Am I too late for the cookout?Sorry, I stopped by “Jewels” in Winnetka to pick a few things up – they had Kingsford charcoal for 89 cents a bag, two jars of Open Pit barbecue sauce for 69 cents, two jars of Heinz relish for 59 cents, Oscar Mayer wieners for 49 cents, and unspecified “Bar-B-Q Tools” for 69 cents! Shopping in the North Shore is such a bargain!
You mean it was yesterday?!
Whoa. Guess I must’ve spent too much time checking out the details of the store – the porcelain front, the beamed ceiling, the funky-colored tile – you just don’t see these things every day, you know.
But there’s still something we can celebrate today - the 4th anniversary of this website, for example! Welcome to those who have joined us recently. And to those of you who’ve been around for two or three or all four years – thanks so much for your loyalty (and lately, your patience) - from the bottom of my heart.
Dave
*Of course I never need an excuse to cookout, though!
Dave. the Big Noise from Winnetka
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Fourth, Dave. Throw a burger on the grill for me.
ReplyDeleteHappy blog-anniversary, Dave! All that's missing from that Jewel display is the beer... :)
ReplyDeleteHope you're doing well!
Great photo of this Jewel Supermarket. It got me thinking of local grocery shopping when I was a youngster, and seeing such displays at (then MUCH smaller) supermarkets. Springfield, MO has had mostly local or regional supermarkets; national chains like A & P and Safeway never hung on long here. We usually shopped at Consumers (picture of one, with its interesting signage "font" can be seen here http://www.springfieldhistorymuseum.org/archives/images/2000-17-78.jpg) or Rameys, and later Dillons, which is part of Kroger and has stores in Missouri and Kansas. I always loved going to the grocery store with my parents, and riding on or in the cart and making SURE they bought whatever cereal or soap powder that had a toy in it. But those seasonal displays were sure great, whether for Independence Day or Easter or Halloween. Thanks for a great memory!
ReplyDeleteWhere exactly in Winnetka was the Jewel located?
ReplyDeleteThere's a Jewel at the Plaza Del Lego shopping center in Wilmette which is older and the interrior is original.
I just had to tell you how much I have enjoyed your site over the years. Linked to your site from my blog so others can find & enjoy, too. I can't put into words how much I enjoy pulling up the large-sized photos and just carefully looking over all the details from a time past. I am 31 and remember the tail-end of a lot of these places and their 50s/60s/70s decor, so it all is so familiar and yes, comforting. :) I also really enjoy the detail you put intoo telling us the stories behind the businesses and the photos..thank you for the good work! I hope to keep enjoying the trip down Memory Lane for years to come. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Dave! I ADORE your blog and enjoy reading every post. Thanks for thoroughly filling the vintage shopping niche! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Dave. I discovered this site a few months ago, read all the archives and now check in every day. I absolutely love it. I'm wondering if you'll do a piece on the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, NY. I was practically raised there! Thanks for all the love and hard work you put in here and happy anniversary! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to "Jewels"... You certainly talk the talk!
ReplyDeleteHere's a hidden "gem" I found. WTOL-TV coverage of the 1978 Blizzard. There's a working Sohio station early in the tape and beginning at about 6:10 is about one minute of video inside a Kroger Superstore as folks prepare for armageddon.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/o729OiPDVto
--Dan
Paul – That’s a phrase I hadn’t heard before (surprisingly, I’m embarrassed to say), but based on your previous comments I figured it had to do with classic movies or music. An interesting song with a cool history!
ReplyDeleteWinnetka is an upscale area, so anyone from there (I’m not) might well consider themselves a “big noise”! ;)
Steve – Thanks, and I threw one on there for you. Hope you like Worcestershire sauce!
Kim – I was thinking something was missing and I should have mentioned that – maybe one of the famous defunct Chicago brands, like Meister Brau!
Thanks, and hope things are well with you also! ;)
Mike – You’re welcome, and I agree it’s a great pic. You’re right, stores were much smaller, with the largest chain supermarkets of the time usually not exceeding 15,000 square feet, which would seem tiny today.
I love the creativity in these displays of old. Every special occasion or holiday was a huge deal, and these stores seemingly never passed up an opportunity for good old ballyhoo. Fun stuff!
Also, I found it interesting that a number of the older Dillons stores were Kroger units before Kroger sold off the territory to Dillons. Then many years later, Kroger bought Dillons out, and now David Dillon is Kroger’s CEO. A real merry-go-round!
Mike – I’m not sure where this one was located. The Plaza Del Lago store, which I’d love to see someday, opened in 1966, some ten years after this photo was taken.
http://dimbeautyofchicago.blogspot.com/2008/06/spanish-adventure-in-jewel.html
Anne – Thank you so much. I get a kick out of examining all the details in these photos as well! And I too find much of it comforting. As far as researching and writing about the stories behind the businesses and photos, it’s something I love doing, and I’m so glad that you find it enjoyable. Thanks again!
Mel – As always, your support is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Laurie – Glad you’re here, and I’m especially happy you enjoyed the backlog posts! Cross County would be a great subject for a post. I have quite a bit of background information on it (very interesting stories behind it!) and really just need to get some good vintage photos of the place.
Thanks very much for your good wishes! :)
Anonymous – Hoping the great tradition of calling it “Jewels” is alive and well! ;)
Dan – Great film clip, thanks for bringing that to our attention! The Sohio and the Kroger Superstore are extremely similar to those pictured here on the site – very cool!
Funny how certain things jump out at you – like when did they stop selling colored toilet paper, for example?
I just wanted to let you know...you can check out a re-creation of an early 60's supermarket in the South, in the upcoming movie THE HELP. I saw a picture of it in the Sunday movie section.
ReplyDeleteI found this item on YouTube...it shoes some footage of classic 60's markets, but the focus is on the people who make it happen.
ReplyDelete"Supermarket Cashiers: Ambassadors of Goodwill"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5hB7yf5Jn0
I may have linked to this one before, but never like this...it's a promo film for the Hillsdale Shopping Center in suburban San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteIt does depend on how much you like your consumerism spiced with cheeky commentary, as this version offers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wskoHACiGZI&feature=related