1/31/16

Driving Over DONNER SUMMIT


I can't even begin to count how many times I drove this road. It's near the summit of Donner Pass in Northern California; the old route 40 of the Sierras. Off in the distance at the far end of Donner Lake is where the Donner Party attempted to survive the winter of 1846-47. There is a state park and campground located where the families lived. And the towns of Gateway and Truckee have tourists far removed from what once happened in the area.

Click on image to see it larger.

Until you've experienced a winter in this area you simply can't imagine what the Donner Party were dealing with. My families cabin was on the western side of the summit. I can remember going in the second floor—which was really the third floor because the "basement" was above ground—more than once. The first floor and basement were completely covered in snow. And it's not a fluffy snow. It's called Sierra Cement for a reason. The summit is where the storms dump their first round of heavy water in storms and the snow depth and weight proves it. I can remember walking along the road and having to duck to get under the power lines; the snow was that deep. The upstairs beam in the cabin was actually two 15-18 inch beams stacked which ran the length of the cabin. Without such beams we would have had the problem so many other cabins had in the heavy snow…complete collapse.
Winter weather at Donner Pass can be brutal. Precipitation averages 51.6 inches (131 cm) per year, much of which falls as snow. At an average of 411.5 inches (10.45 m) per year, Donner Pass is one of the snowiest places in the United States. Four times since 1880 total snowfall at Donner Summit has exceeded 775 inches (19.7 m) and topped 800 inches (20 m) in both 1938 and 1953. To take advantage of the heavy snows, the Boreal Ski Resort was built to the north. Ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area report an average of 300 to 500 inches (7.6 to 12.7 m) of snowfall per season. Winds in the pass can also become extreme and wind gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) are common during winter storms. Winter temperatures in the area drop below zero several times each year; the all-time record low for California of −45 °F (−43 °C) was recorded at Boca (east of Truckee) in January 1937.
The winter of 1846-47 was especially severe, and this is generally cited as the single most important factor in the disaster of the Donner Party. In the winter of 2010-11, over 700 inches (1,800 cm) had fallen as of May 23, 2011. Snow depth peaked in early April 2011 with over 250 inches (21 ft) of snow on the ground. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
To say the least, before route 80, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, was built, getting over the summit in the winter was at best a challenge if the road was open at all. It was, and still is, a two lane road. These days it's closed during the winter. But the rest of the year it's a beautiful drive. In fact it's often used in car commercials.

For decades there was a rusty old bus sitting upside down on those rocks a bit east of that tall tree on the right. I never knew the story of that bus, but we all made up some great stories. Eventually sometime in the late '90s, I think, the bus was finally removed.

I miss driving the pass on a warm summer day with the car windows open. It's a wonderful snaky road that's fun to drive. There's a lot to see along this road, so next time you think of staying on interstate 80 get off at Cisco Grove and follow the old 40 through Truckee. I can remember driving it before the freeway was in. In fact, I can remember going over and seeing dynamite blasts where the freeway was being constructed. That really dates me.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/29/16

Real Man or MANNEQUIN?


The fella comes home from work hoping for a hot meal.

"Where's my pot roast? I'm hungry."

The woman, in the kitchen, hears his voice and sighs. She walks to the dining room, drying her hands on her apron.

"Listen dummy, you'll get your pot roast when I'm good and ready to serve it to you!"

And so it goes each night in the home of Mary and her hubby, the Man-nequin.

Seriously, is this a photo of a man or a mannequin? I'm open to all suggestions.


Click on image to see it larger.

My submission for Sepia Saturday, the first this year.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/28/16

Schnabel MODEL


The second shot of the model from Donald G. Schnabel's leather folder. By the way, his name is in gold on the leather. It's a nice old fashioned leather zippered portfolio.

This shot was most likely not used since her feet got cut off. The old adage of using photos in design was if the feet are cropped off crop the photo even more. Sometimes there's no choice and you end up with footless folks.

Love her swimsuit or should I say sun suit? That suit never got in that lake.


Click on image to see it larger.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/27/16

Coming or GOING?


Another from the Betty Schnabel estate. It, like the photo of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa Iwas in the leather folder that belonged to her father Donald. I'm trying to imagine how this shot might have been used in some sort of promotional piece for Standard Oil. It's obviously a staged shot that looks like something from a 1940s movie. 

There is one other shot of this young lady from the same folder that I will post tomorrow. 


Click on image to see it larger.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/26/16

HEADLESS at the Beach



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At first glance it appears to be a headless child standing on the beach. Nah, just a white sunhat that over time has faded in the photo. But it is sort of odd looking with the headless child and the head protruding from the left. These two are actually familiar if you saw my post Sandcastles at the CLIFF HOUSE.

This is another photo from the Betty Schnabel estate.
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/17/16

Not ANTHONY QUINN. It's Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I


This man looks nothing like Anthony Quinn, but the first time I saw this shot I thought of Quinn in Lawrence of Arabia, still one of my favorite films. Every couple of years I put Lawrence... on and escape into my childhood. Seeing Peter O'Toole on the huge screen at an elaborate theater in San Francisco, his blue eyes huge on the screen, I was in love. He was beautiful. My old scrapbook has pages of Peter O'Toole in it.



This photo is from the Betty Schnabel estate. It was in a leather folder that belonged to her father Donald.

The reason the fella has white paint around him is that the photo was most likely used in some sort of printed publication. The white was painted around the photo to silhouette the man for printing purposes. There is no information with the photo as to who the people are or how it was used.

UPDATE: Thanks Mike for figuring out who this fella is. Well, was since he died in 1961. This is Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I who was the ruler of Bahrain from 1942 until his death in 1961.

Source: Wikimedia
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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

1/5/16

It's TEA TIME IN SCOTLAND


The only information I have about this real photo postcard is that it's from Scotland and belonged to my grandmother. One of the few things she brought with her to California. Imagine this in her suitcase as she came through Ellis Island.


Click on image to see it larger.

It's tea time for sure, but for what purpose? Was this during the war? I'm guessing it was and perhaps my grandmother knew someone in the photo. No idea where this was actually taken, but it was in the same bundle of cards that contained this one I posted on December 11th.

Just look at that sponge cake on the plate. I'd have happily taken a piece. They do look a bit like the downstairs crew from Downton.
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Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls. 

1/4/16

Well, HELLO THERE!


"Fancy meeting you here!"


Click on image to see it larger.

This shot was possibly taken in Baltimore, Maryland. There was a Chevy dealership called Ashley Cheverolet Sales, Inc. You can see their sign on the brick building on the right.
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Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.