This photo comes from the Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection in the Library of Congress. The subject is an attractive, symmetrical line of cars parked in a busy lot. This public domain image should have many uses. It has fantastic lines and is crystal clear.

This photo was shot by John Collier, who was acting as an agent of the United States Government. The image is therefore in the public domain.

12 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

1. Rebeca
   03.18.10

   Black cars, old cars.. No these are classic cars. Ridden by good people over a century ago. Today things have changed, but they are still here, with their soft curves, and big curves, in monochrome.
   I feel like i have been taken back in time. To a age where the rules of driving were different, simpler, but people were safe. They did not hurry to get to a place, although this was the beginning of it. The beginning of a new era, an era where the faster you can move, the better that it is.
   Then, no, then it was different, here comes Mr. Jones, wearing his fine clothes, smoking his fine cuba cigar, a fine lady by his side, a newspaper under his arm. He might be a lawyer, he might be a congressman, he could be anybody. He was Mr. Jones.
   And I ask you, what is the difference between the Mr. Jones the and a Mr. Jones you might find today?
   Today’s Mr. Jones is developed Mr. Jones, or that is what he might say. His car runs faster, the lady might walk in front of him, newspaper? What an outdated thing! No. He owns an iPad. This is progress. And his progress began with that car. Maybe society’s progress began when the need for an animal for transportation ceased to exist.

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2. Melinda
   03.20.10

   This is an old photo of a parking lot somewhere with what are now vintage Plymouths parked in an orderly way. The cars are all dark, probably black or maybe dark navy blue. I would guess this to be a government building of some kind since there are so many cars of the same make, model, and color in one place. The way the cars are parked, it looks like there is a mirror somewhere, multiplying the number of cars you are actually seeing. I think this would be a great photo for a CD cover or possibly in an advertisement for a body detailing company. It would also be a good image to use for an upcoming car show. This is the type of picture that looks best in black and white since there are not a lot of colors in it to begin with. It would not look as dramatic in color as it does in black and white. I would love to drive a car like this now, though I bet the gas mileage is bad. You can tell by looking at the picture that the cars are very heavy and well-made. They don’t make cars like this anymore!

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