After reading about the numerous suicides at this location, I found myself asking "Why here?" Wasn't the elevation of the entire El the same height as at this spot? Why did so many choose to jump only from this curve?

[This particular curve (actually two curves, shaped like an S) was the highest part of the IRT elevated line. - Dave]

that appeared in the thrilling car chase sequence in "The French Connection"?

[The car chase in that 1971 film was shot in Brooklyn; the Manhattan tracks seen here were gone by 1940. - Dave]

What an impressive perspective and composition.

The foreground cobblestones taking an important part of our attention.

The use of above ground rail is such a good conserve of space. The ground footprint of the support stanchions is very small in comparison to the benefit gained of mass transport without congestion.

This idea should be implemented more today to ease traffic chaos on choked arterial roads. A second level can carry vehicles and/or trams/trains via point to point destinations.
Much less intrusive than demolition of huge swathes of buildings to create more lanes.

I superimposed the Google Street View over the Shorpy image to see the changes around the building on the left.

An early manifestation of the consumer-goods conglomerate Reckitt Benckiser:

As they say, there's only one chance to make a first impression, and you don't want it to be in the pavement: the (in)famous Suicide Curve.