Author Archives: B.P.

Permanent Street Signs in New York

Leave a reply

Looking Above Street Level

There is nothing extraordinary about 1113 First Avenue, the building at the northwest corner of 61st Street and First Avenue. A late 19th century five story walk-up building with a restaurant at ground level. But if you look up to the corner between the second and third floors you will see the street name etched in stone and attached to the building, circled in red in the photo above.

The rectilinear street grid layout imposed upon Manhattan at the beginning of the nineteenth century assured the builder of this building that it would be located at 61st street and First Avenue seemingly forever.

Before the twentieth century street signs were not at every corner. There were in fact few street signs in New York and they were usually at major intersections or the nicer parts of town.  Continue reading →

Mickey Mantle After Retirement

1 Reply

3 Photographs of Yankees First Base Coach – Mickey Mantle

 

 

 

 

And Bobby Murcer gets playfully pushed away after reaching first base

Mickey Mantle announced his retirement March 1, 1969. In 1970, Mickey Mantle was an announcer on the NBC Game of the Week, but left in late August and  joined Yankee manager Ralph Houk’s coaching staff for the remainder of the season.

Mantle’s first game coaching was on August 30 against the Minnesota Twins. Bobby Murcer walked to lead off the fourth inning. When Murcer came over to talk with Mantle, who would coach first base only for the middle three innings, Mantle kiddingly pushed Murcer back to first base. The Twins first baseman is Rich Reese. The Yankees won this game 5-2. Continue reading →

Ritchie Blackmore Explains The Origin of Some Of Deep Purple’s Greatest Songs

2 Replies

Is Anything Original?

In this fascinating interview with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, he briefly explains and demonstrates how he came up with the riffs to some of Deep Purple’s greatest songs, including Mandrake Root, Black Night, Speed King, Smoke On The Water, Lazy and Highway Star.

Musicians and public alike look at Blackmore and see a complicated and private man who has an immense talent for songwriting.

What Blackmore acknowledges in this interview (which I wish was complete) is that previous works by others can play a big part in your own creativity.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. From Mozart to Jimi Hendrix.

UPDATE 2025

Unfortunately the original video was taken down> Here is a truncated version where Blackmore discussion of Mandrake Root and Lazy have been edited out.

But  below that we have added Blackmore discussing Child In Time. A song that was clearly “borrowed” from the band, It’s A Beautiful Day.

 

 

Waiting For Harry

3 Replies

85 Years Since Houdini’s Death & Yet No Word From Harry From the Great Beyond

Houdini film still “The Grim Game” 1919

During the early 20th century perhaps no person was more famous than Harry Houdini.

Houdini about to be tossed into the water handcuffed and shackled

The master magician and escape artist had a variety of careers besides performing on the stage and in grand public spectacles. Houdini said he was not really a magician but a mystifier. He was the “King of Cards” as a master card manipulator, the “King of Cuffs” as he could escape from any locked device -many times under perilous circumstances; he was a best selling  author; lecturer; film star; pioneer aviator and most conspicuously and heroically a spiritual debunker.

Houdini standing beside his mother’s grave 1914

When Houdini’s beloved mother Cecilia passed away in 1913, he was devastated. He briefly considered suicide.  Continue reading →

Who is Strider? The Bron-Y-Aur Stomp Dog

10 Replies

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant With His Dog Strider

For those of you who are big Led Zeppelin fans you already know that the song Bron-Y-Aur Stomp off of Led Zeppelin III is about Robert Plant’s dog Strider. Here’s a photo of the pooch in question with his somber companion. Interestingly the song was misspelled on the original album: it was supposed to read Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp.

Listen to: Bron-Y-Aur Stomp live from the Led Zeppelin live album How The West Was Won

Lyrics: Continue reading →

The End of the Parking Meter in New York City

Leave a reply

Out with The Old, In With The New – NYC Parking Meters Replaced by Muni Meters

Old baaaaad- parking meter

They are all gone now. At least from Manhattan. As of September 19, 2011, all the parking meters have been replaced by Muni Meters. The parking meter, which allowed you to park in many commercial areas of New York City for a designated amount of time, will soon be a memory. Like rotary phones, telephone booths and those red  fire alarm boxes attached to lamp posts, parking meters have become obsolete. Continue reading →

New York City Middle Schools – As They Were Fifty Years Ago

Leave a reply

1961 Documentary – New York City Junior High Schools

The New York City Junior High Schools or Middle Schools as they are called now,  were once the breeding ground for a well-rounded education. My parents and grandparents were the products of the old New York City public school system and they never went to college. Yet they could read and understand Latin, had beautiful handwriting, could type, played and studied music and developed “the lifelong habit of turning to books for the information they needed.”

Brooklyn, NY Walt Whitman JHS 1961 Yearbook page

In 1961 students learned how to make things because the U.S.A. was still an industrial society and could actually design and manufacture useful products.

As shown in this 20 minute film, everyone learned about electricity, the elements of printing and participated in the novelty shop; where they could “build things for use and for pleasure.” There was what would now be termed sexism – girls learned millinery work, domestic arts, dressmaking, respect for manual labor and “neatness,” while boys learned the manly arts of metal, wood,  print, plastics and electrical wire. But up until the 1970’s gender work roles were applied in most of the fields of employment.

The children were taught “ideas and facts in citizenship, current affairs, history, geography, and government, to appreciate democratic ideals.”

Okay, maybe they were brainwashed.

But compared to today’s middle schools, they got a fine education. Continue reading →

New York in the 1920’s and 30’s as Seen by Luigi Kasimir

2 Replies

Six Views of New York by Luigi Kasimir

In 2000 and 2001 Swann Galleries (a New York auction house) held New York City auctions.  All the items: books, posters, maps, ephemera, photographs, prints and art were related to the city. It was a great concept that they discontinued after 2001. It was at these auctions where I first encountered the art work of Luigi Kasimir.

Kasimir was born in 1881 in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and later came to New York where he repeatedly captured the architectural sights of the city. Today, Kasimir is best known for his detailed etchings, many of which were done in color, which apparently was not the norm for early 20th century etchings.  The New York Times distinguished Kasimir from other etchers of the time at a contemporary exhibition in 1926 by referring to him as a “colorist.” Continue reading →

And Here’s The Batter’s Box…

Leave a reply

Gil McDougald Needs to Be Reminded Where He Can Stand

Photo © Bill Nehez

New York Yankee third baseman Gil McDougald had one of the most unorthodox batting stances of all time.  He would face the pitcher with both feet pointing towards the mound in an open stance.

At Municipal Stadium on June 12, 1953 the Cleveland Indians were upset with where McDougald was standing, claiming his right foot was over the line of the batter’s box. Continue reading →