Wholesome History Reads Group discussion

Welcome!
'Guess the Photo' is a fun game that anyone can join! The rules are below:

1) I will post a random photo of a place, person or object in history and it's up to you to guess it! Here are the guessing guidelines:
a) if the photo is of a person, you need to guess the year the photo was taken, locale and the person in the photo
b) if the photo is of an object, you need to guess the year the photo was taken, the locale and the object in the photo
c) if the photo is of a place, you need to guess the year the photo was taken and the locale

2) The game will run until a person guesses correctly or it has taken too long and nobody has guessed the photo. I will then put up a different photo. (New photos will be added every 1-4 weeks.)

3) The winner will be acknowledged with a shoutout. Unfortunately, there are no prizes except personal satisfaction!

4) NO CHEATING!

5) Once the photo has been guessed correctly or the time has run out, I will be posting the photo on the "Historic Photos" thread giving a description about the photo in question. Feel free to check the thread out. I will try and post a new photo on that thread daily!

Well, there are the rules. I hope you enjoy this fun guessing game!

Cheers!

GUESS THE PHOTO!

I am going to guess this is a bread line. The men are unemployed and are lining up for a free or nominally priced meal. My guess is maybe New York City. The Depression was a hard time for men who only wanted to be able to provide for their families.

Good guess Wanda! Very close, butt not quite.... Keep guessing! ;-)

Thinking! ... Philadelphia is my second guess.

So the signage and dress (the gent far right) suggest to me it is the USA. I don't think it is in the south as there are black men in the queue/line. I wonder is this just after WWI in 1919/20 with returning service personnel not having jobs?

Geevee wrote: "So the signage and dress (the gent far right) suggest to me it is the USA. I don't think it is in the south as there are black men in the queue/line. I wonder is this just after WWI in 1919/20 wi..."

Nope, not exactly, but good guess! ;-) Keep guessing!

Today, I am thinking the city is Boston, MA?

Wanda wrote: "Today, I am thinking the city is Boston, MA?"
Nope not Boston. Good guess though. Keep trying!

As an aside, I really like the sidewalk. Does your source say if the sidewalk is granite? I know it sounds silly to ask about a sidewalk, but it looks so shiny and slick. Just curious.

Is this a union or Communist Party promotion? It appears people are being lured in.

Wanda wrote: "As an aside, I really like the sidewalk. Does your source say if the sidewalk is granite? I know it sounds silly to ask about a sidewalk, but it looks so shiny and slick. Just curious."

I know right? The sidewalk does look pretty nice. Unfortunately "my source" doesn't tell me anything about the sidewalk. It could be after it rained so that's why it's slick and shiny. I would have to agree it does look like a nice sidewalk!

Could it be Chicago, IL?

Mark wrote: "Is this a union or Communist Party promotion? It appears people are being lured in."

No it isn't. Good guess though!

Wanda wrote: "Could it be Chicago, IL?"

YOU'RE RIGHT! It is Chicago. Can you now guess the year of the photo or the place where the people are gathered?

Whew! My other guess was going to be Detroit. I need to study the clothing a bit more to get a sense of time. Knowing the clothing could be older than when the photo was snapped makes me want to say, maybe, 1936?

As for place, I do not know much about Chicago. I might guess South Chicago but that is because I have that doggone song stuck in my head now - Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. Argh!

Good guess on the year. Yes, it's in the '30s, but the year you guessed is a bit late. And regarding places in Chicago, here's a hint: It's not around anymore (it's now a parking lot, unfortunately) and the establishment in the picture was run by a notorious gangster at the time. Keep guessing though, you're on the right track!

That’s a big clue as it was Al Capone’s soup kitchen on 935 South State Street.

by John Kobler

I could be wrong but I noticed early on that a couple of fellows on the left seemed to be “lookout” men. One is even dressed quite well. Then again photographers naturally drew a few stares. The advertised menu was the basic supplement to WWI doughboys; donuts (from the Salvation Army), coffee and slop (soup). Just add hardtack and you’d have it all.

Yes, Mark, I noticed right away the very well-dressed man on the left. His pocket appears to hang a bit "heavy." A handgun, perhaps?

Ethan, I enjoyed this game. I look forward to the next photo.

Great game and enjoyed people's posts. So Al Capone ran a soup kitchen. I assume there was some ulterior motive rather than plain benevolence?

Right you are, Geevee. See the extract below -

Al Capone’s intentions were an effort to clean up his image. “120 000 meals are served by Capone Free Soup Kitchen” the Chicago Tribune headlined on December 1931. Al Capone’s soup kitchen became one of the strangest sight Chicagoans had ever seen. An army of ragged, starving men assembled three times a day beside a storefront at 935 South State Street, feasting on the largesse of Al Capone. Toasting his health. Telling the newspapers that Capone was doing more for the poor than the entire US government. He was even offering some of them jobs. Capone milked his good works for all the favorable publicity they were worth. He came down and walked among the men, the wretched of the earth, offering a handshake, a hearty smile, and words of encouragement from the great Al Capone. During November and December, Al Capone’s soup kitchen kept regular hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thanksgiving Day 1930 was a particular public relations triumph for Capone. On that day he could boast that he fed more than 5,000 hungry men, women, and children with a hearty beef stew.

http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/al-ca...

That is fascinating Wanda thank you for this information. That's a lot of meals too.

@Mark
Great job, Mark! You got it right! Congratulations!

@Wanda
Thanks! I'll be posting a new photo to guess very soon. I'll also be posting the current photo with a full description on the "Historic Photos" thread.

@Geevee
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. In regards to an ulterior motive, I think it may have been that Al Capone was trying to do an about-face, showing the public he was a 'Robin Hood-esque' character. But that's just my opinion. The "Historic Photos" thread will have more info.

Great guessing everyone! The winners of the this photo are Mark and Wanda. Congrats! Stay tuned for a new photo to guess soon!

GUESS THE PHOTO!

First thought - lock on an Egyptian tomb.

Wanda wrote: "First thought - lock on an Egyptian tomb."
Yep! Can you guess what tomb though or the year the photo was taken?

Hmm? So many - KIng Tut in 1922?

Wanda wrote: "Hmm? So many - KIng Tut in 1922?"
Sure is! Man that was wayyy to easy. Off to pick a harder one.... It'll be posted in a few minutes. Good job!

Guess the Photo!

A quick punt on this one: 1919 and linked the Treaty of Versailles? Perhaps officers and some civilians watching a world leader or other well known politician or royal arrive/leave?

Wow, nice one Geevee! I'm going to need to pick some harder photos. Yes, it's a picture of French civilians watching the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Great guess. A new picture will be coming later.

Blimey that was a lucky punt!

Way to go! I have been to a hockey game this evening. These pics are so much fun. Thank you, Ethan.

@Wanda
Hey no worries. You went to a hockey game! That must have been fun. Who were the teams? Really glad you like this guessing game! It's fun for me too and I'm not even guessing! A new pic will most likely be up tomorrow, by the way.

Last game of the regular season - Hershey Bears versus Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bears won 5 to 1.

See link - http://www.hersheybears.com/index.php

Pretty exciting!

That does sound fun! That Hershey Bears team sounds yummy! Glad you enjoyed yourself. ;-)

Fun game! I especially enjoyed the Al Capone pic- will need to make it a point to stop by that street when in that area again...

@Rosa Thanks Rosa! Yes, it would be pretty cool to stop by Al Capone's soup kitchen. Unfortunately, it's now a parking lot! It would still be fun though. Thanks for the compliment!

New photo will be up in a second!

GUESS THE PHOTO!

Day-o! Day-oo! The Banana Men! Now, thought must be given to the port/delivery point. Hmm?

Wanda wrote: "Day-o! Day-oo! The Banana Men! Now, thought must be given to the port/delivery point. Hmm?"
Yep, they're delivering Bananas all right. I don't think I have the exact city but you can guess the country they're delivering the bananas to/in and the year of the photo. Have fun!

Britain (guessing because of the cobbled street and roof tiles) around 1870.

I, too, would say, Britain. Maybe London? Year - 1890-ish?

Nope, it isn't Britain, and the year you guessd Wanda is a bit early. Keep guessing!

Baltimore, Maryland. 1920-ish

Nope. Not Maryland.

Let's see ... Charleston, South Carolina. Maybe 1900+\-

Another stab then based more on the chap with the hat that it is in the US. I'd guess this could be Boston which imported lots of goods such as tea (no revolution jokes please) and so bananas may have come in via there too. As for the year then I go with Wanda's 1900s suggestion.

Oooh; that's a good guess, Geevee.