Vintage Jacksonville

Unidentified body builders from the Loyd Sandgren collection of photographs.  Anyone out there recognize any of the contestants?

Tags: bodybuilders, contest, historic photographs, men, vintage photography

Father’s Day themed drug store sales display for Shick Razors.  Among the offerings were the Shick Injector Razor with “New Eversharp Hydro-Magic Blades.  Only $1.89 with 24 Blades”. 1950’s.

Tags: advertising, display, drug store, Father's Day, historic photograph, razors, Shick, vintage photography

Group portrait of of the Senior Sunday School Class at Riverside Park Methodist Church, 1955.

Tags: church, class portrait, Five Points, historic photograph, Park Street, Riverside, Riverside Park Methodist Church, seniors, Sunday School, vintage photography

A window display showing “Costumes & Corsetry from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II from the Formfit Collection of Historical Figurines” according to the sign behind the dolls of various queens and their undergarments.  I’m sure Queen Elizabeth II would approve of the label under her figurine, “Majesty, youth, beauty and glamor combine themselves in this young queen.  The smart outer look of today begins with the new Formfit underlook.”

The Formfit Company, started in 1917 was one of the largest manufacturers of foundation garments in the world.  The company was later purchased by Jockey International.

Tags: advertising, dolls, Formfit, historic photograph, queen, Queen Elizabeth II, vintage photography, window display, women

Loyd Sandgren did not leave any information on this image of the cash register girl at and unknown business so you are on your own on this one.  She has a great smile and a great dress but what is with the guy wearing the headphones behind her?

Tags: business, cash register, headphones, historic photography, vintage photograph, women

An aerial view of the decaying docks and warehouses along the North bank of the St. Johns River just East of the Main Street Bridge in downtown Jacksonville in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.  This was near the end of the city waterfront being a working waterfront as bulkheads and parking lots replaced wooden piers and crumbling warehouses.

Tags: decay, docks, downtown, historic photograph, piers, St. Johns River, vintage photography, warehouse, waterfront

PM Deluxe Blended Whiskey sports themed store display from the early 1950’s.  I could not find a lot of information about the brand except the name is one of the stable of products owned by Beam Global Spirits and Wine, Inc.  the company that started life as Jim Beam.  There are a lot of examples of PM Deluxe advertising and vintage bottles for sale from the 1940’s and 1950’s but then not much after that.  Perhaps it is a brand that has been retired?  I don’t spend enough time in liquor stores to keep track of the current product lines.

Somebody must have been paid the big bucks to come up with the advertising slogan, “For your pleasant moments ask for PM tonight.”

Tags: advertising, bottles, historic photography, liquor, PM Deluxe, produces, sports, store display, vintage photograph, whiskey

The staff of Florida Bonded Pools on Beach Blvd. circa early 1960’s in front of the business and their wonderful sign of world famous swimmer and movie star Esther Williams in all of her 30 foot tall glory.  I stopped by the business to find out more about the sign and had a great conversation with Jeffrey Clarkson, the second generation of the Clarkson family to own the business.  He filled me in on a little bit of the sign’s history.  His father, W.E. Clarkson was the national marketing representative for Esther Williams who at the time had a signature line of pool dealers around the country.  He decided he wanted his own business and bought the Jacksonville pool business in the early 1960’s from the original owner who started it in 1957.  The Esther Williams sign was in place until it was taken down and replaced with a new sign in the 1970’s.  Unfortunately Clarkson could not remember the company that removed the sign so we don’t know it’s ultimate fate but I can report that as of this posting, the real Esther Williams, who was born in 1921 or 1922 depending on the source is still around, living in Los Angeles, CA and selling a line of retro styled swimwear that harkens back to her silver screen days.

As a side note, Jeffrey Clarkson said his father got the contract and Florida Bonded Pools built the first two pools at Disney World for the Contemporary Hotel which are still in use today but Disney would not allow them to use that in their advertising.

Tags: advertising, Beach Blvd., business, Esther Williams, Florida Bonded Pools, group photo, historic photograph, sign, vintage photography, workers

“Bo Whitaker, Florida State Women’s College, 1946.  A nice looking and great golfer, in the background you may see the grounds of the school.  This picture was used by many newspapers around the country.” LS

You may know Florida State College For Women better by it’s current name, Florida State University.

Tags: Bo Whitaker, Florida, Florida State University, Florida State Women's College, Girls School, Golfer, historic photograph, Tallahassee, vintage photography

Quite a few years ago Loyd Sandgren gave me an autographed print of this image with the following type written note scotch taped to the front of the print:

“I took this picture in 1950 for the C.H. Brown Camera Store.  This photo was taken from the Main Street Bridge looking North.  It was first printed in “The Jacksonville Story, Fifty Years of Progress. 1901-1951.”  This is a original print.” LS

I love the activity and businesses that lined Main Street visible in this detail from the center of the image.  The print is framed and hangs proudly on my office wall. 

Tags: business, cars, downtown, historic photograph, Main Street, skyline, vintage photography