Group Portrait at Grocery Storefront

Datec. 1910

MediumPaper

ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact

Terms

Catalog number1987.1.332

DescriptionGroup portrait in front of grocery storefront.
Along the roof is painted "Dry Goods", a sign that reads, "Pearline", and an additional sign for "Sunflower Shoes".
Sunflower Shoes is a featured brand of shoes sold at this dry goods/grocery store. The name of the business is obscurred at the top of the photo, and it is likely that it is the name of the owner. No identifications for the six people in the photo are avaiable at this time, and there is also a small dog near the lower right corner of the photo. The people are dressed in coats and formal wear, and the woman at the left of the photo wears a rather distinctive head-covering that may be for a particular religious order or denomination. The headwear is a light color made of a knitted or lace material, and drapes over her shoulders.
Although it cannot be confirmed at this time, it is likely that this photo was taken in Tempe. While many buildings in Tempe's downtown commercial district were built of red brick by the early 1900s – when this photo was likely taken – some of the older and/or smaller business buildings were still wood-frame, adobe, or other building materials. This is the same with some of the business structures in the San Pablo/East Tempe area along 8th Street (much of which is now University Drive) all the way east to the area of the Tempe Creamery along what was then the old highway (the Tempe-Mesa Road).

Status

Not on view