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April 24, 1920. New York City. "Overalls Circus Parade." View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. In the background: The Cort Hotel, probably at 301 West 48th Street and Eighth Avenue. Is it still there?
SHORPY is truly amazing. Had searched previously for any remnants on the Cort Hotel w/o results. Altered my search entry and lo and behold this bizarre photo appears. I'd been searching for a while for info or image of the original hotel as my Grandfather lived here in the 30's along with my Dad before he himself entered the service. Gramps was a professional waiter working at the Paradise Cabaret at that time. Gramps' sister shipped him an Irish wren but the bird eventually escaped out the 48th Street window which of course saddened him. They eventually lived at 933 Eighth Avenue where the pawnbrokers used to be until a few short years ago. Wonder if John Cort of Cort Theatre fame owned the hotel or if it was simply named after it? Just a beautiful image of the Cort which never would have been taken but for the parade that day in 1920. Will be showing to my Dad, born in 1921 in Manhattanville and who'd become one of New York's finest. A different time. A different New York. And SHORPY, filling an important role in the history of NYC and its people.
The hotel is definitely still there, though it's an apartment building now -- I live there. Single room occupancies with the bathrooms down the hall. Just like hotels used to be.
May I suggest?
"It's Photoshopped!" = three sips
"There was no color film in the old days" = four sips
[I'd be on the floor all day long! - Dave]
Still standing and still making news (1991)!
For those of you playing the Shorpy Drinking Game™ at home, it's time to take two sips!
• Disparagement of dress today vs. yesteryear = one sip
• World in decline = one sip
look at those ladies and gentleman.. no jeans, tee shirts, or sneakers.. classy people. Has anyone but me noticed that the world is in a slow and steady decline??
The buildings on both ends of the block are still there, and one of the smaller buildings in between. Incidentally, the Cort Hotel building is a block down from the building "Where Elsie Met Her End," the photo posted on 3 July.
I wonder if an elephant ever got fed up during one of these parades and just started whacking people.
It sure looks like the Cort Hotel building is still standing. It's the building on the Northwest corner with the green awning on the side. The architectural details seem to match.
Notice how all the spectators have their shoes hanging over the edge of the curb.
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