Vintage shots from days gone by!

SW Morrison & 18th, 1939

<small>January 20, 2011 by Dan Davis

</small>

In better days, the Multnomah Block from yesterday&#8217;s post looked like this (white building on the right).

This view west on SW Morrison at 18th shows the Multnomah Block as a tidy &#8220;Burnett Automotive City&#8221;

selling pre-war Plymouths and De Sotos. Familiar landmarks include Civic Stadium across Morrison and the

Kingston Hotel just up the street.​

(City of Portland Archives)

 

Columbia Building, 1913

<small>January 13, 2011 by Dan Davis

</small>

The Columbia Building once stood on the northeast corner of SW Washington Street and 9th Avenue.
This photo looks east, and construction in the foreground is the Pittock Block across SW 9th Street to the

west. According to the University of Oregon Libraries; &#8220;The Columbia Building was originally five stories

and an additional two stories were added soon after construction. The building was demolished in 1972 to

make way for O&#8217;Bryant Square which now occupies the site. Columbia Building was built for E. J. Blazier who

operated Blazier Brothers Saloon, Burnside Street.&#8221;​

 

SE Stark & 28th, 1937

<small>January 11, 2011 by Dan Davis

</small>

Incredibly, both the Texaco and the Firestone buildings still stand on the southeast corner of SE Stark &

28th, although one is now a coffee shop, the other a quickie mart. The large building looming in the distance

is the Sisters of Mercy Home for the Aged, now Laurelhurst Village.​

(City of Portland Archives)

 

SW 2nd & Alder, 1939

<small>January 10, 2011 by Dan Davis

</small>

The finer parts of Portland had moved a few blocks south and west by 1939, leaving this section of SW 2nd

looking south toward Alder the realm of the working man. Work clothes, billiards, Army surplus and hardware

stores mixed with restaurants, hotels and drug stores. Anybody remember the old Dahl & Penne Card Room

(awning on the left behind the hardware sign)? It came down in the mid-1980s.​

 

SW 2nd Avenue, 1958

<small>December 27, 2010 by Dan Davis

</small>

This stretch of SW 2nd Avenue, where it crosses SW Taylor, was dominated by parking lots in 1958.

World Trade Center Building 1 would rise on this lot on the immediate right.
The Strowbridge Building can be seen in the right distance on SW Yamhill Street.​

 

Supple & Ballin Yards, 1915


<small>December 21, 2010 by Dan Davis

</small>

The Supple & Ballin Yards built wooden ships within view of downtown Portland. The yards were located

roughly at the foot of SE Belmont Street. This shows two ships

under construction, a large warehouse on the left, and in the distance on the right, buildings on downtown

Portland&#8217;s west side.​

(Library of Congress)

 

The Stadium Tavern at West Burnside and NW 19th Street suffered a fire in 1949, putting it, and most likely

its neighbors, out of business. A McDonald&#8217;s sits on the corner today. The stone wall in the left distance

belongs to the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.​

(City of Portland Archives)

 

SE 82nd & Francis, 1959

<small>December 3, 2010 by Dan Davis

</small>

You can still buy a travel trailer along this stretch of SE 82nd Avenue, just like you could in 1959, but you&#8217;d

have a little more trouble finding a Lucky Lager in a stubby bottle. Turn right here and you&#8217;ll be turning in to

Eastport Plaza today.​

(City of Portland Archives)

 

West Burnside & 10th, 1937

<small>November 29, 2010 by Dan Davis

</small>

West Burnside was once home to many Portland auto dealers. This 1937 photo, looking west from 10th

Avenue, shows why.​

(City of Portland Archives)

Note the banners for the New 1937 Hudson, Chrysler, Plymouth, Ford and far in the background Chevrolet

 

Looks like somebodies draggin in a dead body? Lower Right Corner

 

SE Grand Avenue really did look grand in this 1919 photo looking north from Morrison Street.
A number of buildings shown here are still standing.

Multiple streetcars are present going both north and south, horse-drawn and horseless carriages are about

equal in number, and bicyclists and pedestrians complete the busy scene.​

(City of Portland Archives)

 

<small></small>

Much has changed since 1952 when this photographer looked south on SW 6th Avenue between Morrison

and Yamhill. The Portland Hotel was sited on our immediate right from 1890 until 1951. The parking structure

shown here covered the block for the next three decades until it was torn down to build Pioneer Courthouse
Square.​

 

Fire Station 9, 1913

<small>November 8, 2010 by Dan Davis

</small>

Fire Station 9 is now known as the Historic Belmont Firehouse and still stands at the corner of SE 35th and

Belmont. Station 9 was nearly new at the time of this photo; many of Portland&#8217;s existing historic firehouses

are dated circa 1912. The building is now the home of the Safety Learning Center and Fire Museum and the

Jeff Morris Foundation.​

(City of Portland Archives)




The tower at the back of the building would probably be the hose tower where
wet hoses were hung to dry.

 

All ads mid 60's:







Looks to be in front of Larry Watson's shop?

 

Roth:

 

The 41 to 48 Studebaker M series trucks have always peaked my interest mainly because
of their potential as a hotrod/streetrod:

 

Great pics, makes you appreciate the survivors from this era!

 

I posted this a few month's ago in a separate/different thread but the content somehow seems
to fit in with "Vintage Shots..."




Although most would relate the 'pinup girl' to pictures of curvaceous
movie stars of the 40's and 50's, the truth is that the original Pinup girls
were simple drawings and illustrations (dating into the 1880's).
These risque drawings would predate Bettie Page and Rita Hayworth
by more than half a century.


Among one of the most famous of pin up artists was George Petty (1894 - 1975).
Upon his graduation and after a short stint in a Paris Art school, Petty turned
to the states and began his career in his father's photography studio retouching photos.
By the mid 1920s, he had moved on and was working as a freelance
illustrator providing images for calenders.




His real big break came in 1933 when one of his artworks appeared
in Esquires First Issue.

"Darling, what -- kachoo -- difference does age-- kachoo -- make anyway?"


Besides Esquire Magazine, Petty's list of clients included Marshall Field's
and Old Gold Cigarettes and all the while he continued to
work the calender business into the 40's..





By 1940, Petty's relationship with Esquire Magazine had worn thin.
Having moved on he was replaced by a South American
by the name of Alberto Vargas.
Right around this time, Petty's version of Rita Hayworth would
grace the cover of Time magazine.
This was more or less a pin up picture of a real pin up girl for 1941.



George kept busy and around about 1940, he even designed a 'Petty Girl' swimsuit for the
Jantzen Swimsuit Company.



Throughout his long career Petty maintained a sense of wit and humor.
-In 1945 Petty renewed his personnel Ad in the Art Directors Annual, near the back in the illustrators 'For Hire' classifieds.

At that time, Most artists listed their talent/specialties & qualifications Dryly.
Things like "Experience in Advertising Illustrations," "Water Color and Oil," "Have Done Many Posters and Book Design," etc. were the norm.




But Petty's Ad was different.
It read, "Telephones Tenderly Rendered."






Petty marched on, In 1945 he entered into contract with True magazine
where the 'Petty Girl' would appear every month as a centerfold.
True Magazine also published the Petty Girl calendars in '47 and '48.
These contained some of the Petty's most admired works.






"I think this calls for you"





Into the 50's, Petty was forced to drop his trademark 'telephone'
renderings while working for the Ridgid company on their famous calenders.




It was September 1950 when Columbia Pictures released "The Petty Girl"
starring Joan Caulfiled. The story line involved a young artist,
known for his calender girl renderings falling in love with one of his subjects.
The movie poster featured what else, a pin up of Joan talking on a telephone.





Some time in 1955, George agreed to return to Esquire Magazine
for a series of calenders.
For this he would rely heavily on old sketches, some of which
were featured in ads from his early career.
Like this rendering for an Album cover.



George 'moved on' in 1975 at the age of 81
but throughout his life he never stopped
rendering pretty girls with telephones......












.

 

I'll second that thought, what a "cute little thing"! She reminds me of a girl I went to school with, who's parents were "hippie draft dodger's" living up here in a remote valley in Canada.

 

...