A 8x10" vintage photo from a collection of vintage Allentown, PA photos that we acquired at sale. These appear to be 1970s silver gelatin prints of Allentown scenes, likely collected as part of a historical / research project.
The photos in this collection appear to be largely type 2 or type 4. This photo was developed on Kodak photo paper ("This Paper Manufactured by Kodak").
Photo Overview
A vintage 8x10 black and white photograph showing the interior of an early 20th century general store and cigar shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Three men in white shirts, bow ties, and suspenders pose for the camera - an older mustached proprietor in a floral-print apron and a younger clerk stand behind the long glass display counter on the left, while a third young man leans against the cigar case on the right. The wooden plank floor runs down the center aisle toward a large safe and a rear stockroom.
The shop is packed with period details that collectors of advertising and Americana will appreciate. A hanging Shinola shoe polish sign advertising its use for men's, women's, and children's shoes hangs from the gas-and-electric light fixture, while Day and Night Tobacco, Magic Yeast, Hershey's Cocoa, and a 5 cent cigar sign appear throughout the store. Shelves are stacked to the ceiling with tins, bottles, and boxed goods, and the glass cases are filled with cigar boxes, tobacco, and notions. An ornate cast iron radiator stands beside the counter. Based on the Shinola signage (introduced in 1907) and the clothing styles, the original image dates to circa 1907 to 1915. This print is a later copy made in the 1970s as part of a collection of historical Allentown images.
Historical Notes
Shops like this one were the commercial backbone of Allentown's neighborhoods in the years when the city was booming on silk mills, cement, and iron. In the decades that followed, small family-run grocery and cigar stores steadily gave way to chain groceries, supermarkets, and eventually suburban shopping malls, and by the 1970s, when this copy print was made, Allentown's downtown retail district along Hamilton Street was already in decline as shoppers moved to outlying malls. The Shinola brand advertised so prominently here went on to become a household name, immortalized by a well-known WWII-era slang expression; the original company ceased production around 1960, and the name was revived in 2011 by a Detroit-based maker of watches and leather goods. Images like this one, preserved by local historians, are among the few surviving records of the interiors of the city's early neighborhood businesses.
Text Present
Front (signs within the image): SHINOLA - For Men's, Women's and Children's Shoes
Front (signs within the image): DAY & NIGHT TOBACCO
Front (signs within the image): MAGIC YEAST
Front (signs within the image): Hershey's Cocoa
Front (signs within the image): SONS
Front (sign within the image, right): 5c CIGAR
Back (blue marker): 6
Print analysis
This is a later silver gelatin copy print on Kodak paper, made circa 1970s from an earlier photograph of a circa 1907-1915 store interior. The dark irregular border visible around the image indicates that an original mounted print was rephotographed, making this a Type 4 copy print. It came from a collection of Allentown historical photographs assembled for a research or local history project.
Condition
Photo is in excellent vintage condition. See photos for image details.
Related Items:
Allentown PA General Store Interior Shinola Cigars Clerks 1910s - 1970s Photo
$35.00
Merchants National Bank, Allentown, PA. Vintage 1930s Original Bank (Heavy Lead)
$85.00
VTG Allentown PA Mutual Auto Ins. Farm Bureau Metal License Plate Topper Sign
$23.50
