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Washington, D.C., circa 1940. "Potomac Electric Power Co. -- Air Conditioning and Lighting -- Chas. Schwartz & Son, jewelers." 8x10 acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.
With all those downlights they could have a side hustle selling rotisserie chicken.
The manager must subscribe to Electronics Illustrated. By using the two radios on the back counter, he has achieved "simple stereo", as described on page 86 of the July edition of Electronics Ilustrated. Keeping the customers happy and entertained is a sure sign of a savvy business man.
The table with the white cloth is beautifully set. I imagine many a customer wished for such a service. I see a lot of crystal and probably silverplate in the cases. In 80 years jewelry stores won't carry much, if any such things. Young people will not be interested in formal table settings. The idea of polishing silver will be foreign to them. And the customers who spent the money to have these luxuries and cared for them will probably be left with no progeny wanting them.
Because of peculiarities in my family tree, I inherited my grandmother's crystal service. It was both stemware and serving pieces. As a project I filled in missing pieces and expanded the service, intending for my favorite cousin's two daughters to each one day have a complete service for 12. A few years ago, I offered it to them. For them this was their great great-grandmother's crystal service. I thought they'd be pleased and grateful. No. One daughter very politely set the piece she was holding back in the china cabinet and said, "Let's just leave it here for now." I eventually gave it to a coworker who regularly invites 20 or more people to dinner. Now it can be their family heirloom.
For those like Dave and myself who were at first aghast at the "Glorious" political incorrectness of selling a "Chick Razor" back in those days, well, the porcelain doll
hides the rest of the tale!
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