The Erie Canal by Chatham Hill Games

Found this game in a pile of old paper at our house, no idea where it came from. We haven't played, but it seems to be a nice little educational game about commerce on the Erie Canal. Two players and moves controlled by a spinner (missing) but seems not to have too many options once you get going. The left side of the game board below requires all the pieces to be cut out with scissors before play.

Toronto scenes; Queen St. Looking west to Spadina Ave.

Mike Filey, Look at Us Now, Toronto Sun 1971

 1910, We can see three turreted buildings along Queen St. The Moler Barber College building was known as the Mary Pickford Theatre.

Mike Filey, Look at Us Now, Toronto Sun 1971

1970; We've lost one the turreted buildings but little has changed. A discount store occupies the former Moler Barber College building. The PCC car replaces the old wooden streetcars.

2015; Retail still reigns supreme in this stretch. The discount store in the Barber College building has been replaced by a McDonalds. The former substantial brick building (behind the new-but-about-to-be-replaced streetcar) is now a concrete modernist style TD bank. A condo towers over the last remaining turreted building on the left. The Horseshoe Tavern (out of camera angle in the 1970 shot) has been there since 1947, providing live music and springboarding local talent.
More here.

Cool World War II Cover Art: Brazen Chariots

Hallicrafters Model S-38C

Popular Mechanics, April 1954

I re-discovered this old shortwave set gathering dust on top of a bookshelf.  I've cleaned it off and put it up for sale on Kijiji.  I only have room for so much stuff!  See my earlier post on the company.

Sidecar Sunday

Fred and his ice race hack. Gone racing today!

Last week's haul

Pennsylvania Station, New York City

Built 1901-1910, Demolished 1963.

Cool World War II Cover Art: Normandie Niemen

The Normandie Niemen was a fighter squadron of the Free French Air Force that fought with the Soviets against the Germans during World War II.  It eventually grew to regimental size (3 squadrons), flying Yakolev Yak fighters.  Its name was bestowed upon it by Stalin in recognition of its part in the Battle of the Niemen River.

Greist Sewing Aids

A while ago, we picked up a lovely old Japanese-made Singer sewing machine for $7.50 at a thrift store.  I find it amazing that these beautiful pieces of machinery trade for so little money.

Included with the machine was this box of attachments made by the Greist Manufacturing Company. There is not a lot of information on the web about this company. It may have started as a bicycle shop. The founder, John Milton Greist (1850-1906) apparently changed the spelling of his name around 1892, because his company was originally called the Griest Manufacturing Company. Below, from 1879: 

Smithsonian Sewing Machines

The company had a large facility in Chicago, but also seems to have been located out of New Haven, Connecticut.  In addition to sewing machine attachments (for which the founder had around 50 patents, a number of which were sold to Singer, including the famous "puzzle box.") the company also made lamps, razors, measuring tools and "Griest's Mechanical Pen and Duplicating Press":

The American Stationer, 1879

In any event, John M. Greist became a very wealthy man, building his stately home "Marvelwood" on a 700-acre nature preserve onto which he brought a herd of elk and deer. He called his home his hobby, and the public were allowed to visit. It's now the site of the Yale Golf Course, which may not be as accommodating to public visits.

The Greist firm seems to have soldiered on until around the 1960's or 1970's, when the Japanese became ascendant in this market area.

Tools you never knew existed; Asphalt testing thermometer

An Asphalt Testing thermometer with a range of 100-400 degrees F. made by the Taylor Instrument company of Rochester NY. The company is still in business, now located in Chicago.
 The label is mostly information about storing in a vertical orientation and how to unite the separated portions of the mercury if stored incorrectly. Yes this one was stored incorrectly.

Ducati Scrambler

Lots of media attention to the just-introduced version, here is the original (1962) edition.