Wilson, MacGregor and Louisville Slugger on display in the baseball themed window display of The Sport Shop but not a Nike product to be found. I don’t have any information about this particular photo and have not been able to track down anything on the business. Anyone out there remember anything about The Sport Shop and where it was located?
Update: After a search of a 1958 Jacksonville City Directory I found The Sport Shop Inc. listed at 44o West Forsyth Street which would be about where the Greyhound Bus Station is currently located.
Tags: advertising, baseball, Lousiville Slugger, The Sport Shop, Wilson, window display
As a kid we always went to Finkelstein’s ……for our sporting goods..
Bob, if you want the location, call your local library and ask them to check a City Directory of the time. Joan
Thanks Joan, I’ll do that. Please feel free to Contribute/Comment/Critique any time! Bob
I have a photo of my dad in front of the Sports Shop. The “owner” of the shop, “Mr. (Alton) Meeks”, is congratulating my dad for catching the Tarpon fish pictured hanging in front of the store.
The building across the street with an AAA sign, perhaps a mechanics garage is visible in the photo. Also noted a reflection in the window saying “Hotel Greg…..”. Could be 1949-51ish but not sure.
If you would like to share it please send it to me in an e-mail and I would be happy to post it. Thanks, Bob Self/Vintage Jacksonville
Yes, The Sport Shop was owned by my Grandfather, Ellis T. Fernandez, Sr. and originally opened in 1947 at the corner of Clay and Forsyth Street.
Harry, I believe that Ellis Fernandez owned the Sport Shop and Alton Meeks ran the fishing department and Coy Welch ran the gun department. I fished with Alton on several occasions during the early 1950s. Those were the days.
The Sport Shop was a wonderous place for a 10 – 12 year old boy to visit with his father. There were guns of every make and model (at least it seemed that way) as well as fishing tackle and camping gear for local or distant safaris. I have no proof, but I think they started the practice of displaying their customers’ trophies all over the shop. There were masterpiece examples of the art of taxidermy (especially handpainted fish) by the late Rollo Robinson, whom I had the honor of working for one summer as a 14 year old kid on his first job. He chewed cigars instead of plug tobacco and gave me my first “chew”. He never told my folks why I was sick for two days afterward.
The picture of the sporting store window is Harry Finkelstein at 633 West Bay Street.
Will Jacksonville ever become strong enough for a major baseball franchise? If they do, I hope they are allowed to keep the name “Jacksonville Suns” as the team name.
Mr. Lucas had it right (above). (Sorry for the delay in the response but I just saw this site.) The Sport Shop was owned by my Grandfather, Ellis T. Fernandez. He came to the U.S from Spain when he was 16 and actually swept floors for Mr. Finkelstein before opening his own place. It was 3 floors and as children, we marveled over all he sold … from live quail to scuba gear. Every expert in the major sportings lines use to come out and give demonstrations. (I can remember seeing an Indian head carved in a circle of wood by a sharpshooter … in broad daylight on a street in downtown if you can believe it.) I can show you a picture of the inside of the store with The Sport Shop on the sign and Granddaddy’s name underneath it. He passed in the mid-80s and his son, my Dad, passed just a few weeks ago. So, got melancholy and just googled the old store’s name. Hope it helps. E.T. Fernandez
The Sports Shop and Harry Finkelstein are two different shops. Finelstein was on Bay Street and the SpooShop was on Forsyth.
As my brother said, our Grandfather worked for
Mr. Finkelstein and the display windows were granddad’s forte’
I have a few photos that I would be happy to share. Granddad also was a founding member of the Jacksonville Skeet club at the old
Imeson airport which later moved to Alton Road he also helped open San Jose Country Club and The Florida Tackle
and Gun Club… he was a well respected gentleman and Sportsman.
I loved hunting and fishing with him, he knew how to make the fish bite and the quail and dove fly.
He was my hero and the best role model one could ever ask
for.