Lloyd Center
Portland, Oregon - circa early 1960's
Here we are in the exquisite East Mall wing of Lloyd Center, with that great winding stairway (to heaven?) visible in the background. You can also see it from the opposite angle in previous entry #2 below.And I noticed that in this photo we once again have our intrepid little shopper from the last Lloyd Center entry. Obviously this shot was taken during the same session--same kid wearing the same clothes. Or wait... unless he's a gggghost! Maybe he wasn't even there when the photos were snapped! Hmm, the more I study it, the creepier it looks. You never know. ;)
Mall history: 1960 - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3
posted by Keith @ 5/21/2006
12 Comments:
Keith, this is a great website! How do you come across all of these gems from 'the good old days' of shopping (before one could choose between Macy's, Macy's , or Macy's for their shopping needs!)? Keep up the good work! Did I mention Macy's?
Perhaps this kid in the picture is out there somewhere. Perhaps one day he'll stumble upon this site. I bet he can tell many tales about this place.
I bet he was in a time-out.
Scott
Love the post! I remember going to Lloyd Center for the grand opening. I spent many an afternoon on the Ice Rink during my career as a "Bluebird" and "Camp Fire Girl". I probably knew that kid in the orange shirt!
This is a graeat shot. the detailing actually wouldn't look out of place on a new mall, but the Lerner Shops sign brings it back to the '60s.
Agreed, Steven. Good point.
Anonymous: Thanks! So glad you're enjoying the blog! :) Oh, and.... Macy's.
Didi: Wouldn't that be great?! Ya never know...
Scott: LOL! Actually, that's what it looks like.
kyramac: Thanks, and please feel free to share some Lloyd Center stories with us! :)
Cora: The last two Lloyd shots are postcards. And I agree, it's all about that cool open-air roof and those surrounding light fixtures!
Indeed, it does not appear the kid in the photo is casting a shadow. Which only means one thing! ;-)
The law states you can take a picture of whomever or whatever you want, as long as you aren't selling the photo for commerical use. Of course, that doesn't stop rent-a-cops and mall security from claiming otherwise (as happened to me at Stonestown Galleria, even though I was there at the invite of the mall Marketing team).
In the case of this postcard, I think Cora is right. The boy must have a connection to the photographer. I wonder if he or she ever thought someone would questions that!
Scott
Oh, the old open-air Lloyd Center! Not the claustrophobic horror it is now, with noise bouncing all around, and down off the closed roof, vastly magnified. In earlier times, I remember rain falling through the open areas, splashing gleefully through the puddles, chocolate cigarrettes from Van Duyns candy store (with white paper wrapping the chocolate, so it looked like a real cigarette, and a gold paper ring on each one, in a real looking cardboard cigarette package --very fancy), burning my tongue on hot cocoa while sitting at the little round tables rinkside to the iceskating, and early memories of my mother (hugely pregnant with my twin brothers in '61 or so) working the telephone switchboard as an operator for Nordstrom's Best Apparel (literally plugging calls in where they were going). Mannings Cafeteria (oh, that cherry jello!), the Aladdin Restaurant lofty above the mezzanine --and dining with grandma in the garish red 1880's style decor of Mr. C's Hippopotamus. Lots of wonderful memories.
On the more macabre side, one of the Oregon deaths during the 1962 October Day Storm occurred in the LLoyd Center Parking structure (wind speeds thought to have attained 170 mph --I remember a roaring all around and above our house in Vancouver, WA --like a screaming, thundering locomotive--and the darkness with all the power out); serial killer Jerry Brudos abducted one of his victims from Lloyd Center in 1969.
By the way, the City of Portland site says Lloyd Center opened Sept 1, 1960 as America's First Shopping Mall (so, I don't think there can be a Lloyd Center picture from the '50s). Great site, though!
Wow, thanks for sharing those fun memories, Rainblessed! I'm so glad you took the time. :)
I was just there last week, and this kid kept asking me to buy him candy cigarettes.... oooooooo!
Excellent thanks for sharing.
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