Thank You to Richard Sloan!

[JMadonna]

(09-04-2012 06:44 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Jerry - you are 100 % right!

Those ARE electric lights - possibly 1910's! My aging eyes couldn't see them til I blew the photo up!

Thanks a bunch!

No problem, a trained historian once showed me how to examine old pictures. I still have problems with women's hairstyles from the 1840s.....

[RJNorton]

Bet you didn't know that your pal, Jay Silverheels, became a harness racing driver in his later years.

[JMadonna]

(09-05-2012 07:43 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Bet you didn't know that your pal, Jay Silverheels, became a harness racing driver in his later years.

You right Kemosabe, me not know!

[Jim Garrett]

I believe this image dates to early 1900's. I think they changed to the lighter paint with dark trim around the windows dates to the 1920's. I have a couple of different images from the 20's and 30's of the "lighter" Ford's

[Wesley Harris]

Note that the display case 'Story of the Assassination' includes the Deringer pistol. a large bowie knife and small folding knife attributed to Booth. But the big knife is not the same knife that Ford's now displays as Booth's. The big bowie knife is now in storage and a smaller dagger-like knife is now displayed as Booth's. It appears in the other photograph as one of three knives take from the conspirators or their effects.

[Dave Taylor]

I saw that too Wes. At least they had it right once... We'll get them to right the knives one of these days.

[BettyO]

....And Powell's saddle with the stirrups on backwards!

[L Verge]

Good luck getting action down there. Ever since the big re-do several years ago, the management at Ford's seems to be in disarray (for want of a better word).

[Wesley Harris]

(09-09-2012 12:27 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Good luck getting action down there. Ever since the big re-do several years ago, the management at Ford's seems to be in disarray (for want of a better word).

I know they are short a curator/historian but it seems the current employees aren't true students of the assassination like many of the former staff.

[Dave Taylor]

Lindsey and I just left Ford's (we're grabbing sushi at the boardinghouse right now) and I'm happy to report the stirrups have been fixed. I was told by the Ford's Society Exhibition curator that this had been fixed a couple months ago. Since we were in DC, we went in and checked. I'll post a picture when we get home.

It's going to take more to convince them of NPS' mistake regarding the knife, map, and keys.

[BettyO]

Hooray!!! Fantastic! Thanks a bunch, Dave - it paid off!!

Enjoy the Sushi! I'll have to try that next time I get to the Boarding House!

[Linda Anderson]

(09-04-2012 05:42 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Found this photo of Ford's today - have never seen this particular view - taken in 1877 - at least that is what the website stated.... I love the old iron weight hitch that the horse is tied to! These were carried in the conveyance and then dropped to where ever you wanted to hitch the horse. No hitching post needed....

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

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(09-04-2012 05:19 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Richard just sent some more old Lincoln Museum snapshots. Thank you, Richard!

CLICK HERE

Thanks, Richard and Roger! These are priceless. It's always refreshing to see things as they once were....

I asked Betty for help in deciphering the name of the laundry next to Ford's. She told me the name is Yale Laundry so I did some research to see if we can date the photograph. The Yale Steam Laundry buildings on New York Ave closed in 1976 and have recently been converted into condos. According to Wikipedia, "The original buildings [on New York Ave] were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1999."

The application can be found online: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/T...000332.pdf "Frank H. Walker and Frank E. Smith established the Yale Steam Laundry Company in 1885...The first office/cleaning facility of the Yale Steam Laundry was located directly across the street from Ford's Theater and adjacent to the Peterson House (1849) where President Lincoln died. Although not originally constructed as a commercial building, the three-and-a half-story structure at 522 10th Street, N.W. (later identified as 518 10th Street) was renovated by Walker and Smith to provide cleaning and storefront facilities...By 1896, the company maintained a second store at 1104 14th Street, N.W. The expansion of the business prompted F.H. Walker and Company to have a laundry plant constructed at 43 G Street, N.W., directly behind the United States Government Printing Office at 708 North Capitol Street...While the majority of work taken in by the Yale Steam Laundry was always commercial and institutional, the company did maintain regular street routes and satellite offices throughout portions of the city to service household or "housewife" laundry (as it was called in the period).

"On April 15, 1902, F.H. Walker and Company was granted a building permit for the construction of a new cleaning plant at 437 New York Avenue, N.W. (Square 514, Lot 5)."

The 1905 City Directory lists Yale Steam Laundry at 518th 10th St. NW. However, in 1906 the address changed to 517 10th St. NW, next to Ford's Theater, where it remained until at least 1923. The application to the National Register of Historic Places never mentions the 517 10th St. NW address and Fold3's collection of City Directories ends in 1923 so that's as far as I can trace the 10th St. branch for now.

The above photograph was most likely taken between 1906 until at least 1923. It could have been taken during the Coolidge administration, as Jerry suggested. F. H Walker and Company sold the business in 1917 and the business was sold again in 1939 to the Conger family who in turn sold it in 1976. Any relation to Everton Conger, Rob?

Here are some more photos of Ford's Theater. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcplcommons/3420862749/

[L Verge]

Great information, Linda. Thanks for tracking this down.

[Dave Taylor]

Here's a picture of the corrected saddle.
   

[BettyO]

Great! Thanks ever so much, Dave!!

And thanks to the NPS for correcting this!

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(09-09-2012 01:53 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  

(09-04-2012 05:42 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Found this photo of Ford's today - have never seen this particular view - taken in 1877 - at least that is what the website stated.... I love the old iron weight hitch that the horse is tied to! These were carried in the conveyance and then dropped to where ever you wanted to hitch the horse. No hitching post needed....

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

---

(09-04-2012 05:19 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Richard just sent some more old Lincoln Museum snapshots. Thank you, Richard!

CLICK HERE

Thanks, Richard and Roger! These are priceless. It's always refreshing to see things as they once were....

I asked Betty for help in deciphering the name of the laundry next to Ford's. She told me the name is Yale Laundry so I did some research to see if we can date the photograph. The Yale Steam Laundry buildings on New York Ave closed in 1976 and have recently been converted into condos. According to Wikipedia, "The original buildings [on New York Ave] were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1999."

The application can be found online: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/T...000332.pdf "Frank H. Walker and Frank E. Smith established the Yale Steam Laundry Company in 1885...The first office/cleaning facility of the Yale Steam Laundry was located directly across the street from Ford's Theater and adjacent to the Peterson House (1849) where President Lincoln died. Although not originally constructed as a commercial building, the three-and-a half-story structure at 522 10th Street, N.W. (later identified as 518 10th Street) was renovated by Walker and Smith to provide cleaning and storefront facilities...By 1896, the company maintained a second store at 1104 14th Street, N.W. The expansion of the business prompted F.H. Walker and Company to have a laundry plant constructed at 43 G Street, N.W., directly behind the United States Government Printing Office at 708 North Capitol Street...While the majority of work taken in by the Yale Steam Laundry was always commercial and institutional, the company did maintain regular street routes and satellite offices throughout portions of the city to service household or "housewife" laundry (as it was called in the period).

"On April 15, 1902, F.H. Walker and Company was granted a building permit for the construction of a new cleaning plant at 437 New York Avenue, N.W. (Square 514, Lot 5)."

The 1905 City Directory lists Yale Steam Laundry at 518th 10th St. NW. However, in 1906 the address changed to 517 10th St. NW, next to Ford's Theater, where it remained until at least 1923. The application to the National Register of Historic Places never mentions the 517 10th St. NW address and Fold3's collection of City Directories ends in 1923 so that's as far as I can trace the 10th St. branch for now.

The above photograph was most likely taken between 1906 until at least 1923. It could have been taken during the Coolidge administration, as Jerry suggested. F. H Walker and Company sold the business in 1917 and the business was sold again in 1939 to the Conger family who in turn sold it in 1976. Any relation to Everton Conger, Rob?

Here are some more photos of Ford's Theater. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcplcommons/3420862749/

Fantastic! Thanks to you, Linda for defining this!!