Saturday, August 27, 2016

New York City

Who wears short shorts? Wait, wrong question. Who loves vintage photos of New York City?  I do!

Let's start with this one from April, 1959, taken in NYC's Chinatown Many large cities have their own Chinatowns, but the one in lower Manhattan has the largest population of Chinese people in the western hemisphere. I think. Wikipedia also says that San Francisco's Chinatown has "...the largest Chinese community outside of Asia", so I'm just going to watch some cartoons and get on with my life. 

Meanwhile, this photo has lots of vintage appeal, and I love the combination of New York brick buildings and those wonderful signs. Imagine how great that neon looked at night!


This slide was hand-labeled "New York City", but I have no more specific information. Nevertheless, that old gas station is pretty awesome. I wonder how much gasoline was? 25 cents a gallon? Meanwhile: winter is coming!


This last photo is from April, 1966 and shows three girls in the plaza at Rockefeller Plaza (named after John D. "Oysters" Rockefeller). In the background you can barely see Paul Manship's golden statue of Prometheus - the Greek titan who famously invented the jelly donut. I'm pretty sure.


13 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

I think we should all travel to every Chinatown still in existence, and we could do so in that lovely convertible, 1946-1948 Dodge. Off to its left is a 1946 Pontiac. And hiding behind the Mobilgas pump is what appears to be a 1941 De Soto. (Me thinks gas could be had for less than 25¢/gallon back then).

Prometheus and the jelly donut-? Really, Major - everyone knows it was the cruller-!

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

If you dare wear short shorts, Nair for short shorts!

Nanook, I thought Auntie Em invented the cruller (because you can't work on an empty stomach!)



Nanook said...

@ TM!-

Yes - "Now you go feed those hogs before they worry themselves into anemia-!"

Chuck said...

Immediately zeroed in on the tripod hanging off the guy's back in the third photo. The photographer must be carrying the accompanying M60.

Scott Lane said...

Nanook: That's exactly what I was going to say! It WAS the cruller, Auntie Em just bought the franchise rights.

Of course we've all ignored the real, BURNING question here - are those girls in the foreground discussing John, Paul, George or Ringo?

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Great photos. The authentic Chinese restaurant is cool. Ralphie and his family could be inside eating Duck (after the Bumpass's dogs ate the Christmas turkey), not fa ra ra, like me fa la la.

Love the Disney trash can too. Who knew the name was so close to Department of Sanitation New York.

Nanook said...

I should have also mentioned the green car nosing its way into the first image is either a 1955 or 1956 Chevrolet.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, a cruller? I think only a Titan would be able to get jelly inside a donut!

TokyoMagic!, er… Auntie Em? I have no idea what you are talking about.

Nanook. Houston, we’ve gone down a rabbit hole or weirdness.

Chuck, whew, an M60, that’s pretty dark!

Scott Lane I guess I am supposed to watch “The Wizard of Oz” again to get what everyone is talking about? And those girls are talking about the greatest band of all time - Herman’s Hermits.

Alonzo, somebody watches the “Christmas Story” 24 hour marathons every year!

Nanook, are you sure it’s not a Hupmobile?

Steve DeGaetano said...

As I look at the Chinese sign in the first photo, I believe, roughly translated, it says, "Selling Economic Stir-fry, Noodles, Soup and Tea."

(Actually, my wife, who is Chinese, told me that).

Nanook said...

@ Major-

A former co-worker often used the Hupmobile as the go-to 'weird' car reference. Still just as timely today.

Melissa said...

Lovely pictures! I love going to Rockefeller Plaza whenever I'm in New York City No matter how crowded it is, it always seems like an oasis of calm. Must be something to do with the design.

I wish the Scouting New York blog was still active; they could probably pin down the location of that lovely gas station.

Melissa said...

Lovely pictures! I love going to Rockefeller Plaza whenever I'm in New York City No matter how crowded it is, it always seems like an oasis of calm. Must be something to do with the design.

I wish the Scouting New York blog was still active; they could probably pin down the location of that lovely gas station.

DrGoat said...

I was born in New York City in 1950. My parents decided it was not a place they wanted to raise 2 kids so we moved to Tucson in '54. Always wondered what my life would be like if they had stayed. Glad we moved. Much closer to Disneyland.