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Memories Of Edgemere Far Rockaway – The Photographs by Murray Cooper “New York, New York” performed by Frank Sinatra

This video features the Kodachrome Photographs by the late Murray Cooper, loaned to Edgemere Archive through the Library of Barbara Cooper. The beginning montage of black and white photographs are by an unknown photographer. The iconic black & white aerial photo is of the boardwalk at Edgemere on July 4, 1957 by Margaret Bourke-White.

The subject of the photos are of life at the Bungalow Colony at Beach 38th Street and a wonderful portrait of life on the Boardwalk and on the beach between 1957 and 1961. Through his photographs, he weaves us a world of families leaving the hot city, mostly from the Bronx, to have a wonderful life during the summer at the bungalow colony, from their evening gatherings, to all the families sitting on the porches talking, to the utterly amazing boardwalk photographs. He captures his beloved Pearl, his family and extended family and other returning families who came to the same Bungalow Colony every summer.

As I mentioned before on my blog, Beach 38th Street holds a very special place to me personally, and one of the things that was lost to me were photographs of the street and the house. Through an unbelievable chain of events all of us will get to enjoy these amazing photographs of a time and place and a way of life that has slipped away. With my world being all on Beach 38th Street with my grandparents owning and running one of the big summer homes, in many of his photographs he captures the home. It is the large brown house right off the Boardwalk. These are the first pictures I’ve seen of the house since I was a boy.

Murray Cooper considered himself an amateur photographer, using a professional quality 35 mm camera and Kodachrome film. But the quality of the pictures speak otherwise. His photographs in the end will be compared with the great photographs of New York. Murray never got to see where his photographs will get to travel in today’s world. The internet will take these pictures everywhere.

I wish to Thank Barbara Cooper for sharing her father’s photographs with us.

I dedicate this video to Murray and Pearl Cooper.

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The Fabulous Bungalow Colony on Beach 38th St. – Kodachrome Photos by Murray Cooper

Here is a look back to a time, of life on Beach 38th street.  Murray Cooper’s Kodachrome photographs so capture the feeling of bungalow life (1957-1961), when life did seem so much more simple. Mr. Cooper took many photos of a group of families including his own, so these photos capture a slice summer life at the Bungalows that is gone forever.

The photos are courtesy from the Library of Barbara Cooper.

Murray &  Pearl  Cooper

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The Extraordinary Kodachrome Photographs by Murray Cooper from the Library of Barbara Cooper

I’m proud to be a part of presenting the photographs of Murray Cooper loaned to the Edgemere Archive from the Library of Barbara Cooper, his daughter. These are one of a kind kodachrome slide photographs.  They belong in a museum they were taken between 1958-1961. The place you see no longer exists and yet in the photographs you can still feel the energy and the impulse of the photographer to capture life on the boardwalk and the beach  as it truly was.

These extraordinary photographs that have never been published before I believe will be compared with Margaret Bourke-White and the great photographers of the last century. The kodachrome colors are dazzling. As a hobby, he was a serious photographer and they go beyond being merely everyday snapshots to transcending to be fine works of art as only a true artist can. Each photograph is beautifully composed. When I first received these from Barbara Cooper, age had taken it’s toll on them and they required major color restoration. All in total right now Barbara has send 65 images, These are but the first few. More to come !

Another thing for me personally that is very exciting is that many of the photographs have my grandfathers house in them. It is the large brown house on the right.

Bruce Baumwoll

A quintesential photograph of life on the boardwalk at Beach 38th Street - The boy with his back to us might be me on the left (Bruce Baumwoll)
One of the families from from the bunglows, from Beach 38th Street at the Boardwalk - The big brown house right off the boardwalk was my families house on the boardwalk you can see Meyers Knishes, And the stand closest to my house, Where I got all my egg creams, I can feel the floor with my bare feet.
Another family from the bungalow colony on Beach 38th Street - Look at the wonderful steps
Another family from the Bungalow colony - Notice the life on the boardwalk
This photograph by Murray Cooper is a wonderful photo capturing life in the bungalows in Edgemere and all of the Rockaways - These bungalows were towards Edgemere Avenue
An amazing shot - the life of the boardwalk at Beach 38th Street notice the rented chair that she is on, they are all over the photos another part of a time long gone
Sunbathers from the bungalow colony - Notice the Coca-Cola signs in the background - "I want an orange ices, large."
Barbara Coopers grandfather at Beach 38th Street - Notice Meyers Knishes stand on the boardwalk
Another wonderful view of beach life and boardwalk life - Notice the place to the right , They had the best italian ices
Barbara Cooper and her Aunt Lil at one of the Beach 38th Street Bungalow Colony's
One of Murray Cooper's favorite subjects to photograph, the lovely Mrs. Cooper on the Jetty at Beach 38th Street
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The EDGEMERE – Beach 34th Street FAR ROCKAWAY

 

Beach 34th Street

Ruth and her family on Beach 34th Street - 1968: photo courtesy the Library of Ruth Wenig

Like many of us, we remember our streets. These two photographs are from the Library of Ruth Wenig. Her family lived on Beach 34th Street right off the beach. Like my family she has sand in her shoes.

Flood of September 1960 - View of Beach 34th Street looking towards the El: photo courtesy the Library of Ruth Wenig