Thursday, April 28, 2011

Memory Lane: Wilson & Broadway

This is a screen grab from a WTTW program called "Remembering Chicago Again," featuring clips, photos and remembrances of 1940s-era Chicago.  This is what Wilson & Broadway looked like 60 or so years ago (facing north).  The sign that currently reads "Wigs & Hair" (and previously read "Two Bros." for many years) used to read "Hillmans."  We're kind of loving the illuminated billboard that sits on top of the building that's currently home to Iyanze, and we have to wonder how many accidents happened involving the concrete pedestal in the middle of the street surrounding the traffic light.  We also find it pretty amusing that we have brand new street lights there that look exactly like the ones in this photo, which were probably replaced for being too old-fashioned.

If you get a chance to watch "Remembering Chicago" (a series of three programs, each covering a different era), we think you'll enjoy them.

4 comments:

  1. Great Picture! I knew I was not crazy!! There was a Hillmans grocery store on Broadway when I was a kid!!!

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  2. Very cool - this is pretty much exactly the view from the windows at Inspiration Corporation.

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  3. This is a great pic, but it's not from 70 years ago. Judging from the '56 Chevy to the east of the bus and the '55 Packard to the west of the bus, it's at least 1956 or 1957.

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  4. I worked at that Hillmans ! Bag boy and stocker...1958-1959, when I was in high school. I lived just a few blocks away.

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