Transportation

Transportation

Are you ready to be an image detective? Do you think we can learn about history just by looking at an old photograph? Search for clues in each photograph to see if you can determine the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW for each image. Don't worry, there are questions for each image to help you discover all there is to know about these old photographs. Are you ready?

What do you see in each photograph? Click on each image to enlarge it and see more detail. You may also click on the blue "i" in the corner of each image to read a description, or caption, of the photograph. Do you ever write descriptions about the photos you take? What information do you like to include? Some images will have more information in the caption than others. Why do you think this is?

Learn more about transportation in Virginia.

Transportation

Railroad train, Shenandoah Valley, 1892

Railroad train, Shenandoah Valley, 1892

  1. How many cars are in this train? Is there more than one type of car on the train?
  2. What do you think each car is used for? Why do you think that?
  3. How do you think this train gets its power? Why do you think that?
  4. What don't you see in this picture that you think you should see?
  5. The poles in this picture are carrying telegraph lines. Why do you think the telegraph lines were strung alongside the railroad tracks?
  6. Why do you think the photographer took this picture?

Burkeville Train Station

Burkeville Train Station

  1. How many people are in the picture? How are they dressed?
  2. Describe the building behind the people. What do you think it was used for?
  3. Divide the picture into thirds. Look at each section. How does this change how you look at the whole picture?
  4. Choose one person from each section. Tell me what you think that person will do when the train arrives.
  5. Draw a new picture that shows what happened right before the picture was taken.
  6. Using the information in the picture, describe how you would find Burkeville on a map.

Streetcar, Richmond

Streetcar, Richmond

  1. How much does it cost to ride this streetcar?
  2. How many people are in the picture? Describe them, and tell why you think they are in this picture?
  3. What might happen next in this picture? Why do you say that?
  4. What chapter in your textbook would this picture belong in?
  5. The electric streetcar replaced horse-drawn trolleys. In what ways is the electric streetcar better than the horse-drawn trolley? In what ways is the trolley better?
  6. Later in the 20th century, cars and buses replaced streetcars in many cities. In what ways are cars and buses better than electric streetcars? In what ways are streetcars better?

Old Market Street, Bristol

Old Market Street, Bristol

  1. Describe the buildings in the picture. What types of stores do you see?
  2. List the different kinds of transportation you can see in the picture.
  3. Find two people in the picture who look like they are talking to each other. What do you think they are saying?
  4. If you could write a different caption for this picture, what would it be?
  5. As you look at the picture, can you predict any problems that might arise?
  6. If a picture of a busy street like this one was taken today, how might it look different? How might it be the same?

Auto Being Dragged Out of the Mud, 1917

Auto Being Dragged Out of the Mud, 1917

  1. What are the people in the picture doing?
  2. What do you think happened right before this picture was taken?
  3. What things in this picture look old? What things look new?
  4. How would travel be different today if the roads you drove on were like this road?
  5. If you were driving on a road like this, what would you want to bring with you?
  6. Why do you think the photographer took this picture?

Road Building

Road Building

  1. Describe the picture. What are these men doing?
  2. Who do you think is the most important person in the picture? Why do you say that?
  3. What do you think is going to happen next? Why do you say that?
  4. Compare this road in this picture with the car from Dumfries. How is it different? How is it similar?
  5. Have you seen road crews working on highways? What tools look similar? What tools look different?
  6. Why do you think the photographer took this picture?