1939 NEWSSTAND PIC TIME MACHINE JOURNEY INTO THE PAST 18 18

[jpepx78]

Dell comics racks in drugstores

Drugstores in the 20th century were the place to hang out since they offered many amenities aside from pharmacy items such as magazines, snacks and fountain drinks. The wood Dell comics rack were found in these drugstores on the east and west coasts.

Davidson Drugs opened in 1958 was located in Siesta Key a barrier island located next to Sarasota Florida. John Davidson was a working pharmacist educated at Duke and University of Colorado at Boulder. After a vacation in Florida he decided to move to Florida and got a job as a pharmacy rep for Wyeth while looking for a location to open his own drugstore. He selected Siesta Key as the location having the most potential. His first small pharmacy sold the usual pharmacy items, magazines, sundries and had a soda fountain. After a few years, Davidson moved to a bigger location and in 1965 a second drugstore was opened. Ultimately Davidson opened seven drugstores in Sarasota but by 2018 only three remained open. He continued to buy real estate and he became one of the largest landowners on Siesta Key. Davidson and his wife also founded a weekly community paper, The Pelican Press, from 1971 to 1998. Davidson was an active member of the community who served many leadership positions for multiple organizations. His sons Richard and Bob took over the Davidson Drugs businesses in 2000. John passed away at 93 in January 2024.

https://siestasand.us/john-davidson-60th-anniversary-in-business/

pics
The first Davidson Drugs on Ocean Blvd
The soda fountain at Davidson Drugs. Check out the DC books (Action 250, Batman 122, Mystery in Space, World’s Finest) on the Dell comics rack in 1959

John Davidson in 1950
John Davidson in 2015

The Dell comics rack can be seen behind the glass door of this Oregon drugstore in 1956.

 

[Primetime]

On 6/26/2024 at 11:02 PM, jpepx78 said:

Dell comics racks in drugstores

Drugstores in the 20th century were the place to hang out since they offered many amenities aside from pharmacy items such as magazines, snacks and fountain drinks. The wood Dell comics rack were found in these drugstores on the east and west coasts.

Davidson Drugs opened in 1958 was located in Siesta Key a barrier island located next to Sarasota Florida. John Davidson was a working pharmacist educated at Duke and University of Colorado at Boulder. After a vacation in Florida he decided to move to Florida and got a job as a pharmacy rep for Wyeth while looking for a location to open his own drugstore. He selected Siesta Key as the location having the most potential. His first small pharmacy sold the usual pharmacy items, magazines, sundries and had a soda fountain. After a few years, Davidson moved to a bigger location and in 1965 a second drugstore was opened. Ultimately Davidson opened seven drugstores in Sarasota but by 2018 only three remained open. He continued to buy real estate and he became one of the largest landowners on Siesta Key. Davidson and his wife also founded a weekly community paper, The Pelican Press, from 1971 to 1998. Davidson was an active member of the community who served many leadership positions for multiple organizations. His sons Richard and Bob took over the Davidson Drugs businesses in 2000. John passed away at 93 in January 2024.

https://siestasand.us/john-davidson-60th-anniversary-in-business/

pics
The first Davidson Drugs on Ocean Blvd
The soda fountain at Davidson Drugs. Check out the DC books (Action 250, Batman 122, Mystery in Space, World’s Finest) on the Dell comics rack in 1959

John Davidson in 1950
John Davidson in 2015

The Dell comics rack can be seen behind the glass door of this Oregon drugstore in 1956.

 

Another nicely done report, Jeff. Thanks for sharing 😀

[Darwination]

"Drugstores in the 20th century..."    Dude, you're making me feel old.

Love it, totally has the unique look of a Florida drugstore.  Comics, paperbacks, magazines, anything you want to read while you're having refreshment at that cool counter.  I enjoy reading the story of the proprietor, too.

My eyes went to the magazines (Stag, Saga, Official Detective, Top Secret, they keep the magazines I like up high like they should ) and then quickly diverted to the pin-up. 

Pangburn's Chocolates pin-up there, started in 1914 in Fort Worth and bought out in 1999 by Russell Stover who still make their "millionaires." Chocolate is nice, but girls are better.  And girls always appreciate the gift of chocolate 

Above the bar there is a signed Gil Elvgren printed through Brown and Bigelow:

I found one other piece that Elvgren did for Pangburn's Chocolates at Heritage

Bill Medcalf did work for Pangburn's too

Edited June 27 by Darwination

[jpepx78]

On 6/27/2024 at 1:10 AM, Darwination said:

"Drugstores in the 20th century..."    Dude, you're making me feel old.

Love it, totally has the unique look of a Florida drugstore.  Comics, paperbacks, magazines, anything you want to read while you're having refreshment at that cool counter.  I enjoy reading the story of the proprietor, too.

My eyes went to the magazines (Stag, Saga, Official Detective, Top Secret, they keep the magazines I like up high like they should ) and then quickly diverted to the pin-up. 

Pangburn's Chocolates pin-up there, started in 1914 in Fort Worth and bought out in 1999 by Russell Stover who still make their "millionaires." Chocolate is nice, but girls are better.  And girls always appreciate the gift of chocolate 

Above the bar there is a signed Gil Elvgren printed through Brown and Bigelow:

I found one other piece that Elvgren did for Pangburn's Chocolates at Heritage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are almost a quarter century past the 20th century...

There are not many drugstores with soda fountains anymore.

Thanks for pointing out a few items I missed.

Here are closeup pics of the comics, magazines and ad.

[Hepcat]

On 6/21/2024 at 11:38 AM, Darwination said:

...Bill Greason, looking spry at 99, threw out the first pitch last night in Birmingham for the Cards (Go Birds) versus Giants game in Birmingham honoring the Negro League and Willie Mays. 

The Cardinals should have signed Bill Greason to a contract and had him dress for the game. Who knows, if it turned into a blowout they might have even been able to get him into the game! 

Edited June 27 by Hepcat

[Hepcat]

On 6/27/2024 at 2:02 AM, jpepx78 said:

Dell comics racks in drugstores

Drugstores in the 20th century were the place to hang out since they offered many amenities aside from pharmacy items such as magazines, snacks and fountain drinks.

Great write-up and I love the pictures!

Sadly drug store soda fountains had almost completely disappeared from my neck of the woods (London, Ontario) during my formative comic buying years in the early 1960's and they were certainly gone by 1980. These days I know of none whatsoever in the Toronto to Hamilton to London area. 

Since I never took up drinking alcohol, I'm still all about ice cream sodas, sundaes and milkshakes like any proper comic reading kid. Therefore I'd be glad to learn about any drug store soda fountains that still exist anywhere in North America. Are any still around in your neck of the woods? I'm sure I'm not the only one here who misses old-fashioned soda fountains so let the rest of us know!

Edited June 27 by Hepcat

[CitrusZ28]

Fairley's Pharmacy in Portland OR, been open since 1913-

 

 

[CitrusZ28]

Another spot in Milwaukee OR. I stopped by here while looking for a gift for my wife and was surprised to see the soda fountain inside. Apparently John F. Kennedy stopped by there while campaigning for President in 1960.

 

 

The collectors mall opened up in 1997 in an old drugstore-

 

History

Established in 1997.

Main Street Collectors Mall and Soda Fountain is a small family run store located in the historic Perry's Pharmacy in downtown Milwaukie Or. We run one of the few remaining soda fountains &lunch counters left in Portland Or. There was a time when almost every drug store had one. It still has all the original equipment from the Early 1900"s. We used the old recipes for our sodas and shakes. Fresh sandwiches, no fast food here!

Edited June 27 by CitrusZ28

[Darwination]

On 6/27/2024 at 12:11 PM, CitrusZ28 said:

Fairley's Pharmacy in Portland OR, been open since 1913-

 

 

I really love the dark cherry colors on the counter and seats on this one

Looks like they can hook me up with a nice coffee, too. 

[jpepx78]

On 6/27/2024 at 8:53 AM, Hepcat said:

Great write-up and I love the pictures!

Sadly drug store soda fountains had almost completely disappeared from my neck of the woods (London, Ontario) during my formative comic buying years in the early 1960's and they were certainly gone by 1980. These days I know of none whatsoever in the Toronto to Hamilton to London area. 

Since I never took up drinking alcohol, I'm still all about ice cream sodas, sundaes and milkshakes like any proper comic reading kid. Therefore I'd be glad to learn about any drug store soda fountains that still exist anywhere in North America. Are any still around in your neck of the woods? I'm sure I'm not the only one here who misses old-fashioned soda fountains so let the rest of us know!

There aren’t any drugstore soda fountains that I know of now in the San Francisco area and the few that I recall have been gone for at least 30-40 years or longer. The pharmacy business and times have changed. Independent drugstores have been replaced by bigger chains or conglomerates. Selling items other than pharmacy items, snacks, sodas and alcohol is not profitable. Tastes have changed as people and kids want less dairy but prefer more caffeinated items like tea, coffee or caffeinated energy drinks. Young people or adults don’t hang out at soda fountains as in the past anymore but maybe at cafes or at the mall. I like ice cream but haven’t had a milkshake or a sundae in a long time.

drugstore pics
Little girl reading a comic while drinking an ice cream float in a Detroit Michigan drugstore. (pic by Howard McGraw)

Girls on an old time phone (probably talking to a boy) with their milkshakes in Lebanon Kansas drugstore in 1957. See the comics (Tom & Jerry 154, Nancy and Sluggo 143) and magazines (For Men Only, Stag, True Story) on the left. Also note the display for cigarettes on the counter.

Another girl reading a comic at another drugstore in Lebanon Kansas in 1957. (pic by Francis Miller)

[Darwination]

Absolutely adorable.

[Hepcat]

Come on folks! There's gotta be more drug store soda fountains still around somewhere.

Here's an article I just found:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/04/19/long-after-heyday-soda-fountain-pharmacies-still-got-fizz/

Has anybody checked out either of the Green Line Apothecaries in Rhode Island?

[woowoo]

On 6/30/2024 at 9:41 PM, Hepcat said:

Come on folks! There's gotta be more drug store soda fountains still around somewhere.

Here's an article I just found:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/04/19/long-after-heyday-soda-fountain-pharmacies-still-got-fizz/

Has anybody checked out either of the Green Line Apothecaries in Rhode Island?

The Question should be are there any comic racks around anymore?

 

[Hepcat]

On 7/2/2024 at 12:16 PM, SpineTic said:

 

 

I believe that was the exact Mad magazine I bought for my reading enjoyment on a class train trip to Toronto in the spring of 1965! 

Edited July 2 by Hepcat

[Hepcat]

On 7/2/2024 at 12:21 PM, SpineTic said:

 

What dinette is that? Is it still in operation?

[woowoo]

[Darwination]

Ha!  What mag is this in?

 

[Darwination]

On 7/2/2024 at 11:22 AM, SpineTic said:

First issue of Life there she's grabbin'.

[woowoo]

On 7/2/2024 at 2:42 PM, Darwination said:

Ha!  What mag is this in?

 

[woowoo]

1935 Micky mouse on table.