Inspiration Fridays: Old New York

Yes, yes, it is Wednesday.  But, I was so excited about this post that I couldn't wait!

Inspiration Wednesday just doesn't sound as thrilling.

Old New York.  Old maps.  Old photos.  Memories of what this place once was... they fascinate me.  I didn't grow up in New York, but my dad grew up mostly right outside of the city, and my grandparents worked in the Bronx.  I feel tied to this place, and do more so every day.  It's been almost five years since I moved up to the big apple, and though I don't plan on spending my entire life here, I certainly love it!

So, here are some wonderful images of the New York City, and parts of the city that were once their own cities, that once was and were!

1853 World's Fair Maps

From the Brooklyn Historical Society

1899 Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade!

I'll have some photos from the 2012 Memorial Day Parade up soon.

Also from the Brooklyn Historical Society.

Painters hang from suspended wires on the Brooklyn Bridge October 7, 1914 -- 31 years after it first opened!

From the New York City Municipal Archives

Old Subway Sign, circa 1980's.

Source Unknown.

Interior of the old Penn Station.  Whenever I see photographs of this I want to cry- Penn Station is such an ugly vortex of stress now, and this beautiful building is lost.  Bad decisions.  Ah, well.

From The Last Civilized Yank

I'm guessing that they mean The Manhattan Bridge, but I'm not totally sure... It could be the Williamsburg.  I'll have to adventure and check it out!

From Photographic Views of New York City.

3rd Ave and 166th St in the Bronx.

Also from Photographic Views of New York City.

A news article from 1917 profiling the old Atlantic Ave station- for which the entrance still stands today. It's that thing in the middle of the street where all the busses stop in that insane intersection next to the new Barclay's Center.

From Obscura Day.

Mock battleship built in Union Square as a recruiting advertisement for WWI!

From The Gothamist.

Aerial view of downtown Manhattan from 1850, featuring Castle Clinton, which, apparently used to be in the middle of the water, folks.  Who knew?

From Fledgling.

McSorley's Ale House on East 7th St in Manhattan in 1942- I can attest, it looks pretty much exactly the same now.

From Dino's NYC.

Another amazing subway photo of the Times Square Shuttle, which just runs from 42nd Times Square to 42nd Grand Central, from back before the graffiti was cleaned off of trains the same day it was put on.

From The Bronx Beat.

A class of 5th grade students in Riverdale in the 1920's.

From Ephemeral New York.

Shot of the beautiful interior of the tragically rotting Loewe's King's Theatre right by where I live.

Apparently, it's beginning a remodeling soon, and is set to open again in 2014 or 2015 as a theatre instead of a movie theatre.  

From Anshitsu.

Happy Adventuring, everyone!

Endless Summer

The art and culture of  Williamsburg, with its fun street scenes, is just so nifty that I felt the need to do a second post. Actually, there are going to be a third and fourth post shortly following. All of the photographs that I shared yesterday were of the same wall- these are from all around the neighborhood.  It felt like summer on the day I was in that area- so sunny and nice!  I can't wait until it is in the seventies every day.  In August I know I'll be biting my tongue, but right now, I'm just enjoying being able to wear sandals for the first time in months. 

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Vintage Splendor.

I just... I just wish that I could wear a corset all of the time.  I wish that this was socially acceptable.  I would flaunt my little corset up and down the street and feel so skinny and ladylike.  It would be awesome.

Part of me wishes that people still dressed like they did before the flappers.  That women had to wear giant bustle skirts, with hoops, corsets, high-necked frilly lace blouses and heeled, laced boots.  All of those pieces are so elegant and gorgeous.  They make you feel womanly.  Well, they at least make me feel womanly.  For my job, I'm an actor, I've gotten to wear some pretty authentic stuff, and I just love it.  Though I know we've moved forward, and that progress is wonderful and all that, I wish that I could just dress like that occassionally.  I mean, I could, but I'd probably get some odd looks.  Less here in New York than most other places, but still, some.

Some types of corsetry have become acceptable, and I couldn't be happier.  I've picked up some nice clubwear bustiers and a few corsets more acceptable for normal wear too.  I got a neat burgundy one from Forever21 about a year and a half ago that I sometimes incorporate into my ensemble.  However, I'm loving some of the stuff I'm seeing from Topshop and H&M for spring.  They make me want the warm springtime to come even sooner!  

If I do pick up some awesome near lingerie-as-clothing kind of stuff like that, I promise a fashion post.  That's too exciting to me not to merit one.

Photographs taken in Walt Disney World, Florida, USA

Inspiration Fridays: Vintage Photographs

Lillian Russell, by Falk, NY

Ruth Page dancing the title role in The Birthday of the Infanta, a ballet-pantomime based on the short story by Oscar Wilde  (c.1920)

Dorothy Lamour, 1930s

 Unknown

 Actress Joan Bennett (1910-1990)

 Unknown (but check out that garter!!)

 Actress Mitzi Gaynor (b. 1931)

 Unknown, yet devastatingly romantic

 Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in the Old Vic production of Hamlet.  Kronborg Castle, Elsinore, Denmark.  1937

 Sergei Rachmaninoff’s hands

 Actress Paulette Goddard

Unknown

 

Unknown

Unknown

I feel really bad about having so many uncredited pictures in this post... if anyone knows any of the photographers/ subjects, please let me know!

But, these photos inspire me so much.  They are so refined, so passionate, so lovely... everything I want to be.  Everything I want my art to reflect.

I can only aspire to this.