Images Of Allentown Past, #2

Tillie's Bakery, on the narrow 900 block of Liberty Street, was actually a family factory outlet store. Behind the house, whose living room served as the store, facing an alley called Fountain Street, was Long's Bakery. Long's produced small plastic wrapped shoefly pies and breakfast cakes, which were distributed in local grocery stores throughout Allentown. Tillie Long would open the bakery store several hours each day, and the small selection of wrapped bake goods would quickly be snatched up by knowledgeable neighbors. Peter and Tillie operated the factory and bakery front for the better part of a century. Afterwards, the business was operated by their son, William. The bakery building on Fountain Street is now apartments.

The Bicycle Lanes Of Allentown

In what will be neither scenic or safe, Allentown is starting to mark off it's new bike lanes. One lane of Turner Street in center city will be eastbound, while westbound will waste one lane of Linden Street. The lanes will be virtually unused by bicyclists, but will succeed in congesting traffic during the weekday business hours. Here's an opportunity for our ten City Council candidates to chime in on the wisdom of this project. Although the plan received virtually no support during the planning stage, Pawlowski went ahead with it anyway. I will periodically change the photograph used on this post during the next couple days. Pedal on my spandex friends.
UPDATE:  I have just been informed by a reader that I misunderstood the new plan, the the symbol is for Shared Lane Use, called Sharrow.  The right lane can be used by both motorists and bicyclists, with the bicyclist permitted to use the middle of the lane.  How many center city residents will know the meaning and protocol for the symbol?    I'm relieved that the city modified it's original bike only lane plan.  Apparently, the Administration decided to go ahead and spend the money with the stencil company.  Check back for changing photographs.

As Allentown Turns

Linden Street is reduced to one lane today, as a private contractor installs stencils on the street for the bike lane. I had forgotten about this idiotic plan. Let us hope that the projections for the arena's success are more realistic than their vision for the bike lane's use. Also observed on my patrol today was the unbelievably slow progress of the 15th Street Bridge project. More concrete and steel is completed in one day on the arena and City Center buildings, than has yet to be completed on the bridge. The entire southside of Allentown remains prisoner to misplaced priorities. Talking of misplaced priorities, yesterday the Administration applauded itself for starting the eastside fire house, a year and half late.
UPDATE: ABOUT THIS POSTCARD- Earlier this week I used a postcard of Lehigh Parkway in the Give A Damn, Save A Dam post.  Both cards have a similar coloration and were photographed by Harold Becraft in the early 1950's.  Becraft was a photographer from Suffern N.Y.,  who produced many of the images used in the postcards of Allentown's parks.  These cards were produced locally by E.H. Schall Co.  In addition to Becraft's name on the front, they're also marked Kodachrome.  Although Becraft did many park scenes for Schall, the image shown above is one of his few cityscapes.

Local Current Artists: Alison Bessesdotter

Usually, when you meet a good artist who is prolific, they are also so versatile it's hard to define their work.  Among many other descriptions, it can be said that Alison Bessesdotter makes tranquil paintings and watercolors that resemble fabric. She also makes fabrics which resemble paintings. Her tools, paint, brush and sewing machine are used interchangeably, sometimes all on one piece. If that merging isn't enough, she also puts her art on wearables, both jackets and wristbands. Bessesdotter recently moved her studio from Hamilton Street to the Banana Factory in South Bethlehem.

Images of Allentown Past, #1

photocredit:molovinsky
Over the years my camera has caught many images which can no longer be seen. Some have been recent victims of the changing city, others not seen for decades.

Evil Eva's/South end of 8th Street Bridge/2005

The Gordon Street Paint Shop

As a boy growing up in Little Lehigh Manor, I vaguely remember the trolleys. The final switch over to buses occurred in 1953. Although the major trolley and bus barn was the Fairview facility near my house, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company also had other storage and work sites. The west end trolley barn, at 14th and Gordon Streets, also served as their paint shop. Although the location has been a wholesale plumbing supply business for many decades, until recent years the tracks leading into the current warehouse were visible. The photo above dates from 1938, and shows a freshly painted trolley.