Vintage work crew photos

**ranald** · Sep 14, 2019, 11:35 AM

all these insights and related comments are valid. "Every generation blames the one before" and every parent tries to do better for theirs, than they experienced and after a couple of generations we wonder how they survived. Today the really hard work is a totally different type of STRESS: that of the brain or mind and the releases isn't just dreaming of what could be, but can change direction to addictions of some kind. Is it medicene that has created so much suffering or ill at ease? We never heard of issues/qualities like aspergers and the spectrum seems to be everywhere when we look close. We are obsessed with "labels" which seems to help a few understand/accept others/themselves.
OK I'll shut up now.
Have to go back to culling my stuff ready to move on to the next adventure/level.

Cheers

**skibo** · Sep 14, 2019, 01:58 PM

I see a very different world here in the young people then working very hard and in dangerous environment's as these young men. I I do not feel this is good nor would I want to do this type of work in the dangerous coal dust, but considering the time and all it was sometimes all there was, it don't make it right but it still structured our Country as it grew! These were Men and Women that were "real" young Men and Women, even if working in a coal mine or building a steam locomotive or hammering steel in a ship yard or tilling a field for the Counties food, at least you'll not find a "Man Bun or a ear ring on anyone of them!! We are loosing our next generation of Men and to some degree the Women also! I Just see what I see every day in my retired life!

**Jon** · Sep 14, 2019, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by skibo

it don't make it right but it still structured our Country as it grew

There is a quote commonly attributed to apocalyptic author and retired Marine G. Michael Hopf that well encapsulates your point, and that we see illustrated in many of these vintage work crew photos. It goes like this:

"Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times."

**Jon** · Sep 14, 2019, 04:00 PM

A 17 MVA hydroelectric generator being constructed at the Siemens Dynamowerk in Berlin, 1955.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**Ralphxyz** · Sep 14, 2019, 04:15 PM

Two of the guys are doing precision assemble work with a hammer and one looks like he is trimming something with tin snips. The generator is probable still working.

**Toolmaker51** · Sep 15, 2019, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by stillldoinit

Maybe there needs to be a requirement on every picture taken, an explanation of what it is so future generations wont have to wonder and speculate,"what were they thinking when they built that?", lol.

Great idea. But for whatever reason rarely practiced. We all have family photos; what percentage have something written on the reverse? Other than "Kodak" not a shred of information. At a minimum, the date. Who or what. The location.
A photo, Uncle Harold and three unknown military buddies? A wedding party? A house? A dog? Where is this old barn? That's Hoover Dam but...?
Occurs to me writing this, value of snapshots might be 100% only for who took it, degrading by generation quickly after that.
Simple notes make genealogy far easier.