Swooning Over Love Field — 1940
by Paula Bosse
Art Deco Love Field!
by Paula Bosse
I’m a huge-fan of the modern 1950s-era Love Field (the one with the Mockingbird Lane entrance), but even that can’t trump this fantastic building! Designed by architect Thomas D. Broad, the new Love Field administration building and terminal — which faced Lemmon Avenue — was unveiled on October 6, 1940, to rapturous acclaim. The night view above is pretty breathtaking. Forget the airfield. For me, it’s all about this entrance. Those windows. And those doors. And that font! And those little airplane pictographs!
It wasn’t bad in the daytime, either — just nowhere near as dramatic. And in dire need of landscaping.
And here it is from the field side. Still swoon-worthy. The back of this postcard reads:
LOVE FIELD — NEW $225,000 ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
One of America’s finest air terminals which takes care of more airline passengers, more air mail and more air express in ratio to population than any other airport in the country.
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What happened to this beautiful building? I searched through the Dallas Morning News archives until I felt I had to throw in the towel, never finding a definitive answer. But here’s what I did find. When the brand-spanking-new terminal (the one we know today) opened in 1958, the 1940 terminal was vacated. A better word might be “abandoned.” Most assumed the building would be razed very soon after. But I got as far as September of 1964, and the old terminal was still standing. And it wasn’t pretty. This excerpt from a Dallas Morning News article is painful to read:
…The old terminal building cowers in desolation…. Virtually every window has been smashed, carpeting the deserted terminal with a dangerous floor of broken glass. Loose wires stick out here and there, and blinds hang in twisted postures from broken cords. The building’s big sign DALLLAS is missing its D. (DMN, July 2, 1961)
(And even more thoroughly painful is the article in the Dallas News archives by Kent Biffle, “Ghosts Wait by Runway” — DMN, Feb. 2, 1961.)
Apparently, the old building had to remain standing until a new “much-debated” new multi-million-dollar runway was agreed upon.
The point at which I threw in the towel in my quest to discover when the old terminal building had been demolished was a DMN photo from September 25, 1964, with the caption “$4,000,000-Plus Runway Progress. The 8,800-foot parallel runway at Dallas Love Field, left center, is two-thirds completed and should be ready for use next spring.” I am assured the photo has a hard-to-see old terminal still decaying in it. I assume they razed that sucker pretty soon afterward. …Possibly.
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Sources & Notes
Top photo from the post “The New Love Field” by Jacob Haynes, here.
Click pictures for larger images — the first two are HUGE!
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
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In addition to its Art Deco charm the old terminal had the mezzanine observation deck (shown above) overlooking the apron where the airliners taxied up to allow passengers to deplane and board. The planes were ‘right there’ and you could see their engines literally fire up, exhausts belching smoke and irregular noise, before settling down and taxiing out for take off. For all anyone can tell nowadays the passengers might actually be teleported to Chicago or wherever.
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Thanks, Bob. The whole air-traveling experience sounds like it was a lot more interesting back then.
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I remember on a high school date, circa 1962, going up on the observation deck of the old terminal. Don’t remember how we got there! When operating, the old terminal had a fenced walkway. Remember walking out that many times to get on planes.
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The only memories I have of a pre-DFW-era Love Field were the times we would go there to pick up grandparents visiting from out of town, in the ’70s. I loved that place. I remember being fascinated by the floor (?!) and the Texas Ranger statue. And that it all felt very grown-up.
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Hi Paula,
I really enjoyed your article and I share my love and fascination with the old terminal. It brings back many memories of my first flight on AA in 1970 before security checkpoints. I remember so many parts of the airport and the moving sidewalks and my dad hoisting me up so I could see the airplanes. I only wished I could have seen the Braniff terminal in its glory days. My Dad worked for the City of Dallas at Love Field when he was a fairly new employee and spoke of the Lemmon Ave terminal and prop planes. Though, Love Field needed modernization I miss the old terminal layout.
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I’m especially bummed by the demise of this terminal. Thomas Broad was my great uncle on my mother’s side (to me, he was more like a grandfather, because I never really knew any of my grandparents).
However, the 1950’s terminal was designed by Donald S. Nelson, the other member his architectural firm, “Broad and Nelson” – and I have to believe my great uncle had input on the design – it has all the hallmarks of his style.
https://web-prod.lib.utexas.edu/about/collections/donald-s-nelson-collection
His firm is also responsible for the design of most of the Masonic Temples in Dallas, as well as the Mercantile Building downtown. I *think* his firm also played a role in designing the Hall of State at Fair Park. I’ve had trouble verifying that, but that was the story in my family.
He was also a not-so-well-known, but accomplished water color artist. My sister and I have many of his paintings.
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How interesting! Thanks for commenting, Michael.
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The top photo is spectacular!
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