Thursday, March 13, 2008

Scavenger Hunt Answers

As a warm up to the Scavenger Hunt of April 6th, some of the KV have been testing their
recollecting skills. The above is a collage of some of the answers.

Celebrities Appearing At 2nd Annual KV Reunion

Dion And The Belmonts (Kitchen Staff, Camp Edalia Summer of '63)

Miss Camp Commodore 1964

Monday, March 10, 2008

Knickerbocker Village Scavenger Hunt

One of the tentative activities being planned for the 2nd Annual KV Reunion slated for April 6th, 2006. Using the aerial photo which contains approximate numbered sites, the participants are to match the picture clues to their location. They might also be asked to recall some memorable event in their childhood that occurred at some of those sites.
The thumbnails are just a representative sampling of the more than 30 spots.

Knickerbocker Village Passover Seder


From circa 1949 from the Hellman family archives. More than likely not Knickerbocker, but some other LES location.
From Neal:
At the head of the table is my grandmother and grandfather Samuel and Jenny Pacewitz from Czyzew Poland. Jenny is the daughter of Joseph Kanet, who was a very successful tsitsis maker. There's a web page about him and other members of my Polish family In the photo my mother is the third person on the left and my father is third man on the right.

Knickerbocker Village Slumber Party


From the archives of the Meyers' family. That's Lewis on the left, Stewie Brick in the middle and the jury is still out on the kid on the right. From the mid 1950's

Friday, March 7, 2008

10 Montgomery Street And Sol Hellman


Neal told me that his dad, Sol, grew up on the lower east side, not far from the family sewing machine repair store on Pike Street. Knowing that and his father's year of birth, 1915, I was able to find him in the 1920 census at 10 Montgomery Street (between Henry and East Broadway), apt 87. It's one of the few tenements still standing the neighborhood. His father was Philip (listed as a machinist), his mother Ida, and an older brother named Jacob lived there. The letter R stands for the fact that the family had a radio. Neal also mentioned that his dad went to Seward Park High School and City College with Zero Mostel. Both Sol and Zero also probably knew and went to school with the song writer, Sammy Cahn (Cohen) who was born in 1913

Madison Street Fire


126 Madison is now an empty lot. I imagine 124 Madison looks a lot like what 126 did. The 1927 fire took place on the fifth floor.

Pike And East Broadway

Taken in 1931. It's the south side of East Broadway and the eastern side of Pike. The synagogue, now a hardware store and a Buddhist Temple is visible in the 1931 photo.
The now photo below is taken almost from the same vantage point as the old, only it's from street level. The second "now" photo is taken from Henry Street looking eastward at the synagogue at 11 Pike.


from the nypl digital collection, photographer Loomis Sperr.

Pike And Henry Street


from the nypl digital collection, photographer Loomis Sperr. Taken in 1931. It's the eastern side of Pike at just about the spot where Neal Hellman's father and grandfather had a sewing machine repair shop.

The Birthday Party



Neal Hellman sent this along. It's his older brother Billy's party from the late 40's

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Knickerbocker Village: Phoenix Arizona Media Star


If you come to the April 6th reunion you'll be able to see this Department Of Energy media star in person. Contacted on the spur of the moment to reflect on power outages in Florida he jumped into action without aide of his makeup and wardrobe department. A real KV man of action.