JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. 1960s exterior view. (photo courtesy Malls of America) 
JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson) 
JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson) 
JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. Exterior view. (photo by Pat Richardson) 
JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. East mall entrance. (photo by Pat Richardson) 
JCPenney; Lima Mall, Lima, Ohio. West mall entrance. (photo by Pat Richardson)
It's very interesting to compare the 1960's appearance with the later photographs. To me, the store looks contemporary in both versions - when they switched to the modern logo they moved it to the side rather than spreading the letters out, which worked fine with the 60's logo but wouldnt have at all with the newer one.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Penney accomplished a very rare thing - replacing a great logo with another great logo. I love 'em both!
And did they paint the store in a lighter shade, or was the color just super saturated on the postcard?
This was one of the few Penney's stores from the era that still looks fresh. Squaring off the entrance and moving the logo didn't hurt a thing. The block doesn't look it's ever been painted, so it's likely an over-saturated picture.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear someone else stand up for the 1971 JCPenney logo. It's remarkably strong and it's had a good, long life. Because of that long life, a lot of people think it should be dumped in favor of the '60s logo or something newer. I don't see the point, especially since the current word-mark is still holding up.
Don't get me wrong, the 1963 logo was a classic (and one of my all-time favorites), but part of the reason that people dig it is because it's been used only infrequently for the last 30 years. Had it still been in continuous service for 45 years, people would have grown tired of it and be advocating for its dismissal too.
Ditto for me about both Penney's logos. JCPenney has done a good job with keeping an older location fresh while preserving the basic mid mod appearance of the 60s. The current logo reflects the successful move to a soft lines modest priced department store, and upmarket move that few have successfully accomplished. The relatively short life of the 1963 logo adds to its mystique, but it always fit well on the mid mod mall designs.
ReplyDeleteI think JCPenney is one of the best retailers in America because they've always been cognizant of their market. To be sure, there have been missteps, but the overall track record is solid.
ReplyDelete