Anthony Catalano, friend of Boro Park

[Anthony Catalano, “NYC Blizzard of February 6-7, 1978 Brooklyn, Boro Park, New Utrecht Ave Tel: ULster 1-5012.” Available at Flickr. Licensed under a Creative Commons 2.0 License. Click for a larger view. And here’s the original size.]

Looking online for Brooklyn past, I saw the sad news that Anthony Catalano has died. I never knew him, but I have taken great pleasure in his photographs. His Flickr account (which his brother says will remain active) has 2,897 photographs, many of life in Brooklyn, and many of life in Brooklyn’s Boro Park. Mr. Catalano also contributed to the Facebook group Old Boro Park. For Boro Park ex-pats of a certain age, Anthony Catalano’s photographs are powerful madeleines, even more powerful than a Coke and a slice.

I chose this photograph for New Utrecht (my family lived close to the Avenue, and I’ve always liked its name) and the signage. The ULster exchange is a bonus. The Coca-Cola sign, by the way, is what’s called a privilege sign. Notice too the Breyers sign in the window.

A related post
P. S. 131, 44th Street, Brooklyn

[People from Boro Park tend to spell its name without ‑ugh.]