Inside J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward, 1973

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Women’s clothing

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Main aisle at housewares

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Housewares, featuring power tools and the `cook ‘n shop’ section

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Camera department, with sportswear in the far background on left

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Sporting goods and toys

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Men’s suits

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Furniture department with bar sets

I found the photos at News Tribune Attic, an archive of the Duluth News Tribune. Miller Hill Mall opened in 1973, anchored by J.C. Penney (above) and Montgomery Ward (below). JCP is still there. Ward was replaced by DSW Shoe Warehouse, Barnes & Noble, and Old Navy in 2001.

What I noticed right away was the lavish amount of space, not just in the aisles but in the respective sections themselves. The mall wasn’t just a warehouse of merchandise, but a place of comfort, a journey into the fantasy of the American Dream.

I wish the photos enlarged. The toy section in the fifth shot down stretches out on both sides of the aisle, and I can’t make out a damn thing.

My obsession with shopping malls goes back a ways.

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Food court/’buffeteria’

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Sporting goods. The sailboat is on sale for $499.88.

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Juniors (‘Reflections’) and women’s clothing departments

 

1 Response to “Inside J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward, 1973”


  1. 1 Tim May 27, 2016 at 12:46 pm

    Someone should make a movie in that environment and have some zombies in there…


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