1932 Pic

[Boxerken]

Interesting pic, thought i would share. Love the knickers and the specs
http://www.shorpy.com/node/4477?size=_original

 

[Fletch]

What an incredible slice of life THAT is...just a happenstance gathering of passersby caught in the rich detail of the large-format view camera.

The Shorpy commenters concur the gent in the plus-fours must be the driver of the Victoria. He looks too much different - neater, for one - than everyone else to be from the neighborhood.

The rear license plate begins with U-4, suggesting a D.C. tag from 1932, '33, or '34.

FWIW, this is one of very few '30s pics I've seen on Shorpy.com that didn't originate with the WPA or Farm Security Administration.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The guy at the left in the work clothes is saying "Yeah, buddy, this gonna cost ya. This gonna cost ya big."

 

[Mr. 'H']

For ease of viewing here is the picture:

 

[Fletch]

And another one, taken further back.

If I had to guess, the Vicky's driver turned right off 14th onto Q and did not see the cab, because the Ford just to his right (which also appears to be a cab) was blocking the view. He then rear-cornered the first cab, which ended up on the sidewalk.

This was probably taken before the close-up shot, as the cab to the right of the Victoria had pulled away.

Look just back of the struck cab, in between it and the tow truck in the background, and you will see the presumptive driver of the Victoria, hand to his head. He got himself together enough to pose with the passersby for the next shot, but didn't unmuss his hair.

 

[Lefty]

Lots of nice pants there.

 

[carter]

Kinda like the look of the guy on the right wearing the cap with the bottom of his sweater rolled up. He's looking at the car.
The black gentleman in the fedora is looking down the street.
The guy who is dressed like a mechanic (finger at nose) and the guy in the white shirt (behind the woman) are looking at the car.
Everyone else (except extreme left) is looking at someone/thing to the left of the picture.
I wonder what they're looking at. Interesting expressions...caution, trepidation, anger?

 

[Fletch]

Hmm. I thought everyone except the one looking down the street was looking either at the car, the photographer, or each other. There had to have been some unspoken tension across the races in that place at that time.

Maybe more than usual, too. While googling around I learned that in August, 1932, a U.S. park policeman had been beaten to death by a street gang in Logan Circle, which is very near the site of this accident. The gang members were Black; the cop, White. Three of them were tried, convicted, and eventually, electrocuted (in the District's very own chair).

According to this page, D.C. electrocuted 20 men from 1930-'39, all of them Black.

 

[Lefty]

ambulance?

 

[Fletch]

Where?

 

[Lefty]

Sorry, you responded before I did. I was guessing at an answer to Carter's question.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Once again...

...I'm reminded that the past isn't what is used to be. When you see a candid shot like that it really shows what many people really wore -- and it's much more casual than is generally remembered.

 

[Fletch]

Oh, I don't know, really...Most have suit pants, a buttoned shirt (most are white), and hardsoled shoes. The youngster with the ball bat is even wearing a tie! The one lady we can really see is quite well turned out in her two-toned, ruffled dress and pert hat.

Keep in kind this was summer (see the cranked-out windshields?) in a humid region. Many more men went jacketless than might have in straitlaced New York or Boston. You'd have seen the same in any Southern or Midwestern city. (My theory is that so many more photos were taken in New York than anywhere else that it's affected our perception of people's modes of dress.)

BTW, you know times are tough when you see a sign selling USED TIRES.

 

[Dinerman]

I like the spectator shoes on the left, as well as the man in the second shot with the vest, buttoned shirt, and homburg, standing behind the kid with the baseball bat.

 

[Fletch]

The dark-skinned, broad-shouldered gentleman in the left of the second shot is wearing an optimo panama you'd probably have to pay $200 for these days...and he has breeches style pockets! So my suit from San Francisco is period authentic after all!

 

[galopede]

All sounds good but all I get is a Page Not Found message with a Shorpy heading!

Gareth

 

[Fletch]

Try searching [ 1932 ] on the Search Shorpy box at top right of the homepage. The 14th and Q pix should be the first 2 hits you get.

(Doing this for a few years in a row suggests that the taking of large-format vernacular photographs slowed to a dead stop between 1930 and the beginning of various Federal projects in '35.)

 

[ScionPI2005]

That's a real awesome photo. It's a great slice of sociology from the 30's. Thanks for posting that; it's my current desktop picture now.

 

[Pyroxene]

That almost looks like current day downtown New Braunfels, TX. err... not the people and attire..of course.

 

[JimInSoCalif]

Wow, there is are some beautiful images at that site - it is new to me. It sounds like there are more pictures of that '32 Ford, if so, I don't see them.

In 1932 and maybe up through 1934, Ford made about every body syle that has ever been used on a car. Someone, probably here, and probably Fletch or Fliver told me how many, but I have forgotten. I am thinking 27 maybe.

Cheers, Jim.