William Kless Studio--Telling the Story of Cleveland's Past
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William Kless Storyteller
William Kless is a storyteller, but not the usual kind. Bill tells stories with pictures. One of Bill's hobbies is to collect information and memorabilia about Cleveland's past, especially related to old amusement parks.
Then he takes his considerable artistic talent and training putting the past into pictures that will stir memories of a childhood filled with roller coasters, trains, and fun houses.
Would you like to take a journey down memory lane?
Then he takes his considerable artistic talent and training putting the past into pictures that will stir memories of a childhood filled with roller coasters, trains, and fun houses.
Would you like to take a journey down memory lane?
Map to Memory Lane
- Cedar Point (from a book cover)
- Window to the Past
- Laughing Sal
- Evocative Memories
- Shaker Rapid
- Riding the Rapid
- The Spirit of St. Louis
- Lake Erie Artists Gallery
- Other Lenses About Cleveland Artists
- Lake Erie Artists Gallery
- Euclid Beach
- Cleveland's Amusement Park Memories
- History on the Parks
- Chippewa
- Chippewa Lake Park
- Kiddieland (available in cards and T-shirts)
- Links to More Historical Information
- Lake Erie Island
- Do You Have Fond Memories of Amusement Parks?
- More Lenses by Paula Atwell
- Euclid Beach Park
- About Lakeerieartists
Cedar Point (from a book cover)
Window to the Past
William Kless is an incredibly talented artist and graphic designer. He has chosen to immortalize local Clevelanders' childhoods by creating beautiful posters of some of our most vivid memories.
Bill has a special place in his heart for Euclid Beach Park on the east side of Cleveland. Euclid Beach Park was extremely popular in its heyday with people in the area. Because it was so close, many children visited over and over each summer.
As you go through the images, you will be able to see Bill's love of his subject matter.
Laughing Sal
Evocative Memories
Each of Bill's images evokes a specific memory. Whenever I see the train prints, I always think of visits to my one uncle who collected old model cars and trains.
Customers that come in our gallery love to tell me about their own Euclid Beach memories. The Laughing Sal print always gets a reaction. "I was so scared of her!"
Customers that come in our gallery love to tell me about their own Euclid Beach memories. The Laughing Sal print always gets a reaction. "I was so scared of her!"
Shaker Rapid
Riding the Rapid
When I was a little girl, my mother and I would "go downtown" once in a while. We lived on the east side of Cleveland, and going downtown was a big deal.
We would dress up, and in our best, we would ride the Rapid Transit to Terminal Tower--the end of the line. The rapid trains looked just like the one in the picture above. This is a distinct memory for me. I remember holding my mother's hand, and the sway and noise of the trains as we made our way downtown.
Once downtown, we would shop at the downtown department stores, and have lunch at one of a few restaurants.
It was an adventure.
We would dress up, and in our best, we would ride the Rapid Transit to Terminal Tower--the end of the line. The rapid trains looked just like the one in the picture above. This is a distinct memory for me. I remember holding my mother's hand, and the sway and noise of the trains as we made our way downtown.
Once downtown, we would shop at the downtown department stores, and have lunch at one of a few restaurants.
It was an adventure.
The Spirit of St. Louis
Trains are more of a boy's world than a girl's, at least when I was growing up. But I still remember learning about the different railroads, probably when I played Monopoly.
Bill's black and white drawings really bring the old world feel to his train pictures.
Lake Erie Artists Gallery
William Kless is just one of over 80 different artists and authors who have their work in Lake Erie Artists Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. Appropriately, Lake Erie Artists Gallery is inside Tower City attached to the Terminal Tower.Lake Erie Artists Gallery specializes in Cleveland, its history, and its artists. To learn more about the gallery, read my lens Lake Erie Artists Gallery.
Other Lenses About Cleveland Artists
Euclid Beach
Cleveland's Amusement Park Memories
This is a really cool book. We also sell it in our gallery. Great photos of the amusement parks.
Cleveland Amusement Park Memories
Amazon Price: $15.09 (as of 05/24/2012)
List Price: $19.95
Used Price: $12.98
For UK readers--Cleveland Amusement Park Memories
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
History on the Parks
These books go along with the prints and give lots of cool background history. We also carry most of these in our store.
Chippewa Lake Park (OH) (Images of America) by David W. Francis, Diane DeMali Francis
In the 1880s, Oscar Townsend and the Cleveland, Lo more...0 points
Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards (OH) (Postcard History Series) by David Francis, Diane Francis
By 1912, there were 54 amusement parks in Ohio. Th more...0 points
A Shaker Rapid Album by James A. Toman, James R. Spangler
A Shaker Rapid Album is a pictorial history of the more...0 points
Chippewa
Chippewa Lake Park
Chippewa Lake Park was west of Cleveland.I have talked to many customers about it and what they remember most is camping in cabins or tents for the summer in the area, then spending their days at the park.
Nowadays, it is too expensive to spend day after day in an amusement park, but back then it was free to get in and you just paid for the rides and games. Much different from now.
Kiddieland (available in cards and T-shirts)
Links to More Historical Information
- Euclid Beach Park Now
- Read more about an organization whose goal it is to preserve the memories of Euclid Beach Park.
- Defunct Parks
- This site is devoted to defunct parks.
- Forgotten Ohio
- A link to information about forgotten Ohio history.
- Geauga Lake Today
- Geauga Lake is another park that just closed. I spent many happy hours there as a teenager in the summer.
Bill hasn't made a poster for this one yet, but I feel it coming.
Lake Erie Island
Do You Have Fond Memories of Amusement Parks?
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Kimbesa
Jun 24, 2011 @ 3:24 am | delete
- Wonderful local color and artwork...thanks for creating this lens!
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praise
Aug 7, 2009 @ 7:47 am | delete
- I enjoy all the Cleveland lenses, it's a great town and I visit at least twice a year. 5* At your leasure check out my poetry lens. Thanks.
Debra
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Stazjia
Nov 11, 2008 @ 3:50 am | delete
- I'd never heard of William Kless before I read your lens but I love his art now. Welcome to the Art & Design Group.
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moneygames
Aug 24, 2008 @ 2:39 pm | delete
- Very nise lens.Great info. 5*
Please visit my lens and let me know how I did.
http://www.squidoo.com/science_getting_rich_wallace
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More Lenses by Paula Atwell
Euclid Beach Park
- Of farthingales, hoop skirts and other unmentionables
- I remember when one of the attractions at Euclid Beach Park was watching unsuspecting girls and young women walk over a hidden air pipe. An operator somewhere out of sight would, at the opportune moment, open a valve that sent a blast of compressed air ...
- 5 of the Worlds Creepiest Abandoned Amusement Parks
- For more creepy photos of Rocky Point check out Opacity. Euclid Beach Park. Ohio's very own version of Coney Island once stood on the shores of Lake Eerie. From the 1890s through much of the 1960s, the park was a major attraction for fun seekers.
- Martin Milner, George Maharis star in 'Route 66,' the complete series, now on DVD
- They include Edgewater Park, the Flats, the port, the East Ninth Street pier, Public Square, a Bratenahl mansion, Euclid Beach Amusement Park and the construction of the freeway interchange at Mayfield Road and I-271. Most of the episodes were penned ...
- Businessman gave Beach Park for University Hill children
- In 1937, William Beach offered 22 lots of vacant land to the City of Boulder on 12th and 13th Streets, between Euclid and Aurora, for a public park, as well as funds for landscaping. Although he and his wife had no children of their own, Mr. Beach ...
About Lakeerieartists
by lakeerieartists
I am an artist, writer, and owner of Lake Erie Artists Gallery at Shaker Square in Cleveland, Ohio.
You can also find my writing on these sites:
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