Dale E. Jenkins collection of Manhattan restaurant postcards
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Postcards depicting Manhattan restaurants dating from the first half of the 20th century.
Historical Note
Between 24 December 1901 and 1 March 1907, the United States Postal Service regulated where a sender could write on a picture postcard: the message was to go on the front (image) side of the card, with the recipient's address on back. Postcards printed after 1 March 1907 generally have divided backs (with a vertical line down the middle) to accommodate both message and address. Thus, it is possible to estimate the age of cards that have not been postmarked by remembering that undivided backs were made before 1 March 1907.
Many of the Manhattan restaurant postcards in the Dale E. Jenkins Collection date from the "linen" era, 1931–1959. So-called linen postcards were produced on inexpensive card stock with a finish that resembled linen fabric. They are easily recognizable by their texture and bright colors.
Arrangement
The collection is housed in one small box of 15 folders. The donor arranged some of the postcards in four categories—"Chinese," "Interesting Reverse," "Nice Graphics," and "Older" (see Folder 15)—but to provide access for researchers seeking specific establishments, the cards are now sorted alphabetically by restaurant name.
Scope and Contents
All but two of the approximately 100 postcards in this collection depict restaurants in Manhattan from the first half of the 20th century. One card is for an establishment in Brooklyn ("Japanese Restaurant, Dreamland, Coney Island" in Folder 5), and the other shows a general neighborhood view, not a restaurant ("Chinatown" in Folder 2).
Subjects
Genres
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Use Restrictions
Permission to reproduce any Print Room holdings through publication must be obtained from: Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 270. Fax: (212) 579-8794.
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Dale E. Jenkins Collection of Manhattan Restaurant Postcards, PR 337, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Credit line (for exhibition labels): Gift of Dale E. Jenkins.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Dale E. Jenkins, 2015.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed by Archivist Joseph Ditta, August, 2017.
Repository
View Inventory
Restaurants: B
Scope and Contents
Bird in Hand, 711 Seventh Avenue & 1659 Broadway (2)
Boulevard de Paris, 117 East 60th Street
Brass Rail, 745 Seventh Avenue (2)
Restaurants: C-D
Scope and Contents
Caruso, 42 West 33rd Street & 230 West 34th Street
Chalet Suisse, 45 West 52nd Street
Champs Elysees, 25 East 40th Street
Charles French Restaurant, Sixth Avenue & 10th Street (450 Sixth Avenue)
Chin Lee, Broadway at 49th Street
Chinatown (not a restaurant; general neighborhood view)
Chinese Delmonico, 24 Pell Street (2)
Chinese Tuxedo
Churchill's, Broadway and 49th Street
Cortile, "just off 5th Avenue"
Jack Delaney, 72 Grove Street (2)
Ding-Ho, 103–105–107 West 49th Street
Divan Parisien, 17 East 45th Street
Jimmie Dwyer's Saw Dust Trail, 156 West 49th Street
Restaurants: E-F
Scope and Contents
Enrico & Paglieri Italian Restaurant, 64 West 11th Street
Far East, 10 Columbus Circle (2)
Fish Bowl, 470 Eighth Avenue
Flying Trapeze, 217–219 West 57th Street
Fraunces Tavern, Broad & Pearl Streets
Restaurants: G-H
Scope and Contents
The Garden Restaurant, 50th Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue
Gertner's Dining Room and Bakery, 1380 Broadway and 711 Seventh Avenue (2)
Giolito Bros. Cedar Garden, 120–126 West 48th Street
Oreste Giolito, 108–110 West 49th Street
"Glorifried" Ham n Eggs, 1650 Broadway
Gripsholm, 324 East 57th Street
Guffanti's, Seventh Avenue at 26th Street
Guido, 166 West 48th Street
Gypsy Tea Kettles, 200 West 50th Street; 431, 503, and 554 Fifth Avenue
Ham 'N' Egg Corner, 1652 Broadway
Headline Bar & Restaurant, Hotel Times Square, 43rd Street west of Broadway
Hoy Yuen Chinese Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, 117 West 48th Street (3)
Hurricane, Broadway at 49th Street
Restaurants: I-J
Scope and Contents
Iceland Restaurant, 1680 Broadway
Jack's Italian-American Restaurant, 344 West 46th Street
Japanese Restaurant, Dreamland, Coney Island, Brooklyn
Davy Jones Sea Food House, 1290 Sixth Avenue
Jumble Shop Restaurant, 28 West 8th Street (2)
Restaurants: K-L
Scope and Contents
Kellogg's Cafeteria, 49th Street east of Seventh Avenue
Little Hungary, 255–263 East Houston Street
Little Venice, 126 West 13th Street
The Lobster Oyster and Chop House, 145 West 45th Street
Chas. S. Low First Class Chinese Restaurant, 514 Sixth Avenue
Restaurants: M
Scope and Contents
Marco Polo's, 711 Seventh Avenue and 202 East 42nd Street
Hotel Martinique Café-Bar, Broadway at 32nd Street
Miyako Japanese Restaurant, 20 West 56th Street
Al Muller's Famous Restaurant and Grill, 313 West 50th Street (2)
Restaurants: P
Scope and Contents
Paddy's Clam House, 215 West 34th Street
La Parisienne Rotisserie, 630 Eighth Avenue
Tony Pastor's Downtown, 130 West 3rd Street
Peter's Restaurant, 123 West 44th Street
Port Arthur (Chinese), 7–9 Mott Street
Restaurants: R
Scope and Contents
Republic Restaurant, 1485 Broadway
Rey et Pierre, 42 West 52nd Street
Riggs' Restaurant, 43–47 West 33rd Street
Roma Restaurant, 878 Sixth Avenue
Roth's Grill and Restaurant, 1599–1601 Broadway (2)
Ruby Foo's Den, 240 West 52nd Street
Ruby Foo's East Side, 161 East 54th Street
Russian Bear, 139 East 56th Street
Restaurants: S-T
Scope and Contents
Sherry's
Lou G. Siegel, Inc., 209 West 38th Street
Solowey's, 431–433 Seventh Avenue
Still's, Third Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets
Three Crowns Restaurant, 12 East 54th Street
Toffenetti Restaurant, 43rd Street at Broadway
Tokio Restaurant, 143–145 West 45th Street
Topps Café and Bar, 152 West 42nd Street
Town and Country Restaurant, 234 Park Avenue (2)
Restaurants: V
Scope and Contents
Villanova Restaurant, 106–108 West 46th Street
Vorst's Century Sea Grill, 127 Columbus Avenue
Restaurants: W-X
Scope and Contents
Whyte's, Inc., 145 Fulton Street (2)
Wivel Restaurant, 254 West 54th Street (2)
Xochitl Mexican Restaurant, 146 West 46th Street (2)
Restaurants: Y-Z
Scope and Contents
Yates Restaurant, 147–151 West 43rd Street
Zimmerman's Hungaria, 46th Street east of Broadway (2)
Zucca's Restaurant, 156–158 West 48th Street
Zucca's Restaurant, 118 West 49th Street
Restaurants: numbered
Scope and Contents
42nd Street Café and Restaurant, 110 West 42nd Street
86th St. Brauhaus, 249 East 86th Street
[empty envelopes]
Scope and Contents
The donor sorted some of the postcards into the categories noted on four envelopes: "Chinese," "Interesting Reverse," "Nice Graphics," and "Older."