Frank Jacobs' great Strange Maps blog turns up a real treasure this week: "A Night-Club Map of Harlem," drawn ca. 1932 by cartoonist Elmer Simms Campbell. The map hits all the high spots, metaphorically (The Cotton Club, Small's Paradise, The Savoy) and literally (131st and Lenox, where a figure helpfully identifies himself as "th' Reefer man"). The only major omission, a caption says, "is the location of the various speakeasies but since there about 500 of them you won't have much trouble." The thing bristles with helpful information (Tillie's "specializes in fried chicken — and it's really good!") and bursts with life — all over the map, figures furtively ask about the day's number, and at 142nd and Lenox, a white-tuxedoed Cab Calloway rises toward the heavens, wailing an ecstatic "Hi-De-Ho." If Harlem was half as jumping in 1932 as Campbell makes it seem, every legend about uptown in its heyday must be true.
Drop me off in Harlem
- COMMENTS
- Art and Design
- guestblog
Drew Carey's incredible rant about his rapturous sexual/religious experience seeing Phish at the Sphere
When I saw chatter about an April 22 Drew Carey tweet in which he freaks out about his experience attending a Phish concert at Las Vegas's Sphere, I thought his… READ THE REST
9-year-old British boy wins Europe-wide Imitation Seagull Screeching Competition
Congratulations to young Cooper [Last Name Withheld] of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, who recently travelled to the coastal Belgian town of De Panne and took home the crown in the EC… READ THE REST
The Poetry Camera uses AI to make poems out of photographs and it's actually pretty cool
There are so many labor-hating corporations eager to make a quick buck off of AI-generated content right now that it can be difficult to remember that, oh yeah, it's actually… READ THE REST
Save $169 on a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro and never look back
TL;DR: Revamp your digital world with this incredible lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, with its seamless interface and top-notch security, for only $29.97 (Reg. $199) until 11:59 PM on 1/07.… READ THE REST
Upgrade your tech for the new year with this refurbished iPad Pro, less than half price right now
TL;DR: Save over $350 on a refurbished Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 256GB, plus a free accessories bundle, with this sweet deal on sale for just $315.99 right now. Tech fans, it's time… READ THE REST
Make your rockstar dreams a reality for only $15.97 with this Guitar Lessons Training Bundle
TL;DR: The perfect last-minute holiday gift for an aspiring rocker, the 2024 Guitar Lessons Training Bundle is only $15.97 (Reg. $480) until 11:59 PM on 12/25. It's really never too late to make… READ THE REST