In 2014, the Denver Public Library's Western History and Genealogy Department acquired an interesting collection of over 400 color photographs of modern Denver. The Thorney Lieberman Photographs (C Photo Collection 445) document the 16th Street Mall just before the streetscape was redesigned and transformed into a pedestrian mall. The images capture a distinctly less thriving and less congested downtown Denver than what you'd see there today.
In the 1970s, an era of sprawling suburban shopping malls, Downtown Denver Inc. spearheaded a redesign of 16th Street into a pedestrian mall in hopes of attracting people and business back to downtown.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Lieberman was an architecture photographer for I.M. Pei & Partners, the world-renowned firm who designed downtown Denver’s 16th Street pedestrian mall. Lieberman was hired to photograph the expanse of what would become the 16th Street Mall from just about every angle, capturing the buildings and streetscapes as they looked in 1979.
The 16th Street Mall opened to the public in October 1982, at a cost of $76 million, complete with wide, walkable sidewalks, benches, trees, an artful street-bed of granite pavers, and free RTD bus access running the length of the street.
Visit our digital collections to see digital versions of all 400+ Thorney Lieberman images.
Comments
The two most interesting
The two most interesting things about this set of photographs, to me-- is that we discovered that Thorney had his partner driving him around in the back of a pickup truck making his survey! This is evidenced by his and his view camera's reflection in some shop windows, and in shadows cast in some shots.
The second interesting thing is that we deduced that he did not take many exposure meter readings, if any. Most of these color negatives were severely underexposed. It would have been great to see a set of working prints to see how the print lab managed to wring out great work, but without question-- every one of these image files was a forensic challenge for the techs and interns of Western History and Genealogy's Imaging Services Lab.
I should have also stated
I should have also stated that regardless of the challenges we faced-- Thorney did a stupendous job of chronicling a fantastic time frame of history down 16th Street!!
Wow. The 70s were a
Wow. The 70s were a depressing era for downtowns. Nice to see that we actually have improved things since then!
I agree about downtown Denver
I agree about downtown Denver of the '70s. For city commercial centers, that decade was all about parking lots. A livelier downtown is an improvement!
Growing up in Denver.
Growing up in Denver. Downtown was always the place to be. During the Holiday Season my family would ice skate at May D&F and all the store windows were decorated 16th street was the best. In the evenings the teenagers, including myself, would Cruise 16th with our cars shined up, meeting other teens for dates. Those were the days, a true American pastime. Everyone hated when the city closed 16th street, but I have found memories.
Thanks for sharing this
Thanks for sharing this memory, and for noting that 16th Street was a place for cruising on weekends... that's something these photographs don't show!
This is making feel old
This is making feel old knowing I was in the rebirth process before the 16th mall ever was
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Going to Woolworths for pizza
Going to Woolworths for pizza, Denver Twin for movies, Dave Cooks for sports equipment....and cruising 16th street in late 70's.
Great memories. I miss Dave
Great memories. I miss Dave Cook's. Thanks for posting these, Tony!
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