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Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert at Radio City Music Hall
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
The Sweet Inspirations and The Imperials
Elvis Presley in Concert
Elvis Presley in Concert
The Sweet Inspirations and The Imperials
The Sweet Inspirations and The Imperials
Elvis!
Elvis takes the stage. Only for a few moments did I experience a sense of weirdness about it all. Elvis is projected on enormous movie screens while members of the original band and a few guests play on the stage below. The weirdness quickly evaporated for me when I decided that if Elvis were doing concerts today his image would probably be projected onto enormously huge screens just like this one.
The Elvis Presley EP Logo
For a concert like this I would have thought the organizers might choose a more rock and roll logo than this. This looks like a logo for a bar of soap.
WCBS DJ Joe Causi Introduces Elvis Elvis Presley in Concert
Joe Causi spoke briefly before the concert began. I still miss Cousin Brucie, who retreated to Sirius/XM satellite radio after WCBS made its needless and failed transition to the much-loathed Jack-FM DJ robot format.
Speakers at Radio City Music Hall
Stage Lights at Radio City Music Hall
Main Theater at Radio City Music Hall
The only other concert I saw at this theater was the Christmas Spectacular. That just have been in 1993, at which time it seemed like one of those events everyone has to see if they live in New York. I barely remember that event. This is not such a great photo of the interior, but I found Radio City to be quite beautiful inside, bold and even a bit gaudy, but not garish or obnoxious.
Spirit of the Dance, by William Zorach
Radio City Music Hall, Site of Elvis Elvis Presley in Concert
I don't remember exactly when it would have occurred, but many years ago an event like this was slated for Radio City Music Hall, but cancelled on account of lack of interest. I think they must have just advertised poorly for that event. There was no such lack of interest this time, as the concert appeared to be fully sold out.
Radio City Music Hall, Site of Elvis Presley in Concert
By saying "Elvis Presley In Concert" the text on the marquee at Radio City seems to carefully avoid saying that Elvis is "Live" in concert. Elvis, of course, is not "Live" anywhere, in concert or elsewhere.
I Don't Know What This Is
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Volkswagen (with "Antique Vehicle" plates)
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
1956 Corvette in Astoria
HO-7-2250, O. Colonna Interior & Exterior Marble, Philadelphia
This exchange name sighting from Philadelphia was sent to me by Ivy Nguyen, and is what inspired me to revive this project, which disappeared form the Internet after a disk failure. Read a little more about this here
RAvenswood 6-1358
The 212 area code on this phone seems to indicate that this RAvenswood-6 phone was used in Queens before the 718 area code was introduced.
EDgewood 4-5503
I spotted this old rotary at a second hand shop in Queens, and assumed this phone had been used in New York City, and the the ED exchange letters stood for EDgecombe. Then I noticed the 516 area code, indicating that this phone was from Long Island. That being the case, the ED exchange letters are for EDgewood, the exchange used for Carle Place and Westbury.
Lincoln Continental Mark III
NEwtown, NEvins, or NEptune 9-9389. Murphy Fence Inc.
I do not know which NE exchange this sign displays, but it is probably NEwtown, NEvins, or NEptune.
SPring Valley and FAirbanks
2-for-1 on this one, though the appearance of the corresponding area codes appears to indicate that this is a retro-chic use of the old exchange names, however old the sign might look at first blush. The Pioneer Fence Company appears to have become the Alpine Fence Company. You can not see it very well but the top number is a SPring Valley Exchange number, and the bottom number is another FAirbanks exchange as seen earlier in my Gunn Hill Fence Company sign sighting.
Hudson
Chevrolet, Upper West Side
AXtell-7-4270, Kulka's Fine Baking
This photo is from DE, who first inspired me to commence this collection of Telephone Exchange Name Sightings. Kulka's Fine Baking in Jamaica, Queens, makes retro-chic use of its old-style AXtell telephone exchange name.
Taxi
Taxi
Rolls Royce, Astoria
Fiat, Grand Avenue, Maspeth
Dacia, Glendale
Dacia, Glendale
1961 or 1962 Cadillac Sedan DeVille in Glendale
HAVemeyer-4-9436, Charles Hoelzer Iron Works
If you look at enough metal doors on New York City sidewalks you will eventually see one of these old medallions from the Charles Hoelzer Iron Works company. I think I've seen about a dozen of these HAVemeyer exchange names around town. This is the only sighting I can recall which uses a 3-letter shorthand for the telephone exchange name. UPDATE, August 2014: Dave Cook, from EatingInTranslation.com, shares his photo of a VIRginia exchange name sighting in Richmond Hill, Queens.
DAvenport Phone Exchange, Griff's Fence, Inc.
AStoria-8-5791
This sign, listing business hours of a dentist's office, still shows the old AStoria telephone exchange name instead of the modern all-number-dialing format. I imagine that most people who see this sign are unaware what that AS.8-5791 is a telephone number. Similar to the Millionaire Realty sign in Astoria I think that this old phone number in modern times looks more like some kind of license or certification number.
Hoop Mobile
UL-5-6463, Joe's Superette
At first I thought this establishment was weirdly named "Joe's S Perette." Alas, missing a letter U, this old sign for "Joe's Superette" is cornered by a sign showing what is either its old ULster or ULysses telephone exchange phone number.
ALgonquin-4-2700, near Union Square
I have passed by this building over a hundred times, so I was chagrinned to pass by in mid-2010 and see this old ALgonquin telephone exchange name phone number sitting in plain sight on the side of this old building. I was relieved to find that my observations skills were not as poor as I thought. This old number was revealed after a demolition of a building next door.
NAvarre-9-0400, Sign World
This NAvarre Exchange Name is hidden in the corner of the sign for Phil's Stationery in Midtown. Sign World made this sign, and this phone exchange number advertised that company. I endeavored to buy something at Phil's but the only item I could find that I actually needed that day was a small notepad. That little notepad would have cost me $22! That seemed a steep price for a small pad of paper, though the paper itself felt of a higher grade than most, and the cover felt elegant. Luxurious. Decadent. Normally I spend about 33¢ on a notepad of similar size as one on sale for $22 at Phil's Stationery. Maybe I should get the notepad not despite its price but because of its price. Maybe the extravagant capital outlay for a tiny notebook will ennoble and inspire any thought material I deposit therein, and motivate me to get my money's worth out of the investment. Phil's also offers "ZEROX COPIES".
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
STillwell 4-7138. O'Loughlin Florist
I had seen an O'Loughlin Florist sign with a STillwell Exchange before. This other sign was on the side of the building.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
EVergreen.6-4343, Middle Village
I spotted this EVergreen.6-4343 number at the Queens Instrument Company at 62-15 Fresh Pond Road in Flushing. In today's parlance the number would be (718) 386-4343.
Hedgecock Florist, Rego Park
I spotted this old phone number on the falling-apart sign of Hedgecock Florist on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park. According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project HA stood for HAvemeyer. In today's numbering this phone number (HAvemeyer 9-9400) is (718) 429-9400.
ILlinois 7-1122. Party Time on Queens Boulevard
This ILlinois telephone exchange number lingers somewhat mysteriously over a garage door on Queens Boulevard. It is the old format phone number for Party Time, a party supply store which has evidently been at this location a long time. The modern version of their phone number is (718) 457-1122?.
CAnal 6-3790
Pictures like this have a way of making this series look like a collection of hoary old faded signs. D. spotted this CAnal Telephone Exchange at the corner of Spring and Wooster Streets. Today this phone number (212-226-7390) belongs to a company called Opening Ceremony, at 33 Howard Street. I wonder if Opening Ceremony knows that a primitive version of their phone number lingers on the side of this building at Spring and Wooster streets.
Carlos Pizza, Maspeth
Carlos Pizza in Maspeth, Queens, shows that it has been around a long time with its old school TWinings Telephone Exchange number
IN CASE OF NECESSITY CALL INdependence-1-8642
This might be my favorite exchange name sighting yet. An open-ended entreaty to those in need, this placard directs people to call INdependence 1-8642 "IN CASE OF NECESSITY". This sign is probably directed to those who might need access to the building on which this and 2 duplicate signs are displayed. Or maybe it was a religious message, and if one went to a payphone and called INdependence 1-8642 they might hear a calming recorded program or a religious exhortation. I have never seen or heard the expression "IN CASE OF NECESSITY" until now but it sounds like it is directed at those individuals in need of a restroom.
STillwell 4-4100. Beardslee Transmission.
I spotted a STillwell Exchange name at Beardslee Transmission in Long Island City. Months later I noticed this second STillwell phone number on another side of the building.
Higdon Elevator Company
I am not certain what the TO stands for in this old phone number. A cursory web search shows a Higdon elevator company that was recently based in Hackensack, NJ. If the company was always based in New Jersey then the TO might have stood for TOms River, though that seems like a long shot. If Higdon was based in the 5 boroughs of NYC then TO might have stood for either TOmpkins, TOmpkins Square, or TOttenville.
ALgonquin Telephone Exchange Sighting. Emil Talamini Real Estate.
Emil Talamini Real Estate used to be at 450 Sixth Avenue. Their phone number was ALgonquin 4-1817.
Regent Sign Company. ALgonquin 4-9116.
Bugs like this for the Regent Sign Company and other signage makers are among the most commonly seen Telephone Exchange Name Sightings. They are tucked in the corners of larger signs.
Permacut Hair Stylists
Permacut Hair Stylists on East 14th Street shows its roots (hair pun intended) with this ORegon exchange name on its sign. ORegon.3-4786 in modern parlance would be (212) 673-4786
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
FAirbanks 4-5000. Gun Hill Fence Company.
FAirbanks 4-5000. Gun Hill Fence Company.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
ORegon-9-6060
In the past you might call ORegon-9-6060 if you were interested in living at this apartment building on 39th Street and Third Avenue. Today the same number -- (212) 679-6060, in modern notation -- belongs to Fight For Sight. I wonder if Fight for Sight is aware that a primitive version of its phone number is barely seen on the side of this apartment building.
Superintendent Richard Reyes, PLaza9-2284
In the foyer of the Ambassador Terrace in Manhattan (which shows a LOngacre phone exchange on its front-facing placard) is this sign showing an old PLaza exchange name phone number (PLaza9-2284, or (212) 759-2284 in modern usage). I don't know if Richard Reyes is still Superintendent at this building but if this sign is as old as it seems then he would have been in that job for a long, long time.
LOngacre 9-8843
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
RAvenswood 8-3510. J. Sgroi & Sons.
TWining 8-7610. Acropolis Realty.
My inspiration to collect exchange name sightings came from two sources. One was D., who first drew my attention to how unusual it was to see these old numbers still posted here in the 21st century. The second source came from a bus trip to upstate New York. On that trip I noticed that some real estate agents in the area had advertised themselves using exchange-name formatted phone numbers. I don't recall which two-letter combinations appeared but at the time I imagined that these real estate companies were inspired by the Telephone Exchange Name Project web site (a long-time favorite of mine). Whatever the reasons I found the retro-chic use of exchange name phone numbers to be intriguing, and I was reminded of those upstate New York billboards when I spotted this "For Rent" sign in Astoria. The Acropolis Realty Corp., located in Flushing, uses the old-fashioned TWining phone exchange for its phone number: TW8-7610. Potential clients in the know will recognize this code and they will wisely call Acropolis at (718) 898-7610.
Riley Bros. Mausoleums. STillwell Phone Exchange.
Riley Bros. is a maker of tombstones and funerary art. I have seen the Riley name on countless grave markers at all the Calvary cemeteries, old and new. This picture, taken through an opening in a fence, shows how half of their sign still stands, with an incomplete STillwell phone exchange number. Riley Bros. has been in business since 1883 -- before exchange names and telephone numbers even existed!
O'Loughlin Florist. STillwell Phone Exchange.
The O'Loughlin Florist is on Laurel Hill Boulevard, next to Second Calvary Cemetery and across the street from Third Calvary. Their old STillwell phone exchange name number actually rises twice in this picture -- once at top center and again (barely visible) on the bottom left.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
LOngacre 1-8010. Triboro Neon.
TWinings.4-9228 - Laurel Manufacturing Company in Maspeth
The Laurel Manufacturing Company in Maspeth used to be reachable at its old TWinings number (TW.4-9228) but today you could try them at (718) 894-9228. The TWinings exchange was new to me when I saw it, and before looking it up I imagined it might mean a lot of things: TWinkletoes. TWister. TWiddle-dee-dee. Time-Warner.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
DEwey 9-6464. Arthur Blum Signs.
J De Martino Sea Food, COlumbus phone exchange
The COlumbus phone exchange can be seen on this old sign at the J. De Martino Seafood on 9th Avenue in Manhattan. How many times had I seen this sign before cracking the code and noticing that the phone number started with letters and not numbers?
WY phone exchange, midtown.
According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project the WY exchange seen here is either a no-name exchange or else WYoming or WYandotte, the latter of which was a Bronx telephone exchange.
EMpire Phone Exchange, Very Faded Sign
Can you see the EMpire phone exchange in this picture? I can, but one needs to stand at just the right angle to see the old phone number lurking almost invisibly in plain sight. From across the street or from any other angle this phone number is virtually impossible to see but at this angle, and with just slight image enhancement, it becomes clear that an air conditioner company once occupied this space, and was reachable at EMpire-1-1818.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
ESplanade 5-5020. Central Sign.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
DEwey 9-6464. Arthur Blum Signs.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
Woo Cleaner and Laundry in San Francisco
The Woo Cleaner and Laundry in San Francisco appears to be closed, but its GR exchange name number still shines on its window. The GR appears to stand for either the GRant or GRaystone phone exchange.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
GArfield-1-1817. Chinatown, San Francisco
I spotted this old GArfield phone exchange in San Francisco's Chinatown.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
AStoria 8-0733. Florida Signs L.I. City
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
TRafalgar 5-6400. Boro Sign.
Magnasign. BAinbridge 9-4088.
I do not know where Magnasign of N.Y. Inc. was based, but it was probably the Bronx, where the BA in their phone number stood for BAinbridge.
CHelsea 2-3033. Avignone Pharmacy.
Regent Sign Company
WOrth 6-5758. A&A Coffee Shop/Porto Rico Importing Company
I happened to spot A&A Coffee (a.k.a. the Porto Rico Importing Company) on Thompson Street, and not only do I love their sign with its old school phone number (I said so to the cashier) but I also think the coffee was first-rate. I do not know how long this exact location has been a coffee shop but I could see how it would have been in business a long time, surviving against a Starbucks on every corner and other corporate manifestations of the timeless beverage. The place reminded me of the old Siberia Bar, which used to be inside a midtown subway station. According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project, the WO in A&A's old phone number probably stood for WOrth, but in these modern times the WO.6-5758 phone exchange number would be 212-966-5758.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
ESplanade 5-4670. Rotary dial phone at a 2nd-hand shop
NIghtingale 9-3839. Michael Cerverizzo & Sons.
EVergreen 8-7068. W.H. Christian & Sons, Greenpoint
STillwell 4-4100. Beardslee Transmission.
WAlker 5-2985. John De Lorenzo & Bro.
TRafalgar 5-6400. Boro Sign.
JUdson-6-0800. Riker & Co. Real Estate. Seen on Canal Street.
Looking to rent loft space in Chinatown? You probably won't have much luck calling the Riker & Co. Real Estate firm at the barely readable Exchange Name Number of JUdson 6-0800. In today's numbering that phone number -- 212-588-0800 -- would ring up the folks at Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP. According to an advertisement on this page at Fultonhistory.com, Riker & Co. also had a Brooklyn office where their Exchange Name Number was TRiangle 5-1234. The only other JUdson Exchange Name I've seen lately was in retro-chic usage on the receipt from Frank Music Company in midtown. It might be interesting to explore connections between this Riker company and the famous Riker family whose name graces the Riker's Island prison complex. The Riker family had a long history in New York, where to this day the Lent-Riker-Smith House with its Riker Family Cemetery in the back yard is believed to be the oldest continuously-inhabited dwelling in the United States.
LOngacre 3-6540, Amabassador Terrace
I must have walked past this Ambassador Terrace sign a thousand times without noticing the LOngacre telephone exchange number hiding at the bottom. D. spotted this sign, which also shows a street address in the format used before the USPS introduced ZIP codes.
OLympia 9-4444. Typhoon Fence Company.
Some kind of truck. I don't know what this is.
STillwell 6-6300. Don Liebermann Realty.
STillwell 6-6300. Don Liebermann Realty.
EMpire 1-9240. Able Steel Equipment
This is the first EMpire exchange name I spotted. The Able Steel Equipment Company is alive and well. Their old-school telephone exchange name phone number of EM 1-9240 is today dialable at (718) 361-9240. UPDATE: Spotted another barely-visible EMpire exchange number a few months later.
Chevy Impala in L.I.C.
STillwell 6-0640. Metro Systems Corp.
AStoria 8-7979. Steinway Street.
STillwell 4-2468. Henri Billharz Inc. Plumbing & Heating
According to the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce web site (link no longer works): “Billharz Plumbing, Inc. has been family-owned and operated for three generations since 1927 – Henri X. Billharz, Robert H. Billharz and Henri J. Billharz are licensed and certified.” One of the signs on the Billharz Plumbing building still shows its exchange name number of STillwell 4-2468, but in these modern times the number is (718) 784-2468. You can also reach Billharz Plumbing at billharzplumbing.com.
RAvenswood-1-2089. Astoria Finast Windows
The signage at the Astoria Finast Window shop is notable for its Telephone Exchange Name phone number, though the company seems to have tried to gloss over this relic of its past. I would expect any company to be proud of this tell-tale sign of its longevity. Nevertheless, like Astoria Finast, many long-time companies sanded over or obliterated their Exchange Name numbers, replacing them with modern phone numbers.
Chevrolet on Greenpoint Avenue
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
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Trash Transport
On the Trash Cans
At a Parking Meter
Second Hand Store
Chained to a Streetsign
By a Fire Hydrant
Sidewalk
Curbside
Curbside
In the Trash Can
With the Trashbags
Trash
On Top of the Trash
Fly the Friendly Sky of Laos T-Shirt, Front
Vientiane Flying Club T-Shirt, Front
Vientiane Flying Club T-Shirt, Back
Vientiane Flying Club T-Shirt, Front
Fly the Driendly Sky of Laos T-Shirt, Front
Fly the Driendly Sky of Laos T-Shirt, Back
American School of Vientiane T-Shirt, Back
American School of Vientiane T-Shirt, Front
American School of Vientiane T-Shirt, Back
American School of Vientiane T-Shirt, Front
Sidewalk
Curbside Trash
Curbside Trash
Central Park
On the 59th Street Bridge
On the 59th Street Bridge
Outside a 99¢ Shop
With the Trash Bags
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
At a Thrift Shop
Pink
Capsized by the Trash Can
After Dark
Middle of the Sidewalk
Dr. Thomas Rainey (1824-1910)
Dr. Thomas Rainey (1824-1910), a resident of Ravenswood, Queens, spent 25 years of his life and most of his fortune advancing the construction of a bridge across the East River between Manhattan and Long Island City. The area that now accommodates Rainey Park was to be the Queens anchor for the “Blackwell Island Bridge,” a project backed by leading citizens of Long Island City after the American Civil War. In 1871, they incorporated the “New York and Queens County Bridge Company.” The bridge, planned with one ramp south to Brooklyn and another out to Long Island, was promoted as a catalyst for developing growth in Queens and as a railroad link to Long Island. To the community’s disadvantage, the effort fell apart during the financial Panic of 1873. Rainey had been one of the earliest and staunchest supporters of the project, and the burden of organizing and refinancing the company fell on him, first as treasurer in 1874, then as president in 1877. Dr. Rainey lobbied around the country to get financial backing and a bridge franchise. However, the War Department, concerned that a bridge could interfere with the defense of New York and access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, withheld approval. Most interest in the region was for another bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The sparse population in Queens at the time raised further concerns of need and profitability, and the project had once again lost steam by 1892. A group from the community called the Committee of Forty kept the effort alive. After the consolidation of New York City in 1898, the project gained new momentum and the bridge was finally built at Queens Plaza, a few blocks south of the proposed location. On opening day in 1909, Dr. Rainey realized his dream as he crossed the new bridge with Governor Charles Evans Hughes. The Queensboro Bridge fulfilled its promise by tying the Borough of Queens into Greater New York and Rainey received a gold medal inscribed “The Father of the Bridge.” On that day Rainey told the New York Times, “This is my bridge. At least it is the child of my thought, of my long years of arduous toil and sacrifice. Just over there, are the old towers of my bridge, which I began to build many years ago. I spent all I owned on the project . . . It is a grand bridge, much greater than the one I had in mind. It will be in service to thousands in the years to come, when Dr. Rainey and his bridge projects will long have been gathered into the archives of the past.” Rainey’s pride in the structure was so great that, a year before his death at age 86, he reportedly attempted to walk the length of the bridge. The structure was named the Queensboro Bridge, but Rainey’s contribution was not forgotten. On April 18, 1904, the City of New York acquired several acres of waterfront property through condemnation procedures. The concrete “sea wall,” built where the park meets the East River, was completed in 1912, by which time Rainey had passed away. To honor his public spirit, the city named the property Rainey Park. An exchange of properties with a local landowner in 1917 nearly 3 acres to the northern part of the park. This park is the largest in Ravenswood, once an exclusive neighborhood with spacious plots of land along Vernon Boulevard. The area was industrialized in the 1870’s and has been so thoroughly transformed that Rainey Park has become something of an oasis among the factories that populate much the neighborhood. The riverside promenade and baseball fields makes Rainey Park a popular spot for picnicking and play. Oaks, London Planes, and Callery Pear trees shade adorn this public greensward that one former Parks commissioner called “one of the prettiest parks in the system.”
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With the Trash
Astoria
I don't know what this is/was, in L.I.C.
By a Mailbox, Near a Payphone
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
Spirit Cruises. Fall Foliage Cruise. October 25, 2008.
With the Trash Bags
By a Tree
FOUR STAR COLLIS ON
Run Into a Tree
Under the Bridge
Astoria
Laundry Hamper
Astoria
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Unisphere at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Topped With Plywood
Astoria
Astoria

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