This pile of masks is history. As a collector of all types of ephemera, face masks will be memory of the Covid Pandemic. Ours is not a political statement, but one of personal and group protection. We care for ourselves, for our family and neighbors and have one on-hand.
The first ones I obtained were homemade. We were happy to have them no matter what protection they offered.
This homemade mask was made by a voter in 2020. He brought me one when we were swamped with votes at Wagner JHS.
Our neighbor located fabric featuring Roosevelt Island, which has been very popular seller in the kiosk.
Who ever thought that a mask would become a collectable from a new hotel?
Our friends at Materials for the Arts provided us with hundreds of wonderful masks made by Kate Spade. Just in time for the holidays, they were most appreciated gifts.
Prepared for a Pandemic Time parade Macy’s had Santa masks for participants.
You cannot lower your mask at any City Hospital. Kids and parents sizes are available!
With the help of a pineapple and mangos these cotton masks are ready to be used, though not reccommended now. Maybe there will be a new use to protect the fruit.
Some tropical decor on the counter with an new floral addtion
Though never worn, these theme masks stack up on the shelf!
Forgot your mask? The tram and red bus staff will provide one of these to you!
MONDAY PHOTO
Send your response to: rooseveltislandhistory@gmail.com THERE ARE TWO ILLEGALLY PARKED MOTORCYCLES PARKED OUTSIDE ISLAND HOUSE. NEITHER CYCLE HAD A LICENSE. WHEN CALLED PSD, REFUSED TO RESPOND. SUNDAY 5P.M.
WEEKEND PHOTO
THE WAVERTREE at the South Street Seaport Museum Hara Reiser, Aron Eisenpreis, Ed Litcher, Gloria Herman all know their ships!!
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 Deborah Dorff All image are copyrighted (c)
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Judith Berdy
GRANTS
CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE BEN KALLOS DISCRETIONARY FUNDING THRU DYCD
Tucked away from view as you walk north of the Coler entrance is the resident garden. This oasis provides a wonderful area to enjoy nature and being out-of-doors. The last few years the garden has provided respite from the isolation of quarantine.
Jovemay Santos, Director of Therapeutic Recreation and Mr. Melrose Barnes, a resident and great gardener can be found in the garden early on summer mornings watering and tending the vegetable garden.
Thru work with other island groups, the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, I Dig to Learn, Angelica Program, and the financial support of the Coler Auxiliary the garden has been enhanced and become a popular retreat. Many events are held in the garden including BBQ’s which are most popular.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
WEEKEND, JULY 23-24, 2022
THE 734th EDITION
THE RESIDENT GARDEN
AT COLER
The ceramic carp have been the centerpiece of the garden and the plantings form a lovely meditative spot.
Small rock gardens are spaced under the giant magnolias.
Momo, Coler’s healing hound knows a shady spot to relax while gardening takes place.
Jovemay and Mr. Barnes are usually in the garden early in the morning watering in tending the vegetable plants.
The vegetables include cucumber, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and herbs are in elevated planters which are easy for residents to use.
YOU CAN SUPPORT THE COLER GARDEN TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION CAN BE MADE TO THE COLER HOSPTIAL AUXILIARY. ALL DONATIONS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND USED TO UPDATE AND IMPROVE FACILITIES FOR THE RESIDENTS. E-MAIL US AT: JOVEMANY.SANTOS@NYCHHC.ORG
Some of the seals at the Central Park Zoo have the best deal in the City this summer!! Andy Sparberg, Nina Lublin, Jay Jacobson, Alexis Villafane, Hara Reiser, and Vicki Feinmel all got it right!
Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Deborah Dorff All image are copyrighted (c)
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Judith Berdy
GRANTS
CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE BEN KALLOS DISCRETIONARY FUNDING THRU DYCD
Good news is that our City temperature is not rising as rapidly as in other parts of the country. Bad news is that we’ve got other things to worry about.
The hottest day in NYC history was July 9, 1936, when the temperatures reached 106 degrees. This was the most severe heat wave in our country’s modern history, with 3,000 people dying and some 30 years before air conditioning became widely accessible..
New York Times, July 19, 1936
According to the Daily News, “heat was humanly bearable only because the humidity, at 44 percent, was low. If it were twice as high … human life would be almost impossible.” And the Times claimed that “In the canyons of the financial district men and women reported the heat waves visible.” It was so hot that Mayor Guardia let out all city employees from work at 1:45 pm and thousands of WPA workers were given a half-day. Fire hydrants were pried open in every neighborhood. In Red Hook, Brooklyn and in many other places, the hydrants lowered the water pressure so much that residents above the second floor were unable to get water in their homes. And on Park Avenue “so many hydrants were in emergency use that the waters mounted above the curb and the cars splashed through six and eight inches of it.” “In the great shopping districts in the Thirties, the pavements became so soft in the late afternoon that the crosswalks were dotted with rubber heals that were caught in the asphalt and tar as women passed by. In some spots the asphalt blistered.”
“Coney Island, the Rockaways and other metropolitan beaches again had their hundreds of thousands of city folks cooling off in salt water, including thousands who had remained all night on the Bach sand.” Tens of thousands of New Yorkers, looking for relief, slept in city parks throughout the night. The mayor authorized most parks to remain open and police were directed not to harass people who slept on benches or on the ground. And even Robert Moses flew in for the rescue, authorizing that all city swimming pools remain open until midnight.
The 10 hottest days in New York City history, according to the National Weather Service: 1. July 9, 1936 — 106 degrees 2. July 22, 2011 — 104 degrees (tied) July 21, 1977 — 104 degrees (tied) Aug. 7, 1918 — 104 degrees 5. July 6, 2010 — 103 degrees (tied) Aug. 9, 2010 — 103 degrees (tied) July 3, 1966 — 103 degrees (tied) Aug. 26, 1948 — 103 degrees 9. July 15, 1995 — 102 degrees (tied) July 10, 1993 — 102 degrees
More? Since 1870, high temperatures of 100° or hotter have occurred in 31 years, about once every five years. The longest span without any 100-degree days was 16 years, between 1882-1897. More recently, there was a 10-year span between 1981-1990, and eight years between 2002-2009. In the ten-year years between 2010-12.
What about hot summers?
New York’s five hottest summers (since 1869) have all occurred since 1960: 2010, 1966, 1993, 1983 and 1999. The summer of 1966, New York’s second hottest on record, recorded the hottest average monthly high temperature. Although July 1999 was the hottest month on record based on mean daily temperature (average of the day’s high and low), the average high in July 1966 was hotter than July 1999 by 0.1-degree, 90.3° vs 90.2°. However, July 1999’s average low was 3.5 degrees warmer (72.6° vs 69.1°) and that’s what easily put it on top. Eight Julys have had a mean temperature of 80.0° or higher (the most recent was in 2020). The first time it happened was in 1952.
Another way of looking at hot summers is at the concentration of the hottest days. Records dating back to 1872 show that the most 90°days in a year has been 39 – and this happened twice – in 1991 and 1993. However, while 1991’s occurred over a lengthy span of 23 weeks, 1993’s were more concentrated, occurring over five fewer weeks. While 1991 experienced 90°temperatures during 24% of the summer season, 1993’s corresponding figure was 31%. Yet, neither of these hot summers come close to 1999. Although that year had ten fewer 90°, they were concentrated in a sixty-day period. And 1988 wasn’t far behind, with 33 90°days over 77 days (43% concentration).
No doubt, it’s getting hotter. Nationally, the average summer temperature in the past five years has been 1.7ºF warmer than it was from 1971 through 2000. But temperature increase here has been less than in other places and may be increasing slower. (Only one of the city’s hottest summers has come in this century.)
But the Western region’s temperature over the past five summers averaged 2.7ºF warmer than in 1971-2000, more than any other region in the contiguous US. And perhaps it’s getting worse. Summer in the West in 2021 was 4.5ºF warmer than the 1971-2000 avg; summer temperatures in Reno have risen 10.9°F on average since 1970, making it the fastest warming city in the nation during the hottest months.
And we’ve not experienced the extreme heat waves that have devastated other areas: An historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest sent temperatures climbing more than 30° higher than average. Portland broke records three days in a row, peaking at 116 °F, a heat wave that killed nearly 200 people in Oregon and Washington.
So far, we’ve been spared the worst of temperature change, but bigger problems may lie ahead. Flooding.
We know that sea levels along New York’s coast have already risen more than a foot since 1900 and that New York’s coastal counties are home to more than half of New Yorkers.
What’s coming? Some say that by 2100, sea levels will be 18 to 75 inches higher than today along New York’s coastlines. Others: “In a worst-case scenario, much of Manhattan would be submerged by 2300” if current greenhouse gas emission rates are not curbed. A group of researchers found that, although New York City used to only have flooding of 7.4 feet or more every 25 years, that could start happening every five years as early as 2030. It also predicted a 5-to-11-inch sea level rise in New York City between 2000 and 2030.
Even limiting global warming to a best-case scenario of 1.5° C warmer would still cause irreparable harm. Sea levels in the metropolitan area have risen by almost 9 inches since 1950, and the pace is accelerating — increasing by 1 inch every seven to eight years. Currently, 120 square miles of New York City is only 6 feet above high tide, making it prone to storm flooding. These areas are home to nearly a half-million people, 1,500 miles of road, 100 public schools — all estimated at more than $100 billion in value, according to the research organization Climate Central. Hurricane Sandy’s highest flood level was measured at 9 feet above the high tide in 2012. Extreme flooding is estimated to increase by about 20% if sea levels rise roughly 6 inches more than 2020 levels by 2040, according to the IPCC report. This fallout doubles if seas rise to nearly 2.5 feet more.
Finally, on average each year, approximately 370 deaths are heat related. This is made up of an estimated 360 heat-exacerbated deaths, which happen when heat worsens existing chronic conditions such as heart disease, and 10 heat stress deaths, which are caused directly by heat. The average annual number of heat-related deaths represents about 2% of all deaths each warm season from May to September. We are aware that neither summer heat nor its effects are distributed evenly across the city. But perhaps that’s another RIHS article.
Just to end this hot story at a different degree, what about the coldest day in New York City? According to AccuWeather, the 10 coldest days in New York City history are: Jan. 24, 1882, with 6° degrees below zero Feb. 10, 1899, with 6 degrees below zero Dec. 29, 1917, with 6 degrees below zero Feb. 5, 1918, with 6 degrees below zero Dec. 30, 1933, with 6 degrees below zero Dec. 31, 1917, with 7° degrees below zero Feb. 8, 1934, with 7 degrees below zero Feb. 15, 1943, with 8° degrees below zero Dec. 30, 1917, with 13° degrees below zero Feb. 9, 1943, with 15° degrees below zero
The winter of 1934 was one of the coldest on record. It was so cold that the Raritan Bay shipping channel completely froze over, permitting folks to skate from Staten Island to New Jersey.
But upstate (I think that’s the part north of Westchester) wins. According to The Weather Channel, the coldest temperature ever seen in New York State was 52° below zero set at Old Forge, a hamlet in upstate Herkimer County, on February 18, 1979.
The Peace Pagoda was presented to Londoners by the Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji (affectionately nicknamed ‘Guruji’ by his close friend Mahatma Gandhi) in 1984. Founder of the Japanese Buddhist movement, Nipponzan Myohoji, Guruji stated that ‘Civilisation is not to kill human beings, not to destroy things, nor make war; civilisation is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another’. Following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he pledged to build pagodas worldwide as shrines to peace. The Battersea pagoda was constructed by nuns, monks and other followers of the Nipponzan Myohoji sect and was completed in 1985 just weeks after Guruji died at the grand old age of 100.
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Maybe it is myth to sit in a gazebo and catch the cool breezes, or just better than thinking of trying to stay cool in 90+ degree heat. Stay cool and enjoy the images.
Beyond the fountain in the Italianate section of the Conservatory Garden stands the Wisteria Pergola.
Cop Cot is a small wooden shelter built in 1984—one of several Central Park rustic structures created with rough-hewn logs in intricate designs.
Wagner Cove
Ladies Pavilion
Ladies sitting under shaded chairs on the west promenade in back of Good Shepherd
A pavilion outside City Home
It may not have the glamour of a classic gazebo, but the permanent tent outside Coler offers a shelter and great view of the river. It is paved and used for many events.
OYSTER BAR, GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL ED LITCHER, ARON EISENPREISS, ANDY SPARBERG, LAURA HUSSEY, JAY JACOBSON, JANET KING, HARA REISER, GLORIA HERMAN, NINA LUBLIN, ARLEE BESSENOFF, ALEXIS VILLAFANE ALL GOT IT RIGHT!!
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 Deborah Dorff All image are copyrighted (c)
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On a blistering hot day, we would get in the car and off to Nathan’s either in Oceanside, Long Island or Coney Island for a yummy hot dog!! Probably followed by a Carvel Iced custard. What a fun way to escape the heat. (while sticking to the plastic covered car seats)
On July 20, the country celebrates National Hot Dog Day, the commemoration of a delicacy synonymous with New York City and summer. The origins of the hot dog can be traced to German immigrant Charles Feltman, who sold frankfurter sausages on a long bun as a convenient snack for hungry beachgoers during the late 1860s. More than 150 years later, New Yorkers still love hot dogs as a quick and affordable meal and there is no shortage of great spots throughout the city to grab a frank. From internationally-known Nathan’s Famous to local favorites like Papaya King, here are 10 iconic hot dog joints in NYC.
Papaya King 179 East 86th Street This Upper East Side hot dog haven has been feeding New Yorkers since the 1930s and is known for its tasteful combination of hot dogs and tropical fruit juices. Unfortunately for many of the storefront’s loyal patrons, the renowned establishment may be facing its end, as the property it sits on was sold to a new developer last year for $21 million whose plans to demolish the site were filed with the city on June 28, 2022, according to the New York Times.
Nathan’s Famous In celebration of national hot dog day, one of the food’s founding fathers is offering their famous dogs for free. On July 21 from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., the Coney Island hot dog institution Nathan’s Famous is setting up a cart in Rockefeller Center. While it established its notoriety on Coney Island’s boardwalk, Nathan’s has grown to be one of the largest hot dog brands, with its products being marketed for sale at approximately 78,000 locations across the country, according to the company.
Image courtesy of Crif DogsCrif Dogs 113 St. Marks Place, Manhattan First opened in 2001, Crif Dogs changed the hot dog game when it introduced its signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped dogs and other creative combinations into the mix. New Yorkers quickly fell in love with Crif’s unique style of hot dogs and two decades later, it’s still one of NYC’s best. In addition to hot dogs, Crif’s also serves burgers, tater-tots, and drinks. In celebration of National Hot Dog Day, Crifs is offering a special “Franks and Dranks” deal from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. nightly, which includes a build-your-own Crif Dog and a drink for $7.95. Please Don’t Tell (PDT), the speakeasy situated behind Crif Dog through an inconspicuous-looking phone booth, will be offering cocktail specials to celebrate the special occasion.
Image courtesy of Feltman’sFeltman’s of Coney Island Considered the inventor of the hot dog, Feltman’s was established in 1867 on Coney Island by Charles Feltman, a German immigrant who invented the food as a quick, cheap, and easy meal for beachgoers to enjoy. Feltman’s grew to become one of the world’s largest restaurants at the time, growing from a humble pushcart to a block-long pavilion serving more than five million customers a year. Feltman’s offers home delivery and their products can be found in grocery stores throughout the nation.
Image courtesy of David Joyce on FlickrGray’s Papaya 2090 Broadway, Manhattan Since 1973, Gray’s Papaya has loyally served hungry New Yorkers from its location on the corner of Broadway and 72nd Street. The story goes that in the early 1970s, Papaya King started to franchise and opened a non-company store at 2090 Broadway. In 1973, owner Nicholas Gray closed his Papaya King branch and reopened it as Gray’s Papaya and the rest is history. Gray’s Papaya has made a name for itself with its own signature hot dogs and fruit drinks. Gray’s also offer breakfast foods like bagels, donuts, and egg & cheese sandwiches. They offer nationwide shipping on their products through Goldbelly.
Image courtesy of ercwttmn on FlickrKatz’s Deli 205 East Houston Street, Manhattan Perhaps best known for their towering deli sandwiches, Katz’s also offers customers incredibly tasty frankfurters. In fact, their hot dog was voted the best in NYC by Grubstreet in 2018. You can visit the store and get one in person, or order for delivery on Katz’s website.
Image courtesy of Tjeerd Wiersma on FlickrPastrami Queen 138 West 72nd Street A, and 1125 Lexington Avenue #2, Manhattan Pastrami Queen is highly regarded as one of the best delis in NYC, holding up against the likes of Katz’s and other iconic institutions. In addition to being known for their namesake, Pastrami Queen’s hot dogs have received great acclaim. In 2021, Pastrami Queen’s frankfurters were featured on Eater NY’s list of the city’s best hot dogs.
Chelsea’s Papaya 171 West 23rd Street, Manhattan Another establishment influenced by the aforementioned Papaya King, Chelsea Papaya has been serving the Chelsea area the indistinguishable combination of hot dogs and tropical fruit juice for decades. They also offer pizza, hamburgers, fries, and much more. Their loyal customers rave about the chili cheese dog.
Schaller’s Stube 1652 Second Avenue, Manhattan First opened as a butcher shop in 1937 by German immigrants, the Yorkville storefront is now run by third-generation owner Jeremy Schaller. Schaller’s Stube is known for its creative selection of German classics and extensive variety of sausages. Make sure you’re hungry because Schaller’s sausages are regarded for their enormity. The New York Times in 2015 described Schaller’s kielbasa as “obscene in scale, python-thick and making a mockery of the hot-dog bun suffocated beneath it.” Besides hot dogs, Schaller’s is also known for its fried chicken, mac & cheese, and soft pretzels.Frankel’s Delicatessen 631 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn Frankel’s Deli is a contemporary adaptation of a classic NY Jewish deli, serving up sandwiches, smoked fish, bagels, and more to loyal Greenpoint customers. Frankel’s offers a meal combo for their hot dogs as well. Dubbed the “recession special,” the deal includes two hot dogs with mustard and sauerkraut and a drink for $10. Customers can order Frankel’s for pick up or delivery through DoorDash.
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 Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated:
6SQFT AARON GINSBURG
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Though the city past and present certainly has its dark pockets and little-traveled lanes, Gotham never really had many alleys, even in its earliest days. The creators of the 1811 Commissioner’s Plan, which laid out the street grid, wisely knew that real estate would be too valuable to intentionally leave undeveloped.Some 18th and early 19th century alleys became true streets, others got wiped off the map. A few continue to exist. I’m a fan of Theater Alley, beside Park Row near City Hall, was once home to Manhattan’s theater district. Three-block Cortlandt Alley makes for an evocative cut-through from Franklin Street to Canal Street.
Mechanics Alley in 1850Then there’s Mechanics Alley. In the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge approach and flanked by exhausted tenements and squat commercial spaces, this mostly abandoned strip of rough asphalt used to run from Cherry Street to Monroe Street, according to the 1850 street map above.Today, it reaches three full blocks to Henry Street between Market and Pike Streets. Though it tripled its size by subsuming another now-forgotten lane a few blocks up, Mechanics Alley is about as marginalized as a street can get. It’s possible to walk up and down it several times in the middle of the day and not spot another human.
The lack of foot traffic makes sense in this patch of Lower East Side. Stuck between two bridges and steps from the East River, it’s no longer a densely populated part of Manhattan. But how did Mechanics Alley come to be in the busy post-colonial city, when this neighborhood was teeming with people? How did it get its name, which suggests cars and garages?It all has to do with the waterfront. In the late 18th century, shipbuilding yards “covered the waterfront all the way to Corlears Hook, attracting carpenters, smiths, shipwrights, coopers, chandlers, joiners, sail makers and rope makers,” stated reporter Daniel Schneider in a 2000 New York Times column.
According to Schneider, Mechanics Alley began appearing on maps in the early 19th century. At the time, these and other artisans and craftsmen were called mechanics, he wrote. “New York was one of many American cities to have a Mechanics Row, Alley, or Place near the waterfront, usually where ships were built and repaired,” he explained.Sure enough, Manhattan had another Mechanics Alley—actually Mechanics Place—which spanned second and third streets on the east side of Avenue A, per Valentine’s Manual of Old New York in 1922.Avenue A wasn’t exactly on the waterfront. But this main street in today’s East Village was close enough to what used to be called the Dry Dock District, a 19th century center of shipbuilding along the East River where thousands of dockworkers, shipbuilders, and mechanics once lived and worked.
A second Mechanics Place existed off Rivington Street between the now-demapped Lewis and Goerck Streets, states oldstreets.com.Another author advanced a different idea of how this alley got its name. “Though no documentation exists for the name of this short alley, it may be associated with the early history of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen,” wrote Sanna Feirstein in Naming New York: Manhattan Places and How They Got Their Names.“Formerly founded in 1785 and still in existence today, the Society’s original mission was to advance and protect the political and economic interests of American craftsmen,” explained Feirstein. “Though their first meeting hall was at Broadway and Park Place, they owned land in the Chatham Square area, giving rise to the speculation that their organization may be the basis for this alley’s name.”
Theater AlleyThe mechanics may be gone, along with the riverfront industries that relied on their skills. Their organizations have moved away as well; the General Society occupies a beautiful building on 44th Street.But ghostly Mechanics Alley, marked up with graffiti and mostly hidden beside a bridge approach, is a monument to the tradesmen and craftsmen who helped build the modern city.
ANSWER WILL BE REVEALED ON WEDNESDAY Illegally park motorcycles parked outside Island House
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 Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
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Send your response to: rooseveltislandhistory@gmail.com THERE ARE TWO ILLEGALLY PARKED MOTORCYCLES PARKED OUTSIDE ISLAND HOUSE. NEITHER CYCLE HAD A LICENSE. WHEN CALLED PSD, REFUSED TO RESPOND. SUNDAY 5P.M.
WEEKEND PHOTO
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 Deborah Dorff All image are copyrighted (c)
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PENNIES FOR PRESERVATION IS BACK TODAY, SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT THE FLEA MARKET OUTSIDE THE CHAPEL BRING YOUR COINS TO DONATE TO THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
FROM THE ARCHIVES
WEEKEND, JULY 16-17, 2022
THE 729th EDITION
Going Up: Uncovering the Art Deco Elevators of
Landmarked Building Interiors
6 SQ FT
DANA SCHULZ
Chrysler Building elevators via Wally Gobetz on Flickr Earlier this week, we visited the New York School of Interior Design‘s latest exhibit, Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York’s Landmark Interiors, which, on the 50th anniversary of New York’s landmark legislation, features photography and information about more than 20 public spaces, known and little-known, that have been designated as interior landmarks. Looking through images of restored Broadway theaters, perfectly preserved coffered rotundas and period furniture, we couldn’t help getting stuck on one often-overlooked element–the elevator.
For most of us who live in a high rise or work in a typical office building, the elevator doors are just another blank wall that we stare at, only paying attention when they open and usher us in. But when the city’s great Art Deco buildings were rising, the elevators were an extension of the lavish ornamentation and geometric details of the façade and interior lobby. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Art Deco elevators in landmarked interiors, which means they’re all publicly accessible so you can check them all out first hand.
The Film Center Building lobby, looking toward the elevator bay, via Wiki Commons
The Film Center Building (630 Ninth Avenue) has become the unofficial poster child for NYSID’s exhibit, and it’s for a good reason. Built in 1928, at the height of the Art Deco movement, the 13-story Hells Kitchen building boasts a “highly individualistic version of the Art Deco style,” thanks to architect Ely Jacques Kahn. Its interior lobby was designated a landmark in 1982, at which time the Landmarks Preservation Commission lauded the elevator bay and its modernist, striped design. This motif carries over to the elevator doors themselves, though some were painted prior to the designation. At the far wall of the elevator lobby is one of the interior’s most striking features, a polychromatic, geometric mosaic.
Chrysler Building elevator door, via 6sqft (L) and elevator interior, via Wiki Commons (R)
This one goes without saying. William Van Alen‘s design of the Chrysler Building is one of the most recognizable in the world. When it was completed in 1930, it briefly held the title of the tallest building in the world until the Empire State Building surpassed it 11 months later. Knowing it would grab this sky-high title, it’s no wonder Van Alen paid such close attention to the four banks of eight elevators. Their elegant Art Deco design features not only on the doors, but on the interior as well.
Grand lobby at Radio City, via Wiki Commons (L); bronze elevator doors, via 6sqft (C); elevator interiors, via 6 sqft (R)
Radio City was almost lost to the wrecking ball in the late ’70s, but thanks in part to a “Saturday Night Live” commentary by John Belushi it was preserved. The work of architect Edward Durell Stone and interior designer Donald Deskey, Radio City’s lobby is one of the most iconic in the performing arts world. Its elevator doors are nothing too fancy on the outside, but inside they feature gilded ancient Roman persons, an element of the Art Deco style. Further, the system of elevators servicing the Great Stage is so advanced that that the U.S. Navy used identical hydraulics for World War II aircraft carriers.
Fred French Building lobby, via MacResource (L) and elevator doors, via Lynn Redmile for Flickr Commons (R)The 38-story Fred French Building is a favorite for Art Deco lovers, thanks to its colorful terra cotta façade ornamentation. Built in 1927 to the designs of H. Douglas Ives and Sloan & Robertson, the building has a rather small lobby, but its Babylonian motifs are artfully painted in bright blue and gold, and it boasts Roman travertine floors, St. Genevieve marble walls and patterned glass chandeliers. It also features heavily detailed cast bronze elevator doors, which give the terra cotta a run for its money.
Elevators in the Empire State Building lobby, via Wiki CommonsWhile surprisingly the least decorated of all the elevators we’ve mentioned, those in the Empire State Building are still some of the most iconic for their geometric, Art Deco design that mimics the famous setbacks of the tower. The marble interiors of the elevators feature full stencils of the building. In 2011, the Empire State Building worked with Otis Elevator Co. to upgrade all 68 elevators, the largest elevator modernization of its kind in the world.Know of any other Art Deco elevators? Let us know in the comments!
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 Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
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The architect James Renwick Jr. was closely associated with our Island. He designed our famous smallpox hospital; he was the supervising architect for the building of our lighthouse and possibly responsible for the design of Blackwell’s Island Penitentiary. Of course, Renwick also designed St Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue.
Few of us know more about him. So, let’s delve a bit more into the story of one of New York’s most successful architects and one much involved in our history.
Renwick was born in 1820, into a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother, Margaret Brevoort, came from an affluent and socially prominent New York family. His father, James Renwick, was an engineer, architect, and professor of natural philosophy at Columbia College, now Columbia University.
A gifted kid, Renwick attended classes at Columbia at age 12, graduating with a degree in engineering in 1836 and earning a master’s degree three years later. When he graduated, with his father’s connections, he became a structural engineer with the Erie Railroad and then served as supervisor on the Croton Reservoir, acting as an assistant engineer on the Croton Aqueduct. Renwick may have been involved with the High Bridge, but his only known completed work was a fountain in Bowling Green.
He received his first major commission at the age of twenty-three in 1843 when he won the competition to design Grace Church. This was a big deal. The Grace Church congregation was one of the wealthiest in the city, composed of many prominent New Yorkers. The Church had been located at Broadway and Rector Street since its formation in 1808, but the Rector and his congregation were thinking of moving uptown, following the northern migration of its fashionable members.
Renwick was not formally trained as an architect. His Wikipedia biography tells us “His ability and interest in building design were nurtured through his cultivated background, which granted him early exposure to travel, and through a broad cultural education that included architectural history.” (If this is what it takes, I could have been an architect!) Is there a back story? Maybe.
Grace Church would be built on the Brevoort country estate, composed of 86 acres between East 9th and 18th Streets and Fifth Avenue to the Bowery. This was Renwick’s mother’s family. When Henry Brevoort died in 1841, his son, Henry, Jr., began selling off the family lands and, two years later, the Grace Church trustees purchased the large plot at the northeast corner of Broadway and East 10th Street. The abrupt bend in Broadway, attributed to Brevoort’s stubbornness in keeping the new Broadway off his property, provided a perfect site for the church.
As seen here in around 1890, the site at the abrupt turn of Broadway provided an advantageous setting — photo NYPL Collection
Brevoort, Jr.’s nephew was James Renwick Jr., a young engineer with an interest in architecture, but without formal credentials. Nonetheless, Renwick was given the commission to design the new Grace Church – an example of architectural nepotism?
The rector, Thomas House Taylor, had toured Europe looking at church designs. He determined that the new church would be in the Gothic style, a style which sought to revitalize medieval Gothic architecture, competing with the neoclassic style which had dominated public construction since the early days of the Republic. (Until the last decades of the 19th century, Gothic Revival was the preeminent style in Europe and North America.) And so, Grace Church would be the first significant Gothic Revival structure in Manhattan.
Renwick’s youth and inexperience notwithstanding, Grace Church was a huge success. Clearly, Gothic Revival clicked with him, and he became a major actor in this new movement. His Grace Church design was much praised, and for a full generation after it was built, it was the most fashionable church in New York. Construction immediately began on the church rectory and this, too, emerged as a Renwick triumph. And Renwick was launched on a remarkable career.
New contracts came quickly. In 1846, Renwick won the competition to design the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington, DC. The Smithsonian Institution had been established with funds from James Smithson (1765–1829), a British scientist who left his estate to the United States to create “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” (Interestingly, Smithson had never been to the US and had no connections with anyone here.) “The Castle,” as it was commonly called, was built between 1847 and 1855, designed in Romanesque style, as requested by the Smithsonian Board of Regents
Smithsonian Institution Building, Washington, DC. Wikipedia
In 1849, Renwick designed the Free Academy Building (City College of New York) at Lexington and 23rd. It was one of the first Gothic Revival college buildings on the East Coast. The building was plumbed for both water and illuminating gas and on each floor was found the last word in modern innovations—drinking fountains supplied with fresh water from the Croton Reservoir.
photograph from the collection of The New York Public Library
Soon, he went on to design what is considered his finest achievement, and his best-known building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He was chosen as architect for the Roman Catholic cathedral in 1853, construction began in 1858, and the cathedral opened in May 1879. St Patrick’s was built in what was the rural fringe of the city. It faced Columbia University gardens across 5th Avenue, and hospitals, asylums, and other public institutions were found along the nearby blocks on the avenue. The church’s design included references to the variety of Gothic styles from European nationalities that had become part of the New York Catholic Diocese.
Renwick’s commissions included the Corcoran Gallery of Art (now home to the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery), in the Second Empire style, in Washington DC (1859–1871); first major buildings on the of Vassar College campus (1861–1865); Saint Bartholomew’s Church (1871–1872) at Madison Avenue and 44th Street (now demolished); All Saints’ Roman Catholic Church (1882–1893) in Harlem. Renick was responsible for the main building of the Children’s Hospital on Randall’s Island, the Inebriate and Lunatic Asylums on Wards Island and, of course, his work on our island.
Not all of Renwick’s creations were public buildings. He designed the St. Denis Hotel, completed in 1853, which stood at the corner of East 11th Street and Broadway. The property, owned by the Renwick family, had been given to them by Henry Brevoort and the hotel was named for its first proprietor, Denis Julians. It was said to be “one of the handsomest buildings on Broadway” by Miller’s New York As It Is, Or Stranger’s Guide-book to the Cities of New York, Brooklyn and Adjacent Places. The St. Denis originally featured elaborate terracotta ornament, meant to compliment and reference Grace Church across the street. It was host to numerous historical figures over the course of its lifetime, including President Abraham Lincoln, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Roscoe Conkling, Chester A. Arthur, P.T. Barnum, and Sarah Bernhardt.
The St. Denis as seen on a postcard, circa 1908.
The Renwick is a loft building, running the entire block from Broadway to Fourth Avenue behind Grace Church, designed in 1887. It was meant as a utilitarian structure for offices, storage, and manufacturing, but it features vivid Gothic detail to serve as an appropriate backdrop to Grace Church. Aside from signage, the building is almost completely intact to its original design, from the gothic arches and tracery to the more robust, industrial Romanesque detailing of the Fourth Avenue façade. One architectural historian writes, “The harmony between this structure, built as a store and manufacturing building, and one of the most delicate and important Gothic Revival structures in the United States, is nothing short of remarkable”.
Renwick was involved in several housing developments this same area, south of Union Square. One is what is sometimes called “Renwick Row,” ten houses at 20-38 West 10th Street built in 1856 (except for No. 38, built in 1858). This row or “terrace” of houses was built in the Anglo-Italianate style and clad in brownstone, with a continuous rusticated base and second-floor balcony originally spanning the entire row.
Another terrace attributed to Renwick is the Renwick Triangle, at the intersection of East 10th Street and Stuyvesant Street. Also Angle-Italianate in style, this terrace fronts both Stuyvesant Street (Nos. 23-35) and East 10th Street (Nos 114-128), with a dramatic, acutely cornered building at the tip of the triangle.
Renwick was well connected in society from his birth, with family wealth so that he never had to work, clearly extremely intelligent, enjoyed a very active and impressive career and was highly regarded during his lifetime. He married once, to Anna Lloyd Aspinwall, had no children, and so far as I can tell, was involved in neither financial nor marital hanky-panky. He died in 1895 at his home at 28 University Place and his obituary in The New York Times described him as “one of the foremost architects in this country.”
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On this national holiday in France, we will travel without tickets, passports or TSA. Enjoy our look at this once grand rail hall now a wonderful museum. Fasten your seatbelt
HistoryThe site was occupied by the Palais d’Orsay [fr], intended for the Council of State. It was begun in 1810 but not completed until 1840, when its ground floor was occupied by the Council. In 1842 the Cour des Comptes was housed in the first floor. After the fall of the French Second Empire in 1870, the Paris Commune briefly took power from March through May 1871. The archives, library and works of art were removed to Palace of Versailles and eventually both the Conseil and the Cour des Comptes were rehoused in the Palais-Royal.The largely empty Palais d’Orsay was burned by the soldiers of the Paris Commune, along with the Tuileries Palace and several other public buildings associated with Napoleon III, on the night of 23–24 May 1871, an event which was described by Émile Zola.[2] Electric trains operating in the Gare d’Orsay, ca. 1900The site was purchased by the Compagnie Paris-Orléans, which erected the monumental terminus station for its railways to southwestern France. The station had electrified tracks, modelled on the Baltimore Belt Line electrified railway which had been completed in 1895. The station was constructed in Beaux-Arts style and the western and southern sides of the building included the 370-room Hotel Palais d’Orsay.
By 1939 the station’s short platforms had become unsuitable for the longer trains that had come to be used for mainline services, and the Gare d’Orsay was closed to long-distance traffic, though some suburban trains of the SNCF continue to use its lower levels to this day. The Hotel Palais d’Orsay closed at the beginning of 1973.The former station was used as a collection point for the dispatch of parcels to prisoners of war during the Second World War, and after the war as a reception centre for liberated prisoners on their return; a plaque on the side of the building facing the River Seine commemorates this latter use.The structure served as the setting for several films, including Orson Welles‘ version of Franz Kafka‘s The Trial, and is a central location in Bernardo Bertolucci‘s The Conformist. General Charles de Gaulle held a press conference in the ballroom of the Hotel Palais d’Orsay on 19 May 1958 at which he announced his “availability to serve his country”, ushering in the end of the French Fourth Republic.As well, it was the inspiration for the larger Penn Station in New York City when Alexander Cassatt, president of Pennsylvania Railroad, traveled on his annual trip to Europe in 1901.
In the 1970s work began on building a 1 km-long tunnel under the station as part of the creation of line C of the Réseau Express Régional with a new station under the old station. In 1970, permission was granted to demolish the station but Jacques Duhamel, Minister for Cultural Affairs, ruled against plans to build a new hotel in its stead. The station was put on the supplementary list of Historic Monuments and finally listed in 1978. The suggestion to turn the station into a museum came from the Directorate of the Museum of France. The idea was to build a museum that would bridge the gap between the Louvre and the National Museum of Modern Art at the Georges Pompidou Centre. The plan was accepted by Georges Pompidou and a study was commissioned in 1974. In 1978, a competition was organized to design the new museum. ACT Architecture, a team of three young architects (Pierre Colboc, Renaud Bardon and Jean-Paul Philippon), were awarded the contract which involved creating 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft) of new floorspace on four floors. The construction work was carried out by Bouygues.[6] In 1981, the Italian architect Gae Aulenti was chosen to design the interior including the internal arrangement, decoration, furniture and fittings of the museum. The arrangement of the galleries she designed was elaborate and inhabited the three main levels that are under the museum’s barrel vault atrium. On the main level of the building, a central nave was formed by the surrounding stone structures that were previously the building’s train platforms. The central nave’s structures break up the immense sculpture and gallery spaces and provided more organized units for viewing the art.[7] In July 1986, the museum was ready to receive its exhibits. It took 6 months to install the 2000 or so paintings, 600 sculptures and other works. The museum officially opened in December 1986 by then-president François Mitterrand.
At any time about 3,000 art pieces are on display within Musée d’Orsay. Within the museum is a 1:100 scale model created by Richard Peduzzi of an aerial view of Paris Opera and surrounding area encapsulated underneath glass flooring that viewers walk on as they proceed through the museum. This installation allows the viewers to understand the city planning of Paris at the time, which has made this attraction one of the most popular within the museum.Another exhibit within the museum is “A Passion for France: The Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection”. This collection was donated by an Marlene and Spencer Hays, art collectors who reside in Texas and have been collecting art since the early 1970s. In 2016 the museum complied to keeping the collection of about 600 art pieces in one collection rather than dispersed throughout other exhibits. Since World War II, France has not been donated a collection of foreign art this large. The collection favors mostly post-impressionist works. Artists featured in this collection are Bonnard, Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Odilon Redon, Aristide Maillol, André Derain, Edgar Degas, and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.[8] To make room for the art that has been donated, the Musée d’Orsay is scheduled to undergo a radical transformation over the next decade, 2020 on. This remodel is funded in part by an anonymous US patron who donated €20 million to a building project known as Orsay Grand Ouvert (Orsay Wide Open). The gift was made via the American Friends of the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie.[9] The projected completion date is 2026, implementing new galleries and education opportunities to endorse a conductive experience.[10]
BROADWAY AND HOUSTON STREET NINA LUBLIN, ED LITCHER, GLORIA HERMAN, ALEXIS VILLAFANE ALL GOT IT RIGHT!
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 Deborah Dorff All image are copyrighted (c)
Sources
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WIKIPEDIA
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Ladies Pavilion
Fred French Building lobby, via 
