976 "Boro Park Camera" - Paulie's 13th Ave 56-55st
My pal Chris' Uncle Paulie had a camera shop a few blocks away on 13th avenue that was open all the time except for Christmas, Thanksgiving and 4th of July . I could be wrong - he may have been open in the mornings. This is the last of the old style neighborhood photostores. Aside from all sorts of film, he had chemicals, tanks, timers, old safelights and thermometers. How many on-the-spot boxes of super-8, Polaroid and Instamatic carts along with whichever needed a blue-dot flash pack, I can never guess. See the big, old copy machine in the background? Only the library and the drug store had one. What he didn't have he would offer to order for you. I felt bad, but I usually would go to Manhattan for the major shopping sprees. His shop was like air, earth. It would always be there. I was wrong.