The NY Daily News still uses a stylized graphic of an old-style camera in its front page logo, situated between the Y and the N. In 1948, though, it was still using a pretty accurate depiction of a camera. Speed Graphic perhaps?
Also notice postal codes were one or two digits then, instead of the 5 and later, 9 digit versions. Will there be postal codes at all in 10 years?
2/8/13
20 comments
Not so much stylized as an accurate rendition:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5218/5511286369_1e5db757de_z.jpg
I remember living in Brooklyn 13, NY Which, of course, became Brooklyn, NY 11213. I was nine years old. I thought it was amazing.
I also remember lusting after a Speed Graphic 4×5 camera that my Guidance Counselor let me use.
We’ve come a ways.
The DAILY NEWS also owned WPIX, and PIX was for Picture. Of course, I left NYC 15 years ago and now learn the Mets free games are on Ch. 11 and the Yankees free games are on Ch. 9 or Ch. 5 so my whole childhood world is turned upside down.
I’m sure there’ll be some sort of ZIP code 10 years from now – I don’t think the USPS is going away anytime soon – after all they have over 500,000 employees – that’s a lot of people to dump onto the unemployment roles.
PS: Never liked the new Daily News logo – the old camera is/was much better.
2 digit postal codes were call zone numbers and later were incorporated into the zip code. Middle Village was zone 79 and the zip code became 11379. The Daily News was probably in 10017. How did that Elvis song ‘Return to Sender’ go? I think the line was ‘no such number, no such zone’.
I always though the Jordanaires were singing “She rode a pony”
Ha Ha. Did you also hear CCR sing the refrain “There’s a bathroom on the right” in Bad Moon Rising? Interestingly, I was born in Bay Ridge Hospital exactly one week before that Daily News edition came out. I believe it was torn down long ago. Keep up the good memories!
Or how about Jimi Hendrix singing, ‘excuse me, while I kiss this guy’. 🙂
In 10 years, “going postal” will mean a slow decline into obsolesence.
I think the 5 digit zip code was introduced in the 1960s, along with Mr. Zip, who I heard is on his pension.
it was introduced in 1961. they had a big ad campaign on teevee about it. mr zip i think danced and sang, too!! one of those singing logos. if you look at any ephemera, you can date it by whether it has a zip code or not.
Actually, the ZIP code was introduced in1963.
http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/usps/request.do?create=kb%3AUSPSFAQ&view%28%29=c%5Bc_usps0901%5D
I remember they began advertising it in my postal area in late ’64.
The Postal Service introduced automated postal machines at some of its offices about 5-6 years ago, which are credit card only and do a variety of things, including vending stamps. But where t hey originally sold sheets of normal stamps, now they print stamps for optical scanning complete with several graphic image options, including Mr. Zip. So you can actually go out and buy $4.60 cents worth of Mr. Zip postage stamps at select locations.
the song that Mr Zip used to sing was written by Richard Stryker, former owner of ABC Employment agency in Bellmore (LI) NY. It won him a minor celebrity status in the area. He also hooked me up with my first “career” job, management at McCrory Stores 5&10 in 1978. Keep up the excellent work on the site, Kevin. I love it!
I was zone 1 on Staten Island. S.I. is now 103 and then 2 numbers. I became 10301.
Not necessarily a Speed Graphic as most ‘portable’ 4×5 cameras look fairly identical. Interesting though is the attached cable release suggesting that this is more akin to one used in a studio setting.
The Graflex Speed Graphic was introduced in 1912; and, it was already the standard, and most popular, “presser” camera used by press photographers by the time the New York Daily News was founded in 1919. So, it would be the obvious model used in the Daily News’ logo.
Here’s the camera today!
[IMG]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b73/mineola/DailyNews_zps83e4af8a.jpg[/IMG]
I always liked the badge that was over the NYDN garage at Degraw & Douglass street.
https://forgotten-ny.com/2010/09/third-avenue-gowanus-boerum-hill-downtown-part-3/
Formerly Zone 12.
Gee,maybe Im wrong but I coulda swore later versions of that camera on the front page had an angel holding the camera and looking down at it cuz thats how you operated it,the viewfinder was at the top of the camera
Nice post! Thanks for sharing.