Admin – Page 23 – Larry Johnston, Nostalgic Artist

Barber Tonics

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Barber Tonics”

Chesterton, Indiana

While spending my time gathering information and traveling around the country, I decided to paint a series of four paintings for each subject. One of the subjects was Barber Related. In Chesterton, Indiana, while exhibiting at one of the Arts Festivals, I visited a barber shop, located at the end of the street. On the shelf were some barber related items on display. In the middle of it was Hopalong Cassidy hair tonic. I had never heard or seen that tonic. The owner said he had two of them.

I painted this painting to go along with the other three, to complete my “Barber Set”. The other paintings were, “The Barber Chair”, “Barber Pole” and “The Berma-Shave Barn”.

No Prints Available at this time.

Links to other barber related paints I have done can be found here:

Biff Burger

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Biff Burger

St. Petersburg, Florida

This painting was of the popular Biff Burger in St. Petersburg, Florida, located on 49th Street. It still has the original design and is the only one left from the original hundreds of franchised restaurants that disappeared mostly in the 1970s.

Instead of Burgers, Fries and Shakes, they offered many other possibilities, for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. While exhibiting at shows is the area, it was suggested that Biff Burger would make a great local addition to my paintings. It was one of my early paintings of nostalgic cars and diners.

Other St Pete places I have painted are:

Biff Burger

28th Street Drive in Theatre

Ted Peters Smoked Fish

Pelican Diner

around the sides of the wood.

11″ x 14″Black Edge………. $148.82

11″ x 14″ White Edge………. $148.82

11″ x 14″ Wrapped Edge………. $148.82

16″ x 20″ Black Edge ………. $204.72

16″ x 20″ White Edge………. $204.72

16″ x 20″ Wrapped Edge………. $204.72

16″ x 20″ ………. $375.00 original painting on stretched canvas not available.

Punta Clara Candy Kitchen

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Punta Clara Candy Kitchen.

Fairhope, Alabama

One of my favorite Art festivals was in Fairhope, Alabama, as it was one of the best in the country. Just south of Fairhope, on scenic Highway 98 was a fascinating little house surrounded by a picket fence in Fairhope, Alabama, just north of Point Clear.

In 1952 Dorothy Pacey started her business in the backyard. Now over 60 years later the family owned business continues to produce their variety of Fudges, Pralines, Divinity, Jellies, candies, Jams, Jellies,, Preserves, relishes and cakes. The whole family joined to produce their recipe book, “The Black Kettle”.

My painting of the Punta Clara Candy Kitchen became a popular item, as I sold individual prints and sets of the area.

4 Way Lunch

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

4 Way Lunch

Cartersville, Georgia

Located in Cartersville, Georgia, at the corner of East Main Street (Hwy 41) and Gilmer Street, the “4-Way”, as the locals called it, has been there since 1931. I painted the painting in about 1984, when I was exhibiting in art shows in the area. It was one of my most popular paintings of the time.

I painted several Cartersville places, and some really close by, here are the links…

Cartersville Depot

Ross Diner

Roselawn, Sam Jones Home

Euharlee Covered Bridge

Euharlee Covered Bridge in the Spring

Swenson’s Ice Cream

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Swenson’s Ice Cream and Drive-in

Akron, Ohio

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was busy taking photos of old restaurants and diners, to use as a subject for my paintings. Some of them had been around for years and we lived with them on-a-daily- basis, but we never thought that one day they would be gone.

Some of the buildings were torn down literally days after taking pictures of them. Others were remodeled and new signed installed. What I captured was the memories of the beginnings of many of these businesses.

While exhibiting in Akron, Ohio, I found Swenson’s on Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and took photos of it. After finishing the painting, the drive-in was remodeled with a canopy to park under while ordering and waiting for your order.

It was popular in North Akron when I was there, serving Hamburgers, French Fries, Malts, Shakes and other great food, that became famous in the 1940s and 1950s.

Barber Pole

December 29, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

The Barber Pole

Cave Spring, Georgia

You may have seen some of my other Barber related paintings. I painted the Barber Chair, from a shop I found in Cave Springs, Georgia. This Barber pole was from the same shop. As you can see on the window, it says “Air Conditioned” and “Hot Shower Bath”. I was curious about the combination because they seemed to be from different eras. The story, as I was told, it was on a truck route, so they had drivers stop in for a haircut and a bath. As Air Conditioning became popular, it was also included in the sign.

The Barber Chair and the Barber Pole became popular items, especially at the Cave Spring show and the Rome, Georgia show. Eventually, I painted four paintings, which became one of my sets of 4. They were the Barber Chair, Barber Pole, Burma Shave Barn and the Barber Tonics. The set became one of my most popular sets across the country.

No Prints Available at this time. If you are interested in a print, let me know, I am always looking for new good quality vendors!

Links to other barber related paints I have done can be found here:

Burma Shave Barn

December 28, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

No Prints Available at this time. If you are interested in a print, let me know, I am always looking for new good quality vendors!

Links to other barber related paints I have done can be found here:

Prange Building

December 28, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

The Prange Building,

Kalamazoo, Michigan

During the Winter months, my Art Festival travels took me to the warmer southern states. During the rest of the year I visited many of the northern states. During a show in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I was asked to paint a painting of a night club and piano bar, called Monaco Bay in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which I previously painted. Later, the same person commissioned me to paint the Prange Building, another building he owned, which had businesses on the main floor and apartments on the upper floors.

This painting was one of many homes and businesses I painted on commission, during my travels.

around the sides of the wood.

24″ X 36″ original painting on canvas not available.

Roasted Peanuts

December 28, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

Hot Roasted Peanuts

The Peanut Shop

South Bend, IN.

I remember in the 1950’s and 60’s, in the middle of South Bend, at Michigan St. and Monroe, there was always an aroma of Peanuts in the air. Planters Peanuts had company stores and we were fortunate to have one in our city. Mr. Peanut, himself would even walk around outside giving samples of peanuts that you could buy in the store. I spent many-a-days visiting that store. I was always fascinated with the neon sign of Mr. Peanut throwing his cane up in the air. I watched it as it would encircle the sign and he would catch it when it came down.

While I was in Wyandotte, Michigan at an Art Festival in the early 2000’s, I met the man that was the manager of the store. He said he was the man in the peanut suit in his early years.

The Peanut Shop, has since left and the building torn down, but the memories are still around. This is one of those paintings I did to recapture some of those memories.

Big Chicken

December 27, 2014February 22, 2021 Admin

“The Big Chicken”

Marietta, Georgia

I was told by an Eastern Airlines Pilot, many years ago, that when flying into Atlanta, Georgia, when he saw the big chicken, he knew when to start his descent into Hartsfield Airport. The Big Chicken was 68 feet high. The eye rolled around and the tail feather on the back of its head went up and down. It was called “Johnny Rebs, Chick, Chuck and Shake.” You can just about guess what they served.

When I arrived in Marietta, in 1983, the building was occupied by Kentucky Fried Chicken. Many years later, when the mechanisms no longer worked, they decided to tear the building down, but the community response convinced them to rebuild the chicken. The building now is just slightly shorter, but now everything has been rebuilt and updated into working order. They even have a spiked roof, so the birds wouldn’t perch on top of it. You can see the building at the corner of Hwy 41 and Roswell Road, in Marietta, Georgia.

When I painted the picture, I had already taken photos of the original Big Chicken, so I decided to use that version to paint.

around the sides of the wood.

11″ x 14″………. $148.82

16″ x 20″ ………. $204.72

16″ x 20″ ………. $375.00 Original painting on stretched canvas