So... what's going on here?
A DL holiday tradition! The 1925 Western Electric Christmas Party Photo!
by Anonymous | reply 187 | December 22, 2019 2:44 PM |
They've been told they have to watch Carrie Underwood's Sound of Music broadcast.
With no commercial breaks.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 7, 2013 3:09 AM |
Wow, two obvious dykes in that photo.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 7, 2013 3:58 AM |
The woman curled up in front of the desk works as much overtime as she can because her drunk husband beats her.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 7, 2013 4:09 AM |
I love that someone put a bear, an oil can, and a little Christmas house on the floor in the middle of the picture. Talk about random.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 7, 2013 4:14 AM |
It's like a game of "Spot the serial killer" combined with "Spot the man in drag"... combined with "Spot the guy fucking the man in drag"
by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 7, 2013 4:39 AM |
They're dressed so much better than people in offices today... and yet they're so much uglier, with really awful hair.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 7, 2013 4:45 AM |
The girl seated next to the desk at head level with the scale looks like a contemporary Frau.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | December 7, 2013 4:45 AM |
Almost nobody looks like they're having any fun at all.
So... typical office party?
by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 7, 2013 4:54 AM |
You can see which of the women went to hairdressers, and/or or spent a lot of time styling themselves. Mostly the younger ones. Bosses stood on desks, secretaries sat on the floor. The workplace probably wasn't as sober and alcohol free as it is nowadays either. Those shoes, those teeth, that hair. I can't stop looking at them; it's a time capsule.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 7, 2013 4:59 AM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 12 | December 7, 2013 5:10 AM |
I love photos
by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 7, 2013 5:22 AM |
Here's an even more uncomfortable workplace picture, this one seems to be of a drug store.
Good Lord, the photography of the time was not flattering to anyone, especially dufuses with Dumbo ears.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | December 7, 2013 5:28 AM |
R14, your link is bad.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | December 7, 2013 6:37 AM |
In the original photo notice how all the guys have caulliflower nose. Experience with Fisticuffs must be a requirement for working at WE.
Lots of queens, too.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 7, 2013 6:49 AM |
I'd say from the lack of smiles that nobody at Western Electric has a dental plan.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | December 7, 2013 6:51 AM |
I think the guy with the two handkerchiefs and the price tag is drunk.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 7, 2013 6:56 AM |
I can't believe the fat guy with the hideous lump on his forehead bothered to take off his glasses in order to look more appealing.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 7, 2013 6:57 AM |
Ahhhh, the days before cosmetic surgery.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 7, 2013 6:59 AM |
That's Allison Sweeney at the far left.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 7, 2013 7:00 AM |
Unibrow man is feeling up the woman with the police hat.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 7, 2013 7:01 AM |
I only go back about half that far, but I can tell you without question people are better looking today, even without help. There would be a huge difference if you put a bunch of contemporary individuals with the same clothes and hair in the place of these folks.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 7, 2013 8:38 AM |
I'm the employee who was beaten up in the last two days. Go on, guess which one I am.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 7, 2013 10:06 AM |
R14, just put your cursor in the address bar at the end of the address and hit enter. It will work.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 7, 2013 12:29 PM |
The two guys on the far upper right have been fucking in the supply closet. Surprisingly, the one with the fey mustache is the TOP.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | December 7, 2013 12:50 PM |
The one with the teddy bear at her knee sees some usefulness in that oil can. She'll be pregnant before the night is through.
The one we call Svetlana is sitting on the floor, against the desk, looking off to the side. She has recently enrolled in the first method acting course to be offered in the United States.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | December 7, 2013 1:05 PM |
That's a real Charlie Brown's X-Mas tree.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 7, 2013 1:48 PM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 29 | December 7, 2013 1:49 PM |
That people in the 20s were woefully unphotogenic?
by Anonymous | reply 30 | December 7, 2013 2:39 PM |
She's waiting for rats to come out and bite her ankles. Damn them, why did they make me sit on this dirty floor? What is that thing under the desk? Somebody's old snot rag?
by Anonymous | reply 31 | December 7, 2013 3:58 PM |
The women all bobbed their hair- with what looks like their mother's sewing scissors.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | December 7, 2013 4:07 PM |
How long did people have to sit back then or was it just an instant rather than a long exposure?
But another reason for lack of smiles: how much fun could an office party be during Prohibition?
by Anonymous | reply 33 | December 7, 2013 4:08 PM |
The guy on the left in the top right group of four has his hand on the ass of the guy next to him. What a prankster!
by Anonymous | reply 34 | December 7, 2013 4:59 PM |
Never noticed the scattered toys before. Post secret santa.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | December 7, 2013 5:01 PM |
The gal in front of the man holding the toy horse looks "special."
by Anonymous | reply 36 | December 7, 2013 5:05 PM |
They were too busy trying to survive day to day. Bravo if they even had the time or energy to bob their hair or wear a pretty dress. The streets smelled like horseshit, there was no air conditioning, if they had a toothache the dentist drilled with no novacaine and if you wanted a bath you had to heat the water yourself and clear out the kitchen while you bathed. They looked forward to things like limberger cheese sandwiches and were lucky if they could afford some grisly meat for their soup.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | December 7, 2013 5:47 PM |
Not in 1925 sweetums R37. In fact, I believe my building already had the radiators and hot water heater it has now by that time. Fuse box too.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | December 7, 2013 6:00 PM |
[quote] if they had a toothache the dentist drilled with no novacaine
They used Laughing Gas
[quote] if you wanted a bath you had to heat the water yourself and clear out the kitchen while you bathed.
This isn't dog. It's DC. They had bathtubs and hot running water.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | December 7, 2013 6:01 PM |
I bet that party reeked of B.O.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | December 7, 2013 6:02 PM |
On the contrary R40, that room would have stunk of cologne and perfume. And cigarette and cigar smoke.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | December 7, 2013 6:08 PM |
Also, makeup was expensive and was worn on very special occasions. Today, makeup is cheap and plentiful- you can put glitter on a turd.
Black and white photography is very unflattering for most people- you need great bone structure and big eyes like Svetlana.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | December 7, 2013 6:15 PM |
It wasn't that it was expensive r42, it was a new phenomena. Prior to the 1920s, makeup was for actresses and whores. Women might use powder to hide spots but not much more than that. In the 1920s, makeup went mainstream as women wanted to look like movie stars (who wore makeup) but most didn't know much about it. If you look carefully you can see some of these women are wearing lipstick.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | December 7, 2013 6:44 PM |
Those women would look better with more suitable hairdos.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | December 7, 2013 6:54 PM |
Look at that awful holiday tree. You would think they would have sprung for something more lush and full.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | December 7, 2013 6:58 PM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 46 | December 7, 2013 7:20 PM |
That tree -- as scrawny and bare as it is -- was not that far out of the norm for the 1920s.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | December 7, 2013 7:21 PM |
[quote] The women all bobbed their hair- with what looks like their mother's sewing scissors.
I think they used their pinking shears.
[quote] Black and white photography is very unflattering for most people- you need great bone structure and big eyes like Svetlana.
And really good lighting. Not office lighting.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | December 7, 2013 7:24 PM |
"How long did people have to sit back then or was it just an instant rather than a long exposure? "
I believe flash photography was around by then, but I'm not sure if you could plug flash bulbs into cameras, or if you had to ignite a little tray of flash powder.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | December 7, 2013 7:40 PM |
I still can't get over how dirty the floor is. It looks like someone put a mud mask on that floor. Also the little ceiling fixture looks like the only light source for the room.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | December 7, 2013 7:46 PM |
The hair bob was about five years in by then (mid 20's) and it was more about just CUTTING the hair, DARING to cut it, period, into a more severe short look. Some of these women look like they took a hacksaw to theirs, though. (The one woman sitting in the floor holding the candy cane has a sort of "hybrid" hairdo, mixing Gibson Girl with the flapper.) Remember, the flapper was a REBEL. She dared to smoke and shorten her skirts and wear make-up. I think the term flapper came from the fact that some women wore rain shoes, rubber boots called 'galoshes', and did not fasten them so that they "flapped" when they walked. Another "rebellious" act.
I think all these women look totally "modern" for 1925.
Marcel waves were accomplished by a scary looking machine with "tentacles" that held each curl in place. Many women did their own hair then, too. Finger waves they were called. Not sure when hair spray (called "lacquer" back then) came into commonplace vogue. I k now that all hair products were harsh, the chemicals STRONG back then. Women's hair often frizzy and FRIED all to hell, as in this picture. Dry and frizzy!
by Anonymous | reply 51 | December 7, 2013 7:59 PM |
Women would get this sort of do by first perming their hair, and then putting long stripes of bobby pins along their heads to get the waves to settle into these perfectly even stripes. I hope they took the bobby pins out once the hair was dry, but...
When I was young, I saw a very old woman with a full Mary Pickford do. She'd left the rows of bobby pins in place, and presumably had done so for the last sixty years.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | December 7, 2013 8:10 PM |
Lush full trees only came in with cool electric lights. Sparse trees were for candles. Even after the change (and this was some time after) sparse trees continued to be used: after all the lights were hot and could cause fires.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | December 7, 2013 8:11 PM |
The most surprising thing is the eyebrows on the men look plucked.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | December 7, 2013 8:15 PM |
Outlets were apparently in short supply if they had to hook the tree up to an overhead fixture.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | December 7, 2013 8:17 PM |
R53, that is exactly true. Disastrous Christmas tree fires were so common for many many years because the bulbs were so hot and the trees got so dry. Hardly anyone had an artificial tree back then. I remember when I was little it was my job to put an ASPIRIN in the stand with the water. And to keep WATER in the stand, too. No idea what the aspirin was supposed to do but it sure was a wive's tale.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | December 7, 2013 8:19 PM |
I remember in my youth, visiting my grandparents, and them having trees that were easily that sparse.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | December 7, 2013 8:20 PM |
The girl in the striped blouse next to Svetlana is just gorgeous.
I love the country queen-looking woman in the velvet Louis heels. She looked like she'd belt out a thigh-slapping version of "Fancy" after a few stiff ones.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | December 7, 2013 8:28 PM |
I really can't come to terms that those two "ladies" in front of the woman in the police hat are, in fact, actual ladies.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | December 7, 2013 8:37 PM |
If you look closely, you can see Ginny, from Accounts Payable.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | December 7, 2013 8:48 PM |
Notice the one lone guy sitting on the floor, in the background, next to the "special" looking woman. What is HIS story? Sad sack Jack? Mister low on the totem pole? All the men are ABOVE the women except for him!
by Anonymous | reply 61 | December 7, 2013 11:01 PM |
My favorite person remains the one who is judging Svetlana. She's sitting on the floor in front, looking over at Svetlana in an extremely judgmental manner. She's in charge of petty cash and she's suspicious of everyone.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | December 8, 2013 1:25 AM |
I am obsessed with Svetlana. I think she just immigrated from Poland and hates being around all these tacky Americans who judge her for her broken English.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | December 8, 2013 3:00 AM |
The young man on the right standing on the table looking into the camera has his tie askew, his shirt is wrinkled and his vest rumpled. Obviously his wife is a layabout and can't be bothered to tend to her husband's clothing. She lays in bed all day reading gossip magazines, eating chocolates and drinking bathtub gin.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | December 8, 2013 3:20 AM |
I'm trying to decide whether the spots on Svetlana's clothing are actual stains, or if the photo itself is smudged. Certainly her hair is a fright, even by the standards of the 1920s.
Isn't it funny how bad 1920s clothing looks on real women? Of course all the fashion illustrations from the period are lovely, but they make real women look dumpy in photos and films from the era. Of course the clothes of the 1920s were much more comfortable than anything women had been allowed to wear for a century, but still.
So, here's the clothing fantasy:
by Anonymous | reply 65 | December 8, 2013 3:37 AM |
And here's the fashion reality.
These women were fashion plates in their day, but they look malporportioned. And the one who isn't wearing black looks downright beefy.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | December 8, 2013 3:40 AM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 67 | December 8, 2013 4:02 AM |
The woman on the extreme upper left looks like she's up to no good.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | December 8, 2013 4:18 AM |
[quote]The gal in front of the man holding the toy horse looks "special."
I think that's Fatty Arbuckle in drag.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | December 8, 2013 4:22 AM |
The gentleman with his arm around the chap sitting on the right hand desk will make my dreams dark.
Also, that floor is a disgrace.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | December 8, 2013 9:14 AM |
That's very interesting, r51. I remember my mom talking about her older sister (my aunt) doing crazy shit like that back in the 30's like ironing her hair (with an IRON for clothes) or cutting it with pinking shears. Amazing how far women will go for some fucked up idea of "beauty".
As r66 points out, the fashion of the 20's (much like today) was for very, very thin young women. NOT a grown woman with kids. Nothing ever looks as good on a human body as it does on a coat hanger. Why does this still surprise you?
by Anonymous | reply 71 | December 8, 2013 4:58 PM |
Those are men in r66's linked photo aren't they? The one to the right is the only one who looks like an actual female.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | December 8, 2013 5:15 PM |
"As [R66] points out, the fashion of the 20's (much like today) was for very, very thin young women."
The fashions of the 1920s were designed for women with very narrow hips, which was as rare then as it is now. But perhaps more common among flappers than the general population, because a true Flapper was a teenaged girl. People tend to forget how young they really were, girls got married right out of high school then and pushed out babies immediately, so their glamour years tended to be about 14-18.
Of course fashioned designed for teens looks awful on office ladies like these, but the office ladies were probably so glad to be free of whalebone corsets and layers of petticoats that they didn't mind. Much.
by Anonymous | reply 73 | December 8, 2013 7:30 PM |
Flapper dresses had those dropped waistlines that were supposed to HIDE the hips so that the women looked more "boyish," or mannish, another "rebellious" act for daring women of the time. Sort of thumbing their nose at traditional notions of womanhood as being diminutive and subservient. Problem was, as posters note, most women looked like hideous frumps in those clothes. The styles were really reactionary to what was going on sociologically and not really aligned with what actually flattered the female form. Same thing in the 1960's. Mini skirts looked horrible on anyone who didn't have slim legs and a "Twiggy" figure. Women looked like they had chunky ham hocks sticking out from those mini skirts, much of the time. But it was also another time similar in some ways to the 1920's, a reactionary period. Hippies, the counter culture and ANOTHER rebellious period for women who were reacting against the 1950's housewife "women knew their place" type of image. In some ways the 1950's harkened back to Victorian times when men were the breadwinners and the "little woman" kept the home and hearth. VERY defined roles. The 20's busted that wide open (for a time) and the 60's did, too. The fact that many/most women looked like hammered shit in the styles of those times is not acknowledged much.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | December 8, 2013 7:45 PM |
Is that Penny Marshall in the front?
by Anonymous | reply 75 | December 8, 2013 7:47 PM |
Surprised that no one has commented on the controlling lesbian with the talons.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | December 8, 2013 7:48 PM |
I see a lot of Blythe Danner in the girl with the stripes next to Svetlana. I can almost hear Svetlana ordering a mixed drink with the words: "and don't be stingy, baby."
I also love that whatever that black thing is under the "Go-Go" sign looks like it is sitting exactly on top of that guy's head. It looks like it might be the top of a fire extinguisher.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | December 8, 2013 8:01 PM |
Isn't that Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the top right?
by Anonymous | reply 78 | December 8, 2013 8:06 PM |
That one sitting in front of the oil can always makes my crotch start to burn and itch.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | December 8, 2013 8:35 PM |
I wonder if, at the time this was taken, they all gathered around once it was developed and said, "Damn, we all looked our best that day!"
by Anonymous | reply 80 | December 8, 2013 9:40 PM |
Can you even begin to imagine what the food was at the party?
by Anonymous | reply 81 | December 8, 2013 9:40 PM |
The balding man on the right, grouped with the other men, is very handsome.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | December 8, 2013 10:00 PM |
I can't imagine wanting to have sex with any of these people, even Svetlana.
by Anonymous | reply 83 | December 8, 2013 10:22 PM |
Oh, the guy at the top left with the widow's peak? I would do him. But I bet he was schtooping half that office, waddayathink?
by Anonymous | reply 84 | December 8, 2013 10:32 PM |
The woman staring at Svetlana is strangling whatever she is holding out of pure rage. She obviously set the party and the photo shoot up and that damn Russian is ruining it for everybody.
by Anonymous | reply 85 | December 8, 2013 10:48 PM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 86 | December 8, 2013 11:19 PM |
Hmm... what would the menu be??
cream cheese and olive sandwiches cut in small triangles.. on white bread.
a tray of sugar cookies
tea, coffee or Maisie's specially spiked egg nog.
a big box of chocolate left open on someone's desk. Clara Stover perhaps, if those were around then. I think See's came later.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | December 9, 2013 12:53 AM |
They probably didn't have refrigeration in the office (most people had iceboxes at home, but I doubt offices had them.) And certainly no oven. Maybe a hot plate? I would say they would have had it catered or they went out somewhere for lunch or dinner.
by Anonymous | reply 88 | December 9, 2013 1:00 AM |
I didn't think of that R88. You are probably right. Probably a Fred Harvey.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | December 9, 2013 1:13 AM |
Party menu for R81:
Limburger cheese and onion sandwiches on pumpernickel
Pickled eggs
Devilled ham on white toast
Chicken gelatine salad
Sautéed calves liver
Coca-Cola, beer or milk
Rhubarb pie
Sanka
by Anonymous | reply 90 | December 9, 2013 2:25 AM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 91 | December 9, 2013 4:44 AM |
Well they couldn't just run over to Subway and get a dozen footlongs to go, that's for sure.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | December 9, 2013 5:07 AM |
It was winter, I doubt they needed refrigeration. Poor people left perishable food on the fire escape back then, it'd freeze solid in NY.
I actually wonder how much heat they had, would there be radiators? Fireplaces? Surely not central heating?
by Anonymous | reply 93 | December 9, 2013 5:31 AM |
R90 I think rhubarb pie is a summer thing. They wouldn't have access to rhubarb in December, I don't think. (At least not on the east coast.)
by Anonymous | reply 94 | December 9, 2013 6:04 AM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 95 | December 9, 2013 6:11 AM |
I'd fuck three of the guys in the back row. The second one in has definite BDF.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | December 9, 2013 7:19 AM |
[quote] I think rhubarb pie is a summer thing. They wouldn't have access to rhubarb in December,
Rhubarb preserves.. But yes, apple is more likely.
[quote]Surely not central heating?
Surely yes. Big boiler rooms heated by coal in the basement and a claanginging hissing radiator in every room.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | December 9, 2013 8:57 AM |
[quote]I actually wonder how much heat they had, would there be radiators? Fireplaces? Surely not central heating?
This was 1925, not 1825. LOL. Of COURSE they had central heating, at least in office buildings. Of course, many were still coal furnaces but still. Radiators had been around for decades by then. And there were, gasp, BUILDING codes in place and safety regulations that would have forbidden actual fireplaces in many structures. It was still pretty loosey goosey in that regard back in the 20's but it was more modern than one might think.
You can bet those places were toasty warm in the winter. As many have noted, it was TOO hot much of the time and the way they regulated the temps was to open windows. Steam heat is the absolute best! Some people even set pans of water on the radiator to increase moisture in the air.
by Anonymous | reply 98 | December 9, 2013 3:15 PM |
It really is amazing how that one woman on the left sitting behind the one in the striped blouse and pearls looks like she was photoshopped into the picture.
It's like she's "Jack/The Shining" of the group.
by Anonymous | reply 99 | December 9, 2013 3:31 PM |
A colorized version of The 1925 Western Electric Christmas Party Photo! I do think the blond guy partially hidden by the Christmas tree is rather attractive. You can just barely even see him.
by Anonymous | reply 100 | December 9, 2013 4:26 PM |
I have one of those clanging, hissing radiators that makes the room way too hot! I even have to open a window to cool down. Is it safe to assume that my building hasn’t been updated since the 1920s, or were they installed until much later?
by Anonymous | reply 101 | December 9, 2013 4:33 PM |
I was thinking the same thing, R99. It's like she went through some sort of time warp. Her hair and even facial features look like they're from the 1960s.
by Anonymous | reply 102 | December 9, 2013 4:33 PM |
I used to work in a government office building in DC that was built in the '30s and we had those horrible radiators as well. Even when it was 30 degrees outside, we'd have to open a window because those things overheated the room so much.
by Anonymous | reply 103 | December 9, 2013 4:39 PM |
Wow, that is a boatload of butt ugly people. Not a looker in the crowd, M or F.
by Anonymous | reply 104 | December 9, 2013 4:43 PM |
You just KNOW the pretty girl just behind the desk (and Svetlana) is thinking, "First chance I get, I'm hopping that train west and doing a screen test for Biograph _ I may evenn give that new studio MGM a try, too."
by Anonymous | reply 105 | December 9, 2013 4:43 PM |
There are a couple decent-looking guys on the right side, and one that looks like he has major potential, from what I can see of his face (guy in the bottom back row w/wavy hair).
by Anonymous | reply 106 | December 9, 2013 4:55 PM |
The woman standing on the far left and the one in the stripes (behind Svetlana) are very pretty, as is Svetlana herself. The woman sitting behind the oil can isn’t pretty, exactly, but looks like she’d be up for a rollicking good time involving lots of booze and dirty jokes.
by Anonymous | reply 107 | December 9, 2013 5:02 PM |
Shia LaBeouf is on the far right standing on the desk with the striped tie.
by Anonymous | reply 108 | December 9, 2013 5:08 PM |
"Svetlana" looks more like Anna Magnani to me.
by Anonymous | reply 109 | December 9, 2013 5:11 PM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 110 | December 9, 2013 5:12 PM |
Never noticed the almost normal-looking woman, the farthest to the left behind the desk. Blond, pretty.
by Anonymous | reply 111 | December 9, 2013 5:14 PM |
Damn, I loved that steam heat when we had it in our building. Fucking awesome!
Electric heat sucks donkey balls. NEVER warm enough.
by Anonymous | reply 112 | December 9, 2013 5:22 PM |
There are TWO fat guys with hideous lumps that took their glasses off, R19.
by Anonymous | reply 113 | December 9, 2013 5:23 PM |
Svetlana was a Bolshevik, probably stealing trade secrets and sending them back to Moscow.
by Anonymous | reply 114 | December 9, 2013 6:11 PM |
I've often wondered why society's facial structures change like this. You just don't see people wallking around looking like that anymore. Not just hair, makeup, etc. but their actual facial features have changed. That one chubby woman in the front looks like a pug dog. I've never met anyone in person with a nose like that.
Is it diet? What has changed?
by Anonymous | reply 116 | December 9, 2013 6:26 PM |
Maggie Gyllenhaal looks like she should be from this era.
by Anonymous | reply 117 | December 9, 2013 6:37 PM |
R115, cuties
by Anonymous | reply 118 | December 9, 2013 6:41 PM |
Proving the casting of Steve Buscemi was spot on, bless his heart.
by Anonymous | reply 119 | December 9, 2013 6:45 PM |
There's a hottie mixed in this rogue's gallery
by Anonymous | reply 120 | December 9, 2013 6:49 PM |
Why are the floors so filthy in these photos? The store in R120's photo clearly sells brooms!
by Anonymous | reply 121 | December 9, 2013 6:54 PM |
R62, the woman who is two over from the right of Svetlana (who I like to call "Lois"), clutching a handkerchief is the typical vindictive office frau who knows everyone else's business. She's constantly trying to get Svetlana fired. Svetlana's casual adherence to office rules and general bohemian quality insults her deeply.
Lois also looks like she could be Svetlana's creepy lesbian stalker.
by Anonymous | reply 122 | December 9, 2013 7:05 PM |
R116: I've always assumed that folks of this era were recent immigrants (or children of same), and that typical slavic features (for instance) were "fresher" and more pronounced.
Nearly 100 years later, due to more intermingling of groups, big noses, protruding ears and the like were "genetically modified".
Of course, improved dental care, hairstyles, diets, and regular gym workouts also contributed to an overall improvement in appearance.
by Anonymous | reply 123 | December 9, 2013 7:13 PM |
I think that guy sitting on the ground (with the kind blue eyes) is attractive.
by Anonymous | reply 124 | December 9, 2013 7:15 PM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 125 | December 9, 2013 7:32 PM |
Thanks R123 & R125 that makes sense. Looking at these old photos makes me realize just how much of a melting pot this country really is.
by Anonymous | reply 126 | December 9, 2013 8:22 PM |
Love that picture, R120
by Anonymous | reply 127 | December 9, 2013 11:21 PM |
R120's photo looks like the inspiration for "The Shop Around the Corner" (later "In The Good Old Summertime," "She Loves Me," and "You've Got Mail.")
by Anonymous | reply 128 | December 9, 2013 11:59 PM |
In the photo at R120, the fifth guy from the left has terrible posture but a big dick and balls going down his leg, I think. I love the dandy at the end of the right side with his hand on his hip.
by Anonymous | reply 129 | December 9, 2013 11:59 PM |
Wow, R120's picture is something else...
The first guy on the left has a really odd-shaped head. The third guy from the left is hot.
It was easy to spot the guy way up on the left, but it took me a while before I realized there is a guy poking his head out on the right side of the picture too. Creepy.
by Anonymous | reply 131 | December 10, 2013 1:13 PM |
Hey, I almost missed that little cutie (except for the sketchy mustache) working the mezzanine in r120's pic! And the shy fellow all the way on the right, just poking his head out. They sure want to unload their Pyralin ivory products....
by Anonymous | reply 132 | December 10, 2013 1:40 PM |
Since we're doing Shorpy today, take a look at this picture of yummy Navy Oarsmen from 1896.
by Anonymous | reply 133 | December 10, 2013 1:45 PM |
R133, even in that pic there's only one hottie... though there's also a handful of "acceptables"...
by Anonymous | reply 134 | December 10, 2013 1:49 PM |
They wouldn't have beer at a party during Prohibition. Not out in the open but I'm sure every man had a flask in his pocket.
by Anonymous | reply 135 | December 10, 2013 1:57 PM |
I can't believe THAT many people are crammed into what appears to be a typical office-sized room. Perhaps there is a lot more space "behind the photographer" but it sure looks like a claustrophobic party room! And,yeah, you can imagine many of those people not smelling so great!
by Anonymous | reply 136 | December 10, 2013 2:09 PM |
R133, the captain with the mustache is a hot daddy!
by Anonymous | reply 137 | December 10, 2013 2:24 PM |
That's Kate McKinnon's tubercular sister standing right next to the tree.
by Anonymous | reply 138 | December 10, 2013 2:57 PM |
They are scarey ugly. And all of them are in various graves right now, cold and skeletal.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
by Anonymous | reply 139 | December 10, 2013 3:03 PM |
So this is where the Goth look came from! Unlike today's Gothettes those old school Goth Gals didn't try so hard.Oh and people who say women were cuter back then,I call bullshit on that. There is some butt ugly women in this picture not to mention the fellas. People might have gotten plumper but they have gotten better looking!
by Anonymous | reply 140 | December 10, 2013 3:10 PM |
1896???
by Anonymous | reply 141 | December 10, 2013 3:19 PM |
No one looks genuinely happy in any of these pictures.
I'm going to say it: I think we're living in better times.
by Anonymous | reply 142 | December 10, 2013 3:21 PM |
"Nearly 100 years later, due to more intermingling of groups, big noses, protruding ears and the like were "genetically modified". Of course, improved dental care, hairstyles, diets, and regular gym workouts also contributed to an overall improvement in appearance."
You forget how common nose jobs have become, particularly among ethnicities prone to really impressive honkers. A friend of mine said "...where I came from a girl got her period, got her boobs, got her nose fixed...".
Also, in R120 and R130's pictures, some of the men have untreated broken noses. These days if you break the hell out of your nose, you go to the ER and a plastic surgeon makes sure you won't have trouble breathing or frighten the kiddies. Not so much in those days, apparently the middle classes just left their noses askew.
by Anonymous | reply 143 | December 10, 2013 7:17 PM |
I agree R140
by Anonymous | reply 144 | December 11, 2013 12:32 AM |
also, R143, the procedure to "flatten" protruding ears is relatively simple today, (almost an outpatient treatment), so "Radar Heads" are a rarity. Not so back then.
by Anonymous | reply 145 | December 11, 2013 12:37 AM |
[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]
by Anonymous | reply 146 | December 11, 2013 1:57 AM |
Wait, is that the Christmas Mouse?
by Anonymous | reply 147 | December 11, 2013 5:14 AM |
The woman in the brown, to the right of the 60's chick... is she Asian?
I find this picture endlessly fascinating. If you put these folks in contemporary clothing and hairstyles, they would look contemporary. The very dated hair and clothing styles, and lack of makeup on the women, is what makes them look so odd to our modern gazes. It's certainly not because human features have changed so much in a mere 90 years.
by Anonymous | reply 149 | December 11, 2013 8:35 AM |
I completely agree, R149 .
by Anonymous | reply 150 | December 11, 2013 8:43 AM |
Smart and sensible post, r149. Do you really belong at datalounge?
As for r142- The kindest response I have is to shake my head!
by Anonymous | reply 151 | December 11, 2013 5:25 PM |
R148, I'd dig him up for sure!
by Anonymous | reply 152 | December 11, 2013 5:29 PM |
I could seriously go back in time and fuck the everloving shit out of the cutie sitting on the desk (right hand side of photo) and the hot mess behind him in the striped tie. I see the wedding ring on "hot mess's" finger, but I would like to think that he and the guy on the desk had a quickie in the supply closet.
The guy behind the striped tie "hot mess" has serious gay face and looks like he probably gave one hell of a B.J.
by Anonymous | reply 153 | December 11, 2013 5:49 PM |
[quote]by: Pining for Two Ghosts
They probably ended up in pine boxes.
by Anonymous | reply 154 | December 11, 2013 5:52 PM |
R154, Hence the "pining" - LOL.
by Anonymous | reply 155 | December 11, 2013 5:53 PM |
The "hot mess" reminds me a little bit of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
by Anonymous | reply 157 | December 11, 2013 6:06 PM |
I love these annual threads; and the fact that this photo continues to enchant us year after year.
If you're feeling especially nostalgic, try googling:
western electric 1925 site:datalounge.com
The original thread seems to have been deleted, but Google still finds threads from 2010, 2011 and 2012. They're great fun to read again.
by Anonymous | reply 158 | December 11, 2013 8:07 PM |
R149 I disagree. These people look of their time. As one poster mentioned ethnicities were less mixed in those days. Perhaps because of different ethnicities intermarrying people look different today.In addition, people are much fatter today especially in Flyoverville.
by Anonymous | reply 159 | December 11, 2013 8:17 PM |
This is the same guy from r148's photo. The fantasy is sullied a bit
by Anonymous | reply 160 | December 11, 2013 9:41 PM |
Would most of the American guys been cut or uncut in 1925?
by Anonymous | reply 162 | December 11, 2013 9:59 PM |
I always wonder who invited Aleister Crowley to the party and then put a stop and go marker on his head...
by Anonymous | reply 163 | December 11, 2013 10:10 PM |
What exactly do you mean by "ethnicities," r159? They're all Caucasian, except for maybe that one woman who looks as if she may be Asian.
by Anonymous | reply 164 | December 11, 2013 10:14 PM |
I love his hairy chest/forearms, R160.
by Anonymous | reply 165 | December 11, 2013 10:25 PM |
R164: I'm not R159, but I imagine he or she means [italic]a socially defined category of people who identify with each other based on a shared social experience or ancestry.[1] Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared cultural heritage, ancestry, history, homeland, language (dialect) or ideology, and with symbolic systems such as religion, mythology and ritual, cuisine, dressing style, physical appearance, etc.[/italic]
Anyway, I love this photo.
by Anonymous | reply 166 | December 11, 2013 10:49 PM |
Some of guys look like they could take my cock
by Anonymous | reply 167 | December 11, 2013 10:53 PM |
So tells what each person's ethnicity is, if it is so readily identifiable.
by Anonymous | reply 168 | December 12, 2013 1:36 AM |
R164 You didn't find many Italian/Irish/Puerto Rican mixes back then ! Or Mexican/German/English mixes for that matter either.Irish Catholic married Irish Catholic for the most part,WASP married WASP etc so on.
by Anonymous | reply 169 | December 16, 2013 3:05 PM |
^
by Anonymous | reply 170 | December 18, 2013 1:20 PM |
As the staff of Western Electric prepares to ring in the New Year, a big change awaits them in 1926. That is when they began to make phones whose ear-piece and mouth-piece were together in one part. The candlestick phones and wall-mounted boxes with a horn you spoke into and a separate piece you held up to your ear were about to become obsolete.
by Anonymous | reply 171 | December 19, 2013 8:05 AM |
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by Anonymous | reply 172 | March 24, 2014 12:13 PM |
Thank you, Emiliano.
Are you by chance the exotic woman sitting on the floor?
by Anonymous | reply 173 | March 24, 2014 12:25 PM |
Bumping for Christmas!
by Anonymous | reply 174 | December 21, 2014 10:36 PM |
This is last year's thread. There's already one for 2014.
by Anonymous | reply 175 | December 22, 2014 1:06 AM |
The more I stare at the original photo the more I realize that the younger and more attractive men are all pushed behind the ugly ones.
by Anonymous | reply 176 | December 22, 2014 1:35 AM |
Last year someone numbered each person for easy identification. Has that been posted yet? Maybe I missed it?
by Anonymous | reply 177 | December 4, 2016 4:58 PM |
Bump for the holidays.
by Anonymous | reply 178 | December 10, 2019 4:20 AM |
I'd really like to know the little drama going on here
by Anonymous | reply 179 | December 10, 2019 5:11 AM |
The dowdy woman on the right disapproves of the wan, tubercular-looking woman on the left because she had a child out of wedlock. She tries to pass the little bastard off as her much-younger sister, but she’s not fooling Miss Lace Collar. The girl in the middle is dreaming of moving to Hollywood to join her half-sister Lucille, or Joan, or whatever she’s calling herself now.
The woman to their left (our right) in the larger picture likes a good time, and she’s not particular who she has it with. Lace Collar’s not too crazy about her, either. The woman on the far right in that front group of four doesn’t work for Western Electric. She just escaped from St Elizabeths Hospital, the local insane asylum, and has insinuated herself into the party. Everyone thinks she’s the new girl in Accounts Payable. Later on, she’ll put strychnine in the eggnog. With all the bootleg hooch already in it, no one will notice the bitter taste.
by Anonymous | reply 180 | December 10, 2019 6:47 AM |
That’s a fuckton of ill thought-out finger waves up in there.
by Anonymous | reply 181 | December 10, 2019 6:59 AM |
Bumpity bump bump bumpity bump
by Anonymous | reply 182 | December 10, 2019 11:22 PM |
by Anonymous | reply 183 | December 22, 2019 2:19 PM |
There are only two good looking men in that picture. Jug ears and the bald daddy.
by Anonymous | reply 184 | December 22, 2019 2:24 PM |
I can't find any of the other Western Electric Christmas Party threads, I sure hope they aren't lost.
by Anonymous | reply 186 | December 22, 2019 2:33 PM |
It’s a little known fact that Ginny in billing’s grandmother was conceived at this party.
by Anonymous | reply 187 | December 22, 2019 2:44 PM |