Scenes From New York
I scanned a few random vintage slides from the New York City area, and thought I'd share two of them with you today. We'll start with this one, dated "August 1958". Hey, there's actor Ralph Fiennes! He's quenching his thirst (with his nephews Rex and Ramon) at an unusual drinking fountain that resembles a ship's capstan. "Jones Beach" was written on the cardboard mount, and I choose to believe that it is correct. No idea, though.
Two years later (from a slide dated August 1960) comes this nice view of the legendary Cyclone roller coaster. Designed by Vernon Keenan, it opened to the public on June 26, 1927. The roller coaster is... at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street. The Cyclone reaches a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour and has a total track length of 2,640 feet, with a maximum height of 85 feet. The Cyclone began to deteriorate after many decades, and there were tentative plans to tear it down, but luckily cooler heads prevailed, and it still operates today.
Just for fun I am including this vintage photo, scrounged from THE INTERNET.
16 comments:
Major-
Boy, what an inspired idea for a drinking fountain - and some rather odd-looking terrycloth 'beachwear' "belted trousers" on Junior-!
A big personal fav roller coaster - The Coney Island Cyclone. Such a beauty. And speaking of beauties... on the very far left is a 1958 Pontiac Chieftan. Parked about 100-feet behind it is a 1957 [possibly a 1956] Rambler. Driving away from us is a 1958 Chevrolet station wagon - and it looks like a rare, 2-door version - the "Yeoman" - their entry-level wagon - possibly in Silver Blue.
The final image has a 1952 Ford Crestline - possibly in Coral Flame. Driving towards us is another 1958 Chevrolet - and again, possibly in Silver Blue. Parked on the far side is a 1959 Chevrolet - with its 'infamous' Big, "Gull Wing" Rear Deck - possibly in Snowcrest White-! (And then a VW Bug).
Thanks, Major.
OK, why is Rex wearing a bathrobe... outdoors... in public? I guess it's a New York thing. We only see a smidge of Ramon, but it looks like he might be wearing a bathrobe as well.
My heart always goes pitter-patter a bit when I see a roller coaster on the horizon. Especially a wooden coaster with that jungle of supports. Exciting! We can see the Wonder Wheel behind the Cyclone.
In the internet photo: I wonder what sort of "Novelties" we would find in the "Variety Cut Rate" booth? Rubber snakes and shrunken heads? I remember 'winning' a novelty from our grade school Carnival once. It was a paper mache cigar that actually glowed on the end when you blew into it. I've always wondered how that worked. Probably a combination of cancerous solvents, asbestos, and Plutonium. I think I sucked on it once, instead of blowing into it (there were no instructions), so I inhaled whatever the stuff was. That probably contributed to my cancer diagnosis many years later (about 45 years). Oh well, I survived it.
Thanks for the Neu Yawk photos, Major.
Bathrobe? Really?
Of course Dad is a regular fashion plate, rocking shorts and dress shoes with black anklet socks. Obviously before the sneakers takeover.
I really love that postcard pic, especially the featured snacks. Very different from todays New York street offerings.
Thanks Major, a fun look back.
JG
When I start my own retail empire I'm going to call it "CUT RATE"...because that is exactly what I would like to be known as...Cut Rate in Coney Island gives a whole new meaning to Cut Rate. Note: Do not pass out on the F train Mid-Town. You will eventually end up in Coney Island...saying "where am I?" "Yer' at the CUT RATE gift shop and five and dime emporium of course!" I like capstans, I just don't know if I'd make a drinking fountain out of it...or plop it at Jones Beach. I suppose the Atlantic and a boardwalk do need nautical accoutrements. I will say that it looks shiny and well maintained. I'm wondering what ship it is from? You can see the water tower there in the distance...and the water coming out of the fountain has gone through the iconic building. Little Johnny is wearing his best robe...since they are close to the airports of Queens, I suppose that they are about to board a plane...I often times in my travels see peoples in robes and slippers in airports, and I will just leave it there. Coney Island does have a cool factor, but the rickety clickity rolly coasters kind of freak me out. In photos: love 'em. Thank for the morning musings Major!
It's not unusual to wear a terry robe at the beach, is it? I used to have one that was sewn together out of matching towels, with pockets made of washcloths. Real 1970's-80s yellow-and-orange flowered towels. It would have looked pretty funky with black high tops.
The Cyclone shot is awesome, but I really love the fountain picture. Is there anything cuter than Dad having fun with the kids? (I was thinking Dad looked more like Richard E. Grant than Ralph Fiennes.)
Somebody had to take and go and mention the word "capstan," so now I'm going to have "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" from The Mikado stuck in my head all day.
And if you call for a song of the sea,
We'll heave the capstan 'round,
With a yo heave ho, for the wind is free,
Her anchor's a-trip, and her helm's a-lee,
Hurrah for the homeward bound!
I’m not much of a beach kind of a guy, but I love vintage beach pics (and I don’t mean swimsuit shots).
Mrs. Chuck wears a bathrobe to her water aerobics classes at the Y, so I don’t think a bathrobe at the beach is terribly odd (although I’ve never seen one).
Melissa, I saw a production of The Mikado in 2000 at a local theatre in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. They managed to pull it off with only six people in the cast. The book was traditional, but all of the costuming and musical arrangements were modern, and they updated the lyrics of “I’ve Got a Little List” to make it more topical (I remember a reference to the Millennium Dome). And now I have “A Wand’ring Minstrel I” stuck in my head, too. Maybe this will fix that.
Nanook, that terrycloth robe is pretty odd, I just assumed that the kid had been swimming, and the day looks like it might have been a little chilly, so maybe they brought the robe for him to wear afterwards. Who knows! Thanks as always for the car IDs, I don’t know how you keep all that information in your head.
JB, all Rex needed was a pipe to complete his “Hugh Hefner” look. I’m so glad that they did not tear down the Cyclone, I don’t know if they would have built another coaster, or if developers had their eyes on that valuable beachfront property. The paper mache cigar that glowed sounds pretty neat, but yeah, how did they achieve that effect? Whoa, cancer, so scary, and I’m so glad that you beat it!
JG, perhaps someday we will all wear bathrobes all the time. Formal bathrobes for events, for example. Stranger things have happened (see: Crocs). And I am always amused to see men with those black socks. I suppose it was just the fashion of the time. Hot corn at a carnival, I guess that’s not that unusual, but I can’t imagine dripping butter all over myself in public like that. Yes, I’m a slob.
Bu, “Cut Rate” does not inspire a lot of confidence, but I guess it attracted some dads. “It’s cut rate, Molly! They’re not going to cheat us like those other guys!”. The capstan drinking fountain is fun, at least they made an effort. It’s no odder than the drinking fountains I’ve seen at zoos that look like hippos and lions with open mouths. I like the ship’s funnel in the background, that should have been a trashcan. And yes, the boardwalk looks very tidy, though my guess is that it underwent a decline in the 1960s and 70s. Thanks for pointing out the water tower in the distance, I wondered what that structure was.
Melissa, your robe sounds awesome, did your mom make it herself? My mom has a bunch of aprons that she made in the early 1970s out of the craziest mod and “Op Art” cloth patterns, they are neat, though she has worn them for decades now and many are wearing out. I still see Ralph Fiennes when I look at the dad, but if you see Richard E. Grant, that’s OK! And believe me, we ALL have “A Wand’ring Minstrel” in our heads. All the time!
Chuck, I used to love the beach, but now I cover up and wear lots of SPF 100 sunscreen, so the beach is not as fun as it used to be. I like taking my sister’s dog to the local “dog beach” though, he’s so happy to be there! At first I thought you said that you saw a production of The Mikado 2000. With robots and lasers and spaceships. Oh my gosh, I’m calling Spielberg RIGHT NOW!
The hot buttered corn booth is the first one I head for at our local fair, but that's because it's harvested from a field less than a mile away that morning, and it's so fresh it's like tasting sunshine.
Chuck, I was tasked with writing "topical" lyrics for "A More Humane Mikado" for a 2014 production. If someone asked me today what was topical in 2014 I would draw a complete blank. Much as I'm doing right now.
My mother didn't make me the towel robe, although if she had it probably would have been nicer than it was. I got it at a church rummage sale, while all the cool kids were buying toys and whatever.
If only Long Beach had felt saving their Cyclone Racer was worthwhile. Yes, the clickity-clack and the swaying of the structure was real. Not to mention the head snapping turns...and rough ride that came with it. Ride it at night into the darkness at the end of the pier and really get a rush. It was only 25 cents a ride. And when asked if we wanted a re-ride, we said.... Nope. And then it was soon gone forever. I think I should have changed my answer at the time time but hey...it WAS 25 cents. KS
When I saw the first image at a quick glance I thought of "On the Town" with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra
New York, New York, a wonderful town
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down.
Great pic of the Cyclone. Also, nice to see the Wonder Wheel in the background. Thanks, Major.
Cyclone is the single most painful experience I ever consciously subjected myself to. We had a hilarious time literally actually sincerely screaming for our lives. It was genuinely terrifying in its roughness. The foot-thick Naugahyde covered (well more duct tape than vinyl) “padding” pinching you in on each direction should have been a hint that this was seriously wrenching business.
Great photo of it.
MS
Major, The Mikado 2000 sounds awesome! “Behold, the Lord High Executioner” would have some real executions.
Melissa, that’s the way of topical humor - it gets dated so quickly. Remember what we were all talking about two weeks ago? Me, neither.
"It was genuinely terrifying in its roughness."
I seriously thought I was going to break a bone on the Mighty Canadian Minebuster wooden coaster at Canada's Wonderland. Parts of it felt more like a car accident than an amusement ride.
Melissa, I love corn on the cob, I’m just not sure I want it at an amusement park. It’s like taking a date to a rib joint, you’re gonna get messy. Why did the Mikado need to be more humane? I am ignorant of Gilbert and Sullivan in general. Too much testing of makeup on animals? Sorry I got confused, somehow I was sure your mom had made the robe!
KS, I have to admit that your description of the Cyclone makes me wish I’d experienced it, especially at night! I think Magic Mountain had a coaster named the Cyclone, but I don’t know if it was supposed to be a duplicate of the one at Coney Island (or Long Beach). It was tooth-rattling though.
K. Martinez, those old MGM musicals were something, I remember seeing one when I was a kid, and I REALLY didn’t want to. But I wound up enjoying it a lot! It was “Singin’ In the Rain”, how could anybody not like it?
MS, so you are saying that you liked riding the Cyclone? ;-) I remember a ride at Knott’s on… what was it, “Ghost Rider”? I forget, but it was painful as well.
Chuck, I’m too busy watching Daytime TV to understand Mikado references. Do I get half a star for seeing “Carmen” years ago? Not Carmen Sandiego either.
Melissa, maybe the rough ride is part of the charm for some people, but give me a smooth ride any day.
Yes, that first picture is from Jones Beach. You can see the famous water tower in the background. Jones Beach is about 10 minutes from where I live. Dennis, Levittown, LI
Major...I think you are referring to Colossus. A throwback wooden coaster. And making me feel older is the realization that I rode it when new and it's been gone for nearly 10 years. KS
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