Birmingham, Alabama - 1960's
Here's a very retro looking sixties postcard photo of a court fountain and Bell shoe store inside Eastwood Mall. This one really has that vintage mall stink all over it, which I love! The original scan came from the great Eastwood Mall fansite, that unfortunately appears to be gone of late.
As the original image was smaller and darker, I did some editing for use here (enlarged, brightened, cleaned, adjusted colors and contrast, etc.) to bring out more detail. I'm trying to find an original copy of this postcard for my own collection and will re-post a much higher quality version when/if I ever find one. Meantime, here's a little Eastwood Mall history via Wikipedia:
"Eastwood Mall, located in metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama, was the second enclosed shopping mall in the Southeast; this following the opening of North Carolina's Charlottetown Mall, which debuted on October 28, 1959.Mall history: 1960 - 2004
Eastwood Mall opened on August 25, 1960. The original tenant list included J.J. Newberry and S.S. Kresge (two defunct five and dime chains), as well as J.C. Penney, a Kroger supermarket, and Colonial Stores supermarket, (which became a Hill's Food Store, and eventually evolved into Winn-Dixie). The mall had no major department stores until the mid-to-late 1960s. Anchors that have been connected to the center over time include Parisian, Pizitz, Yielding's, Service Merchandise and Party City.
Eastwood Mall was the creation of Newman H. Waters, who owned a chain of drive-in theaters in the Birmingham area, including one adjacent to where Eastwood was built. Early advertisements for the mall boasted of its 'Air Conditioned Sidewalks' and dubbed it 'The Merchandise City of the Future'."
Current website: n/a
Developer: Newman H. Waters
Info from Wikipedia
Current aerial view
Resource links: 1, 2
Previous entries: 1
That's a lovely fountain. The faux antique statues are quite unusual for a mall setting. The lights are great as well.
ReplyDeleteGroovey is the word. Thanks for taking the time with the picture so we can all appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteKev
I supplied that postcard to the (temporarily on hiatus) Eastwood Mall tribute site run by Russell Wells. I got it on Ebay and several Eastwood Mall postcards show up there occasionally. That fountain was in front of the J.C. Penneys location and if you look closely there is a plaque in the foreground on the side of the fountain. It had the Malls' opening date on it and was there for many years until the 1989/90 renovations apparently demolished this fountain (Penneys had fled to neighboring Century Plaza by then). I have no idea if that plaque survives, but what I wouldn't give to have it. Or to spend one more day at the now demolished Eastwood Mall as it was when this photo was taken--mid-60s. It was a very special place.
ReplyDeletetfrielin@uga.edu
Just discovered your blog -- I'm amazed at all the retail history sites that have popped up of late.
ReplyDeleteFYI - the Eastwood Mall Remembered site is very much active. What you have linked is my original location, before I shamelessly "sold out" and got myself a vanity URL. ;-)
www.birminghamrewound.com/EastwoodMall
There ya go.
Russell Wells
BIRMINGHAM REWOUND
Indeed looks awesome, I think fountains are always a good looks for any thing.
ReplyDelete