Photo of the day: FRIED EGG OR PURPLE WIG – IT’S ALL THE SAME
FRIED EGG OR A PURPLE WIG – IT’S ALL THE SAME: (From Bette Midler’s 1977 “Live At Last” album)
“I was walking down 42nd street one day, I wasn’t workin’42nd street I was walkin 42nd street. And this amazing thing happened to me. It was July it was about 98 degrees. It was hot, hot for New York You know and I was walking east and this humungous person was coming west. And she had this big blue house dress on peppered all over with little white daisies. She was almost bald but sitting on top of her head, forehead you know on her forehead was this fried egg. Which I thought was really unusual. Because in New York City the ladies with the fried eggs on their heads don’t generally come out until September or October you know. Here was this lady this demented lady with a little fried egg on her head in the middle of July. God what a sight and ever, ever since I saw that lady not one day goes by that I don’t think of her and I say to myself “Oh God, don’t let me wake up tomorrow and want to put a fried egg on my head. Oh God. “Then I say real fast I say ” Oh God, If by chance I should wind up with a fried egg on my head”;cause sometimes you can’t help those things you know, you can’t. I say to myself “don’t let anybody notice.”And then I say real fast after that “if they do notice that I’m carrying something that, that’s not quite right and they want to talk about it, let ’em talk about it but don’t let ’em talk so I can hear I don’t want to hear it.” Cause the truth about fried eggs, you can call it a fried egg, you can call it anything you like, but everybody gets one, some people wear ’em on the outside, some people they wear ’em on the inside.”
Photo of the day: DUPLEX APARTMENT AVAILABLE
DUPLEX APARTMENT AVAILABLE: GREAT DUPLEX APARTMENT RENTAL IN ASTORIA, QUEENS. WALKING DISTANCE TO TRAIN STATION! 2 LEVELS, 2BR, 1.5BA, FRONT PORCH, KITCHENETTE , LIVING ROOM W/VIEWS, BONUS DECK, OFF-STREET PARKING, PRE-WIRED. SMALL PETS WELCOME.
Photo of the day: BANAN-APEAL
BANAN-APEAL: The economy is taking a bad turn when our local fruits are begging in the streets! This down and out banana was found a-peeling for funds on east 40th street Friday afternoon. ‘Brother, can you spare an ice cream scoop?” “I’ll ripen for $1.00.” “Do I a-peel to you?” “I’ll peel for $2.00!”
Truth be told, I was in a hurry to an appointment down the street when I passed this scene and found it quite amusing and odd. Half an hour later I passed by and still no one was there, so I went into one of the local stores to shop. Fifteen minutes later, still no one, just the banana. When I asked how the banana was doing, it said “I just miss the rest of the bunch.”
Photo of the day: IDENTITY CRISIS
IDENTITY CRISIS: the Milford Plaza Hotel in Times Square seems to be suffering from a bad case of identity crisis. Due to an electrical shortage the full service hotel’s sign seems to be confused between ‘Motel’ and ‘Hotel’. (Slightly reminiscent of the Bates Motel in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Psycho”).
From the gallery: PHIL THE ALBINO PEACOCK
‘Phil’ is an albino peacock who lives in the gardens of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Harlem NYC with his brothers Jim and Harry who are the standard green/purple colors of a peacock. St. John the Divine is the largest gothic style cathedral in the world, two football fields long. Built in 1892, it is still in the process of being built. When attending an organ concert at the cathedral you will hear Phil chime in, he screeches along to the music.
Photo of the day: FLOATING
FLOATING: This hyper-realistic sculpture sits in Petrosino Square, the triangular pocket park at the intersection of Soho, Little Italy, and Chinatown. It is by artist Carole Feuerman as part of NYC’s public arts program. It is unbelievably detailed down to the translucent drops of water on her skin – it is called ‘The Survival of Serena’. Here is a link to Carole’s web site, it is astounding: http://www.carolefeuerman.com/
Photo of the day: A GRANDE DAME – OPERA SINGER ANNY CORNELIUS, MY AUNT
A GRANDE DAME – ANNY CORNELIUS, MY AUNT: 10-18-1898 to 6-8-1987. Opera singer. Sister to my mother’s mother. My grandmother was Amahlie Jeahne who was a concert pianist and also a soprano opera singer who sang Queen of the Night under the direction of iconic German conductor Herbert Von Karajan. Anny was the feisty one. She gave up her whole life for her opera career with the Berlin State Opera. She lived and breathed music. To Karajan’s astonishment she had perfect pitch. She could hit the note just like that! Karajan would always say: “Get the little dark one to hit the note, she can do it!” That…somewhat annoyed yet impressed opera diva Maria Callas. Callas would not associate with the rest of any cast much, but she always remembered my great aunt. Despite being German, Anny had somewhat of a olive complexion and thick, beautiful dark brown long hair and big brown saucer eyes. This intrigued both Karajan and Callas. So hence – Callas and Karajan dubbed her “the little dark one”. Both called her that for the rest of their lives. When in Venice, Callas would write Anny letters saying ‘my little dark one, the party won’t be the same without you, please come.’ Anny sang some of the top roles such as The Rosenkavalier and Carmen, her career was about to break so she would receive top billing continuously, but World War II ended what many believe, would have been an astounding career. As with 9/11, inhaling all that debris when running from the bombings and the gases, never brought her voice to quite what it was. The fate for so many singers at the time. So…she taught. Her classes in her 5 floor walk up apartment were much sought after.
Royalty had proposed marriage to Anny. She could have any suitor she wanted. Her sister Amahlie married, Anny…was married to the passion of her music – her career. She had music in her soul! She sang for the soldiers during the bombing attacks in Berlin. He presence lit up a room. Her laugh was a rolling waterfall of notes. The life of every party, which is why Callas would always invite her.
The letters from Callas are all gone. Anny was one of the first people to recognizably die of Alzheimer’s disease. Although at first it was assumed it was old age senility. She retired in a home for opera singers paid for by the German state. My mother, her sister and I lived in New York. We couldn’t be by her side all the time in her last months. Mom supported the family, ‘oma/grandma’ took care of me. Her neighbors knew of the Callas treasures and talked her out of them. When we arrived in her last days, most everything was gone. All we have are a few distant remnants of her glorious past. She is hard to find on the internet although some opera buffs have found recordings of her we have yet to find ourselves. We only own one record and her publicity photos. Here she is at the height of her career. Anny was my Auntie Mame to the fullest. Grande dame, dramatic, ultra chic and worldly – she taught me how to “live”. Anny Cornelius – today is her birthday.
Royalty had proposed marriage to Anny. She could have any suitor she wanted. Her sister Amahlie married, Anny…was married to the passion of her music – her career. She had music in her soul! She sang for the soldiers during the bombing attacks in Berlin. He presence lit up a room. Her laugh was a rolling waterfall of notes. The life of every party, which is why Callas would always invite her.
The letters from Callas are all gone. Anny was one of the first people to recognizably die of Alzheimer’s disease. Although at first it was assumed it was old age senility. She retired in a home for opera singers paid for by the German state. My mother, her sister and I lived in New York. We couldn’t be by her side all the time in her last months. Mom supported the family, ‘oma/grandma’ took care of me. Her neighbors knew of the Callas treasures and talked her out of them. When we arrived in her last days, most everything was gone. All we have are a few distant remnants of her glorious past. She is hard to find on the internet although some opera buffs have found recordings of her we have yet to find ourselves. We only own one record and her publicity photos. Here she is at the height of her career. Anny was my Auntie Mame to the fullest. Grande dame, dramatic, ultra chic and worldly – she taught me how to “live”. Anny Cornelius – today is her birthday.
Roles sung: The Count – The Rosenkavalier
One of the Rhine Maidens – The Ring at Bayreuth under Karajan
Carmen – Bizet’s Carmen
Role unknown – Verdi’s Troubador
Erda – Wagner’s Götterdämmerung
Photo of the day: YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO . . .
YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO . . . : Wear a mini skirt, fish net stockings, black leather knee high boots and to try to figure out how to use your iPhone !
Photo of the day: GETTING SOME TAIL
GETTING SOME TAIL: The Nestle’s Quick bunny made an appearance at a local Greenwich Village fair recently. He was very adorable and bounced around and danced so much with the little kids that his tail came loose. His cameraman quickly alerted “Quick” and they tried to find a secluded corner over by the vegetables and flowers still being set up. That excited these two little girls who wanted to know if even chocolate bunnies really do love their carrots so much. The entire time they were so enchanted by Mr. Bunny that they were clueless that he was having his tail fixed.
“Ah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love carrots.”
“Ok, move it along kid.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna eat the carrots, in a minute, now give Mr, Bunny some privacy, move it along kid….”
Photo of the day: CLOUDBURST
CLOUDS:
Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air and feather canyons everywhere, I’ve looked at clouds that way. But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone. So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow it’s cloud illusions I recall. I really don’t know clouds at all.
Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel as every fairy tale comes real; I’ve looked at love that way. But now it’s just another show. You leave ’em laughing when you go and if you care, don’t let them know, don’t give yourself away.
I’ve looked at love from both sides now, from give and take, and still somehow it’s love’s illusions that I recall. I really don’t know love at all.
Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say “I love you” right out loud, dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I’ve looked at life that way. But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say I’ve changed. Something’s lost but something’s gained in living every day.
I’ve looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose, and still somehow it’s life’s illusions I recall. I really don’t know life at all.
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow it’s cloud illusions I recall. I really don’t know clouds at all.
Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel as every fairy tale comes real; I’ve looked at love that way. But now it’s just another show. You leave ’em laughing when you go and if you care, don’t let them know, don’t give yourself away.
I’ve looked at love from both sides now, from give and take, and still somehow it’s love’s illusions that I recall. I really don’t know love at all.
Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say “I love you” right out loud, dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I’ve looked at life that way. But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say I’ve changed. Something’s lost but something’s gained in living every day.
I’ve looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose, and still somehow it’s life’s illusions I recall. I really don’t know life at all.
“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell from the 1969 album “Clouds”
Photo of the day: COUNTING THE DAY’S RECEIPTS
COUNTING THE DAY’S RECEIPTS: “I could just die without my Starbucks coffee in the morning.” “I always get the giant popcorn at the movies.” “I could just die for a pair of Louboutin shoes!” “I got great seats to see the game.” “Cigarettes are so expensive.” “Do you have a dishwasher in your apartment?” “Time for a mani and pedi.” “Let’s order Chinese.”
There but for the grace of God go I.
Photo of the day: KNEE PAD ELMO
KNEE PAD ELMO: Elmo’s dad wears knee pads and it kinda really creeps me out. I really don’t want to know what he is doing with those knee pads in the Times Square area.
From the gallery: MARGE SIMPSON’S BEAUTY SALON
THE SIMPSON’S BEAUTY SALON: Ever wonder where Marge Simpson gets her blue up-do hair done? Well I found the place! Apparently when Marge is in New York she goes to “Hair We Are” at 45-15 Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside, Queens. Their window designer ‘Lawrence’ may not have realized that their mascot painted in their window has a very strong resemblance to the residents of Homer & Marge Simpson’s Springfield 🙂
UPDATE: July 20, 2014 – The above hair salon has closed and been replaced with a new hair salon with much better decor 🙂
Photo of the day: THE GREAT GATSBY’S VIEW
THE GREAT GATSBY’S VIEW: A rich and storied past surrounds the Mansfield Hotel, 12 west 44th street, located on famed Club Row, one of the most prestigious and history laden blocks in New York City.
Prior to the Mansfield’s construction in 1903, an orphanage occupied the same real estate until 1867, followed by a three-story brick stable that was built to service the opulent mansions along Fifth Avenue owned by the era’s social “elite”, including notables such as the Vanderbilts, Goelets, Whitneys, Goulds and the Mills.
Then in 1890, one of the most celebrated Architects of the era, James Renwick, was retained to design the Mansfield Hotel. His masterful works include Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, The New York Public Library and St. Bartholomew’s Church, as well as many other historic buildings throughout the city.
Constructed in the popular Beaux Arts style, and influenced by neoclassical Roman and Greek architecture with these beautiful copper bay windows, the Mansfield was originally built as a hostelry for well-heeled bachelors and socialites. Notables such as painter John Butler Yeats, father of the poet William Butler Yeats, stayed to experience a thriving New York following his immigration from Ireland. During the 1950s, the Mansfield was home to Maz von Gurach, who was believed to be the inspiration for Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
Photo of the day: EARTHLY REMAINS – THE LAST RECORD STANDING AT COLONY RECORDS
Photo courtesy of Richard Turk
EARTHLY REMAINS – THE LAST RECORD STANDING AT COLONY RECORDS: My 100th post.
A story of eerie coincidence. Colony records was an iconic sheet music and record store on Broadway which sadly closed after 64 years a few weeks ago. Repeat patrons included Benny Goodman, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Eartha Kitt and Michael Jackson, who in his later years took to scheduling after-hours appointments to drop by.
In my Sept. 28 blog “The Music Man’s Last Verse” I told the story of meeting Richard Turk the owner as I was trying to photograph the moving out and demolition of the store. We shared our memories of the store and (it turns out) our mutual love for singer and actress Eartha Kitt. “I was obsessed with her song C’est Si Bon, and of course fantasized about her as the Cat Woman on the Batman TV show.” Richard fondly recounted. His fantasy came true when one night, “Eartha Kitt came in, the store simply exploded!!! An absolute dynamite personality!”
I myself became obsessed with her when I saw her sing “I Want to be Evil” on the Ed Sullivan show in the early 1960’s. In the era of blonde Doris Day virgins, here was this black woman that wanted to be evil, I thought it was divine! I sought out all her records and amassed quite a collection with the help of Colony Records. In 1978 my dream came true when I met her March 1, 1978 at the Mark Hellinger theater when she starred in all the all black version of ‘Kismet’, a new show called “Timbuktu”. She made her entrance on top of a pyramid of black muscle men, one of them being a former Mr. Universe. She slithered down the pyramid and strode to the front of the stage, curled her bare toes over the edge, rose her arms and purred “I’m here!” It usually took many minutes for the wild enthusiastic applause to die down. I was in heaven. I crashed the opening party and was invited into her dressing room and she herself then invited me to Sardi’s opening party and we became friends after that, dancing nights away at Studio 54 and then exchanging letters while she toured with the show.
Fast forward to Wednesday, September 26, 2012 and Richard and his son were shooting some video memories in the Colony, everything was cleaned out and they were in the basement when his son showed Richard one solitary record left on a shelf. “This is 100% the truth…” Richard said, “This LP was the only item left in the empty Colony”
RCA 1953 Viktor 10″ LPM 3062 “RCA Viktor Presents Eartha Kitt” containing both songs “C’est Si Bon” and “I Want to be Evil”. As Richard put it, “Erie shit…stranger than fiction eh!!”
The Earthly remains of Colony Records…Richard has kept the record for his private collection.
Photo of the day: RIBBON OF LIFE
RIBBON OF LIFE: Subway platforms are like ribbons of film to me, continuous little vignettes freezing life. Looking forward, looking down, looking back. Life on hold till the next action comes. Perfectly posed actors in the play of life.
“The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it’s as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all yourself from the clues.”
From the gallery: HELLO DOWN THERE!
HOLOGRAM HELLO: As you descend the steep stairs of legendary Greenwich Village nightclub Cafe Wha?, this 3D light sculpture/hologram hovers over your head and greets you as you descend into rock music’s history.
Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Kool & the Gang, as well as comedic legends Woody Allen, Lenny Brice, Joan Rivers, Cosby and Pryor have all begun their careers here. Thank goodness it’s still here! Going down . . .
Photo of the day: CATCHING UP
CATCHING UP: Bryant Park behind the grand public library on Fifth Avenue is where all walks of life converge. It is one of my most cherished places to study and photograph people, to study their contrasts and comparisons. It is a park always rich with untold life’s stories.
I call this scene “Catching Up”. Three individual all have something in common yet their stories are most likely so diverse. The man on the left seems like a tired business man or clerk enjoying the sun on his lunch hour. Well dressed, neat clean – yet as the hours passed he remained in his coveted sunlit chair, he is not what he seems at first. Either loneliness or homelessness brings him to the park every day so he can read the daily newspapers loaned out by the library in their “outdoor reading room”.
The woman in the center fascinates me. Very positive body language. Assertively studying The Financial Times, article by article. Sophisticated mannerisms, briskly snapping the pages about, smartly dressed, but her ragged overstuffed suitcase gives her away – she is homeless. It is tragic to think that a woman with such intelligence would be brought to this point in life, what could have happened to her? I always think to myself “there but for the grace of God go I”. For these warm moments in the sun, the situation of her life is gone and she studies the world’s problems as she may have done so in her office perhaps at one time.
The man on the right is a messenger waiting for his beeper to go off to go on a call. It didn’t go off in the few hours I was there. Slumped from exhaustion he rests, determined to work if given the chance. He remained absolutely motionless steeped in slumber, perhaps escaping from the day. Each one of them sharing the same library garden to catch up.
From the gallery: THE WATER HOG
THE WATER HOG: This was the scene outside my window the other afternoon. A frustrated little sparrow kept waiting his turn for a sip of water, but this fat pigeon wouldn’t move out of the water dish. I have this dish set up so that the birds and squirrels always have some crucial water to drink. In the summer months I have to refill it twice a day. Most birds come for their morning and afternoon drink and socialize on my fire escape. My local squirrel (dubbed Oscar) receives an unsalted peanut every day. So we were a happy little bunch till this fat pigeon showed up the other day. He/she apparently thinks it is their personal sitz bath. This poor little sparrow kept coming back again and again, hopping around the dish to just get that one little sip while the pigeon contently contemplated life with it’s eyes closed, resting in the water dish.
Can you just imagine the conversation?:
“Ah, hey bud, you about finished in there?”
“Hey bud?!”
“You’re not going to fart in there on anything like that are you? I mean you’re just sitting there, right? No pooping either right?”
“Hey! It’s our water dish too and my other sparrow friends are gonna come in a minute and, and, and – well, we’ll come and stare at your rude self!”
“Hey, you even listening?”
“Gee! Peep, peep!”
Nothing, the pigeon just keeps it’s eyes closed till sundown when it finally stretched it’s wings, waddled over to the edge of the fire escape and flew off to his condo somewhere nearby. Another day in Sunnyside, Queens, 3rd floor.
Photo of the day: NEW YORK NOIR
NEW YORK NOIR: The angular shadows, the foggy side streets, footsteps in a deserted alley, the dame in distress trying to find the private dick’s office. Those great silver screen moments seem still alive in the shadowy alleys in New York at midnight. The Madison Square Park area abounds with such atmosphere that you might just expect to see Lauren Bacall following Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe to his dimly lit office while danger lurks around every corner of our wonderful narrow art deco imposing side streets.
From the gallery: FLY OVER
FLY OVER: Some of the best break dancers can be found in New York City’s Battery Park, entertaining ‘the troups/tourists’ by the hundreds as they come and go seeing the Statue of Liberty via ferry boat. They do incredible one hand stands, back flips and contortions but the ‘shows’ big finale is this ‘fly over’. They gather six people from the crowd, all sizes and line them up in a perfect row and ask them all to lean to the left and to the right alternately. Then with amazing speed and agility the lead dancer does a flip right over their heads! Can I get a standing ovation?
Photo of the day: COFFEE SHOP STILL LIFE
COFFEE SHOP STILL LIFE: Americana is the classic local coffee shop with the Coke machine, the cake tray bearing the last croissant, the classic pewter coffee shop water pitcher, the calculator to add the take-out order’s total. This little corner of Americana is the New Post Coffee Shop on Queens Blvd and 40th Street. It is comfort. Having stood still in time since the 1960’s, it is reassuring that the hectic pace of change can go away, just for that time you spend here. The classic ketchup bottle on the counter, those wonderful thick white coffee mugs, the cake trays with the plastic domes, the sizzle of the gridle, vinyl covered counter stools that twirl, laminate counters with plastic menus offering a wide variety of comfort food to make that awful boss, that annoying subway ride or that really bad day just go away.
Photos of the day: CAR SURFING by DEE THE WHITE RAPPER
CAR SURFING by DEE THE WHITE RAPPER: Crossing West 46th Street I came across a nice moment of a homeless person asking for cigarettes from the cars waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Guy in a white Toyota Solara generously offered a cigarette. I caught the moment on camera.
Man in car notices me. Looks at me, I call out: “It was a nice moment!”. Man in car in very cocky manner sez to me “You really want to see something?”
Ok, this can go many ways. Am I going to get flashed or mooned? Feeling I’m at a safe distance I just replied “Ok….”
“You just keep watching, ok?”
“Ok.”
“Keep your camera on me.”
“Ok….”
I’m getting a little worried, the car starts to move and the man starts to fumble with his seatbelt. I’m betting on getting mooned. He starts to slowly rise out of his car seat. I am convinced I’m about to get a ‘moon shot’. As the car speeds up the street, he totally stands up in the car seat while the car is moving, arms outstretched as the car heads up the street. The traffic light turns red. I run to catch up to the car.
He – is ‘Dee The White Rapper’ who makes appearances on the Howard Stern Show and is part of his Camera Gangsters. “That was not what I expected, cool!” I called out.
“I’m going to do it again, run up the street.” Now with more
confidence I run ahead of the car. Slowly the the Solara makes it’s way up the
street towards the camera and Sean Dee boldly ‘surfs’ the car up 46th Street. As
the car speeds away, Dee calls out “I do this all the time!”
confidence I run ahead of the car. Slowly the the Solara makes it’s way up the
street towards the camera and Sean Dee boldly ‘surfs’ the car up 46th Street. As
the car speeds away, Dee calls out “I do this all the time!”
NEW YORK CITY - IN THE WIT OF AN EYE 