But Why the Huge Flagpole?

The origins of this post began with an innocent-enough question: "Why does 135 Bowery have such a big flagpole protruding from its facade?" It looks like it could hold a whopper of an Old Glory, though it's un-used at present.

I thought a little research might uncover whether a particularly patriotic business once occupied the three story, dormer-windowed building. And hot dog!, but some wild times went down at 135 Bowery over the years.

Roundabout 1881, one Gottfried Walbaum, known to the authorities as "Dutch Fred," ran a "gambling house and dive" at 135 called, with amusing cynicism, the Red, White and Blue. Walbaum was a gambling king who later built the Guttenberg Race Track, which, if you believe the papers, brought degradation to Hudson County.

Walbaum must have had his gambling den on an upper floor, because around the same time, and for many decades, the address was the place of business for the more law-abiding William H. Wilson, who made hats for volunteer fireman. Wilson grew up and lived his life around the Bowery and was a respected figure. In the late 19th century, when some were thinking of changing the name of the street to Parkhurst Avenue in order to improve the Bowery's reputation, he said to a reporter, "I think, for my part, you could find worse men and tougher men on Sixth Avenue to-day than ever frequented the Bowery. The modern fellows are not so eccentric in their dress as our old rounders used to be, but they have not nearly as keen a sense of what is fair as they used to have."

The Pig & Whistle, a well-known, 19th-century tavern, was next door at 131 all these years.

The building of Walbaum and Wilson was replaced by a new one in 1900. But that doesn't mean the fun stopped. Seemed the people who lived at the address were always being hauled in by the cops for such offenses as stealing from a church. In 1921, two young tuffs tried to rob a jewelry store that was located there. The left-handed owner Henry H. Edson reacted by grabbing his gun and firing back. The "swarthy-skinned, undersized robbers" fled.

In 1943, George Somarindyck Gill, who had owned the property for 75 years, finally sold it. It was recently sold again, in December 2007, to First American International Bank.

That's a lot of history. Doesn't explain the flagpole, though.

The Graffiti of 190 Bowery

The story behind 190 Bowery makes you realize that certain things can only happen in New York.

The six-story, stone, corner building was built in 1898, designed by Robert Maynicke. It was once the Germania Bank Building, and then a Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank. But since 1966, it has been the home of photographer Jay Maisel, who bought the massive beast for a mere $102,000. At age 79, he apparently lives in it still, and conducts photography workshops to boot. If you have $5,000 and are interested in working from 9 AM to 10 PM for five days straight, with meals thrown in, you could gain access. (I'd do it, but I don't have $5,000 or anything Jay would call a camera.)

Given the tenant, it makes total sense that the darkened and sooty first floor has been given over the rampant, highly artistic defacement. I doubt I have ever seen graffiti so beautiful and varied as to seem almost planned, as I have seen on the ground floor of 190 Bowery. (And I am not a graffiti-loving person.)

As you can see in the final two pictures, Maisel is still in there, somewhere.