As this decade draws to a close, we look back a few decades -- and once again, we have The American Legion Post 118 to thank for these great color pics of Woodhaven. We've previously shared some spectacular pictures from the 1960s which you can find here and here. The color pictures below came a decade later, the 1970s -- and these particular pictures come from 1975 to be precise. It appears that these pictures, like the ones in the previous updates, came from a Memorial Day Parade.
This first picture comes as they walk down a Woodhaven Street, not sure which one. Check out the two classic Volkswagen Bugs in the background -- when was the last time you saw two of them at the same time?
Here's the parade on Jamaica Avenue, the infamous Circus Bar visible in the background.
At the right of this picture, you see a sign for Apex Television Company -- here is an advertisement for Apex taken from a PS 60 Yearbook in 1975. Liberty Paint has since become Benjamin Moore, but the paint cans on the building appear to be the same today as they were back in the 70s. Moving along Jamaica Avenue, here we see the parade at the intersection of 92nd Street and Jamaica Avenue. There's I&C Cosmetics in the background. Here's a scan of I&C's business card, from a Franklin K. Lane yearbook. You've got to love that motto: "We reserve the right to limit quantity." I can understand why you would maybe put up a sign stating that -- but on your business card? It was a great shop, though -- fondly remembered, and it's good to see it again. Here the same area, but the picture is taken from the other side of the street. Way in the background, you can see the sign for Plesser & Sons - Clothiers and Haberdashers. Here's the same sign, in 1941. And to the right of Plesser's, in 1970 we see Woolworth's -- but in 1941 this spot was occupied by S.S. Kresge which, many years later, transformed itself into K-Mart. That's right -- Woodhaven used to be home to it's very own K-Mart! There's so much more in the picture above that brings back memories -- the Fruit Exchange, Associated, the Carpet store -- great stuff. And you can see the sign for Geller's, which also stretched back to the 1940s. Next door is Merkel's Butchers which in the 70's was Karl Ehmer -- both stores eventually became Tony's Meat market. Here's another picture, a little further along Jamaica Avenue. I'm sure Woodhaven Records and Tapes will bring back some memories -- if you look closely at the sign it also advertises itself as a "Head Shop" -- you know you're back in the 70s! And, of course, Brown's Jewelers was a long time resident of Jamaica Avenue -- and the Woodhaven Bakery. It's real nice seeing all these familiar "faces" again, isn't it? Here's the Woodhaven Bakery, the Record Shop, and Brown's Jewelers in 1941 when they were Woodhaven Bakery, Wilkens Ice Cream, and Pfeifer's Jewelers (operated by Fred J. Pfeifer with Emma's Beauty Shoppe upstairs). Well, this turned out to be a nice trip down memory lane -- back to the 70s and the 40s. We'll wrap it up with one of our earliest videos -- if you haven't seen it, it's a nice "Then and Now" look at Jamaica Avenue, from Woodhaven Boulevard to 91st Street. Watch it, and you'll find out where Woolworth's was in 1941 :-)
It's interesting seeing how many of the things in 1941 were still around 34 years later in 1975. And, unfortunately, how few of the things around in 1975 are still around 35 years later as we enter 2010. If you have any comments, or would like to suggest other projects, drop us a line at info@projectwoodhaven.com or projectwoodhaven@aol.com
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