The McCreery dry-goods store erected in 1884 replaced the Old Edwin Booth Theater which once stood on this site as a plaque and round portrait bust inset in the 23rd st facade described.

Both were salvaged for (I was told by a demolition worker) the Brooklyn Museum. UPDATE: the museum tells me they never got these items, and I since learned the new building The Caroline has the bust embeded on the 6th avenue facade.

View up 6th Ave at 22nd St. looking N.E. towards 23rd St. on July 19 1975, Polaroid self developing film which has begun to shrink from the paper backing, creating a slight distorsion and some creases in the image. Lucky to have scanners today to rescue the images before they deteriorate further.

The plaque is quoted: On this site was erected Booth Theater by Edwin Booth A.D. 1869
The site author received a pretty well banged up finger trying to acquire the plaque by chopping through the two foot thick brick wall behind it. The same fortunate author was almost electrocuted in the basement trying to salvage copper bus-bars from the main electrical panels, who would have figured the power would still be on in a half demolished building??!! That was 3 phase power coming in too and I still have the pliers which slipped off the bolt and shorted out two adjacent bus bars, nice explosion and blinding flash that was!

(Above) View (color) from the 23rd st side looking East from Sixth Avenue.

(B&W image) a very old image of the Edwin Booth theater, the view is to-from the same direction as the color photo.

(Below) View a few days later from inside the building looking North West towards Sixth Avenue where the above photo was shot from. Note the very heavy wood floor joists.

Above: A closer view of the 23rd Street facade showing the round medallion portrait sculpture of Shakespear just a little to the right of dead center in the photo.

An old line drawing of the Booth theater

And now thanks to Andrew A. who took the time to take photos of the sculpture for me and to correct my assumption the bust was of Booth himself. The below new photos of the bust and plaque on the CAROLINE apartments are courtesy of and (C) 2007 Andrew A, used with permission.

And here is a comparison of two photos, I could swear the two busts have some differences I can't explain, it's almost as though the one on the Caroline is a replica, for one thing the rim on the original looks narrower and his chest appears to be below the rim's face edge while the other apepars to project out about 2 inches- you be the judge;