Plunging Horses and Vanishing Elephants at New York's Hippodrome Theater

In 1905, on the edge of Manhattan's theater district, a new, incredibly large theater was built -- the Hippodrome. Situated alongside the Sixth Avenue elevated train line on Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, the Hippodrome was built  and managed by the creators of Coney Island's Luna Park, Frederic Thompson and Elmer Dundy.

The Hippodrome on Sixth Avenue in 1905. The Sixth Ave. elevated tracks are on the left. Image: LOC

The theater had a seating capacity of 5,300 and a giant stage that could accommodate 1,000 performers. It was also equipped with an 8,000 gallon clear glass water tank that could be raised and lowered onto the stage. The theater opened to a packed audience on April 12, 1905, and, in its early years, was known for featuring an equestrian ballet with "100 lady bareback riders" and 80 horses plunging into the tank.  Also, in 1913, the Victor Military Band performed, and the LOC has the recording.

The Hippodrome stage in the early 1900s shortly after its opening in 1905. Image: LOC

One of the more extravagant acts to hit the stage was magician Harry Houdini's Vanishing Elephant trick performed on January 7, 1918. With the help of the tank, Houdini made an elephant, "Jennie" and her trainer disappear in front of a captivated audience.

Houdini and Jenny on the Hippodrome stage, 1918. Image: LOC

In addition to stellar and strange bookings, the theater also had consistent money and management problems. Its astronomical operating costs ensured that the managers and bookers had to keep up with the public's fickle entertainment tastes: in 1923 performances included vaudeville acts, and in 1925 the theater began screening movies. Still, it couldn't be saved, and the Hippodrome closed its doors for good on August 16, 1939. The building was demolished and the lot used for parking. In the early 1950s, a parking garage was built on the parking lot.

The Hippodrome parking garage, November 27, 1954. Image: MCNY

The building there now bears the same name, though its purpose has changed, as the neighborhood has, to reflect its current status as a commercial center of the city.

New York Public Library Turns 100!

This post also appears on the Bryant ark blog.

To commemorate the 100th birthday of the New York Public Library, and its central branch, the Stephen A. Schwarzman building, lets take a look back at the library through the years.

Before the Beaux-Arts building designed by architecture firm Carrère and Hastings was built, the two-block section of Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets was home to the Croton Reservoir. The reservoir was torn down in 1899 to make way for the library. To read more about the demolition of the reservoir, and subsequent building of the library, click here.

Construction began in 1902, and was no small feat. When completed, the library was the largest marble structure in the country up to that time. This photo, from the NYPL's digital photo collection on the central building, shows exterior marble underway in 1905.

Photo: NYPL digital collection

The library opened to the public on May 23, 1911 with an elaborate ceremony presided over by 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft. Those flags are massive.

Photo: LOC digital collection

In 1919 the building served as a backdrop for a WWI victory parade along Fifth Avenue. Every stationary part of the building and street appears covered in shields, spears, and eagles. Shields and crossed spears often signify the defense of freedom, and eagles have long been associated with power and the U.S. I'm guessing that's their significance as decorations. If anyone knows otherwise, please email me.

Postcard:Pisark's cards

In the mid-1930s the NYPL established an outdoor reading room and called it the Bryant Park Library at Central Building. Much like our current reading room, patrons could enjoy books, magazines and newspapers outside in the park. The 1930s reading room was located on the Upper Terrace, just behind the main library building, and staff librarians were on hand to assist patrons.

Photo: BP photo collection

The library gets a scrub in 1945, seen here from 42nd Street looking east toward 40th Street. The World's Tower building on 40th Street looks huge in comparison to surrounding structures; the Empire State building is off to the right, just behind the Engineer's Club building (recently designated a landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission).

Photo: MCNY digital collection

Librarians and archivists: making research easier for 100 years and counting.

Photo: NYPL digital collection

The Bryant Park lawn (no chairs!) and rear facade of the library, May 1984.

Photo: BP photo collection

In 1988 the NYPL put two floors of additional library stacks beneath Bryant Park's lawn, seen here in a rendering by Hanna Olin, the design firm responsible for BP's redesign.

Photo: BP photo collection

Around this time last year, Improv Everywhere paid a visit to the the reading room, and re-enacted (sort of) the opening scene from Ghostbusters.

The NYPL has been hosting a number of events in celebration of the centennial, most over this past weekend. The library also has a special exhibit called "Celebrating 100 Years" on view until December 31, 2011. Here's a NY Times review.

National Air Mail Week Starts Today!

Get ready! Transcontinental mailing has changed over the years, but in 1938, it was just 20 years old, and May 15th marked the start of Air Mail Week. [I'm going to spell it 'Airmail' from here on out. Over the years the two words gave birth to the current compound word, sort of like to-day versus today, or good-bye / goodbye, though I don't think airmail ever had a hyphen . . .]

ANYWAY, the  The week-long festivities from May 15-21 were planned to help bring air transport companies out of an economic slump, caused in large part by the Great Depression. The goal was to get everyone to send and/or receive at least one piece of transcontinental mail.

Here are some New Yorkers doing just that, in the Farley General Post Office, during Airmail Week. I love the a-frame sign in front of the teller windows. It reminds me science projects, or history presentations on countries or civilizations of the world that you'd do in fifth grade. Mine was on the Phoenecians.

The Farley building's namesake James A. Farley, was appointed 53rd Postmaster General, by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933. He served from 1933 until 1940. He was instrumental in the 1934 addition of the post office's western annex.

 

To promote and celebrate Airmail Week, the USPS issued a new 6 cent stamp, with a patriotic color scheme and (of course) an eagle. A fierce-looking red one.

Not to be confused with this fierce eagle

 

National Airmail Week is no longer celebrated with such fervor, but in 2008, to commemorate 90 years of flying in the U.S. Postal system, three pilots in vintage planes retraced the same inaugural route used on May 15, 1918. They successfully completed the journey, chronicled  here by Air & Space magazine.