Main Street, 1954
by Paula Bosse
A nice color photo showing Main Street, looking west from about Field. For reference, Hotel Southland was in the 1200 block of Main, at Murphy, and Turner’s Clothiers, across the street, was at 1113 Main.
There’s a lot to look at (click to see a larger image). It’s always nice to see a viaduct (top right).
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Photo found on eBay.
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Open for business…
by Paula Bosse
Above, the newly constructed building at 1520-1522 Main Street, between Akard and Stone, home to Thompson’s, a national chain of restaurants owned by John R. Thompson of Chicago. It was built and opened in 1916.
Dallas Morning News, July 16, 1915 (click for larger image)
The site had previously been the location of the Happy Hour Theater (which can be seen in this photo), the demolition of which was announced in January, 1916.
DMN, Jan. 4, 1916
And it was a beautiful building!
Thompson’s remained in this location until the 1930s. When Bond Clothes took over the space in 1938, news accounts rather ominously mentioned that the building would be completely remodeled, inside and out.
Workers are engaged in ripping out the front of the building. An all black glass front will be installed on most of the building and near the top of the second floor glass brick will be featured. Bronze trim will be used throughout. (DMN, Feb. 13, 1938).
All that beautiful glossy white terra cotta “ripped out”!
But things got worse. Much worse. It’s hard to believe, but this is the same building:
Photo from Selzer Associates Facebook page
In recent years, though, Selzer Associates Architects and Nedderman & Associates worked some absolutely stunning restoration magic. (Read the story of the restoration in Texas Architect magazine here, starting on p. 36.) I mean, look:
Google Street View, Feb. 2020
It’s beautiful again! Thank you, magic-workers!
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The circa-1916 photograph by Dallas photographer Frank Rogers is from the Alexander Architectural Archives, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin — more info on this photo can be found here.
See an interior shot of a Thompson’s restaurant in a 1927 photo here.
Read more about the Thompson’s restaurant chain in the following articles:
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Sorry, “Llano only…”
by Paula Bosse
Time for another round-up of miscellaneous photos I’ve come across over the past few months and which I’m adding to previous posts.
First, the photo above, showing a Belmont streetcar, has been added to the post “Ghost Rails of the Belmont Streetcar Line.” I’m not sure where or when the photo was taken, but it makes me very happy to see an actual streetcar which would have travelled through the neighborhood I grew up in. (Source: eBay)
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The photo below, showing Marvin’s Drug Store (aka the Rowan Building) on the northwest corner of Main and Akard, has been added to “Marvin’s Drug Store, Main and Akard.” (Source: eBay)
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This photo of the Haskell Exchange Building has been added to “The Haskell Exchange — ca. 1910.” (Source: Dallas Historical Society)
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Below, a photo of Wigton’s Sandwich Shop, which was located near one of my least favorite 3-point intersections in Dallas (East Grand-Gaston-Garland Road, near White Rock Lake), joins another photo of the same establishment in the post “Orphaned Factoids: Year-End Grab Bag, 2017.” (Source: eBay)
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I love the long-forgotten “waiting station” which was adjacent to the Jefferson Hotel and faced Union Station across Ferris Plaza. I’m adding two photos to “Ferris Plaza Waiting Station — 1925-1950.” (Sources: first one is from eBay, second one is a cropped image from the DeGolyer Library, SMU)
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Two images of the Cabana have been added to “The Cabana Motor Hotel of Dallas.” (Sources: both are from UTA’s Squire Haskins Collection — more info on the first (cropped) image can be found here, and on the second one here)
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This 1958 ad for Texas Instruments (when it was located on Lemmon Avenue, near Love Field) mentions hyperbolic paraboloids, which means that it has, of course, been added to a weirdly popular post, “The Hyperbolic Paraboloids of the Prairie.” (Source: eBay)
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Two 1964 photos of Jack Ruby pal/roomie George Senator have been added to “Newly Discovered Footage of Jack Ruby — 1960.” (Source: Associated Press)
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Two images of a Mystic Revellers invitation from Dallas’ first Mardi Gras celebration in 1876 have been added to “Mardi Gras: ‘Our First Attempt at a Carnival Fete’ — 1876.” (Source: Memphis Public Libraries, Colton Greene Collection)
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This 1936 Coca-Cola ad which ran during the Centennial has been added to “‘The Pause That Refreshes at the Texas Centennial’ — 1936.” because I had previously had only part of the full-page ad. (Source: eBay)
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And these last two are replacing other photos already used. The first one, from 1924, showing Knox Street looking southeasterly from Travis, replaces a previously used photo which had part of the image on the right side (with the horse) cropped out. It’s been added to “Knox Street, Between Cole and Travis.” (Source: DeGolyer Library, SMU)
And, finally, this photo, which shows the Woolworth store, at the northwest corner of Main and Stone, and the Praetorian Building (now the site of a giant eyeball) has replaced a tiny, low-resolution image in the post “The Praetorian Building and Its 19th-Century Neighbors.” (Source: Dallas Public Library)
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
by Paula Bosse
This is a cool aerial shot of downtown, looking toward the south, with a nice look at the back side of the waning Movie Row, with the Pacific Avenue rear entrances of the Majestic and Capri theaters visible. I’m not sure of the date, but the Melba Theater was renamed the Capri on Dec. 25, 1959 and was ultimately demolished in 1980 or 1981, and the Medical Arts Building (seen in the middle at the far right) was demolished in 1977. I’m guessing the ’70s, if only because of the vast expanse of parking lots.
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Another instance of muddled/incomplete notes on my end. This is a screenshot from… something. I don’t remember if the image seen here is a photo or is from moving footage shot over Dallas.
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Marquees, schmarquees… (Dallas Public Library)
by Paula Bosse
Great photo of the Palace Theatre on Elm and Ervay in November or December of 1927 (“My Best Girl” starring Mary Pickford opened at the end of November and ran for a week or two into the middle of December). The movie seems like a bit of an afterthought, though — I mean… ART LANDRY IS IN TOWN, and his giant 78 disc replica promotional sign is crowding out others on the marquee. The touring jazz-band leader (who insisted he did NOT play jazz music — “I became a bandmaster when jazz was jax. In those days noise was the objective. […] The day of jazz is gone….” ) was nestled here in Big D for the holiday season and was apparently well-received. (See another photo of the Palace from about this same time here.)
Nov. 13, 1927
Nov. 27, 1927
You know how when you get a new car you suddenly start seeing that same model everywhere? I’m like that with the U.S. Coffee & Tea Co. — seen right next door to the theater. (See it here, peeping around the Wilson Building in a squattier incarnation.)
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Photo titled “[Palace Theatre, Art Landry exclusive Victor Artist]” — by Frank Rogers — is from the Ted C. Steinberg Collection, Dallas History and Archives Division, Dallas Public Library, call number PA2018-03-14 (the library has the date this photo was taken as Dec. 27, 1927, but “My Best Girl” was long-gone by then — it was probably taken on Nov. 27, the day after “My Best Girl” opened).
Quote from Art Landry about not being a jazz-band leader is from an interview with him in The Dallas Morning News (“Jazz Is Thing of the Past Says Palace’s New ‘Jazz Band’ Leader Who Specializes in Modern Music” — DMN, Nov. 12, 1927). I can’t find any other instances of early jazz music referred to as “jax” music. Can anyone point me to another reference?
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
A snowy Bath House at WRL… (photo: Squire Haskins/UTA)
by Paula Bosse
I’m racing to post this — like many in the Dallas area (or, really, in the ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS!), power availability has been spotty. Mine has been out more than it’s been on over the past few days. I have a brief window here to post a couple of wonderful aerial photos showing a snow-dusted White Rock Lake, taken by ace Dallas photographer Squire Haskins. Both are undated.
Above, a shot of the eastern edge of the lake, with the Bath House seen in the center. (Take a look at a larger image at the University of Texas at Arlington website here — click the thumbnail image on that page to see the larger image — then click one more time to magnify.)
Below, a shot of Winfrey Point, also on the eastern edge of the lake, a little farther south. (See the larger image at the UTA site here.)
Here’s a map of WRL showing the locations, via Google:
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Funny, I used to love snow. It was always such a thrill on those rare occasions when it snowed. …Back when we all had heat and electricity. Ah, those were the days….
Stay warm, y’all. If you need information on “warming stations,” the City is directing people to call 211.
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Both photos are by Squire Haskins, from the Squire Haskins Photography Inc. Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, Special Collections. More information on these photographs is at the links above.
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
A future mayor interviewing future Kansas City Chiefs
by Paula Bosse
The photo above shows future Dallas mayor Wes Wise in 1961 (when he was sports director for WFAA-Channel 8) interviewing players of the Dallas Texans. Wes Wise served as Mayor of Dallas for three terms, from 1971 to 1976. The (second iteration of the) Dallas Texans played in the AFL from 1960 to 1962 until owner Lamar Hunt relocated them to Kansas City where they became the Kansas City Chiefs. (Read about the first, sad, Dallas Texans in the post “The 1952 Dallas Texans: Definitely NOT America’s Team.”)
Below is the full ad. (Click for larger image.)
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Ad from Sponsor, “the weekly magazine Radio/TV advertisers use” (Oct. 16, 1961).
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Streetcar passing City Hall
by Paula Bosse
A bunch of photos of Dallas streetcars found currently (or recently) listed on eBay.
Above, Commerce and Harwood, looking toward the Municipal Building. Below, Commerce and Harwood, looking south toward First Presbyterian Church.
“Main Street” car and “Highland Park-SMU” car, with Cokesbury Bookstore (at St. Paul) in the background:
“Boundary-Union Station” car, heading west on Commerce, with the Baker Hotel in the background (back when it was still a two-way street). “Smash-Up” — the movie advertised on the side of the streetcar — was released in 1947.
“Trinity Heights” car, heading west in the 1500 block of Elm:
“Highland Park-SMU” car:
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All photos from eBay seller “bksales” (current Dallas streetcar items available from this seller are here).
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Velma Rich and her classmates…
by Paula Bosse
I never tire of looking through old high school yearbooks. Here are some photographs from the 1921 edition of The Ursulina, the yearbook of the Ursuline Academy, the all-girls school located in the block bounded by Live Oak, Haskell, Bryan, and St. Joseph in Old East Dallas.
Above, the “I Year High,” which I gather would be the equivalent of the freshman class. (I am transfixed by the girl in the center of the front row — I think she is Velma Rich — I bet she was a handful.) (Caption for this photo listing the girls can be seen here.)
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Below, the East View of the Academy. The caption reads: “A Famous Battlefield (the study hall) and the Porch of Dreams, where school girls congregate to discuss the latest bulletin board news while enjoying some toothsome dainty.” (All photos larger when clicked.)
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The auditorium. “And this is where we treat our friends to music, play and dance.”
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The chapel. “‘Tis just the place to go for help when things are ‘up and down.'”
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The dining hall. “You may live without learning/You may live without books/But show me the man/Who can live without cooks.”
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The hall and stairways. “If these old stairs had power of speech, what girlish secrets they could tell!”
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The music room. “A spot where many young ladies are kept very busy, ‘Untwisting all the chains that tie the hidden soul of harmony.'”
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The recreation room. “Just the spot where, nine months out of the year, you can always find ‘Jest and youthful jollity/Quips and cranks and wanton wiles/Nods and becks and wreathed smiles.'”
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The campus. “What you and me/Were wont to ‘saw and see.'”
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The campus. “This is a gay spot at all times. It is kept alive in summer by games of roller skating, croquet and tennis; in winter, by ‘hikes,’ basket ball, races and, on rare occasions, old fashioned snowballing.”
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The grotto. “Somehow, all life seems much more sweet/When I take my old brown beads and kneel at Mary’s feet.”
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The pecan grove. “Where nuts grow, and school girls go to while away the time.”
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“II Year High” (sophomore class).
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“III Year High” (junior class).
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The provincialate and novitiate. “Sweet secluded retreat where young Ursuline teachers are trained in the spirit of the Order to continue the work begun by St. Angela de Merici over three hundred years ago.” (Another, slightly more gothic image is here.)
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And because I love her attitude, another look at 15-year-old Velma Rich.
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All photos from the 1921 edition of The Ursulina, the yearbook of the Ursuline Academy. Many (if not all) of the photos are by Dallas photographer Frank Rogers.
Other Flashback Dallas posts on Ursuline can be found below:
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
All. Lit. Up.
by Paula Bosse
Dallas is always at its most impressive at night, as seen in this view to the northwest, with Memorial Auditorium in the foreground.
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This photo, credited to Dallas Power & Light, appeared in the 1965 Marksmen, the yearbook of St. Mark’s School of Texas. It continued on another page, but I couldn’t fit the two parts together without an annoying gap. The second bit is below (click to see a larger image).
See another cool photo from the same year in the Flashback Dallas post “Dallas Skyline at Night — ca. 1965.”
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
