By Rob Garber for the Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
Welcome to another installment in the Rag’s Historical Photo Challenge. The image above was taken somewhere on the Upper West Side, sometime in the past. Can you figure out where, when, and what it shows? Look closely; this week’s challenge photo, like the others in the series, includes clues that will help you identify the scene, if you’re a dedicated UWS history sleuth. And even if you don’t recognize the picture—not to worry! Come back in two weeks and I’ll decode it, show you the clues that help identify it, and—best of all—tell you a story the image unlocks, because this column isn’t just a test of your neighborhood knowledge; it’s also a rolling celebration of the people, buildings and events that wove the tapestry of the Upper West Side.
Ready? If you think you know where and when the photo was taken and what it shows, post your answer as a comment on this column.
Solution to Historical Photo Challenge #27
Subject: Rip’s Tennis Courts
Location: West End Ave between West 94th and 96th streets
Year: approximately 1917
Image Source: Museum of the City of New York
Clues: The Hudson River view tells you that we’re looking south, and the distance to the river dictates that this is West End Avenue rather than Riverside Drive or Broadway. At least two of the buildings from 1917 are standing today, including 749 WEA, a handsome 1912 Rouse and Goldstone-designed apartment house featuring a top story arcade described by LandmarkWest! as having “engaged columns, decorative piers and shields and cartouches.” Further down WEA, the second building visible behind the courts is 306-308 West 94th, a George Pelham apartment house from the turn of the 20th century that has been rentals, SROs, and the Hotel Alexander.
The rest of the story: Robert “Rip” Dolman was a legend on the Manhattan tennis scene of the first half of the 20th century. His commercial tennis ventures, operated with three brothers, contrasted with the snootier tennis clubs, building courts on vacant land being held for appreciation before development. Their first location was this one on West End Avenue—note the chain link fence and the homemade-looking sign. Photographs taken during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration show that there were tennis courts at West 96th Street at least as early as September 1909. In winter it was easy to flood the courts and turn them into an ice-skating emporium. It looks like a humble operation, but the Dolman tennis empire, which at various times included courts at 39th and Park and at Sutton Place, attracted some of the best players of the era—Bill Tilden, Don Budge, and Brooke Shields’s grandfather Frank Shields.
…and that’s the story behind the mystery image. Scroll back to the top of the column and take on your next challenge, Sherlockians! If you’ve missed any pictures in this series, you can find the complete set on my author page. All photos used with permission.
About the author: Rob Garber has lived on the Upper West Side since the late 20th century and is a member of the Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group. To learn more, visit their website at upperwestsidehistory.org. All photos in Upper West Side Historical Photo Challenge are used by permission.
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