A Riverside Chevrolet Christmas party of 1948. (State Archives of Florida)
Riverside Chevrolet was located on Riverside Avenue in Brooklyn. (State Archives of Florida)
A scene from an Afro-American Life Insurance Company Christmas party. Responsible for the creation of American Beach, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company operated from 1901 to 1990. (State Archives of Florida)
Eartha M.M. White distributing gifts to children at a Clara White Mission Christmas party on December 25, 1963. Nicknamed the “Angel of Mercy” and widely known for the founding of Clara White Mission, White was much more than a humanitarian, philanthropist and civil rights activist. She was also a prominent businesswoman during the height of segregation. A charter member of the National Negro Business League and Jacksonville Business League, she established a tuberculosis hospital, a nursing home, boy’s improvement club and the first park for African Americans in the city. In addition, her list of businesses included a taxi company, dry goods store, and employment and housecleaning bureau. In her spare time, she also became a licensed real estate broker and the first woman employee of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company.(State Archives of Florida)
Lays potato chip company Christmas party. Photographed December 24, 1948. The largest manufacturer of snack foods and potato chips, the H.W. Lay & Company was located on Beaver Street in Woodstock Park. (State Archives of Florida)
A Clyde Steamship Company Christmas dinner menu in 1926. Clyde-Mallory Lines once provided downtown Jacksonville with passenger and freight services to New York, Miami, Boston, Wilmington, Charleston, Key West, Galveston, Tampa, New Orleans and Mobile. They claimed to have the newest, largest and most magnificent ships serving the South. Clyde’s terminals were located where the CSX headquarters building and former County Courthouse sites today. (State Archives of Florida)
A street scene with Christmas decorations at Camp Joseph E. Johnston in 1918. Created as a Florida National Guard base in 1909 and named for Camp J. Clifford R. Foster after World War I, Camp Joseph E. Johnston is now the location of NAS Jacksonville. (State Archives of Florida)
A silent film era Christmas photograph taken at a Kalem Company Christmas party in 1916. From left to right: Top row: Mrs. Jessie E. Snow (center, Robert Walker 4th from left, Ben Ross 3rd from Right). Middle row: John Mackin 4th from left, Mrs. John Mackin, Harry Millarde, Guy Coombs, Harry Parramore, Ruth Snow, Al Miles. Bottom Row: George K. Hollister, unidentified prop man, Henry Hallam, Helen Lindroth, Kenean Buel, Robert Vignola, Storm Boyd, Anna Q. Nilsson, Alice Joyce 8th from right, Alice Hollister 5th from right, Arthur Albertson, 4th from right, Mrs. Ben Ross 2nd from right, unidentified prop man far right. (State Archives of Florida)
Merry Christmas Jacksonville!
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com