Monday, June 5, 2023

Decades-spanning ghost signage disappears from this East Village building

The neighborhood's most prominent ghost ad has vanished.  

In recent days, workers removed the scaffolding and construction netting at 108 Avenue B, the 5-story building on the SW corner of Seventh Street. (Thanks to Dave on 7th for the initial tip!)

According to work permits on file with the Department of Buildings, the landlord had approved plans to remove the "deteriorated metal cornice" and "build up and maintain existing brick parapet." 

Here is the result of that work...
Now gone: the faded ad for the Peter Jarema Funeral Home on the next block of Seventh Street with the allure of "Air Conditioned Chapels" and a smaller sign for "Vazac Hall Catering" (and "Fine Food")  a nod to the business before the current and longstanding tenant Vazac's/the Horseshoe Bar/7B... (photo below by Stacie Joy from 2019)...
So how old was this signage? As we understand it, the corner bar dates to the mid-1930s. The funeral home was established in 1906, per its website

Via the NYC Municipal Archives, we found this street view from the early 1940s...
As best as we can tell, the ad is for Treadway Shoes (at 67 Avenue B?). A 1980s photo from the Municipal Archives shows the funeral home ad in place, though it's obviously older than that given the presence of the OR 4-2568 telephone exchange.

There was also some thought — without much evidence — that the ad was created (or augmented) for filming 1974's "The Godfather Part II" (one of many movies and TV shows filmed at the bar). 

Here's the scene (RIP Frank Pentangelli!) shot inside and outside the bar. However, we don't see any ads on the building ...

   

Anyway, we'll continue to do some sleuthing ... maybe even from the bar, which has retained its timeless look ...

14 comments:

Scuba Diva said...

Another egregious thing is that there was no effort made to preserve the cornice on this 19th-century tenement.

Neighbor said...

Sad to see the ghost ads go but boy can you tell this building needed work looking at the before and after. I'm guessing the original cornice was long crumbled and that's why it was covered in the ugly metal.

Anonymous said...

My grandmother's viewing was at Jarema back in the early 80s. It's where all the Polish of St. Stan's had their funerals. I remember going to Leshko's afterwards.

Anonymous said...

Sad thing is the ghost signage made this building popular. But I understand the building needed maintenance work.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the throwback to history. Wow. What a story.

Anonymous said...

The signage was put up circa 1960. I know, I was attending St. Brigids at the time.

Anonymous said...

wow, bummer, was a nice historic trait

Bobby G said...

Excellent reporting EV Grieve. This is one of the many reasons some of us are avid followers. The Vazac/Horseshoe Bar, indeed, has a notable place in East Village history. First time I was there was an afternoon more that 40 years age with Peter McGough and David McDermott who, ironically, was lamenting the loss of the original cornices on many East-Side buildings. Another time I watched Jerry Orbach shooting an episode of Law and Order. Still a great bar!

Anonymous said...

Maybe instead of the repetitive and local culturally irrelevant murals a la the Michael Jackson on 11th/First we could commission a local artist to recreate the ghost signage or something equally as historical to the area. Could be fun.

Anonymous said...

I never get tired of that scene.

Xeo said...

Painting bricks is *such* a bad idea. Bricks breathe... they have trapped moisture in the concrete. This process gets blocked when they're painted...

I'm surprised to be honest that insurance companies don't object to full brickwork painting. The Davenport building collapse had beautifully painted brickwork too... which most likely hastened the wall collapse.

Painting a building facade is clearly a way to avoid having to reappoint the brickwork... and doesn't suggest good things to me.

Anonymous said...

The bar is also seen in the movies Rent (outside) and Crocodile Dundee.

Seedyfilms said...

Looks much uglier!

Anonymous said...

Wow, someone mentioned Leshkos
When I lived on 7th st I remember being able to afford breakfast there. One egg, potatoes and toast about 1$ (which was all I could afford at the time).