Mid Century Phoenix features photos by Bob Markow.

For more than four decades, Bob Markow documented the midcentury growth
of Metropolitan Phoenix. Although the “dean of Arizona photographers”
passed away in 2009, his remarkable archive of tens of thousands of images
remains. A couple of years ago, we showcased some of them in this magazine.
The response was enthusiastic, so we expanded that portfolio into a book.
We’re biased, but we think it’s peachy keen.

 

Photograph by Bob Markow
Members of a Universal Homes bowling team pose for a photo in the fall of 1956. Around that time, Universal Homes’ newspaper ads touted the company as “Arizona’s largest builders.”

 

Photograph by Bob Markow
Schoolchildren enjoy an orchestra concert at the Encanto Park band shell in 1961. The structure was completed in 1937, as part of a New Deal project, and burned to the ground on New Year’s Eve in 1986.

 

Photograph by Bob Markow
Sunbathers soak up the sunshine at the Westward Ho’s pool in May 1955. The pool and courtyard still exist at the hotel, which today is used as low-income housing.

 

Photograph by Bob Markow
The original Ciné Capri theater, at 24th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix, is shown just after its 1966 opening. Known for its opulent decor, the Ciné Capri welcomed moviegoers until it was demolished in 1998; its auditorium has since been reincarnated at several Harkins Theatres locations, including theaters in Scottsdale and Tempe.

 

Photograph by Bob Markow
Boxer Jack Dempsey (left) and actor William Boyd, known for his role as Hopalong Cassidy, flank another dignitary during the Salad Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day in 1949. That year’s edition of the short-lived bowl game, hosted at Montgomery Stadium in Phoenix, saw the Drake Bulldogs beat the Arizona Wildcats, 14-13.

To order our newest book, Midcentury Phoenix: Photographs From the ’40s, ’50s & ’60s, which features these and many other images by legendary photographer Bob Markow, visit shoparizonahighways.com/midcentury-phoenix