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September, 2008

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Recent Photographic Finds

Written by Julie on September 20th, 2008

As told to me by our Library Assistant Extraordinaire, Sarah Steele:

This week I began an inventory of four or five strangely organized boxes of Long Island photographs and images. Despite the outdated accession numbers and unknown provenance, a lot of really excellent things have been turning up. My favorite so far is the collection of approximately 40 original photographs from the late 19th century of maritime life on Long Island. Here is the first item from what I hope will become our Long Island Whaling Collection:

Amagansett, L.I. Whale taken off Amagansett, Feb. 23, 1907 [now in American Museum of Natural History, N.Y.] Walter Benedict at left. Fred Benedict, photog.

Amagansett, L.I. Whale taken off Amagansett, Feb. 23, 1907 [now in
American Museum of Natural History, N.Y.] Walter Benedict at left.
Fred Benedict, photog.

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Floyd DeSilva

Written by Sady on September 18th, 2008

Floyd DeSilva, owner of DeSilva South Brooklyn Liquors on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, passed away on August 7, 2008.  Corie Trancho-Robie interviewed Mr. DeSilva in July for the Park Slope neighborhood guide we are working on, and clips from this interview will be made part of the audio tour (due out in October).  I learned of Mr. DeSilva’s passing when I called the store to get his approval for the clip we’d like to use.  I’m so glad we were able to record Mr. DeSilva’s memories of the neighborhood.

Born in Trinidad, Mr. DeSilva came to New York as a teenager.  He saved up the money to buy his store by working at a hospital during the day and driving a cab at night, and he kept his cash safe in a mattress!  Mr. DeSilva laughs a lot as he describes his first few months as a business owner.  He chose not to sell lottery tickets at his store, even though it’s lucrative, because he didn’t want to encourage people to spend their money unwisely.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

DeSilva South Brooklyn Liquors, photo by google maps

DeSilva South Brooklyn Liquors, photo by google maps

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Our Podcast

Written by Sady on September 17th, 2008

You can subscribe to the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Podcast through iTunes – Search the store for ‘Brooklyn Historical Society’.

There, you can listen to excerpts from an interview with curator-photographers James and Karla Murray whose exhibit Counter/Culture is on view now.  Lots more on the way, so, stay tuned.

Photo by zoomar on Flickr

Photo by zoomar on Flickr

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Eleven Dreams in Red Hook

Written by Sady on September 11th, 2008

Wow, this is really neat.

Betsey Biggs, an artist and composer, has created audio tours of Red Hook and she’s hosting them every Saturday in September.  Check out Eleven Dreams in Red Hook.

photo by Betsey Biggs

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Save Coney Island

Written by Sady on September 11th, 2008

Charlie Denson from the Coney Island History Project gave a talk at the Municipal Arts Society last night.  Spirits were low three days after the closing of Astroland but some folks are organizing a letter-writing campaign, among other things, to Save Coney Island and insure that redevelopment plans are kept to a human scale and include an amusement district.

The conversation at the Municipal Arts Center will continue next Wednesday, September 17 at 6:30pm when Lynn Kelly, president of the Coney Island Development Corporation and Carol Hall Albert, owner of Astroland and others will discuss Coney Island at the Crossroads.  No one from Thor Equities, who now own most of Coney Island, is on the panel but I wonder if someone will show up?

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