yesterwire.comBack to search

On the date

Tuesday, July 21, 1908

From the day

Perspective: The Street Photographer · Sound

The July sun bakes the cobblestones, turning the scent of horse manure and motor oil into a thick, stifling haze. I adjust my viewfinder on a newsboy shouting about Vanderbilt’s lost thousands; the lad’s suspenders are frayed, but his grin is absolutely bully as he dodges a sleek new Ford. Nearby, a phonograph horn spills the sweet, melodic pining of *Shine On, Harvest Moon* into the humid air, competing with the clatter of iron-rimmed wheels. I capture a shopgirl mid-pivot, her starch-collared blouse crisp against the gritty brickwork, while the haunting tune lingers like a shadow over the afternoon bustle.

Memories from that day

No memories yet. Add yours if you remember this day.

The Headlines

VANDERBILT LOSES $15,000 ON HORSES; English "Gyps" Circulate False Reports and Buy Coach Horses at Low Figure. RESOLD AT A BIG PROFIT Walter Winans Offers $10,000 for Newsboy and Shopgirl -- Buys Babette and Fieurette for 5,000.

Read in The New York Times →

Best-selling Sheet Music

Shine On, Harvest Moon

Nora Bayes & Jack Norworth

The must-have

Rook (Card Game)

Slang

Slang of the decade

General

bullyfit as a fiddleblockhead

Aristocrat

capitalmy wordbally

Working Class

gadzooksblimeychump

Catchphrases of 1908

  • Take me out to the ball game

Tech Check

Ford Model T (Assembly Line), Geiger Counter & Cellophane.

Cost of Living (1900)

Loaf of Bread

$0.05

Gallon of Gas

$0.10

Average Home

$3,200

New Car

$1,000

Time Elapsed

43,053 days ago

(117 years, 348 days)