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June 25, 1949. "When day is done in Brooklyn (boys in advertisement-covered subway car filled with passengers)." Gelatin silver print by Angelo Rizzuto. View full size.
His teammate sitting behind him also has an interesting look, but it seems directed at the young lady across the aisle.
What is this a photo of? What is the subject?
[Why am I here? - Dave]
I well remember those grimy rattan seats and the grid pattern they etched into your skin if you wore shorts.
Annoying bucket drummers.
Annoying break "dancer/ acrobats"
Annoying cell phone music
Annoying panhandlers puking on your shoes.
Probably 100 more I could list.
If you look up at the ceiling you can see that there are two ceiling fans. The large spinning blades appear as a blur, but any air movement would have been welcome in a muggy New York City summer. I notice that all the windows are open, and the doors to the next car are open as well.
Pitcher Sal "The Barber" Maglie got his nickname by pitching high and inside, giving batters a close shave. A nice guy off the field, Maglie wore a menacing scowl when on the mound. Maglie didn't arrive in Brooklyn until in 1956, at age 39. but he had the best year of his career. When the kid goes to Ebbets Field to see the Dodgers, someone will surely say, "You look like Sal Maglie."
That PAL on the boy's uniform is an abbreviation for Police Athletic League.
Those bulbs all have a left-hand thread so they won't work in home fixtures.
Must've been a disappointing game for the kid sprawled over on the right, glaring daggers at the little guy clutching a pole. He should have a refreshing bowl of Kellogg's Corn Flakes when he gets home and remind himself that that's baseball.
Transit authority lightbulbs were threaded backwards from your home lightbulbs making them useless to steal.
The rather sullen youth at the right is taking up three seats.
In the short film that I've just created in my head, the young woman in the crop top grasps the subway pole, makes a graceful turn toward the back of the car, and starts to sing - it's Rita Moreno, who'd already appeared on Broadway, giving a gratis performance for the post-game commuters.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of this intriguing photographer. The NY Times review of the book of his photos that came out in 2005 made me even more curious. There are so many interesting details and he really captured the moment.
I’ve always wondered about bare lightbulbs on buses and streetcars in ye olde transit photos. No doubt easier to change than if there’s a transparent covering over it, but what about shattering due to items swung upwards, either deliberately or inadvertently?
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