Ol’ Blue Eyes Turns 100 in Grand Style

 

A mere stone’s throw away from New York City is a town rich with history and delight.  On December 12, 1915 a man named Francis Albert Sinatra was born to this town.

This town would be no other than Hoboken, New Jersey.

100 years later on the date of his birth, Hoboken celebrated his birthday in grand style.  I had the privilege of being asked to photograph this Gala by Geri Fallo for the Department of Cultural Affairs and The Hoboken Historical Museum.  The beautiful cake was created by Carlo’s Bakery and the Entertainment was performed by the Swingadelic Big Band.

Here is a sample of the festivities.

Happy Birthday Frank!

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fifth After Midnight: TIFFANY & Co.

My commute to and from Mid-Town usually involves the M31 bus; I wait on the South East Corner of 57th Street at 5th Avenue.  This corner also happens to be home to the world famous Tiffany & Co. Flagship Store, which opened in 1940.

One morning in late October while waiting for the bus, I looked up at the building and noticed a large brooch-like adornment.  I assumed it was for a promotion as it “seemed” too early for holiday decorating.  Silly me.  That was the October 28, 2014.

On 5 early mornings, over 3 weeks (11/7, 11/10, 11/14, 11/16, 11/23) I photographed the installation of Tiffany’s Holiday decorations.  Adam Terasa, the Project Manager said it took 17 nights for the actual installation and display, but a total of 6 weeks with the behind the scenes prep. The installation began in October and was fully lit by November 14.

The men on the project were kind enough to let me interrupt their work to photograph them.

Here are some really amazing facts behind the design [provided by Adam Terasa of YESCO]:

• This display is a representation of a diamond egret that was displayed by Tiffany & Co. at the NYC World Fair in 1939. The display contains exactly 1939 individually controlled diamonds to celebrate this date (1939). Feel free to count them.

• YESCO is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The display was fabricated at our location in Las Vegas, Nevada. YESCO designed, fabricated, and coordinated the joint installation and lighting effort of the entire Holiday Display for Tiffany & Co. We spent several months from design, engineering, fabrication, logistics. We worked with a local sign company to coordinate and instruct them on the installation procedures as well as the functionality of this complex illuminated display.

• YESCO is famous for signs worldwide, to inlcude: Vegas Vic; Welcome to Las Vegas sign; and now; the Tiffany & Co. Flagship stores Holiday Display.

• We were fortunate enough to work closely with the Tiffany team on the highly detailed faceted diamond design that incorporates a clean and realistic replication of all diamonds, in particular; the yellow Tiffany diamond in the center.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to Adam Terasa-Project Manager, YESCO and your team for everything!

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

 

 

Fifth After Midnight: Preparations for the Holidays

Christmas is truly my favorite time of year.  And New York is the town that knows how to make things sparkle.

But who makes this happen?  This year I bring to you that answer from a small section of mid-town filled with history and glamour.  A ten block radius of Fifth Avenue, between 50th and 60th Streets.

Like Santa’s elves, these visual experts converge in the overnight hours to bring each store front to life.  Its a magical time, filled with anticipation and delight.

 

Here a window designer at Bergdorf Goodman peers behind the curtain to inspect his work at 1:20am on November 16. The unveiling to the world is a few days later.

 

As with the decorating of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, this doesn’t happen in just one night.  I invite you to stroll with me down Fifth Avenue to uncover the mystery and magic of the season in the city that never sleeps.

Please check back throughout December and follow along.

Until then, may you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

Progress on the Summer Solstice Project

Today I am watching a summer storm roll in over the harbor in Vineyard Haven.  It’s given me the motivation to continue on with my Summer Solstice Project.  Winds blowing upwards of 20 MPH.  Should be very interesting!

 

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

Domino Sugar-A Sample Image from My Exploration

In a few more hours I will have scanned all the negatives from my trip to the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg Brooklyn.  Here is a sample of things to come.

In a short time this building will be torn down and replaced by luxury hi-rises.

I hope you stop back to see the history and beauty of this old building through my images.

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fort Tilden Part Five: The Amazing History-Missiles in Queens?

Fort Tilden has so much history.  And it has been recounted in detail by experts and real life heroes.

So I give you these links and tell you it is worth your time.  It is fascinating.  You will have a greater appreciation for The Rockaways.  Trust me.

• The Peninsula of the Rockaway’s.
• A serviceman’s first hand account of life at Fort Tilden.
• The tower (Otherwise known as Battery Harris) and what it provided during WWII.
• The establishment and role of Fort Tilden through the wars.
• The Cold War
• Guns and Missiles in Queens
• Ammunition on the beaches/clean up from Hurricane Sandy

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fort Tilden Part Four: The Return to Civilization

As I walked back to my starting point, all I could hear was gravel crunching under my feet. It was completely quiet.  I stopped to reload film one more time so I was ready to shoot the 2 buildings passed on the way to the tower.

The first was hidden in vines and brush.  Somehow the graffiti artists were able to get deep inside this broken down structure.  I wonder how long ago….
(These buildings were used for magazines when originally constructed.)

The second was a little more accessible,  just needed to navigate overgrowth, rocks and branches.

When I poked my head into the empty space I was transformed by what I saw.

Overhead the roof was all but gone.  Underfoot the floor was dirt and weeds.  And the block walls were covered with graffiti.  It was beautiful.  Man and nature were collaborating in a true work of art.

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fort Tilden Part Three: Views from the Tower

When I encounter something never seen before, I become a little unsettled.  I think that is true for most people.  Questions that came to mind quickly were: what the heck was this thing and what hid behind its walls?  (see prior post.)  Further research shows this is actually Battery Harris, a gun battery used during the war/s.

 

As I approached the stairs, a man was climbing down from the tower, so I stepped aside to let him pass.  I wanted this space all to myself.

WOW.  Incredible.  To the East was Long Island.  To the South the Atlantic.  To the West New York Harbor and New Jersey.  To the North Coney Island and Manhattan.  And directly below, 173 feet below, dunes and natural vegetation.

I stayed up here for about 30 minutes.  A cruise ship was leaving the harbor.  Tankers were waiting at anchorage.  Pleasure boats were cruising in and out of Jamaica Bay.  And I had this place all to myself.

At some point a father and son started the journey up the steps and I used this as my cue to head out.  Plus I needed to get those other shots before the sun finally set.  And my bravery was starting to waver just a bit…

THIS IS NEW YORK CITY.  crazy!

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fort Tilden Part Two: The Mile Hike on the Forbidden Road

Abandoned buildings, an old “watch” tower with amazing views of the city & the ocean continued to haunt my thoughts.  What was out there?  I usually play by the rules, but as I get older it seems these rules need to be broken; curiosity got the best of me.

Having discovered the Rockaway Artist Alliance on my last trip, I submitted work to one of their upcoming shows.  To my delight they accepted 4 pieces into Artspash, a month-long show in the studios at Fort Tilden.  As a participant, we were asked to spend time at the show to answer questions for the spectators.

A Sunday afternoon in early September, I volunteered my time.  At 4:30pm it was time take that hike into the unknown.  The sunlight and shadows were amazing and I was feeling brave.

I know that sounds a bit ridiculous me living in the city.  Walking the streets of Manhattan even at 4:00am is much different from walking into the woods where everything is silent.

Here are the justified reasons why I had a touch of fear in my belly.  My cellphone reception was minimal.  I was walking alone with my camera in unfamiliar territory that was off-limits (meaning no one would be patrolling here).  I didn’t have a map and I didn’t tell anyone where I was heading.  There were abandoned buildings along this road and the trail took me in about a mile from civilization.  Other than that, everything was just fine.

Capturing a great image was the driving force so I climbed over the fence into the forbidden territory.  As I walked I began to relax taking everything in around me.  The shadows and shimmers from the sunlight were giving me so many photographic opportunities, it was incredible.

A fork in the road and a building.  What to do.  I was in search of the tower and would revisit this building on my way out.

 

Birds flew over head, the sun was beginning to dip in the west.  Passing another abandoned building I noticed it was covered in graffiti.  This would be another great shot on the way back.

A bit further and a clearing came into view.  Then I saw this massive, strange cement structure.  I was looking for an open ranger/fire tower, one like I remember from childhood.  No wonder I couldn’t see this in the distance.  This tower was built into a hill with vegetation giving it cover.  During wartime, this was a gun battery known as Battery Harris.

I had arrived.  It was time to climb to the top.

 

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®

 

Fort Tilden Part One: The Public Space

 

As I walked around the grounds of Fort Tilden that were “open” to the public a few things circled in my mind.  This space is so vast; what went on here and why all these randomly placed buildings?

Some were made of wood, some of brick.  Some were in use, some appeared to be empty for decades.  Every once in a while a parks department vehicle would drive by.

 

A chapel stood in the center of it all; eerie shapes appeared through the windows as if they were ghosts.  At the entrance was a very peculiar sign:

 

 

 

 

 

At this point I really had no idea what I stumbled upon as children were playing soccer and softball in the open fields.  In the distance day campers were doing something with paint.  And across the road from where they played were people working in the community garden ensuring those large sunflowers would grow to their full height.

When the ranger drove by again, I stopped him and began asking my questions.

•  Did the chapel ever open?  No, in fact it had been closed for years due to asbestos.
• Why is the beach closed; will it open again soon?  It would not open for a while due to the artillery that washed ashore from Hurricane Sandy.
• What was that amazing old metal building in the distance?  He told me it was an old artillery building and that most of the current destruction came from Sandy.

When I asked him if I could walk around, he told me only in the designated area’s.  Everything else was restricted.

Hmmmm….what was this place?

Joyous sounds were coming from the children at camp, so I walked over to discover this program was run by the Rockaway Artist Alliance.  The RAA had 2 studio’s in these old military buildings; they worked with artists near and far.  The councilors told me that beyond the fence to the west, was an old “watch” tower used when Fort Tilden was a military base.  It was 173 feet high, with amazing views.  But it was “off-limits” according to the park.

I thanked them for their time and information and continued walking up to the beach where I witnessed the destruction from the storm.

 

Until next time.

Teresa, 51art

adventure is life, live it! ®