A BROOKLYN CHRISTMAS TREE PROJECT (1927)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** What did Brooklyn boys and girls do on Christmas morning in 1927? Well, they probably opened a present or two, played with their toys, frowned at their new underwear, and such. But later on when the kids had played their toys out – or, in poorer families, if there weren’t many toys to give out to children, the ever-diligent Brooklyn Daily Eagle‘s Junior Eagle section had a cut-out project with which such children could amuse themselves. No, it was not a Red Ryder BB gun, (those wouldn’t be introduced for another ten years), but it was something, and it must have worked as such projects were often included in the pages of this newspaper throughout the year. And it is amazing what occupied childrens’ minds back then. So, try it – if you like – this Christmas. Click on the picture and follow the directions. You never know. “Cut out the trees. Crease on dotted lines and paste the four together, each at right angles to the other, as shown in the sketches.” Follow @BrownstoneDetec Share ———————————————————————————————————————– The Brownstone Detectives Brownstone Detectives is an historic property research agency. Our mission is to document and save the histories of our clients’ homes. From our research, we produce our celebrated House History Books […]
A COLLAPSE, A DEATH, & AN INQUIRY (1912)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** It happened just before Christmas of 1912. A young husband in the prime of his life rushes to buy a last-minute Christmas gift for his beautiful wife. With the pearl necklace safely deposited in his suit-coat pocket, he dashes to catch the train that is approaching. Rushing up the stairwell to the Long Island Rail Road (L.I.R.R.) platform, he quickly reaches the top step. As he turns the corner to run for the platform, he barely senses the very stairwell beneath him shifting almost imperceptibly beneath his feet. Then, as a loud crack reports his entire balance has shifted, and he is suddenly in a terrifying free-fall. Seconds later the young husband’s body is covered with tons of – what had seconds before been – concrete stairs. This fatal collapse of the L.I.R.R. stairwell occurred at Atlantic and New York avenues, and was subsequently blamed on the corrosion of two cast-iron posts which supported the entire concrete structure. The tragedy on the L.I.R.R. stairway at New York and Atlantic avenues ended in the sudden death of a well-known art expert, David H. Cochran of 113 Macon Street. THE BEGINNING OF A “BIG” INQUIRY The very day afterward, as the finger-pointing already began to take place, a “big” inquiry was established which […]
GIVE THE GIFT OF BROOKLYN HISTORY…
We’ve all been there. Each holiday season, you have that one friend or family member on your list who challenges your abilities to find the perfect gift for them. They defy description. They have eclectic tastes. They don’t fit squarely into any box or category. In short – they’re very difficult to shop for. Well, if that person has an historic bent and lives in an historic Brooklyn home, then let the Brownstone Detectives help you this holiday season. We’ll build them a: BROWNSTONE DETECTIVESHOUSE HISTORY BOOK WHAT IS A HOUSE HISTORY BOOK? Our House History Books are home-grown bespoke Brooklyn creations, each telling the complete story of a single historic house or property. To build one, we perform original research on every aspect of a property and its former owners/residents, starting with the original land owners (the arrival of the Dutch) and ending with the current owners of the land and structure (your friend or family member). Then, we get to work on writing your book. WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR HOUSE HISTORY BOOK? • Colorful stories (Did intimate friends of Abraham Lincoln really own your house?), • Richly detailed maps (How did your neighborhood look when your house was built?), • Architectural drawings (Was that addition on the back of your house original?), • Photographs (What did your house look like on the inside in the 1950s?), • Interviews with former owners/residents (What stories are hidden within your home’s past?) • A well-researched, documented, and attributed 50-150 page narrative, […]
