Check out eight vintage photos of Main St. from the amazing digital archives of the Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Library & Information Center.
Here's a photo of the Majestic Theatre, before it became a restaurant. Note that it looks almost exactly the same then as it does now.
Here's an aerial view of Main St. and Madison. Note that, much like today, there are trolleys on the street. Also note that, much like today, the pedestrians on Main don't seem too concerned about them.
Here's the Main St. Easy Way, circa 1949. Note how it completely dwarfs the Kroger to its left. (Is it just me, or does that Kroger look like a fake, bootleg Kroger?)
Judging by the library archives, Memphians of yore really enjoyed parades. Here are a few pictures of parades on Main St. from the 1940s.
Here's the view from Washington and Main St. I wish the Pizza House (open until 12 a.m.) was still open.
Here's Main Street under water during the 1913 flood. Don't forget to boil your water.
Lastly, here's the view looking north up Main St. from Court, circa 1880.
Check out the rest of the library's vast digital archives here.
Source:
http://ilovememphisblog.com/2012/12/vintage-photos-main-stree/