PHOTOS - WAR YEARS Brownsville 1969 - 1773

Joined
Jun 22, 2007
Messages
5,765
Here is an 11-12 minute video of 120 photos (most are black and white) taken in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn by Ira Hoffman, an HONORARY FDNY Assistant Chief.

Back in those days, Ira hung out in the Brownsville area as a photographer/buff with Engine 231, Ladder 120, and the 44 Battalion on Watkins St
Of course some of you may know Ira, who started the business of www.fire-police-ems.com in Hudson, Mass.

He has since retired and sold that business to another individual.
However he still keeps active, giving talks of the importance of having working smoke detectors.

Here is that video which has NO Sound, just some great pictures of some of the guys on the job back then, and the work they caught.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGfF_bAJ9X8
 
Last edited:
Good old Brownsville. While the numbers may not be the same, the place hasn’t changed.

Whenever 132 got relocated to 120, it was an adventure.

Ira should write a book!
 
Last edited:
John J. Weisberger was mentioned frequently in the old fire buff column in Fire Engineering in the 1960's.

In the late 1970's, Harvey Eisner had a portfolio of his photographs from the South Bronx during the War Years. A bunch of them found their way into the city newspapers. Of course, to the news media, the 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th and 15th Divisions might as well been on Mars.

As I recall, Harvey's collection had some spectacular shots, since he was on the streets all the time. Since he showed them to me then, I have never seen them again. Have they ever been published? If so, where?
 
Back
Top