Collinsville Avenue - August 2003.

An empty clothing store, with a beautiful Mid-Century Modern facade in aqua, complete with a battered neon sign -- a close cousin of River Roads Mall in north St. Louis County. The signage was removed in 2005 and the vintage colors covered with black paint.

Link: Seidel's Apparel Company at Ecology of Abence.

Collinsville Avenue - August 2003.

Collinsville Avenue at St. Louis Avenue - November 2007.

November 2007.

A view of the surrounding streetscape, looking west down Collinsville Avenue.

Collinsville Avenue - August 2003.

A nearby burnout, long since demolished.

View north from 7th Street - August 2003.

Heading east out of downtown on Collinsville Avenue - November 2007.

November 2007.

A view looking north towards Collinsville Avenue. Downtown East St. Louis is an astonishingly isolated stretch of urban construction, surrounded by blocks of vacant lots -- a context that has completely vanished.