
You youngsters who grew up with aluminum, vinyl and fiber cement exterior siding have probably never seen tar shingle siding.
It was made out of the same material as roof shingles, and for most of the 20th century, in working class city neighborhoods, it was the siding of choice to cover exterior wood that was so old that it would not hold paint. It came in a number of colors and patterns, including the red brick seen here.
If you're over a certain age, you remember whole blocks of peak-roofed turn of the century homes covered with this type of siding. They disappeared after the 1970's as homes were torn down and vinyl siding, like the type covering the top front of this building and all of the two buildings on the far left, became popular.