Two Original 1928 Photos Interior Grocery Stores and Product Display. For Sale

The Featured Store:

This photograph offers an even more crowded, \"behind-the-counter\" look at a neighborhood grocery. While the previous photo felt more like a soda fountain/confectionery, this one is a dedicated general provisions store.

The location is clearly marked as J. Shadis at 5200 Pennway Ave, Phila, PA. 1928

Here are the products and brands that stand out in this densely packed space:

• Borden’s Evaporated Milk: Right next to the beans, you can see the distinctive branding for Borden’s.

• Sunbrite Cleanser: On the floor in the foreground, there is a box for Sunbrite, a popular abrasive cleaning powder of the era.

• Canned Vegetables/Soups: The entire back wall is a floor-to-ceiling grid of canned goods. You can see various sizes, likely ranging from peas and corn to condensed soups.

• The Seven-Up Co. (Philadelphia): The wooden crate in the center foreground from \"2140 E. Hazzard St.\" would have held 7-Up bottles.

• Bosco: There is a sign for Bosco Chocolate Syrup near the top of the right-side shelving.

• Coffee: High on the back wall, there is a small hanging sign that appears to be for a coffee brand (possibly White House or similar).

• Camay Soap: A small \"Camay\" sign is visible near the back door.

• Loaves of Bread: On the left counter, there are several wrapped loaves of bread, stacked and ready for sale.

• Bulk Goods: Behind the glass display case on the left, you can see glass jars that likely held pickles, penny candy, or dried goods sold by weight.

• Scale: A large white computing scale (likely a Hobart or Dayton) sits on the right counter, used for weighing meats or produce.

• National Biscuit Company (Nabisco): The display racks in the bottom left corner feature the \"Inner-Seal\" logo, which would have held boxes of Barnum\'s Animals, Uneeda Biscuits, or Fig Newtons.

• Baker\'s Cocoa: A small tin or sign for Baker’s Cocoa is tucked on a shelf near the back.

The tin ceiling and the exposed plumbing/electrical conduits are classic features of Philadelphia row-house storefronts from the 1920s through the 1940s. The presence of the \"2B-100\" sign over the door might be a tax or health department license.

This image has incredible depth—the way the goods are literally spilling out of their crates into the aisles really captures the \"inventory-heavy\" nature of these small family businesses.

This second store is a combination of a stationery shop and a \"fancy goods\" apothecary or sundries shop.

• Signage: The \"FINE STATIONERY\" and \"FANCY GOODS\" signs on the left wall are very prominent and add significant \"architectural\" value to the image.

• Coca-Cola Advertising: There is a Coca-Cola \"cardboard\" style advertisement visible in the background near the back door, which will attract soda memorabilia collectors.

• Tobacco & Candy: You can see stacks of small boxes—likely cigars or high-end confectionery—on the shelves behind the counter.

• The Fixtures: The presence of the ornate radiator in the foreground and the glass display cases filled with small items (possibly fountain pens or jewelry) is typical of a high-end neighborhood shop of the era.

• The Proprietor: Having the store owner clearly visible and looking at the camera adds a personal, \"human\" element that collectors of social history prefer over empty room shots.

• Coca-Cola crossover interest, the clear Fine Stationery signage, and the excellent condition of the gelatin silver print makes this a \"premium\" piece of ephemera.