Saturday, September 24, 2016

Atlantic City, New Jersey - 1940

I have a small group of very old color slides, circa 1940. And while the color on them isn't great, good old Photoshop has helped to restore them. There's nothing particularly exciting about either of the images, but it is still fun to get a glimpse of things as they were 75 years ago.

All of the other slides in this batch were taken in Atlantic City (New Jersey), so I am assuming that this one is from there as well - but there's not much to go on. Perhaps that distinctive building in the distance will be a clue for somebody.  Anyway, I get a kick out of this trio - those ladies and their hats, one woman proudly wearing her mink coat, the other wearing a stole of, what, sable? Fox? Perhaps they are waiting for a cab, though the streets look so empty, it looks like a Sunday morning.


This next one is from the famous Boardwalk, with three happy ladies squinting in the late-afternoon sun. It must be a chilly day - I'll bet that on a warm day this place was packed with visitors!


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Nothing is more stylish for madame then wearing furs with the heads still attached. It would appear the lady wearing the fur-trimmed black coat in the first image is wearing just such a coat. I love these posed, slice-of-life images, especially ones depicting folks with big smiles, as seen on the Boardwalk. Those gals are standing near Alexander Furs, but I wasn't able to find out any other info about them.

Thanks, Major.

Melissa said...

The hats! The hats, I tells you! And not just the ladies; that gentleman's fedora is set somewhere between "jaunty" and "rakish." (I need my Chapeautractor* to be sure.)

I wonder if the middle lady at bottom just came from the FURS FURS FURS store.

* protractor for hats

Scott Lane said...

Don't recognize that building in the background. Must've been gone by the casino era, as many of the old hotels were to make way for the "revitalization" that never happened.

Irene said...

I love pictures from the 1930's and 40's. This reminds me of my grandparents and my parents. Looking at what the ladies are clutching in the first photo I thought - I don't remember seeing purses like that back then? Then I noticed the woman in the middle has her purse and gloves in her other hand. Looking closer at the woman on the left, it would appear she has a clutch bag under her other arm. So what are in those boxes? It kind of reminds me of what cameras were put in back then! And the man. What is he holding? I think, though it is very hard to tell, perhaps he has a pipe (my Dad smoked a pipe :) ) and the box has tobacco in it. Perhaps he is getting ready to packed some in the bowl, or perhaps he just has. I have a pair of shoes just like the ones these ladies are wearing. They belonged to my mother-in-law. My daughter wore them in a school play and I also wore them in a play. I was struck by the fact the ladies have such beautiful furs in the first photo - wowser on the one in the middle - and in the second photo we have the building with furs, furs, furs on it! My, how people dressed up to go out back then, even to the seashore. Looking forward to seeing more of these old slides in the future.

Melissa said...

They look like camera cases to me, too. I wish we could see all of their photos from that trip!

I also have those same high heeled oxfords; one in brown and one in black. I generally wear them with matching tights, and they're more stable and comfortable than a high-heeled pump. They're my favorite dress shoes.

Nanook said...

@ Irene-

You ain't kidding about all those furs. In [what appears to be] an earlier image, the former area sporting that 'nasty' old Camel billboard instead had THIS great sign, for yet another furrier.

Nanook said...

... And THIS image, showing a wider view of the Boardwalk. And we can see the Warner Theatre was screening Going My Way, which would date this image from 1944 - destroying my first thought the above-referenced image pre-dated the one The Major provided.

Nanook said...

And, and, and -

That huge building spreading-large behind the furrier is (was) the Hotel Traymore, razed on April 27, 1972. Watch the demolition HERE.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, of course one hardly ever sees ladies wearing furs these days, but I do remember a woman at church with a fox stole - shiny pointed teeth, shiny glass eyes staring at me. I wondered why anybody would want that!

Melissa, you didn’t have to explain your joke!

Scott Lane, admittedly there is not much to go by - just lots of brick buildings, nothing distinctive really.

Irene, I did notice the camera cases - I wonder if some of the photos in this small batch were taken by her. Some show a serviceman with the famous Steel Pier in the distance. I wonder if fur stores still thrive anywhere? Maybe they sell artificial furs. That way you can get them in all kinds of colors, like baby blue. And… no dead animals!

Melissa, presumably your shoes are not 76 years old!

Nanook, that’s a great picture!

Nanook again, that’s another very nice shot; I can’t help wondering if the distinctive building seen in the distance in photo #1 is the same one in the upper right, with the small domes supported by columns?

Nanook IV, arg, I hate seeing that beautiful old building collapsing! I'll bet it was replaced with a steel and glass box.

TokyoMagic! said...

Melissa, I almost commented on the hats last night! I have two of my grandfather's fedoras (I've worn them a few times, including to Dapper Day at DL) and I even have a fur hat that belonged to my grandmother. Irene, I also have several of my grandfather's pipes!

Nanook said...

We've all been so obsessing with the landscape, fashions, and gear 'o-the-day, we failed to notice the gals in the first image are sisters, for sure - and perhaps twins-!

Melissa said...

The blurry doorman looks a bit like Yul Brynner.

Nanook said...

@ Melissa-

Yes - but with hair.