Favorite subjects: 56th & Illinois

Twenty years ago my neighbors were bakers. They made breads, pastries, and cookies for a popular deli at 56th and Illinois Streets here in Indianapolis. They brought unsold products home and gave a lot of it to us. They’d call and say simply, “Meet us at the fence.” Such sweet words! They made a flat-out wonderful challah bread that never sold well. For years we hardly bought a loaf of bread, so much challah did they give us!

I never actually visited their deli. Never once drove over to that neighborhood. It’s an easy drive from where we lived, and there were and are lots of other little shops and restaurants over there. Plenty of reasons to go! Yet it wasn’t until I went looking for subjects for my old cameras that I finally visited.

56th & Illinois
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujicolor 200, 2015

I’m not always clear on where one Indianapolis neighborhood begins and another one ends. I think this area is part of the larger Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, or perhaps it only borders it to the north. Either way, it’s a neighborhood of lovely older homes that stretch for blocks in all directions.

House in Butler-Tarkington
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujicolor 200, 2015
56th and Illinois
Pentax KM, 28mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M, Kodak Tri-X 400, 2017
Tree
Kodak Brownie Starmatic, Efke 100, 2013
Cars on the Street
Polaroid SX-70, Impossible Project PX 70 Color Protection, 2013

The Indiana Central Canal flows past this neighborhood and forms its northwest border. A concrete-arch bridge carries Illinois Street over it. This bridge is noteworthy for having been designed by Daniel Luten, who patented a particular kind of arch used in bridges his various firms constructed. Today Luten-arch bridges are considered worthy of preservation, and many are on the National Register of Historic Places. This one is not on the Register, but it is considered eligible. It was probably built in the early 1920s.

Canal bridge
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011
Canal bridge
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011
Central Canal
Pentax KM, 28mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M, Kodak Tri-X 400, 2017
Bridge over the Central Canal
Pentax K1000, 55mm f/1.8 SMC Pentax, Kodak Gold 400, 2017

But the star of the show is the business district. Looking back through my images, it looks like I’ve photographed Kincaid’s meat market more than anything else. It’s an old-fashioned butcher shop — take a number, wait, ask for what you want from the counter, wait while they wrap it up for you. They’ll custom cut anything you want. You know, like every meat counter used to.

Kincaid's
Rollei A110, Fujicolor Superia 200 (expired), 2013
Outside seating (crop)
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011
Custom Cut Meats
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujifilm Fujicolor 200, 2015

Many of the businesses here have been there for decades. A few have closed during the years I’ve lived here. But this strip never seems to have trouble attracting tenants.

Overexposed!
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011
Charles Mayer & Co.
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujifilm Fujicolor 200, 2015
Graeter's
Kodak Six-20, Kodak Verichrome Pan (expired), 2016
Safeway
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011
Chase Bank
Pentax KM, 28mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M, Kodak Tri-X 400, 2017
Chase
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujicolor 200, 2015

The business district provides many opportunities to move close to details.

Bank Building Detail
Pentax K1000, 55mm f/1.8 SMC Pentax, Kodak Gold 400, 2017
On Illinois Street
Pentax K1000, 55mm f/1.8 SMC Pentax, Kodak Gold 400, 2017
Bicycle locked
Kodak Brownie Starmatic, Efke 100, 2013
Fried Chicken
Sears KS Super II, 50mm f/2 Auto Sears, Fujicolor 200, 2015
56th and Illinois
Pentax KM, 28mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M, Kodak Tri-X 400, 2017
Shadowed door (crop)
Agfa Optima, Fujicolor 200 (probably), 2011

Another shot I make over and over again is of the northeast corner of these two streets. I love the scene.

On Illinois Street
Pentax K1000, 55mm f/1.8 SMC Pentax, Kodak Gold 400, 2017
56th and Illinois
Pentax KM, 28mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax-M, Kodak Tri-X 400, 2017

There’s plenty I’ve still not photographed here, including that deli! Of all the places I’m leaving behind as I move, this is one I feel like I’ll still come visit. There’s no butcher shop like Kincaid’s in Zionsville!


Comments

12 responses to “Favorite subjects: 56th & Illinois”

  1. Zimmette Avatar

    Say, this is my “neck o’ the woods”! Yes, the corner of 56th & Illinois is in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. Great shots, especially since the storefront windows of Kincaid’s Meat Market have become decidedly “clean” and corporate since its sale last year.

    You might want to document Firehouse #16 across the street from your favorite deli. The firehouse was shut down recently, and the property sold to a developer for $400,000.

    There might go the neighborhood charm of 56th & Illinois if the developer chooses to follow the current desecration of what was once Broad Ripple Village and is now sleek, contemporary, high-rise, aesthetically-wanting “BR”. Meh.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I didn’t know Kincaids sold. I haven’t been in since it happened. I need to check it out. It would be a shame if it changed significantly.

      I also didn’t know the fire station sold. Here’s my one photo of it:

      https://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilene/16355715268/

      Agreed: hope the new owner of the land doesn’t build urban density here.

  2. Dan Cluley Avatar
    Dan Cluley

    The Chase Bank is interesting. It doesn’t seem common to see that level of detailing on a building that small.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I’ve seen a few other Chase Bank branches similarly detailed around town, so it must have been a thing for a while.

  3. Steve Miller Avatar
    Steve Miller

    Boy! but those CHASE signs just look SO wrong on that building!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Weren’t these AFNB banks originally?

      1. Zimmette Avatar

        Chase was once Bank One was once Indiana National Bank. American Fletcher became PNC, I believe. And I think Merchants Bank became Regions. In a galaxy far, far away when all banks were local. I once had my account at People’s Bank!

        1. Jim Grey Avatar

          Can’t keep it straight without a scorecard!

          I prefer to bank locally. My first bank here was Union Federal. I don’t remember why I switched off them but I went to First Indiana. When they got bought my local options had become far, far more limited so I switched to 5/3.

          I remember when the Indiana Members Credit Union location on N. Michigan Road was a People’s Bank!

  4. Dan Cluley Avatar
    Dan Cluley

    I was doing my best to ignore them. ;)

    Your B/W shot does a pretty good shot at making the sign unobtrusive.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      They’ve been Chase Banks for as long as I’ve lived here, or almost, so they don’t look that weird to me!

  5. James Thorpe Avatar
    James Thorpe

    Interesting to see how warm some of those Fujicolor shots turned out. It always tends to go greenish on me.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      The Ricoh lens on that Sears (Ricoh) camera really brought out the best in Fujicolor 200.

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