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Great, now we need some Chiclets
By adamg on Tue, 07/05/2022 - 12:11pm
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NE corner of Dot Ave and Broadway
Taken by the Boston Elevated circa 1905 for the expansion of the "Cambridge Tunnel" down to the areas of the great unwashed.
There are some people on Twitter saying 97 Warrenton owing to the sign on the building. Us old people realize that Donnelly Advertising was a big player in billboards around here until not that long ago and that was there address. That address is now the rear end of the W Hotel.
The ghost breaker
That movie came out in 1914. So if you're saying this area was taken in 1905 for the red line it can't be there.
Yup
You are right. Red Line didn't come to Broadway until 1917.
The Boston Elevated took a lot of land in the area to make the subway and the now super secret trolley level that is now used for police training between the station platform and the street.
Super secret station
Has an old Blue Line car, not the old Red Line car you might think.
It Is Why Dot Ave Is So Wide
In front of Doughboy at A / Dot / West Third. That was the southerly ramp for street cars entering / exiting the station.
Close but …
The Cambridge-Dorchester tunnel didn't open south of Park until 1915, and didn't reach Broadway until 1917. The picture advertised dates to December 7, 1914. And it's not at Broadway and Dot Ave, but at First St and Dot Ave, which is now Gillette Park and Dot Ave. It looks, let's just say, a little bit different. The photo was almost definitely taken as part of the subway project, though, and the buildings were already abandoned and covered in ads as part of it. The entire end of the block was taken down for BERy and Gillette took over the rest.
(meant to thread this under the first reply)
I just want some Chiclets
The Fruit Flavor ones with the different colors.
Center street JP
Center street JP
Did Boston subway stations have Chiclet dispensers?
I'm an old enough recovering Brooklynite that I remember when New York subway platforms all had Chiclet dispensers - you put in a penny and turned the knob and you'd get a little box with two Chiclets in it (often right next to the penny scales for New Yorkers who apparently didn't have a scale at home).
Maybe in Brooklyn
I don't remember them in Manhattan (granted, i was also a space cadet), and I know I'm not younger than you.
Kendall subway station had a Chicklet dispenser
Still remember checking my Dad's suitcoat pockets for a pack of Chicklets when he got home from taking the subway from Kendall after work in the 50s. I was one of 4 boys (none of whom shared) and my Dad only bought one pack at a time so being first to the pockets mattered.
Turkish Trophies!
Turkish Trophies!
When they took those billboards down
did they get to put up another one in Dorchester?
Gillette water tanks
Your assessment makes sense, as there are rooftop water tanks with Gillette logos on them (which could be just adverts away from their HQ, but still).
The street name that is mostly obscured Does appear to begin with a W! Maybe it is West 2nd or West 4th .
West Broadway at A STreet
Two Gillette Water tanks to the left and there is a trolley car in the far right approaching the Photog, Hydrant on the corner still there.
The billboard clue
for a 1914 movie is actually advertising a live stage production in 1913.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/V4oAAOSwxGVisgPw/s-l1600.jpg
The Answer!
Thanks for playing, folks! This image shows West First St at Dorchester Ave around 1914. While the photo doesn't have a date on it, we're dating it by the posters. The movie being advertised came out in late 1914, so we suspect late 1914, perhaps early 1915.
You can look at a high res version that can be blown up here: https://cityofboston.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_0647a686-683...