A Nocturne of New York – Christmas 1915

A Nocturne of New York – Christmas 1915

One of two known versions of Beals 1915 Christmas card, with the other held by Princeton but actually showing streetcars and the One Times Square building in the background. The famous New York City landmark skyscraper the Flatiron Building, built in 1902, is shown looming over the horizon just to the right of the center of this photograph. The original acetate negative for same is held by the Museum of the City of New York describing the view as “Fifth Avenue at 25 Street (at dusk), 1906.” (catalogue # 91.53.39) 

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Christmas Nocturne

Title
A Nocturne of New York – Christmas 1915
Photographer
Country
Medium
Ephemera
Year
Dimensions

Image Dimensions8.0 x 10.1 cm

Support Dimensions18.9 x 27.7 cm tan woven paper, opened

Print Notes

The card opens up and a larger photograph has been pasted opposite the Beals photograph showing an unknown middle-aged woman with bonnet seated at a breakfast or dinner table.

Black ink, presumably in hand of Beals: Christmas greetings and many, many good wishes to Dear Miss Constable from her friend.   (The Constable reference may be to a family member of James Mansell Constable, 1812-1900, a successful New York City department store owner whom Beals is known to have taken advertising photographs for.

Contemporary hand, blue ink following: I think this is great grandmother Gunhilde Week

Editor: Martha Gunhild Week was a Wisconsin chemist: 1863-1922, and her mother was Gunhhild Nelson Luraas Week 1826-1916- not sure if any connection.

Provenance

Purchased for this archive from a seller in Los Angeles, CA in June, 2023.