Tin Pan Alley Loses the Encumbrance
I don't now if it's a good sign or a bad sign, but the strip of old buildings on W. 28th Street known a century ago at Tin Pan Alley has lost the unsightly scaffolding that has defiled its appearance since last summer. More than that—and I can't be sure of this—it looks like the block of addresses had been tarted up a bit. It's still painted a rather sickly shade of pale green, but it looks like a smoother, fresher coat.
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2 comments:
Let's not forget that # 45 west 28th street is as important as the "green buildings" was never part of the scaffold maze as that building has a different owner than JoFra Properties of Bayside NY.
Strangely because #45 is not painted green it is getting forgotten and cropped out of most recent "Tin Pan Alley"photo's.
Of course for those who do not
know of it,#45 west 28th street
was the home of Jerome Remick
Music Publishers, in at least
three previous books on the History
of Tin Pan Alley states that
George Gershwin worked there as
a young sheet music pianist.
The Gershwin connection is lately being disputed but for sure the jury is still out on this Gershwin history,the truth so far is that no one is really certain.
Warner Brothers still maintains
on it's website (as they eventually
bought out a post Remick music
Publisher Whitney Warner) that Gershwin worked at #45. Who's too contradict Warner Brother's?
My Great-Grandfather, Ed. Rogers (Edwin Rogers) ran Ed. Rogers Music Pub. Co. from 53 W. 28th Street, New York around 1906 to 1912. He was born in Australia in 1865 and migrated to New York in 1990, leaving his wife and 2 sons behind. The elder boy, Edwin Rogers Jr. was my Grandfather. Ed. Rogers' sheet music; Edison wax, silver & gold cylinders; and 6inch 78rpm records (recorded 1 side only) are held in the Library of Congress, State and University Libraries across the U.S.A., Canada and Britain.
Peter Allen from the 1970s and Percy Grainger from the 1920s were Australia's previously known two composer / lyricists to make it big in the U.S.A. My research proves that Ed. Rogers was the FIRST Australian composer / lyricist / pianist / comedian to succeed in the U.S.A. I am concerned that 53 W. 28th Street may be demolished, as this is the first known Australian/American music industry link and should be retained as part of our cultural history. My son was in New York in early April 2009 and photographed the building for me and our geneological records. I know that the building and its neighbours and the precinct in general are in disrepair, but I believe that they should be restored and Heritage Protected.
Robyn Rogers-Fox
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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