Sunday, August 7, 2011

More Friedman's Historic Photos

November of 1949

1889!
Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

When I stopped by Friedman's to pick up new shoes, they also showed me pictures they had from 1949 and way back in 1889.  What a great look into the past.  The pictures will go up on Historypin soon.  In the meantime, I'm looking for ways to acquire historic photos for free or at a reduced price.  Places like the Minnesota Historical Society have numerous pictures, but the fees to re-use them can get pretty expensive.  I've no desire to use such pictures without the proper permission.

So does anyone know where old photos of NoMi can be found?

7 comments:

  1. Very Nice!

    If Friedman's were to restore the 1889 store front it would more than pay for it's self in promotion and media coverage nation wide. Every article about NoMi would include a pic of the building and a blurb about how proud we are to have this multi-generational business in our midst.

    Right now the store front is just an embarrassment. How short sighted.

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  2. I disagree, anon 7:58. Come and meet me down there sometime. I'll show you the work they've already done with the facade, and we can see the other plans they have. Restoration and repairs done by small businesses don't happen overnight.

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  3. Jeff, there is no way you can deny their store front looks like hell right now - and that did not happen over night. Nor has it been overnight that the community has been speaking out about how it's way past time to clean up their store front.

    Anything else is just being PollyAnna. Friedman's looks like crap and is an embarrassment, like the anon 758am commenter says.

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  4. you disagree that the friedman's facade front isn't an embarrassment? should we go back and chck some of your old comments and such?

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  5. Well, we disagree then about Friedman's. And while I may have been critical of Friedman's in the past (although certainly not at the level of JNS), I've seen the repairs that have been made and talked with the owner about what is to come. To the degree I was critical before, I've changed my mind. The exterior of Friedman's is a non-issue to me.

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  6. Oh come on. Yes, they have done some work on the upper floors. But from street level, where everyone views the business, it is still butt ugly!

    Why should Friedman's storefront be an issue?

    Because the look and feel of a markets established businesses project the quality of the marketplace. This attracts consumers and other businesses and creates jobs and vitality in the community. There are a lot of very ugly storefronts in NoMi. Most are from small start-up businesses that don't have the assets or experience to create appealing storefronts. Many emulate the existing and successful entrepreneurs like Friedman.

    This isn't a matter of a huge financial outlay. The biggest impact would be taking down the old yellowed signs and cleaning the glass.

    Maybe that's what the owner told you he intends to do someday that has changed your opinion, but until then call it like it is - an embarrassment!

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  7. You can call it that if you want, anon, but I disagree. Seeing the site and talking to the owners have changed my opinion. I do hope they change the glass (although the signs can stay as far as I'm concerned). But the brick work on the second story was more important to the long-term viability of the building and I'm glad they took care of that first.

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