Text and photographs by Stephen Harmon
Nothing lasts forever, not the vanished days of the 1970s and 80s, and not Throwback Thursday. I’m glimpsing the bottom of my “Old Negs” file drawer. We’re not there yet, but savor these installments and images of the neighborhood and its people, for someday, this series will vanish, too.
Stephen Harmon is a longtime Upper West Sider, a retired lawyer, and a world-class photographer whose work is on display in many of the city’s museums, including The Museum of the City of New York, The Brooklyn Museum, New York Historical, and The New York Public Library.
Check out our audio interview with Stephen Harmon on Rag Radio — HERE.
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No, don’t go away ! I don’t mind if you repeat images.
I was going to say the same thing! More than happy to see the same images again!
BTW this week’s set is particularly great. The two elderly people in front of 200 W 72 – just wow.
The picture of a man in hat and coat at the bus stop in front of the ad pic of a woman leaning back is a comedian. He appeared on Carson and other shows. He used the nose 👃 to snort through some jokes. But his name escapes me.
the sunbaked TWA solar system poster and the cold winter wrap — it’s a beaut’ ! love the contrast for this truly lucky shot
Good eye! Looks like Charlie Callas.
Maybe others can contribute their old photos. They may not match your quality, but could be fun anyway.
I’d contribute! Many of my photos were taken with a Kodak Instamatic, and then later my father’s Canon. I think images of those days are worth seeing, especially by the people who lived through those decades.
That’s a great idea 😉
What’s that weird throwback sculpture in front of the museum of Natural History?
I’m assuming that this question was meant facetiously. Anyone who has lived on the UWS since the day before yesterday must know about the TR sculpture and the issues surrounding its eventual removal.
The big question now is: Will President Trump order its restoration?
That was a statue of Teddy Roosevelt on horseback, flanked by an African American and a Native American. But because of the way in which the men were depicted, and the perception of a racial “hierarchy” with the White man (Roosevelt) above and “leading” the other two men (as well as Roosevelt’s racial views and his support of eugenics), there were some protests (around the same time as the protests against Confederate statues), and the AMNH had the statue removed in 2022.
Not African American. African.
I also do not think the idea was that Roosevelt was leading the other two as a white man. It was not the sculptor’s ntent. Though clearly at some point, that is how visitors viewed the sculpture, and thus, it made sense to remove it
Big the way I viewed it, and I think many, maybe not most people, was Roosevelt was spring new lands + new to him and other Westerners), and they were guiding.
The end of “Throwback Thursday”!!!?
Don’t you dare!
(please)
Stephen, it certainly will be a very sad Thursday with no Throwback photos but it makes sense that you wouldn’t have an endless supply. I’m grateful for all that you shared and glad that I saved each Throwback issue so I can review them each again. Many thanks for these wonderful pictures.
Cool!
The picture of the Dakota shows Leonard Bernstein’s apartment on the second floor at the 73rd Street corner. I went to a political fundraiser there in the 80s for a man running for the Senate in South Dakota. I think his name was Conrad.
The photo of the Dakota and the Majestic reminds me that, while most people know the Dakota, mostly for being where John Lennon was shot and killed, the Majestic has an even earlier “incident” of this type. It was in the lobby of the Majestic that, on May 2, 1957, Vincent Gigante, under orders from Lucky Luciano, shot mobster Frank Costello in the vestibule of the building. Costello survived, and because the mob had an actual rule that if a mobster survived a “hit,” they could not be “hit” again, Costello and his wife lived quietly in the building from that point until his death in 1973.
BTW, Costello actually built the Majestic.
I believe the Chanin Brothers built the Majestic. Costello may have been one of the earliest tenants, then owners when it went coop in the 50s.
Not correct about “Costello built the Majestic.” The Majestic (and the Century) were definitely designed and built by Irwin Chanin., and his in-house architect, Jacques Delamarre. My father worked for Chanin Management his entire adult life. (1928-1977). However, the Chanins lost the building in foreclosure during the depths of the Depression. Not sure who took it over then.
Oh no! As someone who has lived in the neighborhood since 1981, this is my favorite column in the Rag. Start from the beginning, add other’s pictures from those years, anything. Just don’t stop doing what you’re doing.
Oh PLEASEdon’t go away! In the unlikely event that your supply of 70’s and 80’s negatives reach the bottom of your well run dry do you have photos from the 90’s?
We are all getting older!
The steps in that first photo are still there, yes, some have been over cleaned and are now sealed so the colour is radically different.
Love it! Hopefully no one was offended by the photo with the TR statue in it!
Stephen: your photo of the Dakota and Majestic (#3) has a delightful painterly quality to it. Something to do with choice of film grain, perhaps?
Please continue this indefinitely! If the bottom of your file drawer holds only shots of long-gone bookstores, Chinese restaurants, or pizzerias, I for one will be thoroughly satisfied. Might any of your Verdi Square photos include a glimpse of Star Magic (1985–?)?
There was a Star Magic on Lex & 85th that sold an amazing array of products with an astronomy and astrology theme. I seem to remember shopping there well into the 90’s. Was the Star Magic in Verdi Square the same type of store or something entirely different?
Greetings, fellow Star Magic rememberer! I don’t believe I ever visited the UES branch, but there was a third store (1982–?) in the Village at 743 Broadway, near the start of Astor Place. That one and the branch at the SE corner of Amsterdam and W. 73rd St. could have been clones, so I’m guessing your UES store was another of the same.
My favorite items included their selection of astronomy/space-exploration books, the assorted space bric-à-brac, and of course the astronaut ice cream.
Would you believe they still have a Web presence? Yep: https://starmagic.com/
Wow! I had no idea there had been a shop in Verdi Square. I just checked the website and remembered how the glitter wands and kaleidoscopes were such big hit at birthday parties. We still have the sand timers, but the liquid motion toys evaporated long ago. The ‘kids’ are in their 30s now but they’re going to be thrilled to see this, especially now that they have their own kids. Thank you so much for the link! : )
You’re quite welcome. Remember Robot Village (2004–c. 2009), in the basement at 252 West 81st Street? I suspect few do these days, but it was something of a pioneering retailer in kid-oriented robotics. Like Star Magic, it still has a Web presence, but as their business model has transformed substantially since the old days, one can get a better idea of the store by going back a few years: https://web.archive.org/web/20090926224825/http://robotvillage.com:80/index.html .
I wasn’t aware of Robot Village! I think robotics was just becoming popular as the last ‘baby’ graduated from high school, at which point my focus completely shifted to other things. It would be amazing if someone could recreate a digital version of the the UWS during that era. : )
Was that 72nd st. Boat basin?
The photos are great, but these articles would be way better if they included the location in each image. It’s nice to look at a photo album, but it’s not much journalism to toss a bunch of photos onto the page without any commentary and not even describe where they were taken.
At least, just put the location, ideally with the direction of the field of view, such as “the west side of Broadway, between 73rd and 74th, looking southeast.” Ideally, adding with “Apple Bank for Savings in the background.”
Sheesh! These aren’t articles, just a lovely selection of old photos. Mr. Harmon may not even be able to ID some of the locations himself. That’s half the fun of looking at the photos, to try to ID where they were taken. Keep at it, please, Mr. Harmon, for as long as you can and I hope others join you when your supply has been depleted.
Oh please keep it going! I don’t care if you have some repeats. I always look forward to this.
Any photos of the old “Library Restaurant” 92nd and B’way? An icon for several decades. One of the few singles bars with great food and a history of being in movies,.
Still haven’t found any photos of the restaurant itself, but if you’d care to see their old menu, check out http://ciadigitalcollections.culinary.edu/digital/collection/p16940coll1/id/12802 . I like those prices!
I don’t recall having seen any here, alas, though The Library — along with At Our Place and Cleopatra’s Needle — has been mentioned in discussion a number of times.
The closest I can come, though probably not close enough, is this: https://www.westsiderag.com/2019/12/23/cleopatras-needle-jazz-club-and-restaurant-closes-after-30-years-with-a-heavy-heart .
I’m surprised never to have seen it noted that “At Our Place”, an earlier name for the (missed!) restaurant, is an anagram (with a “u” added) for “Cleopatra”.
This is my understanding of how CLEOPATRA became AT OUR PLACE. Designed and built by the ultra-minimalist Egyptian architect, Gamal El-Zoghby, Cleopatra introduced (at least to our neighborhood) the cuisine of the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, it was not a financial success and the restaurant came into the possession of El Zoghby, who was a major creditor. The very beautiful, very large 3-dimensional letters of the original sign were cleverly and thriftily repurposed — as noted, with the addition of the U.
“At Our Place” is a fine name, but I always questioned the necessity of their adding another letter. I don’t recall whether they featured live music (like, say, Cleopatra’s Needle), but if they did, “Clap or Eat” might have worked; or, if they’d chosen to go vegetarian/vegan, a fitting name might have been “Taro Place”. Mexican? How about “Pearl Taco”?
Et cetera.
I first came across that amusing tidbit in the third (1988) edition of the “AIA Guide to New York City”, p. 318. Along the the current edition, of course, it’s a book well worth reading.
AEDNYC, if you’re still out there somewhere: A belated theory — might your mystery diner have been My Most Favorite Food at 247 West 72nd Street? I *think* they might have had a carousel.
https://www.westsiderag.com/2022/01/07/kosher-mainstay-my-most-favorite-food-suddenly-closes-restaurant
It would be wonderful if many of these photos could be bound in an album. I certainly would be willing to pay for the collection. I’ve been here since 1972 so I remember most of these places. It’s a beautiful trip down memory lane
The older I get the more I enjoy seeing these photos. I recognize most of the locations and always wonder about the kids in the photos and where they are today. It would be sad to see this feature come to an end, but thank you for sharing your memories with us! : )
Dear Mr. Harmon: Would you just put it on “loop”? It’s too good for goodbye.
Please stay. Your images are not only iconic, but stir a weekly awakening in so many from yesteryears! You provide the wonderful memories that many elders can come back to today, by remembering the good old days. You delight so many with images that evoke so much of our pasts. Might I humbly suggest you begin from the beginning again? This will provide a freshness to all and a newness to many. Grateful for you and your gift of knowledge, information, photographs that evoke a much needed outlet especially nowadays. Thank you endlessly
I look forward to your pics every week. Thank You!
Miss the statue of Teddy at the Museum, even though it triggered the woke mob, who completely mischaracterized this work of art and craftsmanship. Hopefully it’s now in a place where the artistry and allegorical representations will be appreciated, not politicized to suit a warped minority opinion.