High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

[Jon]

Steam tractor pulling grain separator along a country road, central Ohio - 1938.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg

[Jon]

Overhead crane lifting all 81t of Ae 3/5 10205 at the Zürich SBB workshops, 1941.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg

[Toolmaker51]

Geez. All I'd like is 5-8t over my JigMil, in far less headroom of 15' 6".........deposit smiley of lament here.

[Jon]

Road roller. Hungary, 1920.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg

[skibo]

Ever notice it seems that every guy wore a hat of some type in the early days?

[volodar]

Ever notice it seems that every guy wore a hat of some type in the early days?

Sure do, it´s so very conforming. My wife contends that it was because it was the simplest way of preventing debris, lice, etc. in the days before obsessive daily showers. I think it´s a silly but harmless fashion statement. During a summer job in my early twenties c1960, a supervisor lectured us with ¨a man is not properly dressed without a hat.¨ I knew it was bs even then. I do wear a billed cap when sailing, or cleared to land late afternoon into the sun, or driving a convertible with the top down. Never when not needed, unlike some of my students during class!

[mklotz]

Up until the latter half of the twentieth century, men's hats were a strong indicator of social status. This article...

https://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/117987.html

provides more detail on the subject.

[volodar]

The line about hat tipping reminded me of a Scientific American article, early seventies?, about a hat-tipping device patent of years past. Gentlemen could perform a hat-tip by squeezing a rubber bulb in a pants pocket. Airline was routed under back of jacket, along neck, behind ear and into hat. Ridiculous in the extreme, but I think it was granted, year unknown. Drawings showed bowler hats.

[mklotz]

The line about hat tipping reminded me of a Scientific American article, early seventies?, about a hat-tipping device patent of years past. Gentlemen could perform a hat-tip by squeezing a rubber bulb in a pants pocket. Airline was routed under back of jacket, along neck, behind ear and into hat. Ridiculous in the extreme, but I think it was granted, year unknown. Drawings showed bowler hats.

I remember that article. There are a lot of really weird patents out there; thankfully, most of them never made it to production.

[Jon]

One example: https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=00556248