For History Buffs: Neumann's Grocery: 1910

This is a fantastic photo of what a neighborhood grocery store would look like around the turn of the century. Click on the full size image link to get a real close up.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2339

Great image. It's amazing but, due to the density of merchandise, though there is no doubt far less variety than we'd expect in a store today, it simply looks lush and full of exciting possibilities.

I'm interested in the evidence of how much food was already non-local. My guess is that the photo was taken in the spring, what with the big sign advertising asparagus and the lovely display of radishes, but there's also cauliflower, apples, and grapes. The apples probably came out of cold storage somewhere, but my guess is that the others were brought in. Not to mention the pineapple.

Thanks, I really enjoyed looking at the pictures on this site, including one of the Alamo movie theater here:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2307

It reminded me of Mike G's post on Ben's Chili Bowl in D.C., in which

MikeG wrote:

(Incidentally, here's something no one seems to have commented on: I'd just bet that Ben's building was originally built as a nickelodeon. That arch window with the ring of bare electric lights around it is the classic nickelodeon style. P.S. Okay, digging around on the Ben's site I found this: "Built in 1909, the building first housed a silent movie house, the Minnehaha Theater." Cha-ching!)

MikeG, if you look closely at the picture of the Alamo theater, linked above, you can see that the name of one of the films playing is Shadow of Chinatown, aka the LTH Forum story ':wink:'

Hi,

Rene G and I were in a hardware store in Hammond, Indiana recently whose display cabinets were similar to those in the grocery store. The at least 3rd generation owner still had the receipt from the cabinet company who installed the display shelves. In 1922, they cost around $2000 for front to rear, floor to ceiling cabinets. The company came to measure the space, manufactured the cabinets off-site for final assembly in the store. They even had the original hardware, tool and knick-knacks in the display cabinets since day one.

I'm sure Rene G will eventually post his pictures eventually.

Regards,