Archive for the ‘Frank Hardy Photography’ Category
Tate High School …
This set of photographs was made sometime in the middle 1950’s … not sure of the exact years. If anyone has any idea who any of these people are, feel free to share it with us. I am just going to post all of the images, so here we go …
The last group of the coaches has several guys that look familiar to me, but none of the others do. I know that someone out there will know something about these photos. In the past, I would have broken all of these photos up into several posts. There are still several images from this set that I have not worked-up and I will get around to them in several months. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
St. Michael’s Catholic Church …
Here is an interior view of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in downtown Pensacola Florida that I made back around 1982 on 4×5 sheet film. This is a few that few people see unless they walk up to see the altar. I do have some altar photos somewhere and when I run across them I will put them up. I cannot tell you how many wedding that I have done here, but I would guess over a hundred. One job that my father and I did here was to photograph each station of the cross and made a photo album for a man’s wife who visited the church and could not get over how detailed each piece was. We also gave an album to the priest at the time which he was thrilled to get, since the only photos he had were a bunch of snap-shots. I put a link to the church that you can click on to take you to the church’s site. I was sitting here thinking how the previous post was about a liquor store and then I followed it up with a church post … that was not a ” Sinner and Saint ” message since we are going into Mardi Gras season this time of year. I just happened to have these two images ready to post and they are in the same folder, so there is no hidden meaning here what so ever. Like I said in the previous post, if you want to share any memories that you have about St. Michael’s – you got married here or attended a wedding in the church or even attended St. Michael’s School and had First Communion in the church … feel free to share them with us. Thanks again for looking and please check back … like I said in an earlier post, I have a few more ready to go and I will get them up in the next few weeks … Frank
PS – I just went to the church’s site and they have a photo gallery that has lots of photos … activities, interior and exterior views, etc, etc. I should have done that before I wrote the post, but you know me …
Bay Lounge and Package Store …
This place was known as The Bay Lounge, but I do not think that I ever heard anyone call it that … it was simply known as ” Cantaloupe’s “. Even though he had been married to lady by the name of Shirley and the lounge’s name was ” Cantaloupe and Shirley’s “, I do not ever remember anyone ever calling it that. There was a package store on the left-hand side of the building that most people would go and hang-out in. That part of the place was known as the ” Stand -Up “. People would go in and buy a bottle and stand – up and drink. This was back in the 1970’s and 80’s … now I bet you would be hard pressed to find a place like Cantaloupe’s any where today. The stand-up went the way of the buggy whip, Walk-man, laser-discs, Falstaff Beer, etc, etc. Now I am not going to mention any names, but you could find everyone from court judges to doctors to builders … you name them, they drank there. The place is now Franco’s Italian Restaurant and has been for years. Here is one more exterior view of Cantaloupe’s and I made these by the way back around 1981 or so …
It is basically the same view, just a little closer. Shot on 4×5 sheet film. Even though I made it, I thought that it went better over on this blog than my personal photography blog. If anyone wants to share their own personal ” Cantaloupe ” story, please feel free … if you are brave enough! Just kidding. I am sure that Cantaloupe is deceased by now, but he was always nice to me and I did a few jobs for him through the years. If we get enough stories, who knows, may there is a book somewhere in the future … naw, I doubt it. Thanks again for looking and please check back … Frank
PS – This place was located on Gregory Street right across what is now McGuire’s Irish Pub, but everyone from Pensacola already knew that …
Another One From The Port of Pensacola …
This is one taken in a warehouse down at the Port of Pensacola from back in the 1950’s, maybe around 1955. I had posted another one like it with another man bending over loading a sack with this nitrate in the photo, but I removed him in this image. I have always thought that this photo had an interesting look to it. I ran it through the Lucis Art filter in Photoshop to add some contrast to an otherwise “flat” image. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Pensacola Regional Airport Runway Construction …
Back before the Pensacola International Airport became ” International “, it was called the Pensacola Regional Airport. Sometime in the 1950’s, the airport runways were resurfaced and extended. This series of images shows the construction resurfacing process … I wish I new more about them, but I do not. I know that there is a lot more to it than just mixing up a batch of concrete and making sure that it is level. The strength of the concrete is determined by the ratio of sand to rocks and water, the amount of cement mix is a big factor and I am sure there are many other things that I have not mentioned, since I am not an engineer or claim to be. I always enjoyed this type of photographic work, since it was something that I knew nothing about but was interested in how things work. Hey, that could be the title of a tv show explaining how things are built and constructed … I might be on to something! Most all of the images are pretty self-explanatory, so I am going to dispense with the running commentary and stupid comments. Here we go:
The last two images maybe should have been shown earlier in the process, but it is what it is. The images of them unloading the equipment off of the barges was no where near where the airport runway is located, so my only guess that either they were taken at the Port of Pensacola or somewhere else in Pensacola Bay. But as usual, I do not know. If you look close in some of the photos you see the airport tower and the airport itself way in the background. I wish that I had some other photos of the airport itself, but I have pretty much posted everything that I have found taken at the airport. If any of you have anything of the Pensacola Airport from back in the 1950’s and 60’s, I would be interested in seeing what you have. Thanks for looking and please check back and don’t forget that I have my personal blog that you can get to by clicking on a link on the right side of the screen. Wishing everyone a happy New Year … Frank
Pensacola High School Annona Ads …
These photos were shot to be used in ads for the Pensacola High School yearbook Annona. As usual, I have no clue who any of these young ladies are in any of these photos or do I know exactly which business they advertised. But I am confident that some of you out there will let us know. I am going to say that they are from the 1950’s, but they could be from the 1960’s. The one above is from some dress store in Pensacola and it most likely was downtown somewhere, since the malls did not come about until later ( I am guessing about that ) in the late 1960’s I would guess. Here are several more photos …
The last photo of the girls looking at the silver settings was made in side Elebash Jewelery store in downtown Pensacola I believe, bit I could be wrong. The girls in the cosmetic store is not familiar to me at all, so if anyone recognizes the store let us know. Thanks again and I hope looking at these photos puts you in the shopping mood for Christmas …. Check back and be safe … Frank
Coffee Cup Cashier …
This is only photo in my father’s files that I have of the Coffee Cup and it was made sometime back in the 1950’s. Look closely at the post card rack and you will see his photo of the Hotel San Carlos that I have posted on this blog several times. No clue who the lady is, I am sure that someone will recognize and identify her. The counter looks exactly the same today, some sixty years later. The photo was taken for the Cancer Society … here is one more photo …
I have not been in the Coffee Cup in a year or so, but I would not doubt if that same cash register is still sitting there. Now that I am thinking about the Coffee Cup, I am starting to get hungry for some biscuits with their famous tomato gravy. I guess that you would have to be raised in the South to appreciate tomato gravy and one more thing … they have the creamiest grits that you have ever tasted. I would go tomorrow and eat breakfast, but you regulars know how crowed that place is on a Saturday morning. If you do not get there by 6 or 7am, you will usually have an hour wait. That’s it for me now, I will be posting some more in the next few days … Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Pensacola Sign Company …
I could not read the writing on the negative envelope, so I am not sure if the sign company read ” McCurley ” or ” McCurdy “. However, it does not really make any difference. I believe that this business was located at W Street and Navy Boulevard where the Mercedes – Volvo dealership is today. I could be wrong with this, but for some unknown reason I believe I remember seeing this corner looking like this. And besides, the building in the background looks like the laundry cleaning business that is still there today. The next business I believe was located out on North Davis, just beyond West Florida Hospital …
The last sign is just a poster that went up in the 1950’s before the Interstate was built …
I have several long posts ready to go and will put them up in the next week or so. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Hall’s Spic-N-Span Laundry …
As usual, I know absolutely nothing about Hall’s Spic-N-Span. In fact, I am not even sure if I have posted them before. I do not think that I have posted them on this site yet … I might have put them up on the first blog I had over on Blogger. If any of you remember anything about Hall’s, please feel free to share it with us. This was made sometime in the 1950’s. Here are several more …
Since this was the 1950’s, you know that this building was not air conditioned. You think the temperature reached 110 degrees in the hot Florida summer inside this building with all these machines running?
These ladies look pretty fresh, so it is must be early in the morning or either it is a nice fall day. I have a good number of posts ready to go, so I will put a few up in the next week or so. Thanks for looking and please let me hear from you …. I hope everyone has their Christmas shopping done … if anyone to purchase any of images for Christmas gifts, it is still time. If you have any questions, please contact me … Frank
Pro-Golfers Back In The 1940’s …
The above photo is of Byron Nelson. The next one is of Sam Snead …
The guy in the background is Jug McSpadden with Sam Snead in the foreground. The next two are golfer Craig Wood …
I do not know which golf course these gofers were playing … back in the 1940’s, I believe that the only two courses in the area were either NAS or Pensacola Country Club. I am pretty sure that Osceola was not around in the 1940’s and Scenic Hills was not built until the 1960’s. I am sorry that I do not have anymore information, but someone out there might remember these golfers passing through Pensacola. I am fairly sure that they were playing an exhibition, since Pensacola did not have a professional tournament until the 1960’s. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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