Merry Christmas!

Northland Center, Southfield, Michigan - Christmas '50s or '60s

I'm taking a short Christmas break now, and will return after the new year--though I'll try to sneak in here (maybe a little bit anyway) later into next week. We'll see.

Thanks for your visits this year, and all the wonderful comments and e-mails, guys! It's been a blast to blog for ya in 2005, and 2006 will be even better! See my Santa and Me! blog for a more proper Christmas farewell, and I'll see you all again real soon! :)

Happy Holidays!
Keith

Macon Mall

Macon, Georgia - '70s or '80s

I'm not really sure exactly yet which mall this JCPenney shot is from, but I know it was taken at a Macon, Georgia shopping mall at any rate. And that it's swanky-cool looking!

UPDATE: I've adjusted the date here (it's not from the '60s as I first posted), and I now know it's the Macon Mall. Thanks for the help, guys!

Santa arrives in Iowa City!

Iowa City, Iowa - 1969

Vintage newspaper ad for The Mall Shopping Center. And hey, look at that cool movie double-feature they had listed at the bottom! Awesome.

Old Orchard Shopping Center

Skokie, Illinois - 1950's

Beautiful outdoor courtyard and fountain at Old Orchard. Their current (Westfield-owned) website is right here.

Oxford Valley Mall

Langhorne, Pennsylvania - '70s or early '80s

Oxford Valley's current Simon-owned website is right here.

Vintage Sears newspaper ad

Reno, Nevada - 1949

Vintage Christmas button

This is an old button handout from either a department store or a mall or shopping center. Not sure which. Don't know the age either, but I know it's old.

Winter Park Mall

Winter Park, Florida - Vintage

Looking at that incredible chalice-like fountain (which runneth over) in this stunning shot, I still can't imagine how you'd walk aorund it without getting wet! No barriers, ropes, or anything around it at all. On really hot and sticky summer days in Florida, I don't know how they kept people from cooling off in it (assuming they did stop them). See this earlier entry for a closer view of it.

Willowbrook Mall

Wayne, New Jersey - 1973

Willowbrook looked nice in those days! Not sure what it's like today (generic and banal like all the rest?). I really dig that cool lighting fixture over by the phones, too. That's a beauty. The mall is still around and their current website is right here.

Santa at the Montclaire Shopping Center!

Montclaire, Illinois - 1963

Zayre department store ad

1959

Midtown Plaza

Rochester, New York - 1960's

Here's another great shot of the famous Victor Gruen-designed "Clock of Nations", in the Midtown Plaza mall. I just love this thing!

If you'd like to read the fascinating story behind the unique mall clock, head over to Midtown Plaza's own website and check out this page, which is all about this wonderful and magical work of art!

Cherry Hill Shopping Center

Cherry Hill, New Jersey - 1960's

Lots of great detail to see in this one! Look way out there... you can just make out the Woolworth's Cherry Hill Grill, too (and a nice photo of that is coming soon). Man, this was one great mall back in the good old days, wasn't it?! What a legacy.

Santa at the Frederick Shopping Center

Frederick, Maryland - 1962

Old Orchard Shopping Center

Skokie, Illinois - 1950's

What colors! And what a glorious day it must have been to be out shopping at the mall! You'll find Old Orchard's (Westfield) website right here.

Inland Center Mall

San Bernardino, California - 1970's (or thereabouts)

Here's the mall's current website, and click the photo below to zoom in a bit for more interior detail!

The Mall

Pontiac, Michigan - 1967

Fantastic photo of a fountain inside The Mall (I believe this is just off the main entrance). Get a load of those incredibly funky trees, and that cool sun sculpture hanging over the scene! Nice. You can also see a "Hudson's Budget Store" anchoring the far end of the mall.

Midway Mall newspaper ad

Elyria, Ohio - 1969

South Shore Center

Alameda, California - 1950s

Midtown Plaza Mall

Rochester, New York - 1960's

From postcard: "'Clock of the Nations' enlivens the center of the magnificent mall at Midtown Plaza, Rochester, New York. It marks the time with a colorful pageant, as twelve nations are depicted with dancing puppets as folk tunes of the country fill the air. The romance and enjoyment of the traditional European village squares have been recaptured at Midtown Plaza."

And here's a photo I posted before, but thought I'd include in this entry so you can see a wider view of the clock and where it sat in Midtown's "America's Town Square" section...


1960's