You can’t talk about Cincinnati history or the city’s history museum without discussing the Crosley automobile. The Crosley Corporation produced a series of subcompact cars that are as cute as can be. They didn’t operate for a long time (1939-1952 with a break during the war years) but they certainly left their mark on the automobile industry.
They made the first mass produced automobile with an overhead camshaft engine that was affordable to the masses. They made a sports car, a truck, a convertible and station wagon like the one on display at the Ohio History center.
This 1951 Super Station Wagon is part of the permanent collection at the Cincinnati History Museum. It got an impressive 30- 50 miles per gallon at a top speed of around sixty miles per hour. According to the signage with the vehicle, the 1951 and 1952 models of this car came with this nifty little propeller on the front of the car.
Crosley Corporation and company founder Powell Crosley gave us the Shelvador refrigerator, a first to offer shelves inside the door. Powell owned the Cincinnati Reds for a while, broadcasting the games on his powerful WLW AM radio station which broadcast to homes across the Midwest on inexpensive radios he manufactured and sold to households nationwide.
The pictured vehicle was donated to the museum in honor of Jean and Houston Crosley. Houston was the grandson of Powell Crosley, Jr. Incidentally, they are buried at Spring Grove Cemetery along with many other members of the Crosley family.
Union Terminal in Cincinnati was designed with an attention to detail that simply isn’t found much in modern architecture.
There’s a lot to unpack in the above picture- the lights, the jaw dropping mosaic tile artwork, the ceiling, the marble and the font on the directional sign “to trains” are all worthy of our study.
The space is both grandiose and simplistic. Ornate and streamlined. That’s the thing about art deco style – they keep the lines clean but make a big statement!
It’s a showstopper, isn’t it? Come back tomorrow. We will visit one of the museums that lives in this building!
It’s no secret that books are an important part of my life and that I often seek out bookstores when traveling. That’s why it was important to me to prioritize finally visiting the Ohio Book Store in downtown Cincinnati last month.
The Ohio Book Store was founded in 1940 and is five floors of used and out-of-print books. The proprietor will meet you at the door and ask if you’re looking for anything in particular to aid in your search. If you’re just browsing or are interested in multiple topics, he will give you a map to aid in your expedition.
When I inquired about nature books, he asked a few questions before taking me to my desired section in the basement. When my fella asked about history, the guy asked questions to drill down to a specific area of history before sending him off to the third floor with a map and some instructions.
Each floor features rows of tall metal shelves and some makeshift ones as well. Tall windows facing Main Street provide lovely atmospheric light and a chair here and there welcomes the shopper to stop for a rest or a read.
This place is packed to the ceiling with unusual books, old books, things you’ve never heard of, and things you never knew you needed to read. It is not the place to come for new releases or bestsellers but I think that’ makes it all the more charming.
Although, I will admit that it’s a little overwhelming at first! Note the massive collection of National Geographic’s pictured here. I went hoping to find the August 1949 edition that I’ve been searching for these last several years. They had a dozen copies for $5 each. They have a selection of other old magazines like Life and local papers too.
They even do book repair and binding. That’s a sentence I never thought I would get to type. People just don’t take care of things the way they used to so it was great fun to see that department in the basement.
I found a nice little stack of things that I knew I would never see again and left behind some stuff that I now regret.
Perhaps a return trip should be on the books!
Want to visit the Ohio Book Store? Find everything you need to know on their website!
Tucked in the corner of the Cincinnati Union Terminal Museum Center is a nondescript door that leads into something unexpectedly special.
Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor feels like an art deco time capsule. That’s because it’s decorated with Rookwood Pottery tile. This iconic handmade tile comes from the Cincinnati based pottery that was founded in 1880. It’s world renowned pottery that can often be found in fine public buildings, in many historic homes, and even the New York City Subway.
This space was originally a tea room and later a home for the USO when World War II troop trains rolled through the city. Now they serve ice cream treats to museum goers and Amtrak travelers.
My only regret is that we didn’t stay and order some ice cream. Another day.
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but I’m not above buying a book specifically for its cover. This is especially true when the book is an antique because I have found some beautifully done antique and vintage covers that are just too pretty to leave behind.
In today’s digital world, it’s challenging to find a book that looks and feels like a piece of art. One exception is my pal Eilene’s book Fortune’s Frenzy with a captivating cover and title. Read about it here.
This copy of Wanderer of the Wasteland took me by surprise while browsing the section Half Price Books calls rare and collectible.
Written by Zanesville, Ohio native Zane Grey, this book has a gorgeous cover but the spine is what caught my attention. It is uncommon to see a spine with hyphenated words. They easily could have made the font smaller or rotated the words so it feels like sort of a mystery.
This book once had a dust jacket but, for three bucks, I could hardly complain about the missing jacket.
This first edition was printed in 1923 when Grey was about 51 years old. In case you don’t know, Zane Grey was a prolific writer in the Western and Adventure genres. He even wrote nonfiction books on fishing and baseball.
He was one of the first writers to become a millionaire and was said to be a favorite author of President Eisenhower. Here’s a story about that.
Throughout his prolific career, Zane Grey wrote over one hundred books and collections of short stories, some of which were adapted by Hollywood. He even formed his own motion picture company to maintain control over his stories. Early television enthusiasts might recall Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater that ran in the mid-fifties.
But I digress.
I learned a lot about Zane Grey by visiting a museum that’s dedicated to him and to the National Road here in Ohio. Oddly enough, I didn’t really write about the Zane Grey part of the museum in this account.
I haven’t read many Zane Grey books but it’s clear that his infatuation with the old west helped to shape early 20th century views of this piece of our history – both through his books and film.
Grey himself was an interesting character. An athlete, he played baseball in college while studying dentistry. He was an outdoorsman and conservationist. The son of an abusive father, he made friends with Muddy Miser, an old man who supported Grey’s love for the written word and for fishing, a popular pastime in their river town. It’s good to know there was someone in his life who supported his love for the things that would shape him into the man he would become. If you find yourself in Zanesville, check out the restaurant named for Muddy Miser.
By the way, that river town is named for Grey’s ancestor, Revolutionary War patriot Ebenezer Zane. Lots of cool stuff where Zane Grey is concerned.
In case you’re curious, this book I bought for the cover starts out strong.
Adam Larey gazed with hard and wondering eyes down the silent current of the red river upon which he meant to drift away into the desert.
The Rio Colorado was no river to trust. It chafed at its banks as if to engulf them; muddy and thick it swirled and glided along in flood, sweeping in curves back and forth from Arizona to California shore.
They just don’t write ‘em like that anymore!
So, yeah, go ahead and judge a book by its cover. You might find a great one!
I don’t know who needs to hear this but car show season will soon be upon us. With it will come tail fins, hood ornaments and opportunities to make new friends who are excited to talk about their classic cars. Not to mention all the photo ops!
Sit tight friends. It will be here soon.
Meanwhile, here’s a beaut I photographed in Boyne City, Michigan last year. We were on our way somewhere else but you can bet I slammed on the brakes at the sight of a park full of cars.
The fact it all took place on a lake was even better. Atmosphere counts for a lot! Here’s another shot with the water.
Make the Journey Fun 