Old-law tenements at 154 Fourth Avenue between Butler and Douglass Streets, October 29, 1936.

A few blocks from the busy intersection depicted in Billboards and Signs, Abbott found this boarded-up row of old-law tenements. Rather than conform to the new fire and sanitation regulations, the Fulton Savings Bank, which owned the buildings, abandoned them. The geometric pattern formed by the blocked windows attracted Abbott’s eye, as did the profusion of posters for movies, sports, and cabaret on the first floor. Taken one week before election day, the photograph shows a Democratic Party campaign poster for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert K. Lehman.

The tenements were torn down in late 2007. Today, a twelve-story luxury development (No. 150) stands in their place.