Found People in Windows: Hudson Street, NYC, 1865

JF Ptak Science Books LLC  Post 438

This fine-looking, serious and imposing specimen steals the show in the photo made to exhibit the John Peake Pharmacy, from whom this carpenter rented his second-story workspace.  I have no doubt that Mr. Peake is the well-dressed fellow in the tall beaver-skinned stovepipe hat at bottom.  The photograph was made by Marcus Ormsby on :Lower Hudson Street in New York City in 1865--one of the signs to the left of the supposed Mr. Peake says something about a picnic taking place in August 1865.  The poster above that one though says something about "300 Wanted" and looks a lot like Civil War recruitment posters that I've seen--if it was July/August or thereabouts the war would've been over for months....perhaps it was an old poster, perhaps a poster for something else entirely. 

I do like the carpenter in his working window, there above the "a" in "Peake"--he is holding a substantial planer (or moulder?) in his right hand, and wearing what looks like a union/affiliation 4-square cap.  I'm happy to see that he  is steadying himself with his left hand's pinkey--for all of that musky confidence he  seems perfectly well in comfort keeping his whole enterprise artistically balanced with a longish-looking pinkey finger.

The buildings in this photo--not 18th century, I don't think, but probably thirty years old or so in 1865--are virtually covered by signage advertising what was going on inside:  the larger image shows a printer, carpenter, oil cloth merchant ("oil'd clothing"), pharmacist, paintstore, sign painter and card maker, all there and doing business in about 60 feet of street.  The interesting part of the signs is the very free use of the period ".", which ends one-word pronouncements, proper names, and just about everything else--I like that. 

All of this aside, this is just a gorgeous photograph offering a perfect glimpse into a workaday scene in NYC just after the end of the Civil War.

Comments

[Jeff]

John, that's YOU in a previous life! The pointed toe, the pinky finger, and the neutral face that is still down-turned with knitted brow. Indeed, you steal the show. What do you remember of that time?

[John F. Ptak]

Well, its remarkable how many "mes" there are out there hiding in dim images of the past--high magnification and squinty-eyed observation of a fuzzy large bald bearded figure will turn just about anyone into the guy in the mirror.

[Rick]

You know, Jeff, you may have hit upon something!

Not only is the body type and face close enough, the figure on the second floor also is embodying the instruction Patti Digh gave to the members of her recent (end of September) retreat group when it came to presenting one's best self in a photo: a thigh and two breasts. Stand with one leg in front (the thigh) and square ones shoulders toward the camera so as to present a clear view of the chest.

I'm pretty sure this advice was aimed more toward the 13 female members of the group than in the direction of Bruce or me, the two guys.

In this case, though, this guy totally has it goin' on!

[patti digh]

Jeff - it *is* JP, isn't it?!

Rick - I feel fairly certain that the instruction from a model friend given jokingly to retreat-ees was not only intended for all--male and female--but is easily misconstrued, in fact, out of context, as here...

[Rick]

I don't know, Patti...your differing impression of what went on back in September allowed, I still think the guy on the second-floor landing completely embodies your advice, be it offered lightheartedly or not!

The only remaining question is how your model friend (or you) passed the pertinent information back to that JP-clone person decades before any of us were born.

Well...and the other only remaining question (John will accept two 'only's, I'll bet) is how we ended up discussing this without the very subject, himself, participating!