Hartford CT

updated 27 January 2019

Stretch!

Our family trips used to go through Hartford on our way to visit Earl J. Arnold in Waltham MA. In the 1950s, it was a prosperous city with a thriving insurance industry. In 2015, only one insurance company remains headquartered in Hartford, Phoenix.

Due to the prosperity of the city, Hartford bulldozed much of its industrial history in the process of making room for new construction. This makes finding 19th century addresses difficult. Even if you don't find what you're seeking, what you do find here will be rewarding. Hartford has become a destination.

Several angles present 114 Asylum Street, former home of the Hartford One-Price Clothing Company in good light in these July 2015 Google Street View derivations:

a century

contrast

distinction

Asylum, it turns out, is quite the Hartford address!

Seeking Asylum
Google Street View of the Goodwin Hotel building, June 2011
found while looking for the Domestic Sewing Machine offices for
page 38 of the Earl J. Arnold Advertising Card Collection.

(Seeking asylum is what I'm doing here, after a fruitless search for a 19th century Hartford business with an Asylum St. address. The contrast in design and color caught my eye.)

A Life Reflected

Phoenix headquarters building, Hartford CT

Google Street View Oct 2011

edited in Picasa

for page 21 of the Earl J. Arnold Advertising Card Collection

I am drawn to reflections and thus fall into the "traps" architects set for us so that we stop to admire their buildings. As you can imagine, in cities I can be quite the distracted driver. Thanks to Google Street View, those Hartford streets are a lot safer now! I thought this detail was of particular interest:

Abstraction
(sourced from photo above)

Yet another advantage of Street View. You always get a second chance to find something exciting.
Speaking of which, did you notice the little "wow" in the reflection? I think we've caught "Abstraction" admiring its own reflection. (Hope you're pleased with it, too!)

Phoenix Insurance has deep roots in Hartford. Here's a souvenir of the early days;

The People's Bank (755 Main St. or One Financial Plaza) also has dramatic reflections. Click the image captions to visit the original Google Street View location.

"Painted Wall"

"Who's the fairest?"

Google Street View cameras at work - all 15 at once.

Way before GPS, I always got lost. Turns out I have a great talent for going in circles. So here I am, lost once more in a virtual world while searching for Lincoln, Seyms & Co., importers of tea, coffee and spice for page 61 of the Earl J. Arnold Advertising Card Collection - 1885. Seems Hartford is a great place for losing oneself. Being lost is a lot more fun than knowing where you're going! At least in Hartford.

Market Row
(Google Street View, June 2011)

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