Salamanca Back Bar

M. J. Bernhard Company of Buffalo made this back bar in the 1890s. The bar’s shingled roofing and stained-glass panels graced the Torge Hotel in Salamanca, Cattaraugus County, until 1971, when an urban-renewal project resulted in its removal.

NYSM H.1971.66.1 Gift of Frank Torge 

Guiding Questions:

  • Why would a back bar have such a large mirror? 
  • Other than food and drink, what function might a tavern or bar serve for adults in a community

 

Windows on New York