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October 1940. "Gas station and store in Concho, Arizona. Inhabitants of this town are all of Spanish extraction." Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size.
My mother worked at Gimbel's in the 1970s in the "stationery and notions" department. In this case, it had less to do with haberdashery than with small, miscellaneous items that didn't fit anywhere else in the store.
It seems that Concho was founded by Spanish Basques in the late 1860s. Basques were usually employed as sheep herders in the old west. The name of the town is actually of Basque origin, not Spanish.
But do they sell beer, whiskey, or wine?
According to Wikipedia, "In sewing and haberdashery, notions are small objects or accessories, including items that are sewn or otherwise attached to a finished article, such as buttons, snaps, and collar stays. Notions also include the small tools used in sewing, such as thread, pins, marking pens, and seam rippers."
Interesting to note that in a community where "Inhabitants of this town are all of Spanish extraction" the only Espanol seems to be seen in the name of the store and its proprietor.
It appears to be a rock, or maybe it's a shipment of Notions?
Not sure what the white wristbands are -- possibly gloves, though he does not appear to be wearing any.
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