NEW YORK MAGAZINE COVER THAT ATTRACTED MANY TO THE ISLAND (C) RIHS
WELCOME BROCHURE GIVEN TO NEW RESIDENTS (C) RIHS
NEW YORK TIMES AD 1976 (C) RIHS
NY TIMES AD 1976 (C) RIHS
NY TIMES AD 1976 (C) RIHS
TENANT SELECTION POLICY FOR EASTWOOD (NOW ROOSEVELT LANDINGS) (C) RIHS
THERE WAS A FORMULA FOR EVERYTHING
A BOOKLET FOR MANY ISLAND FEATURES (C) RIHS
QUESTIONS?
ONE FAILURE A SCHOOL WITHOUT WALLS WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
REMEMBER MARTHA HAYES? WHERE WAS THE LIBRARY? WHO STARTED THE LIBRARY?
SUSAN CINA COOKING CLASSES SPINACH PIE, ECLAIRS, AND SO MUCH BUTTER
1986 FERRY TO WALL STREET THE LITTLE FERRY THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT
EDITORIAL
Someone contacted me yesterday and wanted to know about the beginnings of the community. I pulled out one looseleaf binder and found this treasure trove. It is fun to look thru the papers and ads to promote living on the island. The community was slow to be fully occupied. It took three years to fill the 2000 apartments. People were skeptical of the tram and no subway. The subway arrived in 1989.
What are your memories of the early days here?
This weekend, we relive the day when we were invaded one year ago by thousands here to admire our cherry trees.
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
The Womens’ Service Group Who Made a Better Life National Council of Jewish Women
HOW DID WE AND
HOW DO WE GET OUR WATER? PART ll
Thursday, April 9, 2020
21st in our FROM THE ARCHIVES series
A LITTLE JEWISH HISTORY
& PASSOVER AT GOLDWATER
THE COUNCIL SYNAGOGUE, WELFARE ISLAND SOLICITATION GREETING CARD OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN ROSELLE HELLENBERG OAK (1884-1954) MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (C)
The Council Synagogue opened in 1927 to serve the Jewish population of Welfare Island. It was funded by the NCJW. Brown Brothers (c)
Rabbi Jacob Grossman, the Rabbi at Council Synagogue, Goldwater Hospital and Metropolitan Hospital served the island for 17 years. Chapin Collection RIHS Archives (c)
Rabbi Abraham M. Moseson preseding at Passover Seder at Goldwater Hospital in the 1960’s. Goldwater Collection RIHS Archives (c)
Goldwater Collection RiHS Archives (c)
In 1907 a small group of women from the NCJW came to the island to serve the Jewish residents. They have served the island for decades as volunteers providing kosher food, ritual symbols and even built a synagogue. Photo shows ceremonial opening of new Jewish Chapel at Goldwater in 1971. RIHS Archives (c)
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
The sole remaining Roman Catholic Church on Welfare Island is the Church of the Sacred Heart, formerly know as St. Mary’s. This 8,000 square foot granite structure was built in 1912 by the Archdiocese of New York on land loaned to it by the city. It served as the Catholic Church for the old Metropolitan Hospital until the hospital closed about 1954 Today is serves as the mainly as the residence for the senior Catholic chaplain at Coler Hospital and three other priests who serve as chaplains at the new Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. One public mass is held in the church each week, attended by a few nurses from Central Nurses Residence, policeman who work on the island, and boys from nearby Riverview Juvenile Center. The building located on the western side of Metropolitan Hospital is generally in good condition.
Welfare Island Yesterday and Today 1968 (c)
VIEW OF THE EAST SIDE OF THE ISLAND WITH METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL AND CHAPEL OF THE SACRED HEART FACING THE RIVER. RIHS (C)
BROWN BROTHERS (C)
RECTORY WITH PORCH OF THE CHAPEL OF THE SACRED HEART
BOARDED UP RECTORY AND VANDALIZED WINDOWS 1978 RIHS (C)
REVEREND JOSEPH L. HEALY, CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN AT METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL FOR 25 YEARS
ABOVE RELIGIOUS STATUARY OUTSIDE ABANDONED CHAPEL 1969 (C) SHARON STERN
BOARDED UP CHAPEL 1978 (C) RIHS
INTERIOR DAVID MICHAEL SANDERS, AN URBAN EXPLORER WHO PHOTOGRAPHED AND RECORDED THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING AND THE RECTORY. (C)
EDITORIAL
Going To Foodtown where there was a great selection of fruits and veggies today. The meat section was rather empty today. Steve said only half the egg shipment arrived today and the wholesale price was up again.(Bad year to blame Easter and Passover).
The clerk in the post office was friendly and helpful along with the “passport” clerk. No where to go to need a passport.
Back in the apartment, lunch and my daily nap.
Just remembered that Pat our wonderful RIHS bookkeeper finished our report on how we spend RIOC PPF funds and took it to PSD.
Back home and time to finish this 20th edition.
(My neighbor just brought me chicken soup………….tomorrow I will have it with matzo balls!)
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
ALL IMAGES ARE CREDITED TO THEIR AUTHORS, DONORS OR THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHIVES. WE DO OUR BEST TO PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SOURCES.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 19th in our series of FROM THE ARCHIVES
A giraffe has apparently decided to visit the island. He or she decided to invite some other friends to enjoy the island….
(c) Sharon Ayalon 2020
FROM THE ARCHIVES OF
UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD
View of the Penitentiary and Manhattan from 1920’s. What two buildings were not built yet in Manhattan?
Southward view from the Queensboro Bridge of the Penitentiary and City Hospital in the far distance
Loot taken from prisoners after raid on the Penitentiary. What are those large containers? Who was the mayor?
Dining Penitentiary style. How many officers can you see?
These two of the residents of the Penitentiary that Flew the Coop. What was their mission?
Scene of the south end of the island includes City Hospital, pier, Nursing school (building with columns)
Paved over area where quarry was located. Can you spot Blackwell House, Chapel and Octagon? Where was quarry located?
Elevator Storehouse building. Where was this building located?
Goldwater Hospital on opening day in 1939
View from the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge
EDITORIAL
Today on my daily walk north or south I saw signs ALL PARKS CLOSED. I am so glad that our paths are wide and there are still plenty of places to spread out. I pity our neighbors who do not have our spaces to enjoy nature.
I looked across at NYP Hospital. Those white inserts in 30 windows are to make the isolation rooms negative pressure for Covid-19 patients.
I found a face mask in the GO BAG given out last year by NYC OEM. There was a presentation at the Chapel and everyone got a backpack with emergency supplies. One item was a face mask. It is very snug and secure.(Gives you protection with a duck bill profile).
I went by PS 217 to see what food was being distributed. There are pretzels, hummus, apple juice, chocolate milk, crackers, mimi-carrots and a few other items. You can be creative with the items to make meals more tempting. (When was the last time you drank chocolate milk?)
Tomorrow is Issue #20!! As long as there is material here, I will keep going…….
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
HOW THE BRIDGE OVER OUR ISLAND WAS INTERPRETED BY ARTISTS
****** The Mysterious Spiral Staircase ******’
Painting on High
MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020
18h in our FROM THE ARCHIVES Series
New Yorker (c)
RIHS Archives (c)
Louis Lozowick (c)
Queensboro Bridge Howard Cook etching (c)
Queensboro Bridge Hayley Lever 1928 (c)
East River Valley George Pitkin 1947
Queensborough Bridge, Autumn with a Police Boat Yvonne Jacquette 2002 (c)
The Queensborough Bridge Louis Ashton Knight 1941 (c)
One of the early features of the Queensboro Bridge was a set of spiral staircases leading from one side of the upper pedestrian roadway to the other. Find the staircases in the four illustrations below.
Study for Spiral Staircase Martin Lewis 1929 Pen and Ink (c)
Spiral Staircase Queensboro Bridge Martin Lewis (c)
Queensboro Bridge Elsie Driggs (c) Montclair Art Museum
Sebastian Cruset was an artist who climbed the spire of the Queensboro Bridge to paint the scenes below.
An eastward view of Queens from the Queensboro Bridge where Cruset viewed the scene from the spires.
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS Thanks to Deborah Dorff for daily transferring our news to our website rihs.us Thanks to Kevin Dorff who keeps the tech stuff operating. Thanks to Melanie Colter and Dottie Jefferies. (who have better editing talents thank I do)
EDITORIAL
It is all in the spelling: QUEENSBORO QUEENSBOROUGH ED KOCH QUEENSBORO BRIDGE 59th STREET BRIDGE Take your choice. Legally, it is Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge that opened in June of 1909.
THOUGHTS AND RAMBLING STUFF For the last two weeks I have not watched TV shows from start to finish since the phone is ringing, texts, e-mails, questions, answers, volunteers and assorted friends and family.
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.
STRECKER MEMORIAL LABORATORY (excerpt from Landmarks Designation Report 1976)
The small Romanesque Revival Strecker Memorial Laboratory is located at the southern end of Roosevelt Island, originally situated between the Smallpox Hospital and the now demolished Charity Hospital.
Before Charity Hospital was demolished, the Laboratory provided an interesting contrast to both Hospitals in terms of scale and style. Designed by New York architects Frederick Clarke Withers & Walter Dickson, the building was constructed in 1892 and was administered under the direction of Charity (later City) Hospital to conduct pathological and bacteriological work. The building was the gift of the daughter of a Mr. Strecker, and as Dr. Charles G. Child Jr. wrote in his history of City Hospital (1904) it was “an illustration of what lasting good an intelligent woman can do to perpetuate the memory of a dear one.”’
Pathological medicine made rapid advances during the 19th century, and laboratories such as this one reflect the increasingly scientific nature of its study and investigation.
The first floor of Strecker Memorial Laboratory featured a room for the routine examination of specimens, an autopsy room, as well as a mortuary. On the second floor were rooms for more detailed research and experimentation. In 1905, the laboratory was remodeled, probably at the urging of the head pathologist Horst Oertel. Oertel was an emigrant to the United States and, as such, was well acquainted with the pioneering work in pathology being carried on in Europe at the time by prominent individuals such as Rudolf Virchow. The remodeling in 1905, which included the addition of a third story to the laboratory, provided facilities for histological examination as well as museum and library space.
In 1907, Oertel received an endowment provided by the Russell Sage Foundation, and thus the “Russell Sage Institute of Pathology” was first house in the Laboratory. When new facilities for this Institute were built, it relocated, while Strecker Memorial Laboratory continued to serve as the pathological center for City Hospital and the City Home (formerly Almshouse).
To be continued: The abandonment and future
In 2000 I met photographer Anne Kayser. As an art student at Parsons School of Design and School of Visual Arts from 1963-1967 she photographed the abandoned buildings on Welfare Island. She mapped and noted every area that she explored. She constructed a roadmap of the ruined structures that were demolished a few years after her visits.
She was one of many students, urban explorers and curious who were fascinated and explored this mostly abandoned island and the hauntingly beautiful ruins. You are welcome to visit the Archives in the future and view the entire Anne Kayser portfolio.
These photos are copyrighted by Anne Kayser (c) 2000
Interior of Pathology Laboratory
EDITORIAL
There are no words to express my reaction at the front of this postcard received today.
I respect and observe all information on the reverse.
