Here’s a nice bunch of postcards dating to the early days of the mall and shopping center phenomenon. Understandably, some of these establishments are no more while some remain. But even those still with is are hard to recognize in these images, making it all more fun.
In short, the images are quite a time trip and a nice look at what used to be. The lede image belongs to The Landing, in Kansas City, MO.
Sears Roebuck, Tampa, FL.
Norwalk Square, Norwalk, CA.
Eastland Center, Harper Woods, MI.
Stonestown Shopping Center, San Francisco, CA.
Chapin Shopping Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.
Shopping Center in Santa Maria, CA.
Lloyd Center, Portland, OR.
Jordan Marsh Dept. Store, Miami, FL.
Park City, Lancaster, PA.
What’s the dark green convertible behind the ’58 Chevy in Norwalk? Looks foreign.
It’s Jordan Marsh, not John Marsh, department store.
Late forties/early fifties Studebaker. They were noticeably narrower and shorter than most other US cars of the era.
There always seems to be at least 1 Studebaker that’s 10+ years old in these shots. The owners seem to have held on to them for longer than average owners.
1950 Studebaker. It sounds foreign but isn’t.
That “67 Chevy hrdtp” @ “J Marsh” sure brings back memories!
“John Marsh”?! Bostonians like myself are horrified! Rose Kennedy is turning over in her grave!
Jawdann Maaaaash.
(I feel compelled to note as an adopted New Englander. Adopted from the Mid Atlantic where we take the exact opposite tack and add the letter R to words where it was never intended. So says the guy who always thought that our Nation’s Capital was called Warshington. 🙂 )
Whoa… Sorry about that typo. It’s fixed now and John Marsh is no more.
While many shopping centers have gone away over the years, the Stonestown in San Francisco is still here and thriving. It helps that it’s next to San Francisco State University, so there’s a steady flow of young folks there. Meanwhile, its sister property downtown, Westfield Centre (the former Emporium store on Market Street), suffered and closed down.
The Landing shopping center in Kansas City is still operating too – though probably not thriving as much as when it opened in 1961. It’s now called the New Landing Mall.
Then-and-now pictures below:
Tarmac-sized parking lots like this one, are quite rare now. They usually try to replace that asphalt with tenants. Lots now filled with standalone stores, complementing the original mall. With islands and landscaping added to define parking areas, and improve safety and aesthetics.
As always, one can immediately tell, if a mall is thriving, or just surviving. Adding government or senior living space, other options.
Only it’s Stonestown Galleria now. Unlike typical US shopping centers it is on a light rail (formerly streetcar) line.
Starting about 1960, there was nothing more American than the huge, regional mall. Great, weatherproof gathering places with unlimited shopping, entertainment and food, options. Then, they inexplicably fell out of favor for reasons I never fully understood. Yes, changing demographics and poor location killed off many, but others in prime areas failed as well. Here in Maryland Landover Mall was the largest, most luxurious mall in the country when built in 1972. 1.5 million square feet of movies, fountains, geysers, food courts, games, restaurants and stores. Four large anchors. Thirty years later it was gone, now a parking lot for FedEx Field. Changing demographics and crime perceptions were blamed, but these could not be blamed for the demise of White Flint mall in Rockville, located in one of the most affluent areas of the country. Puzzling.
The idea of a destination shopping village with limited entry points became unattractive, especially as air conditioning was standardized everywhere. Modern malls are the old malls turned inside out. Every store has its own exterior facade with its own door and parking a few steps away. You drive directly to the store you want in your air conditioned car.
I think another factor was that Department Stores were conceived in an era when people shopped leisurely. Separate checkouts in every department, meandering aisles, etc… in recent decades people just want to get in and get out. Superstores like Walmart & Target deal with that much better. The crime perceptions (and actual crime) had a lot to do with malls losing their luster as well.
Some of these problems were self-inflicted by the stores and mall operators. After all, they should have seen long ago that department stores should be redesigned to make them easier to navigate. And as private property, malls can control security in ways that city streets can not, so it’s surprising that many malls let the crime issue get so out of hand. But then a lot of it can simply be chalked up to changing consumer tastes.
Add to that the re-migration to downtown areas, which died off with the advent of malls and shopping centers. People tend to do the browsing-type shopping in small businesses.
Spot on. And this is not limited to shopping malls, I really have no interest in spending more than the absolute minimum shopping for food at the local Hofer (=Aldi here in Austria) and that’s only 10 minutes away. I went to the nearest shopping mall recently because I needed to buy trousers and shirts. New, very clean and well organized but still. I can see it may represent an attraction for a family on a day out but that’s it, and there are so many distractions children (and adults) can occupy themselves with nowadays (not so in the 50s and 60s).
I now have the sizes I need to order same on the internet, so visiting again is highly unlikely (well not until the next US car show which takes place there).
As for the crime issue, to allow that which would have – rightfully – been dealt with harshly (VERY harshly even) back then is solely a political decision, and that’s all I am going to say about it.
… Like I’ve said, I will go to a shopping mall willingly (said car show, last year)…
… With the pic re-sized now.
I see a Peugeot 403 just edging into the shot in Santa Maria.
Stonestown is still hanging on, but my how it’s changed. There was once a Cadillac dealer there , called guess what ? Stonestown Cadillac.
I drive by Stonestown a few times a year heading through town on 19th. I think “hanging on” is a good description; “thriving” like another commenter stated seems like wishful thinking. At least compared to when I went to high school 50 years ago, not far from there.
The nonconformists stand out instantly. 49 Chrysler facing TR3 in one slot, huddling for protection from the finned normies. Metro in Portland, Peugeot in Santa Maria, Lark shielding Anglia in Myrtle Beach.
100E Anglia ! Well spotted. I’m amazed that they were ever sold in America.
They were so slow with that wheezy old side valve engine.
… Until drag racers found out they were very competitive in certain IHRA and NHRA classes (of course with the old side-valve 4 replaced with something suitable).
Great pics. The lede picture in Kansas City cracks me up. I know it’s all about the staging, but I’m left with the impression that the subject happy family is actually walking home…or is so blissed that they’ve entirely forgotten where they parked their lovely Chevy wagon and are now walking right past it.
They’re Buick people. They’re heading toward their car which is just out of the picture.
Not even mall employees parked that far away from the mall. When autos like this Chev wagon parked a mile from the shopping centre, they were usually shopping at the Ace Hardware across the street.
Here’s more about the Landing mall. (said article features the same picture that starts Rich’s post)
https://flatlandkc.org/curiouskc/the-curious-case-of-the-animals-at-the-landing-mall/
When malls were still an epicentre for consumers and commerce. The buildings were very attractive in some cases. Though appearing maintenance intensive, for property managers. Malls today, are conservative of energy use in their cooling. Shopping centres back then, had heavily chilled air on hot days. An oasis, if you loved cold, blown air.
As a small child, when malls were still very crowded, and parking lots full, I found the heavy crowds intimidating. And too much at times. That’s why I appreciated, when my parents took advantage of expanded hours, and Thursday and Friday evening shopping. Rather, than everyone forced into Saturday shopping, and large purchase pickups.
My mom didn’t drive, so we took advantage of taxi stands very close to mall entrances. Or public transit that still had stops and islands positioned right next to anchor stores. Closer even than the parking lots, for convenience.
The outer and isolated areas of large parking lots, were used as snow dumps. So, you never drove there. To avoid nails, broken glass, or plenty of grit buildup.
truly amazing, as usual.
I’m amazed to see the big sign structure at the Norwalk Sqaure shopping center in California is still standing. A win for historic sign preservation!
Great to see! In areas when rock salt is used, it would be an expensive on-going maintenance challenge. It definitely contributes to the shopping centre’s branding.
Some owners/property managers are more progressive than others.
I personally love, when memorable icons like this are saved.
The Eastland Center Mall in Michigan was part of 4 Malls. Northland, Eastland, Westland and Southland. Westland is almost finished. Southland is still in business but the other 2 are gone. I can remember when shopping malls became the place to shop. It caused the closing of a lot of small retailers in small city’s to close. And once they where all included that made Christmas shopping easier. Because we had lots of snow back in the 50/60s
I know I’m in the tiny minority, but wouldn’t it be nice to go to a car show where all you see are these kinds of “average”, original, “typical” authentic cars of the period–not the over-restored, modded stuff? And the loudspeakers aren’t playing “Shake, Rattle ‘n Roll” which everyone has heard a million, billion times already? Music that most adults who owned those cars would have hated?
Maybe a minority, but I’m there too.
Surely more fuzzy dice have been sold in the 21st century than ever existed in the 20th century.
Totally agree, Stephen, totally agree.
Just this morning I was ‘talking’ online with some model-car-type friends, and we were bemoaning this very thing happening in scale too, where you find so many ‘Christine’ Plymouths or ‘Dukes’ Chargers being built. I would much rather see evidence of original thought and, yes, nonconformity rather then yet another person build a ‘tribute’ to something we’re all tired of seeing. How do you get looks (and votes, where appropriate) when there are another four cars that look just like yours at a glance?
Your minority is now up to three. Do we have four, anyone?
Not a minority. There’s a lot of us who are interested in car shows for the historical and archeological findings. One of the reasons I can go through a car show quickly is that I don’t bother with the cookie-cutter show cars, the Tri-5 Chevies, the Corvettes, the Mustangs, and the usual fuzzy dice embarrassments.
Consequently, I spend more quality time in junk yards, some classic car lots, and on my own than at any Cars and Coffee, or other local shows like that. There’s only so many pot-bellied, leather-wearing geezers I can take. Us car nerds don’t want to see Betty Boop, the Beatles, or Marilyn Monroe anymore.
BUT – let’s remember what sells and brings in these shows for us to complain about. If it wasn’t for Christine, we’d see a lot fewer Exner-finned Plymouths.
I don’t think it’s necessary a minority opinion among the casual public attending car shows, I don’t think car shows would be lacking attendance if a parking lot in 2024 resembled one of these images. I think it’s more so the owners participating in car shows don’t seek out those regular cars and either go for pristine collector model or restomodded//cloned mundane model.
Which I get, the classic car hobby is a big hobby but not one everybody interested in actually has a classic car to participate with for various practical and financial reasons, and with anatomy measuring auction prices inflating classic cars into the reach of only those with means only certain segments get represented.
The car that strikes me is the Yellow 1969 Mustang fastback in the last image in PA; wheel covers, regular side mirrors, plain scoop rather than a shaker. That body shape is engrained in my mind to be a Boss 302, Boss 429 or Mach 1 with all the accessories (spoilers, shakers louvers) so seeing a plain one is delightfully refreshing
Unfortunately (for us who feel the same way) it’s a cultural thing. In Europe, car shows are like walking back in time in a parking lot, as Johannes Dutch has shown us several times (and Roger Carr too):
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/car-show-photo-report-2023-autotron-classics-the-great-outdoors/
The Europeans (and the Japanese too) place a huge emphasis on originality. American car hobbyists don’t, with some exceptions of course. The loud music and the typically modified cars is precisely why I don’t go to car shows.
Missing is the first enclosed shopping mall in the country, Southdale, located in Edina, Mn., a first ring suburb of S. Mpls.
It opened in 1956. Still standing.
Park City in Lancaster, Pa. is still there, but it’s much changed since opening in late 1970/early 1971.
That red 1955 Chevy Nomad parked at Sears is channeling my inner Tim Allen(ugh ugh ugh) Just make sure you dont park it near any cranes hoisting steel I beams with an inexperienced moron at the controls
Chapin Shopping Center was obviously developed by Burroughs and Chapin, who also developed the Myrtle Beach Pavilion (which some of us still miss to this day).
I think the main things that killed shopping malls is Amazon and changing demographics.
And of course, very ugly lookalike cars that are all styled like jelly beans and high gas prices.
Below average park job.
The root cause of “Walmart chafe” on your car doors.
Not one but two that I’ve been to or driven by at least a couple of times over the years. I’ve been to Llyod Center and driven under that bridge which is still there.
I instantly knew Norwalk even though I’ve only driven by it twice, once when the neon was lit. I appears that the buildings have been changed. The structure for the sign seems to be original but they have changed the actual sign and added to it.
Something about The Landing just looks so inviting. I don’t think it’s just the blue Chevy wagon.
Nowadays shopping malls are a last-resort destination for me. If it’s something that I don’t need to be fitted for, or need to check the quality in person, I’d much, much rather get it online and avoid the crowding and noise. And the sheer drab depressing greyness of it all. Grey skies are bad enough.
is that a 1961 Mercury Meteor in the photo of the Thrifty Drug store in Santa Maria?
LLoyd Center in Portland, Ore. was still pretty cool when we went there in the early ’70s. I seem to remember an ice-skating rink on the lower level. We stayed at a nearby hotel a couple times when my dad had business at the headquarters of Georgia Pacific Corp.
Growing up in Southern California, one would think we had any number of malls. Not true. Not much in the way of ‘malls’ existed then, even in car crazy California. Shops with on street parking and public parking lots here and there. Open Monday through Friday till usually 530, open Saturday usually 9 – 3 and closed on Sunday even filling stations.
By the early to mid – 60’s there were a few malls beginning and before we knew it, they were everywhere. Now it’s the opposite, unfortunately.
I’m liking the black Thunderbird parked in front of JJ Newberry’s (I own a ‘65 Thunderbird).
Thanks for posting these pictures. Great memories for us who remember life just after the Korean War.
Eastland center was just torn down a few years ago, I’m pretty sure it’s an Amazon hub now. I worked there when it was still popping and watched it decline. Same with all the other malls in the area