Those aren't card catalog files, they're full letter-sized file cabinets. Could be ISD or its equivalent, as Stevil says; could be any number of public records.

Are the desks in pairs, facing each other?

By bibliotequetress on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 12:15pm.

Or am I seeing that wrong?

Another total guess

By ElizaLeila on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 12:50pm.

A Police Station somewhere? The desks are singular, but behind the front one you can see a 'guest' chair and to our right of it, what looks like an old stenographer's machine. So either testimony is given at open desks - making me think of Barney Miller ... ;-) Or these are lawyers with stenographers?

Old BPD HQ?

By O-FISH-L on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 2:15pm.

Agree with ABBQ. Guessing the old BPD HQ 154 Berkeley Street, now the Loews Boston.

Excellent Guess

By Stevil on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 3:53pm.

Which probably puts the photo at 1924 - the opening of the building (i'm guessing this is the only time in history the police HQ looked that pristine):

Built in 1924, the 73,250- square-foot building is situated on 17,234 square feet of land, and has seven stories, plus a basement and sub- basement. The former police headquarters was built from stone, masonry, concrete and steel, with 20' x 20' support column spacing. On-site parking holds 14 cars, including tandem spaces. The exterior is finished with stone, brick, and masonry walls, and has a composite roof. Windows have aluminum and steel sashes and the glass is single-glazed.

That looks about like it could be about 20X20 column spacing - which I'm guessing was a feature in its day.

Love the telephone

By BB from Dot on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 1:07pm.

Love the telephone on the first desk. My mother had one like that as a kid, so this might be from the 1930's

The Dewey Decimal System.....

By Carndogs on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 3:58pm.

What a scam that was!

I was there last week. Place

By anon on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 7:51pm.

I was there last week. Place looks the same- second floor BPL. They spend their money on lost art work.

26 Court St?

By Neal on Thu, 07/16/2015 - 10:07am.

F/K/A City Hall Annex?

Helloooooooooo???

By Stevil on Mon, 07/20/2015 - 2:23pm.

BCA - is anyone going to post an answer?

Maybe they were hoping....

By Michael Kerpan on Mon, 07/20/2015 - 2:29pm.

.. we could tell them. ;-)

Ha!

By ElizaLeila on Mon, 07/20/2015 - 4:41pm.

No one followed up here. We were all wrong:

"Today's #mysteryphoto shows the office of the City's Printing Plant located on North St, ca 1933. @universalhub "

https://twitter.com/ArchivesBoston/status/621415704181538816

Thanks ABBQ

By Stevil on Tue, 07/21/2015 - 4:43pm.

I think they sold that building and the equipment a few years ago. Heard they sold the movable print as a large lot - and I think the guy that bought it made most of his money back selling small bits of the lot to the people that lost out in the on site auction.

Not knocking the city - they aren't in the retail biz and at the end of the day relatively small potatoes - but you gotta give the guy that bought all that print a tip of the cap. Guessing he made some money on it -but can't imagine how heavy it was to haul away and then the cost to sell it off piecemeal - yikes.

Remember card catalogs?

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