(Source of picture: Florida State Archives)

Here's Purcell's, the place for women's fashions during the 1940s, according to Barbara Puckett, an official with the San Marco Preservation Society.  Purcell's offered fine clothing, from gloves & lingerie to shoes & hats.  It stood next to Hemming Plaza at the northeast corner of Laura and Monroe streets.  In later years, the spot was occupied by The Luggage Shop, a long-time Jax business.  Scheduled to open in December 2004, the new Main Library will occupy most of this block. 

The photo dates from 1939.  The top of the old Rhodes Furniture building can be seen toward the upper right-hand corner.  The structure was imploded in 2002 to make way for the library.  Located next to Purcell's was Haydon Burns's electrical appliances store, which was forced to close during World War II due to a shortage of consumer goods.  In 1949, Haydon Burns won office as mayor of Jacksonville.  Reelected four more times, he became the longest-sitting chief executive in the city's history.  In 1964 Burns ran for governor and attained that position too.  In 1939, the time of the above photo, the future governor operated a local flying school, in addition to his appliances store.

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