Vintage work crew photos

**Rikk** · Jan 31, 2020, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by greyhoundollie

While I can't exactly point to the exact item the girls are wearing etc, as a whole it looks staged to me. Shoes too shiny I think and fold creases in a new pair of store bought overalls etc. However I dont think that because this pic looks staged it didn't happen that women carried ice chunks of that size. I do feel that they could represent other women that actually did that work.

My grand parents had a frozen food locker at the Ice Plant in town 8 miles away. I remember in 1958 my grandmother swinging a huge chunk of ice over her shoulder with tongs when she picked it up. She loaded it up in the pickup and drove home to cook for tomorrows 30+ men in the thrashing crew. I think I will go out this spring and look around to see if I can find one of her set's of tongs around the estate.

I think I mentioned before that my grandmother had been a novice Nun before being called home to take care of her mother and twin sisters. Women were tougher then. ....... ESPECIALLY........ the NUNS!

I'd bet your Grandmother had bigger arms then those two...

I'm 49 and I still have nightmares about nuns..

**greyhoundollie** · Jan 31, 2020, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Rikk

I'd bet your Grandmother had bigger arms then those two...

I'm 49 and I still have nightmares about nuns..

Does a the sight of a 12" wooden ruler make you cringe wither or not it has a metal edge on one side?

**Rikk** · Jan 31, 2020, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by greyhoundollie

Does a the sight of a 12" wooden ruler make you cringe wither or not it has a metal edge on one side?

Indeed, as does a wooden paddle the size of a loaf of bread....
It's funny, when I am in public and catch sight of a nun, my back gets straighter and I check to see if my shirt is tucked in. I wonder if they have a private nod and smile when they notice people like us in public who have flashbacks. "Ah Sister, another one who still remembers..."

**jdurand** · Jan 30, 2020, 05:32 PM

Cool!

Maybe they're the actual delivery people but they were warned to look nice for photo day.

**Hoosiersmoker** · Feb 6, 2020, 08:11 AM

Making a big handle on a big machine for another bigger machine! Date unknown but must be early 1900's

**Hoosiersmoker** · Feb 6, 2020, 08:14 AM

You can't bring in the big guns without these guys making 'em first! Cue some AC/DC! Circa 1911

**Frank S** · Feb 6, 2020, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Hoosiersmoker

You can't bring in the big guns without these guys making 'em first! Cue some AC/DC! Circa 1911

Kind of makes my 56" by 140" between the centers lathe look like a toy by comparison now I want that one. I would probably use it to make sewing needles

**Radioman** · Feb 6, 2020, 08:46 AM

I wonder if these big machines are still in service in the United States? Somehow I doubt it. If I had to put my money on it these machines have either been scrapped or relocated in Asia. It’s a crying shame what has happened to the manufacturing capability of the United States of America.

**hemmjo** · Feb 6, 2020, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Radioman

....It’s a crying shame what has happened to the manufacturing capability of the United States of America.

It certainly is!!! More than being a "shame" it is down right SCARY. I taught Industrial Technology (the old Industrial Arts with more emphasis open ended problem solving) for 35 years, retired in 2009. Since I left 11 years ago, the shops have been shutdown and replaced with "Tech Prep" using teachers who have no how to do real problem solving. Instead they give the kids "problems" then the kids "solve" the problem b duplicating the solution the teacher had in mind. Rather than letting them REALLY explore possible solutions.

It is bad!!

**bruce.desertrat** · Feb 6, 2020, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by hemmjo

It certainly is!!! More than being a "shame" it is down right SCARY. I taught Industrial Technology (the old Industrial Arts with more emphasis open ended problem solving) for 35 years, retired in 2009. Since I left 11 years ago, the shops have been shutdown and replaced with "Tech Prep" using teachers who have no how to do real problem solving. Instead they give the kids "problems" then the kids "solve" the problem b duplicating the solution the teacher had in mind. Rather than letting them REALLY explore possible solutions.

It is bad!!

Well, American Manufacturing output has steadily increased all along, with drops due to recessions and such. What has declined precipitously is American manufacturing employment. The US makes a lot of big complicated stuff...it's just all done by robots and computers. I agree that it sucks that we don't have more universal Industrial Arts Education, if for no other reason that teaching kids how to make stuff with their own two hands, even if they do go on to become accountants, it's still a valuble skill to learn and streches the brain and eye-hand coordination muscles better than video games for sure.