Comments on: Life Archive | The Pentagon c.1951

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:25:58 +0000

The Pentagon just opened up a new concourse and food court, and moved all the amenities – Barber Shop, Florist, Drug Store, Shoe Shine, Laundry, Jewelry Store, Bank and Post Office – right there. There are displays throughout the building, and some that have pictures from the 50’s, but none as evocative as this set. Well done!

By: eltrain

eltrain — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:01:54 +0000

The carpenter with the conductor stripe overalls and shit and tie is classic. I’m most definitely going to emulate that look as well as i can.

By: deisgnerman

deisgnerman — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:46:24 +0000

my father worked in the pentagon in the late 50’s. the photo with the cigarette machine reminded me that he smoked 4 packs of Kents a day.

how pre-mad men is that?

(the old bendel’s on 57th street had pnumatic tubes too)

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:40:58 +0000

Izard’s Department Store, Elmira N.Y. had beautiful brass pneumatic tubes until the 1970’s. Your cash went up to Accounting, your change came back. Really, very civilized.

By: Tintin

Tintin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:19:55 +0000

There was a great book store with some real niche titles in the mid 80’s. I snagged a book on Soviet Special Forces. As a 12 year old my grandmother dragged me all over that place. We used our dependent id’s to get in. I remember long halls with exposed pipes and wiring in the ceiling and the outdoor park in the center. They also served damn good chicken and dumplings in the cafeteria.

By: JPA

JPA — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:12:31 +0000

Sir,

There is still quite a decent barber shop. It can be quite an odd experience to have a four star admiral seated in the chair next to you. While the comms gear is more sophisticated than the “Radio Control Room” there are still plenty of rooms with racks upon racks of gear, some with cables sticking out the back and front. The YOU ARE HEREs look about the same, though there are more locations depicted today, with various construction detours notated as well. There are still corpulent AF NCOs in the Courtyard putting mustard (?) on their hot dogs. Most, if not all, of the bicycles/tricycles have been replaced with motorized variants. Sadly, they lock them up at night to prevent junior officers from having races. And finally, the cobbler shop will still put a new sole and a shine in which you can very nearly shave on your service browns.

Cheers,

JPA
LT, USN

By: newgrass

newgrass — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:45:18 +0000

Fascinating. Thanks for the pics. Those pneumatic tubes are badass. I agree, forget email…build a worldwide network of pneumatic tubes!

By: Brian Miller

Brian Miller — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:12:28 +0000

Love these. Had a friend who worked at RAND in Santa Monica and got to visit the old, original building before it was demolished. Now THAT was very Dr. Strangelove – it HAD to have influenced some of the style. The furniture, layout, even the hallway tile was amazing. This was the very building in which the idea of “mutually assured destruction” was coined (love the not-so-subtle acronym M.A.D.). So much amazing and frightening history.

By: Scooter

Scooter — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:56:28 +0000

Yeah, these pics just make me want to know more. The only thing I know for certain is that the Officer in picture 4 is talking to Peter Sellers (Um, yes, have seen the movie WAY too many times…).

By: Cathleen

Cathleen — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:51:25 +0000

I like these photos. The b/w is great and everyone seems so focused – no ADD here.

I know we’re not supposed to promote, but I’m going to try. Check out “The Pentagon: The First Fifty Years” by Alfred Goldberg. This is a government document published by DoD in 1992. The SuDoc# D 1.2:P38 for those who find themselves near a Federal Depository.

There are wonderful construction photos from 1941 and 1942 showing scaffolding, and blueprints pointing out “the formidable task of creating a complex road system to carry the heavy vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the building and across the Potomac.”

It is lovely.