Vintage Jacksonville

According to Cynthia Liu, a California filmmaker who is working on a documentary film about Filipino American Yo-Yo demonstrators and their role in popularizing the Yo-Yo as a toy, at the height of the Yo-Yo craze there were anywhere from 70 to 90 of them traveling around the country for various manufacturers.  They hosted contests and gave demonstrations and as a result, drove customers to buy more of the toys when they saw their friends playing with them.

This photo was shot at the Kress store in downtown Jacksonville. A detail of the sign promoting the upcoming contest can be seen below.

Unfortunately it appears that the Famous Filipino Yo-Yo Champion did not rate having his name in the promotions…

Tags: children, filipino, Kress, men, yo-yo

“I had this special background built at the Borum Boat Co. so we could take pictures of the new boats.  Once again the background would be taken out for the ads.” LS

Loyd Sandgren did photographs for both the Borum Boat Company and Huckins Yacht Corporation during the 50’s and 60’s.  Huckins is still around today located on Jacksonville’s Ortega River but Borum is a historic relic. The Borum Boat Company set up shop in the Ford Model A plant on Jacksonville’s waterfront in 1954 and produced 12 different models of wooden boats (all named after cars) during it’s time there.  In 1961 the city of Folkston, GA lured the company from Jacksonville but that plant only stayed open a couple of years before closing it’s doors.  They came back to Jacksonville and produced fiberglass boats until 1980.

Tags: boats, Borum, women

Another of the many skyline views from the Loyd Sandgren photography collection.  Late 1940’s.  The St Johns river was still a working waterfront on both banks near downtown.

Tags: 001441, Buildings, skyline, St. Johns River, waterfront

Looking North towards downtown Jacksonville from over San Marco.  Late 1940’s.  Notice the cleared field where the original Prudential Building and Baptist Hospital were later built.  No I-95 overpass complex.  Things have changed a bit in the years since then…

Tags: 000247, aerial, downtown, historic photography, San Marco, St. Johns River, vintage photograph

Among Loyd Sandgren’s clients was the A&P Grocery chain which according to conversations with Loyd, had him photograph displays at their Jacksonville store so that they could send out prints to other stores to show the way they wanted the products displayed at other locations.

Anybody recognize the gentlemen in the photo?

Tags: A&P, advertising, beans, cans, grocery, men

View looking North across the St Johns River from the Southbank just East of the Main Street bridge.  Approximately late 1940’s to early 1950’s.

Tags: main street bridge, ships, skyline, St. Johns River, waterfront

Women’s Wrestling in the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  1960’s.

Tags: coliseum, New York Laundry, Parakeet, Police Memorial Building, professional wrestling, women

This studio image was likely shot to be cut out and used in an underwear ad.

Tags: figure, men, studio, underwear

I have no doubt that there is a wonderful story behind this photograph by Loyd Sandgren but he left it up to us to fill it in.  Any ideas?

Tags: bucket, leak, parking lot, water, woman

“A coon hunt near Jacksonville, Florida.  They put the coon in a cage and drag it through the woods, and then put it up in a tree.  The dogs are then given the scent and let loose.  The first dogs there win the owners the prize and trophy.” LS

Tags: dogs, hunting, men, racoon