If you hit Katz's Delicatessen late one night after a round of Lower East Side carousing and don't have the jack for a sandwich and a beverage, don't sweat it. It's hard to spot right way, but at the back of the cavernous eatery is this unique silver, Art Deco apparatus. It dispenses free water out of three faucets. Just grab a glass from one of the three shiny shelves and you're in business.
I've never seen a piece of work like this anywhere else in the City, and I think it's pretty safe to say this is the only example of its type in town. Belongs in the Smithsonian, as far as I'm concerned. Or the Cooper-Hewitt.
You're right. I'm sure there are few if any of these left in the city. They used to be a regular fixture in large restaurants that served the working class. I remember when I was a kid seeing them in those old NY cafeterias, the Automat, and Jewish restaurants like Gluckstern's.
ReplyDeleteI've only been in Katz's once and did not see this. I am making it my mission to go photograph this and see it for myself. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you're going, Bitchcakes. Wear one of your retro outfits while you get a glass of water and you'll single-handedly take Katz's back to 1947.
ReplyDeleteAt the old Automat, you could make free lemonade. There was water, sugar and lemons readily available.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, Pat, you're making me cry.
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