Snapshots of the Past

[Steamroller grading road, probably Michigan] – Antique Wall Art

[Steamroller grading road, probably Michigan], 1921 April 26. — historic photograph
[Steamroller grading road, probably Michigan], 1921 April 26.. Historic photograph from the Detroit Publishing Company collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Steamroller grading road, probably Michigan], preserved in this historic photograph. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

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[Steamroller grading road, probably Michigan]

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A steam-powered road roller flattens fresh surface on a road under construction in this 1921 view, one of the heavy machines that became a familiar sight as states expanded their road networks for automobile traffic. The glass negative, dated April 26, 1921, is catalogued as Detroit Publishing Co. no. 640 and may belong to a group of related road-building negatives. The title was devised by the cataloger and places the scene in Michigan only as a probability, so the exact location remains uncertain. It is worth a closer look for what it shows about how roads were built in the early motor age.

Created / published1921 April 26.
Medium1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in.
GenreDry plate negatives.Photographic prints Reproductions.
NotesTitle devised by cataloger. Probably related to negatives D418-628 to 646. Detroit Publishing Co. no. 640. Gift; State Historical Society of Colorado; 1949.
SubjectsRoad rollers. Road construction.United States--Michigan.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection
Original scan973 × 697 px
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-DET-76216

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