On the way to visit my mom at the nursing home, we were drawn to Coney Island for some reason. Yes, I did have a craving for Nathans and that played heavily into our decision to make a detour before heading out to Manhattan Beach. When we got there we were surprised to see so many people. Apparently today was opening day! Yes, Spring is definitely here. Sorry we missed all the Cyclone drama.
March 30th, 2015:
Firestone Then and Now – Bedford Avenue & Empire Blvd – Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Fay Sturtevant Lincoln, known professionally as F. S. Lincoln, was an architectural photographer active from the 1930s to the 1950s in New York City, Long Island, New York State, and with commissions in Charleston, South Carolina, and Williamsburg, Virginia. – Penn State University Libraries
Vincenzo and I have passed by this corner countless times while driving up Bedford Avenue from end to end. Today we had to stop and look at it with new eyes of wonder. We both have known about Bedford Avenue’s history with automobile dealers since Brooklyn transitioned from a horse-town to an automobile town. Other remnants like the Studebaker showroom building and the Avenue D Oldsmobile derelict neon are stunning examples of this past. In researching the building, I found a Brownstoner article from November 2011 that features the topmost image from F.S. Lincoln. Now, since I’ve posted this, the odds are this building will disappear within a year. I’m bad luck. I don’t recommend hiring me for taking pics of your new home, wedding or newborn. This has been my personal Twilight Zone saga since I’ve started documenting fading ads. Not all of the images I’ve shot are gone thankfully.