Intriguing 1918 Photo

mosconiac

Job+Wife+Child=No Stroke
Silver Member
I love visiting Shorpy's for vintage photos. A pool related on popped up today. Poor guys couldn't afford a cueball!!!

Can anyone ID the flag & branch of the military?

high-res: http://www.shorpy.com/node/13566?size=_original#caption

SHORPY_13988a.preview.jpg
 

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
Gold Member
Silver Member
Wow, that really is a great photo!

Just a guess but that flag may be indicating a 4 star general is either in the house or expected. When generals were "in" on bases where I served, it was customary for there to be a flag indicating so. Similar to what they would do, for instance, on jeeps when a high ranking officer, usually full bird colonels and higher were on board. Typically, a rank plate would be affixed to the front bumper.

What a cool table.

Thanks for sharing this.

best,
brian kc
 
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Tramp Steamer

One Pocket enthusiast.
Silver Member
That is a very interesting photo. Why are the points of the cue on the shaft and upside-down to boot?

Thanks for sharing! :smile:

They're not. That's a one piece cue with a full-splice joint in the shaft area.
Not so much decorative, but rather an effort to make the cue more warp resistant.
At the time that photo was taken it was raining outside. :smile:
 

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
I played on that table at a bar in Door County Wisconsin.

The same cloth is still holding up.
 

1ab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Standing to the right of the soldier not shooting are two Marines the rest appear to be Army. Great Photo...No idea about the flag.
 

PoolSharkAllen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I noticed this interesting comment that was appended to the photo: "Notice the young man is aiming his stick directly at the numbered ball, instead of the cue ball. Either he's trying to hustle someone, or it was simply for the photo op."
 

Cdryden

Pool Addict
Silver Member
Typical pool hall, 32 guys and 1 girl.

Seriously though, thanks for sharing. Its a great photo.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I'm thinking the cue-ball was beside the 7-ball...
..he cut a ball into the side ( some guys are looking at the side pocket )
..cue-ball position is where it would naturally end up.
..he's pulled his cue back after the hit, which many unsophisticated players
are wont to do ( notice the awkward bridge, part fist bridge, part closed
with the index finger loose )

I like the way the legs are braced at the bottom for stability...
...and I think the rails are higher than modern tables
 

StrokeofLuck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cool old photo. Off topic but reposting that as a "caption this photo" would generate some great responses I bet.
 

Matt90

Trust the Process
Silver Member
what I notice

Not one person in that photo is over weight .....maybe the lady but she looks like she may be a bit older .Also even though they are "at ease" not one looks like a slouch . Now that I am a little older the military really would not of been a bad idea .:cool: The marines are standing with hands clasped behind and army guys arms are to the side .Every Marine I have ever met will strike this pose at some point in the day .
 
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sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
Wow, that really is a great photo!

Just a guess but that flag may be indicating a 4 star general is either in the house or expected. When generals were "in" on bases where I served, it was customary for there to be a flag indicating so. Similar to what they would do, for instance, on jeeps when a high ranking officer, usually full bird colonels and higher were on board. Typically, a rank plate would be affixed to the front bumper.

What a cool table.

Thanks for sharing this.

best,
brian kc

Brian:

That's correct -- when an officer reaches the rank of O-7, he/she enters the "flag ranks" or of "flag officer." In the Army/Air Force/Marines, that rank is Brigadier General. In the Navy/Coast Guard, that rank is Commodore. In the Army/Air Force/Marines, the achievement of that rank is only an insignia pin change on the uniform (i.e. the silver star on the shoulder bars and on the shirt collars). In the Navy/Coast Guard, there is also a uniform change as well -- the adorned sleeve cuffs.

http://defense.gov/about/insignias/officers.aspx

Wherever that officer goes, his/her presence is indicated by the presence of his/her rank flag prominently placed on that location -- most often on the nearby flag mast, but it is also displayed on walls, on the outside of buildings, on his/her personal transport, etc.

I was never in the army. most flags with stars for hi ranking officers the stars go left to right.

if the picture was in color and the stars are blue with a white background
i believe it is a flag that the army gives to the parents when they loose a son
in the war, 4 stars going top to bottom =4 dead sons .
just a guess,

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=4+st...&tbnw=80&start=12&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:12

MMike

Mike, about the flag officer's flag "always having to be displayed horizontally," that's not always true. When a flag officer is present in a building for which there is no nearby flag mast, that flag officer's flag is displayed hanging vertically from a window ledge. Internally -- i.e. on a wall -- it is displayed vertically as well.

However, your point about a mother's flag with sons actively serving (not necessarily dead, btw -- as described on your link, if you cared to read it) is indeed displayed vertically as well.

And considering the OP's picture is from the early 1900s, with all the insignia and flag changes that've occurred since then, it's not entirely clear which type of flag this is -- whether that of a flag officer, or of a mother with 4 actively-serving sons. However, with that population of military people gathered all in one place, I'm leaning to Brian's suggestion that a flag officer -- a four-star general -- is on premises.

-Sean
 
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CaptainHook

NOT Mike Sigel
Silver Member
With my crappy stroke, I would go for the hangers:grin-square:
At least they have chalk.:thumbup:
 

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
Here's another link on the flag as well.

http://www.bluestarmothers.org/service-flag

A key concept of that flag (the Service Flag, colloquially called the mother's sons-in-service flag) -- which should automatically invalidate it as the flag shown in the OP's picture -- is this:

The Service Flag is an indoor flag and should be flown facing out from the front window of the home or organization.

The flag displayed in the picture is 100% indoors (not facing outdoors from a front window), and is usually that of a flag officer in the midst -- a 4-star general in this case.

-Sean
 
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