Archive for May 2012
John ” Duke ” Wayne in Pensacola Florida …
Here is a photo of John Wayne that my father made back in 1955 or 56, I am not sure exactly of the year. Duke was here in Pensacola making the movie, The Wings of Eagles , a John Ford film about a Navy aviator. He was staying at the Town House Motor Lodge and Mrs. Head, the owner, asked him if she had a photographer come over would he mind having his photo made for her ” celebrity ” wall. Fine with him, he told her. So my father went over and met Mrs. Head and Duke outside of his room. Mrs. Head introduced my father and Duke said that he remembered him from the airport taking photos when he got off of the plane. Mrs. Head then said that he was there to take his photo for her wall. To which Duke replied, ” I told you that I would send you a real nice photo when I got back to Hollywood. ” He then looked at my dad, put his arm around him and said, ” You know, that sounds as if I do not think that you can take a good photograph? ” . My dad said he just stood there, not knowing how to respond to the number one movie star in America at the time. Duke then said, ” Well, come on in my room and Frank you can take anything you like … just tell me where to sit and what you want me to do. ” My dad said that he could not have been nicer and said that he would send him a couple of photos and autugraph any photo that my father made. I have scanned the photos that he sent and I will post them next … I cannot remember if I posted the autographed photo that he made, along with the one of hime getting off the plane, so I will go back and check.
If anyone has any stories to share of John Wayne when he was here making The Wings of Eagles , please let us hear from you … or for that matter, any John Wayne story that you might have. Thanks for looking and I appreciate all comments. I hope all of you father’s have a Happy Father’s Day …
Suter School Play …
Back in 1950’s, A.K. Suter School over in East Pensacola Heights used to put on these plays … for that matter, several other schools did also because I have run across several other negative envelopes from Clubbs Junior High School. I know nothing at all about any of this, but I cleaned up several negatives and thought that I would throw them up on here. Here is one more photograph that I worked up …
I do not know who any of these kids are and the only reason I chose them was because these negatives required the least amount of Photoshop to get them ready to post. I have run across 4 or 5 negative envelopes from Suter School Plays and each bag contains 20 or 30 negatives each. Sometime in the future I will get around to working them up and posting some more of the photographs. I do not know when, but in the not too distant future. Also, someone sent me the back of a play program that had an ad for my father’s studio …
How many of you out there can remember Carl’s Bakery? It’s address is listed on Garden Street, but I remember it being over on Davis. There used to be another bakery over on Gadsden Street, but I cannot remember it’s name … anybody know? Thanks for looking and all comments are appreciated …
P S – I did not scan the above program page … it was emailed to me, so it is low resolution and the small print is hard to read. If anyone comes across anything like this page, I am interested in it. But I need to scan whatever in high resolution and the knock it down to low resolution to post on the web. Thanks for the comments about that …
Southern Bell Class for Installers …
Johnson, just because I let you smoke in class does not mean that I am going to let you call out front to Darleen and get her to run down to the corner and get you a six-pack of beer!!! I gotta draw the line somewhere!
These must have been the good old days … smoking in class… whatever else …
As usual, all comments are appreciated and thanks for looking … and thanks for putting up with my attempt at humor … Frank
Red Hat Chicken Feed …
Now, Darleen, that diamond engagement ring that I bought for you last week is somewhere out here … I had it in my pocket and it must have fallen out when I pulled my handkerchief out to blow my nose. You don’t think I am lying, do you? Of course not, Bubba, we have only been dating for twenty years. Why would you want to go and ruin a beautiful relationship and do something stupid like getting married??? I just love running around in this chicken manure with you!!
Please excuse my feeble attempt at humor … I know nothing about Red Hat Chicken Feed or who these people are. If anyone out there is familiar with Red Hat Chicken Feed, please let us hear from you. Thanks again for looking …
Another of the San Carlos Hotel …
Someone gave me this photo of the old San Carlos Hotel sometime back and I just got around to cleaning it up recently. My dad did not make this photo and I rarely post other people’s photo, but what makes this photo interesting is ????? Can you guess …. I will give you another couple of minutes. No little Johnnie, this is not the best photo of the front of the San Carlos showing the Fiesta Lounge that I have, although that is a good guess. No little Suzy, not because there is no wheel-chair access ramp at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. You are correct, Cleroy ( that would be Leroy, but with a “C” … a Southern name ) this photo shows the Christmas decorations that the City of Pensacola used to put out back in the 1950’s. In fact, I can remember these same decorations being used up into the 1980’s, maybe even the 1990’s. How is that for some mileage? I am sorry Cleroy, but my budget does not allow to give you a prize, but if you go down to City Hall, I bet Mayor Hayward and the City Council would dig around and they could probably find some of these decorations for your yard. Good luck, Cleroy and thanks for looking … As usual, all comments are appreciated.
Garden and Palafox Streets …
This is the corner of Garden and Palafox Streets in downtown Pensacola. It was before the Hotel San Carlos was built, so I am not sure of the year that this photo was made. This was a photo that I had found in a box of photos and it looked like the original photograph. Notice the fountain that is in the intersection. I have seen several photos of it and I might even have one around somewhere. It looks as if it is a funeral procession with the hearse being drawn by a horse. As usual, all comments are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking …
Bayview Park …
This photo above of Bayview Park must have been made in the early 1900’s, maybe around 1910 or so. My father obviously did not make this photo, but he had a negative of the image. Someone must have brought the photo into the studio and had a copy print made. I have not seen very photos of the old Bayview Park and I thought that it looked interesting. Notice the old Model A’s in the parking lot on the left hand side. I can remember my father talking about going swimming there at Bayview Park when they moved here in 1925 from Muscogee Florida. All comments are appreciated … Thanks for looking …
Helen Cooper’s Dress Shop …
Helen Cooper’s clothing store for women was located in the 200 block of West Garden Street. The building is no longer there and I think that the 200 block of West Garden Street is where the Sun Bank Building is located today. The 200 section would most likely be where the Artisana Gift Shop is located and that is just a guess. I can vaguely remember this little building, but I cannot say for sure. If anyone has any recollection of Helen Cooper’s, please let us hear from you. Thanks again for looking …
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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