Cleanup on Aisle Five
These circa 1970 photos of Hy-Lo Drug Store shelf displays (part of Paula Wirth’s Vintage Drug Stores flickr group) have an eerie stillness to them which I love. They remind me of the scene in The Long Goodbye where Elliott Gould visits an all-night grocery store and you see all these wonderfully pristine 1970s food packages on the shelves. I can’t possibly be the only one who gets off on stuff like this, right?
June 18th, 2007 at 10:28 am
No, you aren’t, Matt! I love these glimpses into the past where I see brands that I remember or have seen in commercials of vintage TV shows and soap operas.
What a fun find for a Sunday!
June 18th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
can’t help but think of Andy Warhol and his Brillo Pad boxes
June 19th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
You get off on some strange stuff, Matt! I do enjoy going to the grand opening of a supermarket (usually because I had to photograph the ribbon cutting). All the shelves look perfect, smooth and untouched (like in the photo) — and I know that they’re never going to look that way again. Clean up in aisle five!
June 23rd, 2007 at 9:53 am
Great stuff! I love the look of the old grocery stores, especially the smaller regional chains that looked more “handmade”. I would love to be able to go back and see the grocery store my Mom shopped at in the early 70′s again. Thanks for the Groceteria link too – that looks fab!
June 29th, 2007 at 6:37 am
Thanks for mentioning these photos on your blog! I was so excited when I found these. Even funnier, the wind kept trying to blow them away while I was looking at them (at an outside flea market of sorts).
August 20th, 2011 at 8:35 am
So I was cruising around on google images trying to find a picture of an all night grocery store to compliment a short piece of fiction I wrote that takes place in a spot such as the one described above. You’re totally not the only one who gets off on this kind of stuff. Glad to have stumbled upon your blog!