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NYT Radio Room: 1942
September 3, 1942. "New York, New York. Radio room of the New York Times newspaper. The Times listening post, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2023 - 7:57pm -

September 3, 1942. "New York, New York. Radio room of the New York Times newspaper. The Times listening post, between 10 pm and midnight, between first and second editions. The operator is listening to Axis news (propaganda) broadcast. Paper in foreground has been examined to see what has already been covered in last edition of paper. Operator reports and gives new angles to city editor. Messages are recorded on paper tape in international Morse code." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. They're trying to catch me lucky chairYou can bet Mr. Operator got fed up with telling people "I take two days off and you people steal my chair yet again! You have chairs! This MY chair! It's set to MY perfect height, it swivels, it's easy on my back and my boss said it's for MEEEE! (stomps down the hall with chair in tow). Dang temps, do I have to write my name in marker ? Actually I just might!" Some things at work never change. Band select modulesMost shortwave radios have a band select switch. These appear to have plug-in units labeled A through D. And the tuning looks like it's done by reading the graphs placed in the front of the module to convert between the tuning knob setting and the station frequency. Wall mapThe stereographic projection map was critical to radio stations, as their broadcast antenna patterns could be directly matched to listeners' compass directions. Uncle Joe?Walt Duranty here -- That mapNote the great circle map, showing the direction of the shortest path from NYC to the rest of the world. Create your own at https://ns6t.net/azimuth/azimuth.html Ticker TapeOnly three more years before it can all be thrown out the window onto the Victory parade! Dial telephones?This candlestick phone has a dial -- the ones in the other same-day pics don't. Who did you have to be to rate a dialable phone? WorkmanshipLove the detailed craftsmanship of that little wooden box on the table. The upright rack reminds me of early movie theatre sound system racks made by Western Electric. Those had huge valves on the front. (Technology, The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, The Office, WW2)
Manhattan Skyline: 1915
New York circa 1915. "New York skyline from Manhattan Bridge." Another entry from Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:25pm -

New York circa 1915. "New York skyline from Manhattan Bridge." Another entry from Detroit Publishing's series of sooty cityscapes. View full size. BuildingsOn the far right is the Municipal Building, and to its left is the Woolworth Building. A modern viewHere's a shot from a nearby location 100 years later. Merchants Chambers Printing Company S. Giuseppe Uneeda Biscuit And nowA view from the bridge. Where it isThe cross street in the foreground is Market, in what used to be Little Italy, now Chinatown. What are the two streets heading downtown? There is no wedge-shaped block like this on Market today. What a pole!As a straight razor guy and a collector of things tonsorial, my eye was immediately drawn to, what I believe is, that great barber pole at the bottom of the photo. It looks to be part barber pole and part flag pole. I'd give my brother's right arm to have one like that. Pineapple TowersGreat skyline picture especially especially juxtaposed behind the everyday market street at the bottom. Can anyone supply names for all those massive buildings? -- especially the one that looks like it's wearing a pineapple on top. [The pineapple is the Singer Building. - Dave] Hey KidCareful on that fire escape! Madison StreetThat's Madison Street with the Alfred E. Smith Houses on the left and Chatham Green apartments on the right. Are you sure this photo is from 1910?because The Equitable Building wasn't completed until 1915 ... and construction of the Woolworth Building was just starting in 1910. ["Circa 1910" does not mean the picture was taken in 1910. If we knew what year the photo was taken, we'd give it. "Circa" means around -- in the general vicinity. It's a starting point. - Dave] FluffyzillaIt's not a giant lizard, a flying turtle or even the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, but every time I look at this portion of the photo, I see a giant bunny between the buildings, peacefully nibbling its way through the city. Today's ViewI used Google Earth 3D buildings to align the vantage point and then looked at Street View. The buildings match (look at the one the horse is headed toward, and also the building on the block closer to the camera with arched windows). View Larger Map Make that New York c. 1915This magnificent view contains several skyscrapers completed after 1910. On the left we see the Bankers Trust Building, with the pyramid on top (finished 1912) and immediately to its right, the wide bulk of the new Equitable Building (finished 1915); on the right we see the Woolworth Building, the tallest in the world at that time (finished 1913) and the Municipal Building, with its cute little round temple at the top (finished 1914). TrystLove blooms above the city's streets. Nice Monroe StreetThis is a view looking up Monroe Street with Market in the foreground. NYCer's image is nearby looking up Madison Street with Market in the foreground. Here's One MoreThe very white building in the middle background with the American flag waving above it is the first section of the old AT&T Building at 195 Broadway, which was completed in 1916 (the second section - not seen here - was completed in 1922). Still ThereIf I've got it right, these two buildings are still there but now surrounded by even bigger buildings. Amazing. [These are the Bankers Trust and Equitable buildings. - Dave] Where it isThe exact location is the intersection of Monroe and Market streets looking west. The first picture submitted by nycer as well as the one directly above is along Madison Street, which is one block north of Monroe. The wedge shaped block was created by Monroe and Hamilton streets. Hamilton was eliminated with the construction of the Knickerbocker Village housing project in 1934. I have a site devoted in large part to the history of this project: http://knickerbockervillage.blogspot.com Between Monroe and CherryI think the street to the left is Monroe. The street to the right is the unnamed street circled in the map below, in between Monroe and Cherry. That would mean S. Giuseppe's store is on Catherine Street. Most of it is gone. It's all large apartment buildings on the south side of Monroe and the West side of Catherine. The buildings on the North side of Monroe are still there. +99This is the same view west on Monroe Street from May of 2009. The building in the right foreground remains as do its chimneys which are now covered in graffiti or hidden by transmitters. Laundry LadyI smiled when I saw the woman on the roof hanging her wet laundry out to dry! I'm afraid I would be scared to death! Zero'th SisterI was going to mention the interesting similarity of the building below to Moscow's "Seven Sisters," a series of wedding-cake architectural extravagances from the Stalinist era. Then I read the Wikipedia article on Stalin's buildings! "The Manhattan Municipal Building in New York City, completed in 1915, is reportedly an architectural precursor to the Seven Sisters." We spent a night in the Hotel Ukraina some years back. Lovely building, but very old, and to paraphrase Mark Twain, "The hottest Summer I ever spent was a Winter's night in Moscow!" 15 degrees outside, 85 inside. [That's the Woolworth Building below. - Dave] High and DryThis gal is just merrily hanging out her laundry with nothing between her and a fast free-fall but a few live wires! At my place of work I couldn't go higher than a common step ladder without a climbing harness and a spotter. Seems to me they worried a lot less back then and didn't try to turn everything into a liability lawsuit. Market, Monroe and HamiltonThe original photo shows the intersection of these three streets. Hamilton Street (the one with the bend in the middle) was demapped in the early 1930s when Knickerbocker Village was built (see first photo in comments). That development was opened in 1934. At the foot of Monroe Street in the original photo there is a building marked "S. Giuseppe." That was the original St. Joseph's Church. The current structure was built in 1923 at the corner of Monroe and Catherine Streets across from the original site. First time I ever saw a photo of Hamilton Street, great find! My Best ShotHere is another view of the skyline in a photo I took Oct 4, 2009 from the Manhattan Bridge. I was attending the celebration of the Bridge's 100th Anniversary. So muchfor previous claims posted here on Shorpy that cities one hundred years ago were neat, clean and litter-free. A hot dayDid anybody else notice how most of the people on the street are crowded into the shade? This helicopter mom is nervousAbout that child on the fire escape, who looks to be about 3 or 4 years old. That's five storeys up. Such a different world. Or, perhaps, such a different economic perspective from my middle class complacency. Mom was probably overwhelmed with six or seven kids, the housework and cooking and, perhaps, piecework to help keep the family in food and tenement rent. No time for the luxury of worry. And those windows would have to be wide open in a stifling upper storey building. Black MariaWhat's amazing is the ominous woman striding down the left-side street dressed literally head to toe in black on this seemingly warm spring or summer day. Complete with black hat. We will never know her tragic mission; what dark news she's about to deliver to some poor soul in one of those buildings. Biggest ChangeMy father was born in Manhattan in 1918, and died in January 2009 at the age of 90. He was raised in Greenwich Village and except for 10 years spent in Europe, he lived his entire life in Manhattan. He saw almost all of the evolution of New York during the 20th Century. Shortly before his death I asked him what he thought was the greatest general change in New York since he was a kid. Immediately he said "The greenery ! New York is so green now! There are so many trees! When I was a kid New York was a dirty and grimy place with almost no greenery, and very few of the side streets had any trees in them. Certainly not in working class neighborhoods. If you wanted trees you went to the park. That's definitely the biggest change." This is borne out by all these comparative pictures; not a tree in sight in 1915. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Broadway From Dey: 1900
New York, 1900. "Broadway looking north from Dey Street." Rising at left, the ... style, it is the oldest existing church building in New York City. Here is the view at street level today. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2023 - 12:29pm -

New York, 1900. "Broadway looking north from Dey Street." Rising at left, the Western Union Telegraph Building. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Words travel by wire, people by cableA relatively rare glimpse of cable cars in NYC -- the Metropolitan Street Railway came late and didn't last long -- at least if the date is correct: unlike most areas, Manhattan went from cable cars to conduit-powered streetcars, so it's hard to tell by the trackwork alone. But the cars seem a match. [The streetcars in our photo look a lot more like the electric streetcars seen here. - Dave] Could be: the changeover date was May 25, 1901, so the premise rests entirely on exactly what the date is...I'll trade my comment for a "circa". - N And upon this rock they built a churchAt center left is St. Paul's Chapel. Built in 1766 in the Georgian style, it is the oldest existing church building in New York City. Here is the view at street level today. Wherefore art thou?A remarkable lack of women out and about in 1900. Rush hour traffIcNew York City has changed little in the last 123 years, huh? Clang, clang, clang went the trolleyAccording to one source, it wasn’t until about 1909 that electric trolleys were pressed into service in New York. Prior to that there were ‘cable cars,’ as evidenced in the post. Looking carefully one can see the cable stretched out between the rails of each line. [The electrification of Manhattan's streetcar lines began in the 1890s. That's not a cable between the rails -- it's a slot over the electrical conduit under the street. - Dave] Frequency of serviceFor me the most interesting thing about this picture is the interval between the streetcars, which is close to NOTHING. OK, maybe there's heavy traffic, and a bunch of them got jammed up together ... but looking off to the north it appears that there's just a steady stream of streetcars. Imagine how this would change city life if we tried this today, with trolleys and buses. New York City's first great hotelThat's Astor House up past St. Paul's. After it opened in 1836, it became New York's first great hotel, for many years the (unofficial?) headquarters of the Whig Party, and the favorite place of Senators Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, who told the NY Times he "would stay at no other hotel." Thurlow Weed supposedly lived there for 30 years. Photographer Mathew Brady lived there, and Thomas Edison stayed there when visiting from Menlo Park. William James was born there in 1842. http://www.tribecatrib.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/standaloneslid... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Astor-loc.jpg/... (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Hotel Dixie: 1950
New York's 43rd Street, just off Times Square, circa 1950. "Hotel Dixie -- 700 ... of the bus depot still there Article at Scouting New York . Rooms with Radios New York Times, November 10, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2015 - 10:16am -

New York's 43rd Street, just off Times Square, circa 1950. "Hotel Dixie -- 700 rooms, each with bath and radio." Not to mention their own bus depot. Now the somewhat infamous Hotel Carter. 4x5 negative by James M. Fox. View full size. That exhausted lookLooks like a city that's too tired to get out of its own way -- to tidy up, to modernize. And, to the right, the lazy electrician's favorite technique, abandon in place. These days, every square foot is worth too much to neglect, unless it's too far off the beaten path to drag the value down. Remnants of the bus depot still thereArticle at Scouting New York. Rooms with Radios New York Times, November 10, 1950. Furnished Rooms—West Side Hotel Dixie Rooms available for weekly occupancy. All rooms with private bath & radio. From $21 weekly. See Asst Mgr. Tanks a lotHow many wooden water tanks can be spotted here -- Ten? Twelve? I reside -at the Shorpy Arms. Dixie HotelBath, Radio and the windows open all the way! Tanks for NoticingTurns out there are three long-time family businesses that specialized in the construction of the wooden water tanks in New York City. Here's an interesting New York Times article. (The Gallery, John M. Fox, NYC)
Now Playing: 1920
"York Theater, night." Washington, D.C., circa 1920. Among the cinematic ... that was once a reasonable mode of transportation! New Photoplay House Builds Eighth 'Movie' Harry M. Crandall ... designed for the theater. The unique feature of the new system will be that heat will be blown in from the ceiling. The same ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:16pm -

"York Theater, night." Washington, D.C., circa 1920. Among the cinematic offerings: Jack Pickford in "In Wrong." National Photo Co. View full size. HackI love the sidecar rig, and thinking that that was once a reasonable mode of transportation! New Photoplay House Builds Eighth 'Movie' Harry M. Crandall Constructs the York in Petworth The York Theater, eighth link in the chain of photoplay houses operated in the Capital by Harry M. Crandall, is now in course of construction on Georgia avenue, occupying the entire area between Princeton and Quebec streets. The newest of the Crandall theaters will have a seating capacity of 1,000 on one floor, no provision having been made for a balcony. The total floor area will be 10,000 square feet. Entrance on Georgia Avenue Entrance to the York will be from Georgia avenue into a foyer fifty feet long and twenty feet wide, with a ceiling height of twenty-five feet. The lobby walls will be of marble with inset, self-lighted poster panes. Lighting will be of the indirect, self-diffusing type. The exterior of the theater will be golden brown brick laid in white mortar, with cornice, coping and clerestory walls trimmed in gold. Silk Canopy Inside The entrance will be surmounted by a marquee of wrought iron, copper and Tiffany glass, to harmonize with the color treatment of the building, which will extend to the curb line and be fitted with brilliant flood lights, bathing the entire front of the structure in bright light. The decorative scheme utilized throughout the interior will be in silver, black and gold. One interior feature deserving mention is the treatment of the proscenium, which will be built in three arches under a silk canopy extending over the audience beyond the orchestra platform. The screen and side curtains, as well as the overhanging canopy, will be of gold silk, further beautified by concealed colored lighting making possible many extraordinary effects. There will also be elaborate balloon fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Of special interests will be the ventilating and heating system specially designed for the theater. The unique feature of the new system will be that heat will be blown in from the ceiling. The same system will serve to introduce cooled air during hot weather and is capably of completely changing the atmosphere of the theater every thirty seconds. Crandall's York Theater was designed by, and is built under the personal supervision of Reginald E. Geare, who also planned and supervised construction of Crandall's Metropolitan and Knickerbocker theaters. The York will open about October 15, and will be devoted to exclusive showings of photoplays of the highest grade. The completion of the York will give Mr. Crandall three houses of the first rank in the northwest residential portion of Washington, the Knickerbocker and the Savoy being the other two. Washington Post, Jun 1, 1919 Wow! It is still there! View Larger Map Beautiful Photo!What a nice photograph. You can really appreciate the sense of the photographer in love with his craft. It completely transcends the typical yet fascinating National Photo fare. It just reeks of atmosphere and ambiance! RecyclingIt is no big surprise that the building is still there virtually intact. Old movie houses are easily converted to other uses -- supermarkets, warehouses and the most common, as in this case, churches. It is remarkably well preserved with the exception of the storm canopy and the poster cases. Old YorkHeadley reports that the York was in service as a theater until at least May, 1954. In 1957 it was sold to the National Evangelistic Center and converted to its current use. He also notes that newspaper coverage for Harry Crandall's theaters was generous. While newspaper accounts claimed that $100,000 was spent building the York, the actual cost was only $50,000. Petworth MemoriesThis is very close to where I grew up, and is the first place I ever saw a movie, when in 1955 my grandmother took me to see an Abbott and Costello picture there. I hope you'll find other pictures from Petworth, preferably the residential neighborhood around 5th & Quincy Street NW. As someone who lived there for 44 years, I am most curious. The rowhouse development seems to have begun near the end of WWI. (The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Natl Photo)
The Heart of New York: 1907
Circa 1907. "The heart of New York (Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn)." The Singer Building rises. 8x10 glass ... The best views of Manhattan are from Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Singer Tower The Singer (sewing machine company) tower, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:38pm -

Circa 1907. "The heart of New York (Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn)." The Singer Building rises. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Ghost TownNot a soul in sight! [They are there, just really tiny. - Dave] Even TodayThe best views of Manhattan are from Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Singer TowerThe Singer (sewing machine company) tower, under construction was the tallest building in the world for a couple of years. It was demolished at a youthful 60-years old. Tall ShipsIt is interesting to see ships with masts and sails plying the waters around Manhattan. There is a large three masted ship tied up to the pier, slightly left of center. I can remember going to The South Street Seaport Museum to look at the Peking and the Wavertree. Indecently, the South Street Seaport Museum is located at Pier 16 On the East River. Pier 16 is the right hand pier of the two Mallory Line Piers. Transportation History DivinedI just realized how the waterfront railroad terminals in New Jersey worked! If you look closely, several of the barges are from the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which ran from that region of Pennsylvania to Jersey City. I must presume that the goods that were to be transshipped from freight cars to ships or the city itself were loaded on to barges and then delivered to the deep water piers in Brooklyn and Manhattan for delivery in the city or loading on to ocean going vessels. Thus explaining why all the great photographs I've seen on Shorpy feature so many small barges, lighters, and other riverine craft. I imagine the completion of the New York Central Railroad's High Line was a serious blow to the LVRR and other lines on the New Jersey side of the Hudson and the Holland Tunnel doubly so. Imagine what New York City would be like if there had been a more efficient rail system from New Jersey to the docklands of the East River. How did it take me so long to figure this out?! What's going on here?Heavy traffic out there! Up until the 1960s-1970s, various railroads transferred huge amounts of cargo to and from the city by barges called carfloats carrying rail cars. Several railroads had small switching yards isolated from their main lines fed by carfloats, plus warehouses as well. Those railroads also often had their own “navies” of tugs and barges to transfer cargo to and from ships in the harbor.. Note the covered barges (AKA house barges) in the foreground marked for the Lehigh Valley RR. The one at far right is owned by the Lackawanna RR. The covering structure allowed secure storage and protected cargo from the weather during transfer. Covered barges had side doors to allow direct transfer to freighters that also had side doors. The freighter in foreground right looks to be transferring cargo via one of the barge’s roof hatches located over its side door. At far left are 2 hold barges, apparently one with coal being loaded onto the ship alongside. Those barges were mostly owned by coal companies. A stick lighter (AKA gas hoister) is at bottom right with others elsewhere in the picture. Essentially a derrick on a barge, they were used to handle heavy/bulky items. The bigger one opposite is a self-propelled steam lighter. Those were used for making faster transfers of goods – no waiting for tug service. A good reference is “New York Harbor Railroads in Color, Volume 1” by Thomas R. Flagg (Morning Sun Books, 2000) (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
New York Giants: 1900
New York, 1900. "St. Paul and Park Row buildings, two tallest buildings in the ... for his 2nd term campaign. The extract I posted from the New York Times (deleted by Shorpy, I guess) was in preparation for his 1st ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 11:38pm -

New York, 1900. "St. Paul and Park Row buildings, two tallest buildings in the world." Note the campaign banner at the bottom of the photo, shot from the Woodbridge building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. Tiny Sample HatsWhen we emptied out my parents' house of 54 years worth of stuff saved, I found two small miniature oval hat boxes in perfect condition from Knox Hats. Each contained a finely detailed sample of one of their products and I saved them because they were so unique. After seeing this picture today I put "Tiny Knox Hats" in the search space and came up with pages of info, several of which were people selling salesmens' samples of same. I had no idea these are collectible and now I have to find the ones I brought home which were not shown on the "vintage collectibles" auctions. My father always wore a hat and he had many including Knox, Adams, Dobbs, Stetsons, Danbury, Russian fur, Panamas, etc. and I donated them all to a thrift store. Now I wish I had them. We get too soon old and too late smart. Man on LedgeIf you look at the building (the one with all the window shutters open) to the right of the Knox the Hatter building, you will see a man standing on a ledge on the floor just below the roof. There is a large oil or water tank to his right. I don't think he was a window washer. Could he have been a sign painter who was about to paint a message on the large black rectangle on the side of the building right in back of him? To say that he is perched precariously would be an understatement. DPOC TCCThey'd probably just turn themselves into an acronym today I would say the photo is circa September 26, 1896. [McKinley ran with Roosevelt in 1900, not 1896. Also, the Woodbridge Building was erected in 1897. - tterrace] Whoops, I stand corrected. This was for his 2nd term campaign. The extract I posted from the New York Times (deleted by Shorpy, I guess) was in preparation for his 1st term. Hat HistoryKnox the Hatter was clearly a mover and shaker in Old New York. Read all about it here and here. Knox the HatterDuring my commuting days I remember seeing a Knox Hats shop on 8th Ave across the street from the Port Authority. They had a beautiful neon sign and it stood out from the other grimy storefronts along the street. Armeny & Marion PensIn the early 1870's Armeny & Marion Co. made extension pens under their own name, but they soon began to make these along with gold filled caps for stylographic pens and gold bands to supply other pen makers. Armeny & Marion Co. was a very early investor in Lewis Waterman's Ideal Pen co. Armeny & Marion Co Skyscrapers in search of a paradigmIt's interesting to see that these structures are, despite their giant size, still following the model of the storefronts and brownstones at the bottom of the frame -- embellished street-front facades, with the rear and sides very plain or totally unadorned, resulting in two or three completely different architectural treatments for the same building. Note the blank-faced section of the St. Paul facing us, fronted with a zillion bricks, enclosing the ventilation and elevator or stair shafts. It looks like an urban grain elevator. (For the street-front sides, see this view.) Where's the water?The first thing I noticed are the missing water towers. I see a few, but if you look out onto NYC rooftops today all you'll see are the water towers, looking like fat, rusty spaceships. Park Row & St. Paul 1908This postcard from a New York City friend, was sent to my grandparents in August of 1908. May have answered my questionI think I may have found the reason why the aforementioned man is perched on the ledge of the building with all the shutters open. I started looking more closely and discovered that there is another man two floors below and slightly to the left that seems to be on a scaffold. It looks as though he is painting the shutters. If you look in back of the first man higher up, you can see a bucket. It looks as if these two were painters. This would also explain why all the shutters were thrown open the way they were: they had just been painted and were in the process of drying. Bldgs and streets?Can someone please post a current view, and ID the tallest spires and the streets that are visible? Is that the old Post Office to the right of the 2 skyscrapers? Is view to west or northwest? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
New York Public Library: 1910
New York circa 1910. "New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at East 42nd Street." 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:11pm -

New York circa 1910. "New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at East 42nd Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. SplendidLike a penny, newly minted, gleaming in the morning light. Under ConstructionThe library was still being finished--barricades at the stairs, rubble, etc.--but the part of this photo that's really interesting to me is the remnant of the Reservoir wall that's almost completely demolished at the north side of the new building. "Where Are The Lions?"A classic photo, and probably only one of a few for public view taken of the great building before the lion scuptures were placed on their pedestals near the front steps. Patience and Fortitudewere sitting up in the Piccirilli Brothers studio in the Bronx waiting for the trip to their Fifth Avenue perch. Don't make them like that any more!Amazing to see it nearly complete, under construction. Today, they are talking about selling the public libraries to private contractors - what a sad state of affairs 100 years later! All because of mismanagement of power and wealth. Makes 100 years ago look like a Golden Age in America! I would be concerned about walking under that sidewalk roof with all the loose bricks on it - easy top knock on off on a head! What were they building there in the foreground? The next thing you know......they'll be bringing in a bunch of books and a couple of lions. No Lions!It's incredible to see this building without its iconic cats. Company CrampsI'm getting cramps thinking about lifting all that masonry! Statues Not Up YetFor a long while I thought the figures on the entablature were high reliefs rather than statues, but this picture clearly shows only one of the six figures and five empty plinths. So they're full statues, one supposes. The figures look to be six: four female. Anyone know who or what they represent? Oh yeah, and those cats ain't there yet either. Patience and Fortitudewere put in place in 1911. Bryant ParkThe area directly behind the Library is Bryant Park a 10 acre tract of parkland and a survivor of the bad old days. Those days being in the 80s, the 1980s that is, when the streets of midtown weren't safe. A consortium of HBO, and other local businesses (mine included) formed the Bryant Park Business Improvement Development Corporation (BID). Along with the Midtown South NYPD Police Precinct they cleared the drug dealers and other assorted derelicts from the park and it became a lunchtime Oasis for the people that worked in the area. But the Future's Bearing Down....Astonishing to think that only thirty one years separates this library from the Brooklyn Public Library, though. And the ladies in long skirts here from the librarians and readers in Brooklyn who'd pass unnoticed even today. https://www.shorpy.com/node/6840 https://www.shorpy.com/node/6861 GorgeousThis is one of those iconic buildings that seem like they've been around forever. It's funny to think about what might have been there before the library. And without the cats I almost didn't recognize it! And I can hardly walk past or think about this building without being reminded of Ghostbusters! Croton ReservoirThe Croton Reservoir was there before they built the Library. It was an above ground reservoir, and was torn down because it was no longer needed after the introduction of NY's new water tunnel system in the 1890s. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
New York City Photo Map
The map mashup below combines recent Shorpy images of New York City with their location on Google Maps. Clicking on a point will bring up ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 10/24/2007 - 2:44pm
New York Nuts: 1900
New York circa 1900. "Peanut stand, West 42nd Street." Note the horsecar heading ... address of the Liverpool & London Insurance office in New York, circa 1900? [Hint: N.Y. Times archive. - Dave] Liverpool ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:30am -

New York circa 1900. "Peanut stand, West 42nd Street." Note the horsecar heading this way. Detroit Photographic Company glass negative. View full size. UPDATE: A bit of sleuthing reveals the location here to be 230 Grand Street. Hot Peanuts! Hot Peanuts!From Jakey the Peanut Man ... (Dave, if you want to use this track, please fix it up to work with that built-in music player the way you did with "Yellow Dog Blues"). [All you need to do is copy and paste the "embed" code on your download page into the comments box. - Dave] I think it's 230 W 42The address looks to be 230 W 42 St which means the building is the one with a McDonalds at street level. The magnificent pillars (and building I am sure) next door are gone, replaced by The Amsterdam Theatre. [As it turns out, this is not 42nd Street at all, and the foreground buildings still exist. Who can figure it out from the clues in the photo? - Dave] DirectionsI don't see a single familiar landmark. What's really confusing is the mass of buildings blocking the horizon. East and WestThe shadows would indicate that this is looking west toward the Hudson, but the photos show buildings at the end of the street, rather than it being open to the river view. That doesn't seem right to me. It would also be interesting to learn what the building with the large columns on its facade might have been -- a bank, a theater or a church, maybe. Anyone have the answer? Lost smellsAny given space that has survived a century or more will sound and smell very differently than it once did. An 1880 house has known sounds and scents that are now lost to us. Same deal with this street. It is hard for us to imagine what this street sounded like, with no (or rare) horns (that sounded very different anyway), no cars and their many levels of sound, no booming stereos. Wagon wheels on cobbles or bricks. Hooves. Trolley bells. Hobnails. The smells are easier. Mostly horse dung, outhouses, sweaty people, and this fellow's peanuts. W. 42ndThe address behind them looks to be 280 West 42nd, which would be on the south side of the street, meaning that the camera is pointed east toward Times Square. Probably none of the buildings shown still exist. The horse-drawn trolley may be the least anachronistic thing here. There are stables just a couple of blocks south of this location, and one often sees horses and carts in the street today. [If we're looking east, it means the sun is shining from the north -- a neat trick in the Northern Hemisphere. - Dave] View Larger Map Liverpool and LondonAnybody have an old phone book in which they can look up the address of the Liverpool & London Insurance office in New York, circa 1900? [Hint: N.Y. Times archive. - Dave] Liverpool and LondonI looked up the Liverpool and London insurance company. They had a branch office at 66 Wall Street. Could that be right? The building with the large columns in the background doesn't look the kind usually find on 42nd Street, no matter the century. [Not Wall Street. - Dave] I'll hazard a guessI believe the company whose sign you can partially see is the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company. The pillars indicate the financial district, but the street seems too wide for most of it. But the L&L&G Co. did have an office on Broadway, or so Google tells me. Exactly where on Broadway, I don't know. [Not Broadway. - Dave] It's not 42nd Street!It's not a photo of 42nd Street. This is The Bowery Savings Bank built in 1895 by Stanford White. The location of this photo is 130 Bowery Street. The peanut seller is standing on Grand Street. It's no longer a bank but is the Capitale (restaurant/wedding event hall). The view of this photo is looking toward Little Italy and Chinatown. It's a beautiful landmark building. [You are right about some of the details, although the address is not 130. Next! - Dave] Williams StreetWilliams Street near Wall Street? [Noop. - Dave] 230 Grand StreetIt's 230 Grand just of off Bowery. I can go back to work now! [Dingdingding. We have a winner! - Dave] View Larger Map Liverpool & LondonThe address for the Branch office of Liverpool & London is 230 Grand Street. The Bowery Savings Bank address is 130 Bowery Street (main entrance). This photo is the view of the side entrance to the bank on Grand Street. [Dingdingding. Retroactive winner! Gustav Frank was the manager at Liverpool & London & Globe. - Dave] View Larger Map (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC)
Fifth Avenue Stage: 1900
New York circa 1900. "A Fifth Avenue stage." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... and forced to pull a lot of humans around the streets of New York. Might be, "My peeps can't even get me to walk on a leash with them." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2018 - 4:02pm -

New York circa 1900. "A Fifth Avenue stage." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Cat in the windowHe seems to be watching the world go by. Wonder what he thinks of two horses being harnessed and forced to pull a lot of humans around the streets of New York. Might be, "My peeps can't even get me to walk on a leash with them." BreechingIt certainly looks strange that there is no breeching on the harness. Maybe they never thought they would have to back up the wagon. At least no one had decided to put diapers on the pretty horses like they have in many cities these days. Also, the wagon/omnibus/ whatever, has no through braces so it must have been a bear to ride in. Last days of the omnibusWhat a fantastic image! The street railway had largely replaced the horse-drawn omnibus in most cities by the dawn of the 20th century, but they persisted in places, like Fifth Ave., where tracks couldn't be laid in the street. The horses were retired when Fifth Avenue Coach became one of the country's earliest motor bus routes in 1907. I love the details of the building, the street lighting, etc. -- truly the "City Beautiful." A real New York bargain!The townhouse in the former Mark Cross building at 210 Fifth Avenue is yours -- for $18,500 a month! http://www.prudentialelliman.com/Listings.aspx?ListingID=1059501 Left, right, leftWhich horse is out of step? This is what the ride to hell feels likeI don't know what amazes me more, how high the thing rides or how low it is sitting on the axles. 210 Fifth AvenueThis shot was taken just one block south of where Detroit Publishing had its offices (seen here and here previously). The building with the ornate details and "Cross" in the window still stands at 210 Fifth Avenue. View Larger Map Sic transit gloria mundiYou wouldn't see these magnificent (if dangerous) horse carriages galloping up and down Fifth Avenue much longer at the time this photo was taken. 1900 was the year that the NY State Senate approved a bill allowing the Fifth Avenue Stage to run automobiles along the length of its newly-extended route (up to 110th St.) By 1903, the horse carriages had been retired for "motor buses." This was a relief to the residents of the apartment blocks near the "big stable" of the Fifth Avenue Stage located uptown. The stables took up the whole block between 88th and 89th Streets, were four stories tall, and housed over 250 horses. Its neighbors were continually filing complaints with the city because of the "noxious odors", as well as perpetual stamping and neighing of horses in their stalls, which made sleep impossible. Cross Chambers, with its shop cat in the window, 210 Fifth Avenue, was a 12 story building with the Cross business establishment on the four lowest floors, and "Bachelor Apartments" above. While considered imposing at the time of its opening, it was soon to be dwarfed by the first iron-framed "skyscraper," that would soon be constructed a block away. Construction of the Flatiron Building, at 175 Fifth Avenue, began in 1901 and was finished a year later. The Manhattan skyline would never be the same. Cross ChambersAccording to New York Songlines site, the Mark Cross store/Cross Chambers dates to 1901. And the building next to it on the corner of 26th Street would have been Cafe Martin, formerly Delmonico's. An interesting wideangle view of the corner can be seen here dating from around 1911. Unfortunately not in as high a resolution as the images here. A Gripping TaleI kind of feel sorry for the guy in the middle up on top. The men to either side of him are clearly gripping the side rail, but he doesn't have anything to hold onto except ... wait a second -- is that an iPhone he's holding? Perfectly in stepBeautiful team of horses who know exactly what they are doing. Whenever a team of two (horses or humans) is carrying or pulling a shared load they must be in step so far as stride and gait are concerned, but must be a mirror image or each will be fighting the other for control of the load. It's not at all the same as the "in step" we learned in the military for marching. Demise of the 5th Avenue Coach Co. That firm went bankrupt back in around 1955-1960, and with it, all of the pensions of former and existing employees. The grandfather of a friend of mine was a victim. Whoa!I passed this image along to my wife, as I do with many which have horses and carriages. She drives a couple of carriages herself and so has a bit of expertise. Her comment: "WOW...or more rightly WHOA...Never ever seen a "big rig" driving harness WITHOUT a saddle, side straps, britchen, etc...these horses just have the neck collar. Good grief Charlie Brown!" (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC)
New York Stock Exchange: 1904
Lower Manhattan circa 1904. "New York Stock Exchange, Wall and Broad streets." Note the not very successful ... Paul Wayland Bartlett and executed by Piccirilli Bros. of New York. In 1936, the 90-ton sculpture was replaced by a 10-ton replica. - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:12pm -

Lower Manhattan circa 1904. "New York Stock Exchange, Wall and Broad streets." Note the not very successful attempt to retouch three ghost pedestrians out of the picture. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. An Inquiring Mindwould like to know who sculpted the magnificent facade. ["Integrity Protecting the Works of Man" was designed by John Quincy Adams Ward in collaboration with Paul Wayland Bartlett and executed by Piccirilli Bros. of New York. In 1936, the 90-ton sculpture was replaced by a 10-ton replica. - Dave] re: Tight Security NowI visited in 2002 and was surprised to find cops with assault rifles patrolling the barricaded street. I asked one what the special occasion was. He asked, "what do you mean?" What an odd sculptureLike everyone is looking for their lost contact lens. Not to mention their clothes. I guess we'll never knowI wonder why the photographer attempted to remove those specific persons from the shot. [Because they're aesthetically imperfect and distracting! Most likely the photographers did not do the retouching. On the final product -- a colored postcard -- our blurry pedestrians would be completely obliterated. - Dave] Tight Security NowThis is one of the most magnificent streets in all of NYC but now has extremely tight security - you can no longer drive on this street, there are metal barriers around the front of the NYSE so the average person can't walk up to the building, police have quite a presence there now, and last month I saw some kind of bomb detection trunk near there. They do fly the world's largest American flag in front of the pillars which helps but unfortunately obstructs the pillars of this beautiful building. The Silver Surfer and FamilyActually it looks like The Silver Surfer has gone back in time with his family on holiday. The photographer appear to have used Photoshop Ver.-107. J.P.This image shows a great juxtaposition between the Iconic Wall Street Exchange and J.P. Morgan's office building. I can picture him walking out of there with that huge cigar of his, on the way to some deal. Old GloryRespect etc. to the flag, but the building did look much better without it. Interesting FacadeWhile the Stock Exchange is quite tall, its design avoids the presence of any windows more than two floors off the ground. Perhaps the architect was looking ahead to 1929. Con Edison workerOn the extreme left of the photo is what appears to be a utility worker with his feet in a manhole and a temporary barrier setup. It is amazing what is frozen in time. Also I love the old style fire hydrants I believe they were phased out by around 1915, in my current town of Danbury, Connecticut, there is one just like it painted yellow on a forgotten triangle of land. Air ConditioningDoes anyone have any photos of the air conditioning system that was installed in this building? It had a 300-ton comfort cooling system designed by an Alfred Wolff that used free cooling provided by a waste-steam-operated refrigeration system. It worked for 20 years. I'm researching it for an environmental controls class. Thanks! +108Below is the same perspective from April of 2012. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
German Band in Buffalo, New York
... band. Bringing a taste of Bavarian music to Buffalo, New York, in 1925. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by phlyx - 10/30/2022 - 11:21am -

Frank Anneser (left) and friends decked out in lederhosen with their German Oktoberfest band. Bringing a taste of Bavarian music to Buffalo, New York, in 1925. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Wisdom, Montana: 1942
... ride. It was a short 20 mile drive. Would move back in a New York minute. Early pioneers of the Big Hole I'm looking for any pictures ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2023 - 1:14pm -

April 1942. "Baker's Garage in Wisdom, Montana. Largest town, population 385, in the Big Hole Basin, a trading center in ranching country." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Superb quality!The quality of this photograph is amazing. It looks like it was taken today. Do you have any more information on it? Wisdom MTGoogle Maps link. WisdomGreat photo. Thanks. The last remaining inhabitants eventually changed the name to "Boredom, Montana." Towns like thisTowns like this are a staple of western North America. In western Canada, their existence was justified by the railway and farmers hauling grain to their local elevators. Later they survived when the highway became the big thing and people stopped for gas or a little food on the road. There's probably a bar that the locals go to. Town's got a school maybe even a high school, and probably more than one church. There's a ball field and, in just about every prairie town in Canada though of course not the USA, a curling rink. In Saskatchewan they used to say that if you lived in a town that lost the school and the curling rink you might as well start looking for a place in Saskatoon or Regina. PennzoilThe Pennzoil logo hasn't changed much: WidsomIt looks like it's on the edge of a river valley? The colors in this shot are indeed amazing. I love the punch of the red gas pumps. [It's west of Butte. - Dave] CalsoWhat does it say on the sign leaning against the wall, underneath "Calso Gasoline"? Is that "Unsurcharged"? No extra fees? ["Unsurpassed." - Dave] Eternal WisdomUnderneath "Unsurpassed" on the Calso sign you have "The California Company" I found a modern picture of this place online: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4494303 Aside from the paved road, this place looks much the same. I don't think they sell Chevron or Mobil at those buildings anymore. Baker's Garage is now Conover's Trading Post. The painted Wisdom has long since faded from the old metal roof. The GarageI was raised and went to school in wisdom and Bakers Garage is not next to Ed Glassey's garage (The building with Wisdom on the top). Baker's Garage was across the street from Glasseys Garage (Looks like maybe they used photoshop to alter the photo) .. I moved to Wisdom in 1959 so if the photo is from 1942 maybe they moved the Building?? [The image, which is part of the Library of Congress photographic archive, has not been altered. It's one of more than 50 pictures of Wisdom taken by John Vachon in April 1942. Things can change a lot in 20 years. - Dave] Baker's Garage in WisdomI am a Wisdom native too. In talking to my dad. Bruce Helming, who is the oldest native still living in Wisdom, it turns out that Anna Lee and Roy Baker did own a shop across the street from the garage that you know as Baker's, which is now the Wisdom Market. It was the Chet Bruns Union 76 Garage back in the old days. Anna Lee was my dad's first cousin. Dad's folks adopted her when her parents died in the 1920s, and she was raised as Anna Lee Helming in Wisdom. My grandparents' (and later Dad's) business, Helming Brothers, bought out Chet Bruns' operation in the 1950s, which is when Anna Lee and Roy moved to the garage that you know now. The buildings shown in the photo were destroyed in the American Legion hall fire. I would guess that was in the early 50s, which is when all of the cemetery records were destroyed. Wisdom had no real fire department until 1961, so when a blaze was raging out of control, it was extinguished by placing dynamite in a loaf of bread and tossing it into the fire. The night the Legion hall and all of these other buildings burned, Dad and his uncle, Clarence Helming, were bringing the fire pumper to the scene. Just as they rounded the corner, "Boom," no more fire (and no more buildings). Gary Helming Helming@juno.com Pictures of Wisdom, MontanaI enjoyed looking at the old pictures of Wisdom and reading the text about them. I grew up near a small town (Gladstone, VA) and have always been kind of partial to them. I love looking at old pictures like these. Thank you for posting them. The Wisdom of YouthThis town holds a place in my heart. I spent most of my youth in Wisdom, from 1975 to 1990. The town hasn't changed a lot since I left, but has gotten smaller. When I started at Wisdom Elementary there were four classrooms. By the time I graduated to high school they were down to three. I hear there is only one class there now. For high school we were bused 65 miles to the Dillon, one of only two high schools in the county. It was an amazing place to grow up. Though everyone knew your business, everyone kept an eye out for you. We had two bars that all the kids hung out in and played pool. There were street dances for the Fourth of July and any other occasion. There were two restaurants, one of which burned down last week. It is hard to describe the life that a kid in a town this small would lead. The concept just doesn't make sense to city folk. But it was an amazing carefree life of swimming under the bridge, ice skating at the pond, nights of kick the can in the Forest Service field, greetings from the town's pet deer and raccoons. If it were possible to have the kind of lifestyle I have now in the city, I would move back to raise my child there in a heartbeat. Having lived near Wisdom for many yearsduring the summer-time, I can almost see the buildings. We haven't lived in Jackson for 20 years but the previous 8 years were spent on the Hairpin Ranch in a line shack about 5 miles past the main ranch, in the middle of nowhere. I loved EVERY minute of it. We traveled to Wisdom for dinner some days or just when the kids wanted to take a ride. It was a short 20 mile drive. Would move back in a New York minute. Early pioneers of the Big HoleI'm looking for any pictures or info of the early Wisdom families prior to 1930. I have an old school picture dated 1914/15 and would love to have someone help identify the children. Both sides of my family, the Elliott's and Scollicks were early settlers there. The old dilapidated log cabin on the south end of the Ruby near Butler Creek is the Scollick homestead and the Elliott log cabin is on Gibbonsville road. I believe my Aunt Eve Scollick might have married a Ferguson in the Wisdom area. There's a picture hanging at the Crossing/Fetties with several people on horses. Anyone that can help identify them as well would be great. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Gas Stations, John Vachon, Rural America, WW2)
The Great Reporter: 1942
September 1942. "New York, New York. Photographic department of the New York Times newspaper. One of eight ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/27/2023 - 12:42pm -

September 1942. "New York, New York. Photographic department of the New York Times newspaper. One of eight staff photographers returns to staff room after assignment. Over door is eulogy of news camera. At left are maps of the city and region for photographers' reference." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Eight Is Enough?I would have thought the NYT at that time would have had more then than eight staff photographers. [Photos in the Times came from staffers, freelancers and wire services. - Dave] Dave, while I agree that photos also came from, freelancers, UPI and AP wire services for all metropolitan newspapers, my father, Joe Kordick, at that time was one of over 25 staff photographers for the newly founded Chicago Sun. Since the NYT was a larger paper, located in the largest city in Country, I find it hard to believe that their "staff" only consisted of eight. [The Sun was a "picture newspaper." The "Gray Lady," as the name implies, was anything but. The NYT in-house newsletters from the 1940s list from seven to nine staff photographers. - Dave] A Wonderful LifeLooks like he's gonna count Zuzu's petals. Photo, far rightIs that Neville Chamberlain? Also, my dad, who flew torpedo bombers in WWII, said they had something like "The Great Reporter" over the door of the ready room on the aircraft carrier. But it said "I am the best damn aviator that ever flew." (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC)
New York Underground: 1904
New York circa 1904. "14th Street subway station, construction." 8x10 inch dry ... a lot of sadness. This photo captures the essence of New York, in that all began with dust, and will end in dust. I spent far ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:36am -

New York circa 1904. "14th Street subway station, construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Makes you wonderHow many people were transported over these tracks since 1904. Side platformsPart of the 14th Street IRT station was shut down within five or six years of its 1904 opening. It was originally built with six platforms to serve four tracks: two center island platforms to serve the express and local trains in each direction, and two side platform to serve local trains only. The island platforms are clearly visible in this photo, and one of the side platforms can be glimpsed at far left. In 1909 or 1910 (there's some doubt), extensions to the island platforms made the side platforms unnecessary and they were closed and walled off. Even today, however, it's possible to see the edge of the uptown side platform when there's no 6 train in the station to block the view. Amazingly sharp photoespecially when one considers that it is underground. BillionsAccording to Wikipedia, the IRT East Side is a very busy line, carrying 1.3 million passengers a day on its 4 tracks. This equates to about 500 million riders a year. Assuming some ramp-up since the line opened in 1904, we can still suppose 30 to 50 billion passengers have ridden these rails. 14th Street's Grueby Faience TilesSome of the station's custom Grueby Faience tile signage and mosaic wall decorations are just visible at the far left of the photo. Remnants of these decorations still remain on some of the much-altered platforms. A detailed construction and usage history of this station is available at http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/14st.html A familiar sight, even today...I cant tell you how many times I've switched from the IRT Express from Times Square to the Local here to get down to Sheridan Square at Christopher Street in the West Village and vice versa. The LightYou can see in this picture just how much light there was in the stations under their original design that included glass lens lighting vaults admitting natural light through the sidewalks above. Alas, in just a few years these vaults would be replaced by ventilation grates with the light blocked by rain pans and blowers, and the only light in these urban caverns would henceforth come from electric bulbs. Come upstairs,the weather is fine! Captures a lot of sadness.This photo captures the essence of New York, in that all began with dust, and will end in dust. I spent far too many days on this platform, traveling to attend a dying relative. Very mixed memories. Excelsior!Note the strawlike packing material in the crate. Way before they invented those damned styrofoam peanuts. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
The Wire Room: 1942
September 3, 1942. "New York, New York. Wire room of the New York Times newspaper. Copy boy about to tear off ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2023 - 11:12am -

September 3, 1942. "New York, New York. Wire room of the New York Times newspaper. Copy boy about to tear off dispatch from the Associated Press wire." Medium format acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Museum BeastThis immediately brings back the machine oil smell and incessant -- but soothing -- chatter of the lone UPI teletype machine at our college radio station. And occasional bells -- hot news has arrived! Hard to imagine the collective racket from these old beasts in that miserable-looking dungeon. Not surprisingly, UPI was in no hurry to upgrade their non-revenue college affiliate equipment; but for as long as we had it, the mighty teletype formed the on-air newsreader's sonic bed -- no tape loops, thank you! Imagine our disappointment when we were finally upgraded to a dot matrix model. Kess inky and oily, but absolutely unsuitable for background sounds. Zip! Zip! Ziiiiiiiiiiip ... zip-zip ... Click & ClackI remember listening to the news on the radio decades ago when there was the background sound of a teletype machine running. This gave the impression that you were getting up to the minute news. For example: "I have just been handed this teletype with details of the escaped convict." Carbon With WhiteHis shirt is extremely clean for messing with all that carbon all day. If that were me, my fingers would be blue all over not to mention my white shirt. Hot typesIt must have been very warm in that room with all those machines going, at the end of summer. Both guys are of course understandably in short sleeves with the air shaft windows open -- I note that they’ve also eschewed neckties, which were probably a safety hazard, leaning over the teletype machines. This Just In --The Kleinschmidt teletype was an amazingly long-lasting technology. Not only were they still in use when I worked in broadcasting in the sixties, they were the mainstay of our Army communications center when I was in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79. Fresh ribbonsMost of the teletypes I used could barely be read up close because the ink was so thin. (Technology, The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, WW2)
New York Squared: 1903
Circa 1903. "Herald Square, New York." With Times Square in the distance, and the New York Times building going up at center. Other landmarks include Macy's, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2014 - 12:31pm -

Circa 1903. "Herald Square, New York." With Times Square in the distance, and the New York Times building going up at center. Other landmarks include Macy's, the New York Herald newspaper building, Sixth Avenue elevated tracks and Hotel Astor. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What's the point of wearing PearlsIf no one can detect them? Absolutely FireproofThanks to our asbestos carpets and bed linens. As was the popular styleLots of swells in Herald Square on this fine day. Time and - temperature?Try as I might, the internets did not reveal what the dial on the right of the Herald building indicates. However, stories of Minerva, the owls, and 'Guff n Stuff' the bell ringers abound. None of the photos I found were any more detailed than this one, but perhaps it was a thermometer? [The answer is here, courtesy Shorpy. -tterrace] Next StopThe next stop on the Northbound 6th Ave EL appears to be 38th Street However after I Wiki'd it, I have decided that that it was 42nd St as the 38th Street Station didn't open until 1913. That fabled line was torn down around 1940 and the steel was supposed to have been sold to the Japanese. Watch out!The 1903 equivalent of texting while walking. Reading while walking. Cable carsHow long did they have a cable car system? I had never heard of it before. [There were no longer any cable trolleys in Manhattan at this time. The center slot provides access to an electrical conduit. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Flushing New York: 1943
March 1943. "New York, New York. Department of Sanitation street flushing sprinkler truck." One in a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/07/2013 - 12:33pm -

March 1943. "New York, New York. Department of Sanitation street flushing sprinkler truck." One in a series of photos taken by John Vachon for the Office of War Information documenting trucks in the Northeast. View full size. Double FlushingIt would be even better if the truck were in Flushing, as the headline could be Flushing Flushing New York. Olde Buck's other half___ FAT PENSION IS ____ TO FUND. _____ __ COMING! It saysOUR CITY, YOURS & MINE. KEEP IT CLEAN. The Other HalfI wonder what the words are on the right rear door? OUR --- YOURS --- KEEP IT --- I can only guess that the last word is CLEAN. 1933 Autocar Model UT450 1933 Autocar Model UTs were delivered to NYC. See here. Three S'sSnow plow, Suicide door and Semaphore signal. The monster front bumper is typical for snow plow mounting and is used by many city works trucks to this day. The suicide door in this case was an easy answer to deal with cab access. The semaphore turn signal, to the rear of the drivers door window mimicked arm signals and had a lever mounted in the cab most likely connected with a cable. re: 1933 AutocarIt's amazing how little trucks have changed over the years compared to cars. This 80-year-old vehicle would not look completely out of place if you'd see it performing similar duties in a big city today. A good design lasts foreverThe interesting thing is that the design of those street flushing trucks has barely changed since the 1940's. They are still a heavy truck frame with a large water tank in the back and a second smaller motor that runs a pump behind the rear axle (the reason for those large "barn doors" on the back of the tank). The nozzles that spray the water are identical to the ones you would find on a brand new street flusher today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, NYC)
Photoengraving Dept.: 1942
September 1942. New York. "Photo engraving department of the New York Times newspaper. This camera photographs a photographic print through ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/27/2023 - 11:27am -

September 1942. New York. "Photo engraving department of the New York Times newspaper. This camera photographs a photographic print through a screen and produces a strip negative." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. A picture I can smell! Neighbor next door had a print shop. The smell of Developer, Stop and Fix is something that never leaves your memory. "This camera ... "Where's the camera? At the far end of the rails? [The entire giant apparatus is the camera. - Dave] Probably another chapter of:Lost technologies. Typesetters, lithographers, and so on, and all their supporting trades and professions, too. Like typecasters. Or the folks who quarried the very specific quality of limestone required by the lithographers. Machinery as well. Linotype, anybody? Litho CameraIn the early 70's I was enrolled in a local technical college in the "printing" course. We used a camera similar to this to shoot layouts which were imaged to large sheets of litho film (b/w) which we would develop. Color photographs were shot with an overlay of transparent dot grids one at a time, which would collect the 4 colors present, and these were used to create the 4 individual plates to burn to print plates. Quite a process, but very interesting for a young guy who always wondered just how do these pictures get printed. All lighting in this darkroom was under a red lamp. Even a small spark would expose the raw litho film. (Technology, The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC)
Little Falls: 1941
... 1941. "Looking toward the Mohawk River. Little Falls, New York." Which is at least a two-stoplight town. Medium format negative by John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2023 - 3:42pm -

October 1941. "Looking toward the Mohawk River. Little Falls, New York." Which is at least a two-stoplight town. Medium format negative by John Collier. View full size. The Bank is still there?But either I'm wrong or they got bombed during the War because almost nothing else still stands. It's not near that badWhat got razed was the east side of that one block of South Ann Street. While the cigar store and the ... train station? ... are gone, along with everything between, Little Falls National (Berkshire Bank) is still in place, as is the Herkimer County Trust building (Adirondack Bank) and the former Hotel Snyder and tavern (Happen Inn). Looks good to me.No, you have the right corner. If you go to N. Ann street & Albany street and look back up Ann, you can see the same triangular roofed building on the right. I googled "little falls" "city cigar", and got back a book on Little falls. It said they cleared the buildings in the 1970s for urban renewal. (The Gallery, John Collier, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Peas Train: 1942
... "Special train carrying agricultural workers to upper New York state to work in the harvest." Our second look at the high schoolers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2023 - 4:45pm -

Sept. 1942. "Special train carrying agricultural workers to upper New York state to work in the harvest." Our second look at the high schoolers recruited by the Farm Security Administration amid a wartime labor shortage to travel from Richwood, West Virginia, to Batavia, New York, to help bring in the fruit crop. Acetate negative by John Collier. View full size. DeKalb DetasselersI remember back in the '70s there was a ready job every summer for high school and college students detasseling corn in the fields around DeKalb, Illinois. The kids would go to DeKalb Ag HQ before dawn and board buses to be hauled to the next field needing detasseling. They often didn't get back until after dark. Mountaineer Farmers New York Times, September 5, 1942. West Virginians Help Harvest Here Mountaineers Are Being Moved by FSA to Five Counties in Western New York RICHWOOD, W. Va., Sept. 4 — A migration of mountaineer farmers to help harvest the tomato and peach and other crops of upper New York State began today. The first thirty-three of almost 300 volunteers in the food-for-victory drive left by bus for Rochester and 250 will go Tuesday, accompanied by their families, on a special train chartered by the Farm Security Administration. Recruited from the farms and gardens of Nicholas and Clay Counties, the force includes men, women, girls and boys. Leslie Atkins, representative of the migratory labor division of the FSA employment service, had certified the Nicholas-Clay County area of the Central West Virginia mountains as one in which the residents were in need of employment. The workers will be sent to FSA camps or to certified dwellings in a five-county area in New York and will remain there through the harvest season for tomatoes, peaches, apples, carrots, onions and other crops. The FSA will bring them back home, Mr. Atkins said, or they may go on to Florida to help with the Winter crops if they wish. Other contingents will move from areas in Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee. While away from the mountains the farm helpers will have guarantee of three-fourths employment and will receive rations when they are not employed. This Score Just InSeptember 14, 2013: The Beckley Registger-Herald reports that the Fayetteville Pirates "carved up" the Richwood Lumberjacks 61-0. "Walk-over" SeatsThose seat backs were not very soft, nearly vertical, and weren't adjustable, they didn't recline. But they were hinged in such a way that they could easily be reversed. The base of the seat never moved, only the back. This made it easy to set up forward seating no matter how the car was pointed. And it was easy to set up two seats anywhere for face-to-face seating of four people, as has been done with some in this photo. There was little improvement in coach seating for a long time, probably at least 50 years. The railroads weren't overly concerned about it, since uncomfortable coaches encouraged passengers to upgrade to first class. When new seats that resemble what we're accustomed to today came along, they were such a vast improvement that passengers made travel plans based on avoiding the old style seats. That's why, in timetables right up to the Amtrak era, you will almost always see "Reclining Seat Coaches" prominently printed in the schedules. While passengers loved the new seats, they were an operational headache for the railroads, far beyond their initial high cost. They were much more complicated to maintain, and it was no longer quick or easy to reverse seats at endpoints. Like dining cars and sleepers, it was usually easier to turn the entire car around than it was to individually turn reclining seats. Many passengers on long trips cannot--or will not--ride backwards. And the new seats were so much more expensive to maintain, bulletins were frequently issued asking train personnel to watch for, and prohibit, the use of seats as footrests, as is being done in the foreground of this picture. Times have changedThese young workers must have checked their baggage, since all likely had suitcases as they'd be staying through the harvest. There is almost no overhead stuff stored here. Today, travelers would have two or more pieces jammed in the overhead area, and all would be concentrating on hand-held devices instead of looking out the windows -- and certainly not reading as a few riders are doing here. RRCould be a coach from the DL&W. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
New York Central: 1900
Circa 1900. "New York Central R.R. photographic car." Possibly one of the "specials" ... as a small overhead chain. In the first generation of new Amtrak cars, the system was electrified, and the conductor used it to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:01pm -

Circa 1900. "New York Central R.R. photographic car." Possibly one of the "specials" reserved by DPC for the use of its photographers as they traveled around the Northeast. Detroit Photographic Co. glass negative. View full size. Dapper danThe dude standing must be a bulk purchaser of moustache wax. Squeeze BulbI'm sure others have noticed the man, center at the table, making an effort to look nonchalant. The deflated pneumatic squeeze bulb in his hand tells us it is a posed photo and he is keeping the shutter open. The air pushed through the tube, causes a piston to push a pin into the shutter and hold it open. If you have ever noticed a "B" for bulb on a camera, that is how the setting came to be named. Useful for those times that the shutter needed to be open for longer than normal, such as low light rooms, night-time fireworks, etc. The Light at NightDoes anybody know if those are oil or gas lamps in the car? Seems either would be dangerous but they don't look like they're electric. The thirsty railroad cat saidYuck! Would it have been too much trouble for one of you posers to tell me this is a spittoon? Ho Hum- -are we there yet? Gas or Oil at Night?Julius Pintsch's gas compressed from distilled naphtha was common in railroad cars before fire and other fears led to the use of electric lights. Cat? I can't find a cat, butlooking for one made me notice something else. Is that kid wearing panty hose? About those lamps, if they are oil, kerosene is pretty safe. It's not volatile, like gasoline or other lighter fuels. It needs a wick (or something to spread out on, wood will work) so it can mix with air to burn. It will vaporize, but you have to spray it or heat it to get it to. You could take a bucket of kerosene and drop matches in it, and, unless they floated and acted as a wick, they'd just go out. That cord under the lampsIs a communicating cord. In pre-radio days (actually, well into the Amtrak era), this was a way for the conductor to communicate with the engineer. You can tell if a passenger car is equipped with it if it has a second, slightly smaller air hose alongside the brake system hose. It operated on a reverse-air principle, that is, when you pulled it, it opened a valve on the car and let air out of the line (you could hear it hiss), and caused a shrill little whistle that sounded much like a boatswain's whistle to sound in the engine cab. Many people think this cord is the emergency brake, but it's not. Railroads would never make the emergency brake so readily accessible. Doing so would cause too many "false" emergency applications when it was erroneously pulled by passengers. The emergency brake was always located on the bulkhead wall just inside the end doors of a car. In the modern era, the communicating cord was only available in the vestibules (the enclosure at the end of the car with steps), usually as a small overhead chain. In the first generation of new Amtrak cars, the system was electrified, and the conductor used it to signal by pressing a button. Socks, but not the Socks the cat.In early twentieth-century America it was common to find young boys wearing "over the knee" socks with their short pants. I think the trend even lasted longer in Europe. Just a guessSo, that wooden structure in the middle of the car must be a darkroom? Or a port-a-potty. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
York Village: 1908
Circa 1908. "Street in York Village, York, Maine." Where perambulating is encouraged and moseying is ... from the "confederate" soldier, near where they built the new library. How do I post google street views to show what I'm talking ... thing is a horse trough. There are quite a few around New England usually made of granite and often with inscriptions. I have seen ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2013 - 8:20am -

Circa 1908. "Street in York Village, York, Maine." Where perambulating is encouraged and moseying is mandatory. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Elephantine GiantsWow, look at all the big American elms. When will we have a time machine to take a walk up that road? Nope, not the same spotMy hometown once again featured on Shorpy! ( I actually registered to this website because of another York picture that was posted a while ago). That image is not the google street view you posted. There were either other troughs like that around town, or it was moved from here to its present location. Judging by the houses and street curvature, I would think it's looking down Long Sands rd. from the "confederate" soldier, near where they built the new library. How do I post google street views to show what I'm talking about? Don't know what that thing is...or if it has been moved; but this seems to be the old part of town. View Larger Map A reminder of our past.My guess is that thing is a horse trough. There are quite a few around New England usually made of granite and often with inscriptions. I have seen quite a few being used for flower displays usually by local garden groups. When I see one it always invokes a bit of our past into our present day. Slippy is right.The house still stands! I think this is the pic Slippy would like to have posted. I just looked at the google map of the village and saw the streets still meet in much the same way. Street view revealed the house. (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns)
Evening Amusements: 1900
Circa 1900. "U.S.S. New York -- evening amusements." Quite a bit of cutting up here, in one instance ... Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. USS New York LPD-21 Fast forwarding to November 7, 2009, I attended the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2012 - 6:39am -

Circa 1900. "U.S.S. New York -- evening amusements." Quite a bit of cutting up here, in one instance almost literally. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by Edward Hart, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. USS New York LPD-21Fast forwarding to November 7, 2009, I attended the Commissioning Ceremony for the USS New York where I shot this Panoramic photograph. This is the 7th US Warship to acquire this name and was Commissioned at the Hudson River Pier adjacent to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is partially made of steel salvaged from the destroyed World Trade Center. 5-string guitarThe sailor just right of center evidently broke a string on his guitar (the remnant is visible at the headstock). Maybe it happened just before this photo was taken. His painted fingernails don't look long enough to have caused it. What am I doing here?The guy in the back under the hanging alarm clock seems to be pondering. "Should I get a haircut and a shave or should I just grab a tamborine and join these wild and crazy guys?" Knife LanyardThe knife lanyard was issued to all sailors (except chief petty officers, officers' messmen, and bandsmen) per the 1897 uniform regulations found here. They state: Of bleached white cotton. To be flat sennit, one-half (1/2) to nine-sixteenths (9/16) of an inch wide, tightly laid up; to have a turk's head slide; and to be long enough, when around the neck, to allow the knife to be used with arm extended. Re: Painted FingernailsActually, it's not that uncommon for guitar players to paint their fingernails; the acrylic helped strengthen the nails, although in the long run it's not good for them. I know of several friends who do this now, although I wasn't aware of how far back the tradition went. There is even a clear acrylic solution that music stores sell, specifically for the purpose. TriviaIn the lower right we can see an anchor chain and a coil of rope (two sizes, at least) carelessly lying on top of it. (The sailor playing the banjo is sitting on the coils). These details suggest we are looking at a location forward and well above the waterline, perhaps on the second deck (maybe called something else in that period). One detail I've wondered about in many of these turn of the century Navy interior shots: some of the men are wearing a white lanyard-like thing around their necks, with its business end tucked into their front pockets. Could this be a bo's'n's whistle? How many sailors at that time would be equipped with those? If not, what could it be? The USS New York in the photo (there have been several of the same name both before and after) is an armored cruiser, one of the Navy's biggest and most potent ships of that time. Under three names (New York, Saratoga, and Rochester) she served in the Spanish-American War (seeing action as flagship at the Battle of Santiago) and World War I (being obsolete, she saw little action). Decommissioned in 1933 in the Philippines, she was scuttled in 1941 to prevent capture by the Japanese at the outbreak of World War II. Painted Fingernails or --possibly a sign of illness. Blue nails "May be indicative of pulmonary obstruction, emphysema or lung disease" Physicals probably weren't as thorough back then. Interesting MixDefinitely an interesting mix of activities in this photo. We have of course the impromptu band with guitars, drums, banjo and mandolins. Then there's the Tonsorial Parlor - three chairs, no waiting. And finally there's the Marine (based on his cap) with the cigarette apparently about to slit the throat of one of the sailors. Keeping timeI just love this photo - it reminds me of a Brueghel painting. Maybe the things on the white lanyards were pocket watches? Above waterAs Cap'n Jack mentioned, this is well above the water line, as we can see outside reflected in the mirror on the back wall. Son of a gunI suspect that the mechanical-looking object at extreme left is actually a deck gun. Or rather, part of one. If you look closely you can see a circular object (to the left of the tambourinist), which is probably a trunnion for the gun barrel. The rest of the gun is visible as a horizontal black shiny object partly obscured by said tambourinist and his horn-playing mate. Update: Very helpful enlargement, Dave! The designation "No 6" indicates this was the sixth gun of its caliber aboard the New York. Since the ship had twelve 4-inch caliber guns (six on each side), it's logical that this was the last gun on one side -- probably the starboard side -- meaning the perspective of the group portrait is looking aft, towards the warship's stern. Blue FingernailsCoal Passer or Engineering Division Snipe. Those who worked closely with coal frequently had stained fingernails. 5-string guitarMy guess is it's an intentional 5-string. It looks like the bottom string, normally the thinnest, is strung with a heavy string. This setup would let him tune that single string down low to play bass notes with while strumming rhythm chords with the other four strings above. Bass player and rhythm guitar combined. Blue NailsI was looking at the blue nails (which look more like bruised than the "blue" described below) imagining the amount of pain of smashing all your fingers not just one like I have experienced in the past... OUCH! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, E.H. Hart, Music)
New York Skyscrapers: 1908
New York circa 1908. "Broadway and Trinity Building." With the Singer tower ... American patriots who died in British prisons in New York during the Revolutionary War. - Dave] Tombstones It appears ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2014 - 7:24pm -

New York circa 1908. "Broadway and Trinity Building." With the Singer tower bringing up the rear. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. What's going on?Can't figure what's happening. Are the bride and groom figures dummies, or real people? There seem to people silhouettes stuck up in the park. Watching the world go by.I can only spot one person sitting on the sill looking out onto the world. Cool banners flying the pinnacles of the buildings. Unfurl That AwningYes, lower that shade. Just married?Interesting pair sitting on the steps of the big gothic monument in Trinity Churchyard. To my untutored eye, it looks like someone in a dark suit next to someone dressed all in white. Any chance of a closeup? And can anyone ID the monument? I did a cursory search, but came up with nothing. [The monument on whose steps this couple are resting is the Martyrs Memorial, aka the Independence Memorial Spire, erected in 1852 to commemorate American patriots who died in British prisons in New York during the Revolutionary War. - Dave] TombstonesIt appears to be a graveyard around the monument. Can't figure out the "couple" on the steps though. [A man in a straw hat and a Yeti. -tterrace] Too busy to look out the windowThe guy two floors down from the still sitter may have been too busy to watch the world go by, but he made sure he kept a clean collar handy. That one practically glows in the dark. Trinity and United States Realty Buildings The two gothic skyscrapers pictured are the former Trinity and United States Realty Buildings designed by Francis H. Kimball and constructed between 1904 and 1907. They both still exist and are Landmarks. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
New York Telephone: 1950
... building, from a helicopter." Photo by Al Ravenna for the New York World-Telegram & Sun. View full size. No longer on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2020 - 2:00pm -

February 15, 1950. "N.Y. Telephone Co. headquarters and the World-Telegram building, from a helicopter." Photo by Al Ravenna for the New York World-Telegram & Sun. View full size. No longer on the waterfrontToday the N.Y. Telephone Co. headquarters is known as One Hundred Barclay. [Which is the designation for the residential part of today's Verizon Building. - Dave] Built in 1927, the building has survived a lot: a major fire in 1975, very seriously damaged in 2001 by both collapsing World Trade Center towers and Seven World Trade Center, then flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. See: https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/search?q=ralph+walker%27s+1927 The piers and Lackawanna Railroad have been replaced by new buildings on landfill. Narrow escapeThe New York Telephone headquarters became the Verizon Building. On September 11, 2001, it was immediately adjacent to 7 World Trade Center and across the street from 6 World Trade Center, both of which were destroyed. The Verizon Building's thick-walled masonry construction saved it. The Barclay-Vesey buildingThis building is a masterpiece by architect Ralph Walker. It was heavily damaged by the collapse of the WTC buildings on 9/11, but repaired at a cost approaching a billion dollars. Half of the building has recently been transformed into residences. Here is the original lobby: TodayLooks like both buildings are still there, although they're not as imposing now that they're surrounded by newer, taller skyscrapers. The telephone building is on the West Side Highway at Vesey Street. Washington MarketYou can read a little more about the demise of the Washington Market (across the street from the NY Tel building in the picture above) at WNYC
Herald Square: 1908
New York circa 1908. "Herald Square." Panorama composed of two 8x10 inch glass ... showing Broadway at 34th Street. Landmarks include the the New York Herald newspaper building (with its clockwork blacksmith bell-ringers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2020 - 2:40pm -

New York circa 1908. "Herald Square." Panorama composed of two 8x10 inch glass negatives, digitally merged, showing Broadway at 34th Street. Landmarks include the the New York Herald newspaper building (with its clockwork blacksmith bell-ringers and electrified owls), Sixth Avenue elevated tracks, New York Times building and Hotel Astor. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. James Gordon Bennett MonumentThe New York Herald Building was built in 1893 and demolished in 1921. The statue of Minerva, the clock and two owls were saved and are now part of a monument to James Gordon Bennett. The Mighty HippodromeThe largest theatre in the world at the time, the Hippodrome, can be seen far down the tracks on the right. Hotel Normandie"Absolutely Fireproof" Made of 100% Asbestos. Wow!Just WOW! An amazing photoThe details are unbelievable. Hours can be spent just studying this photo and I likely will. "Electrified" owlsSo what did Herald's "electrified" owls do? Light up or move? And what is the tall skinny building just left of the Hotel Astor? [The owls' eyes lit up at night. The skinny building is the New York Times. - Dave] Can you find?A head without a hat. I couldn't. Too much... This one is giving me data overload! So much to see in the image! It must be a warm Spring or Summer day because I see a lot of men sporting skimmers (flat topped straw hats) and the women are wearing blouses with shorter sleeves and fancy hats. Toward the lower left of the photo we see a cab (horse drawn type) with the driver, in his top hat, waiting patiently. I suspect that I can see a slight smile on his face. Perhaps there is a pretty girl in his field of view. Then, there are the two members of the constabulary conversing together, in the lower center of the picture. maybe they are talking about going over to the Lunch wagon on the far right to grab a bite to eat. What, I ask, is the "House of Hits"? That phrase seems to me to right out of the early '60s Motown, not 1910 New York. Then there is the Hotel Normandie - Absolutely Fireproof! It seems that Otard Brandy is still available, even today! I find it a bit hard to believe, but there seems to be a casino in Midtown Manhattan. I can't forget Lucio's Pearls. They defy detection! and right above them we have "Paul Jones Pure Rye - Remember the bottle!" There is so much more to take in, in this photograph. [In answer to your questions: Jos. W. Stern ("The House of Hits") was a music publisher. The Casino was a theater at 39th and Broadway. - Dave] 80 minutes apartThe glass plates making up the panorama, exposed at 12:04 and 1:24 p.m. Click to enlarge. Still Where The Action Is!I So LOVE this photo! I would give almost anything to be able to go back to this very spot for a few days to shop, sightsee and experience life during this time. The buildings are lovely, the clothing elegant, the cabs very dapper. I will be studying this one for a long while. Thank you Dave posting this one and for such a wonderful merger of pics. Herald SquareThat answered my question about why the two clocks had different times. [There's only one clock here. The dial on the right is a wind rose. - Dave] FoxyThat Fox Real Estate branding would stand the test of time by today's standards, what a classic. Although the fox better watch out for that self-stropping razor up above. DaredevilWho are those people on the elevated tracks in the distance? And what are they doing? One looks like a kid on a bicycle, dropping something on the people below. [That's a man standing with his hand on the railing. - Dave] Jaywalkers everywhereI have no idea how I could safely drive that street without flattening a well dressed pedestrian or two. The most I can see vaguely in the way of traffic safety is a sign on a lamppost warning about slow moving vehicles. Not even a bollard in sight. Streetcars or cable carsAre those streetcars or cable cars? The center slot between the rails could hold either the electrical source for streetcars (the "conduit" type) or the moving cable for cable cars. I don't seem to see any trolleys on the cars or overhead trolley wires. [New York's streetcars drew their power from an underground electrical supply. - Dave] All those peopleDidn't anyone work? This must be the ultimate Shorpy photo, almost too much to fathom. The city of Vancouver, B.C., had a population of 70,000 in 1907; today the greater Vancouver area is 2.25 million, which most Canadians think of as an unlivable population. Credit where credit is due.Don Y's post was just fabulous. Thank you Dave and thank you Don Y !!!! Herald Square ParkNice 2007 article in the New York Times about the statue of Minerva and her bell ringers, "Stuff" and "Guff" (or "Gog" and Magog"), seen here atop the Herald Building. The Herald Building was demolished in 1923, the statue stored, and then in 1939-40 permanently installed back in Herald Square Park. Present day Herald Square Park as well as the adjacent Greeley Square Park are gores--that is, triangular. Several New York City parks are gores. But, in front of the Herald Building, is the statue that of Horace Greeley, publisher of the rival Tribune? The horseless hansomThere is a very interesting cab (?) with a driver up behind in the middle right. Can anyone ID it? [It's an electric hansom cab. - Dave] Hussy!The forearms of the young woman in the lower left are entirely exposed. What was the world coming to? No point in directing the traffic,may as well stand in the middle of the road and have a chat instead. An amazing photo with superb detail. Excellent piece of stitching. Macy'sLet's not forget Macy's Department store right there on the corner. I used to walk through that very spot almost everyday, and to be honest, it hasn't really changed all that much. Right Hand DriveAnyone know when American autos converted to left hand drive. [The transition was a gradual one, with right- and left-hand-drive autos sharing the roads for many years. - Dave] We may never knowWhat is so fascinating about the carriage with the umbrella? The driver of the Packard, the second wagon and the nearby pedestrians all appear to engrossed. I have visions of a patent medicine barker making an unscheduled pitch, or perhaps a local celebrity on his or her way from the Hippodrome. That Packard, BTW, is one gorgeous automobile. The menace of lunch wagonsIn the center right sits "Lunch Wagon No.9" - precursor to today's bustling midtown street food scene. Wish I knew what was on the menu. Here is a 1907 letter to the New York Times complaining about this very lunch wagon for being obstructive. A letter the day before in the Times complained about a food wagon at Union Square that had wheels but hadn't moved in years. This one looks like it could be the same deal. A couple of years later, there were Suffragette Food Wagons that offered a free side of feminism along with "Suffragette Sandwiches" - shades of Govinda's, a Hare Krishna food cart that has recently disappeared. WatchYour Step!There is an open access panel in the roadway right where the tracks cross. Interestingly enough, it does not seem to be visible in the left hand of two images, but is quite clear in the right hand one and in the composite photo. There is one hatless headand it is in a very prominent position in the square. It belongs to the fine statue of William Dodge (now in Bryant Park) in front of the Herald. Outstanding photograph and merge! Nobody remembers Rogers Peet anymoreOf course, few people remembered them when they were still open. I got one of my first suits on sale there, but I think that store was uptown from here on 42d Street. It was full of what seemed to be very old people. Metropolitan opera houseAlso visible is the original Metropolitan opera house at Bway and 39th... (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Magic Kingdom: 1931
December 15, 1931. New York. "River House, 52nd Street and East River. View of power house." 5x7 ... this area? [The air back then was full of coal soot. New York today, like most big cities, is a much less smoky place than it was 80 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 6:34pm -

December 15, 1931. New York. "River House, 52nd Street and East River. View of power house." 5x7 safety negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. What do we see here?OK, perusing this vista I spy the Williamsburg Bridge, through the mist at the left, and further down the Manhattan Bridge. The tower on the far left is at Remsen and Court streets in Brooklyn (I think). The other three spires in the center are (l to r) the American International Building (a gorgeous Art Deco giant), then what's now called 40 Wall St, originally the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, and then the magnificent Woolworth Building. Don't know what the square topped one is, but the one that seems little by comparison, just to the left of the Woolworth, is the Singer Building. I believe that the Singer was (before the destruction of the World Trade Center) the tallest building ever demolished. The big plant in the foreground is Big Alice, the Con Ed power plant, isn't it? Can't see a single living thing, not a human or a seagull, but the barges by the water with railroad cars are interesting. Once more on Beekman Place.Here we are again, the buildings in the foreground are 1 Beekman Place on the left and 2 Beekman Place on the right. The smokestacks are at the Consolidated Edison site that ran from 35th to 41st Street between First Avenue and the East River. The structures as well as the smokestacks were leveled a few years ago. The area was supposed to be turned into luxury condos and office towers but the project faced delays from neighborhood opposition and the downturn in the economy. Beekman PlaceAll I can think of is "Auntie Mame"! She lived at this trendy address. Auntie Mame was a lucky lady! SmogI wonder how much worse or better is the smog today in this area? [The air back then was full of coal soot. New York today, like most big cities, is a much less smoky place than it was 80 years ago. - Dave] Bank of New YorkThe flat-topped building is the 50-story Bank of New York, built by the Irving Trust Co. in 1929-31. Its address, 1 Wall Street at Broadway, was reputed to be the most expensive real estate in the city. StacksThe power plant is Con Ed Waterside; the smokier stack beyond is a New York Steam plant. Big Allis is/was on the east side of the river, in Queens. The pic only spans 32 degrees edge to edge, so if this is full frame he used a 12-inch lens. He used a more normal lens for the other pic from River House. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
New York Nuns: 1938
New York, 1938. "Convent on East 63rd Street." The Dominican Convent of Our Lady of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2019 - 1:32pm -

New York, 1938. "Convent on East 63rd Street." The Dominican Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary. Medium format negative by Sheldon Dick. View full size. 329 East 63rdThe building is still there but not the double-staircase entrance. (The fruit truck is also gone.) The building is still there... but it's apartments now. And You Get a Victorian GothicI wonder if this convent was designed by German-born architect William Schickel, whose St. Vincent Ferrer Priory at Lexington Avenue and 65th Street is remarkably similar to this one, less the fruit truck. I also wonder why the nuns felt the need to line the banister-railed stairs with what appears to be chain link. Intact, more or less. Not gonna lieI don't know from architects of convents (I'm a Baptist), or entrances or fruit trucks, or what's still there and what isn't, but that nun showing through the window open at the top, over on the left, is just plain creepy. Happy Easter, all. Four inchesContemporary building code demands that balusters or pickets be no more than 4 inches apart, to prevent little humans from squeezing or falling through. Since the convent also functioned as an orphanage, the cautious nuns affixed chain-link fencing to the railings to keep the kids on the safe side of the stairs. Creepy NunThat's a light fixture. MascotsThe statue would be St. Dominic (these were Dominican nuns) and the little dog beside him is holding a torch in his mouth, not a turkey drumstick. (The Gallery, NYC, Sheldon Dick)
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