downtown 60s postcard?

[devonhart]

I know we had a Majestic and Burt Shoe, but I really don't recognize the rest. Is this our hometown?

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c3/ad/ed/c3adedf47ac7949e3490e62ded911cb1.jpg

[plumber2]

I'm pretty sure that is not Houston. I see a TEXAS theater marquee further up the street. To my knowledge Houston did not have a TEXAS theater, at least not one downtown.

[sevfiv]

Interesting - there's a Kress Building on the right so that could narrow it down. Kress, Grants, Grayson (?), Burt's, Carl's, The Vogue, and Majestic and Texas theaters...hmm...

[FilioScotia]

This photo looks west on Houston Street in downtown San Antonio. I've been to that Majestic Theater when it was in its hey day and was awe struck by its classic 1920s movie palace interior design with a domed ceiling that looked like the night sky filled with stars. It's now a downtown entertainment and performing arts venue. And it still has that incredible ceiling. Check out these photos of way back when and present day.

 

http://www.majesticempire.com/photos-and-videos/venues

 

Several blocks down and across the street was the Texas Theater. Note the star at the top of the vertical sign. Another 1920s movie palace that, sadly, was razed in the 1980s. Fortunately, only the interior was stripped out. The facade remains.

 

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3161

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by FilioScotia

[blue92]

Hey that's me & my dad in that T-bird. Probably not but my dad did own a white T-bird just like that one.

 

I remember a Majestic and a Texas theater in downtown Houston, I think the Texas theater became a adult (Art house) movie house in the mid 60s. And the Texas location would be right in conjecture to the Majestic so it could be downtown Houston. I know when Meyerland Plaza 1st opened the big anchor store was Grants. So Grants did exist in Houston in those days.

[little frau]

W. T. Grant's and Kress' both were on Main Street in Houston.  Mom and I would take the Shopper's Special bus (5 cents) from our home near N. Main and Quitman to downtown to shop and she took me to both many times.

 

The Majestic Theater in Houston was on one of the east/west streets, not Main.

[Purpledevil]

The Majestic Theater in Houston was on one of the east/west streets, not Main.

Correct. The Majestic was on Rusk.

[devonhart]

Ah, Houston Street. Popped up in google search, confused the heck out of me.

[sevfiv]

Strange - I was flipping through the 1952 Houstonian (UH yearbook) and saw this picture - there's our Kress, Grants, and Burt's but still not the same.

 

 

[FilioScotia]

Not the same as what?

[sevfiv]

Oops, as the postcard:

 

[Subdude]

Strange - I was flipping through the 1952 Houstonian (UH yearbook) and saw this picture - there's our Kress, Grants, and Burt's but still not the same.

 

 

 

On the right is a Spiegel.  Is this the same as Spiegel, Chicago, 60609?  I didn't think they had physical stores.

[Subdude]

Oops, as the postcard:

 

 

I think Houston also had a "Vogue" shop, in the West Building I believe.  

[NenaE]

Wow... I didn't know that Spiegel had stores, I'm just familiar with the catalog. But I have seen Vogue store signs on old b/w/photos of Houston. 

[little frau]

Oops, as the postcard:

 

 

The photo in the UH yearbook is of Houston downtown.  FilioScotia has already identified the postcard as being San Antonio.  The two cities had lots of the same stores.  I believe the store to the very left in the postcard is Grayson, a clothing store, but I may be wrong.

[sevfiv]

Ooops! I missed the San Antonio mention 

 

fwiw -  the stores in the Houston picture were Kress, Spiegel women's clothing (later Darling Shops), Baker's Shoes, Lady Oris Hosiery, The Good Friend's Shop (women's clothing), Grants, Bert's, and then not seen, but JC Penney on the closest corner.

[FilioScotia]

Back before big enclosed malls were invented and became the "modern" way to shop, just about every national and regional chain store of every kind could be found in the downtown areas of most cities of any size. Streets in the big cities all had pretty much the same array of stores. Houston Street in San Antonio looked just like Main Street in Houston and downtown streets in cities all over the country..

 

That all changed when somebody came up with the idea of clustering all of them together in the same enclosed climate-controlled space -- a mall -- outside the downtown areas. That's when going downtown to shop became a thing of the past, and downtown stores started folding. It was also the death knell for the old and breath-takingly beautiful 1920s movie palaces. Cookie-cutter multi-plex cinemas all over town and in the suburbs nailed the coffin shut on those places.

 

I'm old enough to remember when it was an adventure to take your date downtown for dinner and a movie. And you dressed up for it because you wanted to look your best, not like a slob, or worse, a  "beatnik".  Remember them? Today's generation doesn't even know who or what they were. They also can't understand why anybody would dress up to go to a movie.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2014 by FilioScotia

[Earlydays]

...........I'm old enough to remember when it was an adventure to take your date downtown for dinner and a movie. And you dressed up for it because you wanted to look your best, not like a slob, or worse, a "beatnik".........

 

I remember this well.......

 

[txn4art]

Back before big enclosed malls were invented and became the "modern" way to shop, just about every national and regional chain store of every kind could be found in the downtown areas of most cities of any size. Streets in the big cities all had pretty much the same array of stores. Houston Street in San Antonio looked just like Main Street in Houston and downtown streets in cities all over the country..

 

That all changed when somebody came up with the idea of clustering all of them together in the same enclosed climate-controlled space -- a mall -- outside the downtown areas. That's when going downtown to shop became a thing of the past, and downtown stores started folding. It was also the death knell for the old and breath-takingly beautiful 1920s movie palaces. Cookie-cutter multi-plex cinemas all over town and in the suburbs nailed the coffin shut on those places.

 

I'm old enough to remember when it was an adventure to take your date downtown for dinner and a movie. And you dressed up for it because you wanted to look your best, not like a slob, or worse, a  "beatnik".  Remember them? Today's generation doesn't even know who or what they were. They also can't understand why anybody would dress up to go to a movie.

I'm a native Houstonian "of a certain age" who has watched our city evolve. Thanks for bringing up some good memories.