Betty Boop/St.James Infirmary

I went to a program at the Smithsonian today on New York City in the 1930's, taught by Saul Lilienstein and George Scheper. It covered art, music and architecture. One of the of most interesting discoveries for me was how different animation was before Walt Disney got a hold of it. 

Back in March I posted an amazing Art Deco animation  called "Miss Glory". Here is animated film Lilienstein showed today. It is Betty Boop in "Snow White" with Cab Calloway singing "St. James Infirmary". The film is from 1933, back in the day before animation was considered something just for kids.

Lady LIberty Turns 125

The Denver Post's Plog has a set of over 100 photographs covering the the Statue of Liberty's history, beginning with it's construction by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi's, up through yesterday's anniversary of President Grover Cleveland's dedication of the statue on October 28, 1886.


The 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty

Demise of the Chelsea Hotel

My third post on the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. My 11/29/10 post included a photograph I took of the Hotel last year. My 12/19/10 post included a link to the Guardian's "Top 10 Chelsea Hotel Moments".

Now an article from the Daily Mail on what may be the Hotel's final demise. The article contains an extensive account of the Chelsea's notorious history.


The world's most decadent hotel

NYC Subway as Stringed Instrument

Artist Alexander Chen has turned New York City's subway map into a digital work of musical art. As trains cross paths on Massimo Vignelli's 1972 subway map they strum the lines. Go to Chen's interactive site, and you can also play the lines, or just watch the video below. An article, including an interview with Chen, is available here.

Conductor: www.mta.me from Alexander Chen on Vimeo.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

One hundred years ago, on March 25, 1911, one of the worst workplace disasters in U.S. history took place when the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burned killing 146 people, mostly girls and young women. Among the many New Yorkers who watched in horror as young women jumped to their death from the burning building was Francis Perkins. Perkins, later Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, became one of the most important figures behind the New Deal and reform of labor laws.

In the aftermath of the disaster, fire codes across the country were strengthened, undoubtedly saving many since then.



[Added 3/26/11: A video from the memorial held yesterday for the victims of the fire.]

Astor Place Riot

Tonight are the Oscars. We will find out who is allegedly the best. Despite the fact that our political disputes have become so nasty, in the last 150 years we seem to have become a bit more civilized in the way we determine who is the best actor. In 1849 the Astor Place Riot broke out in New York City, killing at least 25 and injuring over 100. The riot was brought on by a dispute over who was the best Shakespearean actor, Edwin Forrest, an American or William Charles Macready, an Englishman. There were deeper underlying reasons for riots, like relations between the US and Britain, and class conflicts. Still I trust that no one will be killed at the Academy Awards tonight, unless someone gets trampled to death trying to get a glimpse of the Red Carpet.

Astor Place Riot

Chelsea Hotel

Last month's post NYC Buildings contained a photograph I took of the Chelsea Hotel. The guardian.co.uk has a set of pictures representing the "The 10 best Chelsea hotel moments", including Edie Sedgwick (pictured below) setting fire to her room. I am not sure "best" is the most appropriate word here, since a couple of the incidents involve death, and a couple others mayhem. Maybe it should be the 10 most notorious moments.

The 10 best Chelsea hotel moments

Eat Drink Art Design

Photographs of objects from the exhibition Eat Drink Art Design at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. These are some of the pieces that struck me the most, including this one by Keith Haring.

Note: Once the slide show opens, if you click at the top where it says "Show Info" the descriptions should appear with the photographs.

Eat Drink Art Design

NYC Buildings

Some more photographs from my New York City trip. Here are pictures of some buildings around New York City, including this one of the Chelsea Hotel.

Various NYC Buildings

Times Square

I spent several hours in Times Square last weekend waiting in line at the ticket booth. I have a post on my music blog about the two shows I went to see, Memphis and Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson. Here is a set of photographs I took while waiting in the ticket line.

Times Square

Madison Square Park & Flatiron Building

Two more sets of photographs from my trip to New York City.

First some monuments and sites around Madison Square Park, including this photograph of Secretary of State William H. Seward, most famous for negotiating the purchase of Alaska. If not for this man, Sarah Palin might be a Russian. Just something to think about.

Madison Square Park

At the southwest corner of Madison Square sits the storied Flatiron Building. Completed in 1902, it is considered one of the first skyscrapers ever constructed. Daniel Burnham and Frederick P. Dinkelberg were the architects.

The Flatiron: The New York Landmark and the Incomparable City That Arose with It, an interesting, well written account of the building's history by Alice Sparberg Alexiou, a descendant of one of the former owners, was published earlier this year.

The Flatiron Building

The High Line

Once an elevated railway bringing trains into the Meatpacking District on the west side of Manhattan, the High Line is now a park that runs through and above the city. The portion that is currently open runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, but it will eventually extend up to 34th Street. It was a bit overcast last Saturday when I took these photographs, so they are a little dull, but you can still see what is there. These are all photographs of or taken from the High Line.

Note: Once the slide show opens, if you click at the top where it says "Show Info" the descriptions should appear with the photographs.

The High Line

Picture ot the Day - 11/21/2010

Just back from two days in New York City. I will do more posts later this week. For now here is a picture of the stacked parking at 20th Street and 10th Avenue.

Pictures of the Day - 2010

NYC by Alfred Stieglitz

A collection of photographs of New York City. taken by Alfred Stieglitz in the late 19th and early 20th century.

New York City by Alfred Stieglitz

New York at Night

A collection of images taken by British photographer Jason Hawkes showing the dazzling lights of the most famous skyline. He captured the series from a helicopter for a new book New York at Night.

Aerial views of New York

World Trade Center Site

A video of a day at the World Trade Center site.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Central Park

Here are the pictures I took in Central Park on Sunday.

Spring in Central Park

Pictures From New York

I was hoping to take more pictures on Sunday, but it rained in the afternoon. I got pictures of Times Square on Saturday night and Central Park on Sunday morning.

Saturday Night & Sunday Morning - NYC 01/2010