He's done it again.
Back in the Spring, you may remember, I posted a little photo quiz wherein readers were implored to guess the exact locations of several images of various rock types loitering about NYC. Collectively, we managed to track them down (I had an encouraging bit of help from several loyal regulars), but there were a couple that still left me stumped. One of them was of the The Cure, and the other was of NYC's own Television (the photo above).
The mighty Bob Egan of PopShotsNYC who, as I've mentioned before, is no stranger to scrupulous attention to detail, handily tracked down the Cure's location quite recently. Well, today, he's solved another puzzle for me by pinpointing the precise location of the photograph of Television.
With a keen insight for slight architectural nuance and historical context, Egan places Messrs. Verlaine, Lloyd, Ficca and Smith on the southwest corner of East 9th Street and 1st Avenue. Here's Bob's own take on it....
While on your site I saw you quiz and saw you were looking for a certain Television photo. So I surfed up and down the avenues using Bing but could not find it.
I did however see the word "City" on a sign in the background of the photo and while at the library today I looked in the 1977 phone book microfiche for "City (Something)." in the East Village and LES. The second one I came across was " City Curtain" at 141 1st Ave.
Putting that in Google Maps, resulted in an orange arrow midblock on 1st between 8th and 9th. SO I checked out the building one in from the corner of Ninth (since the cars are going North) and saw it had the same distinctive lintels as in the Television picture. The building now has a fire escape. I guess that's what's thrown us before from thinking that was the place.
See Bob's meticulous detective work below. Click on each to enlarge.
Fantastic.
You two should have your own PBS show.
Can't imagine how low the ratings would be, but I'd be watching.
Posted by: Yep Uhuh | February 17, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Nice post, but you could have just asked Godlis - he took the photo.
Posted by: Tim B. | February 17, 2012 at 01:27 PM
Yes - 9th street it is. To have my photograph subjected to a Bob Egan archeological investigation makes me feel a bit historical and hysterical at the same time - I'm a total fan of his Bob Dylan LP cover creeds. I now feel worthy of the likes of Schatzberg and Kramer - ha!
it was indeed the fall of 1977 when I walked (lured) television into walking across St.Marks (Fred lived on St.Marks between 1st & 2nd ave), past the holiday cocktail lounge & stromboli's) and up first ave where we came upon this enormous puddle on the corner of 9th. I had them wait on the corner while I traversed around to the other side of the water, to take the photo - I think they thought I was a bit crazy. That sidewalk is still kind of crooked & there probably was a clogged drain at the time. That corner was a fruit vegetable stand for years. To coin a phrase, First Avenue was so medieval - strewn with colorful little shops (buttons, curtains, etc.) excellent as backdrops - all now restaurants. Believe me, nobody noticed us at all.
Posted by: Godlis | February 17, 2012 at 02:41 PM
Holy Smokes!! GODLIS WEIGHS IN!!!
Posted by: Alex in NYC | February 17, 2012 at 06:17 PM
very cool Alex - FYI - just posted more thoughts, with outtake photos from the Television session on my blog:
http://godlis.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-avenue-looked-so-medieval.html
Posted by: Godlis | February 22, 2012 at 11:20 AM