October 2023 Film Clip Contest

[ndembowski]

Here’s a little twist on our regular series of photo contests.  It is a bit of mystery film footage from the KHS archives.  Can you figure out where the film was shot?  For an extra challenge, can you figure out when it was filmed and what is happening in the scene?

Answers to all of the questions will be posted here on October 31st if no one gets it by then.  Feel free to post clues that you noticed that could be helpful to others.

[tommie230th]

I believe it is the North Side Savings Bank branch opening on 231st street Bronx, New York

[Thomas Casey]

Grand  opening.  I think it is about 1930s.   I know what it is now…  because if you view the current building from below, you can see the old windows.

[Thomas Casey]

[ndembowski]

That is the building and that was indeed the occasion–the opening of Northside Savings Bank on West 231st Street in December of 1951.  This film was shot before the construction of the Major Deegan Expressway so there are a number of buildings at the end of the clip that were torn down during its construction.  Below is a photo from our archives of the bank building under construction on the left and Tynan’s hardware and Robert’s Books on the right:

By the way, there was a reason why so many people were lined up for the opening of this bank (and it wasn’t the savings account interest rate).  Does anyone know why the opening was so well attended?

[Maurpat]

I think they gave out free toasters or something. By the dresses I’d say the 1930’s/1940’s and I think it was the opening of this branch. The first branch was on Third Ave I think.

[Thomas Casey]

Free nao of Bronx or copy of Declaration of Independence

[tommie230th]

Link providing background on North Side Savings Bank
https://www.waltergrutchfield.net/northside.htm

[ndembowski]

Okay, here’s a little hint.  They were indeed giving something away at the bank opening–but not toasters nor copies of the Declaration of Independence.  The line to the bank went around the block to get this free giveaway and 6,000 of them were handed out to local residents.  Here is a screen shot from later in the film showing a patron who just walked out of Northside Bank with one of the mystery items.  Can you figure out what it is?

[bstein]

I have a decorative plate depicting the Henry Hudson statue that the bank gave to customers, though I don’t know if it was an opening-day gift or just a premium for opening an account at any time.

 

[Thomas Casey]

Not sure which plate they got, but this is one that was available in the 1950’s

[Thomas Casey]

The Reverse side

[ndembowski]

Bingo, that’s it.  Congrats to all of those who helped figure it out.  The North Side Savings Bank gave away these plates at the bank’s opening on December 1, 1951.  Here are a few closeups of the scenes depicted on the plate:

The newly formed Kingsbridge Historical Society played a role in selecting imagery for the plate, which you can still find on eBay for a resonable sum.

The film clip comes from a 8mm film reel in our collection.  I was very excited to see it as it harkens back to the early days of the KHS and it shows the neighborhood in color.  I can’t wait to show the film in its entirety at a future KHS event, possibly in the spring.  The film depicts a number of events that would be difficult to understand without the help of the Riverdale Press as a historical record from the time period.  I think it would be fun to show the film and explain it using RP articles.  This is the clipping in our collection that explains the mystery scene:

[Maurpat]

I have this plate. Unfortunately it is still in the packed boxes from our last move ten years. Bought it from eBay a while ago, never remembered what it said on the backside. Got it b/c it had info about Kingsbridge. Now I know.

[jbakerjonathan]

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