Historic photo from the Press Herald archives housed at the Portland Public Library; contemporary photo by Gordon Chibroski, Staff Photographer.

Two views of 510 Congress St., in 1942 and in 2014. The older photo was taken on March 12, 1942, when the building had its grand opening as the W. T. Grant Department Store.

Above: the interior of 510 Congress St. in 1942, at the grand opening of the W. T. Grant Department Store. Below: The store’s lunch counter.

These historic photographs come from the Portland Room collection at the Portland Public Library, where the photographic negatives from the Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram and Portland Evening Express are currently being archived and cataloged. In Flashback, we’ll periodically share some of our favorites from this collection, which spans from the 1930s to the 1990s. See more at www.pressherald.com/flashback.