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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 11:59:47 GMT -5
While we're waiting for Fiona to arrive, here's a tease from a glass negative. Downtown Utica. More later today, Monday.  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 12:00:35 GMT -5
I wonder what's the nature of the strip of small squares down the center of a few of the windows. Stained glass? Like what was popular around the periphery of a window pane? I think I visited a pool room here or to the left out of frame when I was in high school. But I don't remember such windows. Of course, it was a half century later than the photo and a half century before 2011.  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 12:22:33 GMT -5
Because of the photographic emulsion speeds of the time, I'd guess if these women were moving very fast they would be more blurred. We can only surmise they are stopped in the middle of the street talking. They guys don't look like they're moving very fast either. Given the trolley operators of the day, I'd say that's dangerous. Somewhere else ... I'll have to look for it ... I have a US Patent drawing of a "people catcher" to be installed on the front of a trolley. Like a railroad locomotive's cow catcher, the People Catcher was more friendly and rather than just sweep debris or people or cows out of it's way, it attempted to snatch them up off the tracks and protect them. One of the women could be my grandmother, born in 1882. In this photo from (I think) 1910, she would have been 28 years old. Growing to womanhood in that era, it's no wonder her skirts never rose higher than mid calf while I knew her until her death in 1957. I think there were no traffic lights at the time of this shot, but we'll see in the next few photos.  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:01:53 GMT -5
Cobblestone, a few horse-drawns, a few bikes.  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:03:25 GMT -5
An automobile! Looking familiar yet?  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:43:51 GMT -5
It's a warm day. The barber has his window open and you can see him inside giving a shave and a haircut ... I think.   |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:47:59 GMT -5
Here we are, The Busy Corner, looking north. Grace Church is behind you. You're probably standing in the gutter up the street (south) just past where the Woolworth's is or was and you're looking down through the Corner into Franklin Square. The automobile makes me want to say this is a bit post 1910. Do we have any experts or guessers?  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:55:03 GMT -5
It's amazing what you can see with a magnifying glass, or it's modern equivalent, the zoom function. The original of this photo is an emulsion on glass, known back in the day for it's ability to capture tiny detail. Here we see our ladies again. Down Genesee St. beyond them is the humped bridge over the Erie Canal, now Oriskany St. Maybe it's a drawbridge and the little hut set on the tall poles is for the man who sees a tall boat coming and raises the bridge. But I don't think very many of these canal bridges were drawbridges. And you couldn't go very far unless all of them were, so maybe the hut is for some other purpose. Any ideas?  |
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Post by Dave on Mar 21, 2011 18:57:30 GMT -5
Anyway, welcome to a new thread. We'll pause and let Fiona catch up with us. She has some terrific post card views of the Streets of Old Utica!
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Post by fiona on Mar 21, 2011 19:43:53 GMT -5
Hello all. And welcome to our newest work, Streets Of Old Utica, a companion piece to A New Sketch Of Old Utica. I will be posting postcard views of Utica Streets from both my private collection as well as those found on the interenet. As with A New Sketch Of Old Utica, there will be a narrator to take us on our tour. Also, as the project progresses, the look may change, things may move around, new ideas will be introduced, we will meet some interesting people. Our narrator may teach us things we never knew about the city we live in. Let's journey back in time to around 1900 - 1907, the heyday of the picure postcard.
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Post by fiona on Mar 21, 2011 20:07:09 GMT -5
Good Morning. My name is Fiona and I send this beautiful card with all good wishes and hopes that my company will be sparkling and enjoyable, as we begin our tour at lovely and historical Old Oneida Square.  Ah. I see a crowd is beginning to gather. Welcome. Welcome.  Such a lovely lass.  Stop 1 : Oneida Square Sailors and Soldiers Monument  Stop 2: Plymouth Bethesda Church, State Street at Oneida Square.   |
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Post by fiona on Mar 21, 2011 20:56:50 GMT -5
Stop 3: Oneida Historical Building on Park Street showing the statue of the bust of Horatio Seymour, favorite son of Utica and twice Governour of New York State.  Another lovely view:  ![]()  Stop 4: Park Street and South Street Stop 5: up to South Street and Howard Ave.  |
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Post by fiona on Mar 22, 2011 12:56:35 GMT -5
Stop 6: Steuben Square The first fountain. At Steuben Square. Our lovely lady of the waters.    |
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Post by fiona on Mar 22, 2011 18:27:15 GMT -5
The second fountain: Step lightly ladies and gentlemen, for the ground may still be wet from last night's rain! Ah, what can compare to a morning in June? Let us enter the Park and gaze up at the statuary and fountain. "Ah, a Barefoot Boy With Cheek..." Why ... it's just like a storybook  And may I add, My Dears, that this handsome addition to our Fair City was just added three years ago today, in June 1906. |
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Post by fiona on Mar 22, 2011 18:47:06 GMT -5
Recite it? Why, yes of course. I simply adore the poetry of Greenleaf Whittier!
"Blessings on thee, little man. Barefoot boy with cheek of tan! With thy turned up pantaloons and they merry whistled tunes. With thy red lip, redder still, Kissed by strawberries on the hill. through they torn brim's jaunty grace... from my heart I give thee joy, for I was once a a barefoot boy!"
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