Pictures 16-1 and 16-1.1.

This is one of the most nearly convincing photos purporting to show a streetcar named Desire.  It seems to show Perley Thomas car 904 as it lays over at the end of the Desire streetcar line, on France Street near Tonti Street.  The Desire line looped through this neighborhood on single track; there was double track such as seen here on France St. just below Tonti to allow for switching cars at the terminal.  But note the above-ground tombs in the cemetery behind the streetcar.  There is no such cemetery anywhere near France and Tonti!  These pictures actually seem to have been taken at the pre-1950 outer end of the Cemeteries line on Julia St. just off City Park Ave.  Both pictures are dated March 18, 1949, and appear to have been taken just seconds apart.  The last Desire streetcar ran May 30, 1948. — Collection of John F. Bromley, used with permission (upper).

NOPSI_904-Desire-1949-03-18.jpg

NOPSI_904-Desire-fake-1949-03-18-color.jpg

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