Emey's Bike Shop

Emey's Bike Shop in the Gramercy neighborhood had a facade made of zinc, which dates back to around 1900. The former owner of this bicycle shop told us that Time Magazine's initial headquarters were once located at this address.

35mm photo from 2003 appears in our book, "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" and prints are now available at our Store Front Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. The exhibition runs until tomorrow 3/31 at 90 East 3rd Street.

Larger limited edition prints are also available upon request.

Sunshine Theater

Sunshine Theater on East Houston Street was established in 1917 by Charlie Steiner. In 1908, Charlie Steiner and Abraham Minksky converted the church building into a Nickelodeon called the “Houston Hippodrome”, which charged 10 cents admission for its Yiddish three-act plays and also offered local & European movies with #Yiddish subtitles. 

Sadly this historic theater closed in 2018 and was demolished to make way for a new 9-story glass-facade office tower. 

Our photo of Sunshine Theater appears in our book “New York Nights” and is currently on display at our “Store Front Photography Exhibition” at @villageworksnyc through this Thursday, March 31st. Both 11x14 inch and larger prints are available at the gallery. 

• • • • • #disappearingfaceofnewyork #theater #jamesandkarla #cinematreasures #cinema #independenttheatre #theatre #neonsignage #neonsign #indiefilm #independentfilmmakers #indiefilms #indiefilmmaker #indiefilmmaking #independentfilmmaking #independentfilms

Bleecker Bob’s Records

Bleecker Bob’s Records in Greenwich Village was one of the first places in the late 1970s to sell albums by #punk bands. Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin’s guitarist and Frank Zappa both occasionally tended the register back in the day.  This photo from 2011 and our interview appears in our book “New York Nights”.  

• If you would like to purchase a print of Bleecker Bob’s we have them available at our Store Front Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 unframed and 11x14 inch mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. 

Our exhibition is on display until this Thursday March 31st. Larger limited edition signed prints are also available upon request. 

• • • • • • #storefront #jamesandkarla #vinyl  #disappearingfaceofnewyork #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylrecord #vinyladdict #vinyljunkie #record #recordstore #records #recordcollection #recordcollector

James & Karla Murray Talk ‘Store Front’ with Exhibit at Village Works via Lori Greenberg for Bowery Boogie

 Full article and interview: https://boweryboogie.com/2022/03/james-karla-murray-talk-store-front-with-exhibit-at-village-works/

"This is why we have such an appreciation for the work of James and Karla Murray, a couple who have been photographing and documenting mom-and-pop shops in New York City for 25 years.

We recently visited the Village Works bookstore and gallery to check out their current exhibit, “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York.”"

Village Cigars

Village Cigars has been in business in Greenwich Village since 1922. We absolutely love this iconic #storefront and chose it as the cover image for our book “Store Front II- A History Preserved”.  Not only is the storefront unique in that it is triangular in shape, but its sidewalk out front bears a special plaque marking the location of the Hess Triangle, which at 500-square inches was once the smallest piece of private land in NYC. The former owner of Village Cigars bought the 500-square inch property from the Hess estate for $1,000 in 1938 and kept the plaque and the small piece of New York history.  

• Signed Prints of our photo of Village Cigars are available at our Store Front Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. Larger limited edition prints up to 48 inches width are also available upon request.

• • • • • • #jamesandkarla #cigar #cigars #cigarlife #greenwichvillagenyc #supportlocal #supportsmall #shopsmallbusiness #smokeshop #smokeshoplife #supportsmallbusiness supportlocalbusiness #shoplocal

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery on East Houston Street has been in business since 1910. The Knish became a popular staple of the Lower East Side diet because it was both inexpensive and filling. Signed Prints of our photo of @yonahschimmel are now available at our Store Front Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. (Swipe left for 2nd photo showing framed prints). 

Larger prints are also available upon request. 

• We will be having a FREE ARTIST TALK at the Village Works Gallery located at 90 East 3rd Street tomorrow, Saturday March 26 at 4PM. All are welcome to attend as we discuss our 25 years of work documenting the small “mom-and-pop” shops of New York City. 

• We will also be leading a walking tour of the East Village Mom-and-Pop Storefronts starting at 2:30 PM. The cost is $30 and registration is required. Please DM or email us at jandk(at)Jamesandkarlamurray.com to register and receive meeting point upon registration.

• • • • • #storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #momandpopshop #momandpopshops #shoplocal #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #supportlocal #knish

FREE ARTIST TALK this Saturday at 4 PM!

FREE ARTIST TALK this Saturday at 4 PM! We will be having a FREE artist talk at the Village Works Gallery located at 90 East 3rd Street In the East Village of Manhattan (between 1st & 2nd Aves) this Saturday March 26 at 4PM & we would love for all to attend as we discuss our 25 years of work documenting the small “mom-and-pop” shops of New York City. Hudson will be with us and handing out his 🐾 pawtograph to everyone!

Carnegie Delicatessen

The Carnegie Delicatessen was established in 1937 and was best known for its pastrami, corned beef and brisket sandwiches, which were overstuffed with at least one pound of meat. 

Sadly this iconic Jewish deli near the Theater District which became a popular tourist destination closed on New Years Eve in 2016. 

Signed Prints of our photo of Carnegie Delicatessen are now available at our Store Front Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. 

Larger limited edition signed prints are also available upon request.

Vesuvio Bakery in SoHo

Vesuvio Bakery in SoHo was an Italian bread bakery which specialized in prosciutto bread 🍞 and biscuits baked in its coal-fired ovens and was in business from 1920 -2008.  

• Signed Prints of our photo of the historic Vesuvio Bakery are available at our “STORE FRONT Photography” exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch foam -core mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. 

Larger limited edition signed prints available.

• • • • • #storefront #jamesandkarla #disappearingfaceofnewyork #breadbaking #italianfood #italianbread #italian #soho #sohonyc #prosciutto

Iconic Music Venue CBGB

Signed Prints of our photo of the iconic music venue CBGB which was located on the Bowery from 1973-2006 are now available at our “Store Front Photography Exhibition” at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch foam -core mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. 

Larger limited edition signed prints are available upon request. 

• Our Store Front- Photography Exhibition at Village Works at 90 East 3rd Street is on display through March 31st.  

• • • • • #storefront #cbgb #cbgbs #disappearingfaceofnewyork #cbgbomfug #punk #punkrock #punkrockers #punkrocker #musicvenue #musicvenues #bowery #omfug #rockandroll #rockandrollmusic #livemusic

Happy #StPatricksDay everyone!

Happy #StPatricksDay everyone! 

Signed Prints of our photo of McSorley’s Old Ale House will be available at our STORE FRONT Photography Exhibition at @villageworksnyc 

TONIGHT at 90 E 3rd St for our opening reception from 7-9 PM. 

BAGPIPER ☘️ playing! 

Free BEER WINE  @VENIEROSdessert

Pearl Paint opened its flagship store on Canal Street in NYC

Pearl Paint opened its flagship store on Canal Street in NYC in 1933 & closed in April, 2014 after its 11.850 square foot building was listed for sale for $15 million dollars. Pearl Paint was very significant to New York artists because its location at the edge of SoHo helped to foster the area's transition from industrial warehouses to a vibrant artist community in the 1960s and 1970s. When SoHo became gentrified in the 1980s, forcing many artists to leave, Pearl Paint remained and artists continued to get their fine art supplies at the store.

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Signed Prints of our photo of the iconic Pearl Paint will be available at our upcoming exhibition at @villageworksnyc including archival 11x14 inch for $119 and 11x14 inch foam -core mounted & framed in white letterbox frame for $199. (Swipe left for 2nd photo showing framed prints). Larger limited edition signed prints (swipe left for 3rd photo of Pearl Paint 29 , 36 inch print)

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Our Store Front- Photography Exhibition at Village Works at 90 East 3rd Street opening reception is this Thursday March 17th from 7-10 PM. Free Beer Wine and Pastries will be provided.

We are proud to announce that 100% of proceeds from the sale of our prints of Veselka are being donated to help the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦.

We are proud to announce that 100% of proceeds from the sale of our prints of Veselka, the Ukrainian comfort food diner in the East Village are being donated to help the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦. 

For this print sale to show our support of the local Ukrainian community, we are partnering w/ @veselkanyc & @villageworksnyc where our prints will be on display and available from Thursday, March 17th - 31st. 

We will have unframed 8x10 inch prints of Veselka for $55 and  unframed 11x14 inch signed prints for $119 as well as mounted and framed 11x14 inch prints in white letterbox style for $199 (swipe left for 2nd photo showing sizes and frame options). 

• Please DM or email us at jandk(at)Jamesandkarlamurray.com to preorder via Venmo payment and free pickup of prints will be available at Village Works Gallery located at 90 East 3rd Street between 1st & 2nd Avenue.  

• Our FREE opening reception for our “Store Front- The Photography Exhibition” will be this Thursday March 17th from 7-10 PM and all are invited to attend w/ FREE Beer 🍺 Wine 🍷 and Pastries provided.

STORE FRONT- The Photography Exhibition at the Village Works Gallery & Bookstore

We are excited to announce our upcoming STORE FRONT- The Photography Exhibition at the Village Works Gallery & Bookstore located at 90 East 3rd Street between 1st & 2nd Aves in the East Village from March 17-31, 2022.  

• The opening reception which ALL ARE INVITED & FREE to attend is on Thursday, March 17th from 7-10PM. FREE Beer 🍺 Wine 🍷 and Pastries from will be Provided.  

• We will have our signed storefront prints for sale of Ralph’s Discount City and Zig Zag Records as well as many others ranging in size from 11 x 14 inch for $99 as well as limited edition signage collage prints. Village Works will also be selling signed copies of our the Mini hardcover edition of our book “Store Front II-A History Preserved”.

Lounge in Brooklyn

Lounge in Brooklyn not too long ago. Notice the old electronic equipment in the window. If anyone knows the story behind that equipment we would love to know as we are huge analog fans and have a vintage turntable and receiver and VCR. 

Veselka on 2nd Avenue at the corner of East 9th Street is an iconic Ukrainian diner which has been in business since 1954.

@veselkanyc is famous for its #homemade varenyky aka #pierogi and it’s homemade Ukrainian borscht (beet soup) Veselka makes 110 gallons of borscht a week!. Veselka also has four full-time women who make on average 3,000 Ukrainian dumplings 🥟 every day. 

Yesterday we visited Veselka during our livestream walk around the East Village to help support this 3rd generation family-owned business (swipe left for 3rd photo) and to also take part in Veselka’s special “Eat Borscht Stand With Ukraine” special in which 100% of proceeds from their borscht sales in-store and take-out are donated to help Ukraine 🇺🇦  

•  To see our livestream visit to Veselka where we ate in their heated outdoor dining area with our rescue dog Hudson and not only enjoyed our borscht and varenyky but also had their special “blue and yellow” cookie please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• Full video: https://youtu.be/SEywilYJgpY

York Deli, New York City

We are continuing our highlight of New York City’s storefronts with privilege signs by posting our photo of the wonderful York Deli on York Avenue in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This deli has a great example of a Pepsi “Privilege Sign” which is an industry term for the promotional signs installed by large corporations such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and the Optimo Cigar Company. They were popular in the 1930s through the 1960s and received their name because store owners were given the “privilege” of completing the signs with their own copy. Large companies benefited from the signs because they were an easy way of weaving a marketing campaign right into a building’s façade. The signs were not only given free to store owners, but they also brought people into the store with instant brand recognition. 

Sadly, many of New York City’s privilege signs have disappeared in the 25+ years we have been documenting mom-and-pop storefronts but thankfully York Deli has kept their Pepsi privilege sign from the 1970s in place even though they more recently added a plastic awning advertising the other goods and grocery items they sell.

E. Kurowycky & Sons Meat Market, East Village, NYC

Since our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine, it reminded us of an amazing Ukrainian butcher, which was located in our neighborhood of the East Village (which still has a large concentration of Ukrainian residents). 

E. Kurowycky & Sons Meat Market specialized in Ukranian sausages and hams, that were prepared and smoked on the premises. 

It was in business from 1958-2007 and was sadly forced to close after the city's agricultural inspectors ordered the store to remove all of their smoked ham, bacon, salami and pork 🐷 kielbasa, which hung from sharp hooks lining the windows and interior of the store. The inspectors ordered their removal because of potential hazards resulting in E. Coli and salmonella infections. This resulted in a sharp decline in business and the third-generation owner closed the store despite never having any of his customers either get sick or complain about the quality of their meat. 

Photo from 2001 and full interview with Jerry Kurowycky appear in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York."  

• • • • • • #storefront #jamesandkarla #disappearingfaceofnewyork #ukraine #ukrainian #ukrainians #ukrainian_insta #eastvillagenyc #momandpopshop #butcher #momandpopshops #butchers #butchersofinstagram #meatmarket #butchershop #kiełbasa

M. Futterman Co.

Another great example of Privilege Signs in New York City are the ones provided by the Optimo Cigar Company. 

Optimo was founded by Antonio Santaella, who was originally from Andalucia, Spain and became a cigar maker in Cuba during the 1870s. In 1886, he moved to Chicago to open his own factory, which manufactured many popular brands of cigars including Optimo, Marquette Club, Reformador, and Flor de Cervera. 

Optimo was the favorite cigar brand of Babe Ruth, and the company prospered in the 1950s and began providing Privilege Signs. 

M. Futterman Co. located on Madison Avenue between 115th and 116th Streets, had an oversized, hand-painted example. The store was founded over 100 years ago and is a wholesale candy, tobacco, and paper goods family business. We loved the “Optimo Cigars” signage with its old telephone exchange EN9 painted on, but sadly the original privilege sign was replaced in 2012. 

Our photo of Futterman appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. 

• • • • • #jamesandkarla #privilegesign #cigars #disappearingfaceofnewyork #optimo #cigar #cigarstore #candystore #storefront #momandpop #momandpopshop #momandpopshops #signpainting #signage #signofthetimes

The Biltmore Hotel, City of Coral Gables, Miami

The Biltmore Hotel in the City of Coral Gables in Miami is a stunning National Historic Landmark which was built by George Merrick in 1926 as a luxury hotel which would also serve as “a center of sports and fashion”. 

The 400+ room hotel was designed by Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver who also designed Atlanta’s and Los Angeles’ Biltmore Hotels and NYC’s Grand Central Terminal. The inspiration for the design of the hotel had been the Giralda bell tower from the Cathedral in Seville, Spain and when it was completed it was the tallest building in Florida. It also boasted the largest hotel pool in the Continental USA. Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Frank D. Roosevelt, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Al Capone were guests of the hotel. 

In Wold War II, the hotel was seized by the government and was converted into a military hospital. Even after the war ended it served as a hospital for veterans until 1968. 

Shockingly, the hotel was almost torn down after being empty for almost a decade until the City of Coral Gables took over ownership and began a $55 million restoration in 1983. 

• To see more of the stunning interior including the lobby, Alhambra ballroom and the grounds of the @thebiltmoremiami including its stunning pool where Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller worked as a swimming instructor, and its legendary 18-hole golf course and outdoor restaurant where we had a casual dinner, please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• Full video: https://youtu.be/lTYed0vdiDA