"She walked with him to the trolley car. Women smiled at him until they noticed the little girl clinging to his hand. Johnny looked like a handsome, devil-may-care Irish boy... They walked to the corner. When a Graham Avenue trolley came along, he swung up on to the platform suiting his rhythm to the car's slowing down. As the car started up again, he stood on the back platform holding on to the bar holding on to the bar while he leaned way out to wave to Francie. No man had ever looked so gallant as her father, she thought. "
Then I discovered that there are a couple of old trolleys down in Red Hook, thanks to this write on Gothamist, so I left the house on my bike one sunset last week , hoping to track down what turns out to be an attempt to create a Brooklyn Trolley Museum.
I wish there were more than two trolleys, that they were cleaned up, that you could go sit in them and even take a little tour of the Red Hook waterfront on one.
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Betty Smith ~ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I've seen the tracks in Dumbo, in Red Hook, but I hadn't really thought about streetcars until I read 'ATree Grows in Brooklyn' a couple of years back. I can envision Francie's dad, charming in that old New York kind of way, leaning out of that trolley, with a melt-my-heart smile, as the old cart dissapperas in the loud raucous Brooklyn traffic...
Then I discovered that there are a couple of old trolleys down in Red Hook, thanks to this write on Gothamist, so I left the house on my bike one sunset last week , hoping to track down what turns out to be an attempt to create a Brooklyn Trolley Museum.
I think a visit to the actual Trolley Museum of New York is in order... but only if I can show up in costume and pose for photos in the old trolleys.
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Today's Sountrack is a video
Vintage Film of Brooklyn Trolley circa 1930s
11 comments:
these shots rock. you're the best.
Amy your photos are so wonderful, I have been catching up! So great to see your name appear at ibby bee : )
So cool Amy! These pictures are great. Now I need to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. So, in addition to the trolley museum, want to go to the NY Transit Museum? Like maybe this Friday?
Oh yay! I love this post, Amy.
Wow, it's so cool these are still lying around. The building in the first photo, the windows are wonderful too!!
Oh so beautiful and very cool!
I've got to read that book. Awesome photos!
so I was going through some of your older posts - and I finally peeped the Hey Ya cover - why is it so glorious?
thanks for the head's up!
wow...these pictures look a lot like the ruins in Detroit. Have you seen the Detroit pictures at http://www.sweet-juniper.com/?
And...A tree grows in Brooklyn is sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read (must get on that!)
Oh, for goodness sakes..how come I have not known you were posting such beautiful photos again?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn..makes me want to cry for my youth..not that I have ever been there..but read it 40 some odd years ago.. and loved it.
You are amazing with your glorious photos and words...they bring me joy and I send you thanks.
What awesome enviroment.
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