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Playing Favorites :: Shorpy
Monday, June 14, 2021 at 04:44PM 
Greg Duncan (L) and TG at The Citadel, circa 1972
Many years ago, when I was a neophyte blogger, I became curious about what were considered the most successful and essential web sites out there.
It was mere seconds before I found an article listing and detailing such web sites.
I carefully perused the list, and then the sites themselves, and selected the only one that I knew would appeal to me for as long as there is an internet to browse and this web site is part of it.
And that web site is Shorpy. Self-described as The American Historical Photo Archive.
I have been a member for nearly eleven years, and I look at the site almost daily. I contribute with what I hope are pithy comments whenever I am able.
I also contribute two dollars per month to make my Shorpy experience ad-free. This is a relatively recent development; for many years Shorpy was already ad-free.
But times change, and there are expenses, and it's a small amount considering what you get, and it is so worth it to log in and have the ads disappear.
Shorpy is more than an online archive of pictures from the Library of Congress and other sources such as photos discovered in attics and antique stores and long-dead photographers' storage boxes, and countless family troves.
It is an invaluable deep well of the history of American life, captured on film.
If you like interiors, exteriors, history, photography (especially black and white), photographers, nostalgia, families, rural scenes, city lights, suburban life, small-town life, fashion, automobiles, airplanes, architecture, vintage signage, classic advertising, specific eras such as the turn of the century, mid-century, the war years, the depression years, and/or candid and posed shots exposing (haaha) both the remarkable and unremarkable about common folk, with what is noble and what is ridiculous -- and everything in between -- about them on full display, you will enjoy Shorpy.
The addictive and timeless site is named after a young man named Shorpy Higginbotham, "a 'greaser' on the tipple at Bessie Mine, of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co. in Alabama" circa early 1900s.
The site's owner, Dave, is erudite and exacting -- some might say a touch irascible and a trifle intractable -- but not stuffy. He does not suffer fools gladly, but in my opinion, most of the time, that is a plus.
Dave and those who help him with the administration of Shorpy are just as sharp and as dedicated and as important. Their standards are as high as the subject matter warrants, which is fine by me.
In my opinion, the value of the work they do cannot be underestimated.
The takeaway for me, again and again, is that the current consensus regarding what a horrible place the United States of America is and has always been -- so racist, so hateful, so arrogant, so selfish -- is not borne out by the tens of thousands of photos on this site.
All countries are flawed because all people are flawed. Life can be, and often is, very difficult ... for everyone.
Past is prologue.
I'm aware that there are many Instagram accounts (I follow a number of them), and perhaps countless blogs, that do essentially the same thing: share old pictures and historical information.
But no one does it like Shorpy. No one.
Shorpyites -- those who avidly follow the site's near-daily offerings, often posting funny, smart and informative takes on the photos -- tend to be loyal in the best kind of way.
With a few exceptions (there's always that one), I love reading my fellow Shorpyites' comments.
For example, every year during the Christmas season, we all gather around, not a Christmas tree, but this photo of an office party that took place during the festive season of 1925.
This picture gets a similar treatment that is no less anticipated and enjoyed.
As evidenced by the hundreds of comments these photos have garnered over the years, we have yet to tire of studying and remarking upon them every Christmas, as though it were the first time we'd seen them.
The best part of Shorpy pictures is that you can click to enlarge them and painstakingly study each quadrant (if you so desire) of each photo, looking for details that don't jump out at first glance.
The site is also infinitely searchable, by subject or name or place or era or whatever, and meticulously hyperlinked so that one thing can happily lead to another.
It's the very best kind of edutainment. I told TG the other day that I'd clicked into Shorpy and viewed a photo, which led to my reading online about certain people relevant to the photo, for nearly two hours.
You learn a great deal but it's so fascinating, you hardly realize that you are studying.
Shorpy is intensely American. It faithfully chronicles the America that was, and that many of us still remember, and that is now gone (in more ways than one).
The pictures that are posted -- sometimes a few a day, sometimes a few a week -- are as random as they are riveting. They depict snapshots of American life throughout much of the twentieth century and sometimes even of late nineteenth-century subjects.
If the camera does not lie -- and it is fortunate for all of us that so many photos were taken before there was a thing called Photoshop -- then this is as honest an assessment of American life that you will find anywhere.
Members are allowed to contribute and share photos via the Member Blog and Member Gallery. Their memories are priceless.
I did that once! You can see the photo at the top of this post and read what I wrote about it here.
No digital photos are allowed on Shorpy. All images must have been captured on film or plate or whatever medium there was prior to digital photography.
Many images are also for sale as prints.
If you are so inclined, check out Shorpy. If you think you'd like to contribute a comment at some point, I strongly urge you to read the stated protocols relevant to such activity.
In this case, they're more than just guidelines.
Keep to the Code. And bring your A game.
Above all, enjoy! There is so much to learn, so much to wonder at, and so much that will inspire your awe and gratitude.
Shorpy is hands-down and without question my favorite web site of all time.
And that is all for now.
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Happy Monday :: Happy Flag Day
Reader Comments (20)
I love the pic of Greg - stache and all. Such a good looking guy, and of course, the uniform is always a bonus! I'll be checking Shorpy out!
It sounds wonderful, and all encompassing. Do they let you copy and save the photos?
@Mari ... Haahaha yeah he was quite the looker and still is. Good thing he's not stuck on himself! I think you will find Shorpy a pleasant diversion if you're looking for one! xoxo
@Ginny ... all-encompassing and engrossing too! I have shared Shorpy photos to my desktop and even used them as my background. xoxo
I've been looking through Shorpy and just found a fun photo of people at the beach, with outfits that covered their arms and legs - titled Sunbathing! I think that's the bathing suit for me!
It really is a fun site!
@Mari ... Haahaha yes I remember a recent photo with folks at the beach, wearing those cover-all bathing suits! Can you imagine? You sure wouldn't need sunscreen! I'm glad you like Shorpy ... xoxo
I never heard about Shorpy. I went over and checked it out and I did see/read the picture you shared of your hubby and his friend from way back in 1972. I am going to have to bookmark it and come back and spend more time on it. Sounds very interesting! Thanks for sharing it; I probably never would have found it on my own :)
betty
@betty ... I hope you will check it out when you have more time. I think you'll find it very interesting! Love to Winslow! xoxo
I must return! You have mentioned this marvelous site before, and I visited. Then, like so many things, it skipped right out of my mind. -sigh- Time to rectify this situation.
And recalling a conversation we recently had.... Oh mercy, he was and is, gorgeous!!!! -smile-
Gentle hugs,
🏊 😊 🏊
I’m afraid my comment from last night didn’t go through again? It showed up right after I posted, so I thought I was good?
@Mari-Nanci ... Haahaha I hear you! Lucky girl! I couldn't remember if I'd ever mentioned Shorpy before. My mind is a sieve ... xoxo
@Bijoux ... oh dear, now that is something I have never heard before, in all of these years! I don't even know how that is possible. At any rate I am so sorry; I don't know what to say except, there was no comment from you for me to approve! I will contact Squarespace and complain. Please don't be discouraged from commenting! xoxo
Testing
Oddly, I think it works if I don’t fill in my email and URL. I’ll try that from now on!
I checked out the Cleveland photos on Shorpy and they were delightful. Do you just randomly visit the site or do they notify you when someone has posted a new picture?
I so appreciate folks who take the time to share their pictures online. I came across a site through a county genealogical society where people posted 120 year old pictures of the town my grandfather grew up in southern Ohio. And would you believe someone posted class pictures from that era outside the one room schoolhouse?! I found two of his older siblings in some pictures. I was very happy because I have no photos of his family and he died before I was born. So grateful!
@Bijoux ... I see you! I hope that's the answer. I know that I do have it set that no one can comment anonymously. So maybe that's it. I'm so glad you found some photos you like on Shorpy! To answer your question, with the exception of the Member Blog and Member Gallery (which TBH I rarely look at), there are only two people who post to Shorpy. And I just check every day or so; I don't get a notification. I agree that any and all effort to post historical pictures is truly a noble and worthwhile effort. I don't belong to Ancestry dot com but I did do a trial about ten years ago and was able to see some pictures of long-dead family members that I had in fact known. You could spend your whole life following all of the breadcrumbs but I just decided I didn't have the time to devote to that. But I'm so grateful to those who do! xoxo
Ooo that looks like something that can keep you occupied for hours! Just looking at the office Christmas party one you can see that there must have been some office drama! Plus it took me
a minute to find the oil can and the bear! Thanks for that recommendation, I put the site with my favorites!
Thank you for sharing Jenny. I enjoyed reading your post.
Handsome men, I love men in uniform ... I love when my Sam is wearing his uniform.
FYI ... During the year of COVID our National Guard set up testing areas. At the start they wore their uniforms, with the American flag on the shoulder!!! Well our Governor said it was too scary for people to see uniformed National Guard, the rest of the summer, Sam had to wear grey scrubs.
@Jeanette ... Isn't that Christmas office party picture something? I promise you'll lose an hour if you start going face to face to face and try to figure out what people were all about, nearly a century ago. My guess is that they weren't much different from how we are today. But such fun to search and study and speculate! Yes the bear and the oil can ... like, whaaaat was going on, haaaha! I know you'll enjoy checking Shorpy out from time to time. xoxo
@Carla ... SCARY? Oh my word. Libs are such snowflakes! What is WRONG with people! I thank God for your Sam and my Andrew, and all military personnel. The stuff they have to deal with nowadays -- in ADDITION to all that they already had to deal with -- is staggering. God bless them. xoxo
New to me! I am going to love this! Thank you kindly for being so doggone cool!
@Gayla ... haaahahaaa PIRATE! I warn you: Shorpy is addictive! But in a very good way. Hours and hours of good clean fun. xoxo
This could become addictive. I love Fountain of Youth 1941 - the ax hanging on the wall just above the boy at the drinking fountain makes me chuckle. (I must have a morbid sense of humor.) Love seeing the clothing and hair styles of the times.
@Barb ... I studied that picture for a long time too! Not likely that an ax would hang on the wall in any school now, given some students' violent proclivities, for whatever reason. We live in a different world. I like looking back and those long-ago days. I hope you will enjoy Shorpy as much as I have and do almost daily! Its the absence of commentary (except by the clever commenters) that I enjoy most of all. xoxo