Near Apollo Theatre – 125th Street © Frank H. Jump
Harlem
Featured Fade – Fair & Square Ribbon – Joseph Loth & Company – Eric K. Washington
© Eric K. Washington
Fair and Square Ribbon painted sign
This painted advertisement endures on the back of the former Joseph Loth & Company “Fair and Square” ribbon mill, built in 1886, on Amsterdam Avenue between West 150th and 151st Streets. The ad reads, “Fair and Square — This Label Is On The Best Ribbon Made.”“In upper Manhattan, a block-long structure hulks like a stalwart old public building. But a faded ad painted in back reveals its delicate mission more than a century ago…”
Mishkin Neon Gone – Uptown Correspondent – Iman R. Abdulfattah
© Iman R. Abdulfattah
© Iman R. Abdulfattah
© Iman R. Abdulfattah
Iman R. Abdulfattah is currently studying for her doctorate in Bonn, Germany but she had the time to forward me a FB link from Scouting NY that reports the neon on Amsterdam and 145th is sadly gone. These are images Ms. Abdulfattah shot in January of 2013.
2-In-1 Shoe Polish Revisited – Harlem, NYC
© Vincenzo Aiosa
Ladies Home Journal – 1921
Previously posted on FAB:
- 2-In-1 Shoe Polish – Harlem, NYC – Jul 29th, 2011
Jack Sobel Co. Loan Office – West 145th Street – Harlem, NYC
Composite shot © Frank H. Jump
The Florida Boys 18th Annual Miami Florida Ball © Frank H. Jump
Aldo Williams and his Orchestra © Frank H. Jump
AJASS Repertory Theatre Company © Frank H. Jump
© Frank H. Jump
Thanks for the heads up Lisa Colangelo and for forwarding me the Gothamist piece from yesterday that delves into the mystery that was behind wood panelling since 1965, until a few weeks ago. Evidence from this mid-sixties ephemera tells an interesting tale. Check out the Gothamist piece!
Trowel & Square Ballroom – Thrift Store – Harlem, NYC – Uptown Correspondent, Iman R. Abdulfattah
© Iman R. Abdulfattah
According to the website Found Ampersands, the Trowel & Square Ballroom “was operated by the Order of Eastern Star, the Female part of the Masons.” Looking to the right of the ballroom’s sign, you can see the Mason’s sign for Queen Esther, Grand Chapter.
Some searches also reveal that up until December 2012, some hip-hop events were advertised on Facebook that were hosted at the ballroom.
Google search
Also at Scouting NY, are some great interior shots of the ballroom, within what is now the Salvation Army thriftstore, which has apparently lost its lease.
- The Mystery Ballroom on East 125th Street – Scouting NY – Nov 4, 2013
One of the oddest things I found about the ballroom was a reference in an April 2011 online article about child adoption in UK’s The Spectator called Harlem Renaissance:
The first thing I see is a glimmer of Harlem’s happy past: a painted sign for the Trowel and Square Ballroom, a remnant from the days of Billie Holiday, Bojangles and 80 per cent employment.
Happy past? Count the assumptions in this quote.
- An Interview with Boo Ski and Keith KC of Master Don’s Def Committee MC’s – Old School Hip Hop – March 13, 2012
Apollo Theatre Sign – Hotel Theresa – Harlem, NYC – Uptown Correspondent, Iman R. Abdulfattah
© Iman R. Abdulfattah
….the Apollo probably exerted a greater influence upon popular culture than any other entertainment venue in the world. For blacks it was the most important cultural institution–not just the greatest black theatre, but a special place to come of age emotionally, professionally, socially, and politically. Ted Fox, “Showtime at the Apollo”
Hotel Theresa: the Waldorf of Harlem – Trivia-
Fidel Castro and his staff came to New York in 1960 when he was to address the United Nations. They first checked in to the Shelburne Hotel at Lexington Avenue and 37th Street but moved to the Hotel Theresa when the Shelburne demanded $10,000 for alleged damage that included cooking chickens in their rooms. The Theresa was the beneficiary of the worldwide publicity when Nikita Khrushchev, the premier of the Soviet Union; Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India; and Malcom X, all visited Castro there. Castro’s entourage rented eighty rooms for a total of $800 per day. – Famous Hotels dot org
- Apollo Theatre History – Official Website
