Archive for July 2011
PHS Twirlers …
Not sure exactly if these are the PHS Band Majorettes or the Twirlers for the band, but whatever … if anyone knows exactly please let us know. I am pretty sure that this photo was made in front of the old PHS that used to be over on Palafox Street. I ran this image through a Photoshop Filter named Lucis Art Filter and that filter is what gives this image the look it has. I like the look personally and think that it gives the image a little more ” snap ” if that is the word that I am looking for. I am not a big fan of gimmicky filters … it seems that so many photographers are using so many different effect type filters to turn a plain image into something spectacular, but I just consider it trying to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. But if the filter enhances the image, which I think this one does, I am all for it. That is enough of that … if anyone knows any of these girls, please let us know. Thanks … Frank
Borden’s Dairy …
This is the Borden’s Dairy plant that was located on Davis Highway, just south of Fairfield Drive. On the old site, this photo and the aerial of this plant that I am going to post next, were two separate posts, but I just decided to combine the two. The plant above is pretty much a straight commercial shot of the building itself … the aerial that I am going to post is interesting in that it was before the I-110 spur was built. Here is the aerial view of the Borden’s plan:
Notice how Fairfield Drive was just a two lane road, and I believe that back in the 1950’s when this photograph was taken it was called ” Pottery Plant Road “. You also see the drive-in that was located next to the plant. I do not remember the name of the drive-in so if anyone does, let us know the name. The school in back of the plant is still there and I believe that it is Brown-Barge Elementary, but please correct me if I am wrong. The houses across the street are all still there today. Remember that all comments are welcomed … thanks for looking.
After School …
This panorama shows the corner of 12th Avenue and Gonzalez Street around 1956 or so … not sure about the exact date as usual. You can see all of the kids milling around because Clubbs Junior High School had just let out. Clubbs was located just two blocks of this intersection. Since this was the only area around that had any stores. all the kids headed in this direction so they could go to the Shaw’s Drug Store, Friendly Service, Winn-Dixie or Ginn’s Restaurant. You can see that 12th Avenue was still paved with bricks and I can remember that fairly well. Anyone have any comments about this time in their lives, please feel free to comment … who knows, that might be you standing on that corner? Thanks for looking … Frank
PS – I was too young in this photo … I did not get to Junior High until 1965 and I went to Workman, since we lived in Cordova Park. I had friends that went to Clubbs and they used to talk about this, but personally I never did.
San Carlos Hotel in the 1940’s …
This is a photo that my father made sometime in the 1940’s … note that the front of the hotel facing Palafox Street does not have the” San Carlos” sign on the top of the building that you see in the photo from around 1955. Also notice that people are walking / crossing in the middle of the street. It is as if the center median just extended across Garden Street. The traffic at this intersection must not have been busy enough to bother these people walking in what seems all directions, although there seems to be quite a few cars on the road.
Houston Astrodome …
This is a photo my father made of the Houston Astrodome on a trip we made back in the 1960’s to visit some friends of ours. The sky-line of Houston has really changed since this photograph was taken … at least 10 or more skyscrapers are on the horizon now. I have been to several baseball games at the Dome over the years, all back in the 60’s and I can remember how much fun it was. I had been to several games in Chicago to see the Cubs and the White Sox play when we went to visit my dad’s brother, Ben, and I really enjoyed those games so seeing the Astros was a real thrill. Anyone want to make a comment about the AstroDome, feel free.
Pensacola Aerial 1950’s …
This aerial was made sometime before 1957, because the Municipal Auditorium has not been built yet. The only thing that has been done is that the foundation had been poured and it does not look as if any construction is in the works at this point. You can also see the San Carlos Hotel in the bottom center of the photograph. Nice aerial view of downtown Pensacola from this time. Anyone that can pin down an exact date on this time would be appreciated … thanks for looking.
John Wayne and Friend …
This is John Wayne and an unknown ” friend ” photographed at The Townhouse Motor Lodge when he was in Pensacola filming a movie. Never could find out who the lady is … anyone that has any idea, please let me hear from you. I have no back ground information on this other than what I have mentioned. The name of the movie that John Wayne was making at the time was called, ” Wings of Eagles ” . The part that showed Pensacola was only the first ten minutes or so of the movie and it was filmed out at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Thanks for looking ….
Modesto, CA in the 1950’s …
This image is one of downtown Modesto, CA in the 1950’s that my father made on one of his trips out west to visit his sister. I know nothing about Modesto and have never been there myself, so I do not have any information about this photograph. Modesto looked to be a fairly thriving town during this era … WW II having been over for ten years or so and all the soldiers returning home looking to start families and buying homes. This being California, I am sure that there must have been defense contractors in this area that added to the local economy … maybe even a military base or two, they seem to be all over California. Anyone that has anything to offer about Modesto, please feel free to post … this image is one that I had posted on the old site also. Thanks for looking …
Operating Room at Old Sacred Heart Hospital …
I do not know if this photograph was ” set-up ” or if this was an actual surgery. Look at the knife that the nurse or doctor is using on the patient … I used to have a scuba diving knife that looked better that the knife she is using. I do not have any information on this photo, I just think that it looks interesting, scarey, but interesting. I had my tonsils removed at the old hospital back in 1959 and I can remember it very vividly. Back in those days, they dropped ether to put you to sleep. I can remember a nurse standing over me, placing a mask over my nose and telling me to count backwards from 25. When I hit 10 I thought that I was going to throw-up and when I hit 5, I was out!
If anyone wants to share their old Sacred Heart hospital memories, you are more than welcome to here …
Ambulance / Hearse at Old Sacred Heart Hospital …
My father made this photograph in back of the old Sacred Heart Hospital sometime in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s. This circular drive way is still at the old hospital today. You can see a sign in the second window that says ” Morris Funeral Home ” and in the third window ” Ambulance ” is written on the glass. So my guess is that this vehicle stayed pretty busy back in it’s day. The photo was in very bad shape and it took me quite a while to repair the image. It also had been posted on the old site, but it did not have the matting around the image. I was surprised that it did not generate any comments from anyone, since it is such an unusual image. No idea who the nurse is in the photo … notice how she is wearing her cap at such an angle – I am sure it has something to do with style and attitude and not uniform regulation!
Any and all comments are welcome … I would be interested in knowing from anyone if the ambulance / hearse was backed up the area that was the entrance to the morgue. I believe that the entrance to the emergency room would have been located to the left of the front on the vehicle, because I can remember going down into the emergency room as a kid and it was not was not where this vehicle is located. Thanks for looking …
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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