Flashback : Dallas

Vibrolithic Pavement, y’all…

by Paula Bosse

I have always been fascinated by vintage advertising. I haven’t posted ads in a while, so here are a whole bunch of them, from 1916. 107-year-old ads. Let’s call them historical ads. All are from the same publication (linked at the bottom of this post).

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My favorite ads are those that contain photos or highly detailed drawings of buildings, especially if those buildings no longer exist — like the one above, which has a long-gone Dallas landmark in the background: the ad for the VIBROLITHIC CONSTRUCTION CO. shows paving work going on in front of St. Mary’s College in East Dallas at Garrett & Ross (more can be found about the girls’ school in this post, scroll down to “St. Mary’s”).

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CLEM LUMBER CO., 2500 Live Oak (at Hawkins). “Every stick a dry one.”

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S. G. DAVIS HAT COMPANY, Jackson & S. Austin. Built in 1913 — still standing.

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VOORHEES & BURDSAL, Photographers, 912½ Elm.

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THE NEW GALLOUPE HOTEL, 2009 Main (across from the Municipal Building). “New, beautiful, best.”

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GEO. W. LOUDERMILK FUNERAL DIRECTOR & EMBALMBER, 1935 Main. “First ambulance service in Dallas.”

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THE NEWPORT THEATRE, 1505 Elm (near Akard, next door to the Queen Theater). A movie theater I’ve never heard of. It opened in 1915 and closed a couple of years later when it burned. “A family theatre for women and children.”

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CHAS. OTT, Locksmith, etc., 1003 Elm. “Motorcycles, bicycles and supplies, locksmiths, guns, dynamite, ammunition […] second-hand safes.” Something for everyone! I wrote about Ott’s previously, here.

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SEARS-ROEBUCK & CO., S. Lamar & Belleview. The “immense building” was built in stages between 1910 and 1913. Sears may be holding on for dear life in the 21st century, but its former HQ is thankfully still standing. (More here — scroll down to #10.)

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IDEAL LAUNDRY, 3210-24 Ross Avenue. Oh, Ross, I don’t even recognize you anymore…. “Absolutely sanitary.”

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W. A. GREEN & CO. department store, 1516-18 — still standing.

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KLEIN BROS. CO., southeast corner of N. Walton and Junius. You might have seen this company’s name stamped in sidewalks all over town. “The sidewalk builders.”

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SMITH & LAMAR, Booksellers, 1305 Commerce Street. “Don’t fail to visit.”

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NEW PROCESS ROOFING & SUPPLY CO., 802-10 Cadiz (I think this is where the Alamo Drafthouse now sits).

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EVEREADY STORAGE BATTERY CO., 431 S. Ervay (now the site of the Dallas Public Library). See what it looked like here. “Free from ruinous sulphation.”

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THE PARK HOTEL, 1312 S. Ervay. Known in recent years as the Ambassador Hotel (which burned down in 2019) (is anything going to be built on that land?), the Park Hotel, on the edge of lovely City Park, was “a High Class family hotel.”

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ELITE COSTUME COMPANY, 1812½ Main. AKA the Elite Dressmaking School & Costume Co., Miss Violet Blackmore, manager. “Everything up-to-date.”

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EXCEL-SURE DYEING & DRY CLEANING CO., 4310-12 Elm. This unassuming building in Old East Dallas, just east of the intersection of Peak & Elm, is, surprisingly, still standing and is at least 110 years old.

Here’s a “then and now” comparison:

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Sources & Notes

The ads in this post all appeared in a souvenir booklet, “Official Souvenir Program, State Fair of Texas: The Greatest Educational Institution in the Southwest, 1885-1916,” from the collection of the DeGolyer Library, SMU Libraries, Southern Methodist University — it can be accessed here.

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