Get Directions
Not quite as good as the old-school “street view,” but early automotive guides provided scenic touring descriptions, with turn-by-turn directions,...
Three channels and nothing’s on
Our elders had the hardships of the Great Depression and the Second World War, and they weren’t shy about telling...
Google Street View, 1907 edition
Google Street View is a great idea, especially for traveling through towns you’ve never been to before. You can see...
Livingston Avenue Bridge
Hudson Quadricentennial DSC_4665 Livingston ave bridge, originally uploaded by carljohnson. I have never photographed anything as much as I have...
Time will come today
Image by carljohnson via Flickr After reading Daniel Walker Howe’s brilliant history of the transformation of the U.S. in the...
Boating down the Hudson, 1938
For those of us who never got to experience the glory days of the Hudson River Day Line (or the...
Albany Time
(This article originally appeared at All Over Albany) The first Dudley Observatory, in north Albany. In our global civilization, we’re...
Caskets and couches
Things that you don’t see anymore: a combined undertaker and furniture dealer. Well, of course, making cabinets and making caskets...
Getting to the Collar City
Circumstances — a combination of wife’s employment and elder daughter’s education — are leading us to spend a significant amount...
Demolition of the original Dunn Memorial Bridge
A friend asked me if I could figure out exactly when the original Dunn Memorial Bridge (dedicated August 19, 1933,...