Above is a real photo postcard sent from Chandler, Minnesota in 1909. The postcard is rather faded looking, but through a bit of Photoshopping, I was able to get a much better view (below) of the details.
click this photo to enlarge it more and see more details
Chandler is a small town in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, with a 2010 population of about 270. According to the City of Chandler website, Chandler grew rapidly in the first decade of the 20th century and there were 30 businesses in 1906.
J. M. Johnson, whose name appears on the left window, was the postmaster at the time of this photo. He is the man in in the front. The two men with the mail bags are his mail carriers and their carts. (source: email from Murray County Museum)
Below J. M. Johnson's name are advertisements for Northwest Thresher Engines and Separators, and Aermotor Windmill Pumps.
A blanket with flour advertising is on one of the mules in the center of the photo. Minnesota was the top flour producing state in the country, with 400 flour and grist mills in 1901. I believe the name on the blanket is Ethan Allen Flour, a product of Wells Flour Milling Co., Wells, Minnesota. An ad for this flour is shown in Northwestern Miller, and the Minnesota Historical Society has an excellent photo of Ethan Allen Flour advertising on a horse here.
The signs on the right window advertise Meals at all Hours, Hot coffee, Lunch, and Fresh Bread. A small Telephone Station sign is attached to the right side of the building.
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25 comments:
Great job on the photo restoration. Looks like a nice place to eat.
Meals at all hours? The cook must have been living on the premises. I'm amazed too at what you did on photoshop.
"Meals at all hours"??
That would be quite trendy nowadays!!
:)~
HUGZ
beautiful old pics :)
You sure did fix that thing up nicely! I like how you picked out that advertising from the window and cropped it up close.
Kathy M.
Well done with drawing out the details of the old photo. It certainly looks like a town on the up.
That's the classic storefront architecture! I enjoyed following you through the details of this photo. I wonder what happened that the town dwindled to a mere 270. Do they even have a post office today?
Really nice job on the Photo, must be hope for some of mine
Restoration - tick
Image interpretation - tick
Ephemera - tick
Subject identification - tick
Back story - tick
Well done, an excellent job of sleuthing.
Ditto, what Brett said :)
So much history in one picture. Great post.
You are absolutely right - the fascinating thing about old photos of shop fronts is the detail. A great example, investigated by an expert.
Magnificent picture! Is the mail carrier left missing his right foot?
Super picture; you really made the details stand out, there is so much to see that we would not have appreciated on just the postcard.
I want to go in and buy something!damn!
it's amazing how that one store answered so many needs. You could get fed at any hour, mail your letters, buy your groceries, buy tools and equipment. Truly a one stop shop.
Nancy
I enjoyed seeing the restored photo in all its detail and learning about the history of the town.
I think Peter is right. The man has a peg leg. If we give him an age of 60 and date the photo to 1905, he might be a veteran of the Civil War. But of course, there were lots of farm and industry accidents that could take a limb.
I regularly improve photos. The magic of digital correction to fix faded tones is a wonder that always amazes, especially with detailed photos like this.
We've seen ads on buses and bookmarks, but this is my first time to see an ad on a horse. Love your feature!
I'm heading down for a bite right now! I so enjoyed this, and I've been to this city! It was a while back but hiking at the wildlife area around there!
Wow, great job getting the details to come out. I good with meals at all hours!
Thanks heaven for photoshop!!
Great job and great post!!
Ditto what Brett said again. I really must learn to use photoshop. But when?
You've certainly made a great job of bringing out the best in that photo.
A fine presentation. This photograph came from an unusually good camera for the time. The detail is excellent. Your enhancement is spot on and necessary to find detail that is otherwise lost. Good work.
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