The first shopping mall was technically an outdoor shopping plaza that opened in 1922 in Kansas City. However, the first indoor shopping mall that mirrored how we think of malls today was opened in 1956 in Edina, Minnesota. Malls were often anchored by a large department store with a cluster of other stores around it.
The mall was envisioned as a cultural and social center where people could come together and not only do their shopping but also make an activity of it. By 1960, there were more than 4,500 malls accounting for 14% of all retail sales.
Here below is a set of vintage postcards that shows what shopping malls of the U.S. looked like in the 1950s and 1960s.
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| Alabama. Eastwood Mall, Birmingham |
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| Arizona. Chris-Town Shopping Centre, Phoenix |
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| Arizona. Court Of Birds, Chris-Town Shopping Center, Phoenix |
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| Arizona. Thomas Mall, Phoenix |
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| Arizona. West Mall, Chris-Twown Shopping Center, Phoenix |
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| California. Eastland Shopping Center, West Covina |
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| California. Escondido Village |
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| California. Rain Fountain, Topanga Plaza, Canoga Park |
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| California. Riverside Plaza, Riverside |
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| Colorado. Cinderella City, Shopping Center, Englewood |
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| Colorado. Kiddie Shop, Cinderella City, Shamrock Mall, Englewood |
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| Connecticut. Shopping Center At Hamden |
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| Florida. Altamonte Mall, Orlando |
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| Florida. Edison Mall, Fort Myers |
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| Florida. Illuminated Waterfall, Palm Beach Mall |
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| Florida. Northgate Shopping Center, Winter Haven |
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| Florida. Pompano Fashion Square Mall, Pompano Beach |
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| Florida. Regency Square Shopping Center, Jacksonville |
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| Florida. Southgate Shopping Center, Lakeland |
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| Florida. West Shore Shopping Plaza, Tampa |
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| Florida. Winter Park Mall |
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| Hawaii. Ala Moana Shopping Center, Honolulu |
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| Hawaii. Fort Street Mall, Honolulu |
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| Illinois. Dixie Square Wonderfall, Mall, Harvey |
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| Maine. Shopping Center, Bangor |
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| Maryland. 64th Street Shopping Center, Ocean City |
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| Michigan. Eastland Center, Harper Woods |
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| Michigan. Northland Center, Detroit |
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| Michigan. West Court, Westland Center, Wayne |
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| Michigan. Westland Center, Wayne |
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| Michigan. Woodland Mall, Grand Rapids |
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| Minnesota. Shopping Center, Minneapolis |
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| Mississippi. Edgewater Plaza Shopping City, Biloxi |
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| Missouri. The Landing Shopping Center, Kansas City |
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| New York. "Clock of the Nations", Midtown Plaza Mall, Rochester |
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| New York. Delaware Plaza Shopping Center, Albany |
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| New York. Fountains & Bridge, The Mall, Horseheads |
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| New York. Midtown Plaza Mall, Rochester |
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| New York. Midtown Plaza Mall, Rochester |
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| New York. Midtown Plaza |
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| New York. Summit Park Mall, Niagara Falls |
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| New York. The Mall, Horseheads |
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| Oregon. Regional Center, "Climate-Controlled Mall", Portland |
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| Oregon. The Lloyd Center, Portland |
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| Pennsylvania. King of Prussia Plaza |
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| Pennsylvania. McKnight Village Shopping Center, Pittsburgh |
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| Texas. Beaumont Village Shopping Center, Beaumont |
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| Texas. Northpark Shopping Center, Dallas |
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| Washington. Federal Shopping Way |
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| Washington. Valley North Shopping Center, Wenatchee |