A Philadelphia flavor to this 1958 ad. The car is pulled up to the front entrance of the the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel at 200 S. Broad Street where seemingly, the passengers in the rear seat are too preoccupied to get out, despite the classy, well dressed crowds waiting on the steps. Maybe it's New Years Eve? But please, dear, get out of the car!
The hotel was at its height during this point of history, it began a slow decline in the 1960s and was the site of the Legionnaire's disease outbreak while hosting an American Legion convention in 1976. The hotel never really recovered and was converted to a mixed-use development after 1988.
Because this is a Cadillac ad in the fifties, the women's gowns are mentioned, this time supplied by Nan Duskin of Philadelphia.
Nan Duskin was an internationally known boutique that dressed Philadelphia’s high society. They carried merchandise from major designers such as Chanel, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, and Yves Saint Laurent. It opened in 1927, expanded to three locations, the main branch being a couple of blocks from the hotel. The store filed for bankruptcy in 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment