Detroit in the Rain

As automakers slide into bankruptcy, in Michigan rain is a blessing, a curse - and a metaphor.

Taken in July 1942 by Arthur S. Siegel. [American Memory link]

Father and Son

Taken in Detroit, Michigan in 1942. This gent is described as a war worker.

Photo by Arthur S. Siegel. [American memory link]

Trio

Two gorgeous portraits of Michigan youngsters in 1939.


Photos by Arthur S. Siegel. [American Memory link]

Army Supply

Whether American automobile manufacturers will survive the current economic crisis remains uncertain. Meanwhile it's interesting to recall that, back in the forties, these companies were central to the war effort.

The above photo was taken in 1942 by Arthur S. Siegel. The caption reads: "Chrysler Corporation. Dodge truck plant. Detroit, Michigan (vicinity). These long rows of Dodge Army trucks await shipment to various branches of the armed forces. Hundreds of army vehicles come off the Chrysler Corporation production lines daily."

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[American Memory link]
to locate this image, use search terms: Dodge, army, trucks

From Racial Segregation to the Oval Office (1 of 3)

A streetcar terminal in Oklahoma, 1939. (Russell Lee)

The United States appears poised to elect its first president of African-American descent. To appreciate the magnitude of this event, let's time-travel back to the 1930s and '40s, courtesy of photos from the American Memory collection.

A 1938 restaurant window in Ohio. (Ben Shahn)

This half-mile long concrete wall was erected in Detroit, Michigan in 1941. Photographer John Vachon explains its purpose was "to separate the Negro section from a white housing development going up on the other side."

Feb. 1942 in Detroit. (Arthur S. Siegel)

1941 Chicago. (John Vachon)

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[Part 2] ... [Part 3] ... [American Memory link]

Seed Ladies

I love this shot, of women employed by the W. Atlee Burpee Company, purveyors of seeds and bulbs. More than a hundred photos of the company's internal Philadelphia operations were taken in April 1943.

Photographer Arthur S. Siegel's caption for this image reads: "Women with a typical display rack of Burpee seeds."

Other photos in the series show women such as these eating lunch, testing seeds, filling orders, and keeping accounts. One photo illustrates the point that, "Due to the war, the janitor is a girl..."

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[American Memory link]