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January 27, 1947. "Kartch's, Main Street, Paterson, New Jersey. Interior from entrance." An early glimpse of postwar retailing in all its amoeboid, trapezoidal glory. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size.
Mom always loved stores like this that actually had room for shoppers to move around. Today's stores are so jammed packed, you are either bumping into another shopper, or a shelf, or tripping over stuff that fell on the floor from the last shopper passing through.
Before the store closed for the night someone didn't do a good job straightening the shelves on the left. Just beyond are some very well straightened shelves. I've had many retail jobs between my various careers and have never forgotten how to do a proper job straightening shelves. "Don't just stand there waiting for customers, straighten those shelves!"
Don't forget the skewered atoms hanging on the left.
I remember Pomeroy's in Willingboro looking pretty much like this into the early 70's
So okay, "trapezoidal" may legitimately describe certain design elements here, but nothing I see even remotely resembles that microscopic mass of protoplasm I remember from zoology class.
[Stuff like this. -tterrace]
Okay, if you're referring to that monstrosity hanging on the far wall, which is the only thing resembling any of those Google pics you buried me under. As for your choice of words, you just don't hear "amoeboid" much anymore, which is what really got my attention and which, I suspect, is the very reason you used it! Thanks for the buggy ride!
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