Flashback : Dallas

The weather, brought to you by Coke…

by Paula Bosse

This photo (which is a little blurry, but the blurriness gives it a kind of dreamy softness) shows the one-time five-point intersection of Ervay, Live Oak (seen above at the left), and Elm (on the right, looking east). On the corner of this busy and confusing intersection, a large sign provided a public service by showing tomorrow’s weather forecast (…whilst subtly encouraging onlookers to hie themselves to the closest Coca-Cola-dispensary). During the day, the sign looked mildly interesting, but at NIGHT…! At night, this sign transformed downtown’s entertainment district into our very own mini Times Square. Here’s what it looked like at night (it’s a giant image — click it!).

1953, Squire Haskins, UTA

And here it is from another angle, about 1948:

And, hold on to yourself: from 1939, in color! (Screenshot of a 1939 film, shot in Dallas, in color. Watch the sign’s flashing, dancing neon in action on YouTube here.)

1939

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Sources & Notes

I found the top photo on eBay a few months ago. The amateur photo was stamped “Feb. 1956” when the photo was developed, but looking at the clothes people are wearing, one would assume it was taken earlier — probably the previous year.

The first nighttime photo is by Squire Haskins, taken in January, 1953. See my original post — “Ervay, Live Oak, and Elm: Just Another Wednesday Night — 1953” — here. This post includes a map showing Live Oak when it used to intersect with Elm and Ervay.

The second nighttime photo is ca. 1948, probably from the Dallas Public Library. See the notes in this post.

All pictures larger when clicked.

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Copyright © 2016 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.