A reader from Lowell, Massachusetts, recently sent me a letter and wondered if I could solve a “mini-mystery” involving Elvis Presley. Here’s a portion of his query:
“It is 1956 and Elvis travels to New York to tape The Steve Allen Show. His on-air performance includes ‘Hound Dog.’ The next day he takes the train from New York to Memphis.
“Somewhere in the area of White Station (on Poplar) the train stops and Elvis gets off alone so he can walk to the Presley family home on Audubon Drive. It is believed the train stopped somewhere between Mendenhall and Colonial Roads.
“This is a special moment in Elvis’ life as he had not yet reached the level of fame that prevented him from walking home alone in Memphis. The scene is part of the DVD Elvis 56 and it shows Elvis waving to the train. Photographer Albert Wertheimer captured the moment from the train of Elvis walking on Poplar Avenue (above) in the direction of downtown (perhaps waiting for the train to pass so he could cross over the tracks?).
“In one of Wertheimer’s photos, a Town and Country Barber Shop is visible in the background. Do you have any way of locating where the barber shop once stood? Does the building still stand?
“Thank you, Shane McDonough, Lowell, Massachusetts”
