Images of the Past

Photographed in November 1942, here’s a dishwasher who worked in a D.C. waterfront restaurant.

Having Fun at Work

July and August are traditionally times when things slow down at work for a lot of people. I thought it would be interesting to ask folks if they take advantage of this down time for anything fun. You can see from the image below that I did (by subjecting a coworker to some well intentioned high jinks)

Need Help Getting a Job? There Are Those Offering Help

Here’s something you don’t see everyday … a van that’s also a diorama of sorts. It was outside the Park View Recreation Center on Wednesday as I was leaving the UNC meeting, and I just had to find out what was going on.

From the people outside representing the display, there was some type of sponsorship by Bed and Bath (they tell me the Beyond has gone away) for a program by Career Gear.

According to Career Gear’s Web site, they

started out with the simple goal of providing appropriate business clothing for job seekers and have grown to provide services and resources that help our clients in retaining employment and advancing in the workplace.  Services include: 1) provision of interview clothing; 2) job retention and advancement skills; and 3) linkages to other resources and community based agencies

Sounds like a good program to me. The folks I chatted with were informative a not pushy. I really like the idea of them coming to the neighborhoods to bring their message.

Jeremiah Clifford: Among Washington’s Last Blacksmiths

Jeremiah Clifford took to the trade of blacksmith in 1884 when he was 17. His shop was located at 813 Otis Place, NW, where he shod the horses of the mounted policemen, tended to fire horses and cavalry horses. By his reckoning, he’d shod over 100,000 horses and mules in his lengthy career.

As the automobile — slowly at first but with a momentum that couldn’t be stopped — replaced the horse, the number of blacksmiths in Washington dwindled. By 1929 Washington had 23 blacksmiths left. Clifford was still plying his trade in 1937 when the number of active blacksmiths in Washington had decreased to 8. Gnarled and strong after 53 years at the forge, at age 73 he was quick to point out that horseshoers were not blacksmiths as they only did one thing. He could forge parts of fences, make tools sharper, and had even made sabers. Why, he’d even forged an iron dog.

One of the more humorous stories involving Jeremiah happened in 1926. Being proud to have shod horses and mules for 42 years without being kicked, he succumbed to his Rhode Island red rooster.

While feeding his chickens at his home at 506 Longfellow street, NW, his rooster became excited and in the ruckus landed a two-inch spur against  the bone of Jeremiah’s knee.

The injury cause temporary paralysis. He was still unable to walk an hour or so later and ultimately was forced to close shop for two days. As his leg mended, he was able to first use a crutch, then a cane, for mobility.

He claimed it was the first time he’d ever been kicked. While he was cautious with horses and mules, he had let his gaurd down around his rooster, not considering it dangerous.

(Note: Information gathered from several Washington Post articles, 1926-1937. If you have additional information on Jeremiah Clifford or a better photograph, please contact dckaleidoscope (at) gmail.com)

Washington Roadwork, ca. 1920

With all the roadwork scheduled to begin this summer, its nice to see how far we’ve come.

Early Health Care in DC

I thought this was an interesting image of Sibley Hospital’s nursing staff outside of Robinson Hall sometime after 1912.

This Date in History

June 6, 1952: Washington braced for a possible milk strike as 1775 AFL milk drivers and dairy plant employes met at Turner’s Arena to consider dairy management’s latest offer for a new work contract.

Dining Car Cooks, February 1949

Here’s another great image from the National African American Museum of History and Culture from the Scurlock Studios of dining car cooks posing in front of their kitchen.