Oliver H Bair Funeral home ( Philadelphia ) Fleet of Hearses

[Bill Balkie 24172]

Hello ,
   Thought some of you Hearse guys out there would like these Picture of Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home  Philadelphia back in 1964 . This guy dealt in volume back in the Day .

[Chris Conklin]

You aren't kidding about volume! The size of the buildings and operation is huge. High mortality rate in Philly in '64?

[Walter Youshock]

That was a different era of Funeral Service.  That's just the hearses.  Imagine the series 75s, flower cars and sedans they must have had.

[g27g28]

Looks like 3 hearses, 3 limos and the last looks like just a sedan, still a large fleet but not 7 hearses.

[Bill Balkie 24172]

The picture in front of the funeral  home looks like 7 hearses . The photo shown in the back of Gimbles service building   shows 4 limos  with 3 hearses . Gimbles was a big Department store down the street


  Bill

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

I remember the name. He did a huge business. I can't help but notice they were all 1964 models. I wonder if he had older ones also.

[Art Director]

Middle picture was manipulated via the method of the day, since Photoshop didn't come out till many years later. Note the lack of shadows under the cars. All cars, drivers and men are in the exact same position as the bottom photo. Great photos!

Even though I grew up in Colorado, I recall the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade being on TV. Back then you had Macy's in New York, Gimbels in Philadelphia and J.L. Hudson in Detroit battling on the three networks with their parades.

[Walter Youshock]

As for having older cars, probably not unless they were used as first-call cars.  Generally no firm of that size would have an unmatched fleet, plus trade value had to be considered.

[jaxops]

My Father remembers this company, more like a corporation.  Quite an operation.  I never got to see that funeral home, although we visited and did business with many of them in the Philadelphia area. 

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Art Director is right about the photos being manipulated. Bair's building is still there. It is now Boyd's, a high end clothing store. The sidewalk in front of the building is nowhere near wide enough that those cars could be parked there and not hang over onto the street.