Miller & Rhoads Santa - 1960s

Reader Beth sent in a bunch of great pics, we've featured some in the past. Today we have some pictures and stories of her Great Uncle, who was the Miller & Rhoads Santa from the 1960s to the 1980s.

"My Great Uncle, Arthur Hood (we called him "Uncle Woo Hoo" due to his trick of slipping out his dentures and whistling very loud so as to startle the kids at family gatherings), on Santa's lap/ in training to take over as the next Miller & Rhoad's Santa"

"Woo Hoo in his Santa costume, with his wife, Frances Hood, on his lap. She hand-sewed all of his velvet costumes. We called her 'Aunt Ditty'"

Broad Street - Winter 1969

Broad Street in downtown Richmond, looking West, in January of 1969.

Photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

300 block of East Grace St - Before and After

1975:

2012:

1975 photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Shoppers on Broad Street - 1960s

From roughly the mid 1960s comes this shot of shoppers on Broad Street in front of the entrance to the old Woolworth's store. This corner is now the parking lot/entrance to the Hilton Garden Inn/Miller & Rhoads Condos.

Richmond skyline - between 1900 and 1915

The skyline of Richmond, from sometime between 1900 and 1915. It took me awhile to figure it out, but this is looking northwest from just south of the State Capital. Note the Miller and Rhoads Dry Goods tower and the Richmond News Leader building.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress