We continue the series on walking Buffalo, from the intrepid couple who walked every day—no matter the weather—in the first 30 months of Covid. They think (without being systematic) they walked every street in Buffalo, and many in other cities and towns, taking some 20,000 photos, some of which are shared in this series. While not itineraries, we hope to encourage others to “walk the walk,” to see, observe and appreciate Buffalo—and beyond. William Graebner and Dianne Bennett are also 5 Cent Cine’s film critics, here.
Today’s Photo-Essay: Street Humor
If you really want to laugh, go to a comedy club or sign up for TikTok. But if you’re looking for just a bit of entertainment, a chuckle to enliven a long walk, you can find it, here and there, on the streets. Some street humor is intentional, some not, and some takes on a humorous gloss only through time. There’s the humor of advertising, and the humor of a 15-year-old with a can of spray paint—and more. Below, I’ve used captions mostly to identify a location, or when otherwise necessary. Here we go.
Gersitz Hardware, Kensington Avenue
Inside the King Sewing Machine Factory, Rano Street and Crowley Avenue, Riverside. The factory, which dates to 1907, when it began manufacturing sewing machines, has been closed for many years. The photo was taken in 2020, when the interior was accessible; it no longer is.
On the side wall of Colston’s Auto Repair, Winchester Avenue at East Ferry
Big Basha, on Jefferson Avenue, is a combination of mini-mart, beauty products salon—and who knows what else. It has the look of an East Side institution, and a name that’s hard to forget. This aging sign, on the side of the building, with its reference to “Walkmans,” brought on a smile, in part because today, the product is something one might find in Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Production of the Walkman, a portable audio player, was discontinued in 2010, and the original version was introduced in 1979.
This is not a street.
The street that isn’t a street, alongside Gene McCarthy’s Old First Ward Brewing Company
This is not a bus.
For shoplifters:
For shoppers:
“We Clean Your CLOTHES Not Your WALLET” (Jefferson Avenue)
We thought this piece, found in March 2020, might be Covid-related. Maybe not.
The area’s marinas feature a particular kind of humor, fun but assertive.
“The Shores” restaurant, on the Niagara River, has a nice collection of “boater” humor on its exterior wall.
“The Shores” restaurant, Tonawanda Island
And one more, from the world of marketing:
Military Road at Saunders Settlement Road, Niagara Falls, New York
Also see:
How to Take a Walk—in Buffalo, and Beyond (2nd in the Series)
How to Take a Walk—in Buffalo, and Beyond
How to Take a Walk – Remembering 9/11
© William Graebner
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