The Bronx Is Up 5

Ah, the roaring twenties.  It's hard to believe, but the U.S. was more of a producing country and less a consuming one, before the twentieth century.  And then along came the economic expansion of the 1920s when it seemed that wealth could be had by anyone.  Just invest in the stock market, skim off the money, and if there wasn't the money to invest, buy on margin.

And then it happened.  The great crash of 1929, and the bubble burst.  All the photos in this series predate the crash.  These people had nice clothes, cars, leisure time and a nice place to live.  The only question; Where they among the homeless beggars, standing on street corners asking for a handout, or were they among those who somehow survived the great depression,  unscathed?

The last three are labeled, on the back, "Vernon Ave."  And written on the front, "1926."

The Bronx Is Up 4

Another bridge picture, this time from Bronx Park.  Bronx Park opened in 1888, making this year, 2013, the 125th anniversary of the park.  The park is home to The Bronx Zoo and The New York Botanical Gardens.

The first two prints are labeled, "Bronx Park  May 1924."  The final print, on the back, "Vernon Avenue."  And as can be seen in the lower left corner of the print, "1926."

The Bronx Is Up 3

I'm telling you right now,  the kid in picture number four grew up to be a boxer.  Look at him.  He was born a pug.  

The first two photos are labelled, "Vernon Ave. Oct. 1920."  The last, "Bronx Park  May 1924."

The Bronx Is Up 2

Perhaps I should have paid some attention to the order these photos came out of the envelope.  It's clear that today's first photo goes with yesterday's final image.  Oh well, let's call it a bridge between posts.  I wonder if the guy was posing in front of the wall because the graffiti had some meaning?  And why did the owner of this album chop off the heads in image number four?  It was done with scissors, not the camera.  Only the first two images have captions.  Number one, "Bronx NY June 1924."  Number two, "Vernon Ave. 1922."

The Bronx Is Up 1

The Battery's down. The people ride in a hole in the ground.  New York, New York.  It's a wonderful town.  For all you Gene Kelley fans out there.  And Vera-Ellen fans too.

It's time to put up another collection.  This time, no interruptions.  There will be five posts of pictures, all ripped from the same family photo album.  (I hate it when dealers do that.)  I won't be trying to put these up in any particular order.  They'll be put up in the same sequence they came out of the envelope.  There aren't any names written on any of the images, but there are some dates and locations.

Written on the first photo, "Vernon Ave. & B'way 1922."   The third photo, "Bronx Park May 1924."  And the final image, "Bronx N.Y.  June 1924."