Up On The Roof!

Came across these photos in an old album my mother had put together. Highschool Graduation Prom June 1951.

Yikes....it's depressing what 60 years, 60 pounds and the pull of gravity can do! As I recall, I found the dress for less than $20 on a shop on 14th Street, NYC. It was all gussied up with big rhinestoned flowers which I replaced with little white satin bows. Mom made the black & white stole (which I still have) from left over materials.

From a photography point of view, I think these are really good shots set up by a 16 year old and taken by her 12 year old kid sister, with what was probably a Kodak Baby Brownie from the local drugstore.

Using the tarred chimney stack on the roof of the 5-story walk-up apartment building we lived in on St. Marks Place in NYC was really smart!
I'm also nostalgic for the days when a couple of young girls could go on the roof of a NYC tenement with a radio, lemonade & a blanket...otherwise known as "Tar Beach" instead of taking the long subway ride to Coney Island.