c/historyporn · by sjmarf@sh.itjust.works · 2y

A NYC police officer hanging over Times Square, 1920

264 points · 33 comments · view on lemmy.world

33 Comments

OfficerBribe@lemm.ee · 132 pts · 2y (8 replies)

His name is Charles N. Fitzgerald. Here's additional info about him and the photograph.

Fitzgerald also did things like stand on the upper wing of a biplane as it did a loop-de-loop. He had 18 occupations in 26 years, most of which were dangerous. These included high diver, Texas Ranger, motorcycle racer, and vaudeville strongman.

Here's another article and higher resolution image of that newspaper article.

afk_strats@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 2y

That's awesome. Thanks for posting that vintage article

FarFarAway@startrek.website · 17 pts · 2y (6 replies)

Man, that guy had quite a life! Bet he was a hit at party's.

...Back when you could actually be anything you wanted to be. How romantic!

pwnicholson@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y (3 replies)

...If you were white, male, and probably reasonably affluent.

Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I mean, he sounds Irish. I don't believe they had the best treatment back then either.

GladiusB@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Not the best, but not the worst either

pwnicholson@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

12 of the first 28 Presidents of the USA (which is the time Fitzgerald was doing his thing) had Irish heritage. 3 of them were first generation Irish (parents born in Ireland). Most of the police force of NYC was stereotyped as being all Irish by this point.

Yes, there were areas and times they were disadvantaged, but don't even compare it to women and non-whites at the time.

GBU_28@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Today he'd be a stunt man,, which you can still absolutely do

FarFarAway@startrek.website · 1 pts · 2y

Except the texas ranger part, this is true. Guess you could play one in a movie, but is that the same?

WaxedWookie@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 2y

He's doin' it for the 'gram.

SorteKanin@feddit.dk · 32 pts · 2y (14 replies)

... Why... How... I... What. I need some background. Why in the world would you put yourself in that kind of danger?

Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works · 49 pts · 2y (5 replies)

It’s most likely an optical illusion.

Ex.

IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world · 41 pts · 2y

This is exactly how entertainers like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd did many of their stunts.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/harold-lloyd-about-harold-lloyd/647/

ben16w@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 2y (2 replies)

The first image is some Instagram photos and the second image is a different person bouldering

Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works · 24 pts · 2y

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/photograph-cliff-hanger-isnt-quite-seems/

There's no set of the hanging effect and the long distance together, but it's a pretty common rock that people take these forced perspective photos on.

Vandals_handle@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

The coastline, buildings and boulder appear to be the same, the images are just reversed.

SorteKanin@feddit.dk · 5 pts · 2y

I sure hope so

Splatterphace@lemm.ee · 15 pts · 2y (4 replies)

It was 1920, they didn't give a shit about danger back then. Those fools ate lead and huffed asbestos 😂

SorteKanin@feddit.dk · 20 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I mean they only did that cause they didn't know how dangerous it was

MNByChoice@midwest.social · 16 pts · 2y

Pretty sure they understood falling off buildings. A lot of construction workers died falling off buildings.

Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de · 12 pts · 2y (1 reply)

It makes more sense if you say it in a scruffy detective voice