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Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "Roy F. Carty group, 1407 14th Street N.W." The storefront last glimpsed here. National Photo glass negative. View full size.
Any idea what the emblem on the window represents? I can't make out enough of the bottom half to even take a guess.
[Click the link in the caption to the other photo and you'll see. -tterrace]
...Army and Navy Stores! Thanks!
Mr Carty was a 1911 graduate of George Washington University
A mechanical engineer with several degrees, Mr. Carty was the owner of an engineering firm in Washington. D.C., and during his career also held various executive positions with the U.S. Bureau of Standards, Interstate Commerce Commission, and the U.S. Shipping Board. He also was a director of the Guaranty Savings Bank of Washington, and numerous patriotic and Masonic organizations.
I assume that's what the "M.E." means. Obviously these were the nerds of a century ago.
As the men on either end of the group clearly demonstrate, sniffing battery fumes eventually leads to dematerialization.
I don't know when I've seen such a huge variety of various mens' suit fashions and assorted styles of the day as in this lineup, most of them ill-fitting and somewhat incongruous. Since people come in all shapes and sizes, and all have their own individual tastes and budgets, there certainly is nothing wrong with that and I'm not trying to be critical, but it is curious that jacket, sleeve and pants lengths, hair and tie styles and shoes are not more alike in a typical sales clerks' wardrobe. Clothes were probably much more expensive (relative to income) in 1919 and possibly were more 'used up', handed down, repaired, borrowed, etc. Still, taken as individuals, each man would have appeared presentable enough. The cost of custom-tailored clothing was most likely not affordable on the wages of a store clerk.
I don't think I've ever seen such a diverse lineup of men and fashion.
There is something spooky about this photo, and it's not the mould!
Black man on one end of the line and a space alien on the other end.
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