Photo of The Month – Aug 2010

It’s Here!

Picture contributor: Hazel Haynes Bridges Collection

It’s not the sale that’s “here,” it’s some unique product, for upon close examination, the sign says “High Powered…Rapid Speed.” And it appears to be a raffle drawing, for the time is 1:51 p.m., so they’re not just waiting around for the store to open. And up on the roof, a man with a megaphone is addressing the crowd. Perhaps he’s telling them that, in just nine minutes, someone will walk away with a brand new…what? We’d guess a clothes washer, except there are few women in the crowd.

• The Cliffside Drug Store and, next door, the Haynes Bank are easily identified by their own individual signs.
• Although many are wearing heavy coats, signifying cold weather, the town hall’s windows are open. Probably airing it our after a long speech the night before by some politician.
• There’s a large poster in front of the theatre advertising the current movie, “Greed,” MGM’s first full-length feature. It was released in January, 1924, and apparently had reached Cliffside soon thereafter.
• Downtown had one major streetlight, hanging way out over the street.
• And finally, a man in the foreground is about to miss the fun. Something’s wrong with his Model T and he’s busy under the hood, looking for the problem.

Here are some closeups.