1. The Secret Entrance to one of New York’s Grandest Clubs
Hidden in plain sight the whole time, this unassuming door once lead to a legendary watering hole. Deep in the subway system below Times Square and passed by thousands of commuters and tourists everyday …Tucked away on the north end of Platform 1 on the Grand Central-Times Square 42nd Street shuttle… a secret entrance to the bar of what was once one of New York’s most splendid hotels, John Jacob Astor’s Knickerbocker hotel.
The hotel was the centre piece of the gilded age … where once F.Scott Fitzgerald and John D. Rockefeller drank, the ground floor now houses a Gap store, but plans are afoot to reopen as a luxury hotel in late 2014. But as yet there are no plans to open the secret back door to what was once one of Manhattan’s finest jewels.
More details and photos found on Atlas Obscura.
2. 149 Unknown Bob Dylan Acetates discovered from his NY Studio
Record collector, historian and dealer, Jeff Gold of Recordmecca:
The boxes were filled with 10″ and 12″ acetates; he had never seen an acetate before and while he recognized them as some sort of records, he didn’t really know what they were. Most had labels with Bob Dylan’s name, the address of Columbia Records, and a song title. He knew Dylan had rented the ground floor of the building in the late 60′s and early 70′s as a studio space … they had been sitting, boxed up in the closet, for more than forty years.
When I opened the boxes and took a quick look at the contents, I was blown away. They were indeed all by Dylan, all were in excellent condition, and many had handwritten notes on the sleeves.
Acetates are made so an artist or producer can listen to a recording that is a work-in-progress; they can be played on a regular turntable, but after 20 or 30 plays the sound quality begins to deteriorate. But the sound on a carefully preserved acetate can be incredible–it’s a first generation record made in real time directly from the master tape. And that was the case here.
We discovered many of the acetates were unreleased versions of songs, in some cases with different overdubs, sometimes without any overdubs, many with different mixes, different edits and in a few cases completely unreleased and unknown versions. There are outtakes too, including electric versions of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and “Folsom Prison Blues” recorded during the Self Portrait sessions, and a gospel tinged version of “Tomorrow is Such a Long Time” recorded during the New Morning sessions.
These acetates were for the most part cut in Nashville and sent to Dylan in New York for his comments and approval.
Some of these truly unique discs are currently being offered on Recordmecca, read the full story of their discovery here.
3. The Discovery of Antonius
The Delphi Antinous was found in July 1893 during the excavations done by the archaeologist Théophile Homolle and the École Française d’Athènes, close the temple of Apollo, and it was discovered still standing upright as seen in this photo taken as the statue was being uearthed.
Isn’t it poignant how the men in the photo are all slightly blurred and out of focus while Antinous is sharply outlined against the dark hole of time. All those men have vanished, as have their sons and their sons’ sons … while Antinous still stands upright … and gazes upon His followers in beauty and dignity … timeless … immortal ….
Found on Antonius the Gay God (Antinous became associated with homosexuality in Western culture, appearing in the work of Oscar Wilde and Fernando Pessoa).
4. Sign Post Forest
Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake, Canada, found via Our Wild Abandon on instagram.
5. Instagram Toilet Paper
Yes this exists. And you know you kinda want some. Available from ModCloth.
6. This Chandelier
An interactive light shaped like a cloud that simulates a thunderstorm both in light and sound via remote control or motion sensors.
Available to buy here.
7. Magnum Contact Sheets
Magnum Contact Sheets reveals how Magnum photographers have captured and edited their best shots from the 1930s to the present.
Shop enlarged prints of these contact sheets on the Milk Gallery.
8. A 1959 Caddy Fin Guitar
Found on Pinterest
9. A Fallen Locomotive, Hejaz Railway
In the desert of Saudi Arabia, a fallen locomotive once pulled pilgrims on the Hejaz Railway, built by Ottoman Turks. Tribesmen led by Lawrence of Arabia regularly attacked Hejaz trains during World War I.
Photographed by John Stanmeyer, found on National Geographic Instagram.
10. Reconstructed Cityscapes by Jasper De Beijer
The artist recently made a study tour past some of the locations that played such a dramatic role in Europe’s recent history. Viewing the reconstructed cityscapes, he wondered how often you can demolish and rebuild a structure before it loses its identity. He imagined a town that has been destroyed for the umpteenth time, and a community that tries to erect a silhouette of its culture from a vague recollection of its past.
Discover more of this artist’s work, found here.
11. Rolling Home
Freelance surf-craft builder, Ryan Lovelace had made a home for himself inside a 1948 Chevy bus he found on craigslist that was described as, “Runs, Drives, Stops, Registered.”
“That was all I had to know”, says Ryan, who named her Ophelia.
The inspiration was a DIY bus named “Patches”, which Ryan found in a book published in 1979 called Rolling Homes…
For Ryan, his bus is a seemingly endless project.
See Ophelia from her humble beginnings and follow her DIY progress on Tumblr.
12. Drying Fresh Pasta
Napoli circa 1950s, found on Pinterest.
13. The Godfather Bar, still open.
Savoca is a quiet town in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located east of Palermo…
The town was the location for the scenes set in Corleone of Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather. Bar Vitelli in Savoca, which is still a functioning establishment, was featured in the motion picture as the place where Michael Corleone asked Apollonia’s father to meet his daughter (above). Nothing has changed at Bar Vitelli since the movie’s release in 1972 …
If you’re ever in Sicily, you can find it at Piazza Fossia 7, Savoca.
Images found Michael Tracy’s Flickr and Sebi Messina Photography.
