User:Wil540 art/Articles/Tree of Hope

historic Tree 7th Avenue The Tree of Hope is a historic tree that

When the tree was cut down in 1934 during the expansion of 7th Avenue, it was cut into logs and sold as souvenirs. The tree was cut up as firewood and pieces were also sold as good-luck souvenirs. Ralph Cooper Sr. bought a piece of the tree that measured eighteen inches across and sat about a foot high. He took it back to the Apollo and had it sitting in his dressing room. Just before the first Amateur Night at the Apollo show began, he asked one of the stagehands to sand and shellac the log and to mount it on an iconic column. The column pedestal was placed stage right, just outside the curtain so the audiences could see it.

The tree’s home is still at the world famous Apollo Theatre, where a piece is still touched by performers for good luck on the stage right before their performance