I found this old video for social services in St. Louis; it features some fascinating views of a St. Louis now largely gone. I suspect some of the footage is from the central corridor demolished in the 1950's and 60's.
I find it interesting, yet sadly predictable for the time period, that the overwhelming majority of people in need in the movie were white. I saw a similar advertisement movie from the period about Pruitt-Igoe that did the exact same thing. Also interesting that, even as poverty and decline were eating away at St. Louis, we still had bustling street scenes and storefronts seen in that movie. I guess because our population was so much higher in the City, but it's absurd to me that with our advances since then in treating the little girl's pneumonia and finding more effective ways to help people dealing with poverty or mental illness, our city is still worse off overall now.
This was produced sometime post-February, 1959, because of the Globe's story of the Great Tornado. Some of the footage does predate that time, however. And I'm 99.9% sure the small segment after the tornado which shows a building in the middle of a street is not from St. Louis. I was 19 at the time and did a bit of exploring after the tornado.
And Yes - attitudes were different in those days. But they were crtainly more peaceful, compared to now - and not just in certain areas, either. The Globe story mentions 6 killed: I think all (or most) were in one old massive 3-story house at the corner of Delmar and Whittier. I saw it - it was simply a pile of bricks. The tornado was actually the catalyst for the creation of that lamented Gaslight Square at Boyle and Olive. The Globe story also mentions "Zeckendorf;" he was the person who wanted to develop just-demolished Mill Creek (the area East of SLU and North of 40/Market Street. Strange to look over that area and realize so much has disappeared.
I lived at 4031 St. Louis Ave., and often brought back fish on Friday back in the '40's-'50's when I think a guy named Gus Brinkman & maybe his brother ran it. That view looking across Sarah St. (Sanger's Drug Store) was the "hangout" for a lot of St. Matthew's soccer players + WW2 Vets. The vets seemed to have meter-reading jobs that let them off early to get an early start on soccer at St. Matthew's "Lot". Other corners : Tavern, Dwyer Bros. Market. Charlie Almstedt
Wow...the first two black people you see are part of a gang. This video is ridiculous! I wish I could say attitudes in STL have matured since then...but I think not.
I find it interesting, yet sadly predictable for the time period, that the overwhelming majority of people in need in the movie were white. I saw a similar advertisement movie from the period about Pruitt-Igoe that did the exact same thing. Also interesting that, even as poverty and decline were eating away at St. Louis, we still had bustling street scenes and storefronts seen in that movie. I guess because our population was so much higher in the City, but it's absurd to me that with our advances since then in treating the little girl's pneumonia and finding more effective ways to help people dealing with poverty or mental illness, our city is still worse off overall now.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a snapshot of not just the city, but also attitudes.
DeleteThis was produced sometime post-February, 1959, because of the Globe's story of the Great Tornado. Some of the footage does predate that time, however.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm 99.9% sure the small segment after the tornado which shows a building in the middle of a street is not from St. Louis.
I was 19 at the time and did a bit of exploring after the tornado.
And Yes - attitudes were different in those days. But they were crtainly more peaceful, compared to now - and not just in certain areas, either.
The Globe story mentions 6 killed: I think all (or most) were in one old massive 3-story house at the corner of Delmar and Whittier. I saw it - it was simply a pile of bricks.
The tornado was actually the catalyst for the creation of that lamented Gaslight Square at Boyle and Olive.
The Globe story also mentions "Zeckendorf;" he was the person who wanted to develop just-demolished Mill Creek (the area East of SLU and North of 40/Market Street.
Strange to look over that area and realize so much has disappeared.
I also just love the horribly awkward title. "122 Eyes?"
ReplyDeleteI lived at 4031 St. Louis Ave., and often brought back fish on Friday back in the '40's-'50's when I think a guy named Gus Brinkman & maybe his brother ran it. That view looking across Sarah St. (Sanger's Drug Store) was the "hangout" for a lot of St. Matthew's soccer players + WW2 Vets. The vets seemed to have meter-reading jobs that let them off early to get an early start on soccer at St. Matthew's "Lot". Other corners : Tavern, Dwyer Bros. Market. Charlie Almstedt
ReplyDeleteWow, at what minute/second is this in the video?
DeleteWow...the first two black people you see are part of a gang. This video is ridiculous! I wish I could say attitudes in STL have matured since then...but I think not.
ReplyDelete