Mr. Tress states that he did this work in 1984. The only building that was standing at that time was the Central Laundry, across the street from the Tram Station. I visited the abandoned laundry and photographed some of the rooms. In one of the rooms the paint from one of Mr. Tress’ work was still on the walls The laundry building was demolished in the mid 1980’s so I assume this was the place with all the stored hospital and municipal equipment. Judith Berdy
The Napping Couch, New York 1984 (c)
Collegiate Roundabout, New York 1984 (c)
Robot Birth, New York 1987 (c)
The Politics of Language, New York 1984 (c)
Mother Matrix, New York (c) 1984
Can you identify the medical objects in these images? How many can you find? Send your answers, and the person with the most correct will get a free book of your choice at the RIHS Visitor Center Kiosk. Send your responses to JBIRD134@AOL.COM
BASCOVE
Ward’s Island Bridge Oil on Canvas 26 x 52 inches (c) Bascove 2005
Smallpox Hospital with Queensboro Bridge Bascove (c) 2005
Williamsburg Bridge (c) Bascove 1995
LITIZIA PITIGLIANI
When I moved to Roosevelt Island on 7/7/77 I had a garden level apartment in 580 Main Street. I had lots of blank white walls. I had spotted the Op-Sail poster shown below and decided to purchase one. I had to have this subway poster sized (38 x 52″) artwork framed and managed to squeeze my precious art piece into the back of a Checker taxi.. I had to bribe my father to hang it on the wall for me. It hung on my wall for many years. As I grew away from acrylic furniture, day beds, director’s chairs to “real furniture” the poster was given away.
Looking at the on-line auction results, if I held on 35 more years I may have something “valuable.”
Parade of Sail 1977 New York (c) Litizia Pitigliana Association for a Better New York
Sunfish Regatta Letizia Pitigliani New York 1977 (c)
Opliner (c) Litizia Pitigliani, New York 1977
Shriner’s Convention, Letizia Pitigliani New York 1977 (c)
Macy’s Fireworks Show on the Hudson Litizia Pitigliani New York 1977 (c)
EDITORIAL
After such a bleak week, here are the works of three artists. We never knew of the work of Arthur Tress while he was here, working most secretly in what I assume to be the old laundry building. I have known Bascove for years and I encourage you to see all her works on her website. You will be excited by her new post-bridge art pieces. Her site is bascove.com.
I have a wonderful book of the artwork of Litizia Pitigliani. I do not have a scanner that is large enough to scan these pieces.
OUR NEIGHBORS AT COLER NEED YOUR GREETINGS, SUPPORT, ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS AND STAFF. DRAW A PICTURE MAKE A RAINBOW MAKE A PICTURE OF STARS MAKE A SMILEY FACE WRITE A NOTE OF SUPPORT LET’S KEEP OUR FELLOW ISLANDERS IS OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
BROWN BROTHERS PHOTOGRAPHS A TREASURED COLLECTION (c)
Friday, April 3, 2020
16th in our FROM THE ARCHIVES series.
Entrance to Penitentiary (c) Brown Brothers
Warden’s house just south of the Queensboro Bridge, adjoining Penitentiary
Quarry where prisoners excavated Fordham gneiss stone that is this the stone used on our structures. Quarry was located where 465 Main Street is today.
The Workhouse, located where 10 River Road is today. Persons serving short terms were incarcerated there.
Chapel of the Good Shepherd with Good Samaritan German Lutheran Church
Good Samaritan German Lutheran Church
Council Synagogue built for the Jewish residents of the City Home, located northwest of Good Shepherd
Our Lady Consoler of the Afflicted Catholic Church (demolished before 1970)
Sacred Heart Chapel (demolished 1980 for tennis courts)
Holy Spirit Chapel (Episcopal), today “The Sanctuary”
EDITORIAL
On my daily walk today I spotted some of our kiosk daffs in bloom. The kiosk looks great. The RIOC landscapers U-Arias gave us a good deal to clear the winter debris for our summer blooms to thrive.
Today has been challenging since Coler administration told me that many of the restaurants are not delivering to their staffs. The staff at Coler is working under challenging circumstances some unit quarantined, no visitors, short on staff and then being told that they do not qualify for a donated meal..
Thru the generosity of some islanders we hope to get some meals for the staff to the hospital each day.
The hospital auxiliary, which I am the president of can supply food and treats for the residents and not the staff.
If you want to help Coler, contact me and I will make sure the staff is supported by our community.
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Melanie Colter and Dottie Jeffries
Advertisement for “SEX” in newspaper from 1926. When Mayor Jimmy Walker was out of town his deputy mayor had the show raided. The show had been on for many months prior to Miss West’s conviction and imprisonment.Mae Wet and Barry O’Neill, her co-star in the Broadway burlesques show “Sex” on trial for obscenity at Jefferson Market Courthouse in 1927. (c) The Villager/ RIHS ArchivesMiss West leaving the Woman’s Workhouse on Welfare Island with Warden Harry Schleth. Miss Westh had spent her time here, supposedly working it the library. This surgical kit was donated to the RIHS. We assume the instruments were used for neurological examinations. The kit is in very fragile condition. Property RIHS Archives
Today is Census Day!!
Without census records the RIHS and other historic preservation, genealogical and archival organizations would have little biographical information to work with.
One person that I followed thru the census records was William Leszynsky, MD.
Dr. Leszynsky was a House physician at the Blackwells Island Lunatic Asylum . At one point of his work on the island he was presented with a leather and brass engraved surgical instrument set.
We tracked Dr. Leszynksy from census records.
In 1860 his mother Amelia was married to Henry and living in San Francisco In the 1870 William, 13 years old was one of 6 children of Henry and Amelia living in New York City In 1880 William, 25 was a physician living in New York City (His address is listed as the B.I. Lunatic Asylum) In 1900 William, 40 was married to Adele for 5 years and lived in Manhattan and listed as a physician. In 1910 William 52 and Adele lived in Manhattan and listed as a physician. In 1920 William, 62 and Adele were living in Manhattan listed as a Physician Neurology. In 1930 Adele (listed as Belle) was living in Manhattan, with a housekeeper Mary Cronin
(The ages do not add up by the years indicated)
It his Wikipedia listing Leszynsky graduated from University Medical College in 1878.(now NYU) . He died March 3, 1923. There are numerous papers listed on-line for him including one on “Coffee as a Beverage: It’s Deleterious Effects on the Nervous System.
EDITORIAL
Clutter seems to be growing these days. In the morning I stack up the materials I used the day before.
Some goes back in the shelf or folder. Other gets stacked higher and higher. Maybe it is the incomplete situation we are in with an indefinite date. No one is coming to a Seder. We do not have to clean the house for Passover, Easter or Ramadan, all of which are approaching.
Many of us are living with kids, aunts, uncles, in-laws in our homes now. Clutter is everywhere. The dining room table is desk, an office, schoolroom, movie studio and maybe even a pizza box is propped on the stack of stuff,
Below is a photo one of our Schools of Nursing dormitory rooms from the 1930’s. Enjoy you tea.
Judith Berdy
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Melanie Colter and Dottie Jeffries
NOT SUGGESTED WHILE SPORTSPARK POOL IS CLOSED Both images (c) RIHS Chapin Collection Above Swimming off the coast of Eat 53rd Street in Manhattan. Early 20th Century. Below Scene from Manhattan with Blackwell’s Island Penitentiary in background
MEDICAL ADVERTISING IN THE 1950’S These ads were all published in established medical journals. Some will make you chuckle and others will make you cringe.
*************************************** WASH YOUR HANDS
THE WORD IS OUT!
Above: Interesting expression for a tomato juice ad
Below: Age-Old condition of those sent off to combat
The advertisements below were for cigarets featuring a “nurse” giving out samples, cured tobacco and for physicians to buy a special blend of pipe tobacco.
Coke 5 cents!!!
CORRECTION IN OUR WOMAN’S HISTORY EDITION, WE INCORRECTLY GAVE THE DATE OF THE NEWS ARTICLE FOR AMELIA EARHART’S VISIT TO THE WORKHOUSE. THE DATE OF THE NY TIMES ARTICLE WAS FEBRUARY 29, 1932.
Strecker in pre-restoration conditionAfter Strecker’s conversion from an abandoned ruin to a power conversion substation for the New York Transit Authority, the building was fully restored (led by Architect Page Ayers Cowley) to its’ early 20th century appearance. Th project was started in 1996 and completed in 2001. This is an excerpt from the NY Landmarks Preservation Designation Report. The entire report is available on www.rihs.us
In 2019 The Transit Authority proposed building a generator platform to be adjacent to Strecker Laboratory. This platform would support generators in the event of a flooding event that would cut power to the building and endangering to electric supply to the 53rd Street subway tunnel below. The original proposal was rejected by RIOC and the community as to its appearance and proximity to the landmark structure. Pictured here are the revised (and improved) renderings showing a structure that has a see-thru appearance and does not obstruct the laboratory. The yellow areas on the lower image is the emergency exit from the subway tunnel. (There is a ladder leading down to the active rail tracks).
EDITORIAL Looking at today’s issue, and the things we worried about in the past………… Swimming in the river Keeping our baby soft and smooth Drinking tomato juice Preventing social diseases Smoking Smoking Smoking Coke for 5 cents Medical Research Power generation
We still worry about those issues but nothing can compare with what is on our mind today.
