Sunday, July 7, 2024

“Swims clings or crawls”

[Eddie’s Fish Market, 5410 New Utrecht Avenue, Boro Park, Brooklyn, c. 1939–1941. From the NYC Municipal Archives Collections. Click either image for a much larger view.]

I went roaming around the primal neighborhood and decided to take a look at the spot where 13th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue intersect — at 54th Street. The car-and-train chase in The French Connection never made it that far.

I like the Eddie’s Fish Store slogan, and fortunately the second of these photographs has it complete:

If it swims clings or crawls we have it.
Commas be damned.

Bonuses: The neon fish. The kid’s hat. The face at the window. (Click for large and look closely.)

Related reading
More photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives (Pinboard)

comments: 7

Anonymous said...

Great viewing

Michael Leddy said...

And delicious seafood. :)

Fresca said...

I love how you find these details,
Thanks!
“Swims clings or crawls” sounds disgusting—surely no modern marketer would write such a thing? But you know what they mean!

Anonymous said...

https://nycrecords.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_19f2dcdc-bf6b-42ec-9078-70066512db2a/

NED'S

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, that’s an unsqueamish slogan.

The Ned’s sign looks similarly modern. They’re in the 1940 phonebook at 3904 13th Ave. There’s also an Eddie’s Fish Market in the book at 4012 13th. But I can find no trace of it in the tax photos.

Anonymous said...

https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=ndrs19460627-01&dliv=userclipping&pageoid=1.6&cliparea=1.6%2C1765%2C1922%2C921%2C521&factor=2&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN----------

more eddie's

Michael Leddy said...

Wow — so he either left Brooklyn or expanded.