Prism & Poppy: Two Tiffany Lamps

Two Tiffany table lamps that my father acquired in the 1960's where sold at Sotheby's yesterday, their radiant beauty finding new homes in which to dazzle the eye. They did very well too, which makes me happy, since my mother's move to a cottage in an assisted-living facility will now be all the more comfortable. 

I was a child when my father brought them home. Of the two on this page, my favorite has always been the Prism lamp. It sat on a small table in the entry hall, its prisms glistening like dragonfly wings above a dark pool of blue-grey flagstones. 

Photographs, Sotheby's New York City. 

Memorial Day

The last time I photographed Soldier Man was during the winter. It was late at night, a storm was blowing through Gotham, and he was covered with snow. Today he was covered with flowers, standing tall on a Civil War memorial that lies just inside Central Park, near the 69th Street entrance off Central Park West. I snapped away, thinking of my father, a veteran of the Korean War. Big guy, big sigh. He would never talk about his experience, except to say - in a sardonic tone of voice - that he never, ever, wanted to have scrambled eggs again.  

Perfect for Peonies

Gotham seemed deserted last evening when I went out for a few errands and brought back a bunch of peonies. Everyone who could get out of town for the Memorial Day weekend, did just that? After coming home, I put the flowers in a glass-blown green vase that my father gave me years ago. It's neck being rather narrow, only a few long stems can fit. Perfect for peonies. 

Behind the Candelabra

No, I am not watching HBO's special "Behind the Candelabra" for the simple reason that I don't watch TV. Ok, so I stream the news and watch a little Netflix, but that's about it. So what am I doing snapping photos of Liberace's stuff? Well, it happened to be on view at the Time Warner Building here in Gotham, and this boy knows a good show when he sees one, specifically, a well-made costume, and the Big L had quite a few of them. 

It would have taken a dozen ladies a couple of weeks to sew on the glam on the suits below. Are those real pearls hanging on the white one? Probably. God knows the man could afford it. I didn't like Big L when I was a kid. Not my style at all. But I know great production values when I see them. My favorite? The bell bottom piano number. 

Photos take with dinky iPhone, CamerBag App & Magazine Setting. 

The Garden of Circus Delights

In a hallway underneath Penn Station/Madison Square Garden at 34th Street lies a most remarkable mural. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, "The Garden of Circus Delights" is the creation of Eric Fischl in homage of the circus that is in residence above at the Garden every year. Completed in 2001, I cannot recall being aware it, that is, until this past week when I took a particular exist leading onto 8th Avenue. There I stood, stopped in my tracks for a good 20 minutes, staring at the glistening tiles on the wall, subway trains above rumbling. It's a beautiful, vibrant work, not unlike the City that lies above, which pulses with energy and motion. Find it when you come to Gotham. It's a wonder waiting to be experienced. 

Photos taken with dinky iPhone, CameraBag App & Magazine Setting.