Fantastic Department Store Cutaway, 1950s

Yet another mind-blowing cutaway from master illustrator Frank Soltesz. Few people realize that half of a department store is devoted to areas they never see.  Behind the familiar counter and displays are large areas used for stockrooms and other services that supply the selling floors out front.  there is a fur vault, complete bake shop,… Continue reading Fantastic Department Store Cutaway, 1950s

Screw You, Food Court! When Department Store Restaurants Reigned

Yorkdale Mall Toronto Vista Restaurant - ca mid 1960s

Anybody who is under a certain age will not remember how mall department stores once ruled the retail roost.  Before their peak and then eventual decline in the 1980s, these massive shopping cubes, which often went by a single name moniker (Alexander’s, Dalton’s, Gottschalk’s, etc.), were the place to buy everything from clothing to books… Continue reading Screw You, Food Court! When Department Store Restaurants Reigned

Boeing Stratocruiser Cutaway, 1952

Click Image For Full 1636 x 781 px Size In 1952, the 67.5 ton Boeing Stratocruiser cost a (then) whopping $1.5 million.  With a 3,000 mile range, this craft–first delivered to PanAm–offered up luxury as few commercial passengers had seen before:  a galley, a lower-deck lounge, sleeping berths, a forward stateroom, and more. Truly a case… Continue reading Boeing Stratocruiser Cutaway, 1952

Triple Deck Auto Transport Plane Cutaway, 1952

  A lovely 3-color cutaway by Popular Science stalwart, technical illustrator Ray Piotch, of the Blackburn Universal Freighter (“BUF”). The BUF had two lower freight decks that could accommodate 6-8 autos, depending on size, and an upper deck for 42 passengers. This hulking beast wasn’t known for its speed, though, reaching a maximum of 180… Continue reading Triple Deck Auto Transport Plane Cutaway, 1952