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Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.
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Today's Top 5
West Street Story: 1912
Submitted by Dave on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 8:10am.
New York circa 1912. "West Street north from the Battery." An amazing view of the Hudson River piers from the foot of Manhattan centered by the West Street Building, which sustained grave damage a decade ago when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed; to east is the massive Hudson Terminal, and faintly visible through the haze is the Metropolitan Life tower. Note the ant-like profusion of horse wagons along West Street. This 8x10 glass negative was exposed from the Whitehall Building annex just south of today's Battery Park City and World Financial Center. The view up West Street and 11th Avenue is continued here at the Chelsea Piers. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
A REAL Seaport
Submitted by mitchm on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 10:01pm.
This is wonderful evidence that, indeed, NY was once a great seaport. Look at all the piers with so much activity!
Whitehall Street
Submitted by Mr Mel on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 9:16am.
A few personal things come to mind when I read that The Whitehall Building was where this magnificent 1912 photo was taken. First, 39 Whitehall Street, was the building where I, and probably a million others were inducted into the US Army. The date I was there, October 8, 1956 and another momentous event was happening at the World Series in Yankee Stadium, Don Larsen pitched a perfect game.
Fast forward to 1995 and my wife and I are at the Whitehall Building looking at the Whitehall Club as a venue for my youngest daughter's wedding. The club occupied the entire top floor of the building with unobstructed views in all 4 directions. The views of the city, the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty were just amazing. We didn't use that setting, because on a Saturday night, that part of town is usually deserted.
West Street Building
Submitted by Michael R on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 2:58pm.
It is absolutely incredible to see the West Street Building standing in so isolated a position - yet it is barely a quarter-mile away from Broadway! Such were the contours of real estate values in Lower Manhattan a century ago. The West Street Building (1906-1907) was designed by Cass Gilbert; as his first "Gothic" skyscraper, it became the model for his more famous Woolworth Building of 1911-1913. It is believed that Frank W. Woolworth chose Gilbert as his architect largely because he liked what he saw on West Street.
Best of the Best
Submitted by shmolitz on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 10:49pm.
This photo will become my "forever" all time favorite. It evokes history at so many levels. Amazingly, the two bridges that cross West Street are in extreme close proximity to those that connected the World Trade Center to The World Financial Center at Battery Park City. Actually the northern one looks like it is in exactly the same place! All I can do is stare and marvel at this gem that we are lucky enough to view. Thanks Dave/Shorpy
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Today's Top 5