Ask Joan: Art identification and more
This week’s Ask Joan starts with something fun and a little different – I’m seeking your help on some art that needs to be identified. Then we have lots of other things to talk about, including a start on holiday-related memories!
What’s inside
1. An art identification project
2. Quick adjustment to previous column
3. Lafayette Club eggnog ingredients
4. Memories of Hanover toy display
5. Remembering Gregory’s at Christmas time
1. An art identification project
To kick off today’s column, I have notes from two local readers who want to know more about some art.
Nancy Bowings is trying to find out more about who the “Eyster” of “Eyster 85” in a painting of a child holding a dog. “It came from a York home so I assume artist is local,” she wrote.
And Mary Ann Allen sent a picture of the front and back of a piece of art she purchased at the former Kauffman’s Art Shop in York. “Can you tell me anything about it?” she wrote.
I would love to know more about either piece, so any comments are very welcomed!
2. Quick adjustment to previous column
I have a quick update from reader Karen Bjorkman on last week’s column. Karen wrote to tell me that she recalled going to The Trail Lounge, now The Cove, in the 1960s, not the 1980s. Karen, thanks for that update!
3. Lafayette Club eggnog ingredients
Here’s a fun one: My longtime friend Daniel Verbit, who had been a member of the former Lafayette Club, is looking for the ingredients the club used in its eggnog. Any ideas?
4. Memories of Hanover toy display
As both a long-overdue follow-up and a fun way to start talking about holiday memories, I wanted to share some thoughts from the Hanover area, in response to a February question from Fran Rosen-Bizberg, who wanted to know if anyone remembered a “two-story toy store” on the corner of York Street in Hanover, near the square.
Gary Brown wrote to me almost right away, noting that of the places Fran recalled, “The Fashion Shoppe is closed. The Lucky Spot restaurant is still serving great food on Broadway. The toy store … was actually Tanger’s Hardware Store at the corner of Broadway and York Street. They always had a great toy and Christmas display on the second floor. Been there many times. The Hanover Evening Sun now has their office there. Before my time the Lyric Club had a swimming pool in the building, it is now the bar area. The club is still active with fewer activities. The Terminal Store closed several years ago. The former owners catered many banquets for the Hanover Mall Walkers and I still see them occasionally.”
Gary concluded, “As an 80-plus lifelong Hanoverian and former mayor I really enjoy sharing my memories of Hanover.” Gary, we are so glad you did! I’m also grateful to reader John Cromer of Hanover, who also mentioned this being Tanger’s and noted the connection to the Evening Sun’s present location.
I also heard from a reader who did not give a name, who wrote, “The second floor toy store was located inside Tanger’s Hardware Store, which was located on Broadway and South Railroad Street. Tanger’s would stock the second floor with toys close to Christmas and open it to the public. Back then they even had layaway. The first floor was bolts, nuts, screws, nails, hand tools etc. I don’t remember when the toy part closed but it was before Tanger’s moved their hardware store to a warehouse on High Street alongside of the railroad tracks. I imagine they moved because they wanted to expand and they didn’t have private off-street parking and street parking was very limited. Some years later they closed totally. I remember going to Tanger’s in the ’50s.”
The same reader also noted, “Also, The Bon-Ton was located on the square on the corner of Carlisle Street (between Carlisle and Frederick Street). They used to have a toy store on the second floor and the Bon-Ton Santa would be there on the day (and up until Christmas) Hanover had their ‘Santa Parade.’ The parade Santa came on a fire truck and sat in the log cabin located on the square between Frederick Street and Baltimore Street. The ‘Santa Parade’ was either the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Bon-Ton even had an elevator.”
5. Remembering Gregory’s at Christmas time
To conclude today, I have one more Christmas memory to share, this one from Cathy (Stiles) Frazier. She wrote in response to a previous article about the former Gregory’s store in York and said, “What was great about Gregory’s was that when you bought gift certificates there for Christmas your gift certificate (not card) was rolled up and put inside an actual Christmas ornament that was gold with Gregory’s name in glitter. I am fortunate to have two of them. That was true customer service!”
Cathy, I’ve seen photos of those and they are lovely – how cool that you still have two!
Have questions or memories to share? Email me at joan@joanconcilio.com or write to Ask Joan, York Daily Record/Sunday News, 1891 Loucks Road, York PA 17408. We cannot accept any phone calls with questions or information.
