Five Women Dining in NYC

Many of you, like myself, have most likely come across vintage family photos and wanted to find out more information.

It's like going down a rabbit hole, which are the same words, I've used in an earlier post(s) about efforts to learn more about my family history. That project hasn't been abandoned, but been put aside as I find other distractions projects.

That's what happened this past weekend, as I re-discovered this photo that I first saw 4 years ago when my brother, husband and myself were cleaning out my mother's home after her death. It shows five women (in their 20s then) and all friends who lived near one another in Scotch Plains, NJ. They were dressed up and "out on the town" dining in New York in 1944. Two of the women are my relatives.

The back of the photo is stamped with a date of Oct 4, 1944. My 22-year old mother, Clara, is pictured second from the right (in the light colored dress). Her sister, Anna, (then about 25) is second from the left, wearing a white hat. I know the names of two other women: Angie is in the photo center and "Derp" is on the far right next to my mom. The name of the woman at the far left is unknown and remains a mystery. My mother died at age 92 and she was the last remaining member of the group.

The photo was taken at Rogers Corner, a popular restaurant and bar which was opposite Madison Square Garden on 8th Ave and 50th St in NYC. It was enclosed in this folder. which features the U.S. Army Eagle symbol above the name. 
The folder back has the photo price and location: "Souvenir Photo $ 1.00 — Remembrance of a pleasant evening at Rogers Corner." Extra copies could be obtained from by including the date and club name and a photo description. The back of my mother's photo was stamped with a 1944 date and a handwritten #105.

The above postcard was included in the souvenir photo folder. Rogers Corner billed itself as "America's Most Unusual Restaurant" and it featured the Pan American Room and the Rondevoo restaurant. Notice in the top left corner that the restaurant would also mail the postcard for its patrons. This was a nicety in the war years as many service personnel dined in these places.

No menu was included in the folder; however, I found this one at an online auction site. It was dated November 1944, a month after my mother and friends dined there. Notice the complete De Luxe dinner prices were under $2 with the exception of roast prime ribs (of NY) at a whooping $2.50 (75 years ago). 

Look close and you will see that a ham steak or broiled chicken dinner were more costly than sea trout, lamb or duckling choices. The opposite is truer these days. Better yet, the dinner included two sides, dessert choices that included home-made pie, and coffee, tea or milk. I sure would like a deal like that now — wouldn't you?

Many other NYC dining places also were popular gathering spots during the 1940 World War II years. The above photo shows Grenville's parents, Bob and Betty, seated on the right and his aunt (Mabel) on the right. It was taken an unknown (to us) New York restaurant.

Despite many online searches this week, I failed to find historical information about this long-gone restaurant, which from the photo folder illustration, looks like it was a sizable establishment. I also read another blogger's post from several years ago about a similar search without success.

What I did find were various online sites selling Rogers Corner "souvenir" photo folders and postcards, perhaps from folks going through family photos. Many folders included photos with WW II service members. Prices ranged from $15 to $18.

Even if I never locate more information than these scant bits, it doesn't matter. Whenever I look at the photo of my late mother, her sister and friends, I imagine them enjoying a wonderful adventure together in NYC.

What better memory, indeed.