In 1940, after returning from service in WWII as a Captain in the US Air Force, Dr. David Tavel opened an optometry office in the Claypool Hotel Building, which was then located at the corner of Illinois and Washington Streets. Dr. Tavel was young when he started his practice – he was born around 1920, graduated from Shortridge High School (with former City County Council president Dr. Beurt R. Servaas) in 1937. One year before this ad from 1947, Dr. Tavel began offering one hour service, and that service is still offered at the nineteen central Indiana Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care Center locations that exist today. Dr. David Tavel passed away in March 2002, but there is still a Dr. Tavel on staff at the Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care Center in Zionsville!
Sunday Adverts: Dr. David Tavel, Optometrist
I may be raising a false memory, but I think he was my optometrist until we switched to ophthalmologist when I was in my teens. (got first glasses in 3rd grade, in Indy, of course).
Unless his advertising was so pervasive iin the fifties that that’s why his name is familiar. Interesting.
Your information is incorrect in this Sunday advert. Dr. David Tavel and Dr. David E. Tavel were two different people. Yes, Dr. David Tavel was the optometrist who placed the ad you show in your article and he did have a successful optometry practice at the Claypool Hotel. He and Dr. David E. Tavel were cousins. However, Dr. David E. Tavel operated his business as Dr. D. Edward TaVel.
Dr. Alan Tavel currently practices at the Zionsville office of Dr. Tavel Family Eyecare as well as from time to time at other Tavel offices which are also staffed by excellent Indiana licensed optometrists.
Sandi,
Thank you so much for your comment and corrections! I have edited the article to include them – you have an interesting family!
Our toddler son loved going with me to drop in frequently to visit then-popular radio hostess Paula Carr, who lived with her parents W.Bryan and Pauline Karr who resided in a spacious series of suites of the Claypool ( Bryan was well-known VIP mgr. Claypool, doted on daughter Paula who e changed spelling as air name for her WIRE daily interview show live from Claypool coffee shop–“Brealfast with Paula” drew Hollywood stars like Jack Benny (who relished chicken salad sandwich at counter restaurant), political,national VIP’s etc. Paula and family occupied L-shaped suites –theirs facing Wash. and hers Illinois–looking right out directly at Tavel’s huge sign–a giant eyeball.
On arriving at the suite–even before we could remove his coat and hat–our toddler would rush into Paula’s en suite bedroom and to the huge window , drawing back curtains while protesting “I vant to see the vun I–I vant to see the vun I”—it took us awhile to understand he wanted to eyeball the “one eye.”
In later years popular Dave was well known on golf course at Broadmoor with his friend Earl Harris, co-counder Earl Harris stores. Paula Carr reigned on the air waves leaving when she wed Hoosier golf star Fred Wampler Jrl—sadly Claypool deteriorated after Karr’s departure from being the heartbeat of Hoosier hospitality and politics–I interviewed Eleanor Roosevelt, Louis Bromfield there, snitched housekeeper uniform to infiltrate suite of visiting Dwight D.Eisenhower, covered two grisly Claypool murders, and did the media stint when it was sadly demolished. My home of 60 plus years furnished with coveted Claypool artifacts/furnishings—so remembering the “vun I” a walk down memory lane
Wow! Thanks a lot — a good many kernels of info in a small piece!
Dr. Tavel’s office was first Opt. that outfitted me with my first Rx glasses.
Nice to know more about the Tavels.
A profession that has been passed by for generations. So inspiring I’m sure they are great optometrists.