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June 13, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Viola LaLonde and Elizabeth Van Tuyl." Also seen here. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
In 1919 Bvt. Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower was part of a big US Army convoy that set out to cross the country by motor vehicle, starting in Washington and heading to California. It was such a terrible ordeal, terrible or nonexistant roads, no reliable maps, horrendous conditions, that it was one of the factors that inspired Ike to support the new Interstate Highway System that was initiated in the 50s. These ladies had a monumental journey ahead of them.
Wish I could have gone with them. I love the pantograph gate on the running board of the car. On a trip like that they needed to use every bit of space they had.
According to the Hulton Archive/Getty Images these two ladies employees of the Census Bureau ( Elizabeth) and the Veterans Bureau (Viola) preparing to leave Washington D.C. in their Ford traveling to San Francisco.
One wonders what's wrapped up on the running board. Maybe these two have a job picking up corpses of one kind or another.
Looks as though Ms. LaLonde is equipped to be a champion watermelon seed-spitter. I knew an old guy in East Texas who was similarly endowed and he could knock a dirt dauber off a barn eave with a seed.
Goober Pea
Lucy and Ethyl packing the car for the trip to Hollywood.
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