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Tag Archives: 1943

Small discovery… Smiling Irishman…

December 26, 2012
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Smiling Irishman in Berenson Book…

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PM Daily, December 26, 1943, p. 13.

One of the three uncredited photos, made by Weegee, of a “Fatal Fire on 42d Street” in 1943, is the well-known “Smiling Irishman” photo, tastefully and respectfully cropped…
This photo is intriguing. It has the ironic and funny “found” text that characterizes his late – early period, (the end of his first period, or after 1941) photos. (On The Spot, foreshadows this.) (Joy of Living – 1942, Simply Add Boiling Water – 1943, etc.)

TO BE CONTINUED/EDITED…

Weegee Daily… December 26, 1943

December 26, 2012
Uncategorized, Weegee Daily

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PM Daily, December 26, 1943, p. 13.
Fatal Fire on 42nd Street.
 Firemen try to rescue some of the men trapped in the flaming W. 42nd St. lodging house in which 16 perished.
A chaplain performs the last rites for one of the men burned to death. Bodies were taken to the next door garage.
They spent their Christmas in the Bellevue Morgue. These are some of the 16 bodies removed from the Standard Hotel, which was gutted by the fire Friday.

16 Men Killed in 42d St. Fire
 “…a fire in the Standard Hotel, rooming house for night workers at 439 W. 42d St., which took the lives of 16 men and sent 20 to hospitals Friday.
The fire broke out suddenly after it had apparently been smoldering for several hours. Most of the 200 men estimated to have been in the place were asleep at the time…
Commissioner of Building and Housing William Wilson, who was at the scene, said the city had no control over this type of building.
He said that he and Mayor La Guardia had asked for legislation requiring greater safety devices at the last session of the State Legislature but were turned down.
Thousands of persons gathered along 42d St. to watch the horrible scene.” PM Daily, December 26, 1943, p. 13.

Weegee Daily, December 26, 2012. Photos by Ceegee.
One of the least attractive, (and least pedestrian friendly) areas of Manhattan, W 42d. St., saw snow and wind and too many cars…

69 Years Ago Today… Four for a Quarter…

November 27, 2012
1943
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Grant Reynard, PM Daily, Sunday, November 27, 1943

“Four for a quarter.
The quick-photo places are packing them in this Fall. Girls, sailors and Army men crowd the little galleries. Some of the boys come in alone and sit in the bright lights of the tiny booths, wearing their manliest smiles as the cameras click. Girls make up and fix their hair at the mirrorsand, seated on low stools, freeze a startled smile on their pretty faces for their boyfriends…”

(More information about the great Grant Reynard, can be found here.)

69 Years Ago Today… American Kids Don’t Beg – They March…

November 26, 2012
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PM Daily, November 26, 1943, photos by Morris Gordon

“American boys don’t beg.” That’s the slogan of the ragamuffin parade put on yesterday by the Madison Square Boys’ Club in an effort to stamp out the habit of street soliciting by children. Here boys representing many of the United Nations pass in the line of march…
The highlight of the parade was this group. Churchill and Roosevelt drive Hitler and Tojo by their respective necks. Procession started from 301 E. 29th St.
This bit of symbolism represents Mayor La Guardia thrashing the hide out of the Black Market. Esoteric stuff, eh?

Great NYPL blog post: “Thanksgiving Ragamuffin Parade.”


East 29th Street, looking west.

East 29th Street, looking east.
The ragamuffin has vanished…

Weegee Daily… November 25, 1943

November 25, 2012
Weegee Daily

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PM Daily, November 25, 1943, p. 12

How to Wreck a Tavern – Cold Sober!
Federal men took care of Walsh’s Bar and Grill, 213 Tenth Ave. after the place was accused of taking bad care of its customers by selling bootleg liquor. First they stacked the wet goods on the bar…
…then they started to dismantle the place. Here they take the beer cooling system apart. According to Government boys, a number of local taverns were refilling standard bottles with the newly made stuff.
Then they took out the palms… …and the cash register… and the bar…
…and the cigaret machine… …and the juke box… …and the cat!
Photos by Weegee, PM

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Weegee Daily, December 2, 2012

How to Wreck a Neighborhood – Cold Sober!
213 Tenth Ave.
Photos by Ceegee, WD

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Street View, 213 10th Ave., NY.

69 Years Ago Today… The Singer, The Criticized, and The Critic(s)…

November 23, 2012
1943
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PM Daily, November 22, 1943


PM Daily, November 28, 1943 (Photo by Skippy Adelman.)


PM Daily, November 24, 1943
(Review of Boris Godunoff by Robert A. Hague)

More info about the opera, including two reviews, one by Virgil Thompson:

Moussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov,” which opened the fifty-ninth season (or “Diamond Jubilee” year) of opera at the Metropolitan Opera House last night, is an ideal work for such an occasion. Like “Aida,” it is more a pageant than a play; also, like that other dependable opener of seasons, it is musically beautiful all over. One can come in late or leave early, or get stuck outside for a scene, without losing anything important to the continuity. One misses some good music, but there is always plenty more of that.

can be found here: http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm

A nice (although we take issue with: “…his career had become something of a joke”) little article on the Smithsonian.com website, from 11/2005, here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/night-at-the-opera.html?c=y&page=1

LIFE December 6, 1943, pp. 38-39:

Coming soon: The Weegee Opera!!!

To be continued…