Vintage Jacksonville

Johnson & Johnson sales award winner Sam Dunlap from the Loyd Sandgren Collection.  Probably shot in the late 50’s or early 60’s.  No information was attached to the print so if anyone has any information about Mr. Dunlap they would like to share I would welcome the addition.

Founded in 1886 the Johnson & Johnson company started with establishing standards for antiseptic wound treatment and went on to create the first commercially available first aid kits.  Their development of hygiene and personnel care products continued to grow with Johnson & Johnson expanding their factory presence to England in the 1920’s.  I communicated with the company’s historian to see if she could provide some additional information about this photograph and this was the reply.  “While Johnson & Johnson currently does have a modern operating company in Jacksonville (Vistakon) the photo you have was taken long before that operating company existed.  During the era of the photo, The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies had a sales force across the United States, but we don’t have any information regarding specific sales offices or employees in Jacksonville that the company may have had during that era.”

Tags: basketball, business, historic photography, Johnson and Johnson, men, salesman, Sam Dunlap, vintage photograph, Vistakon

This was shot in 1952 according to a note on this Loyd Sandgren photograph of downtown Jacksonville.  It appears to have been shot from one of the upper floors of the building now called Residences at City Place, originally built as an apartment building in 1949 on West Ashley Street.  The view is looking South down North Julia Street toward the St. Johns River.  In the lower left is the corner of the Federal Reserve Bank Building which had just been completed when this photograph was taken. The building now houses the Jacksonville Fire And Rescue Headquarters.  On the next lot, half empty in this photograph, the new headquarters for the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company would be built.  It was completed in 1955. The large parking lot would be the location of the Woolworth’s and J.C. Penney’s building which opened in 1954 fronting Hogan Street and behind that the Robert Meyer Hotel which was built in 1960 along North Julia Street.  It was demolished in 1998 to make way for the new Federal Courthouse building which now fills the entire city block.

Tags: 007534, downtown, Federal Reserve Bank, historic photograph, hogan street, Independent Life, J.C. Penney, Jacksonville, Loyd Sandgren, North Julia Street, Residences At City Place, Robert Meyer Hotel, skyline, vintage photography, West Ashley Street, Woolworth

“This was a Cold Drinks and Cigar Store in a hotel in Detroit.  The date May 26, 1939. They had hundreds of different items that they sold.  I think its fun to look back at the prices when available.  The picture was taken on a 5X7 camera. The film was AGFA Safety Film.. I still have the negative.  I got talking to the young lady at the counter (I tried to get a date with her) she told me NO.  She did tell me that the job paid well, $12.00 a week and only six days a week.  Some difference in today’s pay.  I know they sold Coca-Cola there but I don’t see any ads.” LS

This is not a Jacksonville image but it is a great photograph from Loyd Sandgren’s early days as a professional photographer at a large commercial studio in Detroit, Michigan before he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at Mayport Naval Station during World War II.  The Life Magazine cover featuring first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was dated May 29, 1939.  Many of the magazine titles for sale are still in print today.  The Look magazine dated June 6, 1939 with the bathing beauty on the cover promotes an interesting inside story, “Adolf Hitler, A Revealing New Biography And Amazing Prophecy”.  On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland setting W.W. II in motion.

Tags: advertising, Detroit, Eleanor Roosevelt, historic photography, Life, Look, Magazine, Magazine Stand, Michigan, sales, vintage photograph, woman

A late 1940’s view looking South down Main Street from the corner of 1st. Street in Springfield.  The downtown skyline can be seen in the distance.  Great Jax Beer billboard over the roof of Jack Brooks Motors and Troger’s Garage.   A portion of the city waterworks park can be seen to the right of the image across Main Street.

Tags: 1st. Street, Brooks Motors Inc., city waterworks, downtown, historic photograph, Jack Brooks Motors, Jax Beet, Main Street, skyline, Springfield, traffic, Troger's Garage, vintage photography

“On the corner of Hogan and Church St. was the Harry James Insurance Building.  Then it became a bookstore and now a printing Co.”  LS

Both the Harry James Insurance Building and the Jones Brothers Furniture building are still standing.  Now both appear to be empty except a sandwich shop in the West Church Street corner of the old insurance building.  An interesting aspect of many of the downtown Jacksonville photographs that Loyd Sandgren took is how open and sun lit the street views look. Today there are more a few more tall buildings blocking the sunlight and the contemporary views along Hogan Street are more constricted with the elevated Skyway tracks intruding on the space and casting shadows on much of the street.

Tags: cars, Church Street, downtown, Harry James Insurance, historic photography, hogan street, Jacksonville, Jones Brothers Furniture, Loyd Sandgren, vintage photograph

More Women’s Wrestling action by photographer Loyd Sandgren shot in the arena located at Main Street and Beaver Street.  The details of the crowd, seen better in the enlargement below are fascinating.  The men’s straw hats, cigarettes being smoked.  Then there is something about the guy sitting in the right of the frame with the mustache and jacket and no shirt on that makes me think he has a story of his own.

Tags: Arena, Beaver Street, crowd, historic photograph, Main Street, men, professional wrestling, vintage photography, women, women wrestler, wrestling

Lay’s Potato Chips display in the window of the Florida National Bank of Jacksonville.  The sign say’s “Lay’s Potato Chips, Made In Jacksonville.  Always Fresh. Visit Out Plant 2910 West Beaver Street.”

In the 1940’s H.W. Lay & Company was expanding and purchased Barrett Food Company in Jacksonville along with others in the Southeast and by 1956 it was the largest manufacturer of potato chips and snack foods in the United States. This was probably a window in what is now called the Edward Ball Building on 214 North Hogan Street.  It was originally built as the Florida National Bank Building in 1961.

Tags: 011389, advertising, bank, Edward Ball Building, Florida National Bank, food, H.W. Lay & Company, historic photogarphy, Lay's Potato Chips, North Hogan Street, vintage photograph

“This is the way Union and Market Streets looked in 1947.  Some old run down houses and not many people went in that area  The reason for the picture was to show the scene of a accident. I very seldom went in that area.  What a difference today.  This street now leads to the Mathews Bridge. Thousands of cars go by this corner.  Much wider streets and now its paved.”  LS

One of the many things Loyd Sandgren photographed to survive were accident scenes for insurance companies.  Sometimes he covered the actual event, other times he simply photographed the locations after the fact.

Tags: historic photography, house, Loyd Sandgren, Market Street, Mathews Bridge, street, Union Street, vintage photograph

This is not the best image technically from Loyd Sandgren’s professional wrestling images but the note Loyd attached to the original print was too good not to share.

“Here was one girl throwing another one like she was light as a feather.  Names I don’t remember but I sure remember the fights.  They were good looking and I dated one for some time.  When she told me to hold her, I did.  When she held me it was almost always in a wrestling hold. I liked it, but I didn’t. 1950’s”  LS

Tags: dating, historic photography, Loyd Sandgren, professional wrestling, vintage photograph, women, women wrestlers

Undated photo shoot at the beach.  The photographer looks like Virgil Deane working with a 4×5 Speed Graphic camera and a flash while an assistant holds a second flash to help fill in the harsh midday sun shadows on his subjects.

Tags: beach, family, flash, historic photograph, photographer, umbrella, vintage photography, virgil deane