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Throwback Thursday with Carole Teller’s Photos

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You may know that every Thursday, social media (Instagram especially) is abuzz with #tbt. The hashtag stands for Throwback Thursday and it’s a chance for everyone to post fun, funny, or interesting old photos. We love to participate in #tbt because it’s a great chance to highlight historic images of our city, and today we’re taking it from the realm of social media into the virtual pages of Off the Grid! Recently, GVSHP released a fantastic group of photos taken by East Village resident Carole Teller (check out some of the great mentions the collection received in Gothamist, Curbed, Time Out, and Untapped Cities!). In the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, Carole roamed downtown neighborhoods and captured the daily goings-on of New York streets. Her collection gives equal attention to grand icons like Washington Square and quotidian scenes of East Village street life. We are so pleased that Carole chose to share her collection with us, and we’re thrilled, in turn, to share it with you.

I’ve always loved old signage, especially “ghost signs”, so I thought I’d share some of those with you today. Next week, Off the Grid will revisit Carole Teller’s photos and explore her life as a longtime artist and East Village resident. So check back next week to learn more about the artist/photographer herself.

 

“Drink Milk, Eat Milk.” This somewhat odd message is painted on 149-151 Elizabeth Street. The view is taken from Kenmare Street.

 

This charming pinking shears sign graces a building at the corner of Prince and Greene Streets. This is now the site of the Apple Store and Louis Vuitton.

 

 

A painted Coca-Cola sign on the west wall of 60 Grand Street east of West Broadway. This sign is actually still somewhat visible today.

 

 

A classic Fountain Service “privilege sign” at 50-52 2nd Avenue, at the southeast corner of 3rd Street.

 

 

172, 174, 176 Delancey Street, north side between Attorney & Clinton Streets. A Spring Street lumber yard welcomes Williamsburg Bridge commuters into the borough.

 

 

Irving Hotel, NW corner of 14th Street and Irving Place, ca. 1980.

 

 

From 15th Street & Union Square East, looking south. A painted Village Voice ad looms over the site of the demolished S. Klein’s Department Store

Aside from Carole’s great photos, GVSHP maintains a large archive of many historic neighborhood images from a variety of different photographers and historic sources. Visit our online archive to browse all of Carole’s photos, as well as the entire GVSHP collection. And we know how hard it is not to fall in love with these images, so we’ve made it possible for you to own them! If you see image you’d like to purchase as a print, contact my colleague Sam at smoskowitz@gvshp.org. You can own your own Carole Teller image in no time.

We’ll also be adding more of Carole’s photos soon, so make sure to check the GVSHP archives early and often!

 

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