Avenida Central, Panama, R.P.
This image of Avenida Central is from a postcard produced by Foto Flatau – Panama. We are looking for more information about the intersection and businesses featured in the image.
What are the businesses located on this street? Have you ever been a costumer of these businesses? Do you have any memories associated with this location or the street?
Can you estimate the date this photograph was taken?
Do you own a post card by Foto Flatau?
If you have any information about Avenida Central, please share with us in the comments section!
24 Comments
Sarita Quackenbush
The sign that says Kellys on the building is Kellys Ritz which was a popular nightclub during the early 40”s. Avenida Central was and I believe still is a shopping district. There were different types of stores all along the avenue.
Irwin Frank
I believe Central Avenue is now closed to automobile traffic. My uncle owned a bar down the street from Kelly’s Ritz called DAVID.
Earl Mulligan
I have a few of these postcards all different ones. What’s their worth?
Irwin Frank
A few doors down from Kelly’s Ritz was Casa Faslich, an upscale store selling european and asian imports. It was owned by Alberto Faslich,, a refugee from the Nazis. The Balboa High School Football practice field across from the Balboa train station was named in his honor. As of 11/13, the field is overrun with shipping containers for the port of Balboa..
Janice G Scott
Adelbert Fastlich, was a close friend of my parents, who owned Casa Fastlich, which up until the mid-60s, was the classiest jewelry store on the Isthmus, and was the founding sponsor of the Fastlich Teen Baseball League of the Canal Zone, which lasted from circa 1954-1995. My mom, Janice Scott, and Millie Sutherland kept score for the Pacific league and wrote the sports report for it since its inception until the early 60’s. Reading my dad’s “Interesting if True” column where he references their long, close friendship, I learned that Mr. Fastlich was not a WWII refugee, but had been in Panama many years prior to WWII.
Rick Permutt
My Mother went to live with her uncle Adolf in 1938 . He guaranteed visas for his sister and her family from Nazi occupied Vienna.They all worked at the jewelry store. My father , a GI Joe met my mother Lily Berger there and married her , moving to New Orleans
Bob Zumbado
Hi Janice, actually the Faslich League’s inaugural season was in 1951. Most of the boys were from what would eventually be the classes of 54,55, 56 and 57 of BHS. Among them were your brother, the winklosky briothers, BillynHatchett, Jeff Goodin, the Cotton twins, Jimmy McKeown, Paul Glassburn, Jack Hammond, Louis Charles, Johnny Magee, Sandy Hinkle, David Otten, Jimmy Reece, Dick Angstad, Joe Wood, Burt Mead, Ronny Mead, Joe Cicero… on and on. Coaches included Mr. Moises De La Pena, Mr. Kiernan, Mr. Arthur Cotton and so many other dedicated adults. Teams included, the Palomas, the Conejos, The Macaws, The Pumas, and The Ocelots….enough rambling ..it was a great league full of great kids…so many memories.
Rick Permutt
Hw was my Grandmother’s brother
RICHARD PERMUTT
TUMREP@AOL.COM
Betty Flatau Taylor
Most of Central Avenue is closed to automobile traffic. My father was John Flatau (Foto Flatau) and I do have collections of his post cards. He passed away on April 9, 1993 at the age of 93 and my mother May Flatau passed away on August 14, 2011. She was 94. They retired near us in Dickinson, Texas in 1974.
Oscar Arauz
Thank you Betty, I always wanted to know who was the person behind the camera taking so many beautiful photos of Panama.
Betty Flatau Taylor
Thank you for the kind words. My father loved Panama and showing it to the world.
Rafael
Thanks to your dad I know my country, Panama. I would like to contact you to homage your father in a Facebook page I own.
Betty Flatau Taylor
Thanks, Rafael for the compliments of my father’s photography. I am on facebook….
Edie
Foto Flatau created the finest historical postcards of Panama – every one is beautifully photographed and printed. Have you ever considered reproducing them in book form? They constitute an important historical record of Panama!
Betty Flatau Taylor
I just read your post and thank you for the kind words about my father. We were very proud of him and all the photography of Panama. He loved Panama and showing the world what a beautiful country it is! I am on Facebook.
Brad Wilde
Hi, your father went to church with my parents at Redeemer Lutheran. I think I have about 1500 of his photo postcards and another 1000 of his chromes. He was a great photographer and a nice gentleman. He also made a lot of Christmas cards that I remember my parents sending out every year.
Wendy Tribaldos
Hi Betty! My name is Wendy Tribaldos. I am a researcher in Panama, writing a book about Ocu´s folk dress. I was wondering if you could get in touch with me, if you could kindly share some pictures related to this matter. Many thanks in advance…
Oscar Arauz
One clue to the date of the photo is the tramway tracks, the tramway service ran until Saturday night, 31 May 1941. The other clue is, the cars are driving on the left side of the street. On April 15, 1943 driving on the right side of the road was adopted. The image was taken across the street from Plaza 5 De Mayo, I would say the photo was taken in the late 1930s to judge by the car models.
Robert Dixon Gordon
I was born in 1948, at Gorgas hospital, canal zone. I cannot tell you much about Central avenue back in those days. However, at around, or, from approximately 1955, my mother used to take me from Paraiso canal zone, to Calidonia down town, and central avenue on the week end, and I surely enjoyed it. Robert Dixon, (ret) Security officer, sector supervisor,
Canal protection Division, December 1999, & the Panama canal authority (ACP) in 2012. Dixon. “Zonian forever” NOTE: I remember those cars, shown above. my father had a few of them back then. Dixs.
Diane L. French
When I was a junior in high school at Balboa High in my senior year 1963 my father took me to Central Avenve to a dress shop on the street. I thought I was in heaven with all the bautiful growns to look at brillant colors, and different styles. My father wanted to buy me two prom dresses as they were very pretty the two I liked the best. I had never seen such a beautiful dress store before except for the commissary in Balboa which was nothing like this store.
In my freshman year in high school I worked for our newspaper, and visited all the business on Cental
Avenue trying to have them buy a space in of high school paper to put advertisment of their business.
WhenI was only about ten years old I went to Central Avenue with my parents for my mother to look for a pair of earrings in a jewrery store. Walking down the sstreet a man tried to grab my nothers ourse onlly to pull her down onto the sidewalk as she wouldn’t let it go. My father chased the m an down the street on Central Avenue until he ducked down a alley with my father following him. My father continkued to follow him with me on his heels. My father caught the man in the alley and knocked all his teeth out. I was scare when the Panamanian police came in the pabby truck as I thought they would put my father in jail. The Pollice were nice to my father thanking him for beating up the man, and promised my father he would be put in jail, and probablly be sent to their prison island.
I also use to drive down Central Avenue to get to my Ballet class at the National School of Dance a ways down the street.
I
In high school in my freshman year I rode on the back of a motorcycle after skipping school in the
Carnival Parade when it was going down Central Avenue.
I
i have many items in my house that was brought on Central Avenue. One item I teasure is my Hope Chest my parents brought in a Hindu Store on front street for me when I got married. I still have it with all my Panama Memories in it of thirty-four years living in the Canal Zone..
Cecilia Wright
I believe this was taken just infront of Plaza Santana should be on the left and in the mid 50 the store on the right was Bazar Frances. On the oposite side of the Bazar Frances was the famous street “Sal si puedes” Means: “Get out if you can” because there were stores on the side walks and on the street.
RoyBlades
Celia Wright is correct.this is Santa Ana.the sidewalk is by the church same name.to the back of photographer would be the now Cafe Coca Cola.5th May plaza is large.youre missing the RR bldg now a museum.so its Santa Ana.vehicles were forbidden in Central Av starting at the entrance across from Museum Reina Torres around 92 or 93.by then Major Mayin Correa.only Calidonia up to the Firemen statue on 5th May have vehicular traffic.vehicleso to offload or load cargo go into the now pedestrian Central Av.as well vehicles on official business.
Bob Bischoff
My father served as a bosun’s mate on an round the world voyage in 1934 on a Dollar Steamship liner, and his journal has an extensive commentary on an afternoon at Kelly’s Ritz. I’m currently editing the journal for publication and will share when it’s ready. Also I’d like to use the photo in the University of Florida collection. Who do I contact for information and permission? Thanks so much for posting this photo on line! Bob Bischoff.
Ninochtka smith
I agree with Cecilia Wright. The woman in the photo is walking along sidewalk in Santa Ana Park and Church. Very interesting photo. I do have a collection of Foto Flatau Panama, I.L Maduro, Jr., and other photographers’ postcards. I estimate 1940’s from the woman’s hairstyle! And yes, I used to buy fabric at Bazar Frances, right across, where, I believe, Kelly’s used to be.