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Even More Ghost Signs of Albany
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Having looked at the ghost signs of R.B. Wing and Meginnis Electric on Liberty Street, we thought we’d present some of the other familiar ghost signs from around Albany. Some are painted, some are not. In one case, the business is still going, so technically its advertisement isn’t a ghost, but let’s not be…
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More Ghost Signs of Liberty Street
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Since the ghost signs on the back of the R.B. Wing building facing Liberty Street proved so popular, why not take a look at some of the other fine ghost signs that are visible along that stretch of street? For instance, there’s Meginnis Electric: We actually don’t know a thing about Meginnis, which apparently…
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The Ghost Signs of R.B. Wing
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The backs of buildings are sometimes as interesting as the fronts, and in Albany’s case, the backs of the row of quite-old buildings along Broadway are absolutely fascinating for their profusion of ghost signs. Ghost signs are generally hand-painted signs that adorned our commercial buildings in abundance in the 19th and 20th centuries, and…
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William Kemp and his 65 Second Street Home
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Our brief mention of the Troy home of William Kemp got us curious … how did 65 Second Street come to be designed by one of the leading architects of his age, Stanford White? White, of the massively influential firm of McKim, Mead and White, designed the arch in New York’s Washington Square, the…
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Troytown Shirt Corporation
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Just a quickie today, but this ad from 1957 caught our eye. It’s from a time when there was still enough garment manufacture in the area that a call for women with industrial sewing experience would not have gone unanswered. Yes, this was a time when employment ads were separated into male and female…
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When Money Came From Troy
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Duncan Crary sent along an interesting little bit regarding the re-opening of a local rare coin shop that will also feature an exhibit of currency that was issued in the Capital Region back when that was a thing. Ferris Coin, which has been around since 1930, is reopening at 199 Wolf Road, and will…
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Sturgeondom
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Recent entries brought up the question, “what the heck was ‘Sturgeondom’?” An 1869 article in the Albany Morning Express quoted the Troy Whig, saying that “A bright light in the direction of Albany last evening indicates a big fire in Sturgeondom,” but the Express responded that “Our neighbors will be pleased to learn, we…
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The Mutual Boat Club of Albany
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We’ve been talking quite a bit about the early rowing history of Albany, from just before the Civil War and on into the 19th century as rowing grew in popularity. It would help to understand that rowing was once, indeed, very big sporting news. Major races frequently made the front pages of major newspapers,…
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Sturgeondom’s Pioneer Rowing Club
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Edgar S. Van Olinda, old time columnist of old times, told us that rowing in Albany began in earnest with a number of clubs around 1857. “Rowing in Albany began with the Pioneer club in 1857, the Knickerbocker club in 1858, along with the Hiawathas and the Excelsiors. That was only the beginning.” He…
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Peter Kiernan Sr. and Other Oarmen
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Last time we featured a little bit on the old Albany waterfront and the prominence of rowers of various sorts way back when, and touched on the prowess of the Peters Kiernan, Sr. and Jr. After that, we found this Edgar Van Olinda article from 1943 telling us even more about Kiernan Sr. and,…