East Coast Whirlwind, Pt. 3 Part three begins at a little neighborhood Italian restaurant I found down the street from the Walker Hotel, Da Andrea Ristorante. Just the kind of local “joint” that is the best part of travel for me - stumbling onto a cool place that is not part of a predictable national chain. The beet salad: I stayed with my usual and got the bolognese: Dessert was a Tortino di Cioccolato (chocolate cake, salted caramel ice cream). In any language, it was yum. Before hitting the pillow, I took a nighttime shot of the Empire State Building from my window: The next morning was all sunshine; literally! I ventured out into the Village again, and reshot a few photos of the Jefferson Market Library without any interference from the gray clouds and rain. Much better! Another great find was this Seinfeld-esque diner, The Waverly Restaurant. Inside was festively decorated for the season: The waffles and bacon were diner perfection. The one disappointment was that I didn't get to see (and photograph) this sign at night. Always something for the “to do list.” Downing Street Playground was a beautiful little space with plenty of shade trees: An Armillary Sundial was at the center of the playground: Gemini was looking good. If I ever decide to move to New York, I would be sure to contact the Wizard of Moving. ClairVoyant was closed; guess she didn’t know I was coming. Some psychic. Nearby is the apartment made famous by Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in “Sex and the City”: It still looked good, but the owners have definitely made it less accessible to fans since I first saw it in 2005: The address is 66 Perry Street; is the 1866 plaque on the right to fool gawking fans? It didn’t seem to do any good while I was there, as a crowd was gathered at the foot of the steps. Magnolia Bakery, also made famous by SATC. The cupcakes were ok, but I never thought they were worth the hype. The candy corn cake in the window looked fun, though! At the nearby Bleecker Playground I saw The Family Monument, a bronze sculpture by Chaim Gross. This wall decor looked like it had come straight out of the French Quarter: The Halloween tableaus were impressive: Last one for my journey around the Village is of Squad Company 18, built in 1892. Still plenty more to come! See more New York City photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/11/east-coast-whirlwind-pt-3.html #andrearistorante #walkerhotel #newyork #street #playground #empirestate #statebuilding #jeffersonmarket #marketlibrary #village #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

East Coast Whirlwind, Pt. 2: Inside the Walker My room at the Walker Hotel was perfection. The styling was right up my alley, clean, and well appointed. The desk had the usual assortment of pay-per-snacks: However, I lovely little bottle of wine and a bag of cookies (along with bottles of plain and sparkling water) were thrown in for good measure. The bag of cookies is missing from the photo; they were devoured before I got the camera out. And they were GOOOOOOOOOOOD… The view from the room had the Empire State Building in the foreground. With a 600mm lens, the view becomes more impressive: The faux rotary dial phone would have gone home with me if I still had a landline. The lobby had beautiful floral displays, appropriately themed to the fall season: A new (to me) discovery this trip was the nearby Union Square: The park area included monuments to George Washington: Abraham Lincoln: The Marquis de Lafayette: …and a drinking fountain, known as The James Fountain, after philanthropist Daniel Willis James and Theodore Roosevelt Sr. who donated this piece sculpted by Karl Adolph Donndorf and designed by J. Leonard Corning. The fountain is now a decorative planter, surrounded by potheads. Don’t get too close if you don’t want to get high. Live music abounded: This gigantic art installation represents a metronome, which was a standard part of my childhood piano lessons. Created by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel in 1999, apparently it periodically releases a plume of steam. In case you miss that, you could always view the exhalings of the Union Square inhabitants. The large rock-like formation at lower left is a bronze hand cast from the George Washington monument in the square. Stay tuned for part 3! See more Walker Hotel photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/east-coast-whirlwind-pt-2-inside-walker.html #walkerhotel #georgewashington #unionsquare #fountain #james #willisjames #empirestate #statebuilding #abrahamlincoln #leonardcorning #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Temple Tuesday: Shirley's Fridge Refrigerators did not become a common household appliance until the 1928 introduction of freon, which helped prices drop to a more affordable level. In the 1934 photo above, Shirley practices a step with choreographer Jack Donohue in her Fox Bungalow for the publicity cameras. In the background at left, you can see a refrigerator. The below image gives a better view of the appliance, but unfortunately not a great view of its contents. Although I can’t vouch for the brand of fridge in Shirley’s bungalow, for the movie “Bright Eyes,” General Electric promoted the kitchen set which used their appliances, including the fridge, range, and dishwasher. Here’s an alternate shot of the GE endorsement series that Shirley posed for: Lois Wilson and Shirley in a scene from “Bright Eyes,” where the GE appliances were featured: Apparently little Shirley and her family were not necessarily brand loyal. Below is a publicity photo of Shirley hawking Norge appliances, which also included washing machines and stoves. Shirley Temple in her portable 20th Century-Fox trailer between takes of “Little Miss Broadway” (1938), enjoying a sandwich and a cold glass of milk from her little icebox: In the Temple home, located in the wealthy Brentwood neighborhood, the kitchen had a Norge fridge! This previously posted 1940s image of Shirley has her releasing a sunshine cake from its pan: Yup, it’s Norge! This online image from March 1944 gives a glimpse of the contents of the Temple fridge. Spiral ham, olives, and only God knows what else. In 1965, Shirley and her family lived in Atherton. Below, she proudly poses with her son, Charlie. Let’s take a look at what’s in Shirley’s kitchen! On the countertop we see Bisquick. I won’t show this photo to my Mom; Bisquick was akin to a curse word, as she made everything from scratch. I mean EVERY THING! Pancakes, biscuits, waffles…no mixes allowed! Somebody in Shirley’s home had a thirst for beer. The king-size Budweiser near her left hand is getting nice and frosty for…? On the door are what appear to be a few cans of Libby’s tomato juice. Her right hand seems to be pulling out a box with…? Shirley did have a taste for decadent chocolate cake; perhaps that’s what was inside. Rounding out today’s post is a beautiful color image, also taken during the same time period at Shirley’s Atherton home. Her hairdo is an aerosol delight! See more Shirley Temple at home photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/temple-tuesday-shirleys-fridge.html #shirley #brighteyes #fridge #norge #jackdonohue #foxbungalow #generalelectric #loiswilson #below #bisquick #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

East Coast Whirlwind, Pt. 1: The Walker Hotel Ever since the pandemic, my flying days pretty much grounded to a halt. It’s generally been a pain in the arse, more expensive, and quite frankly at this stage in my life I am happiest being at home. However…it was time to visit Mom again. Southwest Airlines pulled through this time and rated a glowing report card. Despite connecting flights coming and going (which can often lead to disaster), I am happy to say that they were on time for each one. AND baggage claim was quick and easy, too. Ignore the American Airlines building at LaGuardia; I was on a Southwest flight! Once off the plane, I was greeted by the “I Love NY” logo at LaGuardia. The colored panels with quotes from and about NYC’s 100th mayor, Fiorella LaGuardia, were beautiful to see as I briskly walked to the transportation pickup area. They aren’t actually stained glass, but rather 3M scotch all clear vinyl window graphics installed by Color-X and designed by Sabine Horning. Traffic was a bit dicey as you would expect on a weekday around lunchtime in NYC, but I finally made it to my destination, The Walker Hotel in Greenwich Village. It was just the right kind of refurbed historic boutique hotel that I dig. I was hoping to run into Karen Walker when I checked in, but no such luck. Stepping down the stairs, the lobby area did not disappointed. Plenty of couches and nooks and crannies for relaxing. Since my room wasn’t ready yet (I had taken the red eye and arrived early), I had a delish lunch at the hotel restaurant. Once done, I took my camera and ventured out in the hood, despite the mix of cloudy skies, sprinkles, and short downpours of rain. The Jefferson Market Library stood out like something out of a gothic novel. Edited from the New York Public Library website: Originally a courthouse, the Jefferson Market Library has served the Greenwich Village community for over thirty years. The building, a New York City landmark, was designed by architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux (who also assisted in the design of Central Park) in a Victorian Gothic style. It was erected (along with an adjacent prison and market) during the years 1875-1877 and cost the city almost $360,000. What the city got for its money, in addition to an architectural gem (it was voted one of the ten most beautiful buildings in America by a poll of architects in the 1880s) was a civil court (on the second floor, where the Adult Reading Room is now) and a police court (now the first-floor Children's Room). The beautiful brick-arched basement (now the Reference Room) was used as a holding area for prisoners on their way to jail or trial. By 1945, through redistricting, court was no longer held at Jefferson Market, and the building was taken over by various agencies. By 1959, the building had become home only to pigeons and rats and was considered such an architectural eyesore the city planned to knock it down and erect an apartment building. But Village community members, led by Margot Gayle and Philip Wittenberg, and including Lewis Mumford, E.E. Cummings (who lived across the street in Patchin Place) and actor Maurice Evans, rallied to save the building from the wrecking ball. In 1961, Mayor Robert F. Wagner announced that it would be preserved and converted into a public library. Construction began in 1965 and the library opened for business in 1967. Among the first of its visitors was the poet Marianne Moore, who had at one time worked for the Hudson Park Branch Library. She found the renovation very pleasing indeed. Next time I visit, I need to venture inside. Instead, I wandered through the adjacent Jefferson Market Garden. The plants looked beautiful, and the rain that cascaded down made everything look extra green and lush. This fella had obviously been there for quite some time. I saw Empire Cake along the way and my sweet tooth was activated. The inside was bright and welcoming. So were some of the interesting cakes and other goodies. There were so many choices, but I finally settled on a Red Velvet Snack Cake. It was a VERY good choice. From the description: Red velvet cake filled with cream cheese frosting and dipped in Belgian white chocolate. OMG it was so good. I might have also gotten a carrot cake cupcake and I might have also thoroughly enjoyed that, too. Not long after devouring my treats, I got notification that my room was ready, and that’s where I will leave this installment of my East Coast trip. See more New York City Walker Hotel photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/east-coast-whirlwind-pt-1-walker-hotel.html #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Weekend at the Waldorf The historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York opened on October 1, 1931. NINETY-FIVE YEARS AGO and still ticking! This image of the entrance to the hotel was taken for research at Columbia Pictures in 1944. I’m not sure what movie it was used for, but MGM released, “Weekend at the Waldorf” one year later in 1945. Interiors for that film were recreated on a soundstage, but most of the exteriors were shot on location. Back from my digression, I present an image I shot in 2016 when I stayed at the Waldorf, showing very little change to the exterior, other than the newer canopy that engulfs all three sections of doors. These cool little frames on the exterior tell us that Michael Zarin and his orchestra were performing at the Lounge Restaurant: The frame on the right gives the lineup for the Starlight Roof, along with a scowl from the doorman: Zooming in we see it includes the Nat Brandwynne Orchestra, Nicolas Alexander and something Williams Trio, and the rest I have no idea other than the mention of Sunday dinner. Just look at the pretty pictures, please. As of 2016, it would appear that the very same frames were still being used: Another exterior view from 2016: In 2017, the hotel closed for renovations after a Chinese Company, Anabang Insurance Group, bought the property for $1.95 billion. That’s a lot of smackers! After much back and forth and shifting of schedules, the hotel portion reopened again in July 2025. Apparently by February 2026, Anabang was planning to sell the hotel. I’ll take tax write-offs for $500, Alex! See more Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/weekend-at-waldorf.html #waldorfastoria #hotel #weekend #newyork #anabang #columbiapictures #loungerestaurant #nicolasalexander #starlightroof #williamstrio #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Temple Tuesday: Fun and Games Theatergoers often don’t realize the amount of work that goes into making a movie. Many actors reveal that the worst part is the amount of time BETWEEN filming scenes. It can get pretty boring; just look at Shirley Temple during the filming of “Kathleen,” her one and only MGM production. Above, she yawns between costars Laraine Day and Herbert Marshall. What do stars do between takes? Below, Shirley keeps herself occupied with crafting: Making fashions for her mini-mannequin: Here, Shirley reads her script, brushing up on her lines and any possible last minute revisions while the camera gets set-up: I wish I had more info on this one; it would appear that Shirley is rehearsing a song for the film. In the final movie though, the only musical number has Shirley dubbed. Maybe originally Shirley was slated to sing, but the studio decided against it in the end. The director, Harold S. Bucquet, goes over a scene with Felix Bressart and Shirley: Shirley and Herbert wait patiently for the lighting to be fixed: A game of chess between takes for Shirley: This poodle can dance AND balance the script! Below, Shirley plays Chinese Checkers with her stand-in, Mary Lou Isleib: I found this board on eBay, which appears to be the same design as the one Shirley was using. Made by Pressman, it was popularized in the U.S. in 1928 by Bill and Jack Pressman and originally marketed under the name Hop Ching Checkers before becoming widely known as Chinese Checkers. Marshall and Day playing a game of cards; apparently they weren’t into Chinese Checkers. Even a beautiful young teen like Shirley needs a touch-up from the makeup artist between takes. And there you have it; life on the set between takes of “Kathleen”! See more teenage Shirley Temple photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/temple-tuesday-fun-and-games.html #shirley #chinesecheckers #kathleen #laraineday #pressman #making #herbertmarshall #jackpressman #louisleib #marylou #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Temple Tuesday: Bunny in the Bungalow This recent Shirley Temple photo acquisition sparked another rabbit hole…literally! Taken inside her 20th Century-Fox Bungalow, Shirley is opening a rather large box. Most people would initially wonder what was in the box; not me. I wanted to know if the sheet of paper on the end table could be read! I zoomed in, but to no avail. It doesn’t appear to be a script, so who knows. The great Rita D., Shirley expert supreme, was able to fill in the rest of the story that this series of publicity shots was about. The image below shows Shirley at the front door of the bungalow (love that decorative Hand of Fatima door knocker!) receiving the package. The back of the image is date stamped January 1938, which lets us know that the photo is no more recent than that period, but possibly a month or more older. Before the lightning fast internet and digital photos, timed layouts had to be planned and executed way in advance to meet publishing deadlines. Another image from Rita shows Shirley playing with some kind of custom-made wooden logs. The story behind this set is still unknown. In searching to find out if this was what Lincoln Logs looked like back in the day, I learned that the original Lincoln Logs were designed/created by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John Lloyd. That’s some provenance! From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office FB page: Lincoln Logs were more than a toy; they were a patented invention that inspired generations of young builders. John Lloyd Wright, the second son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, received U.S. Patent No. 1,351,086 in 1930 for a “Toy-Cabin Construction.” His design used notched wooden logs that could be stacked to form interlocking walls for miniature structures— without glue or nails. Inspired by his father’s earthquake-resistant construction techniques, Wright used architecture engineering principles to create a toy that was both educational and imaginative, helping children learn about construction while building realistic log cabins. According to the Modern San Diego website, John Lloyd Wright designed many homes and commercial structures here in San Diego. I’m going to need to do some exploring, Lucy! Back to the originally scheduled program (oh those rabbit hole digressions). Rita dug up this clipping with the text that accompanied it showing Shirley’s wonderment at the bunny. I wonder how many times she had to show that face for the photographer? When this big box came, Shirley thought someone had sent her flowers. She could hardly wait to see whether they were roses or daffodils, acacia—or what! Imagine her surprise when she opened the lid, and there was a white bunny that looked almost as real as a real Easter bunny! Melissa (ala “The Colonel”) dug up this download from her web archive which shows more of the image: This previously posted image from my collection has artist Feg Murray visiting Shirley between takes of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” being filmed in 1937. Same dress, and the curls match, so there’s a good chance it was the same day. Artist Feg Murray visits Shirley Temple between takes of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” 1937. According to the AFI website, the production dates for that film were early October through November 1937. And there you have today’s trip down the bunny path. See more Shirley Temple Fox bungalow and trailer photos at my main website. http://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/temple-tuesday-bunny-in-bungalow.html