Christmas in Queens
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
A walk through Ridgewood, Queens. It’s all fun and games until the lights go out.
Fresh Pond Road Station
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Next to the last stop on the M train in Queens.
Houdini’s Grave
Friday, September 12th, 2008
Machpelah Cemetery in Ridgewood, Queens. A 1995 article in the NY Times tells how Houdini’s grave is maintained by a fund from the Society of American Magicians. A ceremony by the society used to take place at the grave on Halloween, but the cemetary now closes the gates then because of fear of vandalism.
My friend Chris is a magician, he recently moved to Queens a few blocks away from where Houdini is buried. People leave all sorts of strange tributes on the grave. Playing cards, the silk and the key that were left have obvious resonance with the master magician. The rocks appear to be a custom in this Jewish cemetery. Leaving your business card is a bit tacky. But probably the most inappropriate object must be the tiny witch’s broom. If anything, Houdini was a foe of spiritualists and such.
Notice that the death date of his wife was not carved. Bess Houdini died on February 11, 1943, 17 years after her husband, in Needles, California, aboard an eastbound train traveling from Los Angeles to New York City. She was not permitted to be interred with her late husband at the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, New York because she was a gentile. She is interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York. (more…)
Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea
Monday, September 8th, 2008This video of the opening celebration features the music of What Cheer? Brigade and Dark Dark Dark.
Swoon – Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea from GammaBlog on Vimeo.
This was one of my favorite pieces from Swoon’s show opening, last night at Deitch Projects in Long Island City.
Swoon had help from 75 collaborators in putting the show together, and the result of all that collective labor is spectacular. Get to the gallery before sunset. It is best in natural light.
Saint Aloysius
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Ridgewood, Queens serves English, Polish and Spanish speaking parishioners.
Technical data: Electric-keyboard chime of 13 bells – Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave – Transposition is nil (concert pitch) – Keyboard range: D#– / —- – The whole instrument was installed in 1925with bells made by Meneely/Wvlt
Chime (1) – a musical instrument consisting of at least 8 tower bells arranged in a diatonic (or partially chromatic) series, and upon which tunes can be played by some means, but with too few bells to be called a carillon.
Mickey and Pal
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens.
Cemetery View from Playground
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Linden Hill cemetery viewed through chain link fence in Grover Cleveland park, Rigewood, Queens.
Earth and Moon
Saturday, November 17th, 2007
