Vintage work crew photos

all these insights and related comments are valid. "Every generation blames the one before" and every parent tries to do better for theirs, than they experienced and after a couple of generations we wonder how they survived. Today the really hard work is a totally different type of STRESS: that of the brain or mind and the releases isn't just dreaming of what could be, but can change direction to addictions of some kind. Is it medicene that has created so much suffering or ill at ease? We never heard of issues/qualities like aspergers and the spectrum seems to be everywhere when we look close. We are obsessed with "labels" which seems to help a few understand/accept others/themselves.
OK I'll shut up now.
Have to go back to culling my stuff ready to move on to the next adventure/level.

Cheers

I see a very different world here in the young people then working very hard and in dangerous environment's as these young men. I I do not feel this is good nor would I want to do this type of work in the dangerous coal dust, but considering the time and all it was sometimes all there was, it don't make it right but it still structured our Country as it grew! These were Men and Women that were "real" young Men and Women, even if working in a coal mine or building a steam locomotive or hammering steel in a ship yard or tilling a field for the Counties food, at least you'll not find a "Man Bun or a ear ring on anyone of them!! We are loosing our next generation of Men and to some degree the Women also! I Just see what I see every day in my retired life!

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Originally Posted by skibo

it don't make it right but it still structured our Country as it grew

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There is a quote commonly attributed to apocalyptic author and retired Marine G. Michael Hopf that well encapsulates your point, and that we see illustrated in many of these vintage work crew photos. It goes like this:

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"Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times."

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A 17 MVA hydroelectric generator being constructed at the Siemens Dynamowerk in Berlin, 1955.

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Two of the guys are doing precision assemble work with a hammer and one looks like he is trimming something with tin snips. The generator is probable still working.

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Originally Posted by stillldoinit

Maybe there needs to be a requirement on every picture taken, an explanation of what it is so future generations wont have to wonder and speculate,"what were they thinking when they built that?", lol.

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Great idea. But for whatever reason rarely practiced. We all have family photos; what percentage have something written on the reverse? Other than "Kodak" not a shred of information. At a minimum, the date. Who or what. The location.
A photo, Uncle Harold and three unknown military buddies? A wedding party? A house? A dog? Where is this old barn? That's Hoover Dam but...?
Occurs to me writing this, value of snapshots might be 100% only for who took it, degrading by generation quickly after that.
Simple notes make genealogy far easier.

A lot of the older black and white photos contained at least a date on the lower bargin of the photo print.

Apprentice boatbuilders. Portsmouth Dockyards, late 1800s.

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Fire Station No. 1, Springfield, Missouri (1956)

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sitting around relaxing by the potbellied stove at the fire hall all they needed was a checker board.

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Originally Posted by Frank S

sitting around relaxing by the potbellied stove at the fire hall all they needed was a checker board.

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Don't forget a sleeping dog.

Some of these black and white photos, while the subject is dear to us, are perfectly exquisite photography. This is one of them.

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Originally Posted by Toolmaker51

Great idea. But for whatever reason rarely practiced. We all have family photos; what percentage have something written on the reverse? Other than "Kodak" not a shred of information. At a minimum, the date. Who or what. The location.
A photo, Uncle Harold and three unknown military buddies? A wedding party? A house? A dog? Where is this old barn? That's Hoover Dam but...?
Occurs to me writing this, value of snapshots might be 100% only for who took it, degrading by generation quickly after that.
Simple notes make genealogy far easier.

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Stilldoinit & Toolmaker51 and anyone else interested:-)
I often wonder about family heirloom pics but this one takes the cake or..a..glug. No caption on the back but I reckon it might be "Cheers Mate" or "stop acting the goat and give me the real stuff" or...........No year noted but the tie suggests a time I should remember around 1970 or so:oh well I still like it!

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Cheers

Perfect example. Suspect not so long after, who's ever heirs find this without a shred of detail; about the circumstance for either old goat.

Ha HA Ha. " Don't ya just love it"

cheers

cheep date....with low expectations.

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Landing, cleaning, washing, and flaking fish at Sardine Cannery, Eastport, Maine, 1899.

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WOW! Historically an awesome operation, as a Food Safety Manager, Laying any type of food on the ground is a HUGE no no, even on racks like those. If I saw a restaurant laying food on the floor it would certainly be my last trip there!

I do believe the fish is laying on racks,not just laid out on the old creosoted planks, as you can see what seems to be a rack leaning up on the left side of this picture! Just my observation! We have to remember,people were on average more healthy then compared to today's generation, because the crap we and most of us people eat today!

the floor may be cleaner than the racks....

and they were more healthy back then because of the crap they ate. The food they ate back then was all natural with a occasional
this or that thrown. The food eaten now is all processed, they good stuff has gotten processed out.

re: the Cannery picture. About 43 workers on that dock.
One glaring detail hit me immediately. See it?






Virtually all the men are posing, yet the women attend to work.

I did notice the women continuing to work as the men pose. Also, of the 43 workers, men and women, I see only 4 with NO HAT, they are men or boys.

Different times for sure.

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Originally Posted by hemmjo

with NO HAT

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Obligatory Simpsons reference!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3bcdGvv3s8

Suspect is hatless; Chief Wiggum is hapless.

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Crew on a narrow-gauge steam engine, Hungary, 1930.

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What might be the purpose of the linkage that protrudes from the front of the cab and the middle guy is resting his hand upon?

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Originally Posted by 12bolts

What might be the purpose of the linkage that protrudes from the front of the cab and the middle guy is resting his hand upon?

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https://straction.wordpress.com/how-...omotive-works/

for an explanation...

http://trumpetb.net/loco/wdiagram.html

Workers on the Oregon Trunk Railroad bridge across the Crooked River in Central Oregon.

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Nope, no, no way, nu-uh!

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Scares me and I'm fearless...

There was a time when I wouldn't think twice about walking across on that plank.
But age may have brought about just a little wisdom in that area.

Close your eyes and run real fast!

I wonder if bungee jumping was invented when someone was tied to a rope in case they fell off they could have been retrieved. On another note, I am a recovering alcoholic and before I quit drinking 40 years ago, I used to walk crane I-beam when someone would not have crane over load and trying to pick slightly out of reach of the trolley in 30 foot ceiling. After I got sober. I could not do it anymore. Like Frank said "age and wisdom" now prevail although at 73 I am grateful to still be fairly active.

The origins of bungee jumping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_diving

I remember reading that 1970 National Geographic article.

Hey let's stroll over to the other side, the view is better!

This guy's taking the safe route too!
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Probably a slower Di Di Mau than your octopus, lol.

You go first, we'll watch

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It might be the safer route...
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..but its one hell of a climb!

With all of that debris on the ground, it's not much safer down there...