Local Heroes
Boston—founded by English colonists in 1630, home of Paul Revere, onetime capital of the United States—has been a perennial subject in the pages of National Geographic magazine.
Five feature stories have focused on the city, including "Boston Through Midwest Eyes," published in 1936. For that feature alone, staff photographer Luis Marden returned to shoot the city at least three times during the Depression decade—in 1934, 1935, and 1936.
In this 1943 image, purchased by National Geographic from International News, the photographer's notes tout the canine component of the Boston Fire Department. "Majestic as if his spotted coat was the purple and ermine of royalty," read the notes, "Bingo-Bang … sits beside the driver of a fire truck answering an alarm."
The Dalmatian breed's association with firemen began back when the water pumps were drawn by horses. The Dalmatians would guard the firehouse equipment and keep the horses active during the wait between fires. By the time fire trucks became automated, the Dalmatians were an unofficial fire department mascot.
—Johnna Rizzo
Picture Archive: The Streets of Boston, 1930s and 1940s
Photos show the teeming streets of Boston in the 1930s and '40s.
