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Oakland circa 1957, and another car crash involving an early-1950s Buick. Conveniently close to the offices of the Oakland Tribune. Not the mention the 704 Cafe and Hotel Richards. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Archive. View full size.
The "big" little boy painter on the side of the Simon Hardware building looks like the Dutch Boy Paint logo. DB seems to be a subsidiary of Sherwin-Williams these days, but I remember that little kid from paint my folks used to buy when I was a kid.
The ambulance is actually a 1953 Pontiac with Chevrolet taillights. In those days Pontiac and Chevrolet shared the same basic body shell and it was not unusual to see low production models such as this with odd combinations of trim. The ambulance is definitely a Pontiac as identified by the side trim and hubcaps. See attached pic of 1953 Pontiac "Tin Woody" with '53 Chevy taillights.
Gets only a Chevrolet ambulance rather than a Caddy.
The cops were after me; I was hiding out at the Hotel Richards. My troubles started when I met her at the 704 ...
At the corner of 8th and Broadway. Accident was at 7th.
It looks like it didn't take much to produce an injury in those days.
"The Saddle Shop." Charles Starr bought Lemon Saddlery in 1911, and his son H.W. bought the business from him in 1937. Originally at 530 Broadway, it moved to 716 Broadway some time by 1951. Closed in the early 1960s. Photos of both stores and many saddles are available for viewing, but not downloading, at the collections website of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA).
...but a few of the old buildings remain. Here's today's view a little closer to the remaining buildings.
Oww, my head! I need a law--ahem--doctor!
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