Old Pictures Again

To celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, here are some long ago pictures of Tudor City and its environs.

First up is this moody portrait of the East River, which contrasts the scraggly, mostly industrial confines of Queens with Manhattan's more tony Crystal Office building and the Tudor City complex.

This picture was made of the corner of 40th St and 1st Ave before everything was demolished in preparation for the construction of No. 5, Windsor Tower. The sign on the right, regrettably cut off, says much the same.

Northeastern view from the 42nd St station platform of the 3rd Ave El; the Daily News building is at top, with vertical stripes along its window lines.

In this photo from 1929, ghostlike images of The Woodstock, No. 25 and No. 45 hover over the otherwise humdrum scene at 1st Ave and 39th St. The picture was taken by Percy Loomis Sperr, who recorded what was being torn down (and what replaced it) for the New York Public Library.

Lastly, there's this impressive aerial view of the complex ‒ and the nearby Daily News building ‒ in the 1930s.

AD CAMPAIGN, 1939

A look back at a series of ads that ran in 1939. In contrast to earlier campaigns, this one had but three ads. Such were the Depression years ‒ trying to act like things were normal, while they were anything but. In any event, these particular ads employed talking heads speaking aloud in bubbles.

November 9, 1939

November 12, 1939

November 19, 1939

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In other news, the Tudor City Association is hosting Tudor City Fest this Wednesday, June 24th, in the North Park. Delicious snacks, refreshments and live jazz, sounds good to us. For more details, see here.  

MISCELLANY Deluxe

 Some odds and ends. . .

First is this latest addition to No. 5, an example of heraldry that replaced the original terra cotta figure which lasted nearly 100 years. 

The East River is home to a rainbow, in a photo taken from No. 25 by Sally Hill. Thanks, Sally!

This colony artwork was published in 1939, the first year of the New York World's Fair, and reflected city optimism. Other images were used to illustrate a brochure and menu covers.  

An early example of fake Tudor City, The Tudor Shoppe had a name that somehow convinced people it was affiliated with the community. It wasn't, and it didn't last, but at least it got mentioned in a New Yorker story.

A rarely seen photograph of cartoonist Will Eisner in his Tudor City office, a one bedroom apartment in No. 5. Eisner created his masterpiece, The Spirit, here. However, his fame came years later, for The Spirit never ran in New York. It was not until 1965, with the publication of The Great Comic Book Heros, that this forgotten strip became legendary. More on Eisner here.

More TUDOR CITY Suppliers

This entry is really a continuation of a recent post on Bigelow-Hartford Rugs and Carpets. There were other companies who supplied their merchandise exclusively to Tudor City ‒ only their product was not as glamorous as the stained glass or the Frigidaires that captured the public imagination. Here are some examples:  

First, a salute to Patterson Hot Water Heaters, which supplied heaters to Tudor City, "America's greatest hotel and apartment development." And, of course, it was "another great endorsement" for the Patterson-Kelley Company. 

The product named was named Anti-Hydro, and it was added to cement mortar to "protect brick against dampness and efflorescent stains." As a bonus, the "brick joints are made absolutely waterproof." 

 

Then there was the case of Wilson Diffuselite Blinds versus Columbia Venetian Blinds, which both ran ads claiming to supply Tudor City with their product. Which company it was is anyone's guess; the top ad is from May, 1929 and below, from November, 1929.

Finally, we conclude with a 1928 ad from Fenestra casement windows. "Sophisticated New York displays pardonable conceit in the possession of Tudor City, gigantic apartment development, overlooking the East River," the ad stated. It went on to say that over 9,000 casement windows went into Tudor City. That's a big order.

MISCELLANEA

 Here's another installment of Miscellanea for your viewing pleasure:

At a table in the Tudor City Steakhouse sit Cindy Adams, the New York Post's gossip columnist extraordinaire, along with Mirso Lekic, owner of the restaurant. Only in New York, kids.

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A photograph of 1st Avenue and 40th Street, looking downtown. On the right is No. 5, while across the street is the home of the WM INTNER MATTRESS CO. They seem to be reputable enough; the wall along 40th Street reads

MANUFACTURERS

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MATTRESSES

BOX SPRINGS

BOX COUCHES

PILLOWS

ROLL BOLSTERS

COT BEDS

METAL SPRINGS

Whether they supplied any bedding to Tudor City is unknown.

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The Sharansky Steps and the Isaiah quotation set the backdrop for this picture made on September 19, 1960. The protestors' poster says it all:

Down With Castro

CUBA  Yes

COMMUNISM  No!

Cuban Front  F.R.D.

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Part of the Tulip Celebration of 1939, this picture was made from a window in The Manor, showing the stage set for baritone Glenn Darwin. From the collection of Fabrice Frere, thanks Fabrice.

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Finally, proof there's life after fifty in Tudor City.  

AD CAMPAIGN, 1934

This latest installment in our continuing series of advertising campaigns is this one, which ran in November, 1934. There were only three ads in the campaign, but it was the Depression, after all.      

Why buck the subway crowds when an apartment in Tudor City enables you to walk leisurely to work each morning. . . to relax a bit before dinner each evening. . . and to enjoy the added comfort of maid, valet and laundry service.    

Fall days are shopping days, and if you're planning a winter's wardrobe, you'll find that Tudor City offers close proximity to the smart shops of the town ‒ in addition to sunny apartments, delightful restaurants, extra services. Then, too, you are within easy walking distance of your office.  

No need to spend every evening at home when you live in Tudor City; for theaters, movies, concerts are only a few blocks away. Even your office is near enough to permit an extra hour's doze every morning. Stop by today and see what a delightful apartment you can secure for a modest rental. 

MORE Miscellany

 

We begin with a puzzle from 1934: what is the man doing to the roadway at 1st Avenue and 41st Street? 

And what exactly does the extended leg mean?

Questions, questions! The man in the hat is sticking his pole into a hole, that we are sure of. We took a closer look at the sign, which reads

 

1st Ave 41st

14 ft North of BL

30½ ft W of E curb

Looking N.W.

Not a lot of help, with notations right out of a city almanac and no mention of an extended leg, either. The photo is from the NYC Municipal Library and is entitled "Looking northwest from 1st Avenue, 41st Street." Hmmm. . .

   

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This is an oil painting entitled "Tudor City" from artist Uo Suga that was listed last week for $397.84 on eBay. Too bad the listing ended early, with no explanation.

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"Party at the Ford Foundation" by our good friend, Garth Justice.

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This comes from regular contributor David Reiff. Fabled songwriter Neil Sedaka ‒ "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," "Calendar Girl," "Love Will Keep Us Together" ‒ recently passed away, and in 2012, there was a concert honoring him in the South Park. Above, the flyer and below, the guest of honor.

Sedaka at the Tudor City Greens concert

AD CAMPAIGN, 1931

Hello today from August, 1931, when the following newspaper ad campaign ran. 

 

A Seat in the Shade Three Blocks from Grand Central

Here it is ‒ waiting for you ‒ a shady seat, just three blocks from one of the hottest, busiest parts of New York. It's in a Tudor City park, inviting you now. So walk across town today; feel the temperature drop as the breeze from Tudor City's parks blows about you. Low thermometer, reasonable prices. What more can you ask? . . .

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Fresh Green Leaves Untouched by City Grime

Tudor City's two blocks of private parks are far enough away from the grime and dust of metropolitan traffic to stay continually fresh and green. Just as Tudor City, itself, while only three blocks from Grand Central, has an air of restfulness and peace hard to find in New York today. Come to Tudor City ‒  look at our apartments, our parks, our restaurants ‒ see how living is made easy for you in this unique community. . .

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Privet Hedges-Flowering Shrubs Bring Suburban Atmosphere to 42nd Street

At Tudor City's doorstep are two blocks of the most delightful parks in all New York ‒ parks where you'll find only your kind of people ‒ for they are private parks, the property of Tudor City. Its parks are only one of the characteristics which make Tudor City unique. . . 

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Fluttering in a River Breeze Which Cools All Tudor City

When the rest of New York is breathless in midsummer, there's a breeze in Tudor City. A breeze that comes from the river, refreshing every apartment with its cooling breath. The minute you step inside one of Tudor City's apartments, you'll notice the coolness, the freshness of the air. . . 

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Ice Cold Melon Served at a Cool Corner Table

If you want to live in comfort, come to Tudor City. . . Every table in each of the three airy restaurants is pleasantly cool even on the hottest day. Come for dinner tonight – get an idea of the restfulness, the coolness, the relief from parched city streets that every Tudor City resident enjoys. Look at some apartments ‒ the same coolness, the same breeze that made your dinner a delight will greet you in every Tudor City room. . . 

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Old World Charm at the East End of 42nd Street

While it is modern as can be in arrangement and conveniences, Tudor City has an Old World charm not to be found elsewhere in New York. As with the manor houses of Old England, so with Tudor City ‒ well-tended lawns, clipped hedges, flowers and trees form a background for its beautiful buildings. And from this breezy setting, perched on Prospect Hill at the east end of 42nd Street, one gets magnificent views over river and city. . .

Anatomy of a Photo

Welcome back to Anatomy of a Photo, where we look at a photograph in close-up. 

Here is the photograph, made around 1938 by Percy Loomis Sperr, a staff photographer for the New York Public Library who specialized in pictures showing buildings about to be razed. The photo was made at 36th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues and looks north.

At upper right are the smokestacks from the Waterside Station of the New York Edison Company, against a hazy backdrop of the Queensboro Bridge.    

The trio of buildings ‒ Nos. 5, 25, and 45 ‒ on what was then called Prospect Place.   

The Woodstock.

The most prominent building in the photograph is St. Gabriel's School, pictured above on 36th Street. Along with its nearby namesake church, it would soon be demolished to make way for the Queens-Midtown tunnel entrance, a very sore subject among locals. 

Tenements south of Tudor City.

For more about Percy Loomis Sperr, see here.

THEN AND NOW: Christmas Edition

   Looking west on 42nd Street, then and now.

1932

2018

Merry Christmas from Tudor City Confidential 

The FORGOTTEN Entrance to No. 5

Continuing our interest in 1st Avenue, we turn our attention today to views looking south. At first, this shot taken from 41st Street and 1st Avenue showed nothing unusual ‒ until we spotted a canopy leading into a building that turned out to be No. 5.  

 

A closer examination reveals the name Windsor Tower on the marquee. We look around further. One of the building's workers is on a ladder doing something, while nearby, a passerby takes in the scene.

A second photo ‒ taken on the same date, February 21, 1931 ‒ seems all about the Socony sign, which fronts a gas station. But again, a close-up view is more telling:   

This is an elevated view of the long-forgotten canopy, which would be gone within a year. Perhaps the street repair outside contributed, who knows.