The concept for this photo series is that my photos are the opposite of the generic pictures posted on most business sites. The images of models pretending to be doing something important. My photos are of real people, doing real work and they have real a connection to me.
Here’s a photo of my dad, Matthew Krugel, at work at his 1st store, Bel-Mar Drugs, on the south-east corner of Diversey and Laramie in Chicago’s Craigin Park neighborhood; 5200 W. Diversey. He had just owned this store for a few years when this picture was taken. The store was there until about 1978 when he moved it kitty-corner into a building about 3-times in size. He was a fixture in the neighborhood for about 35 years.
The two customers with him are his aunt and uncle (my great-aunt and great-uncle) Sam and Sophie Davis from Los Angeles, CA. Uncle Sam was a bohemian or beatnik of sorts who, back in the 40’s and 50’s, took my dad and his cousins on cross country road trips.
Often times relatives, even customers, visiting from out of town would stop by my dad’s store and fill prescriptions, shop and hang out. This may have been a carry over from the “old days” when pharmacies also had soda fountains and diners. People would spend more time in pharmacies back then as opposed to your present day drive through and in and out type places.
To see an enlarged view of the photo just click on it.
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