Olan Mills and Other Dime-store Magic

Long, long ago, in a galaxy that existed before Walmart, there were wonderful places called dime stores (or "five and dimes" or "ten-cent stores"). To my discerning childhood eye, the one in Childersburg had a superior selection of toy rings. But the one in Sylacauga countered with an electric organ, which they would let you play. So it was a tough call. Some stores in that genre blossomed into full-blown department/discount stores, like Grant's in Sylacauga. That's where this lovely Olan Mills portrait was made. Imagine—you put on your Easter dress, follow your mama into Grant's, hop up on a carpeted stool, and voila! You've been professionally photographed, and you have the Olan Mills signature to prove it. If you were lucky (and behaved yourself), you might be rewarded with a fountain Co-Cola from the in-store cafeteria. (It wasn't as fancy as the one at Woolworth's in Birmingham, but sometimes a girl has to make do.) Grant's sold an array of goods—shorts and tops for your vacation, notebooks for school, cleaning products, toys, and best of all . . . a talking bird. That's right. This store had a real pet department, the unchallenged star of which was Joe the talking mynah bird. "Helloooooo," Joe would say—if he felt like it. He could also say, "My name's Joe" and "Joe's a pretty boy." That's all he could say . . . until my aunt and uncle bought him. Suddenly Joe could say, "Are you married or single?" (That would be the handiwork of my mischievous uncle.) When my Great Aunt Mack pet-sat Joe, he learned to call for her—loudly: "MACK-O!!!" And so, while there is much to be said for the convenience of mega Walmarts, I do sometimes long for the adventure of a dime store, where, on any given day, you might luck into a new shipment of plastic bling, pose for a photographer who tells you what a "pretty little lady" you are while your mama beams from the sidelines, and have yourself a chat with a big black bird.

Comments

[Nancy Dorman-Hickson]

Was this photo taken about the time you stopped growing? Seriously adorable. Happy Birthday later this week, girlfriend. Loved the post. It was a huge deal for us to go to the dime store (mainly because we had to go to the next town to do so and we rarely did that).

[valerieluesse]

Ha! Thanks my sistah! EGAD! 50 years old! When did that happen? And why am I not wiser? I thought I would know everything by now:)

[Kacey]

Too cool. I wish I had encountered a dime store as a kid. Reminds me of the scene in O Brother when Everett and Delmar are kicked out of one: "And stay outta the Woolsworth!" And later: "Everett I don't know, was it just the one or the whole chain?" <3

[valerieluesse]

Oh my goodness, Kacey! Those are some of our favorite lines from O Brother! Sometimes, when I'm telling Dave something I need him to do, I'll add on "And stay outta the Woolworth's!" Nanci Griffith does this great recitation about Woolworth stores in a song called "Love at the Five and Dime")--she says they all have the same wonderful smell "like popcorn and chewing gum rubbed around together on the bottom of a leather-sole shoe." :)