27th Avenue, No. 805 ca. 1937

This house was built in the 1850s for Josiah Blackwell, a New York dry goods merchant and descendant of Robert Blackwell, who settled Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island) in the 17th century. It remained in the Blackwell family until 1921, when it was sold and, with the addition of a fire escape, converted into a boarding house. The young couple relaxing in beach chairs presents a distinctly modern rendition of bucolic contentment. Today the site is occupied by a six-story apartment building.