Scenes from Texas
Somehow I have acquired a small batch of old slides from the Lone Star State - Texas! Today's examples were scanned long ago, so they are not exactly the best of the bunch, but they are still full of vintage fun.
I believe that this first one was taken in San Antonio; it's undated, but certainly from the 1950's. Does anybody recognized the building? It looks ancient, with those wooden "gutters" that look as if they were actually made from hollow logs. Love the dusty old car to our right, and the fact that the little girl is wearing a red felt cowboy hat.
Here is a nice photo taken along San Antonio's famous River Walk. Who wouldn't want to dine right next to the tranquil water? That bridge is very neat. If anybody recognizes that building in the background, I'd love to know what it is.
You can't talk about Texas without talking about oil. this next photo is dated 1954, although there is no additional information. But we've got ourselves an oil derrick (maybe five stories tall?), ready to drill for some of that black gold. I hope they hit a gusher!
15 comments:
425 East Commerce Street. Built in 1900.
Major-
How can you not help but love that 'family' posing in the first image-? The picture says it all - except the I.D. of that black car: It's a 1942-1945 Chevrolet, and one style of the Fleetline model - "The finest Chevrolet of all time", to hear Madison Avenue describe it. And in the third image starting on the left, we have a 1954 Lincoln. I can't quite make out what either the white station wagon or black pick-up truck are. But the two-tone car to the right of the truck is a 1955 Plymouth. And to its right is another two tone 'cadet' blue & white station wagon - this time a 1955 Chevrolet.
Thanks, Major for a fun visit to the Lone Star state.
The little building with the wooden scuppers is the Spanish Governor's Palace (105 Plaza De Armas)
Major, I had no idea that San Antonio's River Walk development went back that far. I had to look it up. I guess it goes back to the 30's or 40's. Does anyone remember when the city of Garden Grove, CA was planning a man-made river, along with their own version of River Walk just down the street from Disneyland? It was talked about for years, but the plans were finally put to rest. The brand new Great Wolf Lodge hotel now sits on part of the property that was going to be used for the city's "river walk".
My sister had a cowboy hat EXACTLY like that one. She played with it so much that it ended up losing its shape and became a floppy felt hat. And, surprisingly, it looked just as good and stylish that way.
One of my parents' favorite pictures of the two of us is an early-'70s Hallowe'en photo of the two of us dressed up as a cowboy and a cowgirl, aged almost five and almost two. I have this big grin on my face and she's looking adoringly up at her big brother (that phase didn't last long).
San Antonio is one of the more interesting cities of Texas. I stopped there in the late 1970's on my way to WDW and really enjoyed my day spent there. The memories are now faded though. Nice set today. Thanks, Major.
These are some great photos. The one time I went to San Antonio on business I was taken to lunch and sat at a similar spot on the River Walk (might even be the same). It was sooo hot/humid all they could do is laugh at the California boy who sat and sweated like a sinner in church.
I'll take Arizona (it's a dry heat).
D Ticket beat me to "scuppers". Appraisers love to throw out words like that about, we lead pretty boring lives.
D-Ticket, you've done it again!
Nanook, I rather like the Fleetline, though my real love is for cars from slightly later…. mid-1950's and into the 1960's. I'd rather own cars like that than any hopped-up Supercar.
D Ticket again, "scuppers"! Shiver me timbers. That building sure doesn't look like a palace, does it?
TokyoMagic!, I knew basically nothing about the River Walk… if you'd told me it was 200 years old, I would believe you! I never heard about the Garden Grove project; sounds like a latter day Venice, California.
Chuck, my brother and I both had red felt cowboy hats. I still remember how upset I was when the thing finally started falling apart. We wore those things to pieces, literally. I'll be you and your sis are good pals nowadays!
K. Martinez, I've never been to Texas at all. I hear it's big! Glad you liked these.
Alonzo, ugh, hot and humid. Ugh I say! I've experienced some very hot and damp summers on the east coast and in Chicago, and it is miserable. Somehow sitting next to a river would just make it worse.
I can add that the building D Ticket nicely identified held the offices of Robert H. H. Hugman, the creator of the River Walk concept.
Please tell me, Nanook that all of that incredible vintage automotive stuff is in your head and you effortlessly call it all to mind. It's truly impressive and great to hear.
@ Patrick Devlin-
Let's just say that some of "that incredible vintage automobile stuff" is in my head. Although hardly a 'car buff', I've always had an interest in 'em - especially the post WWII American ones. And as I've become the "unofficial" auto curator, of a sort, on these pages, I'm actually getting better at ID-ing each vehicle unaided-! Who would'a thunk it-? (Okay maybe not the exact year - as that can be incredibly tricky - especially with compromised views). I have one invaluable reference book that is my 'go-to' first choice when further info is needed. (Notice how I didn't say The Internet). That I use for back-up.
Fer instance, I knew the black vehicle in the first image was a Chevrolet, but the book reminded me the 'three chrome stripes' represented the Fleetline series. (Now I might actually remember that factoid going forward).
Sorry to have pulled back the curtain on 'the wizard', but I'm happy to plead ignorance, as I have no immediate plans to run for political office. So I can expose all the warts.
But thanks for your kind thoughts, nonetheless. I'm feeling smarter already-!
Oh, aren't good books wonderful. I have a small library of mostly aviation and film production titles. I might not recall the exact information I need but I know exactly which book has it and it's RIGHT OVER THERE, just 8 feet away. Books rule.
@ Patrick-
Film production titles-??!! This appears to be a side of you we don't see represented on these "pages". We wants more-!
That we are, Major. Started about the time we were 16 and 13. I wouldn't trade her for the world.
I'm glad my brain works like you guys. I do have a lot of junk catalogued in my head, but I find that I get best results if I check my work. Sadly, most of my really good reference books are in storage, and I end up resorting to the Internet, but that's not all bad - I end up learning new stuff. And I really like learning new stuff.
More about the building on the Riverwalk can be found here. http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Cityscape-Clifford-Building-3622441.php
I think I had lunch at that same place on the River Walk.
JG
Post a Comment