MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Little Rock: 1935
Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, Arkansas. October 1935. The "round ... a treat to take a bath in the washtub outside. Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, Arkansas Umm--can anyone tell ... "thing" is hanging down into the top of the picture? Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, Arkansas And that paper job is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2012 - 1:52pm -

Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, Arkansas. October 1935. The "round thing" is an old-fashioned convex mirror. View full size. Photo by Ben Shahn. It's interesting to note inIt's interesting to note in both this picture and the Domestic Bliss photograph the use of newspapers to seal the walls of the houses, probably to stop the wind and rain from blowing through the houses. Little Rock 1935Three pictures on this page have children pictured. In two of the pictures the children were noted. Yet in the above photo, only the room was worthy of comment. [That's the caption as Ben Shahn wrote it. Evidently he wasn't one to belabor the obvious - Dave] newspapersThe houses had just boards for walls so newspaper, cardboard, or wallpaper was used to keep out the wind. My grandparents house, built in 1917, was like this only I remember they had wallpaper. Over the years new wallpaper was layered over the old so a decent wind barrier was formed but it didn't keep out the cold. Indoor plumbing was added in the 1950's but it was always a treat to take a bath in the washtub outside. Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, ArkansasUmm--can anyone tell what that "thing" is hanging down into the top of the picture? Interior of tenant farmer home. Little Rock, ArkansasAnd that paper job is on an interior wall, not exterior. Maybe for privacy? thinglooks like an oval photo frame, as was common in that era. thingor a roasting pan lid... thingan oval mirror Comics..I think it was intentional that the family, forced to use newspaper as insulation, deliberately picked parts of the paper that were pictorial and cheery- such as the comics. It's sort of moving to think of- the comics pages would have a little color and joy.. There's an abandoned houseThere's an abandoned house on an old farm I used to live on with my partner that has tongue and groove wainscoting. In other parts of the house there's newspaper all over as a wind barrier, but they've only used the news and classifieds sections. Based on the papers we can see, it dates from about 1942. thing it looks more like a picture frame with the domed glass faint image of something in the picture The Round ThingThe "faint image" is the photographer. It's an old-fashioned convex mirror. PopeyeI think there's a Popeye comic in the background. Still in print. That looks to be 'Maggie and Jiggs' up top and Wimpy and Bluto, 'Brutus', in earlier series, below it. I can understand why they would paste up the funnies on their walls, you can get them on expensive wallpaper nowadays. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Great Depression, Kids, Little Rock)
Basement Bar: 1941
... 2010 when the 1879 house was last listed. No Current Interior Photos I checked on Zillow.com, Trulia.com, and Realtor.com to see if there were any interior photos that would reveal the current state of the bar. There were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2024 - 1:46pm -

August 4, 1941. Nyack, New York. "Dr. E. Hall Kline, residence on North Broadway. George Munson Schofield, architect. Playroom, to bar." Knotty but nice. (See the comments for a post-mortem.) 5x7 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. A termite walks into a tavernAnd says, "Where's the bartender?" The surgeon, in retrospect, may have needed a surgeon47 years old is too early to lose a well-respected surgeon to a heart attack. And on a golf course, no less. [He was also the Rockland County coroner. - Dave] Eat, Drink and Be Merry ... ... for tomorrow yada yada. https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/19/archives/surgeon-dies-golfing-dr-e-ha... Let Me In!I'm curious how the person pouring drinks gets behind the bar. Do I spy a hinged section on the left? Dr. E. Hall Kline must have enjoyed entertaining. Makes me curious what the rest of his residence is like. When I grow upI always told myself I would get one of these for myself. I’m in my seventh decade now and I still don’t have a basement bar. Mind you, I don’t have a basement. Household barsI was cabinet maker to a custom house builder for some years. Whenever the client wanted to include a bar, it ended up just as tacky as this one. Seems that they mistake useful space for a spot to add a crowded, ugly and seldom utilized part of a room, where something far more appreciated could be. And, when time to sell the manse arrives, lots of folks have no desire to acquire. [Judging by those scuff marks, I'd say this part of the room was utilized. - Dave] well, it may be used, and so scuffed, it remains tacky. So it's you who this is being done toThe design immediately put me in mind of Susan Alexander Kane's bedroom at Xanadu. Before she walked out and Charles Foster "Citizen" Kane trashed it. 63 North BroadwayDr. Kline's home was modest compared to other homes in Nyack. Under the front doorAngus J supplied a photo of the front of 63 N Broadway. I went to Streetview and, under the ground floor windows to the right, the basement still has glass block windows. There are no basement windows to the left of the front door. Assuming the rest of the basement windows don't need glass block privacy, that would put this rounded bar, which I like, directly under the front door. I also like the festive stenciling and practical kickplate for a baseboard. I count four small ashtrays on this small bar. But something tells me this room smelled of cigars. Apparently the bar is still there!Per Zillow: "1940's original pub room for the best of parties." At least it was still there as of 2010 when the 1879 house was last listed. No Current Interior PhotosI checked on Zillow.com, Trulia.com, and Realtor.com to see if there were any interior photos that would reveal the current state of the bar. There were none. However, Trulia tells us that recently, the price has dropped below $1 million to an unbelievably low $995k. Don't hesitate! Act now! This deal won't last long! If you don't buy it, somebody else will! And so forth ... TackyI agree with damspot. I call it Ye Olde Colonial. Very donut shop, circa late seventies. I spy the handhold ... for the getting behind the bar section, on the left. Takes a slim bartender to navigate that channel though. Very skillful carpenters ... A low barI once owned a house with a similar setup in the basement. Behind the bar, the previous owners had pasted the labels from dozens of bottles they had enjoyed. While you might expect someone to collect labels from bottles of fancy wine, those folks had collected only identical labels from bottles of Gilbey's gin. I suspect they found some humor in their many Gilbey's labels. Dust Tells On The DoorLook at the bottom left of the bar, and you will see a dust void where the bar door has been opened numerous times. It seems that bar entrance has been used many times. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Church Interior
Interior of unknown church or date. People need to record better than they did. Still a neat interior shot. From my negatives collection. View full size. St ... 
 
Posted by mhallack - 08/09/2013 - 6:37pm -

Interior of unknown church or date. People need to record better than they did. Still a neat interior shot. From my negatives collection. View full size. St Patrick's ?Catholic church/chapel obviously. The large statue on the left is St. Patrick. May be a clue to the name of the church. Oh, and there are carved harps over the doorways. Another clue. There appears to be some sort of "Adoration" as the large cross on top of the repository is holding a Host. There is a parishoner in the front right pew, appears to be wearing a hat, so a woman. This is so typical of Catholic churches/chapels all through the 1900s 'till the end of the 50s. Photo likely taken in the 1950s. The statue on the rightThe statue on the far right is St. Therese of the Little Flower. I attended Little Flower grade school for eight years and that same statue had a similar position in our church. BeautifulWhat a lovely church. I wonder if it stands today in this condition? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Dime Store Interior: 1956
This is the interior of an SS Kresge Dime Store in Park Forest, Illinois. I am up front, ... 
 
Posted by HankHardisty - 09/19/2011 - 2:16pm -

This is the interior of an SS Kresge Dime Store in Park Forest, Illinois. I am up front, then mother, brother George, Dad, and his mother. Granddad is taking the picture, a 35mm Kodachrome slide. There sure is a lot of counter clutter. View full size. Dime store items1-gallon Coca-Cola syrup jugs on the counter at left. Cute child's counter tray attachment thingie for grimacing Hank. Spiffily-attired parents. Burgers sizzling on a grill somewhere, maybe. I want to be there. 5 cents' worthI remember having Cokes at a fountain in New Jersey in the late fifties. Price was five cents for, at most, six ounces of the stuff. But when the embargo on Cuba was announced, suddenly the price almost doubled! YumI can smell grilled onions to go on those burgers! Kresge's, the 10 cent store aka Five and Dime!I hung out there about a decade later, but it didn't change much! Good old Park Forest, Kresge's What a great shot! I recall once combing my hair over the counter and getting yelled at by the waitress not to do that. I'd always get a grilled cheese sandwich. That grilled cheese is still my gold standard! They'd toothpick one pickle slice onto each half. Fantastic picture. And in color! I guess by the time I started hanging out there they had a bit better lighting, and not nearly the counter clutter. They definitely were serving the Coke from the fountain. Thanks for the picture!! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Eateries & Bars)
Union Station interior, 2008
Interior shot of Union Station in 2008. The station was threatened with ... 
 
Posted by stanton_square - 07/30/2008 - 12:11pm -

Interior shot of Union Station in 2008. The station was threatened with demolition in the early 1980s. Redevelopment altered the concourse to retail space with a food court in the basement. It is one of the most successful mixed retail/transportation centers in the country. View full size. View in 1921 (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Price, Birch & Co.: Interior
Interior view showing cells of Price, Birch & Co. slave pen at Alexandria, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 8:06pm -

Interior view showing cells of Price, Birch & Co. slave pen at Alexandria, Virginia, circa 1865. Wet collodion, half of glass plate stereograph pair. View full size. (The Gallery, Civil War)
Volkert Grocery, Detroit, 1900 (interior)
The interior of the Volkert grocery store at 24th and W. Warren, Detroit, in 1920. ... 
 
Posted by RDown3657 - 02/15/2009 - 5:02pm -

The interior of the Volkert grocery store at 24th and W. Warren, Detroit, in 1920. The man with the hat by the "oysters" sign is Conrad Volkert. Names of the two "helpers" are not known. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Beer Garden Interior
Interior view of Fred Geyer's beer garden after it was purchased from George ... 
 
Posted by kozel - 09/28/2012 - 8:02pm -

Interior view of Fred Geyer's beer garden after it was purchased from George Kozel. 1827 14th St. NW, Washington D.C. probably about 1904-1908. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Slave Pen: Interior
Price, Birch slave pen at Alexandria c. 1865. Half of stereo pair. View full size. (The Gallery, Civil War) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 8:07pm -

Price, Birch slave pen at Alexandria c. 1865. Half of stereo pair. View full size. (The Gallery, Civil War)
White Christmas: 1954
... note dark blue walls out of style for many years, dark interior colors are back in vogue. Xmas Interior I was only 5 years old then but I vividly remember our house having ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/21/2017 - 12:15pm -

          Another stocking-stuffer from the Shorpy Christmas closet: Christmas 1954. My grandmother Sarah Hall (1904-2000, last seen here) and her daughter, my Aunt Barbara (1935-2017), at home in Miami Shores. 35mm Kodachrome by my grandfather Shepard. The tree is a northern blue spruce, spray-painted white with his workshop air compressor. View full size. TreeThat is one seriously lovely tree. My grandmother had an artificial one similar to this one well into the 1980s. [This was a real spruce, sprayed with white paint using Granddad's air compressor out in the garage. The next year they got a full-size tree and did the same thing. - Dave] Painted tree.My uncle in N. Illinois used the same technique. The weather was very cold. He used latex paint. It was a mess when he brought it inside and the paint thawed what a great ideaI love it. I also love those days even though I wasn't alive. I can almost imagine sitting there watching this photo being taken. What a nice fam! Aunt Barb is kind of hot too. interesting to note dark blue wallsout of style for many years, dark interior colors are back in vogue. Xmas InteriorI was only 5 years old then but I vividly remember our house having dark painted walls. Now that I look back I guess it was a vogue thing. WallsVery groovy wall colors. When did aluminum trees come on the scene? [Not sure, but this is a real spruce tree spray-painted white. - Dave] Looks like a "flocked" treeLooks like a "flocked" tree which was just coming into vogue in the mid 50's. I used to love to drive around Milwaukee duirng the holidays and seeing the flocked trees in the picture windows of the houses. Some had spot lights on them making them pink, green, blue red, and white. What a great time. 1954 Here I Come!Hi All I'm attempting to do a retro 1950's/ 60's American looking tree this year (in the UK), and I'll definitely be using this lovely old image as an inspiration. I'm going to heavily flock the edges of my real tree, I've bought lots of vintage ornaments from the US, lots of vintage Shiny Brite and quite a few of the Radko modern version. I've even splashed out on some new but vintage looking 1950's style coloured lights, unfortunately although we have a great selection of lights in the UK, I just couldn't find that retro looking US style other then in the US itself, so Ive ordered again from Radko ($400 - ugghh) and of course I've had to get step down power transformers - I MUST be mad ;-) Merry Christmas One & All - Justin x 1962I was in first grade in 1962. My family had a fresh-cut tree, not much different from today's except of the thumb-size colored lights. The lobby of the school I went to for grades 1-5 had a smallish silver-colored fake tree with blue glass balls and a color wheel so that the light shining on the tree alternated between 4 different colors. Dress LustAunt Barb has the most wonderful dress! Color trend of the eraMy grandmother also painted her living room this exact same color scheme in the early fifties: dark green walls, white trim, dark coordinating floral prints of barkcloth on the furniture. I bet if you look around you will see some ceramic mallard ducks flying on walls or on the tops of end tables. I would say , though, that your grandmother is particularly color coordinated--right down the the tree, bulbs, and wrapped present placement. Barbara is definitely not cooperating in pink and blue. There is a small, slightly rebellious smile on her face and Grandma does not look at all pleased. Mommmm!1955. The year Mom went "modern", abandoned all our colorful hand-me-down ornaments and big-bulb lights, and got a flocked tree, decked out in a brand new set of coordinated red and gold ornaments, with tiny white twinkle lights. The horror, the horror! Lighting the wayI'm surprised to see a lantern of some kind hanging over what appears to be the back door. Do you know if it was a decor thing or was it a working lamp? A bit unusual by the 1950's. Flocked trees were sometimes kept for yearsWhen my ex was in college, in the 70s, I cleaned houses for elderly ladies. One, who was quite eccentric, lived in a huge, Victorian mansion. In the large living room, with a very high ceiling, was an enormous,flocked Christmas tree, done with the spray-on imitation snow. It had been there for several years. It was summer while I was working for her and it was very strange to be vacuuming up pine needles and fake snow in 90+ degree weather. I always kept an eye on it, because I knew that if the slightest spark got near it, it would be engulfed in flames before I could even dial the fire department. It was still there when I stopped cleaning her house and I have always wondered how much longer it was there and if it ever caught fire. Deja VuTalk about a double take! The walls in my living room are green, and the white trim is exactly the same profile as shown. Several of the houses on my street (in Kansas) have that same white trim and I salvaged some extra when the house next door was torn down. Do you know whether the house in the picture was built in the late 30s? It's been 2 yearsAnd I still covet Aunt Barb's dress! Barbara's dress!To die for. Must have... CandlesAbout 20 years ago, my wife and I had dinner with a man I worked with. His wife was from Germany. She followed German tradition and had a Christmas tree with lighted candles. They kept a pan of water nearby, just in case. But that was, shall we say, "exciting." ColorsI love ALL of the colors in this pic. From the pattern of the chair, the tree, the presents, and yes, of course that dress! Especially with that pretty pink lipstick! Painted TreeFive years after this posted (2007) and I'm giggling like a schoolgirl ~~ Probably because I had a flashback to the aluminum tree with color wheel my parents had in 1959 or so. Tree ShapeThose rounder/squatter trees typically seen in Shorpy photos kind of required a different sort of decorating. Instead of lights and ornaments hung on individual branches, it seems as if you would have to hang multiple on the more limited branches going in towards the trunk. It changes the dimension and aesthetic of the tree I would think. Christmas chairI cannot begin to tell you how much I covet that chair your aunt Barbara is sitting in. It's lovely, and so is the setting with the tree and your grandmother! Obviously back when people still dressed up for everything social, and work. Merry Christmas from here in Okieland! Presents oddsThe most populat gifts for Christmas in 1954: Matchbox Cars, Yahtzee, Lincoln Logs, and Scrabble. What are the odds that any of the boxes under the tree contained one of them? Oh yeahHad to go back and look at the date on that pic, I'm about 9 months older than this one, but I remember that style of decorating well into the early '60s. My grandparents had the bubble lights on theirs, which I still love. Will have to find some of the modern replacements for our tree next year. Of course, styles were slower to change in the Midwest than either coast. You just can't beat KodachromeWonderful colors throughout the photo. Sorry to see that you lost your Aunt Barbara this year Dave. StylishCan't believe nobody has commented on the lampshade above Aunt Barb. Frankly, I love it! AddressHaving lived in South Florida for 38 years, I'd love to know if that house is still standing. Is the address available? [882 NE 97th Street. - Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas)
Our Lady of Lourdes: 1914
... up I never knew anyone who lived there, so never saw the interior, I'm sure it was lovely. I heard that David Dinkins lived there at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2022 - 12:33pm -

        A newly restored version of a Shorpy favorite that has collected three pages of comments since it was first posted in 2007 -- The caption for this one just says "Post Office." Thanks to our commenters we now know that the building with the statue is the Our Lady of Lourdes School at 468 W. 143rd Street in New York circa 1914. 8x10 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size | The school in 2007. Post office?Looks like a Catholic school, actually. This is just a wild-a**ed guess, but St. Jean Baptiste on East 75th? This would coincide with the warehouse cart on the left (sort of). Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic SchoolThis is Our Lady of Lourdes School in New York City on 143rd Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Convent Avenue. The school was built in 1913 in Washington Heights, an exclusively white, upper middle-class neighborhood. It was built and equipped at a total cost of one hundred and forty thousand dollars. Besides classrooms for five hundred pupils, the building contained an auditorium with a stage lavishly equipped for theatrical productions, a gymnasium, a roof-top playground, an assembly room for parish organizations, rooms for classes in cooking and sewing, and offices for the school officials. The associated church (Our Lady of Lourdes) is located directly behind the school on the next block, 142nd Street. Yes...Which is the Post Office? The large building in the center must be a Catholic School, what with a saint on the roof and all. As for the location, I have no clue. Post OfficeWhich building is the Post Office? post officeBuilding with street level entrance and flags would be my likely guess. Today...Google Street View. It's always interesting to see NYC in the early years, and how it's changed. Our Lady of LourdesI attended this school for eight years in the 1950s. The lower grades entered by one door and the higher grades used the other. City College frat houses faced the school. Recess was on the street out front. We didn't have any cooking or sewing classes, no classrooms equipped for that. There wasn't any gym. We weren't allowed to go up on the roof and there wasn't an assembly room. We did have a annual spring play using the stage and we had a Christmas concert. There was a way into the church from the back of the school. The nuns that taught there were called Society of the Holy Child. Father Kline was one of the priests and Mother Mary Edward taught there. A good school, good memories. Johnny PumpThat fire hydrant probably was installed in the late 1880s. Was born and bred in NYC and traversed all five boroughs many many times, but NEVER laid eyes on a johnny pump like that. Every boy who ever grew up in "The City" is instinctively drawn to hop over as many hydrants as possible. However that one is a KILLER. Our Lady of LourdesI attended OLL from 1933 to 1941. The lower grades kindergarten to fourth were taught by the Ursuline Order of Sisters. The upper grades fifth to eighth were taught by the Sisters of the Holy Child. The school was funded and guided by the priests of the adjoining OLL Church. We were there to learn,to pray: no play, no library, no lunch room, no outside activities. It was not an easy life for children of poor families during this Great Depression Era. I often cried and asked God to help me through the day, the year. I know I received a very good education but not a happy one. There were nuns I would have died for, however there were many that should not have been allowed to teach children. The Church and school were founded by Monsignor Thomas McMann. There is a bust of the good priest near the entrance to the upper church. In the 1930s we were allowed on the roof for various activities. The term "very stern " comes to mind. The statue is Our Lady of Lourdes, similar to the statue in the grotto in the lower church on 142nd Street. It was removed a few years ago as it decayed and was ready to fall off the roof. Convent AvenueThis photo faces east, and the townhouses in the background are along the east side of Convent Avenue. All of them still stand, most are in superb condition. This is the finest real estate in Harlem; a house across the street sold for $3.89 million about 18 months ago. Here is a listing for a house a few doors down from the ones seen here: http://tinyurl.com/2396kb Note the terraces on two of the buildings -- those are stunning and almost never seen in New York. Does anyone remember anDoes anyone remember an Irish nun by the name of Sister Gerard? She was one of the Ursula ? nuns at the Our Lady of Lourdes in Manhatten. She emigrated about 1910, so am not sure anyone would remember her... Is there a cemetery associated with Our Lady of Lourdes? Upper and Lower ChurchCan you tell me if the Upper and Grotto Church still exists and do they have mass on Saturdays and Sundays? I lived 2 streets away a long time ago and would like to see the old neighborshood. I have never forgotten the Grotto. It's so unique. Would like to share it with my spouse. Or maybe I can speak with someone in the convent. Are the nuns still there? Thank you. Diana Gosciniak Our Lady of LourdesI also went there in the 1950's. The nuns were very dedicated to teaching. Our religion was the major reason they and all of us were there. The grotto was under the main stairs and confession was held downstairs at 4 pm on Saturday. The children's Mass was at 9 am on Sunday, a High Mass in Latin. The doors of the main church came from old St. Patrick's downtown in Little Italy. The sisters made sure that the majority of 8th grade students got into Catholic high school. A lot of the girls went to Cathedral H.S. and the boys went to Cardinal Hayes. The church was around the corner with a connection to the back of the school. The convent was right next door to the church and the rectory was across the street. Once in a while we were invited to go to the convent on a Saturday to see the nuns. The neighborhood was pretty good, all kind of stores that tolerated all of us kids. It was nice going there for eight years. Fond memories. O.L.L. Upper and lower churchYes, the upper church is still active with most Masses in Spanish. The lower church {the Grotto) is not used. However the statue of the Blessed Mother is still on view. The sisters left about 10 years ago. I visited the school and was told the Church no longer had any say in its operation. When did you attend? I was there from 1933 to 1940. J Woods Theatrical productions?Oh, how I wish I had your recall. However, I did attend O.L.L. from 1933 through 1940. Yes, the stage was used - but with limited equipment. I never saw or played on a rooftop playground. There was no gymnasium. The seats in the auditorium were moved to the side for military drilling by boys from grades 5 to 8 once a week. The girls exercised in a nearby room. The children in the lower grades had no physical training. I don't remember an assembly room for any parish organizations. Family members were not encouraged to come to the school except on Graduation Day or if the student had a serious problem that required a meeting with the principal and/or a parish priest. I must say we all received a very good education and were farther ahead in our studies than the Public School kids. Yours truly and in friendship, Jackie Woods OLL NeighborhoodI lived on Amsterdam Ave for 16 years. Where did you live? When did you attend OLL School? The few friends I had from the old days have passed on. I answered your other message; The Nuns left about 15 years ago. You need to have someone open the lower church to visit there. The Blessed Mother's Statue is still located in the Grotto but masses are no longer read there. Regards and in friendship. Jackie Woods Our Lady of Lourdes, 2008I had a chance to stop by West 143rd street and take a snapshot today. The cornerstone is dated 1912. As you can see, every building shown in the "1914" photograph is extant and all are in excellent condition. There is even a fire hydrant in the same location as the fire hydrant shown in the photo. As for changes — there are trees on the block now, and the cornice has been removed from Our Lady of Lourdes, as has the statue of the saint. And, of course, as with all modern photos taken in New York, it is full of automobiles. (Click to enlarge) The reddish sign on the left side of the street, behind the motorcycle, identifies this block as part of the Hamilton Heights Historical District (Hamilton Grange is only a few blocks away). Today was garbage day, so a distracting pile of trash sits in the foreground, sorry about that. Our Lady of LourdesCentral Harlem, did you attend Our Lady of Lourdes? If so what years? Thanks for the picture Jackie Woods Our Lady of LourdesI attended an Episcopalian school. I contributed that photo because of my joy in Harlem history, not any tie to this school in particular. Last weekend, I found a photograph of this block dating to 1908! All the buildings looked the same except for OLL, which was then an empty lot. Perhaps Team Shorpy can enlighten me -- would it be compliant with copyright law for me to scan and post it? [Is there a copyright notice on it? If it was copyrighted before 1923, the copyright has expired. - Dave] Our Lady of LourdesThank you for your latest information, Central Harlem. Where was your school located? Did you live nearby? I'm 80 years old going on 81 and all I have are my memories (mostly fond). And my memory is outstanding. I was hoping to hear from anyone who attended OLL with me. By the way, the folks on Amsterdam Avenue always envied the folks on Convent Avenue, always a beautiful clean street. (Today we would say "upscale.") Three of my children were born in The Lutheran Hospital of Manhattan on 144th off Convent. I had moved to upper Washington Heights by then but my doctor was still working out of there. Thank you and in friendship, Jackie Woods Our Lady of Lourdes, 1909I had a chance to scan the old photo I found of this block. It dates to 1909, not 1908 as I had first said. Every building seen in this photo remains, though some of the lots on the right-hand side of 143rd street were empty in 1909, including the lot that would house Our Lady of Lourdes three years later. Anticipating the interest of Shorpy's crew of automotive experts, I provide a closeup of that car on Amsterdam Avenue, below. Also, a note to Jackie Woods: we're of different generations. It is good to exchange notes here, but I'm sure we've never met. Our Lady of Lourdes SchoolWhat wonderful memories of days past. I attended OLL from 1943 and graduated in 1951. One of five brothers to do so. You may have known my older brothers, Larry, Dick or Bill. We lived in that apartment building at the end of the street on the OLL side. That was the location of Alexander Hamilton's house, Hamilton Grange. When it was built, it forced the move to its present location behind the church. It will be moved again to the SE corner of Convent and 141st Street. You also mentioned Lutheran Hospital. It wasn't so great for our family. My brother Dick was taken there after being hit by a car. While recovering, he contracted rheumatic fever in the hospital and later died at New York Hospital. We also lived at 310 Convent Avenue because my mother's family, the Healys, lived on 141st Street. If you have any other questions, ask away. I'm still in contact with several classmates and between us, we should be able to answer. "Thanks for the Memories" Bob Phillips OLL graduatesHi, Yes, I do remember a Phillips family. The boys or boy were in a higher grade with one of my brothers. As you can see, I had already left OLL when you started there. I am pleased you have good memories of your early years. Unfortunately, mine are mixed. An incident: a bunch of us, about 12 years old at the time, were fooling around and one of the boys fell out of a tree and broke his arm. We carried him to Lutheran Hospital They wouldn't let us in the front door. Told us to take him to Knickerbocker Hospital near 131st Street, and so we did. Today, I ask why no first aid was administered or an ambulance called. However, I have nothing but good words about the hospital in later years. I was sorry to hear about brother RIP Regards and in friendship, Jackie Woods PS My oldest sister, Ellen, class of 1936 Won scholorship to Holy Child Academy My older brother William (Billy), Class of 1937, won a scholarship to Regis High. MemoriesI graduated from OLL in 1973 and it is so wonderful to see a website with the School and the information that it offers. I too wondered about the Masses in the lower church. The grotto was always so beautiful and special. I have lived in Florida since 1986 and hope to make a trip to NYC just to visit the old school. Thanks again for bringing a smile to my face today. God bless. OLL MemoriesHi. I attended OLL from grades K to 5. I have the most beautiful memories of my childhood there. I loved the nuns. I can't believe how time has gone so fast. If anyone remembers me or remembers Sister Mary Owen or Ms. Valentine or the gym instructor George Izquierdo. I am talking about late 1960's, early 70's. Please contact me. Are the sisters still there? I went to visit Sister Mary Owen a couple of years ago. She wasn't wearing her habit any more. Those were good old days. I was so mischievous, always getting into trouble. Oh my God. I had the best early education there, never will I forget. I love history and I love these pictures that were posted up above, everything looks the same. Thanks! My family still lives up in Washington Heights. Our Lady of Lourdes School and ChurchAnd a HI to you, The good sisters left about ten years ago. You can reach the school online, it has a Web site. The school is no longer under the supervision of the Church. If you look over the rest of this page you will see that I have answered a number of postings that may be of interest to you. "Memories are made of this." In friendship, Jackie Woods OLL AlumniHello OLL'ers Head over to the OLL website www.ourladyoflourdesschool.net There's an alumni page where you can send your information and be put on the mailing list. OLLCould not connect with your e-mail: kbarkley@ourladyoflourdesschool.net Would you please check it. When did you attend OLL? I gave my information previously on bottom of page. Look forward to hearing from you. In friendship, Jackie woods To Jackie WoodsI knew Dennis before the war, and graduated OLL in 1937. My sister Marie graduated in 1936 and received a scholarship to Holy Name. Finding your web site after all these years is a small miracle. I'm sorry to say Marie, such a special person, passed away in 1977. Andrew, a 1943 or 44 graduate, died in 2000. I did not marry till 1985, had a daughter in 86. My wife Alice and I celebrated our daughter Colleen's wedding Nov. 24, 2007. I hope this proves I was not as bad as the sisters believed. They wanted so to see me go that they created the first coed class and skipped me from 6th to 8th grade. Yes we marched on the roof, auditorium, basement and in far away competition. I believe we had a West Point officer, but not certain. I just hope that life was as rewarding to all OLL graduates as I. God bless. John Orlando Wideawake80@verizon.net OLL, late 1950s and early 60sDon't know how I found this website, but so glad that I did. I graduated OLL in June 1961. The nuns are my most vivid memories of the school. The spring and Christmas plays that were held each year. Recess outside during lunchtime. Walking to school each day and spending the few pennies we had to buy candy at the store on Amsterdam Avenue, and the bicycle store there where we rented bikes on Saturday afternoons. Going to confession every Saturday down in the grotto. Checking the Legion of Decency list for movie listings. Learning to sing the Mass in Latin for every Sunday High Mass and, most important, the foundation the nuns gave us for our religion that is still strong to this day. A few years ago, we drove from Jersey up to the old place and convent still looked pretty good. Can someone please explain about not being under the archdiocese any longer. Thanks again. Lutheran HospitalI found this link when looking for the Lutheran Hospital. Very interesting information. I am researching my family history and found out this hospital is where my great grandfather passed away. Thinking that there may be additional information on the records, I searched for the hospital but have not been able to find any recent reference to it. Has the Hospital been closed? Can anybody give me some background information? I will certainly appreciate it, Anne [You might try the Archives search box on the New York Times Web site. Lutheran Hospital of Manhattan, at 343 Convent Avenue, merged with Norwegian Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in 1956 to form Our Saviour's Lutheran Hospital at the Norwegian Hospital facility on 46th Street and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. It's now called Lutheran Medical Center. - Dave] Lutheran HospitalHello Anne, Yes, I know Lutheran Hospital. My three oldest boys were born there: 1951: 1952: 1954. My brother-in-law's father died there c. 1937. When I last passed by the neighborhood, three years ago, I saw that the hospital had been converted to an assisted living facility. The neighborhood is looking great - real upscale. The brownstones that one could buy in the 1930s for a song are now selling for well over a million dollars. In the 1930s they were empty, thanks to the banks that foreclosed during the Depression. As kids we ran through them and at one time had a clubhouse inside one. In friendship, Jackie Woods Lutheran HospitalThanks you both, Dave and Jackie, for your responses. I will follow the advice and hope to be able to pass soon by the neighborhood. Anne OLL MemoriesHi Henry, I too remember Sister Mary Owen, my brother David Mora had her and she was really strict. We keep in touch with George Izquierdo and he is doing great. Sister Rosemarie passed away. I try to stay in touch with O.L.L. It was really a happy time in my childhood and the happy memories will always be a part of my life. Maxine Mora Lutheran Hospital of ManhattanLooking for pictures of the Hospital. I was born in 1940 in the facility and would like to see what it looked like in that era--anyone have a picture? Dad Was an AlumnusHello Jackie, I am curious to see if you know my father, Frank Corrigan, who was born in 1926, which would make him 82 this August. I think he was in the Class of 1941. I am also curious to see if you have any contact or info on Alfred Pereira or his sister Clara Pereira Mercado. Any help would be appreciated. Stephen Corrigan Please email me when you get a chance, stephenjcorrigan@aol.com. Frank CorriganYes, I knew Frank Corrigan, Class of 1940, not 1941, he was closer to my brother Dennis than me, I was a year younger. Didn't Frank have a younger very pretty sister? I last saw Frank c. 1968 in the upper Washington Heights area where many of the families from OLL had moved to from the 140th streets. I knew Pancho Pereira (the name Alfred does not ring a bell) and Clara, his younger sister. His little brother JoJo was killed in Korea. Pancho had a birthmark: strands of very white hair in the front of his head of very black hair. They were wonderful good people. Pancho was good friends with Jackie Koster, whose sister Barbara married Burl Ives in Hollywood and lived happily everafter. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Vacant Houses in Hamilton HeightsI thought we were the only ones that got into those empty houses. Afternoons we'd go in through a back window to study and do our homework. We didn't break anything, and at our age we always wondered why the houses were vacant. The Depression angle we didn't figure out until later. Tom Calumet and Frank Howe went with me. I understand Frank has died and Tom Calumet left NYC around 1945 to go out west with his parents. I graduated from OLL in 1941, and now live in Hopkins, MN OLL MemoriesI graduated in 1960. There were about 10 of us cousins who graduated between 1955 and 1960. I remember Father Cline, Fr. Malloy, Monsignor Hart, Mother Bonaventure, Mother Dominica and others. Does anyone remember the day the frat boys across the street pushed the dummy out the window during our recess? I can almost taste the corn muffins and egg creams at the soda fountain around the corner on Amsterdam Avenue while "Barbara Ann" played on the jukebox. OLL PhotoI have a great a picture of my Confirmation Day. I'm in full OLL uniform dated c. May 1935. How can I send it to the OLL Shorpy site? Yours truly, Ed Woods [Click the links under "Become a member, contribute photos." - Dave] Frat boys 0, Mother Mary Edward 10I sure do remember that day. Mother Mary Edward marched over and blasted them. Also the candy store around the corner used to sell two-cent pumpkin seeds out of a little red box. Does anyone remember the rumor going around that the Grotto Chapel was haunted? I remember walking home with "Little Star" playing on the transistor radio. The OLL GrottoI remember serving at what was called the Workmen's Mass in the Grotto in the 1930s - 6 o'clock in the morning! I know the Grotto is not used any more (I visited there in December 2007). As to the candy store on the corner of 143rd and Amsterdam, it was a very busy place: candy, pen nibs (no fountain pens), book covers etc. One day the owner came to school and told Sister Casmere, the principal, that we were disorderly and she must tell the students to behave when shopping in his store. Her solution was to tell the entire student body that they were not allowed to shop there. In a day or so, the man was back begging forgiveness and asked to plaese allow the children to return to his store. The kids were his main business. HelloHi Maxine How are you? Thank you for responding to me. It was very nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear about Sister Rosemary, but I don't remember her was she the pricipal of the school. I do remember Mr. Izquierdo he was the gym instructor with another man don't recall his name I believe he became principal of the school later on. Oh! now I remember his name was Mr. White I believe. God trying to recall, it is getting a little difficult now a days but I like it. It brings me back in time. How time have changed it was so innocent back than not like now. Looking back in time, makes me feel like I grew up to fast. How is Mr. Izquierdo doing? How can I contact him? Please let me know. My e-mail address is Je_Ocejo@yahoo.com. I remember he got married back than to a girl name Rocio, I don't know if they are still together but that lady was my father's friend daughter. Who else do you remember. Please get back to me with pictures. I have pictures too. Let me know how can I e-mail them to you. Would you believe that we are talking about almost atleast 35 years ago but I don't forget. God Bless you. Henry OLLBob, Any recollections of my father, Frank Corrigan, Class of 1940? Maybe not yourself but some of your older brothers. Steve Corrigan More OLL MemoriesI graduated in 1937 and was probably a fellow graduate of a brother. I had skipped 7th grade and so did not get to know classmates well. It is possible that the Waters family lived across the alley on the second floor of the building on 142nd Street. We lived on the top floor of the next building on Hamilton Place. In the same building lived Buddy Sweeney and Sal Guizzardi, also a tall blond kid who graduated with me. I believe your mother and my mom, Agnes Orlando, were friends. I believe your mother visited mine in 1952-3 in our new home in Bergenfield, N.J. I remember a sister who must have graduated with me or my sister Marie Orlando in 1936. My brother Andrew graduated 1947. My mother, brother and sister have passed away. I remember Poncho, the Kosta family, the Madigans, Woodses, Rendeans, Glyforces, McCarvils, Walshes, Philipses, Flynns, Duggans, Hooks, Rodriquezes, Craigs, Hugheses, Conways etc. I am sure we had many things in common being OLL graduates at a very special interval of time. I wish you well in your very beautiful state which I have passed through on three occasions. Best wishes and fond memories. John and Alice Orlando OLLLot older than you. Attended OLL from late 1930s to early 40s. Baptized, first Holy Communion and Confirmation (Cardinal Spellman). Lived at 145 and the Drive. Remember principal when I was there, Mother Mary Margaret. First grade teacher was Mother Mary Andrews. Remember playing on roof and being shocked by Mother Mary Andrews jumping rope. Believe there was a Father Dolan around that that time. Only went to through the 3rd grade there and then moved to 75th St and the Blessed Sacrament -- a whole different world, and not as kind or caring. Memories of OldHi Henry. You may not remember me but I also taught gym with George and sometimes Ms. Ortiz. George is with the Department of Education on the East Side. I work for the Bloomberg Administration. Sister Mary Owen has moved to Rye and of course all the nuns are now gone. I left in 1996 but I still miss all of the good times shared during my years there. Memories Are GoodHello, You taught me gym and we also had alot of good times with the High School Club on Friday nights. I have most painful memories of O.L.L the day Msgr. Cahill passed away. I never knew how much a heart could have so much pain and yet go on. My dad died on 4-29-96, Max Mora and I felt the same pain all over again. Do you know where Mother John Fisher has gone ... her name had changed to Sister Maryanne. I would love to hear from you. Maxine Mora Hi HenryMy email address is mmorafredericks@aol.com. I have yours and I am so happy to be in contact with you I graduated in 1973. I went to Cathedral High School. Later moved to Florida. My brothers and sisters are still in NY and I miss so much of it. I look forward to catching up with you. I will write soon. God Bless. Maxine Fellow ClassmateHi Tony, It has been more than 48 years since I last saw you - at our graduation from OLL in 1960. Let me know what you have been up to in the past half century. My e-mail address is kmckenna@clarku.edu. Kevin LTNSMr. White! Not sure if you still come to this site, but on the off chance that you still visit i thought i would write. It's been so long since I've seen or heard from you, not since "Len Fong" closed. For all others that may still come by this site, I graduated in 1983 (possibly 82). Would love to hear from a blast from the past. Please email me at kellyw88@gmail.com John McKennaHi Kevin, Any chance you are related to the McKenna family? John McKenna, Class of 1941 Your name sure rings a bell, however there must be 20 years difference between us. Have a healthy and happy 2009 In friendship, Ed Woods John McKennaHi Ed, I'm afraid that I'm not related to John McKenna. My brothers, Donald and Desmond, graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes in the fifties. I wasn't aware of another McKenna family in the parish when I was at OLL. Happy and healthy 2009 to you as well, Ed. Cheers, Kevin McKenna FamilyThe John McKenna family I knew lived on the northeast corner of Hamilton Place and 141st street. I had other friends and schoolmates in that building. Thinking back, you probably had to be an Irish Catholic to live there. Whatever, I think you had to be an Irish Catholic to attend OLL. I never knew any others at that time, the 1930s. Most fathers worked for the subway and trolley systems or at the milk delivery companies along 125th Street near the river. Those were the days, my friend. Innocence prevailed! In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods The Mc KennasJim McKenna and his younger brother Tommy lived in that house above Grizzardi's grocery. Tom hung around with Marty the Hanger Phipher and the Warriors. Billy Vahey and his brother Eddie who retired as a Lieutenant in the NYPD lived there also. Their mother was still there in the early 80s. You probably knew the Schadack family, who I believe owned Schrafft's or Donald York. I think the building was 644 West 145 St. It was the first apartment house in the city to have a self-service elevator. When we lived there the neighborhood was known as Washington Heights. For some reason it's now referred to as Hamilton Heights. A couple of great web sites -- Forgotten NY and Bridge and Tunnel Club. You can spend hours & hours on Rockaway Beach alone. Lots of good memories! How about the movie theaters -- the Delmar, the RKO Hamilton, the Dorset, the Loews Rio, the Loews 175 (now the Rev. Ikes Church) and all the theaters along 180th Street? Hamilton HeightsNorm, Many thanks for your fine memories of our old neighborhood but there are a few minor corrections I have to make. The first is the name Shadack family. I believe the correct spelling is Shattuck and his address was 676 Riverside Drive on the corner of 145th Street. We lived there and my brother Bill was classmates with Gene Shattuck. No relation to the Schrafft's empire. Secondly, Hamilton Heights was always known as such. Outsiders didn't know where that was so we usually said Washington Heights for simplicity. Washington Heights doesn't really start until 157th Street and is separated from Hamilton Heights by the Audubon plot. The Old NeighborhoodAlex Hamilton lived nearby. There was a very pleasant young man (OLL Class of 1941) named Eugene Shattuck who lived near 145th Street and Riverside Drive. His father was a professor at Manhattan College and his family owned the Schrafft's Restaurants. I fondly recall Eugene having the wonderful hourglass-shaped bottles of hard Schrafft's candy brought to school and distributing one bottle to each of his classmates at Christmas time. Needless to say, the poor Amsterdam Avenue kids were in awe of one who could afford to do such a good deed. You mention the Warriors, I knew the (Gang) but not any of the names mentioned here on Shorpy. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods P.S. My in-laws the Boyd family lived at 676 Riverside Drive. Les Sr. had a radio repair shop on 145th and Broadway. 676 Riverside DriveI lived at 676 as well. The family's name was Shattuck. In my day, many, many years ago, the elevator had an operator. A sweet man in full uniform. There was a doorman as well. Saw the building years later and was appalled at the change. Then went up to OLL and hardly recognized it. It was the best school I ever went to. Thank you for reminding me of the fun. And yes, of the education I got there. By the way, 676 on the Drive was called the Deerfield. OLL StudentsI am researching my family history and I came upon this great site. In 1930 my grandparents Michael and Marie Murphy were living at 1744 Amsterdam Avenue and later in the 1930s at 115 Hamilton Place. All of the Murphy children attended Our Lady of Lourdes School. They were: Maurice (born 1916) Rita (born 1917/ my Mother) John (born 1918) Theresa (born 1920) Vincent (born 1922) Veronica (born 1925) My mom had such fond memories of her time spent there. Rita Harmon Bianchetto Hi Neighbor!!Hi Rita, I'm a former resident of 676 Riverside. My family lived there from 1940 to 1960 in apartment 4A. Bobby Foy lived next door to us. I think you may have left just after we arrived since I remember the elevator operator. The change to automatic was somtime during or just after WWII. I remember they put up this 10 foot wall with a door to limit access to the building. Fat lot of good that did us as my mother was robbed in broad daylight in the service chamber of our apartment in 1960. That's when my Dad had us pack up and leave for a secure location in the Bronx. Anyway, the apartment was great. We had a balcony looking over 145th Street and the river. My brothers were Larry Jr., Bill and Nick. Bill was a good friend to Gene Shattuck and went to Xavier with him. Nick and I also went there. Larry had a scholarship to All Hallows. Judy, can you tell me your last name and if you knew me. Hope to hear from you. Bob Phillips at bobbyphilly@msn.com Your DadSorry Steve, I graduated in 1947 and my three brothers have died. But the name Corrigan does ring a bell. Probably from my brother Larry who knew just about everyone in OLL. Sorry I couldn't help out but it was great hearing from you. Bob Phillips Andrew.Yes, I remember your brother Andrew. We were in the same class and we used to kid him about his name - Andrew Orlando and how tall he was. What's he doing these days? Bob Phillips Those were the days, my friendsHello Rita, I remember the name Murphy but not the faces. We lived a block south of you at 1704 Amsterdam. My sister Ellen, Class of 1936, and brother Bill, Class of 1937, would have known your family. We had many friends on Hamilton Place, the Koster family for one: Anita, Class of 1936, her younger sister Barbara married Burl Ives, and her other sister Mary Lou married Eddie Byrne (1710 Amsterdam). Ed's sister married Chump Greeny -- killed at Anzio Beach. He must have lived near your family. My brother in law Les Boyd lived in the Deerfield and had an electric appliance store on the corner of 145th and B'way and a sporting goods store on the next block next to the Chinese restaurant. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods Hello RitaHello Rita, I attended St. Catherine's Academy on 151st between B'way and Amsterdam (It cost my dear old dad $10 a month for what was considered a private school.) I graduated in 1943 in a class of only four girls. I then went to the Sacred Heart of Mary Academy in Inwood (I had to climb the long steps up from B'way every day for four years -- Class of 1947. Most of my relatives went to OLL as did my husband of 59 years, Ed Woods. We are still alive, kicking and fighting and making up every day. In my Class of 1943, one of the girls was Ann Murphy -- any relation? Also a Virginia O'Malley and my best friend, June McAvoy, who keeps in touch with me. June's grandfather was Judge McAvoy, who had died by that time. I loved when my folks took me to McGuire's Bar and Restaurant on B'way and 155th. Oh that Roast Lamb (Irish style) on a Sunday or a holiday. The girls used to go to Nuestra Senora de Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope) next to the museum complex. We were told not to go there for confession, but the Spanish priests were limited in English. Thinking back we had but little to confess at that time. Eddie and I had an apartment on 150th near the Drive for a few years until 1956, then it was off to Long Island to raise our six children. In friendship and love hearing from you, Ed and Jackie Woods The MurphysHi Ed and Jackie, Thanks so very much for your reply. I wish my mom was still with us but she died in 1998, the last of the Murphy kids. My grandfather Mike Murphy worked for the Post Office (a mail carrier working out of the General P.O. at 33rd and 8th). My grandmother Marie Murphy died in 1939 while living at Hamilton Place. Uncle Maurice went to Regis H.S. for several years before leaving to attend All Hallows; John and Vincent then attended All Hallows; my mom, Rita, attended Cathedral; Veronica, I believe, attended St. Vincent, and Theresa died at age 25 in 1944 (not sure of her high school). Mom worked at Woolworth's on 145th Street and Broadway, and after high school at New York Telephone, retiring about 1980. She got married in 1943 and moved to 152nd Street, and we attended St. Catherine of Genoa on W. 153rd. I graduated in 1958. So I know the neighborhood. Peace, Rita Hi Ed and JackieSo Jackie you are a St. Kate's gal like me! My tuition was a dollar a month, so your education was really a private school. You have listed the Academy at 151st Street but I think that it was on 152nd between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. I took my high school entrance exam at SHM so I am sort of familiar with the school -- fireworks were going off during our exam. The end result was I did fine and attended Blessed Sacrament on West 70th, Class of 1962. I last saw the "girls" at a reunion in 2002. My Spanish teacher just celebrated her 70th anniversary as a nun with the Sisters of Charity. I am not familiar with any of the girls names that you mentioned,including Ann Murphy. I do know McQuire's, where I had my first Shirley Temple, Mass at Our Lady of Esperanza, Trinity Cemetery & loved visiting the museums. Do either of you recall Eugenio Pacelli, before he became Pope Pius XII visiting at OLL ? Please tell me about your days on 150th Street near the Drive since I may have been the little skinny blond kid you both passed on the street. Peace, Rita in Northern New Jersy West 150th NYCHello Rita, Yes, we lived at 615 W. 150th from 1950 to 1956. Four of my children were born there (three at Lutheran Hospital and one at Jewish Memorial). We had many friends from school and the neighborhood living nearby. However, by 1956 it was time to move on; many changes in the neighborhood. One of my nearby friends was Juanita Poitier; Sidney was just getting started with his acting career. A real nice couple. Was Father Tracy (Pastor) still there when you attended school? How about Father Brady? He was always telling stories during Mass about his sea time with the Navy. Eddie remembers going to the Woolworths lunch counter (145th and B'way) in the early 1940s just to have an excuse to talk with the girls. He knew many of them from school and the neighborhood. In friendship, Jackie West 152ndHi Jackie and Ed, I lived at 620 West 152nd Street, just a stone's throw from you folks. My sister was born at Jewish Memorial Hospital in March 1952 -- Dr. Sandler from Broadway 150/151st St. delivered. Those were the days of Dave's deli on the corner of 151st & Broadway famous for pastrami on rye and a cold beer for the dads, Rafferty's Bar and Grill on the other side of B'way, Harry's or Pierre's homemade candy and ice cream parlor, Cora's beauty salon where my Nana would get a cold wave and blue tint. And not to be forgotten, Snow & Youman's drug store on B'Way and 151st. I recall the name Fr. Brady but it was Pastor Kane and Fr. Tracy (and his Irish Setter, Rusty) that I recall. I just sent a photo of Fr. Tracy to my classmates. Rita Japanese BazaarWho remembers the Japanese-American bazaar in the brownstones across from the OLL lower grades school during the war? They had the blue star & the gold star pennants hanging in the windows. They also had a store on Amsterdam Avenue near 144th Street and when they sold coffee the lines would go all around the block. How about the punchball games out side the school, or stoop ball? Anyone remember playing basketball and using the bottom rung on the fire escape ladder as a basket? The nearest basketball court was at 148th Street by the river. If you wanted to "take out" a ball from the park, you would leave a shirt as a deposit. I remember shoveling snow off the court in order to play. Unfortunately those days were the last time the country was almost 100% together. Twenty years from now, these will be the "good old days." Your brother AndrewI palled around with Andy & another kid named Eddie McGlynn. As a matter of fact I have a picture of Andy, Buddy Ayres & me at Rye Beach. Buddy went to Bishop Dubois with us. He was from Vinegar Hill. You didn't mention the Wittlingers. They lived on the first floor in your building. Brendan lives in Virginia. I'm still in touch with him, Matty Waters and Les Scantleberry. Pancho Pereria made a career of the Navy. He died several years ago. JoeJoe, one of my closest friends, was killed in Korea. Dave's DeliI haven't had a good hot corned beef sandwich since I last had one at Dave's. His son Milton was running the store in the 1950s after Dave retired to Florida. Dave's used to have a window in the summer that sold potato knishes (5 cents, with mustard) and of course kosher hot dogs. I heard a Clement Moore fan club still meets every Christmas Eve next to Trinity Church Cemetery and recites "The Night Before Christmas." I was born in 1928 at 853 Riverside Drive. When 90 Riverside was built in 1941 and blocked the view of the Hudson, we moved there. Warm regards, Jackie and Ed The old neighborhoodThe Wittlingers (the twins were the same age as my two younger brothers, also twins), Matty Waters, Les Scantleberry, JoJo: All those names I remember, especially Pancho and his family. For the life of me, I cannot understand why your name doesn't ring a bell. You mentioned the Warriors. Did you know Tommy or Willie Taylor, the Conroys, Drago, Jackie Hughes, etc. What years did you attend OLL? I looked up some old friends on the Internet over the past few years -- said hello and then goodbye when their families called to give me the news: Vinny McCarville, Bruce Boyd, Phil Marshall, Eddie O'Brien -- all gone to their maker. They were spread out all over the country. It was satisfying, however, just to say hello. I met Vinny in New Orleans and we had a beer for the first time in many years. We had gone to sea together during WWII and had a lot of memories. You must forgive my spelling etc. My eyesight is on its way out (along with everything else). I will be 82 in a few months but active and still traveling. I have been to six of the seven continents and my wish is to have breakfast at the South Pole. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods ToppersWas Dave's on B'Way near 140th Street? I sold the Sunday News there for 25 cents during the news strike. It was normally a nickel. We had to go down to the News Building to buy them. Overhead! Who remembers the Sugar Bowl on the corner of 143rd and Broadway? A great hangout for different age groups. How about Toppers Ice Cream parlor on B'Way between 139 & 140th? In the 1940s and early '50s you could go to the Audubon Theater at 168th and B'Way on Sunday for 77 Cents and see three features, 23 cartoons, newsreels and an eight-act stage show with such luminaries as Billy Halop of the Dead End Kids or Lash LaRue or Ferdinand the Bull. Top shelf. They must get at lest a buck fifty for admission today! Tea and Nut StoreHi Norm, My mom (Rita Murphy) mentioned there was an Asian family owned Tea and Nut shop in OLL Parish when she was a child (born 1917). She said her brothers, Maurice and John Murphy, would sometimes play with the owners' son. I am wondering if this could be the same shop. Rita ToppersDave's was on the southwest corner of Broadway and 151st Street, a short trip from my home on 152nd near Riverside Drive. I do recall the Sugar Bowl and maybe was in it once or twice but never hung out there. Topper's is a name I never heard before, as far as ice cream parlors go. Thanks so much for mentioning the name and location. Perhaps before my time (1945 baby) or too far from my home. Many people have mentioned the Audubon Theater to me (165-166th Street) but I have no memory of it at all. I do recall the San Juan Theater that took over the space of the old Audubon. I love hearing about Mom's (Rita Murphy's) old neighborhood. Thanks for sharing. Rita Your Name?No, Dave's Deli was on 151st and Broadway. Yes, Toppers & the Sugar Bowl were popular hangouts, however the Piedmont, the Staghorn and the Chesterfield were more popular later on. I have pictures of the great snowfall of December 27, 1947 taken in front of the above mentioned restaurants with a bunch of the guys posing in the cold. The Audubon Theater became better known when Malcom X was murdered in its ballroom. I saw Milton Berle there in the early 1940s. Actually, the Bluebird and the Washington were also popular as they only cost 10 cents (no heat or air conditioning). Memories, memories, dreams of long ago. Ed and Jackie Woods The OLL ChoirI sang in the OLL choir for about 5 or 6 years and hated it.T he only advantage was that we skipped the last class for practice. The downside was that after attending 9 o'clock Mass we had to sing at the 11 o'clock High Mass, which interfered with our Sunday football game. I played with the Junior Cadets. We had a very good team coached by Joe Romo, who went on to be the trainer for the Oakland A's for many years. I saw him at Yankee Stadium whenever the team played the Yankees at home. Joe died several years ago. Mr. Skyler, the choirmaster, wore a wig that could easily be mistaken for road kill. I used to wonder if he was committing a sin by wearing something on his head in church. After all it was no different then wearing a hat during Mass. Mrs. Daly was a very lovely lady who played the organ and gave piano lessons. She lived down the street from us on 142nd between Broadway and Hamilton Place and had something like 10 kids. My sister Maureen was friends with Theresa and Billie. John was I believe the youngest son. Maureen graduated from Notre Dame de Lourdes on Convent Avenue. My sister Frances was close friends with Helen and Rita Nerney, who lived across the street. Fran died in 2002. ToppersI lived at 635 Riverside Drive. I recall Toppers being near the corner of 141st, next to a Jewish deli. In the summer my dad took my brother Tom and me for ice cream there every evening. Happy memories! Bishop DuboisI graduated 1953 from Bishop Dubois. I believe your brother Ernie was in my class at OLL. I hope he is doing well. Give him my regards. Bill Healy Names from the Old NeighborhoodBrendan & Bernie turned 76 on February 2. Don't ask how I remember things like this. I forgot what I had for breakfast this morning. I'll be 76 August 11, weather permitting. Everyone seems to forget Pinky (Michael) Pereria. You are closer to my late brother Jim's age. Jim hung out with Jimmy and John Bartlett, Donald LaGuardia, Tommy & Willie Taylor (born on the same day a year apart -- Irish twins). Again I don't know why I remember these things. Eddie O'Brien used to go by the name Drawde Neirbo, his name spelled backwards. He was a close friend of Big Jack Hughes. I recall a group of you guys joining the Merchant Marine during the war. The Dragos lived on 141st Street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam Avenue. The youngest (Joseph?) was in my class. A couple of years ago I went down to the old neighborhood with my sons. Surprisingly, it looks great. Lots of renovations going on. My beautiful wife June is a BIC (Bronx Irish Catholic) from the South Bronx. It's not as great a neighborhood as it used to be, but lots of great people came out of there. I took her away from there, married her 50 plus years ago and got her a decent dental plan and raised five kids in New Jersey. I graduated in 1948. It should have been 1947 but Mother Mary Inez red-shirted me in the 6th grade. Will stay in touch. Norm Brown Norm Brown??Norm, I graduated in 1947 from OLL. I knew a kid (Norman Brown) who lived on 141st between Hamilton and Broadway. I think he had a younger brother. He went to OLL with me, but he did not graduate from OLL. Eddie McGlynn was in my class, and the Wittlingers. I lived at 510 W 140th. Are you that Norman? Bill H. The Summer of '66Hi Jackie and Ed, I never had one of Dave or Milton's corned beef sandwiches but I can say that the pastrami on rye was a thing that dreams are made of. I recall the knishes out the window in the summer and the hot dogs. Thanks so much for taking me back in time. Milton would take the pastrami out of that silver steamer box sharpening his knife, and the rest was heaven on rye. Milton was still behind the counter in the summer of 1966 but after that I can't say. I am sure that "The Night Before Christmas" is still recited next to Clement Moore's grave, in Trinity Cemetery. In my day the Girl Scout Troop that met at the Church of the Intercession would participate in the recitation of the Moore piece. I know that 853 Riverside Drive is on the Upper Drive, since I sat on "The Wall" on summer evenings as a teenager. You said you moved in 1941 to 90 RSD -- did you mean 90 or 890? I am not familiar with the numbering of the "lower" drive where the red house sits (so it was called). I am off in search of a good sandwich. Peace, Rita Stagershorn & ChesterfieldMalcom X was shot in the Audubon Ballroom at the back of the theater, which later became the Teatro San Juan. I saw Abbott and Costello there en Espanol. At 7 years old I was run over by a truck at 142 Street and Broadway, right outside the Staghorn, I managed to live! I would hang from the window outside the Chesterfield, watching football games on TV with Bobby Heller and Herby Gil and Buddy McCarthy. That was a hell of a snowstorm in '47. Remember digging tunnels through the snowbanks? You forgot to mention Larry's, just next to the Sugar Bowl. I would watch "Victory at Sea" there. A couple of years ago I took a walk through the OLL neighborhood and realized that when you are a kid everything you see is at eye level and taken for granted, but as you look up and around from a mature aspect it becomes a whole different world. It is really a beautiful area. 90 Riverside Drive WestHi Rita. I'm positive 853 was on the Lower Drive. When the new building went up next to it around 1941, the address was 90 Riverside Drive West. However, it caused so much confusion with 90 Riverside Drive (downtown) that the address was changed to 159-32 Riverside. The plot originally hosted a small golf course. I also went to the Church of the Intercession with the Girl Scouts. Small world. And the wall -- on a hot summer night, standing room only. Jackie West 140th NYCThe kids I hung around with were in the OLL classes of 1940 and 1941. I had a weekend job in 1941 with Ike's Bike Rental on 141st. He needed someone to identify the kids who rented there (bikes rented for 20 cents an hour -- and that's the truth). We started a Junior Air Raid Wardens group and had a store next to Ike's. Collected paper etc, for the war effort. And you are correct, within three years, when we turned 16, McCarvill, O'Brien, Drago and I joined the merchant marine. Did you know the Kieley family -- lived at 1628 Amsterdam before moving to the lower Bronx: Pauline, Rita, Josephine, Peggy and the two boys Nicky and Jimmy. I loved going to their upstairs apartment for tea, especially when Mrs Kiely made Irish Soda Bread. My wife (then girlfriend) Jackie sponsored Jim Kieley when he became a citizen around 1948. He was from County Waterford, the same as her family. We celebrated our 59th anniversary last week. Regards, Eddie Woods My Brother JimYou probably knew my brother Jim Brown. He too was born in 1928. He died three years ago today. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes, spent a couple of years in the Army and graduated from Fordham University. Jim lived in Wycoff, N.J. He was very successful in business. Amsterdam AvenueThe Denning family (10 kids) lived on Amsterdam Avenue between 141st and 142nd. Hughie had polio and wrote away to FDR for an autograph during the war. As it turned out he was the last person to get one. He was in an iron lung at the time. It was a big deal. Lots of press. One of the boys, Peter Schaefer Denning, was born on the back of a beer truck on the way to the hospital. Hence the name. The Connolly brothers, Eamon and Timmy, lived in the same building. Everyone in the family had red hair. Not unlike Bobby Foy's family. If I recall properly, the father looked like Arthur Godfrey, his mom like Lucille Ball, Bobby like Red Skelton, and they had a red cat plus an Irish setter. It took a lot of guts for a group of 16-year-old kids to join the merchant marine. A belated thanks for your service. My wife makes great Irish soda bread. Is there any other kind? You can give ten women the same ingredients for soda bread and you'll get ten different tasting breads. All great! Especially with a cup of Lynches Irish tea. The season is almost upon us once again. The only Kiely (different spelling) I knew was my NYPD partner Timmy, who was from the South Bronx, Hunts Point. Tim grew up with Colin Powell. Having worked in the South Bronx for 25 years and marrying June Margaret O'Brien, one of six girls from there, I pretty much connect with the people of SOBRO, as the area is now known. Sooner or later everything gets yuppified. How about this web site? Something else! Take care, Norm Mea CulpaHi Jackie, Of course you know 853 RSD is on the Lower Drive but Google Maps does not. "Looks like 800 Block of Upper Drive is even numbers and 800 Block on Lower Drive is odd numbers." I did not locate 159-32 but I did find a 159-34 and 159-00, seems to be the last structure (red brick) on the Lower Drive area that we are speaking of, now a co-op but the year of construction is not listed. I have very fond memories of the folks I spent time with on "our" wall. Peace, Rita Yes, it's Kiely I was in error. For whatever resaon, The Dublin House on 79th off the NE corner of Broadway became a meeting place for many of the kids from the OLL area up until the early 1970s: Eamon Connolly, Tommy Taylor etc. I worked with Tom for a short time before be went on the force and then as a T Man. I have not heard from him in too many years. One of great fellows from the old neighborhood. In friendship, Ed Woods My e-mail: eandjwoods50@Yahoo.com P.S. The Kiely family moved to Crimmons Ave in the Bronx West 159th Street NYCDear Rita, I do enjoy rehashing the old neighborhood and the wonderful memories we can recall. Yes, it is the last buillding on the street and I lived there until 1950, when I married Ed. My uncle George lived there until c. 1981 in a rent controlled apartment, and yes, it did become a co-op. When first opened, the building had four entrances. Later, in the 1980s, it was down to one main entrance on the via-dock for safety reasons. I loved our apartment there, which had a beautiful view of the Hudson and the George Washington Bridge. My friend June, nee McAvoy, lived at 3750 B'way. We were together in school for 12 years at St. Catherine's and Sacred Heart. June lives in Maryland. By the way, my e-mail is eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Jackie Woods The Red HouseDear Jackie & Ed, How lucky you were to have lived in the Red House, especially with the views of the bridge and the river. Growing up I never knew anyone who lived there, so never saw the interior, I'm sure it was lovely. I heard that David Dinkins lived there at some point before he became mayor. Many of my classmates lived in 790 Riverside Drive and I was always so impressed that their apartments had two doors. Our apartment was on the fourth floor of a walkup and across the street from a garage. Funny how I was not really impressed by a doorman but by the two doors. I seem to remember a gas station near your friend June's house...other side of Broadway from the museum, now college. One of my St. Catherine's classmates, last I heard, he was teaching at the college. Was Rexall Drug on the corner of 157th, with the newsstand outside the door, when you lived in the Red House? In my home we seemed to have all of the city newspapers -- morning, afternoon and evening, some selling for 4 cents. To this day I read two papers every day and still long to go out Saturday night to pick up the Sunday paper. Thanks for the email. Peace, Rita Class of 1959I attended O.L.L. from 5th to 8th grade. My 5th grade teacher was Mother Mary Edward, what a wonderful woman, 6th was Mother Mary St. Hugh, 7th Mother Mary Edward and 8th Mother Mary Bernadette. Graduated in 1959. Classes were mxed -- black, white and Latino. Memories are mostly good ones -- Father Kline, Father Malloy, Father Hart. The religious experience most memorable, especially during Lent, novenas on Wednesday afternoon and Stations on Friday after school. Liggets / RexallHello Rita, I loved the lunch/soda counter at Liggetts/Rexalls. for whatever reason, my family used the pharmacy across the street, on the east side of B'way, to have prescriptions filled. The family that owned and operated the newsstand helped us lease our first apartment at 600 W. 157th. Apartments were in short supply in 1950. We lived in the unit formerly rented by the Singer Midgets next to Peaches Browning of Daddy Browning fame. Of course they were long gone when we lived there. My father was very active in the Tioga Democratic Club with the Simonetti family. Do you remember Warner's Cafeteria between 157 & 158th? We visited St. Catherine's Church Christmas week 2007 with our niece who wanted to see where she was baptized in 1953. She is on Mayor Bloomberg's staff. Warm regards, Jackie Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Oh, as the poet said, "To return to yesteryear and our salad days." My brother ErnieBilly, Ernie and I went to Bishop Dubois. Ernie for two years and I for three. We both were bounced in 1951 and transferred to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. We went there on a Schrafft's scholarship. Our mom waited on tables at Schrafft's in order to send us there. In those days it was pretty much a blue collar school. It wasn't that far removed from being a reform school. VERY STRICT. Today it's much more hoity toity. I'm still in close touch with my old classmates, most of whom have been successful in life. Ernie was a great basketball player, the first to score over 50 points in a game in Bergen County (three times), breaking Sherman White's record. White was an All American but messed up his career in the 1950-51 college season. Ernie went to Fordham on an athletic scholarship. Ernie died in 2002. He was a very special guy, extremely generous and giving. We miss him a lot. He lived a couple of blocks away from me as did most of my siblings. Sad to say, the circle grows smaller. 1959 OLL gradsAre you out there, does any one remember or know of any of the following graduates of O.L.L. -- Starr Martin, Carol Long or her sisters, Carlotta and Tony, Josephine Velez, Melvina (Kinky) Boyd, Chicky Aponte. I went of to Cathedral and the others to various Catholic high schools and lost touch. After finding this site, many memories have come back. Would like to know how old friends are doing. 600 W. 157thHi Jackie, You lived around the corner from the post office. I remember going there once to get a money order and losing Mom's gray umbrella. Your building was by the Grinnell, where a friend's father was the superintendent during the 60s. Liggett/Rexall -- we went to Snow & Youman's for drugs but to Rexall for film, flashbulbs and of course the soda fountain. The last time I was there was April 1965, just before my son was born. I do not recall a Warner's Cafeteria but do remember the famous, and oh so good, Imperial Deli, Lambos Flower Shop, Commander Bar & Grill, Full Moon & McGuire's. I visited St. Catherine's about 1994 and it was like being in a time warp, except for the piano near the altar. The church was just as I remembered when I got married in 1964, only smaller. The school is now public. I am in touch with some of my friends from the Class of 1958. It was nice that your niece was able to visit the church where she was baptized. I never heard of the Tioga Democratic Club or the Simonetti family (the only Simonettis I know are the family whose niece and son are engaged). Jackie, was the pharmacy on the east side of B'way United or perhaps that was a sign for United Cigar? So nice this walk down memory lane. Best to your Eddie. Peace, Rita Memories: dreams of long agoHi Rita, My close friend June's, nee McAvoy, family lived in the Grinnell for many years. Her grandfather was Judge McAvoy. Eddie claims to have an exceptionally good memory but he says he needs to yield to you. You do have a most wonderful recall. However, he is more familiar with the OLL school and church neighborhood. My brother-in-law (much older than Eddie and me) was in the vending machine business: Ace Distributing -- jukeboxes, cigarette machines etc. Eddie worked for him for a few years when we first married and the company had locations in almost every store in the neighborhood (including the Commander). That is a dead business today. How about Pigeon Park? You couldn't sit there. Warm regards, Jackie Woods GrinnellHi Jackie, Do you recall a Doctor James Farley living in the Grinnell? Doctor Farley must have taken care of half of Washington Heights over a period of many years (had an office on 178 St. between Broadway and Ft. Washington Ave.). Ah, Pigeon Park...I remember it well and always tried to circumvent it! All the best. Rita I remember it wellHi Rita, Our family physician was Dr. VanWorth, as an adult I visited Dr. Liebling, who had an office c. 156th. He later moved down to 72nd Street. A wonderful caring man (who made house calls). My son Ed Jr. was 58 years old this week, I have a picture of him when he was 1 sitting on a pony taken on the corner of 155th and B'way. John Orlando's brother married a St Catherine's girl. I don't know her age. Ain't we got fun? Jackie Woods Current resident of the neighborhood (Grinnell)I'd like to invite you to visit www.audubonparkny.com, which is a virtual walking tour of the neighorhood you're discussing. You can "take the walking tour" online or go to the Sitemap/ Index of Images to read about specific buildings and see pictures from many eras. I'm happy to post any pictures (and credit the owners) of the neighborhood that you'd like to share - focusing on the Audubon Park area (155th to 158th, Broadway to the river). www.audubonparkny.com Walking TourThanks so very much for posting the site for the Audubon Park area...I had a delightful walking tour. Down Memory Lane at OLLWhat happened, did we all run out of memories? Who remembers the stickball field comprised of Hamilton Place from 140 to 141st Street. A ball hit over the small roof on 141st was a double and over the roof at 95 Hamilton Place was a homer. After the war the street was so crowded with cars that the games were moved to Convent Avenue in front of CCNY. There was some heavy money bet on these games. Walking TourThanks, Rita, I'm glad you enjoyed the walk! Please come back and visit the site again. I post a Newsletter on the homepage (www.AudubonParkNY.com ) each month highlighting new pages, information, and research, as well as updates on the Historic District project. Matthew The Prairie StateDoes anyone have memories of the Prairie State? It was a WWI battleship moored in the Hudson River at about 135 Street and I believe used for Naval Reserve training. As kids we snuck on board and played basketball on it. The deck (court) had a bow on it which is partially responsible for the replacement parts in my ankle today. How about the "Dust Bowl" at 148 Street next to the river where we played football and baseball? Today it's state of the art, at least compared to what we played on. Now there is grass on the field. Progress! Under the Via DockFar from being a battleship, the Prairie State (also called the Illinois) was an old transport. However, as youngsters we would have been impressed by its size. Pancho and another neighborhood boy whose name I can't recall trained there before being sent to England as frogmen in preparation for the D-Day landing. It was decided that those boys with big chests (big lungs) could do the job best. I can recall Pancho telling me after the war that he had only a few days of Boot Camp. Sports -- we used the oval near City College. Stick ball -- 144th between Amsterdam and B'way. A ball hit to any roof was an out, never a homer. Spaldines was Spaldings were costly in the 1930s. One had to learn to hit as far up the street as possible, over the sewers. That is why the good hitters (one strike only) were called three-sewer hitters. The Prairie State was docked under the Via Dock c. 130th St. Like you, we visited it often. Nearby were the meatpacking/butcher plants. During the 1930s there were two "Hoovervilles" (hobo camps) under the dock. The overhead gave the men some some protection from the elements. I had an uncle who took me fishing off the piers. I felt sorry for the "lost souls." Then one day they were all gone. Hosed away! I used to wonder where they went. In friendship Ed Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com PanchoAs you recall, Pancho was short, about 5'8" and maybe 200 lbs. and a very good athlete -- basketball, baseball and could hold his own on a basketball court. I remember speaking to him about the UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams,the precursor to the Navy Seals) and asking him if they were relegated to swimming all the time. He told me they spent most of the time running, running, running to build endurance. As I remember, the Oval was near Convent Avenue. We never used the term two sewers in stickball. That was a Bronx expression. We bought our pink "Spaldeens" at Rutenbergs candy store on Amsterdam Avenue between 140 and 141 Streets for a nickel. He also sold kids twofers, two for a penny loosies, and Bugle Tobacco so you could roll your own or purchase a corncob pipe to puff away. Loosies were two cigarettes for a penny. I understand due to the cost of smokes they are doing that again. We played "swift pitching" in the park at Hamilton Place between 140 and 141 streets. It was comprised of drawing a box (a strike zone) on the the handball court wall and throwing balls and strikes as hard as you could. I'm a little younger then you but I remember the Swift Meat Plant down by the river and the time John Garfield filmed a scene from a movie, Force of Evil, running down the steps toward the river. Somehow he ended up at the red lighthouse under the GW Bridge and discovered his brother's body, played by Thomas Gomez, in the river. As kids during the war we would fish and crag off the docks right near the old Two Six Precinct. I'll never forget the time my younger brother came home with a catfish and an eel and damn near burned the house down trying to cook them. Boy, life was a lot simpler then. Even with a world war raging. Amsterdam AveRutenbergs, address 1628 Amsterdam, I lived in the upstairs bldg for five years. The Rutenbergs lived in an apt in the back of their store. Tommy Smith worked their paper route for many years. Tommy lived in 1626 next to McCarvill. The Conroys (Johnny the Bull) lived in 1630. Eddie O'Brien lived in 1634 over the Rothschild Deli where we could buy Old Dutch beer for 14 cents a quart plus a 5 cent deposit. "It's for my father." The playground around the corner was busy at night after it closed for the day. My recall of loosies is six for five cents in a small paper bag with six wooden matches. You refer to the station house as the "Two Six Precinct." Something tells me you were "on the job." A good family friend, Frank Lynch, became the Captain at 152nd and Amsterdam (The Three Two)? Your e-mail? In friendship, Ed Woods Three Oh PrecinctYes I worked in the South Bronx for 25 years which included 10 years at the Yankee Stadium,ten of the best years of my life. A ring side seat at the world. We played many games there-- Shae, West Point, etc. -- and traveled to Venezuela with the New York Press team. I worked out with players on the DL. Thurman Munson was a good friend as was Catfish Hunter. Lou Pinella and Graig Nettles. We guarded Pope Paul and Pope John Paul II. John Paul II gave off an aura that was indescribable. I was very close to him on three occasions and he made you weak in the knees and start to shake. Believe me it wasn't his celebrity status. Some of the people I knew were Cary Grant who used to look for me when he came to many games. Someday I'll tell you how he saved my marriage. A funny story! Jimmy Cagney came to a few games. Boy was that sad to see Rocky Sullivan, every Irish American kid's hero, all crippled up with arthritis. I finished up in the Bronx Detective Task Force and never looked back. It was a great career if you rolled with the punches. The six for five must have been filter tips.I forgot about the wooden matches. Do you remember the Hooten Bars they sold? One by two inch chocolate candy stuck on wax paper. Nobody seems to remember them. Rutenberg had the greatest malteds. They kept the milk frozen. God! Were they good! The Three Oh Precinct was at 152 Street & Amsterdam Avenue across from St. Catherines Grammar School where I went to kindergarten for a day. Later it became Bishop Dubois H.S., which I attended for three years before getting bounced along with my younger brother. There was a kid by the name of Neally Riorden who may have lived in your building and a kid by the name of Brian Neeson Hannon who died around 1945. I remember going to his wake on Vinegar Hill. Next we should take a trip down Vinegar Hill. My e mail is fuzz408@optonline.net God bless & HAPPY EASTER Rutenberg'sRutenberg's had the greatest milkshakes mainly because they kept the milk semi frozen. They also had Hooten bars, sheets of one by two inch chocolate that sold for a penny each. I've never met anyone from a different neighborhood who heard of them. Yes, I was on the job for 25 years in the South Bronx. Check your personal e mail. The Three Oh was at 152 Street and Amsterdam Avenue. It's now a landmark. The new precinct is on 151st Street of Amsterdam. How about Wings Cigarettes with the photos of WW II planes? The Shamrock Bar was on the corner of 140th Street and Amsterdam. On weekends guys would pick up containers of beer and carry them over to Convent Avenue for refreshments during the stickball games. Take care, Norm PanchoLooking for any info on Pancho Periera. He is my godfather and was best friends with my dad, Frank Corrigan. OLLumnaI went graduated from OLL in 1950. I came across this great site and I am wondering if anyone graduated the same year. I have been trying to get in contact with my fellow classmates and this looked like a great opportunity! The Old ShamrockI visted the 140th Street area a few years ago and took a few pictures. The Shamrock is gone with the wind -- history. I showed a picture of the building (1626 Amsterdam) to Vinnie McCarvill, who had lived there, when I met him for a beer in New Orleans a few years ago, and he almost wept. Some great memories of our Salad Days came to mind. "Oh the nights at the playground on Hamilton Place." It's the place where we came of age. In friendship, Eddie and Jackie ParishesOne thing folks from New Orleans and New York City have in common is that you identified your neighborhood by the parish in which you lived. Agnes GerrityMy mother, Agnes Gerrity, born 1916, and her brothers Thomas and Richard (born c. 1914 and 1920) attended Our Lady of Lourdes until high school. All three have passed away but I'd love to hear if anyone happens to remember them. Like your mother, my mom loved that school and spoke of it often. Anne Collins OLL Confirmation Day 1935I thought former students would enjoy seeing the uniform we wore in Our Lady of Lourdes School Primary Dept (1st to 4th Grade) during the 1930s. KnickersIt was humiliating having to wear knickers. Remember pulling them down to your ankles and thinking "maybe people will think they are pegged pants"? Boy did we ever fool the public! And how about the high starched collars -- I don't think they could have even gotten Freddie Barthomew to wear them. Didn't we replace them with waterboarding? However Ed, they look great on you. Do you still wear them? Old OLL picsDoes any one have some old OLL class photos or just some neighborhood pictures to post here in the comments? I'm sure a lot of Shorpy addicts would appreciate them. OLLi go to school at lourdes now im in the 8th grade and i think its really cool to see people talk about the memories they had about my school before i was even born and i would love to see some kind of picture of the inside of the school like a class picture so i can see what it used to look like [Just wait'll you get to Capitalization and Punctuation. - Dave] Class of 1964I too went to OLL from '57-'64. My parents and I moved to 3495 Broadway at 143rd St. in 1956. I started in the 4th grade with Mother Mary William. The school in those days was no longer a military academy. We wore navy blue uniforms, white shirts and the school tie and the girls wore navy blue jumpers with a white blouse and blue tie. It was very interesting reading about all the students who came before me and where they lived. I always was so curious to find out how this old neighborhood looked like years before we moved in. As you all know, the area changed at some point racially, although when I was at OLL the school was still predominantly white with a handful of Black children. I will always have wonderful memories of my time at OLL. My parents moved out of the area in 1969 and I since been back once to recapture some old memories of my childhood. NostalgiaThe picture that follows is the 1937 graduation class with the girls omitted. Monsignor McMahon built church and school(1901-1913); after 15 years as Curator at St Patrick's Cathedral, constructed 7 years earlier. See church of Our Lady of Lourdes for construction details. At the time of graduation, Fr's Mahoney, Dillon and Brennan resided across from the Church. The Poor Clares home was to right of the church, and secondary had Society of the Holy Name Jesus sisters. School and Church gave us faith and hope and discipline. Our world was the depression years followed by the wars. Our class of 1937 was just in time. The handsome lad below the sergeant stripes is the brother of contributor Ed Woods.Ed,and brothers Bill and Dennis served with distinction. Andy Saraga bottom right was a highly decorated Marines The others served as well. I hope Our Lady of Lourdes provides the inspiration our families sought for us. Nostalgia 1937The 1937 graduation photo is great. It's with both sadness and pride to think that most of these wonderful kids would be defending our country in a very short time in different uniforms.Believe it or not this military training was useful. How about more pictures like this and some candid neighborhood shots. OLL in the NYThttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/nyregion/16priest.htm So interesting: A more recent residentJust want to say that I've read every entry on this post. It is so interesting to read the memories shared by those that lived way before you in the same neighborhood. My mother and I live on 135th Street near Riverside between 66th and 77th, then moved to 138th between Hamilton and Amsterdam. I went to PS 161 and graduated from CCNY. I also have fond memories of my childhood. I used to play basketball in an after school center at Our Lady of Lourdes as a young kid, visited the area a couple of years ago and brought back great pics. Cheers to all Mauricio The Grinnell: Celebrating Its Centennial Those of you who remember The Grinnell (800 Riverside Drive) may be interested to know that the residents have just begun celebrating the building's centennial. We're having a year of events,so this is a great year to visit! Check the website: http://www.thegrinnellat100.com/ for photos, historical news articles, and residents' memories (and contribute your own). Click the calendar tab for a listing of the events between now and July 2011. Matthew Why Grinnel!The hundredth anniversary of a building? Forgotten is the fact that it's also the anniversary of the site building, and all the memories fast fading. I think Ed Woods of all the graduates, always hit the mark. Several others struggled to add something. If someone remembers the names of the sisters and preferably anecdotes please don't deny this information from this site. I personally remember sister Rose from 4th grade 1934. I believe Mother Michael provided my brother Andy's Confirmation name. Others with better memories speak up. Also it wasn't only our generation that owes recognition for all given freely. Christmas at Our Lady of LourdesAt Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the statues in the creche would be replaced by live students. The scene would be repeated the following day at the 9 o'clock Children's Mass and the 11 o'clock High Mass. A live baby would be borrowed to lie in the manger. The girl who posed as the Blessed Mother and the boy who posed as Joseph were the envy of the entire student body. "Oh to return to yesteryear." Happy New YearThank you SHORPY for bringing back to us so many wonderful memories. It has been said pictures are worth a thousand words. Shorpy's pictures, however, are worth so much more -- just can't put a number on them. Thank you and a Happy New Year to the Shorpy Staff. Ed and Jackie Woods [And thank you, Ed and Jackie, for inspiring the hundreds of interesting comments in this thread. - Dave] The OLL neighborhoodIt's nice reading and re-reading your stories about OLL, Hamiliton Place,and seeing the names listed. Many years ago, in my past, I visited the old neighborhood only to find it somewhat depressing, old and in poor shape. One time in particular I had parked my new "rental car" near West 144th street, and was showing my young children some of the places I lived on Amsterdam Ave, Hamilton Place ( 95 and 115 buildings) when two older African Americans came up to us, and said you'd be better not park here." It wasn't said as a threat, but more it's unsafe here, now that the area has changed. I had told them that I used to live here many years ago. I am glad to hear from Norm, that the area has rebounded, and in looking at the prices of the real estate I wish we had stayed here. Keep up the good work. Matt Waters mattminn@aol.com Hi Anon Tipster 1959. I used to date Carlotta Long & visited her lovely home many times. 147 off Convent as I recall. I often wonder in my old age (69) whatever happened to her & how her life turned out. I did graduate from Dubois in 1960, so I'm very familiar w/the sights & places referenced here. So glad I found this site. Tis That Time of YearThank you SHORPY for another year of nostalgic pictures and comments. Brought to us in Black and White and Living Color. Such fond memories of long ago, especially the itchy bathing suits. In the 1920s and up to the early 1940s, when on or near the beach and boardwalk, boys had to wear the coarse wooolen suits with the tops on at all times. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New York to Dave and staff. Ed and Jackie Woods Our Yearly PlaysI graduated in 1960 after 8 memorable years. I remember our yearly plays in the auditorium and all the hard work and practice we put into it. Father Hart was our pastor and I remember our farewell speech to him. My best friend was Lydia Marin and I remember Maria Santory, Joyce Brown, Maria Matos, Alma Mora, Maureen Quirk. If any of you from this class are around, give a shout. Jackie Erick Class of 1964Class of 1964 where are you guys? Write something here you remember. Do you remember me? OLL Class of 1957Here's the names of the boys' teachers from 1949 to 1957. I think I have then all correct. Grade 1, 1949-1950: Mother Mary Theodosia Grade 2, 1950-1951: Sister Mary Macrina Grade 3, 1951-1952: Mother Mary Eulalia Grade 4, 1952-1953: Mother Mary Declan Grade 5, 1953-1954: Mother Mary Edwards Grade 6, 1954-1955: Mother Maria Del Amor Grade 7, 1955-1956: Mother Mary Euphrates Grade 8, 1956-1957: Mother Mary Rosario Eighteen nuns lived in the convent adjacent to the church on 142nd Street: eight boys' teachers, eight girls' teachers, the school principal, known as the Reverend Mother, and the housekeeper. Six priests and the pastor lived in the rectory on the south side of 142nd Street. OLL was also known as Old Ladies' Laundry. I've written down the names of almost all the boys who, at one point or another, were part of the class of 1957. Only 27 graduated in 1957. Many were expelled in 1956 as part of a crackdown on gang membership. Mother Mary Rosario was brought in to preside over a difficult situation, but after the expulsions her job turned out to be not that complicated. I'll post the list of names another time. Our Lady of Lourdes Alumni ReunionHello out there. I am a current parent at Our Lady of Lourdes. As we enter a new decade, OLL would would like to start planning a few reunions. I am looking for some potential organizers to help us reach out and plan events in the new year. Please reach out if you are interested in planning or connect dots. There are many new happenings at the school. We will be launching a new website by the end of the month with an alumni portion. Thank you! Vanessa vdecarbo@ollnyc.org Class of 1971Hi! I graduated in 1971 and our teacher was Sister Patricia. I remember Marlene Taylor, Karen, Miriam, Dina, Elsie, Maria and Robin, Carla, Margaret and Giselle. Our class was an all girl class. I also remember Sister Rebecca, Sister Theresa, Sister Rosemarie (our history teacher). I continued to Cathedral High School but I miss all my dear classmates. Is there anyone out there who enters this site? My email is n.krelios@yahoo.com I would love to hear from someone. Marlene Taylor became a doctor (wonderful!!!). Shorpy Hall of FameIf there were a Shorpy Hall of Fame, this photo would definitely have to be in the inaugural class. I've enjoyed going through the many comments for this photo going back to 2007 even though I have absolutely no connection to the school other than being Catholic. What is equally as awesome is that a look at the location today via Google Maps indicates that, other than a few trees, fire hydrants, automobiles and removal of the statue, everything is basically the same today. Double DutchKllroy is correct about not much having changed, but it looks like even the foreground fire hydrant is in the same place (but a newer model). It looks like the circa 1914 photographer was set-up on the northeast corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 143rd Street. The Google Maps photo was taken travelling northbound on Amsterdam Avenue. So basically both photos are shot from almost the same location; it is interesting how the vintage image makes 143rd Street appear much shorter than in the Google image. I guess it's the result of different formats and lenses. By the way, the buildings at the far end of the T-intersection, on Convent Avenue (mostly blocked by the trees in the Google image), reflect NYC's Dutch heritage [ETA:] as does "Amsterdam" Avenue. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, G.G. Bain, Kids, NYC)
Christmas in Miami: 1954
... was certainly talented! I also really like the interior colors. With very little adjustment I could live in this decor! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2023 - 11:25am -

      A holiday chestnut worth reheating over the Shorpy Duraflame. "Christmas 1954." My grandmother Sarah Hall (1904-2000) in her living room in Miami Shores four years before I was born. She made the mantel decoration, which saw service for many years, with Brazilian pepper berries from a big tree in the backyard, mixed with pine cones, all attached to a chicken wire frame. Grandmother, handy with a needle and thread, also made the curtains. She was, needless to say, big on Christmas. 35mm Kodachrome. View full size. A lovely ladyand a tastefully decorated room! Creative and ClassyThat is a seriously tasteful room. The tailored window dressing helps to tone down the old style furniture. The subdued red and white decorations and lights with natural elements look almost modern. I absolutely love the fabric on the sofa. Martha Stewart was only thirteenYour beautiful grandmother was way ahead of her time in creating an exquisite home environment through her own resources of sewing, collecting and impeccable taste. The atmosphere in this room is timeless and the decor is of superior quality and subtle uniqueness, but the sparkling antique crystal and ceramics are showstoppers. The polished marble, shiny mahogany and immaculate order of her living quarters is very impressive. I could never live in a place like this because I'm basically a hopeless slob and have been told by most of my close relatives that because of me "we can't have anything nice." This is nice. And by the way Dave, you are SO YOUNG. I figured you to be about 80 yrs. old up until now, so Shorpy has a long life ahead of it as long as you keep it going. Merry Christmas and thank you for spreading so much happiness around. BeautifulThat's all; just beautiful! Merry Christmas! Wow, just wowAwesome, Dave. Your grandmother was quite a seamstress, decorator, and had great taste in furniture. My grandmother was a great seamstress, too. She sewed clothes, quilts, sleeping bags, doll clothes, costumes, you name it. She had all kind of gadgets, like a eyelet press, for making belts, and a hem marker, a thing that combined a yardstick standing vertically on a base, a bulb and hose, with a container filled with talcum powder. The container slid up and down the yardstick, and when the bulb was squeezed, it would make a nice horizontal line (to mark the hemline) about an inch long. And of course, I enjoyed playing with that. Kodachrome masteryThe technical details of this shot interest me. First of all, it looks like it was illuminated by photoflood, with both main and fill lights. The main is indicated by the sharp shadow on the marble of the fireplace; the presence of a fill somewhat off-angle from the main is shown by the double shadows on the bric-a-brac shelf and the pine cone thing around the mirror. The distance of the photofloods was accurately calculated so as not to overwhelm the regular bulbs in the lamps. The white balance is right on, indicating a probable use of Kodachrome Type A, or tungsten-balance photoflood emulsion, ASA 16. Using my trusty Kodak Master Photoguide from 1962, when the original Kodachrome was still available, the exposure calculator for the film and two bulbs at roughly the apparent bulb-to-subject distance here indicates an exposure in the area of f2.8 at 1/5 second or the equivalent. In other words, a carefully set-up shot by someone who knew what he was doing. May even be professional; at the very least, an advanced amateur. (Still, exposure bracketing would have been advisable; do any other shots survive?) Pine Cone ThingShe made her own curtains lined in contrasting colors and she also made the amazing mirror surround? I am totally in awe. Merry Christmas to Dave, the mysterious Ken, and unacknowledged contributors whose photos are buried in the Member Photos Section. Best regards also to Canada, tterrace and the Farkers whose work makes me gasp with laughter. Thanks, Shorpy! [Grandmother also made her own clothes. Not to mention togs for the grandkids. And then there was the crocheting -- much crocheting. Shorpy says you're very welcome! -Dave] Nice AntiquesMerry Christmas, Dave, and let me join the others in admiring your grandmother's great taste and sophisticated decorating talents. That's a smart and very urban color scheme for 1954. The tailored curtains are revivals of a Federal period window treatment, seldom done with this degree of precision. And the antiques are like familiar neighbors to me. Out of curiosity, were they mostly family pieces from up North, or did she collect them? The little sofa and round parlor table are 1860s; the fancy side chair by the fireplace is Boston or Philadelphia, about 1845; the worktable at left is probably late 1830s; and the molded clear flint glass lamp bases are probably Sandwich or Cambridge whale oil lamps of about 1850. Here's a similar pair with their old pewter wick holders still intact. Stylish GrandmotherDave some people have it and some don't, your grandmother had plenty. What a beautiful home I especially love the table on our left. We can all see why you love photography this shot may have been your genesis. Merry Christmas and thanks again for our favorite web site! Understatement"Big on Christmas' indeed! A very, very Merrye Christmas to all the Shorpy "family"; it's been a fun ride once again, and I look forward to splendid new adventures in 2012. A Beautiful Lady... who kept an immaculate house. Doug Santo Pasadena, CA Class actDave what a beautiful grandmother and setting. I was born earlier that year. Thanks for all you do and Merry Christmas! Your turnIt's great seeing your grandmother, Dave. Now can we Shorpy fans see our Shorpy webmaster? [We've already seen me. - Dave] PicklesI was a month old at the time this photo was taken. I am so impressed with this beautiful room. Seems to me that in that time period, white walls were the norm so she was really going new places with that lovely color. I also like her collection of cranberry glass, especially the pickle caster on the left. Hope it's still in the family. Thanks for sharing, nice to see how things looked at the time I made an appearance. Can't beat 35mm KodachromeBeautiful classy lady & home. I love the white dipped pinecones. I too have many 35mm slides my grandfather took the colors are so crisp on them when developed into pictures. Class and BeautyMuch less of this today. What a time. Merry Christmas! Those drapes!As someone who has made pinch pleated drapes, I am in awe of your grandmother and her drapes. Wow, what a wonderful job, what a wonderful room, and what an interesting person she must have been. Lovely decor!A magnificent room (and stark contrast to the wildly colorful and eclecticly overdone Minnesota family I love following here). I bet the rest of the house was equally impressive. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Impeccable tasteReminds me of my Nana's house; not only did she have the same bowl as the one on the bottom right shelf, but it also appears that, no matter how sophisticated the decor was, it was never a "Don't Touch!" room, but rather cozy, welcoming and comfortable. W O W ! ! ! for the lady. and the photographer?Impressive!!! everything is in place and looking flawless. Also, was the lucky husband also the photographer? very nice photo One Impressive LadyWhat an amazing woman with great talent. I'd love to sit in that room and just take it all in. Tasteful and artistic. A lost art at Christmas. Grandmother's favorite?With a second look at your Grandmom's face, while lovely, I sense a strong resolve as well, that would brook no shenanigans from the kids (including grandkids). Or am I wrong and she was a pushover for Dave's charms? [Grandmother was sugarplums and poinsettias 365 days a year, as all eight of her grandkids would attest. - Dave] Fave time of yearThe Shorpy Christmas photos have begun! This is my favorite time of year! Ok, Christmas 1954Think it’s time this picture gets retired. Looks like many rooms at Christmas I recall back in 1954. Very nice but the gushing comments appear a bit overdone. Hummm wonder way. [Brilliantly put, although you probably meant "why" and not "way." - Dave] I beg to differ with Carol McCIn the mid-fifties, white walls were not in. That was later, around 1960 or a bit later. Our house had dark walls like this (I was seven in 1955): brown and dark green if I remember rightly. Deck the HallsGlad to know she got to live a long life, another 46 years from then on! A later photo of her would be nice, as well as an early one (wedding, for example)? Classy Christmas !!Dave, your Grandmother was obviously very talented, and a very classy Lady.The art & style she put into this room is wonderful. Merry Christmas to all here at Shorpy. Thanks Dave for all you do to allow us to see great pictures like these daily. Two things!This fascinating photo of a classy person has two elements I find remarkable. First, that built-in shelving and the way the wallpaper (it looks like wallpaper to me) works with it. [The walls are painted textured plaster. - Dave] The second is the use of color in this room. Not only are the main colors perfect and soothing, but the contrasting colors work so well. For example, the red edging on the drapes and the pale-green fronts on the shelves. Those subtle touches really set off the main colors and add elegance. SWANK!!! Thanks, Dave, for sharing this and for all you do for us! GorgeousLady and decor. We should all be so lucky to have such in our lives. BeautifulWhat a beautifully appointed home. And we all know she was the architect of it all. Class All the WayYour grandmother was certainly talented! I also really like the interior colors. With very little adjustment I could live in this decor! Another PhotoI’ve seen other photos of this room, including this one. When we aspired to qualityIn addition to the elegant items made by Dave's grandmother Hall, her other furnishings reflect her eye for quality. The end table at left has a keyhole, and probably locked. The settee and chair appear to be rosewood. The end table at right has a white marble top, which complements the fireplace mantel. I can't identify any items on the shelves for certain, but they're nice. I suspect the next generation in Dave's family was happy to have these items passed down to them. Now I'm gonna grouse like the old man I am -- there are several traits young people have today that I like and respect; but I despair that the young people I've encountered have no appreciation for quality furnishings. Anymore, I end up telling them, "If you want a piece of black pressboard furniture, there's an Ikea in Plano. The reason it's so heavy is that's the weight of the glue holding the woodchips together. Solid wood furniture doesn't weigh as much." Giving today's designers a run for their moneyI love your grandmother's aesthetic, beautifully done. A holiday chestnutDefinitely worth reheating. We can see this photo has been commented upon for twelve years now, and that it has been presented to us for pleasure and comment in 2011, 2014, 2017, and again now. It brings us together at Christmas, we here in Shorpy-land, and it makes me grateful for this online community of people who take pleasure in this site and who make the effort to express their feelings and knowledge to the rest of us. This year I note those near the bottom in the comments section, back in 2011, who no longer seem to be with us: Vintagetvs, OTY, pattyanne, Born40YearsTooLate, switzarch, CarolMcC. I miss these former Shorpsters, they and stanton_square, Mr. Mel, aenthal, and many others. Some may have given up following the site or stopped commenting, some may have passed on. Thanks to Dave and tterrace for bringing us all together, and best wishes of the season to us all. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas, Florida, Miami)
Genevieve Hendricks, Decorator
... Surely those were no longer in use by the 1920s, so our interior decorator may have attached it as a bit of outdoor decor. Shutters ... what to do about it. She knows. This young Washington interior decorator, whose professional work has attracted National attention, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 4:22pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920s. "Hendricks Studio, exterior." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Hitchcock, anyone?It calls to mind that courtyard in "Rear Window." Working ShuttersYou don't see these anymore, even in the areas that need them the most. Boot scraperI like the detail in this photo. One thing that jumped out at me was the way the brick joints are failing above each window. Then I noted the boot scraper near the bottom step. When I was a kid, living out in the country, my grandparents had one by their front door -- not so fancy. Muddy boots -- not in my house! I heard that more than once as a child. For the adults, it was just part of being polite. Fire Insurance SignNote the 'F.I.Co' (Fire Insurance Company?) sign above the top righthand door with what looks like a fire engine. There she isThere she is in the lower left hand window, smiling with approval. Fire insigna/plaqueI see what appears to be a fire company sign attached to the front of the building. Surely those were no longer in use by the 1920s, so our interior decorator may have attached it as a bit of outdoor decor. ShuttersWhenever I see pics like this - back in the day of real (functional) shutters - I'm always curious why the builders of some buildings decide that shutters are necessary, and others seem say to themselves, "eh, who needs 'em." Oh, and does anyone know what those circular squiggly metal things are at the foot of those stairs are? I've seen similar things near old buildings before. Are they functional or just decorative? And heh, that lady for some reason scared the crap out of me when I finally noticed her. Age of Building...I wonder how old that building really is? Not sure what the logo is on the upper right. Looks like a vehicle of some sort. 1747 K St N.W.I'm pretty sure the pictured building is 1747 K St N.W., established as a studio by Miss Hendricks in 1926 (the 1926 date based on the following article: according to her 1976 obituary Miss Hendricks established offices here in 1930). Her obituary additionally states she was born in Seattle, graduated from University of Wisconsin, and arrived in D.C. in 1918. Her clients included Lyndon B. Johnson, Eleanor (Cissy) Patterson, Polly Guggenhiem Logan and Dean Acheson. She was a founder of the American Institute of Decorators and served as president of its D.C. chapter. Washington Post, Jun 27, 1924 Dead Horse is Removed; Lo -- a Charming Garden Butchers Took Away a Tremendous Tree Stump, Then After Hard Work and Applied Intelligence Miss Hendricks Had Beauty in Back Yard. By Helen Fetter Cook If you have stubborn tree-stump or a dead horse in your back yard, ask Genevieve Hendricks what to do about it. She knows. This young Washington interior decorator, whose professional work has attracted National attention, found both these things in the back yard of 1747 K street northwest when she bought that quaint little red brick house for her studio eight years ago. She had anticipated piles of tin-cans and other trash which she found in a 5-foot deep layer of this particular back yard. But she was surprised and somewhat disconcerted to find a dead horse. She was relieved, too, for the horse had been dead some time and finding him solved a problem which had puzzled her nose. Her first speedy step was to call the dead animal wagon. Once the horse was out of the way, the next problem was the tree stump. It was huge, said to the the stump of the largest oak that ever dropped acorns on Washington soil. Its sprawling roots dug tenacious fingers deep into the earth. Miss Hendricks admits this gave her considerable thought. After bothering her fluffy blonde head over if for some time she telephoned several blasting concerns for estimates. They all ran into considerable money. She was spending a lot as it was rejuvenating the house and had little to put into fixing the garden. Suddenly a real idea flashed. Butchers like tree stumps -- especially grand big oak ones! She's advertise. The ad read something like this: "Anyone who can use big oak tree stump may have it if he will dig it up and cart it away." Eight butchers answered the next day. Two who got there first, simultaneously, split the stump between them and, as far as Miss Hendricks was concerned, that was that. ... Tsk, tskFrom a 1968 Time magazine article about interior decoration: "What if the client insists on selecting something in atrocious taste? Some decorators refuse to buy the offending object, though few go as far as Lady Bird Johnson's favorite designer, Washington's Genevieve Hendricks. When she is overruled, she likes to preserve her integrity by pinning a note to the underside of the disputed chair or sofa stating, 'I, Genevieve Hendricks, do not approve this piece of furniture.'" PlaqueDoes anybody know what that plaque marked "F I Co." above the second-story door means? I've seen many similar plaques in other old towns, but I never found out what they were for. Crooked!I guess Genevieve is only an interior decorator as she would have probably noticed her crooked outdoor light before the photo was taken. PeekabooI see you Mrs Smith. Interior Decorator?Good thing shes an interior decorator, the exterior sure is sparse. And hello to Mrs Frank Smith in the window. Joe from LI, NY A LookerIs that Mrs. Smith in the window? Door #2The door on the right and all the brick above aren't original to the house. Questions, questionsStanton-square, you are a veritable research genius. Would you happen to recognize the plaque which is mounted above the far right door. It seems to read FIO 9, and has what appears to be an early version of a fire truck embossed upon it. I seem to recall from Shorpy photos of NYC an explanation that early fire protection was provided on an individual basis which was paid by a property owner directly. Might this plaque be a way to designate a covered property in a similar arrangement in DC? This house itself is quite question provoking. It looks as if it was built in between two existing structures as kind of a latter day fill in project. Much like that miniature town house that we saw a while back that was built in something like a 6 foot gap between two older buildings. I do enjoy all the background information you bring to these marvelous archival photos. Women's Business DistrictA building full of business run by individual female proprietors. Interesting for time when it was shocking for a woman to wear pants. Fire Insurance MarkAs other commentators have pointed out, the plaque above the door is for the Fire Insurance Company and, being long out-of-date, was probably applied as a decoration. More info on these types of "Fire Marks" is here, here and here. I would guess the house itself dates from circa 1870: it was listed for resale in 1884. Based on the style of brickwork, the houses on either side are newer. Federal Period HouseThe very plain style and layout of this modest little house suggests that it was built during the Federal period, 1790-1830. The six-over-six double-hung sash windows with plain, flat lintels, and the slightly sloped flat roof behind a low and minimal cornice are commonly seen features on lesser examples of the style. The double entrance with a very narrow stair to the upstairs unit is probably original. Typically, the below-grade ground floor would have held a commercial shop, with another shop and/or two residential flats above it. Renewed popular interest in the Federal style was high in the 1920s, and a restored Federal row house would have been a stylish choice for interior designers. The settee under the porch, probably part of Mrs. Smith's stock, is itself Federal, and was a bit more than a hundred years old when the photo was taken. Remodeled Federal HouseWhoops! In my previous post I stated that the double front entrance appeared to be original. A closer examination of the brickwork on the right shows clearly that the narrow staircase and the ground floor and porch entrances on the far right were later additions. The three-light transom windows over the original main entrance door and the added third-floor entrance to its right don't quite match, and the lintel above the doors has been faced with a painted board to help disguise the change. That leaves us without an original front entrance to the ground floor, but that could have been around the corner in the narrow passage between the house and the lot next door. So much for the house having held a ground floor shop, but many did. People are Building for Today Washington Post, Nov 13, 1953 Designer Says: U.S. Leads in Interior Decoration While the trend in private home decorating is away from the museum house designed with eyes fixed firmly on posterity, the fashion in embassy interiors is still determinedly traditional, says Washington decorator Genevieve Hendricks. Miss Hendricks, who has decorated a number of United States embassies, foreign embassies in Washington, and even the lounge of a warship, addressed fellow members of the Arts Club of Washington recently. She finds, she said, that just as the official languages of the diplomatic world are still French and English, their furnishings are still predominantly Louis Quatorze or Seize, or eighteenth century English. "By contrast, a great deal of contemporary home building and decoration shows evidence that people are building for today," she said, "and they reflect the movement in home entertaining. Homes have become places for the whole family and picnic is giving way to the barbecue in the back yard." Trends in home decorating show a new spirit of adventure and independence, a willingness to experiment with the best of the materials and designing ideas, and the best of the natural materials, she added. Miss Hendricks, who has studied architecture and design at American art institutions, the School of Fine Arts in Paris and the Max Reinhardt School of State Designs in Munich, travels continually to Europe in search of ideas and antiques. But said she: "There is no question that America leads the world in interior design." Aunt GenSay, does anyone know who owns this building today? Assuming it is still in existence. I would love to see it. I loved this blog. Thank you! I learned a lot of things I did not know about my great-aunt, Genevieve Hendricks. [As noted below, the address was 1747 K St N.W. - Dave] View Larger Map (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Overturned: 1921
... 180 degrees out of phase to muffle the sound. Heat for interior radiator Just a guess: the piping appears to be too heavy a gauge ... fumes. Perhaps it conveys water to a radiator within the interior, and located by the exit, where the cold air enters the bus. Janus ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2011 - 9:15am -

1921. "Washington Rapid Transit Co. wreck." More vehicular mayhem in the nation's capital. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Heated StairsLooks like the extra exhaust plumbing goes into the stairs. Probably to keep the ice off of them. There are holes in the bottom of the steps to let the exhaust fumes escape. PlumbingThat's an interesting assemblage of pipes on the right side of the vehicle from just in front of what appears to be a muffler. The cleanliness of the underside makes me think the vehicle hasn't been in service long. The extra pipeI see what appears to be an exhaust pipe coming from the engine and going into the muffler. What is the pipe that looks to be tee'd off of the exhaust, prior to the muffler, running to the area behind what are probably steps to get into the driver's seat? [The driver's seat is on the other side. The steps are for the passenger entrance. - Dave] Re: The extra pipeI hate to think it's a heater feed, but that's all that comes to mind! External plumbingVery clean undercarriage. Interesting plumbing on the exhaust, very curious. Heater Pipe?I've seen asphalt trucks run their exhaust into the cargo area to keep hot stuff from freezing in winter. Judging from the way the spectators are dressed it was cold that day. Wondering if this wasn't some form of heater. The mufflerIt seems to be a closed tank. Perhaps it is tuned to reflect the exhaust pulses 180 degrees out of phase to muffle the sound. Heat for interior radiatorJust a guess: the piping appears to be too heavy a gauge for exhaust fumes. Perhaps it conveys water to a radiator within the interior, and located by the exit, where the cold air enters the bus. JanusThis section is my favorite in the entire photo: Here's Your ProblemYou don't have any front brakes. This thing pretty much has the suspension of a covered wagon and a two ton tank engine. Slippery When WetThe undercarriage is incredibly clean, especially considering the condition of roads (and occasional lack thereof) at that time. It's like someone took it out for a test drive right of the dealer's lot! "Yeah, I don't think I'll take this one -- it feels a little lopsided." Okehed Transportation Advertisement, Washington Post, Sep 26, 1921. Washington Motor Bus System Comparatively few people are as familiar as they should be with the very marked and singular success of the Washington Motor Bus System. So we wish to give you some of the plain, honest facts about the way all Washington has okehed this most convenient, safe and practical means of transportation. Yet, in pointing out the success of the motor bus system, we do not for one minute wish to convey the idea that the motor bus is going to supersede the street car. No, indeed. The street car has its place, and a mighty important one. So has the modern; properly organized and efficiently managed line of the motor buses! But we do wish to let Washington know what only a part of it already knows — that is, the Washington Rapid Transit System has become a prominent factor in the daily transportation of tens of thousands of Washington folks. This Motor bus system was started only six months ago! Yet in that short time it carried over three-quarters of a million passengers, and mind you, this was when Washington was comparatively empty. How many of you have stopped to realize what enormous profits there are in a properly organized, efficiently managed municipal motor bus system? For example, are you familiar with the facts in connection with London, New York, Detroit and Chicago? In London, even during the war, they paid over a million dollars a year in dividends. New York is the best "at home" example we have. Here they have carried over 40,000,000 passengers a year. … Less than six months ago the first properly organized and efficiently managed system of motor buses was introduced to Washington. The first installation consisted of a fleet of ten motor buses, and they operated on Sixteenth street northwest. So popular were they with the public that April 20th we had to put for new buses on! … So insistent has the demand been for more buses and additional routes that we have decided to expand the system, and will install sixteen brand-new buses. Ten will go into operation during the next three weeks, the balance soon after the first of November. On account of the growing popularity of this splendid motor bus service, the Federal Utilities Commission has granted us two new franchises, which require the installation of these additional buses, First route, starting from Eighth and Pennsylvania to Twelfth street, to Massachusetts avenue, to Sixteenth street northwest, to Harvard street, to Thirteenth street, to Park road, to New Hampshire avenue, to Grant Circle, and return (Petworth Division). Second route, starting at Eighth and Pennsylvania avenue, to Twelfth, to Rhode Island avenue, to North Capitol street, and return. … Washington Rapid Transit Company Fourteenth and Buchanan Streets N.W. Telephone — Columbia 4026 In 1933, Washington Rapid Transit merged with the Capital Traction Company and Washington Railway and Electric Company to form the Capital Transit Company. Route Map of Washington Rapid Transit Company with examples of double-deck and single-deck buses operated by WRT, "Fare 10 Cents" (via): 16th and VLooks like the apartments at 16th and V Street NW. 16th and U is still a pretty treacherous intersection. View Larger Map The Line UpBelow are a photo of the new buses lined up from a Library of Congress photo, and a close-up of bus Number 2. "Built For Business"I turned the original photo from the LOC sideways and it is possible to read, "THE DUPLEX," at the top of the radiator: Another picture from the LOC shows that the entire set of words on the radiator is actually "THE DUPLEX LIMITED." The Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collection states, "The Duplex Power Car Company was founded in 1909 and produced mostly trucks and truck related machinery until it was reorganized into the Duplex Truck Company in 1916. The Duplex Truck Company was a prominent builder and supplier of trucks to private companies as well as government agencies during the years between 1916 and 1955. In 1955 Warner and Swasey Company purchased the Duplex Truck Company and the Duplex division closed in 1975." A picture of a Duplex radiator, their logo, and a truck, all from another LOC photo, are below. Overturned by Big TruckThe Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) of March 10, 1921, page 12, details the accident that is shown in the photo. The Washington Herald, on the same date, page 1, states the ambulance on the way to the accident scene was also involved in a mishap. The full Evening Star article and an extract from the Washington Herald story are below. Other information found confirms that the Washington Rapid Transit Company purchased 20 chassis and bus bodies from William P. Killeen who was the Duplex Power Company (truck) distributor for the D.C. area. Service with these buses began on March 1, 1921 which is probably why the bottom of the bus is in such good condition. The bus fare was eight cents on the route. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Calle de Coca-Cola: 1941
... last few letters obscured. Calle José Celso Barbosa Interior? The street seems to be Calle José Celso Barbosa Interior, and the cross street now called Calle Hermandad. Here's a link to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2019 - 3:07pm -

Street in San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 1941. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, who moved to Puerto Rico permanently in 1946. The cross street is Calle de Rafael Cordero and the street we're looking down is Calle de Dr. Jose C. Barb-- with the last few letters obscured. Calle José Celso Barbosa Interior?The street seems to be Calle José Celso Barbosa Interior, and the cross street now called Calle Hermandad. Here's a link to the location I believe Delano was when he took the picture. He appears to have been facing west-southwest. The shadow directions and lengths seem to point to this being a mid-morning photo. In case anyone is interested, here are Wikipedia articles about Dr. Barbosa, and Rafael Cordero (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Puerto Rico)
Omega Oil: 1901
... it must have been a newer structure than this one. The Interior I would love to know what the interior of the building looked like. What were the units that drilled there ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:27pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1901. "Armory of the Ohio National Guard." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Thirty Seven PoundsMy word, what a ... remarkable building! There's thirty seven pounds of architectural detail just in the photograph alone! At least we have this photographTorn down in 1965. What a shame. May this Shorpy posting live forever! I hate to askBut what replaced it? [The Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Office Building. -tterrace] The function of the towersI wonder if the Armory had a stockpile of cauldrons full of boiling oil, to pour down on attackers? Cleveland AmoryThere was this tale from the early 1960s when the TV Critic Cleveland Amory was scheduled to appear on the NBC "Today" show, and somehow a garbled work order went out to prepare the Cleveland Armory for a live telecast for that date! I suspect that it must have been a newer structure than this one. The InteriorI would love to know what the interior of the building looked like. What were the units that drilled there and where did they serve? Cleveland's Waste PaperHow interesting that on the ground right next to the Omega Oil "City Box for Waste Paper".....is waste paper. Beautiful structureThe next time I hear someone say "they don't build up like they used to" I will automatically recall this photograph. Amazing! (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC)
On the House: 1937
... Perhaps that's his preference. Nightview Of Bar Interior Previously seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/7798 at night ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/29/2012 - 9:05am -

August 1937. "A drink on the house. Lumberjacks, proprietor and lady attendant in saloon. Craigville, Minnesota." Where everyone knows your name. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Rolling Your OwnOur bartender knows how to save a few pennies during hard times. Like my grandfather, he rolls his own cigarettes. Notice the tobacco pouch string hanging out of his rear pocket. A very popular brand at the time was Bull Durham. Perhaps that's his preference. Nightview Of Bar InteriorPreviously seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/7798 at night and on TV from 1982-1993. What's the number?Do they have a phone? If so, I have a killer Prince Albert joke. Powerless?Strange to see the liquid fueled gas mantle light fixture, hanging over the bar. Didn't they have electricity in Craigville? Always in good tasteRaising your pinkie makes any drink classy. Those Are Some Small GlassesAnyone know what the standard draft beer glass was back then? Those look like they hold about eight ounces. BooniesI think Craigsville is up in the National Forest area of Northern MN. Might have been a little more primitive up there at that time. Looks like a friendly neighborhood bar. The Eyes have itHer eyebrows are extremely well groomed. I wonder if she gussied herself up to go out for a drink. Beer GlassesI work in the restaurant supply business. Those glasses are still made as far as I know, by Libbey. They were in the '70's when I started. I believe they were/are available in 6 oz and 7 oz versions. Noah BeeryThe guy next to the "lady attendent" reminds me of the actor Noah Beery, Jr. Altho he would have been too young for that photo; maybe it's his father, also a famous actor in his day. :-) Hamms would have been the beer of choiceand it was probably poured from a bottle instead of draft. My grandfather ran a bar very similar to this one in the 20's and 30's. He had no electricity yet, so he used a wind powered generator that charged a room full of batteries. It provided just enough power to run the coolers, heat the water, and run a few lights. Rural electrification would make its way in the 40's and business would become much easier. Rural electricity before most"...electricity in Craigsville?..." Early in the 20th Century most large sawmills had their own power plants. The mill itself was usually steam powered, but most everything else was electrified. Since they could make far more electricity than the mill could use, wires were run to the railroad shops, company store and to the company owned houses in town. When the mill ran out of trees and shut down, the power plant shut down with it. In a few rare instances, private individuals purchased the power plant and continued, but many former mill towns that had cheap electricity before the Great War found themselves getting the old oil lamps out before the Greater War. What is the young lady drinking?Yes she is using a beer glass but that ain't beer in the glass. Rare Items on the Door CasingI don't chew snoose but I recognise the two circles on the door casing as label cutters to free the lid of Copenhagen or other brands of snuff cans. Can't quite identify the logo on in either photo but I think these went away when plastic laminate and aluminum became the norm. Half the Message is Better than NoneThe Prince Albert salesman likely gave three free packs of product to the bar owner for the right to hang his sign. And, the salesman must have figured over the door was the best possible place for the sign, even though it meant cutting off the top caption our spokesman was trying to tell us. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
Leadville Castle: 1941
... the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Interior views ... The place has a beautiful Victorian interior. Happy To See That the nifty chimney has made it through the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2014 - 5:20pm -

September 1941. "House in old mining town. Leadville, Colorado." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Interior viewshttp://www.zillow.com/homedetails/815-Harrison-Ave-Leadville-CO-80461/89... The place has a beautiful Victorian interior. Happy To SeeThat the nifty chimney has made it through the years. Still Standing! Well, the house is still there. (Photo from 2012.) [It has the same nifty Band-Aid color scheme as our Comments box! -Dave] LeadvilleI've always wanted to visit Leadville. At an elevation of 10,152 feet, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the US. It's a mining boom- (and bust-) town, with a 19th-century opera house and loads of Victorian houses like this one. LeadvilleBeautiful photograph. The clarity and detail are phenomenal. Nice find. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining)
The Hotel Essex: 1906
... as featured in Fireproof Magazine, July 1906. No interior photographs or floorplans, but the architect is identified, Arthur ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2024 - 4:53pm -

Boston circa 1906. "Atlantic Avenue elevated at Hotel Essex (Terminal Hotel)." Completed in 1900, now the Plymouth Rock Building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. How could they resist?I can attest that certain letters -- always the same letters -- were often out in the neon sign on the roof, resulting in HOT SEX. Clearly, this was not due to chance, but creative vandalism. Gone? Then what is this?https://maps.app.goo.gl/HeJRkk4dkxWC9dP79 Really echoes the architecture of the Hotel Essex. Is this just a similar building in a close location (next to South Station. I guess if it was industrial, then look alike buildings could be all over I guess?) [Oh right. Not gone! - Dave] Despite certain neon letters not working properly... this is the cleanest 1906 photograph I've ever seen. Fireproof, as featured inFireproof Magazine, July 1906. No interior photographs or floorplans, but the architect is identified, Arthur Hunnewell Bowditch. His Wikipedia page doesn't include the Hotel Essex among his notable projects. But, in 1931/32 he designed the Art Deco Paramount Theater, the last of the great movie palaces built in downtown Boston. Looking at the two 1906 photographs and Street View, I'm certain there was a second-floor entrance to the Hotel Essex, directly from the elevated train platform. A nice perk for guests. If only --So 120 years ago, I could walk to my local train station and arrive at South Station, walk out and up the stairs to wait for the next elevated train to my office at North Station. But today, I have to go below ground and take two overcrowded subway rides to get to the same location. MBTA, please bring back the Atlantic Avenue line! Platform AdsOne of the advertisements I can see on the platform is for Mennen's Toilet Powder. The rest are inscrutable to me. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
Walkerville: 1900
... Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Interior VIew I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned this interior view of one of these warehouses posted here last fall. I think it is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 12:04pm -

Walkerville, Ontario, circa 1900. "Warehouses from R.R., Walker distillery." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Interior VIewI'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned this interior view of one of these warehouses posted here last fall. I think it is more impressive than the exterior view. Canadian Club anyone?I remember going past the Hiram Walker distillery with my dad once while visiting the Windsor, Ontario, area in the '60s. They were using geese to guard the large storage tanks of whiskey. Apparently geese aren't as easily distracted and they can be even meaner than a junkyard dog. Something quickly this way comesLooks like the ghost of a bicyclist, nearly invisible on the left side of the four tracks. WTwenty-odd years later, the fine Walker products destined for a thirsty US were smuggled north across the river to Detroit. My guess is that the "W" signpost marks the Walkerville yard limit. I can't recall ever seeing the (red and white?) palings at pedestrian walks before. They could serve a dual function: to let the train crews know where people were supposed to be crossing, and/or to define a safe spot for a pedestrian caught between two trains. On the other hand, they're only between two tracks out of seven that the pedestrian crossing crosses. Money!Would like to have a dime for every brick used in that building! Wow!Now THAT is a warehouse! Whither Walkerville?Walkerville is now part of the east side of Windsor, which annexed it in 1935. The Hiram Walker distillery that built the town was where the famous Canadian Club brand originated is still in operation, though now producing mostly under the Wiser's label. Those look familiarThey look just like the underground workers' tenements in "Metropolis." About as generic as a building can be. Can you smell it?No clue how many bottles of Canadian Club were stored here. The "Angels' Share" had to be priceless. I live hereI live just a few blocks from here. From the details, the picture is taken looking west at Walker Road, which crosses the railway in the foreground. The tracks in the foreground are tracks of the Great Western Railway (later Grand Trunk and then Canadian National). The double set of tracks on the far left and background belonged to the railway that Hiram Walker built and owned that went out into Essex County and south to Lake Erie. The photograph was taken on the location of today's Windsor Via Rail station. The warehouses on the left of the tracks have since been replaced by Hiram Walker Distillery but still serve the distillery operation. W = WhistleThe "W" sign is to signal engines to sound their whistle for the grade crossing. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Walkerville)
Parlor Garden: 1937
... these old photos depict a less complicated time. Interior Design I think she would have gotten along very well with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2015 - 3:21pm -

May 1937. "Mrs. Herman Perry in her home at Mansfield, Michigan. She is the wife of an old-time iron miner who worked in the mines before they were abandoned." Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Remembrance Card?I'm guessing that is a remembrance card under the baby photo on the wall. Re: The same age?!I, too, was amazed to see that this old woman with the bun and thick ankles and granny shoes is the same age as my dear wife. When I pointed this out to her, I was lucky to escape with just a mild chiding. Patterns Galore!Patterns Galore! Yet, we imagine these old photos depict a less complicated time. Interior DesignI think she would have gotten along very well with the Tuttles of Minnesota. Yoopers are tough!Marie Perry died in 1955. She has a link on Findagrave. There's a link on there to her husband, Herman, who lived to age 90. Tomato plants?Are those tomato plants in tin cans outside the curtains? And can identify a Christmas cactus, mother in law tongue and a poor ivy in the window? There's a lily but I can't identify it...amaryllis ? CurtainsWhat my cats would do to those curtains. An excellent homemakerEverything neatly in place, and what a green thumb she has. The same age?!This woman in the picture and I are roughly the same age now( but I would've' sworn she was in her mid-late sixties here) I have had the same bafflement in looking at old pictures of my grandmother in the same time era (late 30's) when she was even younger than me-and she also looked about 10 years older! (those buns,frumpy dresses and odd shoes REALLY didn't help, sorry ladies) Grannies Didn't Wear Spike HeelsMy long-departed grandmother wore such shoes for at least the 30 years I knew her. Her preferred brand was Natural Bridge, which presumably afforded good arch support. Standing 5'10" and weighing in at around 210 lbs., she was obviously not a candidate for platform wedgies. Under today's relaxed standards, women of a certain age seem to favor something by Reebok or Nike with their mall-walker suits. Certainly, even fashion doyennes among the over-60 crowd seem to abjure Jimmy Choos. Such informality would not have done for Granny, however. She belonged to the generation that donned gloves, hat, and furs to go out for the mail. Home EntertainmentNearly hidden behind the potted plant is a brand new 1937 model year Zenith 5-S-127 radio. These were about $40 new, but due to their attractive cabinets and big black dial, are considerably more valuable today. Radio valueI was surprised to find that by Purchasing Power, or Standard of Living adjustment, $40 in 1937 would be worth $649 in 2014, while one like this recently sold on eBay for $650. Pretty well at par! (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Home Office: 1956
... "chaise lounge chair." - Dave] Another great interior One half expects to see Laura Petrie in capri pants perched on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/03/2015 - 9:42pm -

1956. "Hayes residence, Kessler Lake Drive, Dallas. Bedroom to adjoining office." Our third look at car dealer Earl Hayes' contemporary cottage. Photo by Maynard L. Parker for House Beautiful. Source: Huntington Library. View full size. Chaise Lounge ChairIs what that piece of furniture in the immediate right foreground is called. It's too long to be a real chair, but too short to be a real chaise lounge--kind of a compromise between the two that looks like it would be pretty awkward to use in real life--and of course it comes standard equipped with the spindly legs of the era. [Ahem. Chaise LONGUE ("shez lonzh"). French for "long chair." Over the years misspelled and mispronounced by us dyslexic Amercuns into the bastardized and redundant "chaise lounge chair." - Dave] Another great interiorOne half expects to see Laura Petrie in capri pants perched on the edge of the desk. Wool carpetsAs a carpet cleaner in a former life, I recognize that broadloom carpeting as being made of wool. They are super soft and nice to walk on but they do wear pretty badly in traffic areas ( halls and around beds etc. ) Cleaning them is a real delight if it's your first time! The water makes them all stretchy and out of shape until they dry and go back to the way they were. Had to calm down a few customers during those jobs! Contemporary CoolCentral air conditioning in houses was just getting good around 1956, which must have been a welcome relief in steamy Dallas, especially after a day peddling black DeSotos. Come out our way, trade your wayHere's a short article on the history of Earl Hayes Chevrolet Co., located at 9th and Lancaster in Oak Cliff. Earl later brought his son Robert into the business, and it became Bob Hayes Chevrolet. A well-equipped home office for its day.Note the multi-line keyed telephone and the intercom system on the credenza. That is a far higher level of equipage than would be seen in a typical home office in that day. Makes me wonder if he had leased lines to his dealership facility. The settee and the two chairs peeking up beyond the credenza give a sense that the furnishings of this office were chosen to accommodate business visitors. The keyed mortise lock on the three-section sliding door reinforces this. Can anyone discern any of the titles in his home library? There's an obvious "U.S. News and World Report" in the magazine rack. [And a Business Week. -tterrace] Neatness countsLike anyone else, I admire neatness, but where do these people keep all their "stuff"? Where is all their mail, newspapers, ads, munchies, dog bed, cat toys, pet treats, house shoes, M & M's, afghan/throw cover, writing implements, phone gadgets, checkbook, shopping lists and the myriad of other necessary stuff that seems to junk up my house? Maybe I really am a hopeless slob. [They put it all away until the photographer leaves. -tterrace] Every Room Looks the SameHow could they even tell where they were? Did they carry maps with them? BroadloomI’m not loving the wall-to-wall carpeting in these shots. Close up, it looks like scorched earth or the beach. It’s the kind that was fine after vacuuming until someone walked on it. Isle of CapriClose-up detail of the Hayes office - and there's Laura Petrie near the desk, ready to take your dictation. (Maynard L. Parker, The Office)
Carrier Mills: 1939
... the bank!). All that would make the First National Bank interior pretty small for such a grand entrance. My heart goes out to men, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2024 - 8:43pm -

January 1939. "Carrier Mills, Southern Illinois. Small towns and rural areas of a once prosperous mining region, suffering from the Depression." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hard times That ole boy with his hands in his pockets standing between the café and the drug store seems to be either challenging the fella walking by or asking for a quarter. Even the railroad tracks are goneThis is my best guess as to where the 1939 photo was taken. The railroad tracks ran diagonally against the town's grid layout and this is where they came closest in what appears to have been a business district. The 1939 two story brick building on the corner is curious. On the right side, in the shade, is a grand entrance to the First National Bank. But the Clover Farm Stores seems to run up against the back of the bank and the window with the ruffled curtains appears to be a door to stairs to the second floor (surely -- don't call me Shirley, it can't be a side door to the bank!). All that would make the First National Bank interior pretty small for such a grand entrance. My heart goes out to men, then and now who stand on corners hoping a paying work opportunity comes along. Doug's got itI'm pretty sure Doug is right. The brickwork on Hillside Taxidermy matches the building on the left in 1939 perfectly. Not much left of Carrier Mills these days. Hey! I grew up near thereI'm from Harrisburg, one town over. My mom graduated from Carrier Mills High School. When I was a kid in the late '70s and early '80s, my dad used to get my winter rubber boots from (IIRC) the store right behind the building on that corner (Main and Oak streets). Less than half of what used to be downtown Carrier Mills is still standing. Nailed ItI believe Doug Floor Plan nailed the location. The taxidermy shop brick work in the current photo matches the building next to the drug store exactly, although the top line of windows have been covered up. The stance of the gentleman standing on the far right reminds me of a gangster in an old film noir picture. Only One Building LeftHere is the location of the picture. The only building left is the one on the far left in the original picture. https://goo.gl/maps/743Edvn3d7y6L9KY6 The high altitude USDA photos of Illinois taken in the late 30's and early 40's are available online. This is a blow up of downtown Carrier Mills taken in June, 1938. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Railroads, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Abbot Hall: 1906
... Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Dark interior? The building - far right - has two floors of opaque shutters. it's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/10/2016 - 10:48am -

        2:08 p.m. on a washday in Marblehead, Mass., 110 years ago. 1906. "Abbot Hall, Marblehead, Massachusetts." The town's Romanesque city hall and clock tower, completed in 1876, and surrounding residences. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Dark interior?The building - far right - has two floors of opaque shutters. it's about the size of a two or three car modern garage with an upstairs level. Might this have been a carriage house with apartment for the help upstairs - possibly having large windows on upper floor out front - - - My home townThis is my home town. Abbott Hall houses original "Spirit of '76" painting. John Glover, founder of the American Navy, and commander of the foul-mouthed sailors and fishermen who saved the ragged Continental Army's ass not once but twice, lived just over the hill. Proud to be from there--as it was. Still Standing.......and here's a colour postcard of a similar view from the 1920s. They are still there.It appears every building in this photo is still there. Buildings are Still There on Washington StreetThe building with the round cupola on the roof is still there at 183 Washington Street; the buildings to the right of it are also still there at 185-187 and 191 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA. (The Gallery, DPC)
Christmas Booty: 1951
... gifts, especially for the elderly. A Sad Period of Interior Design So someone thought Grandpa Abe would love a 12 pound candy ... It probably annihilated all the teeth he had left. The interior design standards were absouletly dismal. Sadly, my grandma's house was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2014 - 4:17pm -

"Abe & Julia - Dec. 25 1951." Radiating holiday cheer from the Teal Sofa, Hubert's parents make their Minnesota Kodachromes debut. View full size. Bless HerShe was not pleased to have her photo taken. My mom was the same. Rougher Than A CorncobMy neighbors had a very similar sofa; the springs and scratchy fabric made for some very brief sit-down chats. Those drapes: absolutely gorgeous. Want! Simplicity-of-LifeIt's been very warm and cozy experiencing the 1950's in such Vivid Living Ektachrome Color! [Or Kodachrome, for that matter. -tterrace] So many of the simplicity of life photos this photographer captured have been exquisite and actually looked liked paintings. Thanks Shorpy, for finding and sharing this special treat with us. And Happy Holidays to you and yours! You Shouldn't HaveAbe doesn't look too happy about it, but I'd love to have that grey & red plaid shirt! Nice Electric Clock!Can anyone identify the electric clock ? It looks like the type of clock that Sessions Clock Co. used to make. Is it possible to enlarge that portion of the image sufficiently to read the wording on the clock face? (Might be a good time to discuss the limitations of a fixed-focus, fixed-f-stop snapshot camera vs. the more sophisticated cameras.) PatternsPatterns on the wall, patterns on the sofa, patterns on the curtains, patterns on the pillow, on his tie, slippers, socks, shirts -- it's just the way it was back then. Ummmmm! Warm!I'd love that beautiful peach colored wool blanket that Abe is showing us. I have three solid color wool blankets from the 1950's that are still warm and oh so comfy! Not Many Solid Colors......forget Abe's shirt, I want Abe's tie! Granny SquaresThe throw over the back of the sofa was assembled of 5" x 5" 'Granny Squares', crocheted blocks of yarn. My grandmother, Julia, crocheted one for each of her grandchildren. Same pattern. They're indestructible. I still have mine and curl up under it nightly, here in Minnesota, to watch TV. No hint of wear. Someday, my 19 year old granddaughter, Julia, will do the same. American GothicWith curtains. Startling curtains. PragmaticAnyone that's been in Minnesota in the Winter knows: those are useful gifts, especially for the elderly. A Sad Period of Interior DesignSo someone thought Grandpa Abe would love a 12 pound candy cane for Christmas. It probably annihilated all the teeth he had left. The interior design standards were absouletly dismal. Sadly, my grandma's house was very similar. Those couches were so rough that they would hurt your legs if you were wearing shorts. You can see why there is no retro design revival movement for the 40's and very early 50's. My GrandparentsMy grandparents were just a few years younger in 1951 than Abe and Julia. Older folks of that period all had that same "life has been hard" but they would never let on to their grandchildren. Julia's dress could have been right out of my grandmother's closet in Boone Iowa. Oh dem fluffy slippers!I wold love to have those slippers. Real sheepskin lining I bet. Not like today where everything is faux this and faux that. They do look warm for a cold winters night even here in Ohio. Tis the Season to beSensible. Glad to see...that my family wasn't the only one to stage the "post-frenzy" Christmas take photo. Superior CameraPicking up on previous comment, the excellent quality of this series is accomplished by the camera having been a Contax with a Heiland flash attached. Quite heady (and costly) for snapshots. [Hubert did have a Heiland flash, but his camera was a Kodak Signet 35. -tterrace] (Christmas, Minnesota Kodachromes)
Woodlawn: 1938
... must have been coined with this place in mind. Interior Photos! A few cool interior shots like this one can be found here . Magnificent yet ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:44pm -

Assumption Parish, Louisiana, 1938. "Woodlawn Plantation, Napoleonville vicinity. Built 1835 by Col. W.W. Pugh, first superintendent of schools in Louisiana." 8x10 inch negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Laundry dayA couple of shirts between the two left columns. Inside viewWouldn't you love to look inside of this to see what remained after all those years? Do not strikeThat actually looks like a lightening rod, missing its fragile glass ball. Its two other friends on the roof ridge are a bit worse for wear. [Lightening: what happens when you diet or bleach your hair. Lightning: electricity from sky. - Dave] TotteringI once remarked to an elderly lady that the shed in her back yard looked like it was about to fall over. She said that it had been that way for years but it was still standing because the "termites were holding hands." Probably not a radio antennaMore likely, being 1938, a lightening rod. [Or a darkening rod. Radio had been around a long time in 1938. - Dave] Hey Good Buddy?It looks like a Star Duster™ CB antenna on the ridge of the weathered centermost building. Obviously it's not, but I wonder what it really is? [A radio antenna. - Dave] I dare youThis place looks so haunted you wouldn't want to go near it in broad daylight. It looks like loose hay spilling out of the windows of the smaller bookend buildings, so there must be at least one farmer unafraid of ghosts. I like these shots of Louisiana you post.What a grand old home this was. Thanks Dave! Porch-fallIf a porch falls and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? From stately to firewoodMy desktop copy of The History of Louisiana's Plantations tells me that much of Woodlawn's wood (probably a pun in there somewhere) as the structure moldered into the ground was used for firewood by cane field laborers. The property had 2,300 acres, 800 of them planted with sugar cane, so there were lots of folks looking for something to burn. But in its day, the place was something: According to Dr. Thomas Boyant Pugh of Napoleonville, Woodlawn was built by his father, William Whitmell Pugh, in 1840 and the wings were added after a second marriage to Josephine Nicholls in 1850. Woodlawn was not only modern in its planning, but we are told that the first installation of gas in Louisiana was in this house, as also a speaking tube from the dining room to the upstairs bedroom, and a bathroom, which was still a rarity at the time. More here. Hay thereLooks like the place was turned into a stable. A pretty faceInteresting how some of these old plantations are like Hollywood sets, all facade. Mon dieuC'est magnifique! Burned in 1962The word "rickety" must have been coined with this place in mind. Interior Photos!A few cool interior shots like this one can be found here. Magnificent yet heartbreakingly eerieMy great-grandfather was born into U.S. slavery on Woodlawn Plantation. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Kiewel Beer: 1940
... the tavern door) was brewed in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Interior Hinges So, is no one going to identify the autos, especially the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2011 - 11:45am -

October 1940. "Grand Forks, North Dakota." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A different use for grainInstead of selling beer, that location is home to a bakery. The Dotty Dunn hat store was at 17 N. 3rd Street. It, the bar and the dry cleaners are all gone, even the cut rate store to the left. The only building that survives is the one to the extreme right. Which appears to have a barber shop. BTW, Dotty Dunn Hats was a chain store operation. View Larger Map BarrenOnce again, like the Chicago photo, few people and an angle chosen that makes it seem that you're looking down on a detailed area of a really cool O-gauge layout. Perhaps that's what Vachon was trying to capture. Bull City Boy has a great question, what is that automobile? A totally different look from the others. I haven't clue alas, [Lincoln Zephyr?] but now I gotta find out. What is it? Anywhere, U.S.A.Nostalgic picture which is so similar to the small town in which I grew up but on the East Coast. Our businesses on Main Street (with the same kind of diagonal parking before meters) were Carroll Cut Rate, Adam's Hats,Gene's Bar featuring Rheingold beer, Pete's Barber Shop and Bashura's Shoe Repair. I used to love the fumes in the shoemakers and cleaners, both now deemed very lethal, i.e. shoe polish, glues, leather-tanning chemicals and carbon tetrachloride. We also had a Hart's Five and Dime and a First National grocery. Kind of neat to think that whether you grew up in the East or Midwest, the small town Main Streets were so similar. Brew NotesAs a side note, Kiewel's Beer was brewed in Little Falls, Minnesota, while Heileman's Old Style (hanging sign over the tavern door) was brewed in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Interior HingesSo, is no one going to identify the autos, especially the fourth from the left? P.S. I've been away for five weeks. Glad to be back and I'll be catching up with Shorpy as best I can. Inflation$1.98 in 1940 would be about $32 today. Not a bad price for a man's hat. Cars ID'dFrom left, 1940 Chevy with deluxe rear center guard. 1937-38 Chrysler 1937 Nash 1939 Chrysler? 1940 Oldsmobile Comments welcome. The vehicle 4th from the left is a 1939 Ford Deluxe 2 door sedan. Better later than never. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Paper Doll: 1936
... think that today someone out in the Hamptons is paying an interior decorator big bucks for a reproduction print wallpaper similar to this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2023 - 4:45pm -

May 1936. "Sharecropper shack. Kitchen of Ozarks cabin purchased for Lake of the Ozarks project. Missouri." Photo by Carl Mydans, Resettlement Administration. View full size. FiretrapI would be surprised if that shack lasted more than a week or two without burning down. We have dried out single ply newspaper hanging on the walls inches from a wood fired stove and hot pipe, and as if that was not enough there is what appears to be a kerosene can just to the left of the little girl's feet. I just hope nobody was inside when it went up. Newspaper for wall covering.My mother has told me many stories of her childhood. She remembers well her mother using a flour/water mix to paste newsprint on the walls. It sealed the cracks and was a very good insulator. But that didn't stop the wind from blowing up through the floor or her seeing critters between the floor board cracks. She also tells with great detail how their house burned to the ground when she was four. One final thought, she told me her mother would set the bed posts in small cans of kerosene to keep the bed bugs from crawling into bed with you at night. Life was much different back in the 30's and 40's. No smoke detectorsI wouldn't want to consider the level of fire hazard in this kitchen. The newspaper curtain has a nice touch. Somebody really cares. But God help the occupants of this residence if the stove backfires. Mrs. Roosevelt's newspaper columnOn the wall to the left of the stove and just above the washboard, the newspaper/wallpaper has Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt's almost-daily column called "My Day". I believe she was much more in front of the American public on a regular basis than our most recent First Ladies - and not just in the papers. Lot of people didn't like that, but many others did. Mrs. FDR wrote that column from 1935 to 1962 six days a week. She was a force to be reckoned with. Christmas ClubWhen I saw the ad for "Christmas Club" in the newspaper I immediately tripped down memory lane. When I was a little girl I remember going to the Bridgeville National Bank to start a new Christmas club. First you would pick the amount to save and then made payments to this free account so you would have money to buy Christmas gifts for friends and family. This club was open to adults and minors and many a Christmas was funded by this club. Hope I made sense - more like a savings account that you could only receive during the month of December. Amazingly Resilient!Despite the crushing poverty this family had to endure, the little girl's dress may be dirty but her face is clean, and her smile is both endearing and hopeful. I am amazed how someone (probably her mom) cut the newpaper over the window into the shape and resemblance of what I believe is called a "valance" over the window. How brave, resilient, and resourceful these people were. Amazing Americans! Aviator HelmetThe little girl must have a brother. As poor as they seem to be the little feller managed to snag a new one. I always get a kick seeing kids wear those in the movies and in photos. There's nothing like an ornery looking kid in goggles, I laugh out loud every time. Bike Helmet?Is that some early motorized bike helmet hanging on the wall? I have to wonder too if the girl would be reading the newspapers and wonder what a "Christmas Club" was. AmazingThe valence above the window is amazing! And think that today someone out in the Hamptons is paying an interior decorator big bucks for a reproduction print wallpaper similar to this for a powder-room! Fox TroubleIt would appear that Mr. Fox has earned himself the unwelcome attention of the farmer. Looks like a nice, well used fox trap hanging there. Worker housing?Bagnell Dam, which created the Lake of the Ozarks, was finished in 1931, and the lake filled up in less than 2 years (per Wikipedia). So apparently this cabin wasn't bought because it would be in the flooded area - maybe it was housing for one of the construction crew, and he just kept living there later? (The dam for the big lake to the west, Truman Lake, didn't start construction until 1964.) (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Times Square: 1908
... a catastrophic collapse by means of a mere nudge. Interior shot of Rectors I can find a couple on Ephemeral New York, but ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 3:34pm -

"Long Acre (Times) Square, New York." Now playing: "Follies of 1908." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Good old 1908Back when the only bombs on Broadway were onstage. The 1908 BombingActually 1908 wasn't exactly peaceful for New Yorkers when it came to terrorist bombs. On March 28, 1908 Anarchist Selig Cohen (aka Selig Silverstein) threw a bomb at Union Square. The bomb exploded prematurely killing bystander Ignatz Hildebrand and mortally wounding Cohen, who died a month later. Jardin de ParisAnother fascinating Shorpy pic that you could just step right into. According to IBDB, the Jardin de Paris was a rooftop theater on this building, the structure that looks like a greenhouse. I guess Nora Bayes would have been the headliner in the Follies of 1908. What kind of cool am I?Just to the left of the big marquee is the sign "Cool Carle Comedy." I'm wondering what the "cool" refers to: the temperature inside the theater, the actor, or the play. I thought the use of the word to mean "terrific" or "fashionable" didn't start until the 1930s or so. A dozen oysters from Rector's, pleaseSo there's the famous Rector's Restaurant next to the Hotel Cadillac! I'll have a plate of oysters, please! Is this a view looking south on Broadway at about 45th Street? After the showWe can go to Rector's for a bottle and a bird! Public transportLook at the lady, jumping out of the streetcar. What would she say to the low-floor trams of today? Shine On, Harvest MoonThe "Follies of 1908" was the only the second of Florenz Ziegfelds's long series of musical reviews to use this name. The show ran for 120 performances and was well received, although its performers, songs and skits are now almost completely forgotten. "Almost," because the show also introduced the song "Shine On, Harvest Moon," sung by Nora Bayes and her second husband, Jack Norworth, who were also the song's composers. And, the actress Mae Murray, later a major silent film star, also appeared in this edition of the Follies. I See Smoke!Coming from that horse wagon on the left! Clever ClothesI need some. About 10 blocks downyou can see Macy's at 34th Street. Richard Carle"Mary's Lamb" (1915) was the third of his 135 films. I guess the film of "Follies of 1908" got lost at the drug store. Scratch scratchWhy might someone have been trying to remove the lamp posts from the right side of this photo? Or is this some photography thing I don't understand? [Detroit Photo did that on glass plates that were part of a panorama. The idea seems to have been to get rid of things that don't match up on the edge that overlaps with the next plate. Whatever the reason, it is kind of annoying. - Dave] Balancing actThere's undoubtedly some hidden additional support for that rooftop cistern, but still, it looks like the kind of thing I used to do when erecting structures with building blocks, with the intention of causing a catastrophic collapse by means of a mere nudge. Interior shot of RectorsI can find a couple on Ephemeral New York, but they're both small and blurry. They don't give a good sense of what a meal there was like. Anyone know of a Shorpy-sized image or two? Actually, restaurant interiors would be a good addition to this blog. People reveal a lot about themselves at meal times. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Joe's Clothes: 1942
... 'n' roll acts in the late '60s and early '70s, but the interior acoustics were terrible. That was also when the inside of the theater ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2023 - 5:27pm -

September 1942. "New York, New York. Under the Third Avenue elevated railway." Starring Joe's Clothes Shop and the Variety Theatre, which had a bit part in the movie "Taxi Driver." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Cycle of the HoleNothing remains from this shot, except maybe - maybe - the block pavement (but if so it's buried under asphalt). The Variety went to that cutting room in the sky in 2005. However, where the doughnut shop once stood, more-or-less, is now the "Bagel Belly". A Bagel shop in NYC? I'm guessing it's not the only one. Sounds yummyI want to go to the Wheatland Doughnut Shop and Milk Bar. Lawrence LoansBoy, would I love to browse that pawn shop on the right to check out all those stringed instruments showing in the window. The Variety TheatreI grew up around there in the '50s and '60s, and I remember the Variety. It often featured live shows by old-school Jewish comedians who often performed in Yiddish. (There was a fellow named Ben Bonus who played there frequently.) That version of the Variety went away when the immigrant Jews in the neighborhood died off or retired away from Manhattan; their offspring weren't interested in that kind of entertainment. The Variety booked some rock 'n' roll acts in the late '60s and early '70s, but the interior acoustics were terrible. That was also when the inside of the theater started smelling less like a movie house and more like a public urinal. It had become a dump. [Also: Porn! - Dave] Bagel Belly... is at 114 3rd Avenue, where Joe's and probably the doughnut shop was. There is a film, c. 1983https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(1983_film) The story centers around a woman who worked in the ticket box. It was reviewed in the Village Voice by David Edelstein. I commented on the review and he wrote back a response. Just a wild guess1937 Buick. Films at the VarietyI'd like to add that the last legit film I remember playing at the Variety was the first Matt Helm movie, which cast Dean Martin as a James Bond-type spy. It was The Silencers, released in 1966. More VarietyThe Variety theatre also played a role in the 1983 independent feature Variety, directed by Bette Gordon and written by Kathy Acker - both of them leading counter-cultural figures at the time. Sandy McLeod, then Jonathan Demme's girlfriend, works in the box office of a porn cinema and becomes obsessed with a mysterious rich patron. The film is currently available on the Mubi streaming service. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, Movies, NYC, Railroads, Stores & Markets)
[1]23…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.