Meet Harry Dubin, at work, as a hot dog man, ice cream man, hansom cab driver, sanitation man. These photos are from the 1940s, from the personal collection of Dubin. In 1947, The New Yorker published a ten page profile Dubin, when he was a grocer on an Upper East Side. Why? Because he was one of the first guys in the neighborhood to get a TV. Perhaps that's where Dubin developed the penchant of photographing himself.
Anyway, in 1993, writer Jeff Kisseloff rediscovered the article and looked up Dubin. When the two met, Dubin showed him a photo album, embossed with the words "Dubin at Work." Inside were 30 color photographs taken in and around the city in the 1940s, all of Dubin practicing his various careers. Kisseloff got Dubin's permission to scan them. Eventually this led to an exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York!
a man out of time! And awayyyyyyyy we go.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a little time capsule. My Great Uncle was one of those Good Humor guys in the early 40's.
ReplyDeleteBlame it on middle-age nostalgia for a simpler time, but I find these pictures oddly touching. Thanks for posting them!
ReplyDeleteLove the one of the young girl buying a Good Humor from a G H man with a cart. I remember this scene very well--my favorite Good Humors are: the coffee sundae with butterscotch sauce-strawberry shortcake and raspberry sherbert with peach ice cream inside. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting real NYC character from a REAL New York City!!
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