View of east side of 8th Avenue, June 11, 1961, v1974.9.250; John D. Morrell photographs, ARC.005; Brooklyn Historical Society.
It’s unlikely the girls were remotely aware of the lighting in their hide-and-seek territory being replaced by a less ornate aluminum or steel lamppost and in some ways this Park Slope corner looks much the same today as it did then. However subtle modifications—like the disappearance of a decorative lamppost and the smart-looking red fire hydrant—demonstrate gradual changes that can seem like huge and unfortunate ones to us today.
Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. To search our entire collection of images visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Fri, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
While I understand your desire and need to protect your images from flagrant abuse, the watermark you use eliminates any pleasure I would otherwise get from viewing what appears to be an attractive image. You’re not putting your entire archives up here; it seems to me that one photo per week could be presented with a minimal watermark or, better yer, none at all. Thank you.