Saturday, August 23, 2008

From the archives

Looking through old pictures of mine, I found a couple of interesting items I found a couple of years ago sifting through the third floor of the Library, and the City Archives.

From a January 1946 edition of the Tribune:


"Two-bit Derby Hat Craze Sweeps Daniel Mac School

Throwback to the elegant 80's, a bowler hat craze is sweeping Daniel McIntyre high school in the city. Some 40 students who want to look like James Cagney looking like George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy have already taken it up.

Edward Bayack, 117 Dagmar st., 11th grade student and mentor of the new movement, said there was really no particular significance to the wearing of the round-crowned head-gear, and modestly, "It was just a brilliant idea, that's all."

"Mabye we're wearing them because Kelvin High isn't."

Principal Ewart Morgan who himself wears a derby on occasion, said, "It's one of those unaccountable things, but good for the esprit de corps."

Students buy their derbies for 25 cents apiece at Goodwill Industries, which, through the past few years, has managed to get quite a collection of bowlers through salvage drives.

"The hats we are wearing," said one, "once belonged to the upper crust of Winnipeg.""


***

Did city planners unwittingly dream up the modern shopping mall? From the Metropolitan Planning Commission's 1947 report city appearance:

"Design and Treatment of Commercial and Industrial Buildings and Sites

Developments should be such as to fit in with neighborhood uses. For instance, commercial establishments located in small commercial islands in residential areas should be set back from the property line in suitable relationship with residential buildings. Such a requirement appears in the proposed zoning by-law.

In larger commercial districts and the Central Business District buildings can be grouped to advantage. The result of such integration is much more pleasing than rows of individual shops. Shops may be grouped around an open area in which children can play safely while their mothers shop. Such developments offer off-street parking space, easy access for pedestrians, safe and convenient shopping and opportunities for attractive landscaping..."


In any case, they sure fixated on transforming cities for nothing but automobile use.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Picardy and the Honey Dew! I remember my mom taking me to them for treats when we were downtown.

11:06 PM  

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