THE INQUIRING FOTOGRAPHER Returns Yet Again

Once again, it's time for a trip down memory lane via a tribute to the Inquiring Fotographer, a question/answer/photo column published every day in the Daily News. 

April 9, 1952

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November 28, 1969

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June 6, 1973 

Past collections of the Inquiring Fotographer can be found here and here and here.   

More MISCELLANY

Another serving of items from times past and present.

First, there is this picture of the Tudor City neighborhood. The smokestacks of the ConEd plant were painted red, white and blue, how festive! 

     

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Made in in 1920s, this photo depicts the intersection of 42nd Street and 1st Avenue. Going north are three titans of meatpacking industry: New York Veal & Mutton, United Dressed Beef Company, and Wilson & Company. As for the building with the billboards, the main one advertises a Brake Specialist, while the others are indecipherable.   

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From the New York Times, March 24, 1927 [six months before opening].

The Tudor City businessman may commute for two months and still not travel as far as the average commuter does in a single day. For his commuting to the great midtown business district consists of a five-minute walk.

Tudor City has the dignity and repose of Park Avenue, but a more convenient ‒ quieter ‒ and with materially lower rentals.

Tudor City will be under the single management of the FRED F. FRENCH Companies, the guarantee of a most efficient service. . .

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Another item has turned up for the elusive Woodstock Tower Restaurant, this postcard of its interior.

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Finally, we have Missy Peregrym, one of the leads in the TV series FBI, photographed with the owner of the Tudor City Steakhouse, Mirso Lekic. 

Prospect Tower's MILLION DOLLAR listing

It has taken Prospect Tower nearly a century, but again there is a glimmer of hope: a sale price of over $1,000,000. This three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit ‒ on and off the market since 2021 ‒ is now available for $1,695,ooo.

  

 The northern-facing living room is so large. . .

. . . that it requires two photographs to capture its length.

It has a kitchen that's semi-concealed behind glass doors.

The master bedroom.

The smallest bedroom comes complete with two modern Murphy beds, as shown above. 

The floor plan.

Here is its Streeteasy listing.

The FORGOTTEN Restaurant in No. 5

Imagine our surprise when we were looking over some material from earlier posts, when we came upon this:

This photograph is apparently the only physical evidence that there once was a restaurant in No. 5, on the 1st Avenue side of the building.  

A close-up shows the words Wine & Cheese Restaurant on the northern wall, accompanied by painted flats over doorways. Here one finds a contented patron opposite tables and chairs. What's happening above the central window is pretty much anyone's guess.

The next pair features the silhouette of a lady opposite a vacant chair, beside what looks like a cash register opposite a vacant chair.   

This pair proved the further one got away from the entrance, the harder the image was to read. To the left, it appears to be the name of the place, Something Something Restaurant. On  the right, a lady drinks a cup of coffee, we think. . .

This last trio is indecipherable to us, alas.

We posted the photograph nine years ago as part of story of Helmsley-Spear's takeover of Tudor City. In the spring of 1970, they had three non-residences to rent out, one of which was near the restaurant space in No. 5.

    

Here it is pictured on the flyer from 1970. Anyone out there with any pictures or memories of this mythic spot, please let us know. We give bonus points for menus.

As for the earlier entire post, here it is.

Artifact: FRENCH MANAGEMENT Letter

Welcome back to the ongoing saga of Elizabeth McLoud and Apartment 1430 in No. 5. Since she was only taking the flat for seven months, there were a few basic items she needed. 

First, there is a letter from the management stating that some furnishings have been added to her apartment, with an addendum attached. 

The three items attached ‒ a coffee table and two lamps ‒ are charged at $1.50 per month. This is for an additional rental; apparently a similar charge was made earlier.

And thus Miss McLoud's story ends, living the rest of her life offstage.

Artifact: APARTMENT LEASE, 1942

Herewith, a rare copy of a lease for a studio apartment in No. 5, issued to Elizabeth McLoud. It was a short rental, from March 1 to September 30, 1942.

The lease is a long document, but thanks to adept editing, double-sided printing and a teeny tiny font, it fits on a single page. A big page ‒ 28 inches long ‒ but still one page. Most of the copy deals with legal matters, and there was a section called Rules and Regulations. It was quite to the point.

No garbage cans, coal holder, wood box, supplies, ice, milk bottles, or any other articles shall be placed in the halls or on the staircase landings, nor shall anything be hung from from the windows, or balconies, or placed upon the window sills.

The laundry and drying apparatus, if any, shall be used in such manner and at such times as the superintendent may direct. If the Landlord provides clothes dryers in other parts of the premises, the Tenant shall not dry or air clothes on the roof.

No baby carriages, velocipedes, or bicycles shall be allowed in passenger elevators, if a service elevator is provided.

No sign, advertisement, notice or other lettering shall be exhibited, inscribed, painted or affixed by any tenant on any part of the outside or inside of the demised premises or building without the prior written consent of the Landlord.

No servants or employees of the Landlord shall be sent out of the building by any Tenant at any time for any purpose.

Here is the end result of the deal ‒ four signatures was all it took.

Along with the lease, there was a copy of a letter to Miss McLoud stating that because she had paid the first installment in advance, she was given access to the apartment on February 13th.

To be continued. . .

MISCELLANEA

Once again, a grab bag of material.

The entrance to No. 45's rooftop has recently re-opened after years of closure due to Local Law 11. Tempting though it may be, it's only for the use of residents of Prospect Tower, No. 45.

Here is a photo of the North Park's fountain, depicting a young boy bearing a jug which pours water on a hapless turtle, while beneath them, lion heads spew water. 

This photograph shows the model of Tudor City in No. 5's lobby, which is undergoing a renovation. No word on whether it will include No. 2. Stay tuned. Past history here.

The Tudor Arms cigar ‒ the Modern Cigar ‒ suggested that anything with the word Tudor attached to it could be sold. 

The two falcon heads pictured are new additions to the South Park, though they are not technically new. Originally part of No. 25's roofline ‒ where they warded off evil doers ‒ these heads were replaced after nearly 100 years of service. Now they live across the street in the South Park.

Thank you Tudor City Greens for the info.