BY jane, ON Thursday, August 18, 2011
A great treasure of New York City is the Ziegfeld Theatre. The Ziegfeld was built in 1927 as a Broadway theatre. It was sadly razed in 1966, but eventually relocated and rebuilt in 1969 as a movie palace. It is now is the last remaining movie palace in New York. I recently saw The Help there and while I always enjoy a good movie, the real thrill in seeing a movie at the Ziegfeld is surveying all the Ziegfeld Follies Girls’ shoes and boas and programs that are in glass cases lining the lobby walls. Doris Eaton was probably the youngest Follies Girl, and also was the last remaining one, until she passed in May of 2010. The finite end of the era. Many of her costume pieces are on display.
The playfulness of the letter Z that is in the sidewalk as you enter the theatre is a delightful ambigram.
The Z’s also work in a mirrored fashion on the door handles. A fun idea for a new couple’s monogram. Let’s see what other letters I can flip and flop in my work today!
BY jane, ON Wednesday, August 10, 2011
My day of running errands last week resulted in a cracked shoe heel, in an emergency sort of way. I was pointed to the nearest shoe repair, Jim’s Shoe Repair. When I entered the shop, I felt like Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time, only this time it was 1932, the year Jim’s Shoe Repair opened. As I opened the door, my eyes widened and my pace instantly transitioned.
I was ushered into an individual mini-booth, with an Alice in Wonderland type hinged door, where I sat while my shoe was mended. In each booth there is a little leather foot rest to keep your feet from touching the floor while seated, and the privacy of the booth allows your exposed feet to be hidden from the public. How delightfully elegant! The original gold cash register is still in use and the beautifully pitched ring of the buttons and drawer are sublime.
How civilized to have a place to secret your bare feet while your shoe is being repaired at Jim’s Shoe Repair.
The original register from 1932 still rings out each customer with a beautiful cha-ching.
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