Helen Keller Mural Painting Event on June 12 & June 13 / Mural Installation Day on Ascan Ave, June 14

Helen Keller in 1913, Bain News Service, publisher, Library of Congress 

"Helen Keller Comes Home" - You are invited to the Helen Keller tribute mural painting event at The Reform Temple of Forest Hills at 71-11 112th St, which was the site of her house from 1917 to 1938.

Guests will be escorted in a group, so please arrive on time & specify which date you will attend. RSVP required via messenger or email unlockthevault@hotmail.com

**June 12 at 3 PM 

**June 13 at 11 AM

Event page: www.facebook.com/events/338670066829105

The much-anticipated mural will be painted by international muralists Crisp (Australia) & Praxis (Columbia), & you will have a chance to watch the 48 ft x 4 ft mural being painted on preservation-friendly panels. An informative plaque with Helen Keller's signature & photos will also be unveiled. Historian & mural developer Michael Perlman will be on site.

On June 14 at 9 AM for an approximate 5 hours, the LIRR will install the Helen Keller mural panels on the west wall of the Ascan Avenue underpass. This project is funded by lead sponsor CM Karen Koslowitz & local residents & organizations. This is history-in-the-making!

Helen Keller's life & local to international accomplishments: By Michael Perlman

Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan Macy, & Polly Thomson's House, 93 Seminole Ave later renumbered 71-11 112th St

A most courageous 20th century figure, Helen Keller (1880 – 1968), was an advocate, author, and lecturer. From 1917 to 1938, she resided in a brick-gabled and limestone 7-room house at 93 Seminole Avenue, later renumbered 71-11 112th Street, which she nicknamed “our castle on the marsh.” Today the site is The Reform Temple of Forest Hills, which annually hosts the “Helen Keller Shabbat of Inclusion” featuring a guest speaker, who despite facing a challenge, lives their life to the fullest.

After Keller contracted Scarlet Fever, she became blind and deaf at 19 months. She was examined by Alexander Graham Bell, telephone inventor and pioneer speech teacher for the deaf, who referred her to Perkins School for the Blind. At 7, she met Anne Sullivan Macy (1866 – 1936), who was partially blind. “Miracle Worker” Macy lived with her in Forest Hills, becoming her teacher and closest companion, and she later lived with secretary Polly Thomson (1885 – 1960). She had 8 dogs, mostly Great Danes, including Sieglinde and Hans. Keller and Macy would attend Sunday services at First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills.

Keller mastered the manual alphabet and learned to read Braille and print block letters. At 9, she began to read lips and communicate. As a graduate of Radcliffe College in 1904 at age 24, she became the first deaf and blind individual to earn a Bachelor of Arts.

In 1913, she began lecturing on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind, and her objective of removing stigmas associated with sight and hearing disorders took her worldwide. Traditionally, such conditions resulted in placing the blind and deaf in asylums. Braille became the international standard in 1932. She also advocated for labor rights and women’s suffrage. Keller’s published works include “The Story of My Life” (1902), “The World I Live In” (1908), “Out of the Dark” (1913), “Midstream” (1929), and “Helen Keller’s Journal” (1938). She wrote "Into The Light," a popular column for The Daily Star, a Queens newspaper. 

Helen Keller inside her home, Courtesy of Susanna & Robert Hof

On her home’s lawn, she celebrated birthdays by coordinating large parties for the blind, and held fundraising tours to benefit the American Foundation for the Blind. Her home’s guests ranged from journalists to scientists to social workers. 

In 1917, she welcomed members of the Rainbow Division of Camp Mills, which consisted of 1,200 soldiers from 27 states, who came in through Station Square. She explained, “The Star-Spangled Banner was more than 100 years ago dedicated as a symbol of freedom. We have since that time lived for that flag and for freedom, and I am proud to meet you, who are now ready to die, if need be, for it, that there might be equal rights for all men and women alike. That flag stands for a nation that obeys laws that honor women and protects virtue, and may you soldiers teach that lesson, so that it will be observed in every nation.” 

From 1920 to 1924, Keller and Macy partnered for an educational vaudeville act. At the 1925 Lions Club International Convention, Keller stated, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” and challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” In 1926, Keller and Macy lectured at the Forest Hills Theatre to over 1,000 guests, to aid in the relief and education of the blind through the American Foundation for the Blind, as part of a national campaign. Edwin Grasse, a blind organist, violinist, and composer accompanied Keller, as organist Samuel Pearce of The Church-in-the-Gardens played.

In 1924, Keller delivered a Thanksgiving address to children of The Church-in-the-Gardens. An excerpt read, “What we think in our hearts, and do, first for the other fellow, and then for ourselves, is the thing that makes us happy, and life worth living. Because people care, the blind receive their sight, and the dumb find their tongue.” She also spoke at The Community House, becoming the first woman to address the Forest Hills Men’s Club in 1928, after being encouraged by its president Homer Croy, a local notable author, screenwriter, and humorist.

In 1931, with her Great Dane by her side, she presented “How Parents Can Help Their Children” at a Public School 3 Mothers Club meeting, and advised parents to encourage their child to discuss their studies, problems, and interests, but not to criticize and pretend an interest, since insincerity will refuse their confidence. Rather, sympathy will gain their confidence.

After the Continental Avenue subway opened in 1936, she wrote with excitement, “Polly and I went to town by the new subway just opened from New York to Forest Hills - that brings me into closer contact with people.” 

Helen Keller's quote & signature, February 24, 1920

Mark Twain called Keller “one of the two most interesting characters of the 19th century” alongside Napoleon. Between 1946 and 1957, she went on tour 7 times and visited 5 continents, totaling over 30 countries. She encountered world figures including John F. Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin, and Grover Cleveland. She worked with seven American presidents and was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. She was also the recipient of the Lions Humanitarian Award for her lifetime service in 1961, and was elected to the National Women's Hall of Fame at the 1964 - 1965 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Keller once said, “The millions of blind eyes must be opened. Society is always creating too much trouble for philanthropy to patch. One must attack social problems at their roots.” Other inspirational words are “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” She also stated, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." 

Helen Keller & dog Sieglinde in bottom row, Anne Sullivan Macy & Polly Thomson in top row, Courtesy of the Hof family

Leads: Muralists Crisp & Praxis, Coordinator & Historian Michael Perlman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Sponsor Council Member Karen Koslowitz, Queens Economic Development Corporation, Long Island Railroad, Plaque design by Victor Kun & Sofia Monge of Continental Photo

Benefactors: Christopher Dukas, Cinemart Cinemas, Denise De Maria, Edwin & Katherine Wong, Elmhurst History & Cemeteries Preservation Society, Frank & Regina Carroll, Genesis Society, Gloria Piraino & Jim Bennett, Helen & John Day, John Beltzer, Knish Nosh, Oliloli Studio, Portofino Ristorante, Red Pipe Cafe, The Reform Temple of Forest Hills, Roast n Co, Rubi Gaddi Macaulay, Steven G. Schott, Terrace Sotheby’s International Realty; Susanna & Rob Hof, West Side Tennis Club 

~ Created June 2019

Two Generations Recall Barton’s Bonbonniere in Rego Park

Barton's Bonbonniere during the Blizzard of 1969

Barton's Bonbonniere's Art Deco interior circa late 1960s

By Michael Perlman

Decades ago, Rego Park was known for its Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern mom and pop shops with attractive window displays. Among them was a branch of Barton’s Bonbonniere at 97-19 Queens Boulevard, which opened around 1958, offered a mom and pop ambiance, and was part of a chain that carved a market for quality kosher gourmet chocolates.

Stephen Klein, a Jewish chocolatier, immigrated from Austria in 1938, and founded the Barton’s Candy Corporation with the help of his brothers and partners, drawing from his family’s experience. In a 1952 issue of Commentary magazine, Klein said the goal was “to make each piece of candy attractive. You should keep wanting to eat more and not get tired.” 

Cy Glickman & his son Bobby circa 1964

Between 1962 and 1970, Cy Glickman was one of the owners of the Rego Park shop, which operated into the late 1980s. When Cy and his wife Gail moved from Forest Hills in 1962, they leased an apartment at Walden Terrace in Rego Park and purchased the store. Their son Bobby Glickman was born that same year, and worked at the shop when he was four years old, acquiring a first-hand experience in customer service, inventory, and operating the register. The salary was originally one dollar per hour. “It was a family affair with my dad’s mom, his sister, and my mom, as well as a few employees,” said Bobby.

However, Barton’s history in Rego Park dates as far back as 1950, when it was located a block west at 97-01 Queens Boulevard. Two other branches in operation were adjacent to the Forest Hills Theatre on Continental Avenue and on Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike in Kew Gardens. Cy explained, “The chocolate was from Switzerland and was top grade. Barton’s had two factories on DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn.”

Patrons were welcomed to Cy’s shop by a sleek Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern storefront with a steel neon sign, and a large candy cane door handle, which was a popular feature for Barton’s storefronts. Facade panels were designed to resemble candy. The aesthetics carried into the interior, offering creatively decorated displays, terrazzo floors, and colorful illustrated wall art. Bobby said, “This was a place to buy special treats for special occasions. The store was fancy, and dad improved it with shelving, mirrors, and polish.”

Bobby referred to his father as young and enthusiastic, opening the shop at 8 AM and closing at 10 PM. Cy reminisced, “The public went out each night to stroll, and in the early 1960s, evening business was brisk. For an evening social visit, customers would pick up a box of candy at $1.98 for a pound of chocolate, plus 6 cents sales tax.”

Patrons’ favorites included Almond Bark Bar in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate, as well as solid chocolate in small blocks, Almond Kisses, and mint chocolate buttons, to name a few. A popular slogan remains “The best kiss you ever had.” “I often shipped candy boxes upstate to neighborhood kids at camp, or even to soldiers in Korea, Japan, and Germany,” said Cy. In addition, Barton’s sold collectibles such as menorahs, goblets, decorative plates, and dolls.

Barton’s even produced their own ice cream, which was available in pints for 65 cents and as sandwiches for 15 cents. “The fanciest candy in the store was the marzipan from Switzerland, which was shaped like fruits and other foods, and sold at $3.98 per pound. It was strictly for the older folks,” said Cy.

“It wasn't a drugstore, but a place where the product was pure heaven, like selling Coca-Cola,” said Bobby, who recalled his favorite job as cleaning the abundant glass with Windex, and winding the outside awning to shade the chocolate in the afternoon, when sunshine was at its peak. Barton’s allowed Cy to meet everyone from patrons to shop owners and operators. He said, “We shared the task of snow removal and had coffee, when the neighborhood was bustling and peaceful.”

Bobby said, “I liked the unlimited handfuls of chocolate that you could grab from behind the counter. The chocolates tasted and smelled like nothing you can imagine. My dad was a sweetheart to all, and that is why everyone in the family wanted to work for him. Walking around the neighborhood where everyone knew and liked your dad was a warmhearted feeling for a kid. It was a good time.”

Changes in demographics and personal preferences later transpired. Cy explained, “Barton’s broke the franchising contract by marketing their candy at Alexander’s, and changing styles spelled the end of high-end chocolates in a new immigrant community.”

After the Glickman family sold Barton’s, it changed ownership before turning into a food shop, followed by Blimpie and most recently Ariel’s Cafe. While Barton’s no longer operates independent shops, their products are sold countrywide and even on Amazon. 

Barton's collectible tin cans, Photo by Michael Perlman

Barton’s whimsical and colorful tin cans feature geometrical patterns, hearts, birds, and flowers, and are now regarded as collectibles. Among them is perhaps the most memorable design which features a cartoon-like illustration that captures street life, which Bobby retained in his collection among Barton’s Judaica and vintage photos of the Rego Park shop and the neighborhood. Cy left the store with a giant roll of wrapping paper, which wrapped gifts for decades. Today, he enjoys his retirement in Florida by spending quality time with Gail and playing pickleball.

A similar version of this feature was published in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27514049/article-Two-Generation-Recall-Barton-s-in-Rego-Park

Trylon Theater in Forest Hills Patch - A 1939 World's Fair Legacy Never Ceases

The 1939 Trylon Theater as boasted in 1941 in The Theatre Catalog

The Trylon Theater after its 60-year run in Dec 1999. A time when the facade's most significant Art Deco features with international ties remained intact.

The TRYLON THEATER is your Rego-Forest Preservation Council Chairman's latest installation in the Local History column for Forest Hills Patch. 

This theater at 98-81 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills had cultural, architectural, and historical significance to the 1939 – 1940 World's Fair, which was held in Flushing Meadows Park, and categorized by the 700-ft spire Trylon (pyramid) and 180-ft Perisphere (globe) monuments. It was the “Theater of Tomorrow,” since the theme of the 1939 World’s Fair was the “World of Tomorrow,” where exhibits emphasized technological improvements. Social and cultural change led to new waves of immigrants. The marquee once boasted The Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind. 

With the exception of its closure in 1999, and the jackhammering of significant Art Deco features in 2005 despite a community preservation movement and political controversy, you can read an excerpt of its intriguing 60-year chapter of what defined a neighborhood theater with international ties. Please share your memories: http://foresthills.patch.com/articles/trylon-theatre 

Thankfully hosted on the 1939 New York World's Fair (Reaction Grid) website, you can read more about the Committee To Save The Trylon Theater (which led to the creation of Rego-Forest Preservation Council in late 2006): http://www.1939nyworldsfair.com/worlds_fair/trylon_theater.htm In short, when former councilmember, Melinda Katz, did NOT support landmarking sites in Forest Hills, the Landmarks Preservation Commission backed off from the Trylon Theater. Sometimes public officials forget why they were elected.

Art Deco glory! The Trylon Theater entrance pavilion after closure in Dec 1999. It features a Trylon Monument on the mosaic ticket booth with a central 3D mirror-image on the terrazzo floor, which is then accompanied by Art Deco chevrons in mosaic tiles.

Art Deco travesty in 2005: Hard to believe that this was all that remained of the above image, consisting of the priceless ticket booth and entrance pavilion, as a demolition crew was told to destroy this artifact.

2005: Bad enough the lobby was gutted, but the back-lit mosaic Trylon fountain wasn't even spared.

The World of Tomorrow-themed cloth mural for the Trylon Theater, a "Theater of Tomorrow." Sadly, this work of art alongside the proscenium wasn't preserved when the building underwent a conversion.

After viewing these photos and reading its history, the question on most people's minds becomes.........

 Wouldn't it have been much easier to work together to preserve and creatively reuse the Trylon Theater's historic Art Deco features, while undergoing conversion to a cultural center in 2005?

Introducing "Local History" Column in Forest Hills Patch - Debuting Eddie's Sweet Shop

Youngsters sitting at the counter of Witt's Ice Cream, which would later be known as Eddie's Sweet Shop. Could it be Owner William Witt?

As a native Forest Hills resident, NYC preservationist, and writer, I take pride in my new weekly column with a popular hyper-publication, Forest Hills Patch. Introducing... Local History. Enjoy my first feature, "Eddie's Sweet Shop." As we celebrate the 119th anniversary of the sundae, treat yourself in what's NYC's earliest intact ice cream parlor, at 105-29 Metropolitan Ave, Forest Hills:

http://foresthills.patch.com/articles/eddies-sweet-shop

If you are curious about the history of any landmarks, worthy sites & sections, long-forgotten sites, or historic notables of Forest Hills or Rego Park, please send your suggestions to unlockthevault@hotmail.com, and I will consider coverage. It is a pleasure to serve our community!

- Michael Perlman, Chairman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council