Union League of Philadelphia

140 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Architecture by John Fraser
Built in 1864, Photographed in 2009

A Union League is one of a number of organizations established in 1863 and 1864 during the American
Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union side and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also
known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported the United States
Sanitary Commission, which helped treat wounded soldiers after battle. The Clubs supported the
Republican Party, with funding, organizational support, and political activism.

Today, the most prominent of the remaining union leagues is the oldest and first: The Union League of
Philadelphia. Founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President
Abraham Lincoln, it laid the philosophical foundation of other Union Leagues across a nation torn by
Civil War. The Union League has hosted U.S. presidents, heads of state, industrialists, entertainers and
visiting dignitaries from around the globe. It has also given loyal support to the American military in each
conflict since the Civil War, and continues to be driven by its founding motto, "Love of Country Leads."
Although no longer exclusively Republican or male in membership, the Union League has maintained its
identity as distinctly traditional and politically conservative.

The classic French Renaissance-styled League building, with its brick and brownstone façade and
dramatic twin circular staircases leading to the main entrance on Broad Street, was designed by John
Fraser and completed in 1865. Additions to the building in the Beaux Arts style, by Philadelphia
architect Horace Trumbauer and his chief designer Julian Abele and completed in 1910 and 1911,
expanded the building to occupy an entire city block. The building was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1979. Adorning the walls and hallways is the League’s distinguished collection of art
and artifacts. The collection is a rich, historical chronicle of Philadelphia’s unique imprint upon the
American landscape from the 19th century to today and is recognized by historians and art experts as
valuable components of our shared American history.

Resource: Wikipedia

New York Public Library

Fifth Avenue, bet. 40th and 42nd Street, NY, NY
Architecture by Carrere & Hastings
Established in 1895, Opened in 1911, Photographed in 2010

This historical piece of architecture, the library, together with McKim, Mead & White's demolished
Pennsylvania Station and Warren & Wetmore's and Reed & Stem's Grand Central Terminal, is
one of the top examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in United States.

The construction began in 1902, and it consumed enormous budget of 9 million dollars, as the project
would grow over time. The whole things took 9 years to build. It took a half of time to build the outside
of the building , and it took the equal amount of time, almost 4 and a half years to build the inside.
Partially because they designed not only the walls or ceilings, but also they designed the chairs, tables
and shelves. As you see in some of their main rooms, such as the rose reading room (the picture on top),
everything has a certain level of synchronicity. This gorgeously decorated rose reading room is nearly
300ft long, with 52-foot high ceilings.

The exterior white marble came from Vermont and two-thirds of it was rejected as not high enough
quality. The marble walls are one foot thick and the basement of the structure has additional brick walls
four feet thick.

The first book that was ever checked out at the NY public library, by the way, was "Ethical Ideas of Our
Time" a study of Friedrich Nietzsche and Leo Tolstoy. The slip was introduced at 9:08 am, and he got
his book 6 minutes later.

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Due to the current 2009 economic crisis, NYPL is facing a $23.2 million funding cut when the new
fiscal year begins July 1. This will result in the expected elimination of 465 jobs, and in sharply scaled
back branch operating hours. To make an action, please visit the following link:
Don't close the book

Reference:
-Bowery Boys Podcast, episode #17
-NYC-Architecture
-Wikipedia

To view the rest of interior photographs, visit my flickr slideshow, or thumbnails.

Nathan's Famous, NYC

1310 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
Built in 1916, photographed in 2003.

Nathan’s Famous was founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, and his is truly an authentic
“only in America story.” He started his business in 1916 with a small hot dog stand in Coney Island, New
York. He sold hot dogs that were manufactured based on a recipe developed by his wife, Ida. 


Today, Nathan's reaches millions of customers through traditional and captive market restaurant
operations, a branded product program introduced throughout the food service industry and packaged
products sold in supermarkets.


For further reading:
Nathan's famous Homepage