The cover of Life Magazine by Albert Dodd Blashfield (1860-1920) features this allegorical scene of the old year sitting at a table with the new year. What the symbolism of the pose, wine, smoking, hourglass and table setting boils down to is: out with the old and in with new.
The original Life Magazine (not the 1936 -1972 photo-journal magazine version of Life) featured humor, cartoons and short articles. Continue reading
On December 7, 1941 our country was pulled into World War II by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. As January 1, 1943 arrived the United States had just completed a year of austerity and patriotic sacrifice. Many people realized the grim reality that this war would go on for years. It was hard to find a reason to celebrate anything. Continue reading
Season Greetings
Hollywood, Calif: “Gott Nytt Arr” – Well that’s what lovely Ann-Margret would say at this time of year in her native Sweden. In Hollywood where she stars in Columbia’s holiday release, “Murderers’ Row” the actress wishes everyone a “Happy New Year” in this manner. photo: UPI 12/27/1966
Ann-Margret Olsson known professionally by her hyphenated first name is still active in show business. She turns 82 on April 28.
Ann-Margret was discovered singing and dancing in a nightclub Continue reading
A photographer from the Montauk Photo Concern decided to photograph the scene inside the Cafe Martin, at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue on New Year’s Eve December 31, 1906.
As midnight approached the revelers at Cafe Martin noisily whooped it up, raised their glasses and toasted the coming New Year of 1907. This photograph captures a singular moment: right before the stroke of midnight the lights were put out and at exactly twelve, were put on again. The guests then sang along as the band broke into the Star Spangled Banner. Afterwards guests blew horns and confetti was strewn everywhere. Young men filled with the idea of making a speech got up on chairs and spoke to the heart’s content without anyone to stop them.
The guests, all elegantly attired, look like they are having an extraordinary time.
Outside the restaurant it was supposed to be quieter. A city ordinance forbidding horn blowing in the streets had been on the books for years. Earlier in the day Police Commissioner Theodore Bingham informed the newspapers that the bells of Trinity and Grace Church would be heard when they tolled the midnight hour.
Bingham instructed the police to enforce the noise law. All horn blowing was prohibited on New Year’s Eve! Continue reading
Festivities In New York City On New Year’s Eve 1906
A couple of years ago we featured photos of Times Square and New Year’s celebrations from the 1950’s – 1960’s. This time we went back in time a bit further to New Year’s Eve 1906.
Probably something you never thought about: where else did New Yorkers celebrate New Year’s besides Times Square, which started drawing crowds in 1904 with the completion of the New York Times Tower Building?
The answer is all over the city at various churches, hotels, restaurants and clubs, with Trinity Church being a focal point for large crowds.
Seen below is the crowd outside of Trinity Church at Broadway and Wall Street on New Year’s Eve 1906 awaiting the arrival of 1907.
It proves again that celebrating the New Year has not changed that much over the years. People have always liked to congregate on New Year’s Eve in New York City even in freezing weather. It’s just that back then the majority of celebrants were New Yorkers, unlike today where many revelers are visiting from all over the globe.
Here is how the New York Tribune described Continue reading
4 Photographs Of Times Square On New Year’s Eve 1952-1965
Another New Year’s celebration tonight. What did it look like half a century ago?
Pretty much the same.
Here are four photographs of Times Square as it appeared during New Year’s Eve celebrations during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The amount of light emanating from the vicinity leads to an overexposure, making this a difficult scene to capture.
Times Square And The New York Times Tower Building 1908
Times Square featuring The Times Tower 1908 – click to vastly enlarge (six megabytes!)
Times Square is burgeoning with activity in 1908 and there is so much to see in this picture.
This photograph of Times Square was part of The Detroit Publishing Company collection, now housed at The Library of Congress. The company made picture postcards from these original photographs at the turn of the century.
The area formerly known as Longacre Square became Times Square after the New York Times opened their iconic flagship office building in 1905 at what would become known as “the crossroads of the world,” the southern end of Times Square, the triangular intersection of 42nd and 43rd streets where Broadway and Seventh Avenue diverge.
Flatiron Building in 1903
The Times Tower Building design is reminiscent of the Fuller Building, which became popularly known as the “Flatiron Building” soon after it opened in 1902 between 22nd and 23rd Streets where Broadway and Fifth Avenue intersect. The two buildings don’t look alike at all. But because they were each built on irregular plots of land, the triangular buildings both resemble flatirons.
The original Times Tower Building was a Gothic structure of beautiful light limestone and featured intricate terra-cotta and granite on the facade. More about the building later in the article. Continue reading
