Vintage Portland

Please come visit my new Vintage Portland site. I'm publishing some great photos of old Portland from the city's archives. Very high quality stuff. Leave comments and tell me what you think!

Unknown

It's hard to tell what this sign once said. Apparently the front of the building was removed and pushed back during a widening of N. Interstate Avenue some time in the past, destroying part of the sign in the process. The building dates to 1912 and can be seen at N. Interstate and N. Lewis Avenue.

2008:

Columbia I. & S.

This old factory building carries a sign from a long-gone company. "Columbia Iron & Steel" maybe? "Insulation Sales/Contracting" is visible farther down the wall. It's on the east side of the building at N. Interstate and Tillamook.

2008:

Brooks Showcase & Fixture Co.

On the same building as my previous post, "BROOKS SHOWCASE & FIXTURE CO." still shows quite well across the top of the south wall. Also visible are traces of other long-forgotten signs, including a repeat of the unknown from my previous post. Removing a bit of foliage would help our hunt.

Over the northwest-facing entrance is,
SHOWCASE
and
FIXTURE CO.
STORE BANK
OFFICE
and
RESTAURANT
FIXTURES"
See it at N. Interstate and Knott.

2008:

Credit Gladly

This great "CREDIT GLADLY" sign is part of a larger advertisement that is all but completely covered by a modern billboard. Sad. The ad beneath looks to be in fine condition so we can always hold out hope that the building owner respects the sign and one day we'll see it again. Incidentally, the hidden sign is at least partially duplicated on the south side of this building; foliage covers most of it and makes it unreadable too.

This 1890 building is at N. Interstate and Knott, one block north of N. Russell Street.

2008:

Alt Heidelberg Lager Beer

Smithson-McKay Brothers Block, 1890

A fine old beer advertisement. Apparently in the early 1930s Heidelberg dropped the female figure of Columbia from its advertising in favor of the "Student Prince" image, with beer stein, shown here. They dropped the "Alt" from their name in 1953 so this sign probably originated between the early 30s and 1953.

This sign can be difficult to see, tucked behind its neighboring building on a busy street with few sidewalks. But slow down and look to your left as you approach N. Russell Street heading south on N. Interstate. Stop in at the Widmer Brothers Gasthaus Pub or check out their state-of-the-art craft brewery in this historic neighborhood.

2008:

White Eagle

White Eagle Cafe & Saloon, 1905

Hard to say how long these signs have been here. The left-hand "White Eagle" and Coca-Cola sign have been in place for many decades. The green "Saloon & Hotel" probably dates to when the McMenamins chain took over the place a quarter century ago.

2009: