Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
New York, 1944. "Pawnbroker and prospective customer." I imagine the idea here was to convey the wholesome, cheery atmosphere of the typical pawn shop. Our second photo by Tony Linck. 4x5 Agfa acetate negative. View full size.
In my younger days I'd never pass a pawn shop without going in and asking, as in the old Norman Blake/Tony Rice song, "You got any good guitars in here?" Once in a while, they did!
What's with all the glove talk? She's wearing gloves. I am curious what's in the bag attached to her belt.
[The only bag is the one she's carrying in her left hand. -tterrace]
oops that her coat
In the 1950 and '60s, women out-and-about never left home without gloves. I remember my mom either wearing or carrying hers.
With all the germ-worries of late, gloves just might make a comeback!
My Dad knew a pawnbroker who catered to the cardplayers in Gardena, California. My wife-to-be picked out a setting from a catalog and we purchased a pawned diamond at bottom-dollar wholesale. It's been a great conversation piece ever since!
no ladies would have gone out without gloves.
It almost looks like someone deliberately hung that vest/bag/whatever to hide some sort of vital information that may have been behind it.
You know, just in case the Nazis wanted to pawn some of those paintings they looted from Paris or something.
In any case, it seems like a very odd thing and almost definitely deliberate for that era of photography.
[IT'S AN AWNING. - Dave]
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5