Features

SPECIAL FEATURES OF BIRMINGHAM REWOUND:
 

Eastwood Mall's 50th anniversary -- It's no longer around, so REWOUND did the celebrating instead.

Farewell to Loveman's -- After decades of going eyeball-to-eyeball with Pizitz, on April 5, 1980, Loveman's blinked.  Here are some newspaper pieces written about the demise of Loveman, Joseph and Loeb. 

Western Hills Mall turns 40 -- In February 2010, REWOUND paid tribute to Birmingham's third shopping mall, which opened early in 1970.

Grayson's in 1945 -- pictures and a writeup about a party at this Southside establishment.

Vege-Cal -- Early 20th century patent tonic in Birmingham that used one of the first roadside advertisements.  Two of these life-sized "iron men" survive today.

Gardendale in the 1960s -- Some pictures submitted to REWOUND by Robert Brewis.

Kiddieland, 60 years ago -- June 5, 1948 was the day the rides started.  Look back at some newspaper articles from the grand opening, and pictures of Kiddieland park from when it first opened.

A Centennial Tribute to Cora Saxon -- Remember the SAXON'S roadside chain of candy stores and restaurants?  Mrs. Cora Saxon turned 100 in March 2008, and BIRMINGHAM REWOUND celebrates her life and the "luscious candies" which carried their family name. Aaron Tanner has contributed a history of Saxon's, from its beginnings along then US-241 in Wellington, Alabama, to the tragic circumstances leading to Saxon's demise in the 1970s. 

Valentines of Yesteryear -- Tim Hollis goes back to the good old days when we created "mailboxes" out of shoeboxes and contact paper, and our fellow classmates would fill them with valentines.

This Month in "History" -- Each month, BIRMINGHAM REWOUND's Tim Hollis brings us an ongoing series of looks back in time through newspaper advertisements.  This year, we're looking back at 1949, 1959, 1969 and 1979.

_Back-To-School Special -- Tim Hollis takes us back to school days of old.  If you were a product of Birmingham and Bessemer area schools in the 1950s and 60s, you'll want to look through this virtual yearbook.  You might recognize some old friends.  Or even yourself.

Rocking with Roddy -- BIRMINGHAM REWOUND was just tickled orange to hear from one of the original WSGN Good Guys, Dave Roddy.  Go back to the days when The Tropics were bringing down the house at the Oporto Armory -- "the rockinest place on a Birmingham Saturday night!", when Mondays meant double shots of your baby's love, and the radio blasted some of the best music ever made.  Find out how a roll of toilet tissue almost derailed his career.  Read stories from behind the scenes, encounters with some of pop music's greats, and plenty of memories ... served up by Mr. Roddy himself! 

The Roebuck Stops Here -- 50 years ago on March 14, Birmingham's second major shopping venue had its grand opening.  REWOUND lights the candles on a birthday cake for Roebuck Plaza Shopping Center.

K-99: Your Album Site -- Russell Wells presents a tribute to the premier FM rock station in Birmingham, in honor of the 30th anniversary of its founding in 1976.  Turn on the radio of your past, and remember a time when commercial stations also valued the listener.

Showplaces of the South -- TIM HOLLIS has contributed two books to the Images of America series: BIRMINGHAM BROADCASTING, and his first, BIRMINGHAM'S THEATER & RETAIL DISTRICT (both available .... hint, hint!).  However, the Images books are nearly all pictorial, with the only text being captions and brief introductions.  This wasn't realized until AFTER Tim had written a very thorough and fascinating history of the old downtown movie houses.  So, what to do with a manuscript gathering dust?  Simple: make yet another BIRMINGHAM REWOUND feature, that's what!

The Magic City Kids' Shows -- A special section by TIM HOLLIS honoring all the television personalities who for years kept Birmingham kids entertained.

Birmingham Drive-In & Teen Culture, 1967 -- Remembering what it was like to be a teenager back in the day.  Does "Mr. Good Guys" ring a bell?

Birmingham Rewound celebrates Christmas -- In case you want a Yuletide fix, regardless of what page your calendar's on.  TIM HOLLIS turned in a section guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye, or at least to let your inner child come out and play one more time.

Eastwood Mall (1960-2006) -- The site which led to the creation of BIRMINGHAM REWOUND.  Remember back to a day when malls were something special, not just eyesores of urban sprawl.



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This page last updated 07/31/2010 -- 323 PM EDT

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