A New York guide published in 1952

[Franz]

I found this booklet guide by George K. Borkow, Herbco's Souvenir Guide to New York City, New York 1952.
The pictures in it are marvelous. But the most curious thing is that you will read continuously information of this kind:
1) Its (of NYC) real estate is estimated to be worth over $19,000,000,000 (p. 6)
2) Adjoining the (Trinity) Church proper is Trinity Cemetery, said to be valued at between $ 20,000,000 and $ 30,000,000 (p. 15)
3) It (Brooklyn Bridge) was completed at a cost of over $ 25,000,000 (p. 19)
4) (Pennsylvania Station) is said to be...completed...at a cost of over $ 80,000,000 (p. 25)
5) This resulted in the United States loaning to the United Nations close to $ 65,000,000 (p. 26)
6) Cost of land alone (of Empire State Building) was 16,000,000 (p. 29)
7)(Crysler Building) erected in 1930 at a cost of over $ 10,000,000 (p. 31)
8) (New York Public Library was) completed... at a cost of $ 9,000,000 (p. 33)
9) (St.Patrick Cathedral) was recently restored at a cost of $ 3,000,000 (p. 42)
10) (Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) was constructed at a cost of over $ 40,000,000 (p. 44)
11) (American Museum of Natural History was) built at an approximate cost of $ 16,000,000 (p. 47)
12) The erection of thi Cathedral (St. John Divine) was started in 1892 and although $ 14,000,000 has already been spent, the construction is only 2/3 completed (p. 54)
13) Riverside Church... $ 4,000,000 (p. 57)
14) Triborough Bridge ... $ 60,000,000 (p. 59)
15) George Washington Bridge...$ 60,000,000 (p. 62)
16) Williamburg Bridge... $ 23,000,000 (p. 78)
17) Columbia.Presbyterian Hospital... $ 27,000,000 (p. 85)
18) Fordham University... $ 5,000,000.00 [sic] (p. 91)

[mbhenty]

What you see there Franz is America's obsession with money.

It was money that built this country and it is money that is bringing down the middle class.

Thus the figures and statistics, such as the ones you posted, bore me.

Impressions of wealth bore me.

Anything to do with Big money and $$$$$$$$ does not impress.

Now, fathom this one, if you want to compare big numbers.

If every American were to marry one Chinese, after everyone in America was married off there would still be 1 billion chinese left over.

Now let me ask you this. How much money do you have in your wallet?

Well, Bill Gates has enough money that he can give everyone on the the planet 10 dollars and still have 10 billion in the bank.

The average wage in Bangladesh is 52 cents an hour.

And if you live in the US, you may be rich, but there are 35 countries in the world where people live longer.

Nope, money doesn't impress. But I sure wouldn't turn down any.

Amusing stats, in any event, Franz.

[debbiediablo]

Franz, this book brings me back to the days when candy bars were a nickel and postage stamps were three cents. Thank you for sharing...:-)

[mbhenty]

Come now, Debbie... you don't really remember when candy bars were a nickle!

After all—we here on the forum are all in our twenties.

[Franz]

Franz, this book brings me back to the days when candy bars were a nickel and postage stamps were three cents. Thank you for sharing...:-)

You are welcome, debbie.

Let's have a look:

Statue of Liberty: Boats leave hourly...from Battery Park...Fare 70c adults, 35c children. (p. 9)
Empire State Bulding: Admission: adults $1.20, children 12 to 16, 45c and children under 12, 30c. (p. 29)
Rockefeller Center:Price of Tour $1.40. Observation Roof alone 74c. (p. 39)
Hayden Planetarium: Admission: Matinee 65c, evening 95c, children 40c, children under 5 not admitted. (p. 50)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Admission free (p. 51) (wow! and now?)
Museum of Modern Art: Admission fee for adults 44c; children 14c. (p. 76)

[mbhenty]

Yes Franz:

When I was a child I remember most museums were free admission.

The Metropolitan having free admission in the 1950s is no surprise.

Today if you want to get into the Metropolitan it's 25 dollars, and about half that for students.

[taosjohn]

In 1977 IIRC the Metropolitan was .35 donation requested, but not required. I was living poor a few blocks away, and used to spend weekend days there from time to time.

I knew just about nothing about art, and decided to walk through rooms until something spoke to me, and then check the label to see who the artist was-- kind of a blind test on whether the names I'd absorbed as famous in the course of a liberal arts education were actually special...

First day there I picked out three items at the end of the day:

3. A portrait of a dark haired woman in a blue dress-- which turned out to be a famous Ingres (whom I'd barely ever heard of): "Portrait of the Princess Albert de Broglie"

2. A portrait of a woman in a yellowish headband-- which turned out to be a Rembrandt.

3. A small watercolor of a market scene, full of noise and color, which on more careful examination was entirely in shades of brown... It turned out to be one of the Turners from his Venice period.

So I concluded that the art establishment maybe knew what they were doing. I didn't notice any loud sighs of relief from the offices but I was impressed by this conclusion anyway... :-)

(Later I discovered/realized that Roger Fry, whose writings I was somewhat familiar with (and in approval of,) had selected a fair portion of their collections.)

[MysteryReader]

Come now, Debbie... you don't really remember when candy bars were a nickle!

After all—we here on the forum are all in our twenties.

Yes, MB!

We're all in our 20s

[twinsrwe]

Come now, Debbie... you don't really remember when candy bars were a nickle!

After all—we here on the forum are all in our twenties.

Yes, MB!

We're all in our 20s

YES, we are!!!

[debbiediablo]

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain

[twinsrwe]

You've got that right, Debbie!