Brookline Historical Society
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285-289 Washington St., 1903
285-289 Washington St., 1903
From left to right:
  • 289 Washington St., Morris Salis, Tailor. In 1888, Salis emigrated from Russia at the age of 15. He opened his tailor shop here in 1903 and remained there for over thirty years then moving to the nearby “Bowker Block” on Harvard St.
  • 289 Washington St. To the right of the Salis shop, oddly using the same address, is Charles Lot James, Real Estate whose space also hosts Charles W. Morse, Jeweler. In 1904, both would relocate across the street to 288 Washington St.
  • 285 Washington St., the residence and business of Gertrude F. Wallace, hairdresser. The building, with a modified first floor, still stands.
President Ken Liss Blogs on Brookline Past & Present
Brookline Record Stores: From Edison's Phonograph to Village Vinyl

In 2024, I sold my collection of a few hundred vinyl record albums to Jonathan Sandler of Village Vinyl & Hi-Fi in Coolidge Corner. They were mostly jazz albums I'd bought in the 1970s and 1980s, including quite a few older albums I'd picked up in used record bins during those pre-CD years.

The covers of the album, as well as the music on them, carried a lot of sentimental value for me. But I hadn't actually owned a turntable for years, and I was glad that, in addition to providing me some extra cash, the music would find new owners/listeners, especially amid a growing appreciation for vinyl.


I also gave Jonat...