Excerpts from the Preface to Celebrating The City:
"Celebrating The City is the exhibition catalog that accompanied the photographic exhibition "Two Men's Toledo: A Pictorial Essay, 1890 - 1940." The catalog and display present the best photographs of two unique yet complementary photographers, Charles Mensing and Norman Hauger."
"The prints show changes in American society over the fifty year period, 1890 through 1940, and the economic and technological impact is obvious. The architectural heritage of downtown Toledo is preserved in these photographs."
"Hopefully this publication will raise some questions. Must progress mean the loss of our architectural heritage; and can we revive the vitality of the early twentieth century city?"
PRESENTED HERE ARE 23 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EXHIBITION CATALOG
"The Elks Carnival ran for a week in September, 1899. The midway offered nine major attractions, such as the 'Streets of Cairo' with Shiek Habeeb Katool, the 'Hindu Theater,' a dog and goat show, and the German village."
"Parading elephants frequented pre-World War I streets to herald the arrival of a circus to entertain Toledoans. Several circuses performed in the city each summer, setting up tents at the Dorr Street Fairgrounds and at various other locations about the city."
"Lake Erie Park and Casino was first built in 1895, near the site of present Cullen Park. Only a short trolley ride from the city, and owned by a traction company, the popularly known 'Casino' drew thousands of Toledoans to its rides, games, and vaudeville shows."
"The plague of june bugs every season often covered the boardwalk four to five inches deep with the beetles. Fire was the downfall of the amusement pier; the original casino burned in 1901 and its replacement shared that fate in 1910. The park remained closed after the second fire."
"The cars of the Toledo, Ottawa Beach and Northern Railway made runs every fifteen minutes to the lakeside amusement park [Toledo Beach.] Riders would spring from the crowded cars and head along the sidewalks for their favorite attraction. The four hundred acre park opened in 1906, enjoyed its heyday about 1916, and declined after the interurban cars stopped running in 1927."
"The Ohio National Guard Armory was built in 1892 on Spielbush Avenue. This picture shows the local troops mustering on April 27, 1898 for service in the Spanish-American War. The Armory and the lot behind it served as the site for many events until the building burned on Dec. 21, 1934. The current Federal Courthouse occupies the location."
"Movie star Marlene Dietrich came to Toledo to help in a World War II bond drive. Miss Dietrich is escorted along North Ontario Street as part of the festivities frequently used to sell war bonds and strengthen morale of those on the home front."
"[Photographer] Charles Mensing returned to his childhood neighborhood and photographed the landmarks of his youth. He realized that most city dwellers' roots led back to a home neighborhood which offered physical shelter, localized services such as grocery stores and most importantly, a sense of belonging. Olds' grocery on the northwest corner of Fassett and Utah streets served the east side."
"The presence of a bicycle inside Olds' grocery may indicate "home delivery" was available."
"Although some of the storefronts have been remodeled, most of the buildings in this circa 1900 view of Adams Street remain."
"A blizzard on February 28 and March 1, 1900 paralyzed Toledo. Over twenty inches of snow accumulated at this intersection of Summit and Monroe Streets. The streets commissioner hired any willing able bodied men to clear the downtown streets; the snow was then hauled away by wagon and dumped into the Maumee River. Fire Chief Wall warned that factory and business establishments should be watched constantly until the snow could be removed. He said, 'If a fire should break out in the business district the result would be appalling. It would be impossible to drag our heavy engines any great distances in time to be of much service.' "
"After the passage of prohibition, bootlegging grew into a lucrative business. In 1931, Yonnie Licavoli and his gang came to Toledo from Detroit and challenged local bootleggers for control of Toledo's liquor business. Competitors of Licavoli were gradually eliminated. In 1934, Licavoli and eleven others were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Licavoli is pictured here, at the right, in handcuffs during the October, 1934 trial."
"A Toledo landmark for fifty years, The Toledo Public Library stood on the corner of Madison and Ontario Streets. E. O. Fallis, a pioneer Toledo architect, designed the building which opened on June 23, 1890. The library was razed in 1940, allowing space for a parking lot."
"Pedestrians hurry to catch their streetcars in this circa 1910 view of Court House Square. David L. Stine, prominent Toledo architect, designed the Lucas County Courthouse which opened on January 1, 1897. The large open square was often used for political rallies in the early twentieth century."
"A Toledo landmark for fifty-five years, the Boody House hotel stood at the corner of Madison Avenue and St. Clair Street. The hotel opened in June 1872 with 133 guest rooms, each with its own fireplace. Hot and cold water ran in each room, a novelty for the day. The building was torn down in 1928 to make way for the Ohio Savings Bank and Trust Company."
"The Paramount Theater held a gala opening on February 16, 1929. The $2,000,000 structure was located at the corner of Adams and Huron Streets and was one of the finest theatres inthe Publix theatre chain. Sculpturing adorned the interior and seven story ceilings were decorated in a sky motif. The building was razed in 1965 to make a parking lot."
"The Spitzer Building, located at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Huron Street was completed in 1896. Charles Mensing photographed the 1900 addition to the Huron Street side of the building. The structure was the first large building of steel construction in Toledo. The Nasby Building casts a shadow on the construction scene."
"The Blade Building has been the headquarters of the newspaper since May 2, 1927. The landmark is located at the intersection of Superior, Beech, and Huron Streets."
"The street cleaner pauses on Summit Street near the corner of Jefferson in this turn of the century streetscape. Today, the Federal Building occupies the site of the Tiedtke Brothers Store shown in the right hand portion of the picture."
"The sophisticated lady in business attire bicycles down Madison Avenue, possibly on her way to or from work in this 1896 view taken from Summit Street. In the left background is the famous Boody House hotel."
"This mid - 1890's view shows the erection of the Fassett Street Bridge. The bridge was an important link between south and east Toledo until it collapsed in 1935. The bridge was subsequently repaired and reopened."
"Charles Mensing took his camera indoors to photograph the H. C. Frentz art supply establishment located at 521 Jefferson Avenue. This interior view was taken between 1894 & 1897."
"The soda fountain provided a social setting for families to enjoy an evening treat. The cigar counter appealed to the gentlemen and all family members occasionally partook of the many patent medicines which lined the shelves. The location of this photograph was not identified by the photographer."
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