself, or those who are real pilots, like a couple of my cousins, might find this site of interest: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields. The site is organized by state, and each state is subdvided into several regions.

The first entry for the Massachusetts: Southeastern Boston area is the Squantum Naval Air Station, which was located on the grounds that now make up the Marina Bay complex in Quincy. The marina, where I’ve enjoyed many cold beers on warm summer evenings, surrounds what was once the basin for seaplane landings. There is also a park there that I’ve never visited and needs must add to the itinerary.

This past weekend I had occasion to venture down to the Fore River Shipyard, in order to catch the shuttle to George’s Island in Boston Harbor. I’ve written before of the Shipyard’s role in American naval history and while waiting on the dock I tried to imagine what the place was like during its hey day. Of course it’s largely empty now, with cranes and other industrial equipment rusting away in the shadow of the Fore River bridge while the U.S.S. Salem rides forever at anchor, but during the Second World War about three hundred thousand men - roughly three times the current population of Quincy - toiled here. All sorts of folks must have passed through Quincy, from welders to Admirals - and also actors.

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From Shorpy, that most excellent (old) photo blog, a picture of Hank Gowdy, late of the Boston Braves.

Other Old-Timers: Oscar ‘Happy’ Felsch and The Babe mugging with John McGraw.

Some time ago I published a brief post musing on the ‘Syrian’ neighborhood in Quincy. Today I came across this photo, with the following caption:

In center of the picture is Phoebe Thomas, an 8-year-old Syrian girl, running home from the factory all alone, her hand and arm bathed with blood, crying at the top of her voice. She had cut the end of her thumb nearly off, cutting sardines in the factory, and was sent home alone, her mother being busy. The loss of blood was considerable, and might have been serious.”

Evidently the photo was taken in Eastport, Maine, not Quincy.  If you like old photos, I highly recommend Shorpy: The 100 Year Old Photo Blog, where found the Maine picture.  Here’s another interesting look into the past: Provincetown, 1935.

Around here Patriot’s Day is as much known for the Boston Marathon and an early start (10:00 AM this year I believe) for the Sox as it is for the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Frankly, I’ve been as guilty of the above as anyone else, but this year I plan to change that by attending some historical, as opposed to sporting, events.  I intend on dragging myself, my camera, and anyone who wants to come along to see the reenactment of the skirmish on Lexington Green (at 5:30 AM) and possibly the battle at the Old North Bridge.  I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that despite being a Massachusetts native I’ve never attended either of these events.

N.B: You can find a decent summary of things happening on and around Patriot’s Day by going here.

The Boston Public Library is digitizing their maps and making them available online. I love the Google maps-style control that allows users to zoom and scroll.  I was able to get a good look at Q-town circa 1877 and see how much my neighborhood has changed.

The other night I was taking another look at the Library of Congress picture gallery I mentioned earlier and this picture gave me food for thought. Note the caption:

A Syrian neighborhood near the shipyards. Slum area where many shipyard workers live. Winter Street, Quincy, Massachusetts.”

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My good friend Cass is an avid, and skilled, photographer. One of her ongoing projects is tracking down and shooting shadow ads all over the Boston area. It’s a very cool idea and I’m really enjoying the results.

Those of you with an interest in the history and architecture of Boston, should stop by The City Record and Boston News-Letter, a blog on those very subjects.  You can start with this interesting post about Edgar Allen Poe Square.

Enjoy some alte schule regional flavor: Dana Hersey in the Rat, Kenmore Square, sometime during the 80s.