It started when I received an email back on March 12 from Janet Strom at the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs. She wrote to tell me that a man had dropped off an original Palisades 14-part billboard and another Palisades subway poster that he wanted to have a good, safe home. Janet called me since she was aware of the PAP Historical Society and felt I could supply the "good home" for the artwork.
I called the generous donor, who turned out to be Richard Patterson from South Jersey. He told me how he had acquired it after the park's closing. At that time, Rich, a member of the class of 1969, was a resident of the town of Palisades Park. He and a friend had been walking the grounds of the former amusement park the year after it closed. There they found an open building that housed an assortment of advertising posters and materials that the park had used annually to promote the fun center. He grabbed a poster and a billboard and kept it in storage all these years.
Richard, a retired US postal worker, now decided the time had come that he find a good home for the posters. He contacted the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs since these pieces certainly fit the definition of "historic." That was when Janet had the idea to contact me about housing the collection.
Thank you, Richard. Your generosity will forever be appreciated by myself and by the countless fans of Palisades Amusement Park.
