Thursday, January 22, 2015

RLuxury

When I hear the name Ralph Lauren my mind instantly processes all things synonymous with the coolest of all that money can buy, but done with a vision and style that even the most money in the world couldn't afford. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the man is an icon for elegant living with the most distinctive eye for beauty and luxury. Through his vision and lifestyle he has inspired people around the world (myself included) that want to buy in to the lifestyle he is selling. Ralph's car collection is stunning, the cars he owns are so unique and exquisite but still appeal to have the threat of high speed thrill.

Monday, January 19, 2015

You're hometown...

It's always great going through old photos.  Lots of times we come across a photo and it leads us to think about the location where it was taken; whether its remembering that specific day, what it looks like now, how its stayed the same, and sometimes how much times have changed.  The other week I stumbled on a page dedicated to past & present images of the area where I grew up in New Jersey.  What got me most about this wasn't just the great images, but seeing individuals young and old interacting in the comments discussing what I've described above. Below are some of my favorites, most include the comments/info I found interesting.



Building the high speedline over Cuthbert.

 
30 Haddon Avenue North at the corner of Mechanic Street. Strong's Gulf.

 
605 Haddon Avenue North Sav-On Gas, later became a Citco.  My stepfather owned this one until shortly before it was torn down and they built a sandwich shop there.

 
Haddonfield Garage was located at 117 East Main Street (now Kings Highway) when this photo was taken in or about 1914.

 
Haddonfield-Berlin Road's Schweiger's Glendale General Store & Service Station. The store was destroyed by fire soon after this picture was taken.

 
The Regensburg Brothers Delicatessen was where the driveway to the PATCO parking lot is now located.


Central School can be seen in the background of this photo of a northbound train at Haddonfield Station taken on May 3, 1957. Some of the bricks those people are standing on make up my parents patio.  I remember my Dad dragging us down there to load them up in the back of our station wagon before they tore it down.

 
Many horse racing fans would travel by train to the Garden State racetrack. This train is near the site of the present-day New Jersey Transit Cherry Hill Station.


515 Haddon Avenue North. This suffered a fire, but a Sunoco is still there.


Euclid Avenue. One block towards Camden from the original Haddonfield Station at Kings Highway. This was a short time interim station from the time that the old was closed until the former southbound waiting room could be moved to Utica Ave, Westmont to form the new station all while PATCO was being constructed.


Grove Street at Haddonfield Boro line with Cherry Hill. Back then it was Delaware Township.


1930-31. Haddon Athletic Club


Great place...My sister Michele and I would walk down to Haddon Ave and catch the #4 bus to Westmont for a Saturday afternoon matinee...We would walk back to Haddonfield and use our bus money to buy donuts at McMillian's bakery.

 
37 Ellis Street was the mailing address of Fred's Texaco which was actually across Haddon Avenue from the post office.


I am trying to figure out why kids would have protest signs against the speedline, and why one of them would have "yes/no" in Spanish.

The speedline cut neighborhoods in half. Imagine your best pal 2 doors down now lives on the other side of town. This is priceless if authentic.

I am the 1st Kid on the left Nick Cocco, 2nd Skeeter Walker, 3rd Georgie Walker, 4th Charlie Dickerses and his brother Russ. We were prortesting the Speed line. We were on Crystal lake Ave in Westmont. We lived in that neighborhood, and no, signs are not photoshopped.


Medford Brach curves off to the left as a northbound train waits to approach Haddonfield Station.

 
I believe his sons played baseball for HMHS. One played pro ball for a while.



Signs of the times: Only one business sign remains today on Admiral Wilson Blvd from this photo taken in August 1965, about 10 weeks before President Lyndon Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act.


The ammonia smell in that building. I will never forget. I worked there in the early 1960's and again when I got out of the Navy in 1970. They grew beautiful roses along the fence on Euclid Avenue.


Photo taken from the west side of the Haddonfield PRSL station, looking across the tracks toward the back of Central School (named in honor of Horatio S. Central.)


Rail Watchman E. B. Fussell at the Redman Avenue Crossing, 1960.














That's my Grandad Griffeth's black car, parked along side the Hobby House. They lived above our store.


I'm sure most of these images belong to each town's respective historical societies and you could probably find more through them.