Category: retail store

Storefront Railroad Ticket Office

Image: source and photographer not identified; may be a Union Pacific publicity photo.

In addition to ticket counters at railroad depots some had walk-in offices in major cities where customers could make travel plans and purchase tickets. In 1939 this one in Long Beach, California was typical.

Image and excerpt below from Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels, by Martin Turnbull on facebook.com.

“I do love coming across a striking night photo, and this one is a prime example. This one is of a Union Pacific railroad ticket office sandwiched between a Florsheim shoe store and a drug store. It was at 144 Pine Ave in Long Beach, which Union Pacific moved into on October 1, 1939, so I’m assuming this photo was taken some time after that. They took the trouble to include ‘The Progressive’ in their signage – I wonder if that was part of their company motto? And I especially love the silhouetted lettering above the window: ‘Road of The Streamliners and The Challengers.’ “

Shoe store toy

19mar24ringTossImages: from an ebay auction listing

Presumably an individually-owned shoe store, it looks like Triangle sold or gave away at least this one promotional item. Just in case you don’t know how it worked, one would hold it where the Walt Disney’s “PINOCCHIO” lettering is. The trick would be to jerk it upward then jab Pinocchio’s nose into the airborne ring. It seems simple but it took a little bit of skill — it was a good item to occupy a child for awhile perhaps while waiting for a sibling to get their shoes.

Today that address houses Ferguson’s Gallery and Royal Bartending School. It appears to be in the same building that was there in 1939 albeit modernized a little.