The Point of Petrella

There's a place (among many) I've been meaning to go, since its opening a few years back- a small not for profit museum called The City Reliquary. But its location in Brooklyn (despite its being in Williamsburg, one of the few areas that I actually go maybe once or twice a year) has and will always be a drawback for me. Those who know me realize that I am mostly confined to the Downtown Scene, the Upper East Side when duty calls (duty being art and fashion) and the Upper West Side (mostly if not exclusively the Lincoln Center area).  Anyway, yesterday I finally decided to brave the heat and walk back and across the Williamsburg Bridge- no mean feat given the heat glaring down mercilessly on the walker- and see what the Museum and Williamsburg had in store.

Let me first preface that the reason I wanted to see the Museum was because I knew it had transplanted the entire newsstand (called Petrella's Point, EST MCMLXXV after the owner) that used to stand on the corner of Bowery and Canal Street.  The amiable fellow who ran the place, Adam Petrella, passed away a few years ago- I found out only because I searched for information on him and found his obituary.  Why was I interested?  Because I had walked by his newsstand a great many times, always curious as to this strange small stand which did not seem profitable but was filled with interesting sorts of things. There were prints of drawings for sale, of Bruce Lee, political personages, hand drawn maps of Chinatown, as well as other small things such as gum, lighters.  For some reason, I do not remember him selling newspapers, but the fog of memory may betray me there.  A short time before his death, my curiosity led me to have a few conversations with him, even so much as being privileged to sit on his "Guest of Honor" chair. A friendly fellow- I found out that he used to be a sign painter, and even did some (hand painted, of course) after his retirement.

Well, the City Reliquary has disassembled his newsstand to reveal the many contents.  I remember looking inside (as there was never any room to be inside the stand itself, he was always seated outside of it) and it was things piled upon things.  With the amount of things in there, I now suspect that it was a bit of a hoard.  But, no matter.  It was just a bit of fun and sad nostalgia to see the remains of his stand there, but at least someone decided it was of interest and importance to display.

There were other things in the Museum of interest, but I will save that for another time. To end off today's talk, I offer an image from where Petrella's Point used to stand. The ghostly memorial is appropriate as nothing could replace it.

gone but not forgotten by some