TURNING BACK THE PAGES

A Portfolio by Bob Markow / Edited by Jeff Kida and Robert Stieve

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Phoenix Towers residential building rises behind palm trees along Central Avenue in 1957, the year the building opened.

Bob Markow took to the sky to capture this aerial shot of Camelback Mountain, along with nearby orchards, in 1947. "I once asked my dad why he hadn't bought land on Camelback," Mr. Markow's son, Paul, recalls. "His response was: 'Why would anyone buy land on a mountain that had no roads to it?'"

ROBERT “BOB” MARKOW (1917-2009)

"I've seen a lot of people in the photography industry," says Abe Orlick, a past president of the World Council of Professional Photographers. "There aren't many that could fill the shoes of Bob Markow."

Mr. Markow - the "dean of Arizona photographers" and a prominent contributor to Arizona Highways for decades - left an impressive photographic record when he died in 2009. But it was his decency, Orlick says, that set him apart: "He was a mensch. He was a simple man, a kind man and a fabulous businessman."

Born in New York in 1917, Mr. Markow first arrived in Arizona in 1942, as a U.S. Army Air Forces cadet assigned to Glendale's Thunderbird Field during World War II. Offered a camera instead of combat, he first worked as a base photographer and later created pilot class yearbooks, allowing him to showcase his talent via portraits and aerial shots.

After the war, Mr. Markow and his wife, Bea, worked to build a family and a successful photography business. That business flourished along with Phoenix's postwar boom, and Mr. Markow was there to capture much of the city's growth. The photos in this portfolio are just a handful of those he made from the 1940s to the '80s.

The Markows built their own studio in 1956, and it grew into a larger photo processing lab. They eventually opened a retail store, Photomark, that became Arizona's prime photography shop for decades. And their son, Paul, followed in his father's footsteps and today runs his own thriving photography business.

"He would say to me that the hardest thing to learn in photography is the difference between 'good' and 'better,'" Paul recalls. "Every time I talk to somebody, I use one of my dad's terms. There were all sorts of 'isms.'"

Now, Paul is working to share his father's body of work with the world. He spent much of 2020 sorting and scanning thousands of negatives of his dad's best work, and many of those images are slated for publication in a forthcoming Arizona Highways book.

"He left a legacy for the city," Paul says. For him, though, Bob Markow's legacy is more personal: "He was just a good guy, and he worked hard." - Ariella Nardizzi Moviegoers line up to see Living It Up at Phoenix's Paramount Theatre in 1954. Modern Phoenicians know this facility as the Orpheum Theatre, which was its original name. It opened in 1929 and now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Scottsdale's Ramada Inn opened in 1960 to capitalize on that city's booming tourism industry. The hotel was on Main Street, near the Hotel Valley Ho.

The Indian Drive-In, pictured in 1957, was located at 4141 N. 27th Avenue in Phoenix. Paul recalls winning a 10-speed racing bike in a raffle there when he was in fourth grade.

The Islands, a Polynesian restaurant on Seventh Street just south of Camelback Road in Phoenix, is shown in 1960. The restaurant opened in 1958 and was demolished in the 1980s.

Another Phoenix dining staple was Bacci's, on the southeast corner of McDowell Road and Third Street. Paul remembers it being within walking distance of his dad's studio.

A photo of Terminal 1 at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport shows the ease of airport parking in the early days. Terminal 1 opened in 1952 and was demolished in 1991 to make room for - you guessed it - a parking facility.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Diners at Phoenix's Westward Ho watch hotel guests frolic in the pool in May of 1954. "The Westward Ho was the only place to stay," Paul says. "Yes, there were the San Carlos and Luhrs hotels downtown, and Camelback Inn and the Arizona Biltmore [Resort), but the Ho was the center of Phoenix society."

The Koko Club, pictured in 1956, was one of countless Phoenix buildings designed by Ralph Haver (see Beadle Mania, page 42). The restaurant and theater sat at the southeast corner of Camelback Road and 24th Street, in what's now the Esplanade Center.

A horse and rider participate in a parade marking a rodeo in Phoenix. "This was a big deal in Phoenix," Paul recalls. "School was let out, and my Grandma Markow would take us to see the parade. Then we would go to the rodeo at the fairground."

Terminal 2 at Sky Harbor boasted a Space Age-inspired design when it opened in 1962. This terminal closed last year and is being demolished, but the mural visible in this photo is being saved and relocated.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: A car gets the VIP treatment at a Blakely gas station in the early 1960s. Blakely stations were famous for their desertthemed glassware, which now is a hot commodity among collectors.

Elaborate murals decorate the interior of the First National Bank building in downtown Phoenix.

The Gizmo, one of many drive-in restaurants in Phoenix, was located at 1345 E. McDowell Road. That location now is home to a doughnut shop.

Cars and storefronts line Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix. In the background is the second iteration of the Hotel Adams, built in 1911 and demolished in 1973.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: This log-cabin-themed motor court, which was located at 2515 E. Van Buren Street and featured a 50-foot swimming pool, was one of many unique motels that lined Phoenix's stretch of Van Buren. This photo was made in 1948.

The Casa Blanca Inn, located at the base of Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, was known for its onion-shaped dome but also featured a private airstrip for arriving and departing guests. Today, the domed building is a private residence; it went on the market for $1.175 million in 2019.

The first McDonald's franchise was opened at Central Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix in 1953. "I used to go there all the time," Paul recalls. "Burgers were 15 cents, and fries were a dime."

Mr. Markow made this photo featuring A-1 Beer at Phoenix's Grand Avenue Pharmacy, during a 1949 shoot for a magazine ad. The man in the background is Wesley Bolin, who had recently been elected Arizona's secretary of state - a position he held until 1977, when he served as governor for five months before his death.

Hanny's, a men's clothing store in Phoenix, is shown in the mid-1950s. A landmark example of International Style architecture, the Hanny's building now houses a restaurant of the same name.

LEFT: Below the northern slopes of Camelback Mountain, spectators enjoy a diving event at the Paradise Valley Racquet Club in 1959. The club opened in late 1956 and now is part of Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa.

ABOVE: The glowing My Florist sign advertises its namesake flower shop at McDowell Road and Seventh Avenue in Phoenix. This corner has seen extensive redevelopment in recent years, but the sign remains. AH