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May 19, 2009

Maple Street, Then and Now

maple-street-old-photo-0509.jpg
Here's a fun one. A reader bought an old postcard of her block in Lefferts Manor (Maple Street between Bedford and Rogers) on eBay recently and sent it to Zach Van Schouwen, the guy who takes creates modern-day replicas of old Brooklyn photos at his website Re-Brooklyn. Evidently they had yet to invent people who block bike lanes with their pick-up trucks back then. Check out a larger version of the postcard, estimate to be from around 1920, here.
Bedford Avenue and Maple Street [Re-Brooklyn]




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:00 AM | Comments (24)

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Love the mature trees

Posted by: bedstuy11216 at May 19, 2009 10:21 AM

I especially love how you can see trees "all grown up" (I'd like to think they're the same...).

Posted by: CHMomma at May 19, 2009 10:22 AM

when did those crazy retractable awnings go out of style? was that a pre-air conditioning thing? they even have them over their front doors.

Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at May 19, 2009 10:29 AM

Exactly F.L.O. I found the canvas front door awning for my Midwood Street house in the cellar. Unfortunately it disintegrated when I put it up.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 19, 2009 10:32 AM

It's amazing how relatively treeless some blocks were back then. I've got old photos of my block and it's virtually empty of greenery. Of course now it resembles a small forest. I don't know if people just didn't care about having trees in those days, or maybe they cost too much to plant/maintain, or if it's more of a modern day affection - but I can't imagine not having them.

Posted by: Park_loper at May 19, 2009 10:49 AM

If the photograph was made about in 1920, that was only ten years after these Maple Street houses were built, explaining the small trees.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 19, 2009 11:04 AM

The photos I have of my block of Carroll Street were taken in the 30's and they show very few trees at all. Most of the houses were built around 1900 so you'd think that with 30 years there should be some nice mature trees. I guess my question is are blocks much "greener" now than they were back then? It certainly appears that way to me, but I don't really know the history of it.

Posted by: Park_loper at May 19, 2009 11:51 AM

I found some of the window awnings in the attic of my house and I got pretty much the same results as you Bob when I moved them. I thought about having some made and reinstalled until I realized that the now mature trees on my block serve pretty much the same purpose. Nice look though.

Posted by: Chaka at May 19, 2009 11:54 AM

My next door neighbor was here in the mid-50s & participated in planting the trees along Lincoln Place when he was about 12. I imagine it was a borough-wide program.

Posted by: Arkady at May 19, 2009 12:01 PM

Probably the result of a program much like the million tree program now Arkady. In my neighborhood the developers planted the trees when they divided the lots and built the house. Many more have been planted since then by the neighborhood association's Arbor Day tree planting and more recently by the Parks Department under the Mayor's program. BTW does anyone know the lifespan of these trees. Do they live 150 years or more? I am wondering if all of those trees planted 100 years ago will all begin dying at around the same time leaving the streets bare again.

Posted by: Chaka at May 19, 2009 12:11 PM

New construction that actually worked. If anyone happens to go by the Brooklyn Library @ Grand Army Plaza - there are some wonderful books w/ pictures of Flatbush of the late 19th/20th century. An almost treeless Prospect Park, The Parade Grounds, The old General and Trade stores on Flatbush Ave (some of when it was just a dirt road), The Loews Kings Theatre in its glory days. Great Photo.

Posted by: Crownlfc at May 19, 2009 12:22 PM

It looks like a dirt road! I also found old striped awnings in my garage. They were used on the South side of the house. Mine are maroon and white. One day I'd like to have something similar put back to keep the house cooler in summer. The supports that they attach to outside are not all there and I suspect that the rolled-up awning in the garage will not turn out to be in good shape when I unroll it.

Posted by: BHS at May 19, 2009 1:31 PM

Arkady,

The Lefferts Manor Association used to plant a lot of trees. When I first joined the LMA Board, about 25 years ago, there was a tree committee, since expanded to a beautification committee that, among other things, plants barrel planters lining most blocks.

There are a number of brass plaques on sidewalks, by trees, memorializing soldiers killed in the 60s. One of the most poignant is a plaque for a tree memorializing Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Sadly, the tree pit is now empty.

As far as the lifespan of trees go, the Maple tree in front of my house was already very large in the 1940 tax photograph so it might be the original (although that's questionable--my house dates to 18990.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 19, 2009 1:39 PM

Those shades were very popular for about a century but more recently deemed to be a fire hazard.

Posted by: mopar at May 19, 2009 2:32 PM

Mopar, I hadn't heard the fire hazard concern. I think a lot of people don't like the style these days for sure. I can't tell from your phrasing if you agree that they are a fire hazard or if you're just mentioning it as a reason they're less frequently seen. I just assumed people forgot about all those kinds of old fashioned things for making the house cooler in the summer once ACs became cheap and popular.

Posted by: BHS at May 19, 2009 2:55 PM

Awnings were popular among all NYC housing types -- before air conditioning.

There are dramatic photos of Central Park West, Riverside Drive, and Park Avenue taken as late as the 1930's where tall apartment buildings are covered with them.

Maybe they're a "fire hazard" but their loss' affect is similar to that of casement windows, so often replaced by bland double-hung numbers. And the classic "six-over-six" multi-paned windows, familiar to pre-War apartments, replaced by single sheets of glass.

Such small grace notes helped make New York facades "sing." Their disappearance diminishes the city's style.

Posted by: NOP at May 19, 2009 3:37 PM

What a fun comparison. I love the old awnings. Before air conditioning, they were definitely the way to go to cool off the house. It worked really well, too.

One could still get those awnings custom made, but it would be prohibitively expensive. The good thing is that there are now specially treated outdoor fabrics, in stripes, too, that are mold and rot resistant. I think they would look very stylish if they make a comeback. They are also the "green" way to go.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at May 19, 2009 5:02 PM

re Bob Marvin:

Bear in mind that I only concluded it was about 1920 because there were new trees (the houses were built around 1918). So don't take it as proof... the original was undated.

Posted by: Zach at May 19, 2009 6:58 PM

Zach,

Thanks for the explanation. These Maple Street houses were actually built in 1909--1910, so the photograph might be a little older than 1920.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 19, 2009 7:04 PM

Er, you're right, I took Brownstoner's note of "1920" to heart, but I wrote 1912 on the photo after checking the LPC designation, so I guess that was what I meant to type. Oops!

Posted by: Zach at May 19, 2009 10:20 PM

No big deal--thank you VERY much for providing this wonderful photograph.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at May 20, 2009 8:57 AM

I agree with Montrose Morris, could be time for awnings to make a comeback here. You still see awnings on some 1920s houses in Southern CA. I've always loved the look of them. One of my favorite houses there was a big 3-story house on Sunset Blvd that looked like an Italian villa and it had awnings over all the windows.

Posted by: traditionalmod at May 20, 2009 9:37 AM

Yes and thank you, Zach, your website and your re-photographing efforts rock.

Posted by: traditionalmod at May 20, 2009 9:40 AM

I am the person who sent the postcard to Zach so our block could be photographed and compared by him on his blog. He did great.

I wanted to share some info because the year of the photo is in question, when zooming in on the original scan there is a sign where the cluster of schoolboys and man are standing on the left side of the street. First word is hidden by a tree branch then next word is "Shops" then on the next line it reads, "One family houses" then next line is "Open". Also in the shadows on the right there is a very early motor car, earlier than 1920. I reckon the photo was taken not long after the houses were completed and the "A1920" on the postcard is a catalog number not a year.

Posted by: jeannee at May 20, 2009 10:36 AM

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