Sunday, March 10, 2013

Boston Store Records and Cameras

Boston Store Cameras & Records photo ©John E. Baker 2013. Used with permission.
The Boston Store held many treasures within the aisles of its many departments. The record and camera departments were side by side on the first floor of the Boston Store when John E. Baker captured this amazing shot around 1960-61. Elvira, the woman to the left of the post, was the manager of the camera department. Customers had a wide range of photographic products from Kodak, Argus and Polaroid, as well as motion cameras and projectors manufactured by Bell & Howell. Some of the records that are visible include albums by Wanderin' Mark Dinning, Brazen Brass, and the soundtrack to GiGi. You could purchase jazz, country and western and Rock 'N Roll LPs and 7" kiddie records. Pop hits were 88¢ per 45. I think there's even a rack of ViewMaster reels on the right side of the photo.

The Boston Store was a retail department store located at 718 State Street in Erie, PA. The building still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Click here to see a photo of the Boston Store clock: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2013/02/meet-under-clock-at-boston-store.html

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

3 comments:

  1. The Boston Store had a wonderful record department. It was one of the last places I visited when I shopped at the store on its last day of business, July 7, 1979. The Boston Store was truly a magical place.

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  2. Loved the Boston Store! Had my first real shrimp cocktail there in the dining room when I was 4. Loved to go at Christmas and see Santa. Also loved school shopping and the bargain basement when I was older. My Mom recently passed away and I found her charge "plate" in it's blue plastic holder with some other momentos. I also have her beaver jacket which my Dad bought for her and it is embroidered with her initials and a tag that says Boston Store.

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  3. By the early 70's, had the record dept moved elsewhere in the store. Wasn't it at one time called "The Listening Post?" I seem to remember radio ads on JET for the Listening Post at the Boston Store.

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