Tag: Manhattan

Sep232013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Let’s Examine This Vintage 1956 New York City Street Scene Photo

Let’s Examine This Vintage 1956 New York City Street Scene Photo

Photography
From the furthest reaches of the internet comes this outstanding photograph, taken in 1956 in midtown Manhattan, New York City -- Times Square to be specific. Drink in the details (click for a larger version), and then let's talk about what's on here. Gorgeous, isn't it? Of course there are vintage cars and clothes aplenty, but let's focus on some of the other details instead. Here's what I can pick out from this picture, starting from the upper left: Some kind of travel billboard, likely either for air or rail. This part is too blurry for me to tell anything else. Giant ad for the Western movie Jubal, which according to IMDB was released on April 6, 1956. The ad plays up co-star Ernest Borgnine, who had just received the Academy Award for Best Actor a few weeks earlier for hi...
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Jan232013 by Chris Holmes2 Comments
Vintage Photo Wednesday, Vol. 24: Holland Tunnel Opening, 1927

Vintage Photo Wednesday, Vol. 24: Holland Tunnel Opening, 1927

Vintage Photo Wednesday
Here's another tunnel-related vintage photo for you. Although the source (New York Public Library Digital Gallery) doesn't note the year, I'm going with 1927. Take a look and you'll see why. (Click for a larger version.) The reason I'm going with 1927 is because the Holland Tunnel, which connects Manhattan with Jersey City, opened in November 1927. I don't imagine that these unnamed officials, decked out in their late '20s finery, would be taking pictures and shaking hands across the border in the middle of construction. Or maybe they did, who knows. Update: An astute reader identifies the two men shaking hands as New York and New Jersey governors Al Smith and A. Harry Moore, respectively. Thanks! Related articles On This Day In 1927, The Holland Tunnel Appears On The Cover
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Aug32012 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
On This Date, Jehovah’s Witnesses Made Yankee Stadium History

On This Date, Jehovah’s Witnesses Made Yankee Stadium History

Ephemera, History
Here's some baseball-related trivia for you -- on August 3, 1958, the largest one-day crowd in history filled Yankee Stadium. But they weren't Yankees fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, or Whitey Ford. They were Jehovah's Witnesses attending their religion's yearly Divine Will International Assembly. Here's a vintage postcard commemorating the event. The 1958 convention was split between Yankee Stadium and the nearby Polo Grounds in Manhattan. The August 3 crowd at the House That Ruth Built numbered 123,707, a record that stood throughout the rest of the stadium's history.
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Sep192011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Album review: So Percussion — It Is Time

Album review: So Percussion — It Is Time

Music
As the father of a nearly 18-month-old son, I have become all too aware how quickly time passes us by. I know that's hardly an original observation, but it's a truth that I internalize more and more every day. It is this truth -- as well as the age-old fantasy that we might change time itself -- that led Steve Mackey to compose the five pieces that make up It Is Time, performed by a quartet of experimental musicians calling themselves So Percussion. As an expression of Mackey's inspiration, It Is Time is exquisite. The album's five compositions blend seamlessly into one another, and despite the emphasis on different percussion instruments in each there is a tangible unity of vision on display. The record's centerpiece is the third song, "Marimba." It's the sonic equivalent of Salvador D...
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Mar132007 by Chris Holmes2 Comments
View-Master’s 1957 New Jersey – 3 of 7

View-Master’s 1957 New Jersey – 3 of 7

Ephemera
If this looks vaguely familiar, it should. It's the George Washington Bridge (identified on the reel as the George Washington Memorial Bridge). What probably stands out is the fact that there is only a single deck here. The second deck wasn't added until 1962. Since this is in the New Jersey set of reels I guess this shot was taken from the Fort Lee side. The GWB opened on October 25, 1931, making it real old. It connects the aforementioned Fort Lee, NJ to the Washington Heights section of Manhattan - crossing the Hudson River. It held the distinction of being the world's longest suspension bridge until 1937, when the Golden Gate Bridge was opened. According to Wikipedia (which is never wrong), it is now #14 on the list. The current top dog is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan, whic...
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