Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 2

We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to ‘normal.’  We’ve also been spending a lot of time going through our historic image archive at www.archive.gvshp.org, remembering some of those once-common activities, and just exploring the history of our neighborhoods and city.

Today we’re again putting the two together, using our archive to remind ourselves of some of what we love to do or see, and look forward to enjoying again (if you like the image, click on the link in the photo credit to explore the full collection in the archive from which it comes).

Bringing the kids to play in Washington Square fountain.

Children playing in the Washington Square Park fountain, 1950, photo by Nat Kaufman.

Go rummaging through used book shelves.

Pageant Book Store, 109 East 9th Street., north side between 3rd & 4th Avenue.  Photo by Carole Teller.

Look for some good meat and produce.

403 West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District (now Apple Store and Hugo Boss), late 1980s.  From Village Preservation’s Gansevoort Market/Far West Village Collection.

Hang some art outdoors.

Woman hanging artwork for the Washington Square Art Show, ca. 1950.  Photo by Nat Kaufman.

Share ice cream with a friend walking down the street.

University Place & 10th Street, from southwest corner, looking south, ca. 1980.  Photo by Carole Teller.

Commandeer someone’s doorway for a gab session with friends.

263 East 10th Street, north side between 1st Avenue & Avenue A, mid-1980s.  Photo by Carole Teller.

Create some public art.

One of artist Richard Hambleton’s “Shadowman” figures on the Cooper Union Hewitt Building (demolished), corner of 7th Street & Taras Schevchenko Place, looking west towards Cooper Union Foundation Building, mid-1980s.  Photo by Carole Teller.

Wait for the train and not worry about touching anything.

Jack Dowling at the 3rd Avenue El (torn down 1955) near Cooper Union while a student there, 1953.  Photo by Jack Dowling.

Take a work break with a drink from a fire hydrant.

Man and boy at fire hydrant, around 28th Street and 11th Avenue, with Empire State Building (1931) visible in background during the Depression.  From the Ruth E. Cushman Collection.

You can explore our entire historic image archive of 2,200 images from the late 18h through the early 21st century at at www.archive.gvshp.org, and explore by map at www.archive.gvshp.org/image-map.  Prints of most images are available for sale, with proceeds supporting our work.