Storefront Door, Decals, B&W

Locke, CA

One of the more difficult photography habits for me to break is wanting to show as much as possible, which usually means shooting an object in its entirety.  Sometimes it’s much more interesting and potentially a better composition by showing parts of an object or focusing on specific details.  The viewers’ mind will fill in the rest.

This photograph is of the front doors to the Foon Hop grocery store in the Chinese community of Locke, CA in the Sacramento Delta region.  I posted another photo from this store last week in “Signage, Wall Colors“.  Compared to the vivid colors of that post, I decided to give this photo the B&W treatment.

Though the original owners of the stored constructed and opened the store in 1915 and closed in 1935, the Lucky Strike decal on the window indicates another owner ran the store post 1955.  At the bottom of the Lucky Strike box are the letters L.S/M.F.T.  That stood for the slogan “Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco” which was used starting in 1955.

EXIF data: Nikon D50, patterned metering mode, 30mm, ISO 200, 1/10 sec, f/8 

Storefront Door, Decals.  Locke, California. May 15, 2011. © Copyright Steven Tze – all rights reserved.

Signage, Wall Colors

Locke, CA

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the States and most families are hurrying about to put together a larger than normal meal or rushing to the grocery stores and supermarkets to pick up last minute items.  In the spirit of this day, I have for you a vintage grocery store sign in Locke, CA.

Never heard of Locke?  It’s not surprising.  Locke is a unincorporated city on the Sacramento River Delta that was built entirely by Chinese and inhabited by the Chinese starting in 1913.  By the 1940’s and 1950’s the population started to decline leaving behind a dwindling Chinese population of only 10 according to recent census data.

While most of the stores are now antique shops, art galleries, kitsch stores, or just vacant, the storefronts have mostly gone unchanged.  The building in this photograph was constructed in 1915 as a grocery store for the Foon Hop family until closing in 1935.  Now a gift shop, the grocery signage remains.

EXIF data: Nikon D50, patterned metering mode, 28mm, ISO 200, 1/8 sec, f/8 

Signage, Wall Colors.  Locke, California. May 15, 2011. © Copyright Steven Tze – all rights reserved.