looking back

To be “smartly” dressed, one must visit the Chic Shop! From 1933 to 1949, the Chic Shop was where fashionable women
purchased their clothing. Blouses and skirts could be bought for $1.95-$2.95 and coats and suits for a reasonable
$10.95-$39.75. The store, located at 9035 12th St. in Detroit, was owned and operated by Julius Pollak. •

This interior view of the shop, circa 1940, shows Julius Pollak, left, with a female employee
and his father, Bernard Pollak. Courtesy Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives (HD.3)

Historic photos are curated by the
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.

From the DJN

Davidson Digital Archive

L

ast week, I discussed the new feature, “Top
Stories,” that debuted on the Detroit Jewish
News Foundation website. Then, it occurred to
me — “occurred” meaning that JN Managing Editor
Jackie Headapohl gave me the idea and I stole it —
maybe I could provide some tips
on navigating the Davidson Digital
Archive.
The archive was launched more
than three years ago. Searching for
people, including yourself, is a popu-
lar topic, so let’s start there.
The archive is a database of opti-
cal images of pages from the JN and
Mike Smith
Jewish Chronicle; this means you have
Detroit Jewish News
Foundation Archivist to have precise phrasing for a search.

70

February 9 • 2017

jn

So, when looking for names, use combinations if the
person has a nickname, like many people in the com-
munity. For instance, the late, great “Bill” Berman
can be searched in three ways: Mandell Berman, Bill
Berman and Mandell “Bill” Berman.
Also remember that, when searching for women
before the 1980s — and the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
goes back to 1916 — keep in mind that wives rarely
had first names. Instead, women were usually cited as
“Mrs. Fisher” or “Mrs. Friedman,” for example. Another
way to obtain information would be to search for a
woman under her maiden name.
Finally, you will need precise phrasing for events
as well if they were mentioned in the JN or Chronicle.
If you know your relative or friend was involved in
an event on a particular date or year, you can go to

“Advanced Search” to find a particular issue.
If you want some fun and are not looking for a
particular event or person, you can browse the JN or
Chronicle issue by issue. You will certainly find some-
thing of interest, whether unexpected stories of friends
or advertisements from the last 100 years of Jewish
Detroit. •

Want to learn more?
Go to the DJN Foundation archives,
available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.