I.D. This Photo, Win a Book
Charles Lockwood, author of the definitive Bricks and Brownstone, sent in this photo of a mother and child on a brownstone stoop that he bought online. He’s not sure where it is and is offering a signed copy of his book to the first reader that can correctly identify the location. Guesses?
Charles Lockwood, author of the definitive Bricks and Brownstone, sent in this photo of a mother and child on a brownstone stoop that he bought online. He’s not sure where it is and is offering a signed copy of his book to the first reader that can correctly identify the location. Guesses?
This house is 302 or 304 Jefferson in Bedford Stuyvesant.
If you look on Hancock St between Marcy and Nostrand the houses look like this one except for the houses being a floor taller. The HOTD on Hancock is part of that row… Also 302 Jefferson btw Tompkins and Throop the house on that block looks like this one
Ah. Thanks — I had no idea. But it still seems odd to me that someone would take this particular photo, if not for use in, say, a newspaper feature. It looks too professional to be an amateur/candid shot.
@bess, Kodak released the Brownie camera in 1900. It sold for $1 and was the first camera that made it practical to carry around and take snapshots.
“It’s not like people had the means to go around randomly snapping candid photos then”
Actually, the first Kodak came out in 1888. EK Co.s slogan was “you press the button and we do the rest”
I think what’s been eating away at me all day is: why would this picture have been taken in the first place? It’s not like people had the means to go around randomly snapping candid photos then. The woman and child are right there in that specific spot on the step on purpose, and the (man? woman?) is posing in the window for a reason. Why, though? Who would spend the money for a picture taken from all the way across the street like this? Maybe if we can figure out what particular use this photo had, we’ll get closer to locating its whereabouts…
These are two houses designed together to look like a grand mansion. One of the houses is 2-bays wide and the other is 3-bays wide. They are quite grand houses. To me, they look like limestone but perhaps they are limestone and brick. either way, very French, no earlier than 1896 or so, probably in Harlem, but could also be in back bay Boston or any other sophisticated East Coast City. The ironwork looks typically New York. Other details do not. Too bad there is no answer to the mystery.
I hope the railing is still intact. I love the way it curves.
Biff, good idea….Find of the Day.
And a winner can be announced by day’s end.
Mr. B, there seems to be a lot of interest in this item and some fascinating insight. Perhaps you should consider once in a while posting a vintage picture of a home for which you know the address and see if anyone can guess it by the end of the day. If not, let everyone know the answer. Just a thought.