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The Plazas: 1907

Manhattan circa 1907. "New York, N.Y. -- Plaza Hotel, Grand Army Plaza and W. 58th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Manhattan circa 1907. "New York, N.Y. -- Plaza Hotel, Grand Army Plaza and W. 58th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Electric Hansom Cab

Thanks Shorpy, you sent me down a rabbit hole with this little blurry thing. I see others are interested, here is the the best non watermarked photo I could find.

Early EV?

Would love to be able to identify the horseless carriage at lower left.

[It's an electric taxi -- a sort of horseless hansom cab. - Dave]

The Little House Across Way ...

was a small home that belonged to the Cornelius Vanderbilt II family. It was situated at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and West 57th Street, extending to 58th Street, directly across from the Plaza Hotel. This property is recognized as the largest private residence ever constructed in New York City. Maintaining the estate necessitated a staff of 37 servants. The house was completed in 1893 and subsequently demolished in 1926; the land was later sold for $7 million, and the original structure was replaced by a 12-story luxury cooperative building. Notable features of the estate, including the 10-foot tall iron gates, a baronial fireplace designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a Moorish ceiling piece from the smoking room, and various other opulent elements, were donated to charitable organizations. The former front gates of the mansion now reside at the 105th Street entrance to Central Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt_II_House

https://www.untappedcities.com/then-now-the-cornelius-vanderbilt-ii-mans...

Vanderbilt Gates

The Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion at the corner of Fifth Avenue, 57th Street and Grand Army Plaza in 1908.

Vanderbilt Mansion

The elaborate gate on the left led to the front door of Cornelius Vanderbilt II's very large mansion. Cornelius II, oldest grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt (the first Cornelius), hired the architect George B. Post to design his house at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. The house was completed in 1882. In 1893, Cornelius II hired Post to expand the mansion to the north, covering the entire Fifth Avenue blockfront between 57th and 58th Streets. It was said to be the largest private house ever built in New York. The house was demolished in 1926 to make way for the Bergdorf-Goodman department store. CV II's other house was the gigantic "summer cottage" called The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island.

You can still see that gate

gb, that wrought iron gate was one of two at the carriage entrance to the Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion, formerly occupying the west side of Fifth Avenue between West 57th Street and West 58th Street, at Grand Army Plaza (seen in the 1907 photo). The mansion was demolished in 1926. One gate is now at the 105th Street entrance to Central Park.

Withering heights for me

They couldn't pay me enough money to be the flag raiser on that building.

So Jim,

Hansom cab line, center right: "So Jim, ya got those fancy new oversize wheels. How do you like 'em?"

Top Heavy

It always amazes me that so much of the architectural ornamentation on buildings is at the top. Even to this day, walking around New York, or any major city, there's nothing to see at street level. It's all at the top, which you can only appreciate if you can manage to get a perspective like this photo. Would love to know what the elaborate gate in the lower left led to.

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