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July 1941. "The main street in Brattleboro, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Downtown Brattleboro Historic District
Pick up on blusun's Google View and learn the history of this bustling downtown as you go up the street to Amedeo de Angelis.
As a five year old boy living in West Townshend, Vermont I would go with my parents for a weekly trip to Brattleboro to buy groceries and other do other shopping.
We went to the movies at the Latchis Theatre on a few occasions. It was very ornate inside ("Greco Deco" according to them) and is still in business today:
Fifth car on left is a 1940 Pontiac station wagon with fender-well spare tire. On the far right is a 1934 REO pickup truck and to its rear is a 1934 Auburn. The 1933 model BBV8 Ford in the middle probably started out as a dump truck, now a flatbed with something overhanging the driver's side.
Two 90-degree nose-ins; the top one appears to be blocking the truck.
Hotel Latchis celebrates being a fireproof hotel -- what a different time.
Am really jealous of the deep shine on a few of the cars on the left. It seems I have often owned a car like the one across the street that has been used for target practice by the local birds.
The car with the squarish headlights is a 1939 Plymouth, while the one behind it with the teardrop headlights is a 1938 Hudson. The Hudson "V" emblem appearing on the front fender morphed on later models into a red triangle.
[The red triangle is on the Hudson in our photo, at the top of the grille. - Dave]
I know there will be a lot of ID comments but help me out on the number two and three on the left, the first with left side fenders showing. Front one I have seen before with those squared headlights, and the one behind with the headlights that look like a pear cut diamond having a "V" (for V-8 let's say) on the left front fender. First time I've noticed a badge on the front fender.
Brattleboro was my go-to party town after they raised the drinking age in RI to 19, a month before my 18th birthday. Crash pad, the Molly Stark Motel!
1938 Ford Standard Fordor dead center. Someone bought the cheapest Ford possible and put whitewall tires on her. Is the ragtop five cars up a Lincoln Continental?
The theater is still operating under the same name.
What a vibrant town! The same street today is pleasant, but can't match the street in 1941.
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