-“A more foul and unpleasant spectacle has never been seen in New York.” Hornblow didn't know an awful lot about the city's history, it appears.
-A lot of those '60s and '70s gang names could also have served as names for the rock and soul/funk bands popular at the time (though probably not the Savage Skulls).
-It hurts me to see the Prospect Theatre as a vacant shell of what it had once been. I imagine it has company elsewhere in the city amongst the ones whose buildings haven't been torn down yet.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about Hornblow. He must live a very sheltered life.
Worked for the ghetto Brothers!
So many old theatres have been turned into gyms or cell phone stores or have just been left to decay. Every now and then, though they get a second life
I recognized Hornblow's name because his son Arthur Jr. later became a film producer.
We have a couple of theatres like that in Winnipeg. The Pantages was built for vaudeville shows in the 1910s but now it's a general purpose theatre with the original walls and marquee mostly intact. And the Metropolitan was an abandoned movie theatre that's gotten new life as a live venue.
As always, fascinating story and superb photographs. But what cracked me up: "Hats Cleaned 35" (cents, I'd guess), photo of Prospect Theater, Percy Loomis Sperr, 1938.
Wow! How long did they stay? Great article! You would think the boys club would get some kind of landmark status, but then again with the creepy endocrinologist history….
He lived there for a while, about 1930s-50s! Eventually opened a mattress store in Queens and met my grandma in Brooklyn. They eventually moved to Long Island and were horrified when I moved back to the city they worked so hard to escape 😅
-“A more foul and unpleasant spectacle has never been seen in New York.” Hornblow didn't know an awful lot about the city's history, it appears.
-A lot of those '60s and '70s gang names could also have served as names for the rock and soul/funk bands popular at the time (though probably not the Savage Skulls).
-It hurts me to see the Prospect Theatre as a vacant shell of what it had once been. I imagine it has company elsewhere in the city amongst the ones whose buildings haven't been torn down yet.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about Hornblow. He must live a very sheltered life.
Worked for the ghetto Brothers!
So many old theatres have been turned into gyms or cell phone stores or have just been left to decay. Every now and then, though they get a second life
I recognized Hornblow's name because his son Arthur Jr. later became a film producer.
We have a couple of theatres like that in Winnipeg. The Pantages was built for vaudeville shows in the 1910s but now it's a general purpose theatre with the original walls and marquee mostly intact. And the Metropolitan was an abandoned movie theatre that's gotten new life as a live venue.
I read that and learned that his name was the inspiration for C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower
I dig this indeed
off to watch The Warriors! amazing post. The theatre shell makes me sad!
I just read that Lin Manuel Miranda is working on a concept album based on the Warriors...
As always, fascinating story and superb photographs. But what cracked me up: "Hats Cleaned 35" (cents, I'd guess), photo of Prospect Theater, Percy Loomis Sperr, 1938.
Everyone wore hats back then so I imagine, even at 35¢ it was probably a very profitable business!
I guess the advent of the baseball cap put an end to a number of manufacturers and businesses ;)
'Crazy Boy" is hot!
I woke up at around 3 in the morning last night and it was looping in my head!
Great issue! My favorite photo is the liquor bottle shrine. Do you know the story on that one?
Thanks Anne! Besides the fact that he enjoyed Hennessy and died way too young, I know nothing.
And the gang story is fascinating. “In a landscape dominated by teenagers…” !!!
To be fair, that also describes my home
My grandpa's family was part of that Jewish migration into The Bronx!
Also, I read recently that the Hoe Avenue Boys Club of America is closing 😢
https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/05/16/madison-boy-girls-club-joel-smilow-clubhouse-hoe-avenue-gang-treaty/
Wow! How long did they stay? Great article! You would think the boys club would get some kind of landmark status, but then again with the creepy endocrinologist history….
He lived there for a while, about 1930s-50s! Eventually opened a mattress store in Queens and met my grandma in Brooklyn. They eventually moved to Long Island and were horrified when I moved back to the city they worked so hard to escape 😅
Extra love today’s audio and images!