Octagon Tower

Beautiful staircase Octagon Tower Roosevelt Island - in an old 70's New York travel book in the charity shop. I believe the space has been developed into apartments :-(

Amazing how much information I have found through this one image..

I am finding some very interesting background info on this site. Here is a blog link about young female journalist Nellie Bly who became interested in the lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island, now Roosevelt Island. Bly spent time in the original lunatic asylum, then wrote about the experience What Nellie Bly found on Blackwell’s Island

source: http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/what-nellie-bly-found-on-blackwells-island/ 

I must go and visit the site next time I'm in NY. Fascinating architecture, site, location and history.

related links:

http://www.bbcamerica.com/copper/blog/episode-1-banished-to-blackwell-island/

http://historyofjournalism.onmason.com/2012/11/27/nellie-bly-and-ida-m-tarbell/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/the-roving-runner-roosevelt-island/

*** and I just can't get enough of this blog with rich and fascinating content on everything NY history:

http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com 

Union Square/E14th/5th Ave

source: http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/category/union-square/