A & P Supermarket, 1940

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Creator

Collection

Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negatives Collection

Document Type

Still Image

Call number of Original

18104 and 18105

Contributing Institution

Portland Public Library Special Collections & Archives

Location

Portland, Cumberland, Maine, USA

Creation Date

1-3-1940

Format of Original

4 x 5" gelatin silver negatives

Description

Views of The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) Supermarket, 449 Forest Avenue, at its grand opening. The address on Forest Avenue faced the northeast terminus of William Street. This store replaced an earlier A&P at 495 Forest Avenue, and was designed in a Colonial architectural style.

The new store included "one hundred new 'double-deck' rubber-tired push-buggies with removable wire baskets" for customers' use. Harold W. Welch was the store manager, with Edward R. Sherwood as assistant manager. George T. Savage managed the meat department, Thomas H. Morin, Jr. managed the dairy department, and Joseph MacCormick managed the produce department.
Grand Opening celebrations (on 2 January 1940) were broadcast on radio station WGAN, with an audience of more than 100 and a temporary bandstand, featuring the A&P Supermarket Swingsters Band. The festivities were officiated by radio announcer Carl de Suze.

Top image: Full exterior view of the store, from west.
Bottom image: View of the meat and fish department in the store.

Photos published in the Portland Press Herald, on 3 January 1940

Recommended Citation

"A & P Supermarket, 1940" (1940). Businesses & Buildings - Portland Press Herald Still Film Negatives. 562.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/pphnegs_images_business/562