The Deleted Scenes - An Egg And A Shell
There’s a cool building in Flemington, New Jersey that I’m surprised I haven’t featured here yet. It’s at 84 Park Avenue—one of those New York City streets that so many small towns wanted back in the day. And yet the building is a testament to the town’s rural-agricultural heritage. It’s office space now, but it’s the Old Egg Auction building: Well, a couple of buildings: a workhorse building and an ornate building, both of which make up the Old Egg Auction complex. Before a little bit on that, this is not even the site’s first use: one of the buildings, I believe the plain-looking one, was a glass factory in the very early 1900s! The glass company Empire—the structure is still labeled “Empire Building”—was located here. It went out of business in 1925, and some of its employees founded Flemington Cut Glass, which still existed in some form up until my childhood. (I etched a star into a glass there on a kids’ visit.) But the complex is really known for the egg auction, which started in the early 1930s. On Facebook, someone shared photos of an old trade magazine writeup from February 1954. Here’s a little bit of it:
It notes that the Flemington market was still an actual auction market, one of only three remaining that still conducted auctions (either in New Jersey or in the Northeast; it’s not clear). “Auction markets,” the article says, “were established during the depression for the sole purpose of obtaining for the producer his just share of the consumer’s dollar.” I’m pretty sure this: Is this: From a newspaper article:
How long did the auctioning continue?
The official historical marker seems to disagree: I wonder if it was both the first and the last in the United States. Here’s a neat history based on information the author learned as a child going to school in Union County, New Jersey, when he was assigned a project on Hunterdon County (he’d never heard of it!), of which Flemington is the county seat. Here are some photos from the property. The back of the pamphlet from which that 1954 article comes shows a map of New Jersey with Flemington perfectly between New York City and Philadelphia, 50 miles to either. This is an example of how urban and rural places had closer relationships while being more distinct. And it’s also an example of how the small towns in rural areas were once both conscious of and proud of their urbanity. The building is neat, too. Related Reading: What Do You Think You’re Looking At? #24 What Do You Think You’re Looking At? #28 Thank you for reading! Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help support this newsletter. You’ll get a weekly subscribers-only piece, plus full access to the archive: over 1,100 pieces and growing. And you’ll help ensure more like this! You're currently a free subscriber to The Deleted Scenes. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Older messages
A Man's Hotel Is His Castle
Monday, December 23, 2024
A grand buffet to close out our visit to China earlier this year ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
New subscriber discount ends tonight!
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Quick reminder and thank you! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Urbanist Formularies
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Extended thoughts on discerning our "intellectual subfloors" ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
New and Old #193
Friday, December 20, 2024
Friday roundup and commentary ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
See What You're Looking At
Thursday, December 19, 2024
New York, New York ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
You Might Also Like
This Best-Selling Skirt On Amazon Is $35 & Looks So Expensive On
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Prepare to get *so many* compliments. The Zoe Report Daily The Zoe Report 12.24.2024 This Best-Selling Skirt On Amazon Is $35 & Looks So Expensive On (Shopping) This Best-Selling Skirt On Amazon Is
Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
OHF WEEKLY, VOL. 6 NO. 8 A holiday message from the editor, with articles by William Spivey and Jesse Wilson. OHF WEEKLY Happy Holidays! OHF WEEKLY, VOL. 6 NO. 8 A holiday message from the editor, with
The Best Thing: December 24, 2024
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
The Best Thing is our weekly discussion thread where we share the one thing that we read, listened to, watched, did, or otherwise enjoyed recent… ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Kim Kardashian's Holiday Blowout Looks Like Pamela Anderson's '90s Hair
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
So Barb Wire. The Zoe Report Beauty The Zoe Report 12.24.2024 (Beauty) kim kardashian glam makeup (Celebrity) Kim Kardashian's Holiday Blowout Looks Like Pamela Anderson's '90s Hair So Barb
Get a 'CLUE' Report If Your Insurance Rates Seem Too High
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
How to Swap Your Google Voice and Regular Phone Number. If your home or auto insurance premiums too high, get a copy of your CLUE Report to find out why—and maybe get them lowered. Not displaying
Freshly brewed microplastics
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
— Check out what we Skimm'd for you today December 24, 2024 Subscribe Read in browser Together with vuori But first: the allure of grey sweatpants is alive and well Update location or View forecast
"sueño convulso (seizure dream)" by Urayoán Noel
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
where am I / ordinary explosión / de las sienes hundred temples December 24, 2024 donate sueño convulso (seizure dream) Urayoán Noel Isabela, Puerto Rico where am I ordinary explosión de las sienes
Review: “The Invisible Doctrine”
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
George Monbiot and Peter Hutchinson call out neoliberalism for what it is. The biggest scam and economic failure of the past forty years. A mockery of economics that reduces every element of society to
I’m Ditching My Jeans & Trying These Cooler Pants In 2025
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
The anti-denim trends taking over. The Zoe Report Daily The Zoe Report 12.23.2024 It's finally here. The week in which emails are set on vacation mode, sweatpants are the daily uniform, and eating