Tuesday, September 26, 2006



New topic:
WINDOW DISPLAY

My Dad (Kenneth Grant) was display clown (his term) at
Bedell's Department store in Portland, Oregon in the late '50s
and then at Nordtrom's in Portland in the mid '60s, becoming display manager.
He sent me scans of these slides (actually one half of stereo 3D slides)
which I would like to share. They are pretty groovy.
Unfortunately the scans leave something to be desired.
He always wore a suit to work (with skinny tie, of course)
and crepe soled shoes so he wouldn't mark up the display window floors.


NORDSTROM, MID SIXTIES
Dad's Illustrations and type would be pretty groovy today.


NORDSTROM, MID SIXTIES
Another view.


NORDSTROM, MID SIXTIES
This one is just nuts, but check out the art on the boxes.


NORDSTROM, MID SIXTIES
Campus Casuals. I think the figure is a self-portrait of Dad.
Check out the big suspenders holding up the shoe racks.


NORDSTROM, 1967
The clapboard reads:
Scene: Fall, Take: 1967, Sound: Wild


BEDELL'S DEPARTMENT STORE, LATE FIFTIES
It's hard to see, but the background is Japanese newspapers,
complimented by black origami birds.


BEDELL'S DEPARTMENT STORE, LATE FIFTIES
Before the youth oriented sixties, there was the adult-oriented fifties.


One note: The home town department store is gone.
Those Portland department stores I s
uch as Lipman's
Meier & Frank, Bedell's, etc. have all ben replaced by Macy's.
I hate Macy's.

2 Comments:

Blogger mod*mom said...

those are soooo great!
what a cool dad you have!
thank you so much for sharing these.
i'm going to link them on my blog, ok?
a reader of my blog emailed me to tell me to check out your pictures, so you have some fans :)

9:34 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hello Peter -
Your Dad is my 1st cousin. This afternoon I was thinking of our Auntie Selma and wondered what would come up in a search for Bedell's dept store in Portland. She worked in Bedell's cosmetic department for a few years in the late 50s to early 60s. How cool to have the pics of your Dad's work at the downtown Portland dept stores. I live in Missoula, MT now. I corresponded with your Dad about 10 yrs ago. He sent me one of his paintings! I'm thrilled to have it. Send my regards to your Dad.
Your cousin,
Bev "Davis" Whitt

3:24 PM  

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