Edward Hopper
Automat
1927

One of my fondest memories of growing up on East 14th Street in Manhattan was the Horn & Hardart, Automat, near Union Square. My mother would take me on the Avenue B bus for a 10 minute ride, and the excitement would build. We’d often go shopping first at S. Klein on the Square, where one could find bargains galore; great stuff and everything at low prices. After some heavy shopping, we’d round the corner and pop into the Automat. It was a chain that started in Philadelphia by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart, and became most popular in New York City when it opened in July of 1912. It offered good, cheap, food which made it more attractive during the depression. The Horn & Hardart chain was a precursor of fast food, video games, Las Vegas, and a crash pad.

A cashier, centrally located, would spin in the middle a circular marble station and take money from depressions in the counter and replace same with nickels. Really fast, like a coin tornado.

One would take a tray, metal cutlery, and nickels, to banks of little chrome and glass doors where rows upon rows of home cooked stuff would be loaded from the back. One never saw a human stocking the machines; it was magic. Insert the nickel or the posted price in increments of 5 cents, and the little door would release the following foods that had been held hostage, and served on china: fish cakes (the best ever) served with soggy spaghetti (magnificent combo, mild sauce), creamed spinach (even if you hated veggies, you longed for this), baked beans (sweet and tangy), macaroni and cheese (a gazillion calories and worth it), cherry pie, coconut custard pie (can still taste it), cakes, and rolls. There were many other selections but a kid knew the best stuff; deep six the mashed turnips.

It was the home of the nickel cup of coffee (drinks came out of a spigot on the wall) and the ten cent piece of pie. You could be homeless or a millionaire and sit there as long as you wished. The poor and the famous co-mingled. I remember an ad in the subway for the Automat from the 1960’s. I actually have it! “You Can’t Eat Atmosphere,” was the slogan. On a china plate were pieces of elegant fabric and two orange candle carrots, a reasonable facsimile of a classy meal. It was true; good food doesn’t have to be just at the Ritz. There was a time and place for everything. The Automat had its place; people loved it. It was quick and comfortable. There was a novelty to it; a charm that carried it through the 50’s until the last one, on 3rd Avenue and 42 Street, closed in 1991. It was overtaken by Golden Arches and chicken buckets.

Nickel slot machines are for gambling; the ones at the Automat always made you a winner.

• denisH
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The last one I saw was across from Grand Central. And how about Chock Full of Nuts “cafes”.

Friday April 27, 2007 – 03:58pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• Sans …
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Hi, Den, I used to go to the one at Grand Central before Grad classes in the early ’70’s; they are all gone.  Chock Full was ok, but had none of the caché of the Automat. Hmmm memories of nut creamcheese on raisin bread…nah, I’ll take the fish cakes and a pocket full o’ nickels!

Friday April 27, 2007 – 04:04pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• Frida…
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I had not heard about Automat before. I have flown over NYC and been at the airport en route to Europe, but… only that, unluckily! Mmmm… is that really a Hopper? (the painter?). Oh, I love his paintings. I imagine there’s a lot of them in NYC in galleries and museums. The photo is so small… I couldn’t really tell!
I love Hopper, Maxfield Parrish, Andy Warhol and… Woody Allen!  Ha.  🙂

Friday April 27, 2007 – 04:05pm (CDT) Remove Comment

• Sans …
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You, my Frida, are an honorary American! Yes it is a Hopper.

Friday April 27, 2007 – 05:21pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• Sans …
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Found a bigger one; he was so fabulous!

Friday April 27, 2007 – 05:29pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• Frida…
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Oh, yes!  It is a Hopper!  Oh, I really like his paintings. Thanks for that!  🙂

Friday April 27, 2007 – 06:50pm (CDT) Remove Comment

• Papa
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Sue,love your story about my neighborhood in 1940,when I lived in a tenement apt.on 11th St.between 2nd and 3rd Ave…I was 8 years old and loved the energy of the East Side of NYC..went to a school on 14th St which was built during the Civil War..loved Union Square Park where I first experienced free speech about Socialism..S.Klien was the mecca for bargain clothes and stampede crowds..the Automat on Broadway near NYU was my first eating out experience,particularly remembering the whipped mash potatoes,but everything tasted good and I was a regular visitor..also loved the Chuck Full Of Nuts across from NYU where I made a meal out of their delicious hot dog and coconut cream pie..could go on and on but lack your wonderful creative writing skills.

Friday April 27, 2007 – 10:35pm (PDT) Remove Comment

• Red W…
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Great blog, Sue, those are wonderful memories. I love Hopper ( he’s a regular guest to my blog), he’s one of those artists whose works I’d love to own. Have a wonderful weekend, hugs.

Saturday April 28, 2007 – 12:09pm (BST) Remove Comment

• Uncle…
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Where did you get all those pics of Horn & Hardart. I remember both the one on 42nd street and the Chock Full of nuts, Both locations were on my beat in the late 60’s. If you were in Manhattan at that time and read the Daily News, I made the front Page of the Daily News a couple of times.

Monday May 21, 2007 – 09:32pm (PDT)

reply nemo4sun wrote on Mar 3 lovely simply lovely 🙂

reply fransformation wrote on Mar 4 Great repost, Sue! I remember Horn and Hardarts very well. My most favorite one was on 13th and Market Streets … but we had them everywhere, even in Willow Grove, a suburb of Philly, where I live now. Loved eating there too … all the way into my adult years! It always felt clean and homey … and I used crave the food.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 4 Hey, Nemo, Hi, Fran! There are a few nostalgia groups going about my old neighborhood on Facebook and the Automat came up. It was such a delightful place in many ways. I guess I am in a retro mood. I have this hankering for fish cakes and soft spaghetti…

reply parsonsblvd wrote on Mar 5 Remember that place well….thanks for the memories Sue.: )

reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Mar 5 What a blast form the old Yahoo days…a great read! (I miss Papa…think his right/left side blog is still active though!)