Daily photographs by HANS VON RITTERN, with humorous, artistic and social commentary on life in the big city.

Latest

Photo of the day: NEXT STOP GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL

MTA TRAIN DISPLAY

New York Transit Museum’s 11th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central

 

My sweet friend from Finland Nana Kautto and I were doing our own little tour of NYC and found this amazing train display. We were instantly turned into little children with our mouths agape and eyes huge with wonderment. This is so awesome! Funny thing is now…NYC has a mountain range with a ski chalet (well…a pass-through mountain is kinda required with a model train set).  Grand Central Terminal turns 100 in 2013 and they’re starting the party early with their 11th annual Holiday Train Show! In a brand new layout by Lionel Trains, model Metro-North and New York Central trains depart from a miniature Grand Central on their way North on a 34′ long, two-level “O” gauge layout. Vintage model trains from the Museum’s collection are on display joined by stunning New York Central railroad posters harkening back to the Terminal’s heyday as the nexus of long distance and commuter train travel. Presented by the New York Transit Museum.

 

New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store Grand Central Terminal, Shuttle Passage, next to Station Master’s Office Monday – Friday 8 am to 8 pm Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day FREE ADMISSION Visit or shop online at www.mta.info/museum

Posted by  |  December 12, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo of the day” HOW ARE YOU BRINGING YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE HOME??

DSCN1312

HOW ARE YOU BRINGING YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE HOME?? . . . no story here, just askin’ ? . . .

Posted by  |  December 11, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo of the day: WHAT HAS 72 LEGS AND MOVES WITH PRECISION?:

ROCKETTES

WHAT HAS 72 LEGS AND MOVES WITH PRECISION?: The New York Radio City Music Hall Rockettes ! !
The Christmas Spectacular is the single most popular show in New York at Christmastime. 5,931 seats available for each show!!
There are two sets each of 36 dancers in each New York show. There are 80 Rockettes  (4 understudies), and they split the casts into 40 and 40. On the days with five shows, one cast will do two shows, the other will do three. On six-show days they divide it by three and three. So they can get a break, during the week they give each other a day off. The most they would do is four shows in a day.
A little known fact, if you are from Missouri (ironically the “show me” state) – you can be proud! The group was founded in St. Louis, Missouri by Russell Markert in 1925, originally performing as the “Missouri Rockets.” Markert had been inspired by the John Tiller Girls in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, and was convinced that “If I ever got a chance to get a group of American girls who would be taller and have longer legs and could do really complicated tap routines and eye-high kicks… they’d knock your socks off!” The group was brought to New York City by Samuel Roxy Rothafel to perform at his Roxy Theater and renamed the “Roxyettes.” When Rothafel left the Roxy Theatre to open Radio City Music Hall, the dance troupe followed and later became known as the Rockettes. The group performed as part of opening night at Radio City Music Hall on December 27, 1932. In 1936, the troupe won the grand prize at the “Paris Exposition de Dance”…the rest – is history !

Posted by  |  December 10, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo of the day: AL MEETS THE BLESSED SISTERS OF MOTHER TERESA

MOTHER TERESA

AL MEETS THE BLESSED SISTERS OF MOTHER TERESA:
These are the two sisters of The Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta here in New York City. They have met Al a homeless man, just off Broadway. I quickly photographed them since I don’t recall seeing the Mother Teresa garb in our streets before. As I got closer the conversation went something like this:
Sisters: Please don’t photograph us. Why are you photographing us?
Me: Because it was a beautiful moment.
Al: Are you famous?
Me: No, I’m just a blogging photographer.
Al: You sure you’re not famous, because I know a lot of famous people.
Sisters: Well Al, it was a pleasure talking with you, we have to be going now…
Al: Hey sisters! I didn’t get you telephone number.
The sisters and I looked at each other.
Al: Mister, you sure you’re not famous? Where can I see your photos, are they in my stuff here? I got all kinds of books here, I found ’em. Let me get your email so when I become famous we can email each other and I can get your pictures of me and the sisters here.
Sisters: Al, how can you email if this is your home?
Al: I can send brainwaves, they’re just like emails.
The sisters and I look at each other again.
Sisters: It was so nice to meet you Al, God bless you. Let me give you this card, it was blessed by Mother Teresa herself, and this medal too.
One of the sisters opens a tin to reveal dozens of tiny little medals, all supposedly blessed by Mother Teresa herself. She kisses the medal and the card and hands them to Al.
Al: I gotta look this Teresa up. Hey Mister, you famous? No seriously, give your email.
I gave him an email which just might have been a few digits off…
Sisters: Bless you my son too, here please take one of these blessed medals from Mother Teresa too.
Al: I thought I was the only one getting a medal?
Sisters: They are meant for all good people.
Al: Hey! I know lots of famous people!
I took my card and medal, and graciously thanked the sisters. We then made our excuses and went on our separate ways, me wondering if I would be getting any brainwaves from Al soon. To this moment, they haven’t arrived yet 🙂
MOTHER TERESA'S CARD

Posted by  |  December 9, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

JOHN LENNON October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980

DSC_1408X

JOHN LENNON October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980. This is me attending the screening of the hand restored “Yellow Submarine” at the Zeigfield Theater in NYC May, 5, 2012. I had the privilege of meeting Al Brodax the producer of the 1968 art masterpiece. All you need is love…

Posted by  |  December 8, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo of the day: THERE ARE FAIRIES IN NEW YORK CITY!

FAIRIES

THERE ARE FAIRIES IN NEW YORK CITY!:  . . . well, yes, we have many different kinds of fairies 🙂

Posted by  |  December 8, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photo of the day: HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGIE IN THE BASKET?

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE BASKET?: This is Madison the Scottish Terrier, she is very comfy being taken for a ride in her Duane Reade shopping basket. Madison was coasting along Third Avenue and 32nd Street, lovingly pulled by her owner Bernice (Bernie, as she prefers to be called). “Madison is only a one block errand dog, today we are on a three block errand, she doesn’t do three blocks.”
When I bent down to get a close-up of Madison’s adorable face and noticed the cart marked ‘Please do not remove from store’, Madison seemed to be saying ‘Hey, I didn’t steal this thing, Bernie made me do it!’
DSC_6871X
Bernie is a retired architect who at one time lived on Park Avenue, “but those were the good times, I live in this neighborhood now.” I could relate to that. It turns out were are both Nikon enthusiasts, except Bernie still shoots with a traditional film camera. She reminisced about her old days and said when she looks at some of the big architectural projects she had done she thinks “my god, did I really do that?” Bernie lit up when she talked about the past. We started to say our goodbyes and Bernie said “well I have to get home to Lexington.” “Great,” I said, “you’ve only got one more block to go.” “No,” Bernie answered, “that’s my other dog.” I smiled broadly, you see, Lexington and Madison happen to be major avenues here in New York.
DSC_6896X DSC_6879X
As I walked away I started to wonder, exactly when did Bernie figure out Madison and the cart are a perfect fit? Doesn’t matter, they are both happy (except for Duane Reade of course).
(Duane Reade is our giant drug store chain here in NYC.)

Posted by  |  December 7, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Photo of the day: ENJOYING THE LAST WARM DAYS OF WINTER WITH VERA

VERA
ENJOYING THE LAST WARM DAYS OF WINTER WITH VERA: Yesterday was one of those last early warm December days you could find a comfortable chair in the park and close your eyes and drift back to summer memories of years gone by.
I took advantage of the warmth and made myself comfortable, as I did, I was intrigued by the woman sitting nearby, I sensed she has a bright spirit by the accessories she was wearing. A purple crinkle fabric handbag and a classic Vera scarf to go with her elegant black velvet jacket. Remember Vera deigns? How chic they were in the 1960’s with the little lady bug logo? Bright splashes of bold colors on bold flowers and bold waves of the paint brush swirled delicately about. Marilyn Monroe was a fan of Vera scarves.
I had to photograph her. What resulted . . . is this picture of peaceful elegant serenity. Beautiful expressive scarf, beautiful expressive hands, beautiful expressive face. Ageing gracefully has always been an art.

http://www.theveracompany.com/

Posted by  |  December 6, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I HAVE BEEN CARTOON-IZED by artist SCOTT CLARKE !

HANS ala SCOTT CLARKE TOONE
SCOTT CLARKE aka CRABBY CARDS has become a dear friend and we have never met! We are one of the many Facebook friendships that have resulted from finding things we have in common – for us it’s CHER.
He is a wonderful father, friend, fan and humorous and humanitarian cartoonist and caricature artist. Cher herself is a fan of his cards as are many of the celebs he so lovingly portrays. He works hard at his local Annapolis, Maryland Home Depot where paints all the event signs, does face painting for the children’s events and in his spare time cares for his group of seniors he calls “my Golden Girls.”
This morning I awoke to find I had joined the ranks of Cher, Dolly Parton and Streisand! I have been Scot-tooned! He has lovingly captured “me”!
If you have a nearby event or need the more unusual cards for all sorts of events and causes check him out! Cards, signs, posters, shirts that have a bit of sass, laffs and attitude, please contact him or visit his web site, you won’t regret it and it will make you smile!
Scott Clarke
Artist, Writer
443 875 8641
crabbycards@aol.com
www.crabbycards.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crabby-Cards/163880840406766
558769_10151258309678405_179846839_n

300079_10151262891548405_1863502198_n

215859_300963316671242_730714970_n

73815_469857946385599_660033487_n

75977_439933726069472_181054701_n

Posted by  |  December 5, 2012 | Categories: DAILY PHOTOS WITH STORIES OF NEW YORK CITY | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

IS ANYONE ABLE TO UPLOAD PHOTOS??? I can’t !

If you click New pOST ON UPPER RIGHT IT FREEZES.
iF YOU CLICK ON YOUR NAME ON UPPER LEFT AS i DO EVERY DAY, “NEW IMAGE” it’ll start to upload then freeze. (sorry caps)
ANYONE KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON??

Posted by  |  December 5, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment