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November 17, 1937: The Story of Fran...

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The future certainly had to be better than the past.  Seventeen-year-old Frances Scanlon was being sent to Oakland California to live with her mother's brother Harry, and on November 15, 1937 she took what few belongings she had, and hitched a ride in a Packard (or maybe it was a Buick) with friends-of-friends who were heading that way . A cross-country road-trip was not easily achieved in 1937, but it was not impossible. The car turned off of Parrish Street onto Haverford Avenue in West Philadelphia and then headed across Pennsylvania.  Most likely they chose a route that took them through the southern portion of Ohio. Maps from 1937 indicate that these travelers probably followed an established road or series of roads that veered them away from the Great Lakes, but there was no rush, so maybe it was up towards Cincinnatti that they headed. As they progressed towards their Northern California destination(s) Fran and her two new friends chatted about their mutual acqua...
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The Bourse Nut Parlor (a.k.a. Saint Laurent/rive gauche in an earlier day).- PHOTOS INCLUDED

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Saint Laurent/rive gauche 16 South 4th Street Phildelphia, PA 19106 215.592.9090 There was no email address, because the personal computer had not been invented, nor was there a thing called: The Internet! (October 1980 - March 4, 1988) PHOTOS BELOW In 1980, I was there at the unveiling of Saint Laurent/rive gauche as part of the original store staff.   In 1987 the stock market crashed and on March 4, 1988 Saint Laurent/rive gauche sold its final charmeuse blouse, its last three inch patent leather belt, and a size 8 grain-de-poudre pencil skirt (brown) at 90% off retail and closed its doors for the last time.  In the following weeks I went to closing on the brand new townhouse that I had built, and went about the business of putting myself on the unemployment lines.  Nothing like moving into a brand new house and losing your job all in the same week!  Really: no pressure! As General Manager of the store I still had duties to th...
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