Timekeepers

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Photographer's notes: This clock has one of the nicest brackets the Rube has seen so far. One would think "D.L. Taffner" was the name of some bygone jeweler's, but in fact it is the name of the international television syndication firm that currently owns the building.

This building (see Context) was covered by Lorraine B. Diehl in her "Secret City" column for the Daily News two weeks ago:

"At the turn of the 20th century, it was the city mansion of F.W. Woolworth, and the childhood home of heiress Barbara Hutton. During Prohibition, the townhouse was turned into a speakeasy ... The racketeers were so cosy with the cops that they'd be tipped off about raids, giving them time to hide booze and inebriated patrons behind a mirrored wall. As one of those patrons, Hutton reportedly stood on the spot that had been her nursery and burst into tears."

This seems like a typical day in the troubled life of Barbara Hutton, whose life story can be found at "Divas - The Site".

The Rube would like to know what is the story behind the sign on the adjacent building (Fig 3).