Tag Archives: Streamline Moderne

Born to Dance – Streamline Moderne meets Hollywood Regency

Window card for the 1936 M-G-M film Born to Dance.

Born to Dance (Roy Del Ruth, US 1936). Window Card. Image from Heritage Auctions.

Born to Dance, M-G-M’s big musical for the 1936 holiday season, offered  audiences laughs, excellent Cole Porter songs and great dancing from Eleanor Powell. It also gave audiences a glimpse of things to come in interior design. Cedric Gibbons (1893-1960), head of the studio’s art department, never shied away from cutting edge, modern sets. Gibbons designs helped to introduced this new style to the American public in the late 1920s.

 

Circa 1935 black and white photo of Cedric Gibbons, head of the M-G-M art department.

Cedric Gibbons head of the art department at M-G-M, circa 1935. Image from lamorguefiles.blogspot.com.

 

By the mid-1930s modern interior design had undergone a seismic change. The era of the crazy angles and geometrics of the late 1920s was over. The Depression brought in streamlining, with its chrome accents and speed lines offering a machine age aesthetic. Concurrent with streamlining another style started coming into vogue, Hollywood Regency. Also known as Hollywood Modern, interior designers Dorothy Draper and William Haines were arguably its best practitioners.

 

Combining a wide range of colors, from vibrant to pastels, metal and glass accents, white plaster frames and mirror covered furniture and walls are hallmarks of this style that exemplifies luxury. Hollywood Regency, a termed coined by Draper, emerged in the late 1920s and reached its peak of popularity in the 1940s. It began to diminish as a trend in the mid-1950s but has not entirely vanished from the interior design field.

 

B&W image, main title card of Born to Dance, 1936 M-G-M film, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Eleanor Powell.

Main title card for Born to Dance (Roy Del Ruth, US 1936). Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Born to Dance, in production between July to November 1936, highlights the changes happening to interior design in the mid-1930s. The working class world of the “Lonely Hearts Club” hotel and restaurant is clean, sleek and streamlined. While the world inhabited by the Broadway star Lucy James, is pure 1936 luxury.

 

The Plot

Born to Dance uses the typical “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” trope.

 

B&W frame grab from the DVD of Nora, played by Eleanor Powell, looking up the front steps of the Lonely Hearts Club.

Nora (Eleanor Powell) arrives at the Lonely Hearts Club. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

In this particular case sailor, Ted Barker (Jimmy Stewart), meets an aspiring dancer, Nora (Eleanor Powell), at the Lonely Hearts Club while on leave.

 

The sailor meets Nora at the Lonely Hearts Club's soda fountain.

Boy meets girl. The Sailor (Jimmy Stewart) meets Nora at the soda fountain of the Lonely Hearts Club. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

Complications arise when Broadway star Lucy James, to get some publicity, visits the fleet. Virginia Bruce plays the star to “bitchy” perfection. During the visit, James’ beloved pekingese, Cheeky, falls over board. All the sailors jump into the river to rescue the dog but it is Barker who gets to Cheeky first.

 

A fake romance is contrived by the star’s producer, unfortunately she actually falls for Barker.

 

Born to Dance, frame grab, newspaper story showing a picture of Lucy James out with her sailor.

A newspaper article about Lucy James’ latest romance. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

Meanwhile, the aspiring dancer becomes the star’s understudy (just like in real life when a brand new to Broadway unknown lands her first show). By this time the infatuated star has forbidden her producer from planting any more stories in the press about her romance, with the threat to quit the show if he does. As Lucy James grows more temperamental and storms off the set, the producer asks Nora to do one of her dances, which she does to perfection. The star seeing that she has been outdone by her understudy fires Nora on the spot.

 

When Ted learns of this, he calls the newspapers imitating the producer and plants a fake story that Lucy James will be marrying her sailor boyfriend. Of course the ploy works and the star quits the show on opening night.

 

Planting the fake news stories.

Ted calling the newspapers to plant the fake story of Lucy James’ impending wedding while Jenny Saks (Una Merkle) looks on. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

Lucy James falls for the fake story.

Lucy James falls for the ploy. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

Nora goes on in her place and is a huge hit.

 

Making her Broadway debut.

Nora making her entrance in her first Broadway show. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

And it’s a happy ending for all . . .

 

The finale of the show within the movie, Born to Dance.

The finale of the show within the movie. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

. . .well except for Lucy James.

 

So long Lucy James.

Bye, bye Lucy James. It never ends well for the second female lead in a musical comedy. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

The Art Direction

Production staff title card, from the opening credits of the film.

Title card for the behind the scenes production staff, including the art directors. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

By the mid-1930s with M-G-M releasing forty movies a year, it proved to be impossible for Cedric Gibbons to solely design each film. For Born to Dance, Joseph Wright and Edwin B. Willis worked in collaboration on the art direction with Gibbons.

The Lonely Hearts Club

The Lonely Hearts Club is all sleek, streamlined and fun. The main lobby and soda fountain gleam with light color and chrome accents. And because movies musicals are fantasies, the interior is much larger than the outside of the building.

 

The main lobby of the Lonely Hearts Club.

Nora makes her way through the main lobby of the Lonely Hearts Club. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

Dominating the lobby are circular settees.  Between them are side tables with a chrome tube chair. On one of the tables is a moderne, opaque glass lamp of geometric shapes topped by a fluted, drum shade. On one entire side of the lobby a double staircase leads to the second floor living quarters. Thin metal posts hold up the railing and decorative metal strips hang, curve and form hearts between them. This makes the set light and airy instead of heavy and overpowering. A border of chrome trim on the staircase walls aids in the streamline feel of the room.

 

The Lonely Hearts Club main lobby in the film Born to Dance. Chrome trim border aids in the streamline feeling.

The main lobby showing the chrome trim border on the staircase wall. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

No hard liquor at the Lonely Hearts Club, just wholesome milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. Nestled under the staircase and balcony is a soda fountain. And the streamlining continues here with lots of chrome accents. Chrome speed lines decorate the banquettes and the front of the soda fountain. The underside of the balcony is fluted and decorated with the same heart motif as the railings. The thin columns supporting it are topped by a capital of three chrome rings. Of course the furniture features chrome as well with its tube frames. The Bakelite floor also helps to make the place gleam.

 

The seating area for the soda fountain underneath the balcony.

The seating area of the soda fountain underneath the balcony. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

The front of the soda fountain.

Mush Tracy (Buddy Ebsen) doing his dance solo in front of the entire cast sitting at the soda fountain. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

On the other side of the lobby is the large registration desk. And like everything else at the Lonely Hearts Club, it is light in color, clean and curved. Blonde wood starting to come into vogue in the mid-1930s is used for the desk.

 

The registration desk. Frame grab from the Born to Dance DVD.

The Lonely Hearts Club registration desk. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

The curve of the desk not only welcomes new visitors to the club with a symbolic embrace, it also mimics the curve of the letterbox wall directly behind it.

 

View of the registration desk from the other side.

Reverse angle shot of the registration desk. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

The reverse angle shot of the desk shows a terrific machine age table lamp in the style of Kurt Versen.

Located directly behind the registration desk is the apartment of Jenny Saks (played by the wonderful Una Merkel). The overall design of this set is moderne, but softened with traditional decorations.

 

The apartment of Jenny Saks at the Lonely Hearts club in the film Born to Dance.

Jenny Saks’ rooms at the Lonely Hearts Club. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

No cold chrome tube furniture in here. A moderne table and lamp sits directly next to a wingback chair covered in a floral barkcloth that matches the curtains. A wingback chair of leather is opposite next to a floor lamp / table and shelf unit that is a hybrid of modern and traditional design. A very streamline modern sconce juts out from the wall. A large built in banquette forms the dinning area of Jenny’s apartment.  It is simple, clean design and light in color. A large semicircular window with sheer curtains also helps to make it seem less overpowering.  In this set the M-G-M art department created the idealized apartment for the mid-1930s single women.

 

The dinning banquet in Jenny's apartment. From the 1936 film Born to Dance.

Jenny, her daughter Sally (Juanita Quigley) and Nora at breakfast in the large banquette. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Lucy James’ Apartment

Contrasting the look of the Lonely Hearts Club is the apartment set of Lucy James. Here is where the shift in design begins, away from Streamline Moderne to Hollywood Regency. It is still a modern style, but an adaptation of classicism and traditional designs. One standout feature of the set is the use of lots of white plaster for frames, furniture and lamps. This is a hallmark of Hollywood Regency interior decoration. Dark colors contrast lighter colors and one wall features a huge mirror surrounding the fireplace. The effect of the design is elegant, luxurious and sensuous.

 

The living room set of Lucy James' apartment, from Born to Dance.

Lucy James (Virginia Bruce) with Cheeky and her producer (Allan Dinehart) in her living room. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Even the apartment entry doors highlight the Hollywood Regency style. The outside of the door being black lacquer while the inside is a mirrored surface. Both sides of the door feature an metallic, octagonal, moderne insert.

 

Ted Barker entering Lucy James' Apartment.

The entry way to Lucy James’ apartment. Showing the black lacquer and mirror doors. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Just inside the entrance a white plaster stature in a the classical mode hold a lamp aloft that is dripping in crystals. While a moderne curved half wall opposite acts as a base for a gleaming glass ball column. Showing how the classical offset the modern for this new look.

 

The one place in the apartment where moderne shines is the terrace.

 

The very moderne terrace of the Lucy James' apartment, in the film Born to Dance.

Here is the very moderne apartment terrace of Lucy James. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

A fountain built into a circular settee is the focal point of the terrace set. The checker board floor, imitating terrazzo, continues the dark and light color scheme from inside the apartment. And to supply the romantic music is an extremely modern Sparton Bluebird radio of blue mirror and chrome.

 

 

But the impression that lingers of the Lucy James apartment is a showcase for this new style. White painted furniture, tables with smoky glass tops, dripping crystal statue lamps and fur trimmed lampshades are harbingers of interior design trends that will flourish over the next ten years.

 

Club Continental

Born to Dance, being a backstage musical comedy, has the obligatory scene where the characters go out on the town to a fantastic Manhattan nightclub.

 

Rooftop sign of the Club Continental.

Club Continental rooftop sign advertising the dance team of Georges and Jalna. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Like most Hollywood movie depictions of a New York City nightclub, the set for the Club Continental is around four times the size what they were in reality.

 

Georges and Jalna performing at the Club Continental. Lucy James and Ted Barker watch from the audience.

Lucy James and Ted Barker enjoying the dancing of George and Jalna at the Club Continental. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

This set is the fantasy of what most non-New Yorkers believed what a Manhattan nightclub looked like. It is chic, moderne, classy and enormous. There were a few huge nightclubs in New York by the mid-1930s, like Billy Rose’s Casino de Paree and the French Casino. But most were cramped spaces squeezed into existing buildings.

The entertainers that are featured at the Club Continental are the real life dance team of Georges and Jalna. And Born to Dance maybe their only film appearance. A large portion of their career was performing at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel dancing to the music of Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra.

 

Georges and Jalna performing at the fictitious Club Continental.

The real life dance team Georges and Jalna on the illuminated dance floor of the fictitious Club Continental. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

In Born to Dance, one can see the design change coming. The where we’ve been being replaced by the where we’re heading. Within a few years the moderne style that is now known as Art Deco, would come to its end. Hollywood Regency is only one of the style trends to replace it. Other more traditional and conservative styles once again came into vogue. And movie set design would be forecasting and reflecting these changes.  By the time of the release of The Women in 1939, the change is complete.

But with its good and funny script, tuneful songs by Cole Porter and a cast, obviously enjoying themselves, Born to Dance is an entertaining way to spend an hour and half. And its also a feast for your eyes with its top rate set design.

 

The closing title card for Born to Dance.

The closing credit title for Born to Dance. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)

 

Vanished New York City Art Deco: The Pennsylvania & Capitol Greyhound Terminals

 

 

1930's Greyhound sign.

1930’s Greyhound Lines sign. Image from ClassicCars.com

The 1930’s was an era of glamorous travel. Great Art Deco ocean liners such as the Normandie and Queen Mary criss crossed the Atlantic every other week. Trains like the New York Central’s Twentieth Century Limited and the Santa Fe’s Super Chief sped across the United States. But nobody, then or now, could honestly tell you bus travel even comes close to the glamour of other forms of transportation. Greyhound, in an effort to step up their image, went on a building spree in the 1930’s. Across the United States new modern bus stations sprang up. And in Manhattan, Greyhound built two streamline moderne terminals in the heart of mid-town.

 

Mid-Town Manhattan Bus Terminals

By the early 1930’s eight small bus terminals dotted mid-town Manhattan. In addition to these terminals the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad offered motor coach service from four terminals in mid-town. With B&O trains terminating in Jersey City (at the Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal), the railroad provided shuttle bus service included with their train fare. From the various Manhattan terminals passengers boarded buses that took them to Jersey City via ferry. Once in the terminal the bus drove onto the departing train’s platform. Of the four Manhattan B&O motor coach stations the most elaborate was located in the Chanin Building at Lexington Avenue & 42nd Street.

 

Chanin Building B&O station.

Interior of the Baltimore & Ohio Bus Terminal in the Chanin Building, circa 1929. Image from MCNY.org

 

Another major bus terminal in mid-town, the Dixie Terminal, had a convenient location near Times Square. This terminal received its name from the fact that is was in the basement of the Hotel Dixie. Buses from this terminal were both interurban (long distance) and suburban (servicing NYC bedroom communities.) Check out  this scoutingny.com post for more information about the Dixie Bus Terminal.

 

The Dixie Bus Terminal postcard.

Postcard view of bus entering the 43rd Street ramp into the Dixie Bus Terminal. Image from scoutingny.com.

Greyhound in Manhattan

The largest motor bus company in the United States, Greyhound, combined many franchises under its corporate umbrella. In New York City there were three franchises each with its own terminal. The smallest of the three terminals, the Midtown on West 43rd Street, had streamline moderne elements. Such as the curved window overlooking the bus platforms. But the Midtown was small compared to Greyhound’s two major terminals.

 

The Midtown Bus Terminal in the early 1940's.

The Midtown Bus Terminal at 143 West 43rd Street, circa, 1941. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

 

The Pennsylvania and the Capitol, Greyhound’s two largest Manhattan franchises,  would construct large and comfortable terminals for their passengers in the mid and late 1930’s. Greyhound continued to use these terminals long after the Port Authority constructed a central terminal to house all the major long distance and suburban bus lines under one roof.

 

Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal

Just across the street from the massive Pennsylvania Station stood the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal. This subsidiary bus line was jointly owned by the Greyhound Corporation and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Opening around 1929 the Pennsylvania Motor Coach Terminal, built a plain, light-colored brick building directly across 33rd Street from the north exit of Pennsylvania Station’s main waiting room. This allowed for easy transfer from trains to buses and vice versa.

 

1st Penn Greyhound Terminal.

The first Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal (circa, 1929), looking south towards 33rd Street and Pennsylvania Station. Image from Don’s Greyhound Bus Memories.

 

By the mid-1930’s Greyhound decided to spruce up their image and replace their terminal with a very modern one. Greyhound hired noted theatre architect Thomas Lamb (1871-1942) to design their new showcase terminal. Lamb’s design incorporated signature Greyhound style elements into the new building, including the trademark dark blue exterior tiles, chromium banding and curved walls. The new terminal was an excellent example of streamline moderne design.

 

Opening day ad from the New York Daily News.

Penn Greyhound Terminal opening day advertisement, New York Daily News, May 23, 1935. Image from Newspapers.com.

 

Upon it’s opening, the new terminal became a model of modern bus terminal design. 275 buses arrived and departed with approximately 5,000 passengers handled daily. By staggering the loading platforms seven buses could be accommodated at one time. Inside the terminal the 200 seat main waiting room provided many conveniences for passengers. These included public telephones, a telegraph office, a magazine stand, baggage room and a large restaurant. And for the first time in the history of bus terminals a dormitory for the drivers. Also equipped in the terminal a  special loud-speaker system announced arriving and departing buses. Decorating the main waiting room were several colorful murals. Above the bus platforms the heavy concrete canopy served a dual purpose. First it protected passengers from rain and snow and second it was used for loading baggage onto the buses. At the time the buses Greyhound carried the luggage on roof racks. One baggage handler would stand on the canopy and hand the luggage down to a handler on the roof of the bus. The canopy is very visible in the photograph below.

 

1936 photo of the Penn Greyhound Terminal.

Famed photographer Bernice Abbott’s 1936 photograph of the Penn Greyhound Terminal. Image from MCNY.org.

With its convenient location between express subway stations at both 7th and 8th Avenues, the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal soon became the busiest bus station in New York City and perhaps the country.

 

The eastern facade of the terminal.

The east facade of the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal looking north towards 34th Street, 1935. Image from MCNY.org

 

And despite the advertisement claims of colorful murals and a large restaurant, the interior design was just slightly more than utilitarian. The ten window ticket counter took up a great deal of the eastern side of the waiting room and a streamline moderne style news stand  stood on the wall next to the entrance for the bus platforms.

 

Interior of the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal looking south toward the 33rd Street entrance.

Crowds jam the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal on May 24, 1946 during a railroad strike. Interior view looking south toward the 33rd Street entrance. (Photo by Victor Twyman/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

 

Looking north inside the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal.

Looking north toward 34th Street and the restaurant inside the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal. May 25, 1946. (Photo by Seymour Wally/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

 

Bus platform at the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal on 34th Street.

Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal platforms. Nice ceiling lights and wall sconces in an otherwise utilitarian space, September, 1942. Photo from photogrammer.yale.edu.

 

Bus platform at the 34th Street Greyhound Terminal.

Boarding a bus at the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal on 34th Street, September, 1942. Photo from photogrammer.yale.edu.

 

With the great success of the new Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal, Greyhound decided their Capitol Greyhound Terminal needed a new home as well.

 

Color Greyhound ad from the mid-1930's.

A Greyhound advertisement, circa 1936 featuring a color depiction of the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal. Image from Pinterest.

 

 

Capitol Greyhound Terminal

In mid-November, 1930 the Pennsylvania and Eastern Greyhound Lines took over the lease on the Capitol Theatre Bus Terminal. The original terminal was sandwiched between the Capitol Theatre on the east and the Knights of Columbus Hotel at 8th Avenue to the west. And like the Pennsylvania bus terminal, the terminal ran through the block from 50th Street to 51st Street. This new Greyhound subsidiary was named the Capitol Greyhound Bus Terminal. The company also leased the basement, ground, second and third floors of the auditorium in the Knights of Columbus Hotel. The entrance for the Greyhound terminal was on 8th Avenue mid-block between 50th and 51st Streets.

 

8th Avenue in 1936 showing the first Capitol Greyhound Terminal.

The entrance to the Greyhound Terminal is on the left in the view looking south on 8th from 51st. The third Madison Square Garden is on the right in the background, 1936. Image from the NYPL Digital Collections.

 

The loading area of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal, 1933.

The loading and discharging area of the original Capitol Greyhound Terminal. Looking north toward 51st Street, 1933. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

With the success of the new terminal on 34th Street, Greyhound now wanted a modern bus station for the Capitol Terminal. Once again they reached out to Thomas Lamb and his company to design the new terminal.  It would occupy the area where the buses would pick up and discharge passengers and the site of the building directly east of that location. Construction began in mid-1936.

 

Cross section of the interior.

Capitol Greyhound Cross Section of the interior. The Architectural Record, January, 1937. usmodernist.org

 

First floor plan.

The first floor plan. The Architectural Record, January, 1937. usmodernist.org

Second floor plan.

The second floor plan. The Architectural Record, January, 1937. usmodernist.org

 

The January, 1937 issue of The Architectural Record featured the new Capitol Greyhound Terminal as a model example of bus terminal design. The 88 foot wide building extended through the block from 50th to 51st street. Bus platforms were placed on the east and west sides of the terminal and the concrete platforms were laid out in a saw tooth pattern. Starting in 1937 Greyhound used a bus with an interior luggage compartment, located underneath the passengers and between the wheels. The days of the rooftop luggage rack was over. As a result the platform canopies of the new terminal could be constructed out of relatively thin corrugated metal. Unlike the thick concrete canopy of the 34th Greyhound Terminal.

 

Capitol Greyhound Terminal west side platforms.

The newly remodeled Greyhound Bus Terminal at 50th Street and 8th Avenue, New York, New York, May 12, 1938. The west side platforms. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Most of the exterior of the building consisted of buff colored bricks on a concrete foundation.

 

Capitol Greyhound Terminal, 1938.

Greyhound bus turning east off 8th Avenue onto 50th street in 1938. The new Capitol Terminal is mid-block directly in front of the bus. Image from thegeorgemanarchive.com

Capitol Greyhound advertisement, New York Times.

New York Times advertisement featuring the new Capitol Greyhound Terminal, May 19, 1937.

 

Capitol Greyhound Terminal, 1949.

The 50th Street facade of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal, February 26, 1949. The terminal is only 12 years old and is already becoming shabby. Image from flickr.

 

1963 photo of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal.

Looking north towards 51st Street at the westside platforms of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal. This rare color photo shows the blue and buff color brick of the building, circa 1963. Photo from Al Ponte’s Time Machine – New York Facebook page.

The new $300,000 Capitol Greyhound Terminal opened to the public on February 6, 1937. The main waiting room featured a 24 foot ceiling. The side walls were plaster above a terrazzo base and had space for murals. The terrazzo floor featured racing greyhounds out lined by 1/8 inch white metal dividing strips. The ticket, tours and information booths featured burl walnut panels inlaid with strips of ebony separated by ebonized hardwood moldings. The linoleum countertops were edged with an aluminum nosing.

 

Rending of the main waiting room.

Architectural rending of the main waiting room of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal. January, 1937 The Architectural Record. usmodernist.org

 

Second floor mezzanines were at each end of the waiting room. On the second floor were the executive and employee offices on the south side and a balcony lounge on the north side for passengers. The restrooms, baggage storage and air conditioning equipment were located in the basement.

With the completion of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal, bus station construction in mid-Manhattan ended until after the Second World War. Numerous bus terminals in a very densely populated area soon became a major problem.

 

Interior of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal.

Interior of the Capitol Greyhound Terminal, November 1, 1945. The place is empty due to a strike of the Pennsylvania and Central Greyhound Lines. Image from Historic Images via ebay.

 

The 1940’s

With streets already busy with city buses, street cars, taxi cabs and private cars, the addition of hundreds of long distance buses were completely clogging mid-town.  After a particular horrendous traffic situation over the Memorial Day weekend, 1940, city government jumped into action. The city eventually passed an ordinance banning all new bus terminal construction in the area bounded by 22nd and 59th Streets, 8th and Lexington Avenues. In 1940 the city started to propose the construction of a union bus terminal at 9th Avenue and 42nd Street. All the interurban bus companies would use the new terminal with easy access to the Lincoln Tunnel.

 

1940 proposed bus terminal

The proposed bus terminal for 9th Avenue and 42nd Street, New York Herald-Tribune, December 8, 1940.

 

Hugh Ferriss rendering of proposed bus terminal.

Hugh Ferriss rending of the proposed Union Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and 9th Avenue. Image from flickr.com.

 

The city did not get around to building their new terminal until 1949. The following year the Port Authority Bus Terminal opened at 8th Avenue and 40th Street. Shortly there after all the interurban bus companies started to use the new terminal.

 

The Port Authority Bus Terminal, 1950

A post card of the Port Authority Bus Terminal shortly after it opened in 1950. Image from Alamy.com

All that is, except Greyhound, which was in need of a larger and safer terminal. By the late 1940’s their 34th Street terminal had become one of the most crime infested places in mid-town Manhattan. Greyhound wanted to expand their 34th Street terminal and to consolidate the Capitol Greyhound lines into it. With the ban against new bus terminal construction east of 8th Avenue, they could never implement their expansion plans.

 

Finally, on May 17, 1962 Greyhound and the Port Authority reached a deal. Greyhound would move into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in April of 1963 and pay $1,200,000 in annual rent for twenty years. This would give Greyhound 15 berths on the lower level and offices and ticket counters in the upper floors of the terminal.

 

Greyhound moves to the Port Authority.

Greyhound advertisement from The New York Times, May 1, 1963.

With the move into the Port Authority, Greyhound closed the Capitol Bus Terminal. In the summer of 1963 Kinney Systems, a parking lot chain, acquired the former Capitol Greyhound Terminal. The terminal, razed in October 1963, became a parking lot. The following month, Loew’s Inc. took over the site from Kinney with plans to erect an office building on the site. The office building was never built but in 1972 the Uris Theatre  (renamed the Gershwin Theatre in 1983) opened on the former bus terminal plot.

 

The Gershwin Theatre

The Gershwin Theatre on 51st Street, standing on the site once occupied by the Capitol Greyhound Terminal. Image from Wikipedia.

Daabros, a chain of discount department stores, leased the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal in June, 1963. Their plans to convert the former terminal into a store never came to fruition. Exactly when the terminal came down has been lost to time. An aerial photograph taken on July 28, 1965 documenting Pennsylvania Station’s demolition shows the site of the bus terminal as a parking lot. It seems probable that the 34th street Greyhound Terminal did not survive past the end of 1963.

*UPDATED: APRIL 23, 2023

Since this article was published in 2019, I have found evidence that the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal survived past the end of 1963. After Greyhound moved their operations to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in the spring of 1963, the former terminal was converted into a bargain retail store. 

Arthur von Schwertführer photo of West 34th Street in the summer of 1963.

Arthur von Schwertführer photograph of West 34th Street, looking east from 8th Avenue, 1963. The former Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal can be seen on the right after being converted into a retail store. Image from Facebook.

And photos documenting the demolition of Pennsylvania Station show that the former bus terminal did not come down until sometime in 1964, and may have still been standing until early 1965. It was definitely gone by the summer of ’65.

West 33rd Street, April, 1964.

April, 1964: West 33rd Street looking east from 8th Avenue, during the demolition of Pennsylvania Station. The Greyhound Terminal can be seen still standing in the left center of the photo. Photo from Facebook.

Aaron Rose photograph taken from Penn Station during demolition in 1964.

1964 Aaron Rose photograph looking out at West 33rd Street during the demolition of Pennsylvania Station. Greyhound Terminal can be seen across the street. Photograph from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

July 28, 1965. West 34th Street.

July 28, 1965, overhead shot showing the former site of the 34th Street Greyhound Terminal as a parking lot. Image from Newsday / Tom Maguire.

 

Today, the 57 story One Penn Plaza stands on the site of the Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal. Its construction in the early 1970’s erased all traces of the wonderful streamline moderne terminal that once stood there.

 

One Penn Plaza

One Penn Plaza, standing on the former Greyhound Terminal Sight. Image from Wikipedia.

 

Gone in less than thirty years, not only have Greyhound’s streamline moderne terminals disappeared from New York City, they have disappeared from most people’s memories, too.

 

Anthony & Chris.