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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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• GRAND TERMINAL GALLERY •Atrium Building Lobby • 466 Lexington Avenue • 212 599 6523VINTAGE NEW YORKHistorical Engravings and Photographs of New York's people. An Exhibition of etchings, linocuts and other works on paper by the late artist: Leon Louis Dolice |
 Fifth Avenue Mansions |
Sanford White's Madison Square Garden, 1924, Etching |
Vintage New York Exhibition atGrand Terminal GalleryAn exhibition of over 100 etchings, engravings and photos of New York City from the late 19th through the mid 20th centuries, entitled Vintage New York will be shown at the Grand Terminal Gallery in the Park Avenue Atrium at 466 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan from June 5 through June 31, 2003. Created in 1998 to honor New York City's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the joining of her five boroughs into a single city, the exhibition contains over one hundred images of the city's landmarks, streets and people of the past 100 years. On View: The exhibition runs from June 5 through June 31, 2003. Contact: Dom DiMirco, NRCA - 212-529-2025 or Jack Brentano, Grand Terminal Gallery - 212-599-6523 |
 East 34th Street - 1951 |
Originally created by Westchester County's New Rochelle Council on the Arts, the show has traveled to a number of locations outside the city, including Hofstra Museum; to Montauk, Long Island and to New Jersey - but this is the first time that it has been displayed for public view anywhere in New York City itself. This was mostly because of long lead times for museums nd the scarcity of space in commercial galleries, particularly in Manhattan. After hearing about the availability of Vintage New York, Jack Brentano, owner of Grand Terminal Gallery, which itself dates back to 1908, decided that it was time that New Yorkers see this bit of their own history; and that his gallery in the heart of Midtown Manhattan would be the ideal place to debut the show here in the city.
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| The hundred-plus scenes of the city's people, places and events in its history since 1898 consist of replicas of dozens of engravings from tabloid magazines nd papers, such as Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's show news events of the 1800's, more than 60 original and reproduction etchings and other works from the 1920's to the 1950's by Leon Dolice (1892-1960), an artist who devoted his life to scenes of the city; and many photos from Look, Life, and other 20th century magazines deal with the tragedies of New York's past as well as with the quiet places where city dwellers go to find refuge from the hectic pace of urban living. |
 New York Harbor - 1939 |
Before 9/11/01, this show might have been looked upon as simply another collection of interesting and nostalgic scenes of New York. Today, it takes on greater significance, as the entire country and most of the world still mourns the deaths of thousands of it's citizens and the savage obliteration of one of the youngest of its architectural landmarks, itself less than a half-century old. To paraphrase the introduction to a 1985 New York one-man exhibition catalog of works by one of the artists in the show: Vintage New York is "an attempt to bring to light once again an aspect of nostalgic New York which survives today only in small part, whether in architecture or in spirit - to preserve the memory of a time almost forgotten - which may well prove a haven for many of us who rush into uncertain futures". |
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Part of the proceeds from sale of replica prints from the exhibition will go to a fund to enable the construction of shipping containers for the show; to enable it to travel outside the greater metropolitan New York area. The show's organizers are also hoping to obtain, through its exposure to the corporate sector, the temporary loan of a display wall system so the exhibition can be shown in public spaces within New York City after it closes at Grand Terminal Gallery. A large part of Vintage New York consists of work by Leon Dolice (1892-1960), an artist who devoted his career to chronicling the architecture, back streets, dock scenes and other nostalgia that was disappearing from New York in the 20th Century. Many of his etchings were of landmarks and neighborhoods in the city that were being threatened with extinction during his lifetime. His subjects ranged from grand skyscrapers to humble wooden shacks and dockside piers. In 1951, when he learned of the forthcoming demise of the Third Avenue El, in the shadow of which he had maintained his home and studio for over a decade; he created his final copperplate works of this and other neighborhoods and landmarks he felt might be in danger of demolition. As New Yorkers today still mourn the savage obliteration of one of the youngest of its landmarks, itself less than a half-century old, the work he did in his own lifetime seems even more appropriate today, than it did at the time of creation of this exhibition. Preserving the memories of times almost forgotten may prove a haven for many of us who, in a world of haste, tend to rush into uncertain futures. We hope you enjoy the show and we welcome your comments and questions. |
 Blizzard of 1888 |
The gallery is located in the Park Avenue Atrium Building Lobby at 466 Lexington Avenue (at East 46th Street). A reception for the opening of the show will be held Thursday, June 5th between 5 and 10pm, to which the public is cordially invited. Regular hours for the gallery are Monday - Thursday from 8am to 6pm; Friday from 8am to 4pm; and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. More information is available by calling the Grand Terminal Gallery at 212-599-6523, or the New Rochelle Council on the Arts located at 163 Third Avenue, NYC 10003. Tel: 212-529-2025. |
 Fifth Avenue Mansions - 1900 |
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