Harry’s Men’s Wear Ad – Sept. 1959

Bowling and Harry’s Men’s Wear have both been regular topics over the years, so when I saw this ad, I knew I had to post it.

Art from another King Louie
ad from 1959

The Harry’s ad ran in the Lorain Journal on September 8, 1959 – sixty years ago this month – and features King Louie blouses for lady bowlers. Contrary to the name of the store, Harry did carry some clothes for women and girls (such as Levis).

The ad announces a clever promotional contest to draw in the lady bowlers. If they shot 275, they won $275.

And we all know bowling was wildly popular in Lorain and the surrounding areas. There were many bowling alleys to choose from, including Rebman’s (on the west side), Andorka Lanes (on the east side), Broadway Lanes, Lake Erie Lanes (in Vermilion), Shoreway Lanes (in Sheffield Lake) and Aqua Marine Lanes (in Avon Lake). Plus many social clubs and bars had lanes as well.

My parents actually met in a bowling alley in Avon Lake that was located in the rear of the shopping center on Route 6.

As the story goes, my mother was bowling there one evening with a girl friend. They had been given a ride there by another friend. But when it was time to go home, their ride back to Lorain was a no-show. Fortunately, my father was bowling there at the same time. He knew Mom’s friend, so he gave them both a ride home – even finagling to take Mom home last. And that’s how they met.

Later, when they were engaged to be married, they were still bowling at the same alley in Avon Lake. Dad even told the owner that they were considering getting married there. The owner thought it was a great idea.

Mom and Dad kept right on bowling for many years. Still later, they bowled in the “Tuesday Twosomes” B. F. Goodrich league at Aqua Marine Lanes.

My parents tried to make bowlers out of my siblings and me, even signing us up for a Saturday morning league at Shoreway Lanes. But that went about as well as Dad trying to make fishermen out of us.

I’ve tried bowling as an adult, but usually end up with about the same scores that I did when I was a kid. But now that I live about a mile from Pence’s Lake Erie Lanes, maybe it’s time to try again.

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Although Harry’s is but a memory, King Louie is still around! You can visit the company website here and download a catalog.

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You can revisit some of my other bowling-themed posts if you like. I wrote about Sheffield Lake’s Sully Bates, inventor of two bowling grips here. And I wrote about Rebman’s and its AMF Automatic Pinspotters here.