Kingston Lounge Wine & Dine Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge

On the corner of Kingston & Bergen, a quiet corner in the re-awakening Brooklyn neighborhood of Weeksville, sits the Kingston Lounge. A small jazz club which opened in 1944, the "Kingston Lounge Wine & Dine Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge", as its falling marquee proclaims, was a neighborhood staple for decades. In the 1980s, it fell into decline, and soon only the apartments above were in use. By 2001, it was deserted.

During its heyday, the Kingston attracted guests from as far away as Harlem; even holding no more than 60 patrons at a time, the Lounge attracted musicians as renowned as Kenny Dorham, Randy Weston, Max Roach, Sahib Shihab & Matthew Gee. In fact, Dorham, Gee, Cecil Payne and company recorded a 1960 album under the name of The Swingers (Jazzland Records) on which the second track is entitled "Kingston Lounge", in honor of the place where they practiced and jammed out, entertaining the block until the wee hours.

Much of the older generation living in Bed-Stuy remembers the Lounge in full form. Down the block from me, I heard a story about how the parents of a middle-aged resident went on their first date there. I sat with a neighbor on the stoop and heard about amazing and inspirational shows, jam sessions that could still be heard as the neighbors woke and shuffled past in the early mornings, and the dark side of the Kingston - until the 70s, the club would not admit white patrons under any circumstances.

But that was the time, and that was New York. In the 80s, the club was repeatedly cited for health code violations; some in the neighborhood cried foul and claimed that the inspectors were trying to shut the Lounge down for no good reason. In light of history, that doesn't seem unreasonable. The upper floors were used for many years as apartments, until they too didn't make code - and the building was shuttered.

About two months after naming my blog after the institution in question, I finally had the opportunity to visit the interior of the Kingston Lounge.



Sadly, the thing most notably absent upon walking into this historic location was... history. Years ago, the vacant Lounge was purchased by a real estate prospector. It has been warehoused ever since, but either at the time of its abandonment, or (more likely) after purchase, it was stripped of most of its character. There are still mirrored panels on one wall, and the remnants of the last decorative paint job on the opposing wall - but in general, without knowing the history of the place, one wouldn't assume that it was a place where legends honed their skills, where generations of Brooklynites spent their nights soaking in carefully rehearsed tunes and hours-long impromptu jam sessions.



The upstairs is just as empty, albeit more photogenic. On the second floor, there is a bedroom soaked in deep blue paint. I continued to tour the apartments for a few minutes, but saddened by the utter dearth of historical evidence, I shortly departed. Here are the rest of the shots I took that morning - less than 10 in all.

"Negative Space" Prints Now Available

Some of the images displayed at the opening of Negative Space in May.


Following a successful gallery run this summer, I am now offering prints from my traveling show, Negative Space, for sale on the Kingston Lounge. In all, 30 limited edition prints, as well as 6 uniquely framed prints from North Brother Island, are currently available, and these as well as other images are available in unlimited editions at 8"x12" for $95. The limited editions are offered at a set size and will never be printed at sizes above 8"x12" again. Each photograph is a signed and numbered archival-quality C-print on Kodak Endura paper. Please email me at kingston.lounge@gmail.com if interested in purchasing one.


20"x30" Prints


Patient bed in fire-damaged ward
Buffalo State Hospital, Buffalo, NY 2008
Edition of 5



Hospital room with private bathroom
Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 2009
Edition of 5



Chair in patient bedroom, shot by moonlight
Taunton State Hospital, Taunton, MA 2006
Edition of 5



View through window in door of seclusion room
Middletown State Hospital, Middletown, NY 2007
Edition of 5



16"x24" Prints


Peeling paint in fire-damaged ward
Buffalo State Hospital, Buffalo, NY 2008
Edition of 10



Overgrown security window in patient bedroom
Central State Hospital, Milledgeville, GA 2008
Edition of 10



Attic of administrative wing of Babcock Building
South Carolina State Hospital, Columbia, SC 2008
Edition of 10



Ice stalagmites under clinic building
Greystone Park State Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ 2007
Edition of 10



Easy chairs and patient art
Creedmoor State Hospital, Queens, NY 2008
Edition of 10



Patient bowling alley
Rockland State Hospital, Orangeburg, NY 2007
Edition of 10



View from mezzanine level
Loew's Kings Wonder Theatre, Brooklyn, NY 2010
Edition of 10



Mezzanine aisle leading to lobby
Loew's Kings Wonder Theatre, Brooklyn, NY 2010
Edition of 10



Lounge area
Hotel Columbia, Sharon Springs, NY 2010
Edition of 10



Grand stairwell
Empire Hotel, Sharon Springs, NY 2010
Edition of 10



Tea room
Hotel Adler, Sharon Springs, NY 2010
Edition of 10



Blue door
Central State Hospital, Milledgevile, GA 2008
Edition of 10



Sink in collapsing bathroom
Central State Hospital, Milledgevile, GA 2008
Edition of 10



Patient dormitory in main building during winter
Greystone Park State Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ 2009
Edition of 10



Morgue
Quarantine Hospital, Ellis Island, NY 2008
Edition of 10



Statue of Liberty as seen from measles ward
Quarantine Hospital, Ellis Island, NY 2008
Edition of 10



12"x18" Prints


Top of grand stairwell at first light
Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Edition of 20



Patient dormitory at sundown
Buffalo State Hospital, Buffalo, NY 2008
Edition of 15



Connector hallway between ward pavilions
Buffalo State Hospital, Buffalo, NY 2008
Edition of 15



Arch in main building
Greystone Park State Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ 2009
Edition of 15



Corridor in ward for violent patients
Greystone Park State Hospital, Morris Plains, NJ 2009
Edition of 15



Dormitory in asylum for women
Pavilion building, Hart Island, NY 2008
Edition of 15



Southern staircase
Admirals' Row, Quarters B, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Edition of 15



View of hallway and patient bathroom
Central State Hospital, Milledgeville, GA 2008
Edition of 15



Cast iron staircase
Buffalo State Hospital, Buffalo, NY 2008
Edition of 15



Patient bedroom with red curtain
Athens State Hospital, Athens, OH 2008
Edition of 15



North Brother Island Prints


Prints from North Brother Island in unique artifact frames.


In 2008 I salvaged six oxidized copper X-ray holders dating to the late 1930s from the tuberculosis pavilion on North Brother Island. These unique artifacts, utilized in the operatory and exam areas of the hospital, were transformed by an expert woodworker into shadowbox frames designed to hold 11"x14" prints. The frames and prints contained within are museum quality, and completely archival. UV-protective plexiglass is used as glazing for the pieces, and the wood of the frames is lined with aluminum tape, preventing any acid leakage. The prints are archival C-prints on Kodak Endura paper, hinge-mounted with gummed linen tape onto acid-free foamcore. An acid-free white mat finishes the piece, and each frame is backed with acid-free paper and galvanized hardware. Six images from the island were chosen to fill the frames, and each is being offered as a one-of-a-kind piece.



Front facade, tuberculosis pavilion 2008
Available



Spiral staircase, nurses' residence 2008
Sold



Scale between coal house and physical plant 2009
Sold



Two-story boilers in physical plant 2010
Available



Hallway in services building 2010
Available



Basketball court in services building 2010
Available

Inquiries can be made by sending me an email at kingston.lounge@gmail.com.