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Canal Street: 1910

Canal Street in New Orleans circa 1910. Large building is the Maison Blanche department store. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Canal Street in New Orleans circa 1910. Large building is the Maison Blanche department store. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Williams Pharmacy

My 2nd great-grandfather, John Morin, was a druggist at Williams Pharmacy from about 1900-1913 when he died of a heart attack in the pharmacy.

K & B Drugsstore

I remember this oh so familiar drug store. And the undeniably K & B purple. Only those from this great city know the shade of K & B purple.

Then and now

The clock on a post here is in front of Adler's Jewelry Store. At the time of this picture, the location at 722 Canal Street must have been only recently opened. The original location (1898) was in the first block of Royal Street, but after a fire in about 1904, the business spent a few years at 810 Canal Street before moving to its present location where it still operates today. I think of everything you can see in this picture, Adler's is the only business this old New Orleans scene that you can still visit today and is still operated by the Adler family. In fact, the Adler family owns both the original K&B location, mentioned above in another comment (today a FootLocker,) and the Williams Pharmacy building (soon to be a pharmacy again with a historic renovation that will be done by Walgreens.) The clock was moved from the pole to the awning of the store in the 1920's and both are still there today. The awning also has remarkable historic detail with a fleur de lis motif that is hard to see in the picture here, but is definitely there.
Amazing Picture!!!

Luzianne Coffee

"Luzianne" a dialectical play on Louisianian?

[Since 1902. - tterrace]

Williams' Pharmacy

The four-story building was owned and run by Captain Williams who was a Civil War veteran. My great uncle, Adolph Kaczoroski was his manager for 30 years from 1895 to 1924. The building's soda fountain was especially popular.

A Fez-tive time

The "GLAD=U=KUM" banner is for the Shriners' 36th Imperial Council Session in New Orleans April 12, 1910. Here is a souvenir of the occasion.

Adler's Time

Adler's is a multi-generational family business selling jewelry and gifts. The store and its beautiful sidewalk clock are still there today.

Forget the umbrella

I wanna know what the closed cart (not a wagon, they have four wheels) parked in the middle of the street is.

[One way or another, something to do with horses. Watering then (note the dipper) or cleaning up after. - Dave]

The smells

Have been trying to conjure up the smell of this place. Horses, rickety gasoline engines, wafts of ozone, what else is there? Must have been pretty unique, especially in those New Orleans summers.

24 hour drug store at the right. Everything old is new again. And mailbox technology has not changed at all.

Santa & Mr. Bingle

In the early 1950s our parents would take us to Maison Blanche for photos with Santa and his buddy Mr. Bingle. MB had a really good Santa and almost 60 years later I can still remember the visits.

This is Beautiful, Indeed

Yup, sixteen streetcars, which, while being pedantic but wishing to throw out a bit of cocktail party trivia, I would offer do not have bells, but have gongs.

Suspect the umbrella was to shade a streetcar dispatcher or perhaps a traffic cop. It looks like high noon, so it's probably not too effective just now. Or the shadee is in to lunch!

"A Confederacy of Dunces"

In the opening scene of John Kennedy Toole's novel, Ignatius J. Reilly stands (many years later) in front of the D.H. Holmes across the way.

Who needs to drive?

I see no fewer than 16 streetcars in this photo! Talk about mass transit!

Katz & Bestoff

I also love the shot of Katz and Bestoff. This would have been their flagship store, established in 1905, although this year, 1910, a second store opened across the street at 837 Canal. K&B grew to 177 stores across the deep south, before being sold in 1997 to Rite Aid. Anyone in New Orleans still refers to K&B purple, as this started in 1908, when the owners bought a bulk lot of unwanted purple paper, and used it for wrapping, etc. Part of the K&B jingle, "Look at almost any corner, and, what do you see? A big, purple sign that says, friendly K&B!"

Fascinating

There is so much going on in this picture, you could lose hours poring over it. Strange to think that all these people going about their daily business are no longer with us.

Through my Grandfather's Eyes

What a wonderful photo - taken the same time my grandfather lived in New Orleans. I couldn't help wondering if he was among the busy pedestrians.

Regarding WINTER CAPITAL sign - the South has always been a popular destination for the well-to-do Northern crowds in the winter - we call them Snow-Birds. I'm sure that New Orleans with its excellent railway and boat connections was one of the most popular destinations.

This is beautiful!

Try putting *this* in a movie today, even with CGI. I can about hear the chatter of voices, the hoofbeats, the bells on the streetcars -- I count at least a dozen streetcars just in this short stretch of street!

Little girl, in the dark dress at the far left, where's your mother? You shouldn't be out here all by yourself. (Thinking about it, that little girl was just about born with the century.)

Why is there an umbrella on a stand in the middle of the street?

Smart Clothes!

Ooooh I need some because I've been feeling like a dummy lately. :P

I am so happy to see so many ladies! Normally all the ladies are MIA in Shorpy photos (already drinking afternoon tea or working?) Oh all the outfits and dresses!! *drool* Everything from fancier day/walking outfits to typical white blouse & black skirt combo for the new working generation.

And did anyone else notice the huge umbrella on a pedestal in the middle of the street? There for a rainy day?

K&B

I just wanted to comment that the drug store on the bottom left - Katz and Besthoff - became a big local chain called K&B that was like a Walgreens or CVS. It went out of business so time in the early nineties I think. There corporate office had a substantial art collection that I believe is now part of the Odgen Museum of Southern Art and the sculpture garden in City Park. I could have some of these details confused. Anybody know what the Winter Capital of America Banner draped across the street refers to?

[New Orleans! - Dave]

Didn't Little Orphan Annie

quote "Leapin' Lazards" ?

Glide path

Wonder why the Glide car is the only conveyance visible not powered by horse or electricity? Surely Noo Orleenz had lots of cars by 1910. Also, anybody hoping to end it all by jumping off the roof of that fantastically ornate building on the right might spend some anxious moments volleying up and down on the jungle of wiring covering much of the street. Maybe grab onto a handy gargoyle after six or seven bounces, with second thoughts about departing the Big Easy so soon.

So, that's where I went wrong.

Just thinking how different my life would be if I had some of those smart clothes.

Glad-U-Kum

Now this is one happening street! Love the signs over the street. Can anyone ID the car heading our way? Almost looks like it's a "Glide" or "Slide" (whatever that is).

Canal and Carondelet

This photo was taken near the intersection of Canal and Carondelet. All the buildings on the far side of the street are still there, although the left side is considerably different. Fascinating stuff.

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