Oriel Windows have this peculiar charm, don’t they? They just out like nosy neighbors peering into the street, but actually they offer a cozy perch, a bit like a balcony without the commitment.
-Nathalie Kalbach-
“Snapshot”: Acrylic Paint and Acrylic Ink on canvas 12x12”
One particular Oriel Window on Crescent Ave has always caught my eye. I always wonder about the stories behind it.
Back in 1913, Edward and Minnie Flaacke returned from their Panama honeymoon and settled in the very house. All seemed quiet - at least no news to find in The Jersey Journal stating otherwise - until December 1917, when headlines briefly flashed with the story of a diamond ring with a centered striking blue stone stolen from the home. Did Lieutenant Collins and Detective Butler of the Communipaw Police Station find the culprits, or did the burglars slip away into the fog of history? Alas, we probably will never find out, as no further mention is to be found in the papers.
But wait, there’s more to this neighborhood’s colorful canvas! Before the Flaackes, the house was home to Louis and Mary Bates, who had their own share of snapshots with thievery in their home. In December 1908, Mrs Bates and her daughter returned from a shopping spree in New York City only to discover that about 500 Dollars worth of jewelry and silverware had been stolen from the house. The scene was that of a chaotic paintings - drawers flung open, belongings all over the house and a shattered stained-glass-window as evidence of the unwanted visitors. Detective Blackshaw was left scratching his head as the pair who might have done it, vanished into thin air.
Not to be outdone, more thieves returned in December 1909, this time with an elaborate plan involving a basement window in a home two houses down, a rooftop entrance, and a swift disappearance as soon as Mrs. Bates called up when she heard rumble while peacefully eating supper. A gold pin and pearl stud worth a whooping sum of 5USD each at the time left through the skylight as well. It seems December had a penchant for stirring up trouble on Crescent Avenue.
Maybe the lesson is that December is a time in Jersey City, when even the most vigilant find themselves a gift short.
In any event - the oriel windows awaits your imagination and is listed on my website.
Oh and speaking of website- I just finished up work on my brand-new website at natkalbach.com . Swing by to explore my new home for paintings, including the “Snapshot” and others inspired by these very tales and more about my art stuff. Let me know what you think about it.
And with this- Stay curious my friends - talk very soon
Nat
Ha! I learned a new word today: oriel window. I had no idea! In Dutch, I believe all outward protruding type windows are called the same (erker). Love the painting!