... or, a free old photograph of your annoying project at 348 Clinton Street,
the one with the paint that had to match the coating which had to match the
brownstone which had to match the other building's paint which had to
match.....

Unfortunately, forget the $million$, because you have won the photo, and I
send it to you today by mail.  Made in 1940, it shows the rowhouse in
completely original condition, with big heavy stoop, door enframement,
areaway fencing, cornice - and, as an added bonus, there are some layabout
troublemaking kids playing penny ante poker on the stoop next door.  (Some
other brainiac will have to scan this sucker in.)

No sign of coating, painting, masonry sealant - just pure, virginal
brownstone.  Doesn't it make you sorta misty-eyed?

The photograph is from a source which should be useful to some BP members - a
series of photographs of every single building in New York, made in 1940 for
the tax assessor with help from FDR's WPA program.   Although made by
apparent amateurs, hastily using 35 mm film under nasty field conditions,
this group of images is extremely useful as an "easy-grab" old photo source
(although about 1 out of 10 of the images really, really stink).  BP nuts who
want to order one for any purpose need to send a check ($25 per print, +$2
mailing total) to:

    Municipal Archives
    31 Chambers Street
    New York, NY 10007
        Attn:  Ken Cobb

Give them a good address, the kind of building (rowhouse,  church, etc.), and
give them the block & lot if you can - otherwise they can usually fill in.
Takes about 3 weeks.  You can also find an order form on the web somewhere
(search for "tax photographs" or "Kenneth Cobb".)  If you're really cheap, or
just doing a wide-ranging survey on ivy growth, you can go there in person an
get xerox-prints off the film - often not too good.  Mention my name and
they'll throw you out.

Sign me,  Camera Obscura