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New York, 1951. "Street scene, Corn Exchange Bank." Sharing the spotlight with two Sanitation Department trucks. 4x5 negative by John M. Fox. View full size.
The Corn Exchange Bank was founded in 1853. In 1954, it merged with Chemical Bank and was called Chemical Corn Exchange. In 1959, it merged with NY Trust and dropped the "Corn Exchange," becoming just Chemical Bank. (Other mergers occurred not necessary to this narrative.) In 1996, Chemical acquired Chase Manhattan and adopted Chase's more well known identity. You will notice that the building currently occupying the site of the Corn Exchange is a Chase Bank. The Corn Exchange Branch down in the Village on Grove Street is also now a Chase Bank.
Back in the sixties, one of the parents who drove in the car pool that transported us to our school across town was a house painter who had a truck very similar in type and vintage to the Craftsman vehicle. Same lack of windows along the sides in the rear. We sat in the back on two benches running the length of the space, facing one another, sharing legroom with paint cans and ladders. Nothing was bolted down, and there were no seatbelts. When Mr. Blum braked suddenly, we all got a bit jostled, but no one ever got hurt and it was definitely the most fun ride of the week.
The Hudson parked at the far curb, center of photo is a 1952 or 1953 model by its side trim so if this is 1951, it is late in the year and the new cars have been introduced and are on the streets.
[The license plates say 1951. - Dave]
The branch with the apparent Christmas ornaments belongs to a sycamore, a classic urban street tree. The balls are achenes that surround a single seed.
The tree in the foreground has what appears to be a couple of Christmas ornaments in the upper branches.
Must be payday! City employees, business people and others heading to the bank, some even double parked.
The two to the left are gone.
I'm drooling over that Woody, double-parked. Wishing I could go back in time to take a little spin around that New York block.
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