Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Interesting article via ANHD about gentrification with some of our panoramic photography from our book STORE FRONT: The Disappearing Face Of New York

LINK: https://anhd.org/gentrification-has-always-been-about-more-than-housing/

"When media boast headlines like ‘There’s Never Been a Better Time to Open Retail Stores in NYC’, they are inadvertently pointing to what happens when neighborhood small business displacement creates a glut of vacant commercial storefronts. When Karla and James Murray or Jeremiah Moss profile the loss of neighborhood businesses, they are pointing to how these forces are prioritizing capital over culture."


Sunday, January 28, 2018

Chelsea Guitars ๐ŸŽธ located on 23rd Street in the building that houses the Chelsea Hotel.

This #guitar shop opened in 1989 but had been a ๐ŸŽถ music store since the 1940s. When we spoke with the owner, Dan Courtenay, he told us that "Many famous musicians have shopped here over the years. The Allman Brothers used to live in a van parked right outside the store and would come in here all the time and hang out." Photo from 2004 and full interview with Dan appear in our book, "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York". Signed Prints are also available of this photo starting at $99 for an 11x14 inch. DM or email us for more info.


Saturday, January 27, 2018

Hudson. Out and about along Fort Lauderdale Beach, FLA, just now...


Yesterday we posted a photo of the #vintage interior of Broadway Restaurant on the Upper West Side...

Yesterday we posted a photo of the #vintage interior of Broadway Restaurant on the Upper West Side with the sad news that they closed because there was a huge fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ in the #luncheonette on New Year's Day. We hope that they will be able to reopen but are not sure how much of the interior survived but the good news is that their #signage did. We love the interesting #font this #sign has and its use of #script as well as the advertising of "CHOPS". Just seeing the word "CHOPS" immediately lets us know that this place is a throw-back to a time when that term was more readily used. We are ๐Ÿ™for Angelo, Tony and his team at Broadway Restaurant to reopen soon.


Friday, January 26, 2018

Broadway Restaurant with Angelo manning the #vintage "U-shaped" counter.

We absolutely love this #diner which opened in 1970, for its good food ๐Ÿณ ๐Ÿ” at reasonable prices and especially because it maintained its original interior including the #handpainted #signage listing items on the menu with prices, which are updated by the waitress, who changes them using her red nail polish ๐Ÿ’…. Sadly, this diner was forced to close when a fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ ravaged its interior on New Year's Day. It has been shuttered since then and we hope they will be able to rebuild and open again in the future.


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Photography from our visit to comedian Pat Brown's Harlem apartment for 6sqft...

LINK to full story and more photos: https://www.6sqft.com/my-460sqft-comedian-pat-brown-recharges-in-her-relaxed-harlem-home/

"When it comes to her stand-up routines, comedian Pat Brown (you may recognize her from the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” or as the winner of the Las Vegas Comedy Festival’s best female comic) doesn’t shy away from bold topics, touching on personal issues, politics, and NYC-specific themes. But after finishing a set at one of New York’s many comedy clubs, Pat prefers a less in-your-face aesthetic at home, opting for comfortable furniture, soothing colors, and a display of keepsakes from several trips to Africa.
6sqft recently paid Pat a visit at her Harlem apartment and got a glimpse into her professional and personal lives. She filled us in on how she decorated her place after moving from her hometown of Atlanta, what makes performing comedy in New York City unique, and how she’s seen the neighborhood change–“I’m beginning to see white people on the weekdays now,” she jokes."


Googies Luncheonette on Second Avenue at East 78th Street in the Upper East Side

We love ❤️ this diner's wrap-around #neon signage as well as its vertical #neonsign and the architecture of the building it is located in. Does anyone else remember this #luncheonette as it closed a number of years ago and we found this #analog photo in our 35mm archives.


Friday, January 19, 2018

"Jamie and Sunny watch Brian on CNN–he was in the apartment just 10 minutes earlier!" Photography from our visit to Jamie & Brian Stelter of NY1 & CNN's Lincoln Square home for 6sqft

LINK: https://www.6sqft.com/my-700sqft-news-anchors-jamie-and-brian-stelter-open-up-their-sunny-lincoln-square-home/

"If these two friendly faces look familiar it’s because they grace your television screen daily. Jamie Stelter has been NY1’s traffic reporter for the past eight years, gaining fame not only for her onscreen rapport with Pat Kiernan but for her naturally bubbly personality (especially important when you go on air at 5am!), and Brian Stelter is a former media reporter for the New York Times and the current senior media correspondent and host of “Reliable Sources” for CNN. And while this might sound like a recipe for one intimidating couple, the Stelters are about as down-to-earth and warm as they come."


Frank Campanelli R.I.P.

Frank Campanelli sitting outside Joe's Dairy, a #homemade mozzarella shop in the South Village in 2008. We were very sad to hear from a relative of the family of the passing of Frank Campanelli this week. Although this #momandpop store closed in 2013, we fondly remember its delicious fresh mozzarella, which was made on the premises daily in both regular and smoked flavors. When we took this photo, the owner Anthony Campanelli told us that "When I am ready to retire, it will probably be a lost art in my family because I have a daughter but I won't allow her to do this. It's a lot of hard work. It's not that a woman couldn't do it, but you have to get up really early and work long hours". Photo and full interview with Anthony appear in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York".




Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Our visit to Jamie & Brian Stelter of NY1 & CNN's Lincoln Square home for 6sqft...

LINK: https://www.6sqft.com/my-700sqft-news-anchors-jamie-and-brian-stelter-open-up-their-sunny-lincoln-square-home/

"If these two friendly faces look familiar it’s because they grace your television screen daily. Jamie Stelter has been NY1’s traffic reporter for the past eight years, gaining fame not only for her onscreen rapport with Pat Kiernan but for her naturally bubbly personality (especially important when you go on air at 5am!), and Brian Stelter is a former media reporter for the New York Times and the current senior media correspondent and host of “Reliable Sources” for CNN. And while this might sound like a recipe for one intimidating couple, the Stelters are about as down-to-earth and warm as they come."


No. 1 Professional Barber Shop๐Ÿ’ˆ in Harlem

We were blown away when we discovered the amazing #handpainted #signage this barber shop has. Not only does it have great #lettering but also has a painting of a guy getting a trim ๐Ÿ’‡๐Ÿฝ‍♂️and two babies ๐Ÿ‘ถ crawling near a miniature car ๐Ÿš— that doubles as a hair cutting seat ๐Ÿ’บ for kids getting their first haircut (see the actual yellow mini car hair cutting seat near the window). Photo from 2010 appears in our book "Store Front II-A History Preserved".


Sunday, January 14, 2018

C & D Candy Store ๐Ÿญ ๐Ÿซ in the Belmont "Little ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy" neighborhood of the Bronx.

 When we posted our #analog photo the other day of Mt. Carmel Candy Store we received a message from one of our followers who was touched by our photo as it brought back memories of the neighborhood. She told us that she and her family lived above C&D Candy Store and her grandmother was the super of the building. Her mother ended up buying C&D Candy Store ๐Ÿญ when she was 18 years old and the whole family worked there at one point. She asked us to please post our photo of the shop as the family recently lost their grandmother (who was the matriarch of the family) and it would "mean the world to us". We love when we hear from followers who have such a personal connection to our photos and especially when it is so meaningful ๐Ÿ’”to them! It touches our heart too ๐Ÿ’“! https://www.instagram.com/jamesandkarla




Saturday, January 13, 2018

Royal Castle, Miami, Florida

This hamburger-based ๐Ÿ” restaurant chain was founded in 1938 by William Singer and became known for its Mini-hamburgers that are similar to those sold by White Castle. During its peak in the 1960s when there were over 175 locations, burgers cost 15 cents and birch beer ๐Ÿบ and French fries ๐ŸŸ were 7 cents each. The Royal ๐Ÿ‘‘ Castle motto was "Fit for a King" but by 1970s the chain began to lose ground to other fast-food hamburger chains. We loved this location's #vintage orange #neonsign with its unique #font.


Thursday, January 11, 2018

Hillside Inn, Jamaica, Queens

We love the time-worn #signage this #diverbar has ๐Ÿป. Neighborhood reasonably priced joints like this are sadly quickly disappearing from the city's landscape as real estate prices continue to rise. This photo was taken in 2011 and appears in our book, "Store Front II-A History Preserved", now available in Hardcover Mini Format.


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Vitaphone Record pressed by Victor Talking Machine Co of Camden, NJ seen in the projection room of the Loew's Jersey Theatre.

Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films from 1926 to 1931 and was the last major #analog sound-on-disc system that was widely used as well as commercially successful. The soundtrack was not printed on the film itself, but issued separately on phonograph records. Interestingly, the phonograph records were made after the film and synchronized to it because the actors had to stand so close to the phonograph that they couldn't pose for the camera ๐ŸŽฅ. The discs, recorded at 33 1/3 rpm were played on a turntable physically coupled to the projector motor while the film was being projected. To see more of our behind the scenes photos from our visit with 6sqft: https://www.6sqft.com/behind-the-scenes-at-the-loews-jersey-city-how-a-1929-wonder-theatre-was-brought-back-to-life/ 


Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Loew's Jersey City is one of the five "Wonder Theatres" built in 1929-30 around the NYC area.

It @loewsjersey was designed by architect George Rapp with the intent that "the wealthy rub elbows with the poor- and are better for this contact." We recently had the chance to tour and photograph behind-the-scenes at this amazingly opulent movie ๐ŸŽฅ palace for @6sqft. It closed in 1987 and the building was slated for demolition but executive director Colin Egan and a group of local residents saved the historic theater. To see more photos from our tour and read more about its history and how it was saved as reported by Dana Schulz please visit https://www.6sqft.com/behind-the-scenes-at-the-loews-jersey-city-how-a-1929-wonder-theatre-was-brought-back-to-life/ 


Monday, January 8, 2018

Photos from our visit to Loew's Jersey City Wonder Theatre for 6sqft...

LINK: https://www.6sqft.com/behind-the-scenes-at-the-loews-jersey-city-how-a-1929-wonder-theatre-was-brought-back-to-life/

“The wealthy rub elbows with the poor — and are better for this contact,” said architect George Rapp of his Loew’s Jersey and Kings Theatres–two of the five Loew’s Wonder Theatres built in 1929-30 around the NYC area. The over-the-top, opulent movie palaces were built by the Loew’s Corporation not only to establish their stature in the film world but to be an escape for people from all walks of life. This held true during the Great Depression and World War II, but by the time the mid-60s hit and middle-class families began relocating to the suburbs where megaplexes were all the rage, the Wonder Theatres fell out of fashion."


Saturday, January 6, 2018

Laurence Addeo of Addeo Bakers happened to call into Midday on WNYC radio when we were guests!

Laurence Addeo Addeo Bakers happened to call into Midday on WNYC radio when we were guests of the Midday show hosted by Arun Venugopal and we immediately recognized who he was when he introduced himself as Laurence the baker ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿป‍๐Ÿณ from the Bronx.

 To hear the @wnyc Midday show segment and Laurence's call go to: https://www.wnyc.org/story/history-through-store-fronts/






Addeo Bakers is family-owned business that has been in operation since 1929. The Italian ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡นbread ๐Ÿž #bakery @addeobakers is now run by the 3rd-generation brothers, Laurence and Tommy Addeo. We absolutely love ❤️ its beautiful #script #handpainted sign and their Pane di Casa, an oval white Italian bread that is made from what Laurence described to us as "a long-term dough that takes as much as 8 hours of preparation in fermentation, scaling and proofing before it even goes into the oven".

Photo from 2006 and full interview with Laurence Addeo appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York".

Brown Stew Kitchen in Miami.

To help warm everyone who is dealing with these unusually cold temperatures in the U.S. we are featuring this restaurant where you can get a "bowl-o'-brown" in either fish ๐ŸŸ or chicken ๐Ÿ— and even curried oxtail or conch. We love this take-out shop's variety of #handpainted #signage including some great depictions of the menu items.


Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Today, Wednesday January 3rd at around 12:40 pm will be guests of Midday (Leonard Lopate show) on WNYC radio @wnyc 93.9 FM ๐Ÿ“ป. Arun Venugopal will be guest hosting.

You can listen livestream or after the show has aired. We will be discussing our work documenting the disappearing storefronts of New York City, and our newly released Mini edition of our book, "Store Front II-A History Preserved".

One of the wonderful #momandpop stores which appears in our book is Auggie's Coffee ☕️ of the South Village. We not only loved this shop's coffee but also its#vintage #signage with the telephone ☎️ number WO6-5750.





Tuesday, January 2, 2018

These are our top nine posts on Instagram from 2017!

It has been a truly wonderful year, making and meeting new friends through Instagram and seeing the many amazing photos shared on everyone's feeds. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year ๐ŸŽ‰and all the best for 2018! • #topnine2017 #bestnine2017

https://www.instagram.com/jamesandkarla/