Archive for the ‘1950’s’ Category
The “New” Medical Center Clinic on Palafox Street …
This a photograph of the first Medical Center Clinic that is located over on Palafox Street. It has been abandoned for years and has really fallen into a state of disrepair. The original scan is posted below …
As you can tell, I removed the people from the side of the building and the telephone poll out front. I probably would also have removed the street sign next to the telephone, but I wasted to much time on the telephone pole. For future reference … there is not a magic wand in Photoshop that magically removes people and objects without leaving any traces. It takes a lot of selecting, cutting, pasting, masking and blending to get these photos to look like the top photo. Most people do not realize hoe much work is entailed to get all of this to blend seamlessly and to look believable. I have shown one image of the Hotel San Carlos that I have a before and after view … at some point I might put together all of the steps involved in creating these images. Thanks for looking and let me hear what you think … Frank
Doc, Kitty and Friends …
Here is Doc ( Milburn Stone ) and Kitty ( Amanda Blake ) from the tv show ” Gunsmoke ” with some friends from Pensacola down at the Town-House Motor Lodge on Cervantes. I do not know who the couple is in the middle, but both the man and the lady pop-up in different photos that I have run across. The man could have something to do with the Chamber, since he always seems to be in the welcoming committee at the airport when these celebrities arrive. The lady is in a photo I posted a while back with John Wayne and I think she is in several photos made at Son Motors. However, it is a nice group photo showing what a good time these celebrities are shown when they come to Pensacola. Thanks for looking … Frank
Christmas Partiers ….
I do not know who these girls are, but as dressed-up as they are, they might be ready for their dates to pick them up for the Noel Dance that was held in Pensacola for forty or so years. A girl’s sorority used to sponsor the dance and it was held in downtown Pensacola at the old Municipal Auditorium which was located at the foot of Palafox Street. The Auditorium was torn down ten years or so back and nothing has been rebuilt to replace the facility, which to me was a big mistake … but what do I know. Thanks for looking and please let me hear from anyone that can remember going to the Noel Dance … I know that you are out there! Happy Holidays … Frank
Out West … Again …
I have been going through old 120 film strips that my father shot out west somewhere. I do not have a clue where they were made ( as usual ) , but they are still interesting to me. These were made way before the interstate system was started and you took two lane roads through small towns, deserts, whatever. Back then you used to see and experience America, however it was slower. Now, everyone is in a hurry to get to their destination and all of these places are just areas on a map.
Here is a ferry somewhere out West … who knows, this could be the Mississippi River, but I sort of doubt it.
Two lane black-top was all you had for the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s until the interstate was built. No wonder it would take you almost two weeks to get across America from Jacksonville to Los Angeles. That is all I have for these images. Let me hear what you think … thanks for looking, Frank
Florida Float in Fiesta Parade …
This is the state of Florida’s float in the 1959 Fiesta of Five Flags Parade. I wonder whose bright idea it was to dress up a bunch of ten year olds as oranges and have them march 3 or 4 miles up and down Palafox Street in 100 degree heat. The state must have been broke back in 1959, also. Tallahassee could not even spring for a car to tow the float, so they just got a couple of Boy Scouts to pull the float! If anyone remembers any of this, please let us hear from you … especially if you might have been one of the oranges walking up and Palafox Street or one of the Boy Scouts. If those Scouts did not get a towing merit badge out of this, they were robbed! Thanks for looking … Frank
A Few More From Bo Belinsky …
Here is an obituary that my father had cut out of some paper when he died back on November 23, 2001. He never put up Hall of Fame statistics ( 28-51 win / loss record ) , but he was often quoted as saying that he got more mileage out of those 28 wins as pitchers who one 200 games. It was a no hitter he pitched for the Los Angeles Angels in May of 1962 that he was most famous for. Below is a photo that I just ran across recently that my father had made of him pitching when he played for the Pensacola Dons … I have never posted this one before, since I just found it a month or so back. It is not in very good shape and is very badly over-exposed, but you can tell that it is left-handed Bo.
He sure looks young here! This is around 1958, I would guess. I have another story some where that my dad clipped out of a paper on Bo that I will find and post later. If anyone out there has any Bo Bolinsky stories … either when he pitched here in Pensacola or when he was called up to the big leagues, please feel free to share them with us and try to keep them fairly clean ( just joking ) . Thanks again for looking. I have quite a few images worked up that I plan to post in the near future … Frank
1957 World Series Tickets …
Here are two tickets from the 1957 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves defeated the Yankees 4 games to 3. This was first time that a team had moved to a new town and won the series. The Braves had moved from Boston in 1953 and it was the first pennant ( National ) for them in Milwaukee and the first World Series for a team that had relocated to a new city. Notice the price … $7.35!! I bet you could get a hot dog for a quarter and a beer for a dime back in 1957.
Even though these are not my father’s and do not really have anything to do with his photography, I still thought that they were interesting. If anybody out there attended either of these two games in New York or any of the others in Milwaukee, we would be interested in hearing from you. I would even like to hear from you if you watched it on tv …NBC had the broadcast rights for the World Series this year. Who knows, they might have even paid some huge amount like $50,000 for the rights to broadcast the entire series! I would even venture a guess that Mickey Mantle did not make more than thirty or forty thousand dollars in 1957. Let us hear from you baseball historians out there and thanks for looking … Frank
California Inspection Station …
Back in the 1950’s, it was illegal to bring fruit into the state of California. During this time the state was having problems with insects / pests coming into the state and destroying their fruit crops. So they built these inspection stations at all of the main entrances and you had to stop your car, get out and go in and declare whatever fruits or vegetables that you had in your possession. I do not know whatever became of this or when it was stopped, but I know that someone out there knows something about this and can share what they know about this. I just thought that this was an interesting image … just another of my father’s ” through my front windshield ” type photos. There have been several well-known “art ” photographers have had whole careers doing only this type of photography … go figure. Thanks for looking and let me hear back from somebody about these California Inspection Stations … Frank
Televison Back in the 1950’s …
Yes, kiddies this TV back in dark ages … And Yes, all we had back in the 50’s was three (3) channels. No, we did not have cable back then and no, this color has not been taken out of these images. That is my little toy sitting on top of the TV, not some futuristic antennae. That is Bob Hope on the screen, but I do not have a clue who the lady with him is or what show this is, either. Below is another screen shot …
I do know that this is Bing Crosby and Bob Hope on some type of variety show. This had to be around 1956-59 and I am sure this was the first TV that my parents had ever purchased. I have another photo of me sitting in front of this TV and I will find it and post it. At this time we were living in a garage apartment on Cervantes between 13th and 14th Avenues. In fact, the apartment is still there and I pass by it all the time. Some day I might just have to stop by and see if they will let me stick my head in the door for old times sake. Thanks for looking … Frank
WSRE’s ” History of Baseball in Pensacola ” …
This is an ad that I clipped from the WSRE site advertising the airing of the next “Baseball in Pensacola”. I saw the first airing on November 8 and it was Part 1 of the history. Part 2 is interviews with baseball players from Pensacola that went on to play in the majors and I missed that one. So, I am not sure what the Friday November 23 show will be, but it will be a repeat of one of the two episodes or it might be both. You will just have to tune in and see, but if you are a fan of baseball or a history buff of Pensacola, you will enjoy what you see. Some of my father’s photos of the Pensacola Dons was used, as were some of his views of Pensacola from the 40′, 50’s and 60’s are scattered through the first episode. I know that they will show it again and if you missed it now, I am sure that it will be re-broadcast in the future. Plus, I am sure that copies of it will be for sale … just go to WSRE’s site here. Thanks again for WSRE for thinking of me / my father. Please check back later and thanks for looking … Frank
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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