About
Portland, Oregon, has a rich history as illustrated by these terrific photos. The goal of Vintage Portland is to document some of the city’s past through photographs, postcards, illustrations, advertisements, etc. I’m drawing on a number of sources for these images and attribution is posted under each photo. This is a personal, non-commercial venture. Vintage Portland is not affiliated with any organization.
This blog will be short on text and long on photos. It’s not a history lesson, it’s not an architectural critique. It’s a forum for displaying photos of the city’s past, to show how we lived, what we’ve lost (for good or bad) through progress and just to enjoy some wonderful camera work.
NOTE: Except in a few rare cases where I use my own photographs, I do not own the rights to these images. If you wish to use any images you see here, please visit the website of the source cited under each image for their particular usage rules and restrictions.
-Dan Davis
December 14, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Would love to see something on SW Portland’s Multnomah Village.
Let’s see if I can find some photos.
xoxo
anne bocci
December 20, 2009 at 5:25 pm
[...] images that speak to the history of the Rose City, Portland Building Ads, Vintage Portland’s stated goal is to document some of the city’s past through photographs, postcards, illustrations, [...]
February 5, 2010 at 9:58 am
Thanks for doing this – I love seeing Vintage Portland pop up in my RSS feed.
May 13, 2010 at 6:01 am
Where do you get your scans? I have just begun exploring the Oregon Historical Society photo archives in the research library and their pretty protective of their images. Is the City of Portland archives a seperate collection?
June 15, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Seriously the best website ever. I often find myself gazing deep into every photo, day dreaming about Portland’s past. Thank you so much.
August 15, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Thank you so much for this site–it is absolutely wonderful. Every morning before I head out to work I look at the site to see what’s new–one of the little gems I can look forward to each day.
September 1, 2010 at 10:53 pm
I worked at, and loved Alexanders Chrysler, for 13 years. It was at the triangle lot, address 2340 N.E. Sandy. We were bought out by Timberline Dodge and they threw away our photo alblum, dating back to 1938. I was wondering if you could post any old pictures of this cherished (to many) dealership.
September 22, 2010 at 6:52 am
Hi, nice to meet you !
November 6, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for sharing your fantastic finds! I appreciate the large formats on most of the photos and maps so that one can make out the many details normally lost in smaller pictures. I hope to see, in future posts, some vintage photos of the Sellwood District, the PEPCO interurban car barns and tracks that went through there (I used to live across the tracks from the large car barn complex just off SE 11th Ave.). Keep up the good work!
December 30, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Thank you SO much for sharing these incredible pictures! I have been looking for old pictures of SE Belmont for a long time. The photo of 39th and Belmont was of particular interest to me, as my wife and I live right near there! Would you happen to have any more photos of that area of Belmont? I’d really like to see what used to be at 38th and Belmont (the south side of Belmont, specifically). If only that picture taken at 39th and Belmont was from the other side of the street!
Thanks again for all your work.
February 22, 2011 at 8:42 pm
I grew up in Portland in the 1950s and 1960′s–glad I found your site. Love the photos of the orange and white “Wait Lites” (pedestrian signals) that were once common throughout the city. Thank you.
April 27, 2011 at 5:42 am
I always check out those blogs next to mine on Postaday2011. Today that was you. This is a great blog. I will be returning.
May 29, 2011 at 10:43 am
Dear Dan,
My name is Jennifer Bydwell and I am doing research for a film project. Could you please confirm for me the source of one of the photos on your site? Is is: “Aerial View, West End Burnside Bridge”. The photo is 1935, and credited to the City of Portland Archives. Do you know by any chance what the accession number is?
Many thanks,
Jennifer
May 30, 2011 at 10:38 am
Hi Dan, My curiosity has been tweaked by the news reports in recent days about building a “Public Market” at the west end of the Morrison Bridge. It got me to wondering if you might have pictures of the old Yamhill St Public Market. Kind of Portland’s version of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. I have fond memories of walking through it in the early 50′s. Let some of our citizens know this isn’t a new idea and would be well received.
May 30, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Larry – Are you thinking of the 5th & Yamhill Food Market?
http://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/5th-yamhill-food-market-1975/
May 30, 2011 at 10:13 pm
That’s the one that I’m referring to, yes. It never had as much character as Pike Place, which is now a destination, but I still remember the good times I spent there. And of similar style was Corno’s produce on “Union Ave” that is long gone also.
March 31, 2012 at 12:43 pm
WOW. It’s like a way back machine. I was born in Portland (1940) and raised here and your site really excites the ol’ memory nodes. This site is a most enjoyable forum, a very rare bird. Thank you very much. Thanks also to your many interesting contributors.
August 21, 2012 at 9:00 am
I was born in Portland on June 13, 1941. This is the best website on old Portland and thanks for starting it.
September 28, 2012 at 11:01 am
I have a question. My grandmother worked as waitress at the
Lonesome Club in Portland circa 1940. I have seen a token from the Lonesome Club that shows the address as 821 SW 4th Street. I also have a group photo that includes my grandmother from inside the club. But that is all I know about it. Someone once told me that it was a great place to go dancing.
Does anyone know anything about the Lonesome Club?
Thanks!
September 29, 2012 at 3:30 am
Heres a start. I googled “Historical the lonesome club 821 SW 4th Street.
I came up with this web address:
http://feedback.pdxradio.com/topic/this-day-in-portland-radio-history-december-1/page/2
Not much but i thinks it’s a start to finding a picture of it. might try “THe Orgon Historical Society” in Portland. Might try calling them.
Bob
September 29, 2012 at 3:45 am
Forget above. I really found some references to it here, using the search engine Chrome.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3Bcqn,rate_low%3D0.035,rate_high%3D0.035,min_length%3D2,cconf%3D1.2,second_pass%3Dfalse,num_suggestions%3D1,ignore_bad_origquery%3Dtrue&dc=at++821+sw+4th+st.&gs_mss=historical++the+lonesome+club+at++821+sw+4th+st.+++portland++1940&tok=IXKLML-TQDjIJglOxnEMQQ&pq=the+lonesome+club+at++821+sw+4th+st.+++portland++1940&cp=30&gs_id=51&xhr=t&newwindow=1&safe=off&gl=us&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=994&bih=636&bs=1&um=1&q=historical%20the%20lonesome%20club%20portland%201940&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&ei=istmUNLeNsSfiAKnxIC4AQ
October 1, 2012 at 11:06 am
I would like to echo those sentiments about this website. The best of these I have seen. I also grew up in Portland and find the then & now comparisions simply fantastic. My favorite so far is the photo of W 21st & Burnside which contains a photo of the Chinese Gardens Restaurant where my Mom worked in the 40′s and met my Dad.
October 1, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Dave Jordan Says:
“My favorite so far is the photo of W 21st & Burnside which contains a photo of the Chinese Gardens Restaurant where my Mom worked in the 40′s and met my Dad.”
Where did you find this picture Dave. I would like to see it and keep a copy of it.
Thanks, Bob
October 1, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Hello Bob,
Look up W 21st & Burnside 1953. It’s a view looking West. Has a whole bunch of differnet businesses on it.
October 1, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Here’s the 21st and Burnside photo:
http://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/w-burnside-21st-1953/
October 2, 2012 at 8:19 am
Thanks Dan. I have a picture of the old Piggly Wiggly store I went to in the 1940′s and 1950′s. It was on Barbur Blvd. and would like to submit it. how do i go about doing this? I can get it to you through my email.
Thanks, Bob Taylor
October 4, 2012 at 8:03 am
Hello! I wanted to drop a line and tell you how much I am seriously enjoying this site with its many photos. The Vanport pictures are of particular interest to my husband and I, as my late father-in-law was a small child living with his family in Vanport when it flooded, and he and his sister almost drowned trying to escape it. As for me–I work at a familiar historical restaurant that happens to have a WWII B-17g “Flying Fortress” airplane sitting out front. We run a small museum on-site, so I have access to many pictures documenting the changes in my workplace over the last 65 years (which also included a 48-pump gas station that used to be underneath the plane), but since it’s in Milwaukie and not Portland proper, I’m not certain those pictures would “qualify” for posting here. Please let me know either way.
Thank you,
Vanessa Carruthers
November 2, 2012 at 2:40 pm
We have a lovely old house on SE 67th and Woodward. Other than some ariel shots and views from the Reservoir, I can’t seem to see anything from our street. If anyone has anything, please post it. Thanks.
November 23, 2012 at 3:21 pm
I’m so glad to have found this. I’m a Portland native born in1939, went to Marysville grade school and Franklin Hi. Was reminiscing with a friend on Thanksgiving and we were recalling some of the old haunts and “Top Of The Park” came up but we can’t remember where it was or if it was in a hotel or what. Does anyone remember the Top Of The Park?
December 13, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Love this site. I’ve used it as my only source of information and point of reference for history when touring Portland. (Just moved here) I can pull up Google Earth and your site, and see the before and afters in a way that finally seems to put me in the past…as I long for daily lol. Thank you
December 29, 2012 at 7:24 am
I love this site! I grew up in the sixties in the NW industrial area. the house I grew up in is now where the fremont bridge ramps come down onto Yeon. I wonder if there are any photos of that area from before the construction. NW Roosevelt, wilson between 22nd and 24th. there were a lot of residential buildings in that area then.
December 30, 2012 at 11:05 am
@Nancyann Irvin: You can see that area in this March 1964 aerial photo.
February 11, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Does anyone have any history of the building at 3121 NE Sandy Blvd?
February 11, 2013 at 4:15 pm
31st & Sandy.
My mother sewed sport coats for a clothier in the late 60s or early 70s. it was upstairs with the access door on the avenue.
February 11, 2013 at 5:16 pm
Interesting. Thank you. Do you know the name of the company?
February 11, 2013 at 7:58 pm
George Marandas (spelling?)
March 7, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Hello: I just purchased a 1963 Dodge Dart convertible that was first sold by Dodge City, Inc. in Portland. Does anyone remember this auto dealership or have a photo of it? Thanks for anything you may have.
April 30, 2013 at 10:27 am
Born and raised in PDX, love the photos and the commentary. Having just discovered the blog I have spent the last several days going thru all the photos. A couple of things accured to me, I noticed a photo,very early, of Rose City Grocery, I believe, any way, when did Portland become known as The Rose City. Thanks