Wearing knickerbockers in Richmond, Virginia in 1930

Even though I have no personal connection to Richmond, Virginia, when I stumbled across this image at the Duke University site, I had to stop and do a bit of time-traveling. Let's go stand in front of the Sonny Boy Inn at Broad Street and 8th in our imaginations. It's 1930.


I have decided that I'm the kid wearing the knickerbockers, or knee pants, hiking up his socks. My suggestion for you is to be the man smoking a cigarette (or it could be a No. 190 cigar!) in his shirtsleeves. Or you can be the man in the porkpie hat, or even one of the group standing there over by the restaurant. Since I'm a kid, I'm interested in the soda, candies and sandwiches. Maybe even a Coca-Cola, if I have a nickel!


When I get older I'll be able to wear long pants, but for now, my mama done told me that I have to wear these. Those are some interesting cars over there on the left, and one of them has a cover on the spare tire. I've never seen that!


I'm not exactly sure what the Isis building is, but it's a beauty! Right next to the Bijou. I can't quite figure out what they're showing, but I'm sure that it's a real super-super film! By the way, absolutely none of these buildings remain - I checked Google Street View. All gone.


I really can't tell if the blurry person in the street is a police officer directing traffic, but my best guess is that it is. He's standing right where the trolley tracks split off, and since he moved, he blurred. This photo was taken with a very long exposure time, which why the detail is so rich, but if anything moved, it blurred. The first time people saw this in photography many of them saw that it was evidence of ghosts! By the way, the trolley was electric - look up and you'll see the electrical wires.


And now a word from our sponsor, which is the reason that this photo was taken in the first place. The advertiser needed to know if their billboard was visible. It was! Pause and refresh yourself, drink Coca Cola. Delicious and Refreshing. And if you're wearing knickerbockers, pull your socks up!
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