 |
| Poster included in the exhibit of Baltimore Shops at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. |
The
Baltimore Museum of Industry on Key Highway has a terrific exhibit which runs through March 8, 2015. It features an assortment of shops and stores that many of us patronized before the
big chains appeared in our city and suburbs. Among those locally owned stores is a known favorite of Baltimoreans who shopped at Edmondson Village and Eastpoint Shopping Center. Of course I'm talking about Hess Monkey Town.
 |
| "Hess Monkey Town" oil on canvas |
The painting that I did nearly 30 years ago one night as I tried to imagine what it looked like appears again here in this blog. However my breath was nearly taken away when I saw a photograph of the interior of Hess Monkey Town's barbershop The Snippery. (I'm not sure if this photo below is Eastpoint or Edmondson because of the exterior landscape). It was the first time in my life that I saw a photo of this memorable shoe store/barbershop. I am happily surprised at how much I remembered about how Monkey Town looked. Even the spooky, fake monkeys on the wall seemed to leave an impression on me since the primates that I painted were just as crazed looking.
 |
| "The Snippery" at Hess Shoes in Edmondson Village or Eastpoint |
I know the photo is a bit rough, after all I shot it with my iphone and it's behind glass. I highly recommend that you get yourselves to the museum to see this exhibit. You will feel a thrill as you enter this magical environment created by the BMI's dedicated employees and volunteers. And you will see the sign in this photograph that has a monkey menu which is impossible to read here.
The Baltimore
Museum of Industry is open Tuesday through Sunday - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have some additional thoughts after visiting please post your thoughts here. I'd be very pleased to hear from you.
