Furman Street runs along the East River in Brooklyn from Atlantic Avenue north to (Old) Fulton, and since the 1950s, has mostly been accompanied by the stolid overhang of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. On its river side, it was formerly lined with busy docks handling goods brought in from the world over, shuttled along to distant points by a waterside railroad. These days, the former dock area is being converted to parkland and will eventually hold a luxury high rise or two. But occasionally a reminder of the old era comes into view, like this Gamewell fire alarm.
They were unusual because their rear ends were curiously flattened, and they sometimes were flush against a castiron lamppost. A pair of them can be found stuck against walls on Montague and Joralemon Streets at Furman. Of course, they were rendered inactive long ago.
11/29/12