Total solar eclipse June 30, 1954 photo: M Waldmeier
Never look directly at an eclipse.
It was one of the things that was drilled into me in grade school. You’ll permanently damage your eyes. You can go blind. As a class we’ll make shoe box eclipse viewers.
Apparently those eclipses happening during my juvenile years were not the same type that will occur in 2024 – a total solar eclipse. Continue reading
Arne Nicolaysen holding life preserver on British ship Surveyor
Reading the story entitled “Man Overboard” about Arne Nicolaysen in Robert Littell’s 1961 book It Takes All Kinds (Reynal & Compnay) you come to the realization that some human beings are incredibly resilient.
Nicolaysen was able to survive an agonizing 29 hours in the ocean without any flotation device, food or water, while sharks kept approaching him. The fact that it was hours before anyone on his ship discovered that Nicolaysen was missing, made his rescue seem even more unlikely. Between 15 – 20 ships passed by without hearing his calls for help or spotting him bobbing up and down in the endless expanse of the ocean.
Nicolaysen’s story is frightening, dramatic and ultimately inspiring. Continue reading
Windsor Hotel Fire, March 17, 1899. Showing collapse of roof water tower during blaze. photographer: unknown
As thousands of New Yorkers were celebrating the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Friday, March 17, 1899, the Windsor Hotel on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets caught fire. The inferno Continue reading
This 1920 photo shows the future president holding a rifle. For gun enthusiasts the rifle is most likely a Remington M91 Mosin Nagant. The uncropped but blurrier photo below Continue reading
From the September 1906 issue of Success Magazine comes this article on staying young.
Is it as simple as city versus country living? Going to the theater erases age? Maybe if you see a boring modern Broadway show that puts you in a cryogenic-like state Continue reading
The McComb Mansion At Broadway New York’s Finest Home in 1790 & The Residence Of President George Washington
Currently what does $250 million buy for you in New York City? The asking price is not for an entire block, apartment complex, building or townhouse.
It is the price for the most expensive home in the city; a 17,565 square foot seven bedroom penthouse apartment at Central Park Tower 217 West 57th Street.
In an 1889 Harper’s Weekly article, Scott Thompson delved into the early days of Manhattan real estate. In 1790 most of the homes, the farms and Continue reading
You never know what you’ll find at a flea market. Someone at the Stormville, NY Yard Sale in September had Marches Of The Israel Defense Forces. I took a picture of the LP but somehow deleted it. The photo below is from eBay.
Whatever possessed Columbia Records to release this?
Did this album sell even 100 copies?
So the only other thing to contemplate is what does the music sound like? Continue reading
This scene is from 1932 along the waterfront. Our copy of the original news caption from the rear of the photo is incomplete. Continue reading
Lake George, NY, Aug 5 – SHORT CIRCUIT
Three-foot high Ruthie Soucek solves her height problem by utilizing the shelf in a telephone booth at Lake George, NY. She is a member of a performing group appearing in this community. – AP Wirephoto 1977
Another slow news day photograph. So if a newspaper had some extra column space to fill, this photo and caption might appear. Unfortunately the photographer is uncredited. Continue reading
120 years ago the social safety net was full of holes.
If you were homeless with children Elbridge Gerry and the Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Children could temporarily Continue reading
