Mulberry Street NYC/Then and Now

This ones a little difficult but could be close. Mulberry Street NY in Little Italy at the turn of the century. A very nice hand coloured postcard.2010.

Judson Supercharger/Corvair

Here's a cool and somewhat rare aftermarket accessory for the Chevrolet Corvair, a Judson Supercharger. This is a bolt on system that would increase the car's horsepower.
More info can be found here.
Installed.
A period brochure for the Judson Supercharger.

Walnut Street/Then and Now

The east side Walnut Street 1936.

The houses have been replaced but the one to the right remains.

Niagara and Tecumseth/Then and Now

The west side of Tecumseth just north of Niagara in 1938.
A few months later after repairs.

Remarkably intact 73 years later.
Tecumseth Street is named after a Shawnee war chief (1768-1813) who fought with the British during the War of 1812. His name means either "Shooting Star" or
"Panther Crouching in Wait".

Stewart Street/Then and Now

The north side of Stewart St. looking west from Portland 1913. A row of worker's cottages.

2010, a different type of workers cottages.
There was time when the average working person could afford to buy their own home, even if it was a small row house. Now people are lucky to afford a 500 square foot box to call their own without the luxury of land ownership.
This is progress?

King and Strachan/Then and Now

It wasn't that long ago that King Street West between Strachan and Sudbury was completely dominated by the Massey Ferguson (Harris) plant.These postcards are in fact idealized versions of the facility combining buildings from several other cities.
Today nothing remains except the main office which has been turned into .....condos.
This building was designed by E.J. Lennox.
The head office.
This postcard from 1908 appears to be looking east from Crawford towards Strachan.
A similar view in the early 1980's just prior to demolition.
And a similar view in 2011.
Looking west along King in the 1970's.
2011.
The south side of King from Crawford in the 80's.
Today.
The showroom on the north side just west of Strachan.
2011.
1980's
Today.
1980's
2011.
A more complete history of the company can be found here.
Looking south on Crawford towards King 1927.

Hand Painted Sign/Albany

A hand painted sign outside of the Branch Office, the oldest bar in Albany NY, located at 40 Maiden Lane. A great place for a couple of drinks.

Fanelli's Cafe NYC

Another must see on a NY visit is Fanelli's Cafe in Soho. It's been here since 1847 and a complete history can be found here.
The name Nicholas Gerdes can still be seen above the door painted on the transom.
In 1878 Nicholas Gerdes arrived and ran his saloon until 1902. He inscribed his name on the transom over the front door and his saloon licenses decorate the dining room wall. Gerdes was followed by Charles Hirschbein who stayed until 1905. From this date until 1922 Harry Green and his family ran the Price Cafe on the premises. In 1922 Michael Fanelli arrived and christened the cafe with its current name. The Fanelli family sold the business to the current owner, Hans Noe, in 1982.

Sniffen Court NYC/Then and Now

This post is a cop from Ephemeral New York but I think it could be seen here as well. On a recent trip to NYC I did take a photo that I thought was this lane but after consulting the website above I realized my mistake.

So please visit the link for the TRUE story.
The wrong alley will appear soon.

Strange Days cover by the Doors 1967.

Recently.
The wrong laneway off of University Place near Washington Square.

Old New York Signs

Oldest gun shop in the US, 1911.

A selection of old store signs in New York City.

Old Barber Shop/Williamsburg NY

This derelict barber ship in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is quite stunning both in it's originality and state of urban decay.

An older photo of the barber's pole before the glass was broken. An interesting story re: the origins of the traditional red and white striped pole:
Originally barbers were surgeons as well as hair cutters and would often travel with armies performing basic medical tasks such as stitching up wounds and amputations at the base camp. The pole represents a bloody bandaged arm......
The William Marvy Company still manufactures barber poles in the US. and this could well be one of theirs.

Looking down the side alley there appears to be a house at the back in a similar state of decrepitude waiting for the right owner to restore.