The Lord loves a working man
May 30, 2014 9:08 PM Subscribe
The old Country store on dirt road, on 75 Wheelers Church Rd
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541.
Here is what it looked like on Sunday afternoon in July 1939, (A 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration.)
Current and recent visits.
Models from the American Adventure attraction in Epcot at Disney World (scroll ½ way down).
And colorized.
(Shorpy, previously.)
Here is what it looked like on Sunday afternoon in July 1939, (A 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration.)
Current and recent visits.
Models from the American Adventure attraction in Epcot at Disney World (scroll ½ way down).
And colorized.
(Shorpy, previously.)
Would you go so far as to call it problematic?
posted by codswallop at 9:38 PM on May 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by codswallop at 9:38 PM on May 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Literally haunting. Thanks for posting this.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 9:38 PM on May 30, 2014
posted by the christopher hundreds at 9:38 PM on May 30, 2014
Gasoline pumps used to have a big glass gauge on the top?
posted by telstar at 9:53 PM on May 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by telstar at 9:53 PM on May 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
My family has a place like this on our property. We don't live in a heavily trafficked place, in a very rural county. We know next to nothing about the building and its history. But we know, due to painted signs advertising ice cream and hardware that it was a general store. We've thought about restoring it, but we don't truly know what to do with it.
As a child I discovered it was full of decaying merchandise, among other things. We've owned the property since the late eighties, and we have no real idea how long there was a house there before we moved in. All in all it's a fascinating relic. Maybe eventually I will stop by the county historical society to learn more about it.
posted by enjoymoreradio at 9:57 PM on May 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
As a child I discovered it was full of decaying merchandise, among other things. We've owned the property since the late eighties, and we have no real idea how long there was a house there before we moved in. All in all it's a fascinating relic. Maybe eventually I will stop by the county historical society to learn more about it.
posted by enjoymoreradio at 9:57 PM on May 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
I live in the South, the southern part of the South. And yes us old men like to hang around in the shade by the store. The store keeps the beer cold, one of many, at a time.
We sit back, tell lies, exchange insults and bullshit. We leave at six and are asleep by dark, if we last that long.
What isn't indicated by those pictures is that white people and black people are much better friends than they were just a few decades before.
posted by vapidave at 12:07 AM on May 31, 2014 [6 favorites]
We sit back, tell lies, exchange insults and bullshit. We leave at six and are asleep by dark, if we last that long.
What isn't indicated by those pictures is that white people and black people are much better friends than they were just a few decades before.
posted by vapidave at 12:07 AM on May 31, 2014 [6 favorites]
I love this photo (obviously, since my post was the "previously"). Nice job on this followup, thanks for the FPP.
As for the 1939/2010 photos (and the change in the ethnicity of the individuals in the photoz), I don't think we can determine that it's problematic unless we know the intent of the photographer, and, since we don't, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, believe there was no ill intent and just enjoy the effort made.
posted by HuronBob at 2:33 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
As for the 1939/2010 photos (and the change in the ethnicity of the individuals in the photoz), I don't think we can determine that it's problematic unless we know the intent of the photographer, and, since we don't, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, believe there was no ill intent and just enjoy the effort made.
posted by HuronBob at 2:33 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
How is that sort of colorization accomplished? To my inexpert eyes, it's very convincing.
Gasoline pumps used to have a big glass gauge on the top?
No electric pumps, and no scrolling mechanical numbers to tell you how much gas you're getting. Instead, use the lever to hand-pump gas from the storage tank up into the giant glass measuring cup, then put the nozzle in the car's filler neck, pull the trigger and watch the fuel drain into the car by gravity.
I wonder how consumers came to trust modern pumps' gauges and readouts, and no longer demanded to see the fuel they were buying.
posted by jon1270 at 3:14 AM on May 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
Gasoline pumps used to have a big glass gauge on the top?
No electric pumps, and no scrolling mechanical numbers to tell you how much gas you're getting. Instead, use the lever to hand-pump gas from the storage tank up into the giant glass measuring cup, then put the nozzle in the car's filler neck, pull the trigger and watch the fuel drain into the car by gravity.
I wonder how consumers came to trust modern pumps' gauges and readouts, and no longer demanded to see the fuel they were buying.
posted by jon1270 at 3:14 AM on May 31, 2014 [7 favorites]
I, too, like the colorization, but I'm certainly not an expert...
What I wanted to say is that I haven't seen this photo in half a decade, or maybe the better part of a decade. I knew I recognized it, though. This post is a treasure to me. Why? I've explored similar buildings as a younger version of me, one of which happened to be a restored antique shop that sold infinite varieties of tea, which led to me visiting my first professional tea room as a teenager with goth inclinations.
Anyhow, I'll have to stare at the images for a while to let the details sink in. What a neat FPP.
posted by quiet earth at 5:24 AM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
What I wanted to say is that I haven't seen this photo in half a decade, or maybe the better part of a decade. I knew I recognized it, though. This post is a treasure to me. Why? I've explored similar buildings as a younger version of me, one of which happened to be a restored antique shop that sold infinite varieties of tea, which led to me visiting my first professional tea room as a teenager with goth inclinations.
Anyhow, I'll have to stare at the images for a while to let the details sink in. What a neat FPP.
posted by quiet earth at 5:24 AM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't think we can determine that it's problematic unless we know the intent of the photographer, and, since we don't, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, believe there was no ill intent and just enjoy the effort made.
For whatever reason, the addition of the Banjo (and the change in poses) of the two black men in the Disney version disturb me much more than the 2010 photo.
As a child I discovered it was full of decaying merchandise, among other things.
I'm sure you realize that if you have stuff in there (including foodstuffs) that is sealed and still has the original label intact, you're sitting on a gold mine. Collectors will pay an amazing amount of money for untouched vintage household products, even in somewhat rough shape.
posted by anastasiav at 5:28 AM on May 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
For whatever reason, the addition of the Banjo (and the change in poses) of the two black men in the Disney version disturb me much more than the 2010 photo.
As a child I discovered it was full of decaying merchandise, among other things.
I'm sure you realize that if you have stuff in there (including foodstuffs) that is sealed and still has the original label intact, you're sitting on a gold mine. Collectors will pay an amazing amount of money for untouched vintage household products, even in somewhat rough shape.
posted by anastasiav at 5:28 AM on May 31, 2014 [4 favorites]
Are there any professional photographers here?
Something does bug me about the colorized version, but I don't know what. Shadows? I can't tell by the pixels... could someone maybe turn this into grayscale and see what Lightroom gives you for stats? Something's off, and now it's slowly driving me crazy.
posted by quiet earth at 5:30 AM on May 31, 2014
Something does bug me about the colorized version, but I don't know what. Shadows? I can't tell by the pixels... could someone maybe turn this into grayscale and see what Lightroom gives you for stats? Something's off, and now it's slowly driving me crazy.
posted by quiet earth at 5:30 AM on May 31, 2014
The color version is overexposed, with blowouts outside the porch, where the original is not. A strange choice considering how good the exposure and light is on the original.
posted by thecjm at 7:18 AM on May 31, 2014
posted by thecjm at 7:18 AM on May 31, 2014
I wonder how consumers came to trust modern pumps' gauges and readouts
My state has a "weights and measures" division that audits fuel pumps. Every pump has a stick stating that it has been audited and the date. I'd presume that is standard practice.
posted by pashdown at 7:35 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
My state has a "weights and measures" division that audits fuel pumps. Every pump has a stick stating that it has been audited and the date. I'd presume that is standard practice.
posted by pashdown at 7:35 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
For whatever reason, the addition of the Banjo (and the change in poses) of the two black men in the Disney version disturb me much more than the 2010 photo.
Yeah, me too. The Disney re-creation is an offensive caricature.
posted by marsha56 at 7:36 AM on May 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
Yeah, me too. The Disney re-creation is an offensive caricature.
posted by marsha56 at 7:36 AM on May 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
Is the colorization trying to look a little overexposed to better resemble the palette of an older faded color photograph?
And the Disney version is both a depiction of the time and a portrayal of how Disney has traditionally depicted the time - it's the company that brought us "Song of the South".
posted by rmd1023 at 8:25 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
And the Disney version is both a depiction of the time and a portrayal of how Disney has traditionally depicted the time - it's the company that brought us "Song of the South".
posted by rmd1023 at 8:25 AM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
It looks eerily like my grandparents' house before they remodeled it in the early 1950's.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:52 AM on May 31, 2014
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:52 AM on May 31, 2014
If I remember, when I get home I'll post links to then/now photos.
Can you post with a cc-by-na license .. for Wikicommons use? There's no pics of the original just a lot of pics of random stores around the world (mostly Asia).
posted by stbalbach at 8:50 PM on May 31, 2014
Can you post with a cc-by-na license .. for Wikicommons use? There's no pics of the original just a lot of pics of random stores around the world (mostly Asia).
posted by stbalbach at 8:50 PM on May 31, 2014
The 2010 version is a multiple exposure- the same man is standing in for the different men in the original. It's one person.
posted by TSOL at 3:32 PM on June 1, 2014
posted by TSOL at 3:32 PM on June 1, 2014
« Older Bah-beee! | Shorthand for a long-gone era, groovy religion and... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
That 1939/2010 comparison photo makes me uncomfortable in a way I can't fully articulate, but it's possible that it's a "use who you've got handy" scenario. (Either way I don't think it's my call to make one way or the other about its appropriateness.)
posted by JauntyFedora at 9:34 PM on May 30, 2014 [1 favorite]