Men and machines
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This one is badly creased, but I felt it was intriguing enough to share anyway. It came from a box of photos I bought at an antique store that seem to have mostly come from a single estate. It’s the same size (slightly less than 5 x 7 inches) as the photos from the road trip I shared two posts ago (here), and I initially thought it was part of that set. But there are slight differences in the printing that make me realize it’s not. Then I remembered this photo from the same box, showing a bunch of workmen in what appears to be some sort of early factory or mill. A comment on that post suggested it might be a shipyard, which made sense. And I’m wondering if this photo is from part of that same operation. The men appear to be different, and I’m not sure it’s the same era, but it’s tempting to think they might somehow be related (though I don’t know how they ended up mixed in with the photos of a Northern California school teacher). The large crate is stamped with the logo of General Electric, and I started going down an internet rabbit hole, looking here to see if I could date the photo using the logo, trying to determine when certain types of turbines were in use and manufactured by General Electric (assuming I’m correct in thinking this is a turbine), and I finally decided I’d better stop and just share the photo, hoping somebody with some actual knowledge could shed some light on this. I wonder why this photo was taken. Were they memorializing some special occasion, or perhaps a new type of equipment or new process? At least one of the men appears managerial. In any case, as always, I enjoy staring at faces from long ago.
Pics of Then 
It’s an intruiging photo, as well as the other one you link to. I think you did get far with your investigation! I hope someone has even more info. Either way, I like such photos too, and understand your love for staring at long ago faces. 🙂
Thank you. I’m not sure why I love looking at faces from different times so much, but I do.
Sticking with the idea of a shipyard, I’m thinking the machines were just delivered. These men might have unloaded them from a ship, or they might be picking them up before taking them to their final destination. Alternatively, they might have delivered them to the shipyard from the factory where the machines were made. The latter possibility would explain why they might want a photo to document the completion of their work.
Part of what I meant by shipyard was that maybe it’s a place where they build ships, and the turbine was part of that process. But I could easily be way off base on a number of points there.
That’s an interesting possibility, that the turbine could have been used in shipbuilding.
Here is what I think is going on. Have to use your imagination, go with me in this.
When electricity was being introduced other countries also wanted this new invention at the turn of the century. 1900
They were manufactured here in the US This is a photo of a team of workman trained at installing a power system or electric substation . They are heading off on a voyage ( on a ship) to install the transformers, magneto and steam boiler to electrify a town or small government in South America or somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The man in the bowler hat is the representative of this city or nation that purchased the substation.
The photo is possibly proof or bragging rights of what is being shipped in case of a shipwreck by the new owner or taken by a representative of General Electric.
The more I think about it I believe I am on the money with this one.
Good idea. Definitely a possibility.
From Mr. Center’s suit I’m going to hazard a guess of around 1909, but that is one weird derby hat. The brim is so thin and flimsy looking.
It’s funny, I don’t even think of vintage hats like that as varying all that much in quality, but I supposed they do.