Visiting Trenton, New Jersey in 1926


Let's time-travel to Trenton, New Jersey, in 1926. I found this wonderful image on the Duke University site a few days ago, and I gotta admit that it was the cars that caught my eye. Let's step into the photo.

We're on State Street looking west towards Canal Street, and the railroad tracks. The big building there is the Moose Lodge, and in the background you can see City Hall, which is still there. The trolley tracks, by the way, have been gone since 1934, when they were replaced with buses. It's not a conspiracy, man, it happened all over the country, although here in Phoenix (where I am) it didn't happen until after WWII, just like in Los Angeles. It's easy to forgot how very, very old the trolley cars were, and how wonderfully new and comfortable the buses were. Sorry, trolley nostalgia fans!


But the cars! Look at those cars! I wish that I were enough of an expert on 1920s cars to identify this beauty - if you know what it is, please tell me and I'll update this post. I'm pretty good at recognizing cars from the 1960s and '70s, but that's about it. By the way, I didn't identify this location, I have an expert, who prefers to remain anonymous, and who is in an undisclosed location, who helps me on this. I wouldn't have a clue how to figure that out!


But I am learning enough about cars of this era to be impressed by the spare tire on the back of the car going by. It actually has a tire attached to a spare wheel, just like cars do today, but before then, they were just tires. We still call it a spare tire, but really we should call it a spare tire and wheel. This must have impressed people at the time as being thoroughly modern.


This photo, by the way, was taken because of the billboard, and so the people who are walking by are just ordinary people. I've seen ties worn the way that this gentleman is wearing his, and it still upsets me, looking way too short. But it was fine for 1926! And you ladies - check out the hat on the woman who is turning her back to him.


Taking a closer look at the people walking by, it does look as if the woman there is dressed in the latest style, with that hat, but it's the hat on her friend there in the three-piece suit that catches my eye. Not sure what they're called, I call them a golf cap. Seems a strange combination. The man on the right is wearing a Homburg hat, and is also wearing a top coat, something that I've never owned, even though I used to wear a suit to work. It never really gets cold here in Phoenix, and even when I lived in Los Angeles it wasn't necessary. I'll bet it gets cold there in Trenton!


By the way, for those of you who enjoy old maps (and I do!), here's this area in a Sanborn map. I've put an arrow to show you where the Moose Lodge was. LOOM stands for "Loyal Order of Moose".


And here's City Hall. You can also see a tiny bit of the railroad tracks, and even a crossing arm. I wonder if the guy leaning there enjoyed his job? He probably did, unless it got really cold. Hopefully he carried along a flask for a little nip, you know, for medicinal purposes (this was still during Prohibition, you know!).


Thank you for visiting Trenton in 1926 with me!
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