Who loves New York? I do. I wish I could be one of those cool people that knows the city like the back of my hand. Instead I wander the streets like a hayseed. "Golly, pa! Do you think alla them tall buildings have indoor outhouses?". "Not so loud, son, you're scaring the mule". I have three vintage images for you, although two are not quite "top shelf" views.
Say, maybe you knowledgeable types can assist with this one! It is dated 1947 (71 years ago, wowee) and is labeled "toward Wall Street". Even with that theoretically-helpful label, I couldn't place exactly where this photo was snapped. Do any of the buildings look familiar to you? Help a brother out!
In spite of my considerable lack of knowledge, I still love this image. It's safe to say that, wherever this was, it looks completely different today.
I included this one (dated "April, 1959") showing a nighttime photo of the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center. For a time this was the largest shopping mall in the world. Sorry, no "Hot Topic" yet, Nanook. Probably not even a "Hot Dog on a Stick".
I could try to tell you a little about this place, but I strongly recommend reading the excellent article that can be found at the wonderful "Pleasant Family Shopping" blog. Check it out HERE! If you're like me, you'll easily lose an hour or so browsing the site before you realize that your tuna-noodle casserole is burning in the oven.
Next is this slightly blurred photo looking eastward along 42nd Street (from a photo dated October 1958). There's the Chrysler Building in the distance; along with the beautiful old-fashioned buildings, it is hard to ignore those brilliantly-lit cinema marquees. The "Selwyn" is showing "The Black Swan", starring Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara.
Next to that is the "Apollo" (obviously not the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem) - I can only see part of the titles of the movies being shown there, but I believe that one is "Poor But Beautiful" (an Italian flick), and "The One That Got Away" (a British film about a WWII German prisoner who escapes back to the Fatherland). Beyond that, the "Victory" theatre, showing "The Life and Times of Major Pepperidge" - winner of every Academy Award.
Here's a Google street view showing the same area (more or less) as it appeared fairly recently. It's SO CRAZY how much it has changed. The Selwyn is now the "American Airlines Theatre".
Major-
ReplyDeleteNo "Hot Dog on a Stick"-?? Hmmm - such a disappointment. (We love Pleasant Family Shopping blog).
Let's see... a 1958 Chevrolet; a 1954 Chevrolet; and a 1951 Ford. And in the 3rd image - a 1953 Chevrolet.
Thanks, Major.
Nice shots today. I'd say more, but a bit under the weather. Thanks, Major.
ReplyDeleteI've been a regular reader of Pleasant Family Shopping for years! As the song goes, it's a picayune planet after all!
ReplyDeleteA few of the buildings in the first shot do look familiar, but I've only been in the city a handful of times and I don't have much ambition today. Mebbe after that third cup of coffee.
Looks like they're having an Errol Flynn double feature, with "The Black Swan" and "Kim." But Uncle IMDB says "Kim" wasn't released until 1950, so maybe my peepers are playing tricks on me.
Nanook, I know how much you enjoy the fresh lemonade from “Hot Dog on a Stick”. I might have mentioned this before, but I only had my first corn dog a few years ago (at the insistence of my then-girlfriend), and it’s still the only one I’ve ever eaten.
ReplyDeleteK. Martinez, I’m sorry you are not well… have some nice chicken noodle soup and get plenty of rest.
Well, dip me in flour and eggs and call me Betsy, I JUST noticed that only the first image is dated 1947. So it wasn't my peepers; it was my brainbox.
ReplyDeleteIf you have more Roosevelt Field pictures I'd love to see them. I work right next to it, and my house is about 5 minutes away from it.
ReplyDeleteDennis, Levittown, LI, NY
Ah Major, a very nice Saturday travelogue, in both time and space.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pics today. As far as corn dogs go, I do sometimes get a hank'ern for one about once every 6 months. Always makes me think of a county fair.
ReplyDelete“Betsy”, it’s reasonable to assume that all of the slides in a post would be from the same date!
ReplyDeleteDennis from Levittown, sadly this is the only photo I have of Roosevelt Field.
Patrick Devlin, I have more really nice old NYC photos coming up!
Sunday Night, I saw a cooking show where they made something like a corn dog, only they used a breakfast sausage, and dipped it in pancake batter. Now THAT sounds good!
As best I can tell, the first picture is from the Pier 11/Wall Street ferry terminal. It looks completely different now with the elevated FDR Drive running along the East River.
ReplyDeleteThe tall building at left is 20 Exchange Place, so here's a current view of the same spot, I think
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7033881,-74.0065607,3a,75y,321.29h,95.92t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPcvyDK64_WZc2R0JutqrjdMaSMOqQ3y-tNODdi!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPcvyDK64_WZc2R0JutqrjdMaSMOqQ3y-tNODdi%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya319.74872-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352
You can get a better view from an aerial view
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7008233,-74.0030695,260a,35y,321.65h,74.32t/data=!3m1!1e3
You can see most of the buildings have been modified or replaced.
I was born there in 1950. Moved to Tucson in '54, so my memories are so vague I really have to dig to get anything. I have a small memory of holding my Dad's hand and going into a weird place with weird smells, and a fire-eater in front. Much later in life my Mom told me it was Ripley's Believe it or Not type place somewhere in Coney Island.
ReplyDelete