Urchins

By adamg on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 10:55am

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can place this photo. See it larger.

Topics:

History

Photos

Ad:

Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

Bay, then Paddy's, Village

By John Costello on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:05am.

Church Street looking westerly down Piedmont Street towards the what is now the former Boston Gas, then Charter School, soon apartment building. There was a gas tank there at one point. This would be the rear of the late 1970's very quiet apartment building which fronts onto Stuart Street.

Not sure where

By rsybuchanan on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:06am.

But as to when, it must be after 1975. I'm assured by my parents that nobody ever in the entire history of the universe would have written the word "FUCK" on a wall before I was in school.

Catcher in the Rye

By scollaysq on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 12:14pm.

JD Salinger had a diatribe about wherever he went, someone had written "fuck you", even on the stair risers at the museum - think that was 1951.

(That being said, I didn't hear my first swear word until I was 7 years old - second grade, on the bus. Times have most definitely changed).

Profanity From The Fifteenth Century

By Elmer on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 1:09pm.

Actually, that word has been around since 1475, perhaps even earlier.

Where the fuck?

By eeka on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 9:15am.

I can't find where it says that! Since I got here after the answer was given, I embiggened the picture solely to see where it says fuck.

OK, and also because I like history. But, FUCK!

Here's your f#@&ing clue

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 9:20am.

The fuck is located in the lower fucking left quadrant of the fucking picture, just behind the fucking carriage and below the fucking window.

On the wall by the door

By rsybuchanan on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 9:20am.

Just to the right, about shoulder high in what looks like chalk.

It might instead be....

By Michael Kerpan on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 9:26am.

...""LUCK". But that wouldn't be as much fun...

;~}

Endicott and Lafayette

By shedway on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:26am.

Endicott looking down Lafayette towards the gas tank that used to be where the Prince Street Park is today. Start of North Margin is visible on the right side of Lafayette.

And I think that's Anthony in the lower right...

By Stevil on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 12:09pm.

...getting called to dinner, so it would be a Wednesday, Prince Spaghetti Day!

Based on the clothes, fact that it's cobblestones - c. 1905?

You nailed it.

By aldos on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 2:10pm.

Today.

Holy Sh*t

By Suldog on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:30am.

Is that the molasses tank at Commercial Street pre-flood?

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

I wondered that myself

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:38am.

But, that tank was a steel tank, not a concrete one.

Oops!

By Suldog on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 11:56am.

That means I'm dead wrong again. I haven't come close on any of these. And I'm so much older than so many folks here. I would have thought that might give me a slight advantage, but... well, see my first sentence.

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

You may be on the right track

By Lanny Budd on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 2:52pm.

I think that object at the end of the short street is a steel tank. Compare with remnants of the molasses tank after collapse:

http://media.wbur.org/wordpress/11/files/2012/02/0221_GreatMolassesFlood...

There may have been other big tanks in the area besides the doomed molasses tank.

Prince Street Park = "The Gassy"

By Charles Bahne on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 4:52pm.

See the exchange between shedway and aldos above. The park on Prince Street was known by locals as "the Gassy" because the site had been occupied by Boston Gas Company -- with huge above-ground tanks of natural gas. Its one of those gas tanks that's visible in the background here. The molasses tank was a few blocks away on Commercial Street.

Being old may not be an advantage here

By moxie on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 6:41pm.

It can lead to Irish Alzeimers. You know the symptoms of that--you forget everything except your grudges.

The Answer!

By City of Boston Archives on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 4:22pm.

Thanks for playing everyone! This photo was taken looking up Lafayette Avenue towards Prince St. It is sometime between 1913 and 1920. The tank you see is not the molasses tank (which was also our first thought), but a gas tank.

Looks like a 48 star flag

By Michael Kerpan on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 4:42pm.

So, this can't be earlier than 1912. We went to 49 stars in 1959. Clothes (and carriage) look closer to 1912 than 1959.

What is in the boy's hand

By JohnAKeith on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 5:56pm.

First boy sitting on curb ... is that a boombox in his hands?

It's A Drum

By Elmer on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 6:39pm.

It's an old (square) tin can he's using as a drum. In his hands are the "drumsticks".

Urchins

By Screwy on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 6:55am.

No helicopter parents there!

Didn't need helicopter parents

By Bob Leponge on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 6:00pm.

I'm sure if one of those kids had shouted"Help", the heads of adults who know those kids would have popped out of some of those open windows in an instant. "It takes a village" isn't a brand-new concept... you didn't need to hover over your kids because you knew that your friends and neighbors had their eyes out for trouble.

Urchins

Comments

Support Universal Hub