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A ghost sign spotted on President Clinton Avenue in downtown Little Rock.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Return of Time Fishing!
As was prophesied, I am now ready to return to this world after moving to a new place and getting a job where I don't write about history.
So let's talk a little about history. I'm going to do something like what I described in one of my last posts, where I'll blog single photos through most of the week and write longer posts as I come to them, usually for exploration of small towns or whatnot. Since I live in Little Rock now, there's an abundance of unexplored neighborhoods and areas to provide ample snapshot material.
And now for a little bit of movie theater.
More after the jump...
So let's talk a little about history. I'm going to do something like what I described in one of my last posts, where I'll blog single photos through most of the week and write longer posts as I come to them, usually for exploration of small towns or whatnot. Since I live in Little Rock now, there's an abundance of unexplored neighborhoods and areas to provide ample snapshot material.
And now for a little bit of movie theater.
More after the jump...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Time Fishing is history!
...at least for now.
Since it's taken me five months to make an entry, I'm thinking it's time I declare a hiatus on Time Fishing for a little while.
I expect I'll return to this world when I move to a new place and have a lot of new areas to explore. And when I'm not already writing about history elsewhere and being paid for it.
So, until then, enjoy a cute historical picture:
[Noah Moody, 3, of Garner, Ark. and the Union Pacific No. 844 steam engine, both in Bald Knob last week]
You can also see photos I post to my Time Fishing Pinterest.
Since it's taken me five months to make an entry, I'm thinking it's time I declare a hiatus on Time Fishing for a little while.
I expect I'll return to this world when I move to a new place and have a lot of new areas to explore. And when I'm not already writing about history elsewhere and being paid for it.
So, until then, enjoy a cute historical picture:
[Noah Moody, 3, of Garner, Ark. and the Union Pacific No. 844 steam engine, both in Bald Knob last week]
You can also see photos I post to my Time Fishing Pinterest.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Poplar Bluff I
Poplar Bluff is a town through which we drive every time we go visit Jenna's family in Illinois. Actually, though, the highway takes us on a gentle curve around the actual city, so recently we stopped there for a look-around. It being historically relevant, there were plenty of things for my little eyes to see.
I saw the peak of the Rodgers Theater from over the rooftops of other buildings in downtown Poplar Bluff. It's a truly glorious downtown theater - obviously in need of some work, but apparently still in working order.
The building was put up in 1949 by I.W. Rodgers, who evidently took over most of the theaters in town at some point (this is, I think, the only old one left). It had capacity for 1,160 folks and included a "crying room," an enclosed area with sound-proof glass so emotionally unsound viewers could continue watching people being devoured by triffids whilst not disturbing the other film-goers.
A closer shot of the Rodgers:
More to come.
-Jonesy
I saw the peak of the Rodgers Theater from over the rooftops of other buildings in downtown Poplar Bluff. It's a truly glorious downtown theater - obviously in need of some work, but apparently still in working order.
The building was put up in 1949 by I.W. Rodgers, who evidently took over most of the theaters in town at some point (this is, I think, the only old one left). It had capacity for 1,160 folks and included a "crying room," an enclosed area with sound-proof glass so emotionally unsound viewers could continue watching people being devoured by triffids whilst not disturbing the other film-goers.
A closer shot of the Rodgers:
More to come.
-Jonesy
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Bygone grocery
I refuse to give up on this blog.
Driving to Rose Bud today, I discovered this relic:
I note that a fairly recent-looking Arkansas Democrat-Gazette machine is still guarding the door, so this grocer hasn't been closed for too long, I suppose. Judging by its looks, it's probably been around since the 1930s, maybe 40s, and was one of those hardwood floored Third Places where old men gathered around a hanging light bulb and told stories.
It's interesting to me that many old groceries (such as this one, from my friend Barbara's blog) had those old signs with very similar hand-painted text.
I bet that once this place was an oasis of food and culture, the only stop between Rose Bud and Joy or Center Hill, and when you're on unpaved roads up in the hills, that's a long way. It's paved now, of course, but not much more than a half-century removed. I bet this was a great place to gather. It would have had that inviting closeness and clutter that spoke of individuals and care, rather than cold vast-market calculation and consumer psychology. No rolling smileys or self-check outs here, just the people you know.
Ahh, I'm probably just romanticizing it.
-Jonesy
Driving to Rose Bud today, I discovered this relic:
I note that a fairly recent-looking Arkansas Democrat-Gazette machine is still guarding the door, so this grocer hasn't been closed for too long, I suppose. Judging by its looks, it's probably been around since the 1930s, maybe 40s, and was one of those hardwood floored Third Places where old men gathered around a hanging light bulb and told stories.
It's interesting to me that many old groceries (such as this one, from my friend Barbara's blog) had those old signs with very similar hand-painted text.
I bet that once this place was an oasis of food and culture, the only stop between Rose Bud and Joy or Center Hill, and when you're on unpaved roads up in the hills, that's a long way. It's paved now, of course, but not much more than a half-century removed. I bet this was a great place to gather. It would have had that inviting closeness and clutter that spoke of individuals and care, rather than cold vast-market calculation and consumer psychology. No rolling smileys or self-check outs here, just the people you know.
Ahh, I'm probably just romanticizing it.
-Jonesy
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