NYC SNAPSHOT

Christmas Party at the NYSE, 1885

2008-12-09T13:55:00.002-05:00

Christmas carnival in the New York Stock Exchange, 1885.
Please click to enlarge!

I imagine the atmosphere on the floor is quite different in 2008!

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

art

2008-04-25T14:16:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love art class??

Queens Community Art Center: students in painting class, 36-76 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer. 1939.

Queensboro Commmunity Art Center: students in sculpture class, 36-76 Roosevelt
Berenice Abbott: Photographer. 1939.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Springtime

2008-04-21T17:21:00.004-04:00

NYC Parks are getting very crowded at lunchtime! They don't look too different from these scenes:

Bryant Park, 40th St. and 6th Ave. 1935

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

It's about that time

2008-03-10T22:31:00.004-04:00

Spring training time, that is! Click to enlarge!

New grounds of the Metropolitan Baseball Club on Staten Island. 1882.

Mets Spring Training

Yankees Spring Training

Yankee Stadium, n.d

Any players you'll miss? Any you're glad to see going?

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Politics as usual

2008-02-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

A New York politician's reception. 1872.
Artist: William John Hennessy

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Snapshots from Broadway

2008-01-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

Looking down Broadway, 1922.
Broadway at St. Paul's Church from the same point as shown on opposite page.
St. Paul's is at the right in each picture.
From Book of New York, privately printed for American Bankers Association
forty-eighth annual convention, October 2-6, 1922.

I'd rather be on old Broadway with you / words by Geo. H. Norton ; music by Sheppard Camp.
Sheet music, 1909.

I'd rather be on old Broadway with you. Vocal score 1909.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Bowery, 1903

2008-01-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

The Bowery, Rockaway, N.Y. 1903.
Detroit Photographic Co.: Photographer

Click to enlarge!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Trolley, 1938

2008-01-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

Old Post Office with Trolley - II, Park Row and Broadway, Manhattan. 1938
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Read more about the NYC trolleys at Forgottten-NY.com!

Some of the NYC high muckety-mucks want to charge $8 to drive into Manhattan below 86th St.

I think they should make most of midtown a pedestrian area!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Martin Luther King Jr.

2008-01-21T11:43:00.001-05:00

I have a dream

Little Johnny Jones

2008-01-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

You don't think you know the 1904 hit musical "Little Johnny Jones," but really you do.

Little Johnny Jones. Give my regards to Broadway. Sheet music, 1904.
Vocal score: Give my regards to Broadway / [words and music by] Geo. M. Cohan.

Verse 1

Did you ever see two Yankees part upon a foreign shore
When the good ship is just about to start for Old New York once more?
With tear-dimmed eye they say goodbye, they're friends without a doubt;
When the man on the pier shouts loud and clear, as the ship strikes out...

Verse 2

Say hello to dear old Coney Isle, if there you chance to be,
When you're at the Waldorf 1 have a "smile" 2 and charge it up to me;
Mention my name ev'ry place you go, as 'round the town you roam;
Wish you'd call on my gal, now remember, old pal, when you get back home...

Chorus

Give my regards to Broadway, remember me to Herald Square,
Tell all the gang at Forty-Second Street, that I will soon be there;
Whisper of how I'm yearning to mingle with the old time throng;
Give my regards to old Broadway and say that I'll be there ere long.

Little Johnny Jones pamphlet. 1907.

Synopsis: Johnny Jones (George M. Cohan), an American jockey, is accused of throwing the English Derby by Anstey (Jerry Cohan). His soon to be sweetheart Goldie (Ethel Levey) follows him to London with her lawyer (Donald Brian). While in London she disguises herself as a man, fooling both Jones and her Aunt (Nellie Cohan), hoping to discover if Jones really loves her. In the end, Jones is vindicated of the charges and marries Goldie.

A French girl from Paris, that's funny.
"The cast is immense
the chorus divine
and the music! Go hear it;
it sparkles like wine."
Little Johnny Jones pamphlet. 1907.

Little Johnny Jones also featured "The Yankee Doodle Boy."

Verse 1

I'm the kid that's all the candy,
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy,
I'm glad I am,
So's Uncle Sam.
I'm a real live Yankee Doodle,
Made my name and fame and boodle,
Just like Mister Doodle did, by riding on a pony.
I love to listen to the Dixie strain,
I long to see the girl I left behind me;
That ain't a josh,
She's a Yankee, by gosh.
Oh, say can you see,
Anything about a Yankee that's a phony?

Verse 2

Father's name was Hezikiah,
Mother's name was Ann Maria,
Yanks through and through.
Red, White and Blue
Father was so Yankee-hearted,
When the Spanish war was started,
He slipped on a uniform and hopped upon a pony.
My mother's mother was a Yankee true,
My father's father was a Yankee too:
That's going some,
For the Yankees, by gum.
Oh, say can you see
Anything about my pedigree that's phony?

Chorus

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy,
A Yankee Doodle, do or die;
A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam's,
Born on the Fourth of July.
I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart,
She's my Yankee Doodle joy.
Yankee Doodle came to London, just to ride the ponies;
I am the Yankee Doodle Boy.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Snow

2008-01-19T04:31:00.000-05:00

I understand in years past, winter in NYC was cold.

Click any picture to enlarge!

Skating scene, winter, Central Park.
Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.
Late 1800's.

St. Mark's Avenue, Richmond Terrace, New Brighton, Staten Island. 1899.

Winter scene in Brooklyn.
Artist:Francis Guy
Around 1820.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Happy Repeal Day!!!

2007-12-05T18:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Repeal Day!!!

What's Repeal Day, you may ask?

Repeal Day commemorates the anniversary of the day the United States repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and gave Americans the constitutional right to consume alcohol.

Well hot dog! I'll drink to that!

From NYPL's collection of book jackets, 1926.

From RepealDay.org:

The Women's Christian Temperance Union, which had been promoting Prohibition for many years, believed alcohol was the cause of many, if not all, social ills. Mistruths like this were spread. Lines were drawn. Bars and taverns were vandalized. People were killed. On January 16th, 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act, outlawing alcohol and ostensibly putting an end to drunkenness, crime, mental illness, and poverty.

The relaxation of pay day. Panama canal, 1913.
WIllis J. Abbot: Photographer

Ironically, America's thirst for alcohol increased during Prohibition, and organized crime rose up to replace formerly legal methods of production and distribution. While proponents of Prohibition argued that the amendment would be more effective if enforcement were increased, respect for the law diminished and drunkenness, crime and resentment towards the federal government ran rampant.

The merry musician.
Gerard van Honthorst Late 1890's.

Over the course of the next thirteen years, support for Prohibition waned as the nation awoke to the widespread problems Prohibition had caused. The number of repeal organizations — many of which were comprised of former Prohibitionists — increased, and in 1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for President on a platform that included the repeal of Prohibition.

On December 5th, 1933, Utah, the final state needed for a three quarters majority, ratified the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition and restoring the American right to a celebratory drink. While the amendment still allowed for state and local levels of Prohibition, by 1966 there were no state laws banning alcohol.

All this information is from RepealDay.org-- please pay them a visit!

And, special thanks to Loud Drunk, who alerted me to this most wonderful holiday.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Soldiers, 1862

2007-11-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge!

Group of soldiers charging with bayonets, on board of the Italian man of war Re Galantuomo, in New York Harbor, 1862.

Here is a glimpse into the year 1862. In 1862:

Abraham Lincoln was president
The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe was published
The Battle of Shiloh occurred
Edith Wharton was born

From: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Fur Shop, 1892

2007-11-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

H. F. Bindseil, Importing and Manufacturing furrier. 1892.

Printed on border: 861 Broadway, near 17th Street, New York. Call and see my 'Perfection pocket muff,' the most novel and useful article in the fur trade (patented.) Columbian Celebration Program, NYC. Oct. 1892.

There is a leopard skin hanging from the wall in this photograph!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

The car-driver's Thanksgiving. 1877.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Watermelon!

2007-11-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

Fulton market in the fruit season, 1875.

Printed on border: "Here they are! Ripe watermelons -- fine savannahs, fresh and sweet! Only five cents a slice! Step right up gentlemen!"

Fulton Street is now in the Financial District, just north of Wall Street. It runs from the Church Street at the site of the World Trade Center to South Street, ending at South St. Seaport.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Bronx

2007-11-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

I dig the Bronx. Enlarge these pics for a much better view!

261st St. A cow wouldn't look out of place. No date for this picture, unfortunately.

A dilapidated wooden building, 188th St. n.d.

231st St, 1936.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

A dapper young fellow

2007-11-10T17:54:00.001-05:00

He looks Italian to me!

He stood engirt by his turnips and onions, erect and suave. 1890.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Frame Store, 1860

2007-11-07T00:56:00.000-05:00

This is a stereoscopic photograph of what looks like a frame store. According to the NYPL, it was taken between 1860-1863!

Click to enlarge.

Knoedler & Co. (interior.)
17 5th Ave. Cor. 22nd St. NY.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Tea room, 1908

2007-11-04T18:53:00.001-05:00

Would you join me for a spot of tea? In 1908...?

Click for larger!

The Farmington lunch room, 1908.
Printed on border: "Tea rooms, as conducted in New York."

NYC Marathon

2007-11-04T18:43:00.001-05:00

The NYC Marathon was today!

The first NYC Marathon was in 1970. Above is an ad for it from 1971.

Today was a great day to have a marathon! I watched from 5th and 103rd St. and saw the frontrunners zipping by. The news says Lance Armstrong finished near the front of the men but I didn't notice him.

2007 Results

Men
1. Martin Lel (Kenya): 2:09:04
2. Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco) 2:09:16

Women
1. Paula Radcliffe (England): 2:23.09
2. Gete Wami (Ethiopia): 2:23.32

Color photos from WWI

2007-10-22T12:33:00.000-04:00

Again, not a NYC Snapshot but I couldn't pass up this amazing photo collection.

When I think of WWI, I see things in black and white (no pun intended), and I think visualizing the characters in, say, All Quiet on the Western Front in black and white makes things seem much more stark and warlike. But when I see pictures like this one it gives me a whole new perspective. It looks like these guys just went camping and built a fort.

There are many more color WWI photos here. Thanks to Digg for pointing this collection out!

For Autumn (if it would ever come)

2007-10-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

The New York Sunday Journal, 1896

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

And the villain still pursues her

2007-09-27T11:04:00.001-04:00

Not a NYC Snapshot, but I love this turn-of-the-century era postcard!

Thanks Wikipedia!

GW Bridge

2007-09-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

The George Washington Bridge in Washington Heights is the fourth largest suspension bridge in America!

George Washington Bridge. n.d. (mid 20th century.)
Wurts Brothers: Photographer

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, an early 20th century architect, said of the unadorned steel structure,

"The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson is the most beautiful bridge in the world. Made of cables and steel beams, it gleams in the sky like a reversed arch. It is blessed. It is the only seat of grace in the disordered city. It is painted an aluminum color and, between water and sky, you see nothing but the bent cord supported by two steel towers. When your car moves up the ramp the two towers rise so high that it brings you happiness; their structure is so pure, so resolute, so regular that here, finally, steel architecture seems to laugh. The car reaches an unexpectedly wide apron; the second tower is very far away; innumerable vertical cables, gleaming against the sky, are suspended from the magisterial curve which swings down and then up. The rose-colored towers of New York appear, a vision whose harshness is mitigated by distance." (When the Cathedrals were White", 1947.)

George Washington Bridge, Riverside Drive and 179th Street, Manhattan. 1936.
Berenice Abbot: Photographer

Construction of the bridge, connecting Manhattan, New York to New Jersey. 1931.
George L. Balgue: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

2007-09-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

General Ulysses S. Grant, 1865.

Birthday: April 27, 1822
Birthplace: Point Pleasant, OH
College or University: U.S. Military Academy
Religion: Methodist
Occupation or Profession: Soldier
Military Rank: (4 Star) General of the Army
Married: Julia Dent Grant
President number: 18th
Political Party: Republican
Age at Inauguration: 46
Served: 1869 - 1877
Number of terms: 2
Other Offices or Commissions: Supreme commander of Union forces.
Died: July 23, 1885

Manhattan: Riverside Drive - 123rd Street. 1897.
John S. Johnston: Photographer

Born Hiram Ulysses Grant, Grant started signing his name Ulysses H. Grant because he thought the initials HUG would not look good on a trunk at West Point. His name was mistakenly listed as Ulysses Simpson Grant on his application to West Point and Grant took that name for the rest of his life. --Funtrivia.com

Manhattan: Riverside Drive - 123rd Street. 1900.
Detroit Photographic Co.: Photographer

"I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution." -- Ulysses S. Grant.

Grant's Tomb today.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

A belated Happy New Year!

2007-09-16T10:43:00.001-04:00

Hebrew temple at 5th [Ave.] & 43rd Street. 1888.

A belated Happy New Year!

I suggest clicking this one for a closer look-- it's beautiful.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

In the pokey, 1903

2007-09-12T08:54:00.000-04:00

New City Prison, 1903.

Printed on border: "Leonard Street." "Centre Street." "Criminal Courts Building." "New York City prison, on Tombs Site, Centre, Leonard, Elm and White Streets. Imposing granite pile. Cost $1,000,000. 320 cells, 2 chapels, 2 dormitories, 4 hospital cells, etc. Annex, erected 1884, has 144 cells, mainly used for misdemeanor cases. All modern improvements."

I looked very hard for this building on Google Street View but it is definitely no longer there. The only thing I could find for this place was some info on the architect:

WALTER DICKSON
An architect, born in Albany, New York, died at his home in Brooklyn, New York, in September, 1903, aged sixty-eight. He was educated in Albany, was the architect of the Albany Post Office, and was instrumental in placing bronze tablets throughout the city to commemorate Albany's bicentennial. He had lived in Brooklyn about fifteen years and was the architect of several public buildings in New York, including the new City Prison. He was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1877.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Tenements, 1937

2007-09-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

Old law tenements, from Forsythe and E. Houston Streets, Manhattan. February 1937
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

"HERE God builds a church the devil builds next door--a saloon, is an old saying that has lost its point in New York. Either the devil was on the ground first, or he has been doing a good deal more in the way of building. I tried once to find out how the account stood, and counted to 111 Protestant churches, chapels, and places of worship of every kind below Fourteenth Street, 4,065 saloons. The worst half of the tenement population lives down there, and it has to this day the worst half of the saloons.

Uptown the account stands a little better, but there are easily ten saloons to every church to-day. I am afraid, too, that the congregations are larger by a good deal; certainly the attendance is steadier and the contributions more liberal the week round, Sunday included. Turn and twist it as we may, over against every bulwark for decency and morality which society erects, the saloon projects its colossal shadow, omen of evil wherever it falls into the lives of the poor."
--Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

A request

2007-09-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

The insolence of New York. 1909.
Jay Hambidge: Artist

Hello! I wonder if any fans of the blog who have accounts might give the site a Digg! Digg is a very cool website that allows users to vote for news stories and other fun internet stuff. I am a bit of a news junkie and I find Digg picks up breaking stories fast. They also bring attention to important things like this.

You can use the link on the main blog website or click here.

Thank you!

Elevated subway, 1936

2007-09-07T16:47:00.000-04:00

'El' station, Sixth and Ninth Avenue Lines: downtown side, 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, Manhattan.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Have a look at NYC's transit system in 1904!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Oh, hello!

2007-09-05T08:24:00.000-04:00

Central building, exterior views, Fifth Avenue, 1911-1912 : Library from
Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, looking southwest, traffic on streets below.
Geo. P. Hall & Son: Photographer

My friend Suzanne from library school works at the MoMA. She said that there is someone there who is paid to sit at a computer and type "MoMA" in various search engines, and look for violations of copyright. I can only assume the NYPL has a similar procedure. If so, hello NYPL! Thank you for having such an awesome picture collection. This one is for all my library pals.

Mr. Donald Browne and Mrs. Slocum
Humanities and Social Sciences Library

Look at that librarian. She could catalog an anvil to a jalapeño popper.

Chatham Square Branch, New York Public Library (old rented building)
G.H. Spray: Photographer

A big shout-out to Libetiquette, my favorite sassy librarian blog! (They'd probably be upset if they knew I called them "sassy.")

Story hour group in Hudson Park, adjoining Hudson Park Branch, 1910
Lewis Wickes Hine: Photographer

Oh yeah. Who doesn't love storytime?

Exterior, children looking in at window display. n.d.

You can learn lots of cool things at the library! For instance: NYPL event list

For the LIVE from the NYPL
FALL 2007 Season

Tickets on Sale to Library Donors on September 5th and to the General Public September 7th!

OPENING NIGHT!
Wednesday, Sept 19
ORHAN PAMUK in conversation with Paul Holdengräber
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Monday, Sept 24
NAOMI KLEIN: The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Naomi Klein is the author of No Logo and now The Shock Doctrine.

Thursday, Sept 27
KEN BURNS: The War
Ken Burns’ lastest film, The War, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of men and women from four American towns.

Tuesday, Oct 9
JAMES GEARY: The World’s Great Aphorists
James Geary’s field guide organizes aphorists into eight different “species.”

Friday, Oct 12
THE MOTH: — Stories About Loss
“We lose therefore we are.” Join The Moth, New York’s premier storytelling organization as it returns for a LIVE from the NYPL evening, to explore the at times heartbreaking and hilarious implications of loss.

Thursday, Oct 18
RICHARD PEVEAR & LARISSA VOLOKHONSKY: Celebrating the New Translation of War and Peace.
Together, Pevear and Volokhonsky have translated The Collected Tales by Nikolai Gogol, The Complete Short Novels of Chekhov, and The Brothers Karamazov along with many other works by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Tuesday, Oct 23
MAIRA KALMAN: The Principles of Uncertainty
Maira Kalman paints her highly personal worldview in an inimitable combination of image and text.

Tuesday, Oct 30
Fright Night—BENJAMIN KUNKEL & Others: n+1 Magazine on the Politics of Fear
Fear of terrorism was the chief political asset of the Bush administration during its heyday. Are the threats we face—including global warming and energy scarcity—so ominous that a politics of fear is the only credible kind left? Contributors to n+1 magazine will weigh in.

Thursday, Nov 1
NEWT GINGRICH: A Contract with the Earth
An appeal for the environment by the former Speaker of the House.

Wednesday, Nov 7
THERE YOU GO AGAIN: Orwell Comes to America with George Soros & others
On the 60th anniversary of Orwell’s Politics and the English Language, there will be a debate on the current state of political discourse—and journalism's response to it. Five journalism schools will be participating.

Friday, Nov 9
PÉTER NÁDAS in conversation with Paul Holdengräber: Fire and Knowledge
Péter Nádas is the author of Fire and Knowledge: Fiction and Essays.

Thursday, Nov 15
UMBERTO ECO in conversation with Paul Holdengräber: On Ugliness
Umberto Eco is the author of a History of Beauty and a sequel of sorts, On Ugliness.

Monday, Nov 19
CEES NOOTEBOOM: A Conversation
Eminent Dutch novelist Cees Nooteboom (All Soul's Day) weaves an imaginative tale of redemption from the intersecting lives of travelers in his latest book, Lost Paradise: A Novel.

Friday, Nov 30
NICHOLAS KRISTOF: On Darfur, The First Genocide of the Twenty-first Century
The New York Times columnist discusses genocide in Darfur based on his eight trips to the region, and the challenges of covering neglected stories of the tragedies of the developing world that the U.S. and other nations have failed to address.

Hearts to you, NYPL.

Harlem and BBQ, 1937

2007-09-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

Under Riverside Drive Viaduct, 125th Street at 12th Avenue, Manhattan. 1937.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

I'm sorry, someone had to say it. I do not like Dinosaur BBQ, just up the street from here. The barbecue was nothing special, margaritas were terrible, and the service was slow. Do you like this supposed gem of NYC? Where do you go for NYC's best barbecue??

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Low lifes and riff-raff, 1868

2007-08-30T15:16:00.000-04:00

A den in Baxter Street, 1868.

I'd have a beer there.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

BUY SELL SELL BUY SELL BUY!!

2007-08-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

Ah, the Stock Exchange, hub of American commerce.

View in Wall Street from the corner of Broad, late 1800's.
From: Emmet Collection of Manuscripts Etc. Relating to American History.

Looks peaceful, huh?

"The greatest securities market in the world."
Helen D. Van Eaton: Photographer

It's not!!

New York's famous "curb market," or side walk stock exchange, in a blizzard.
William Bengough: Artist

And you thought only the post office and your friend's lousy office gig operated in that kind of weather.

A busy day on the curb market, 1912.

Buy! Sell! Sell! Buy!

Have a look at the Dow chart over the past five years.

Have a look at the Dow since 1930.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

"Vote early and vote often!"

2007-08-27T07:38:00.000-04:00

Whether we like it or not, election season is upon us! Let's pay tribute to NYC's most notorious political machine, Tammany Hall.

From Encyclopedia Britannica: Tammany Hall. Also called Tammany, the executive committee of the Democratic Party in New York City historically exercising political control through the typical boss-ist blend of charity and patronage.

Interior view of Tammany Hall decorated for the National Convention July 4th, 1868.
W. C. Rogers & Co.: Lithographer

From Wikipedia: By 1854, Tammany's lineage and support from immigrants made it a powerful force in New York politics. Tammany controlled businesses, politics, and sometimes law enforcement. Businesses would give gifts to their workers and, in exchange, tell the workers to vote for the politicians that were supported by Tammany (usually a straight Democratic ticket). In 1854, the Society elected its first New York City mayor. Tammany's "bosses" (called the "Grand Sachem") and their supporters enriched themselves by illegal means.

Pewter Mug Tavern & Tammany Hall, Frankfort St., 1860.

Aaron Burr lived on the second floor of the Pewter Mug Tavern, long before this illustration was created.

Tammany Democratic procession in New York. 1870.
Arthur Boyd Houghton: Artist

Do you think politicians could get away with a march like this today?

The ball at Tammany Hall, New York, on January 9, 1860, in commemoration of the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans.

They still regularly throw these sort of functions, though.

Do you think politics today are more or less corrupt than they were in the 1870's?

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

West Indian Parade, 1948

2007-08-26T16:45:00.000-04:00

Your humble blogger hangs her head in shame for neglecting her pet project for so long. Please accept her apology! In the meantime, here is a sunny summer picture for a steamy city weekend!

West Indian Day Parade, September 6, 1948. Harlem.
W. Smith: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

And the view is spectacular!

2007-08-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

I suggest clicking to enlarge this image for a nice view of Manhattan from high up.

Photographer: Percy Loomis Sperr
Manhattan: 5th Avenue - 33rd Street. 1932.

I imagine this is what the view from offices in The Fountainhead look like! (For those of you who are interested in NYC architecture and history I highly recommend this book!)

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Artist's studio, 1891.

2007-08-07T14:09:00.000-04:00

Through the New York studios, VII. John G. Brown.

This picture is from 1891. Wow.

Here is some more information on the artist John G Brown. He is a naturalist known for his paintings of children, such as the one below.

Boy with snowball.
Artist: John G. Brown

Image of John G. Brown courtesy of the NYPL.
"Boy with Snowball" courtesy of the University of Montana.

One for the kids, 1910

2007-08-06T09:09:00.000-04:00

It's Monday. Let's start the week with something cheerful, shall we?

Corlear's Hook Park : girls around table in park, ca. 1910s
Photographer: Lewis Wickes Hines

Corlear's Hook Park : boys and girls at table, playground library, ca. 1910s.
Photographer: Lewis Wickes Hines

According to Wikipedia: In the 1930's, the first "superproject" development proposal in New York City was initiated for the Cherry Street area of Corlear's Hook. The Vladeck Houses, comprised of 24 six-story buildings, were completed in 1941, and were a precursor to the larger Unit Plans for public housing that predominated in later decades. A $50 million renovation of the Vladeck Houses began in 1998.[2] Cherry Street also traverses the Rutgers Houses and La Guardia Houses. All three of these large-scale housing projects are NYCHA developments.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

5th Avenue Theatre, 1930's

2007-08-04T15:57:00.000-04:00

Fifth Avenue Theater interior: showing chandelier, rotunda and second balcony, 1185 Broadway, Manhattan. Appx 1935
Berenice Abbot: Photographer

Fifth Avenue Theater interior: showing showing section of orchestra and first balcony, 1185 Broadway, Manhattan. Appx 1935.
Berenice Abbot: Photographer

According to the Internet Broadway Database, "After spending the 1930s as burlesque house and movie theatre, it was demolished in 1939."

Shows that played there: The Jungle, Oliver Twist, Anna Karenina, The Moth and the Flame (more listed with performance dates on IBDB's website!)

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Toffenetti

2007-08-03T11:02:00.001-04:00

Photographer: Wurts Brothers
West 43rd Street & Broadway, Toffenetti Restaurant

Well... what's on the menu?

Aug 2, 1940. New York Times.

Mmm!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.
Newspaper clipping courteys of ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

West Village, 1938

2007-08-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

Studios, 51 West Tenth Street, Manhattan. 1938.
Photographer: Berenice Abbott

Maybe Dylan Thomas is inside, sipping whiskey.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Union Square Bookseller, 1871

2007-08-01T08:57:00.000-04:00

Brentano's Literary Emporium, Union Square, New York. 1871.
Charles E. H. Bonwill: Artist

Now is the time of year when there are all sorts of wonderful things to discover at the Union Square Greenmarket!

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

It's a living.

2007-07-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

The familiar man who buys old clothes. n.d.
American Press Association: Photographer.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Silly Hats: Part IV

2007-07-13T09:07:00.000-04:00

None of these women seem particularly pleased.

Sea-side hat for ladies ; Continental, or tricorner ; Wateau hat for young ladies ;
Yacht hat for young ladies ; Boy's leghorn, trimmed with velvet. 1866.

#1 has belt buckles?

#3 is a salad bowl?

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Just what is going on here?

2007-07-12T09:32:00.000-04:00

"Then the fight commenced." Late 1800's, probably.
Harry C. Edwards: Artist

I have no idea what is going on in this picture. What are they fighting? Why are they on stilts? Is this an organized game? Who's the guy on the bike in the back? What is HPA?

Can I play??

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Boy in underpants, 1910

2007-07-11T09:17:00.000-04:00

I always wonder what sort of person puts their kid in diaper or underwear commercials for all their schoolmates to see. Good to see times haven't changed.

Advertisement for Porosknit underwear for men and boys. 1910.
Printed on border: "The boy who knows would not wear any other kind. Write for 'Porosknit'
booklet and find out why." "Cholmers Knitting Company Amsterdam, N.Y."

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

BRRRRZAP

2007-07-10T08:08:00.000-04:00

Five cents a shock - one of the many Coney Island amusements that are somewhat hard to distinguish from torture. 1901.
Gordon Grant: Artist

BRRRRRRZZZAP. "Five cents, please!"

Also, note the sign in the background that says "X-RAYS." Now, I remember how much I had to pay when I had a chest x-ray and it wasn't fun! What could they possibly be doing with x-rays in 1901 that could turn a profit? Do you think lead smocks were included??

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Stand clear of the closing doors!

2007-07-09T07:58:00.000-04:00

Once again, not very different from today!

Subway riders, New York City, 1914.
Francis Luis Mora: Artist

A study by the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability's "Cities for Climate Protection Campaign," found that the average New Yorker contributes less than a third of the greenhouse emissions produced by the average American. We don't need no steenking cars.

Subway, New York. "Step Lively".
Charles Bauer: Artist

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Star Theatre, 1900

2007-07-08T11:00:00.000-04:00

Star Theatre, year 1900 (formerly Wallack's Theatre) at northeast corner of Broadway and Thirteenth Street.

Going to the theatre: a traditional NYC pasttime.

New York Times, Jaunary 12, 1890

Click here to download an article from the New York Times published April 7, 1901, about why the Star Theatrewas torn down. It gives a good amount of history about the place!

Image ourtesy of the NYPL.
Newspaper courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Thanks ConEd, for keeping my a/c running!

2007-07-07T07:38:00.000-04:00

Today's Snapshot is dedicated to our favorite NYC power company, ConEd!

Operating-room, Edison Station, New York. 1896.
W.P. Snyder: Artist

Last year, many residents and businesses in Queens were not happy with ConEd, after losing power for up to a week and a half in the middle of a sweltering June.

Consolidated Edison powerhouse, 666 1st Avenue, Manhattan. 1935.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Much of the fallout from the 2006 blackout landed on the shoulders of Michael Bloomberg. According to NY1:

"I think Kevin Burke [ConEd CEO] deserves a thanks from this city. He's worked as hard as he can every single day since then, as has everybody at Con Ed," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference Monday. "It's easy to go criticize, but once this happened, Con Ed has been doing everything they can to bring it back."

Assemblyman Michael Gianaris and City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. – who believe Burke should be fired – were visibly stunned by the mayor's comments.

Blackout season started last week when stoplights on the UES went out and the 4/5/6 stopped running for an evening due to signal problems. Hopefully Mayor Bloomberg will be a little more proactive this time around!

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Unemployment in the Bronx, 1939

2007-07-06T14:58:00.000-04:00

Unemployment during the depression years affected everyone. These African-American women are waiting for someone to offer them a day's wages in return for housework.

Unemployed women waiting to be hired as day workers at the former Bronx "slave market", a blot on the city's life,
which has been done away through the cooperation of the Federal, State and Municipal Governments. 1939.
Aubrey Pollard: Photographer

From NY Press.com:

There they would wait, standing around as white women would walk or drive by and eye them up and down. When they were chosen they faced a day of hard housework, for what they were told would be about 30 cents an hour, though sometimes employers reneged and paid only half that. The black women with the most callused knees would be hired first–worn knees indicated that the women were accustomed to scrubbing floors.

A good thing that came of this ugly piece of history was the eventual formation of the National Council of Negro Women, which pledged to "lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this purpose through research, advocacy, and national and community-based services and programs on issues of health, education, and economic empowerment in the United States and Africa."

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Hester Street, 1938

2007-07-05T07:54:00.000-04:00

Hester Street is on the Lower East Side and is a great representation of how neighborhoods change and adapt to the population. Once home to Dutch and British settlers, it later became poplated largely by Ashkenazi Jews, and now is being absorbed by Chinatown. It is also home to Gertel's Bake Shop, which I have not been to but hear it is one of the jewels of NYC. Please post reviews if you know it!

Hester Street, between Allen and Orchard Streets, Manhattan. 1938.
Looking down from window on street scene including peddlers, women sitting on stoop,
baby carriages, fabric and clothing stores and pedestrians.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Celebration!!

2007-07-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

Here are some tips on how to party on the 4th-- from 1856! I know that pig-chasing is definitely on my agenda.

Hints for celebrating the Fourth of July, 1856

Even toilet powder can be patriotic!

Mennen's, the powder we celebrate, 1908

The grand display of fireworks and illuminations at the opening of the great suspension bridge between
New York and Brooklyn on the evening of May 24th, 1883. View from New York, looking towards Brooklyn. 1883.
Currier & Ives: Lithographer

Please have a happy and safe holiday!

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Silly Hats: Part III

2007-07-02T07:59:00.000-04:00

WELCOME TO PART III OF OUR SERIES ON SILLY HATS

Knox fall hats are now on sale at agencies in every important city in the world. 1913.
Coles Phillips: Artist
Printed on border: "The Knox Hat Manufacturing Company ;
Wholesale salesrooms 452 Fifth Avenue, New York ; Factory Brooklyn, N.Y."

Knox's hats, standard of fashion everywhere. 1900.
Printed on border: "Riding, hunting, golfing hats for every sport ;
Gentlemen's, ladies', children's, hats for every one"
"194 Fifth Ave. New York City 212 Broadway ; Brooklyn, 340 Fulton Street ; Chicago, 187-189 State Street"

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Rats!

2007-06-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

I'd like to dedicate today's Snapshot to my favorite little urban menaces, rats!

Rat nibbling on block of cheese.
Printed on image verso: "D-9268. It is vital for everyone to understand that any attempt to sell or get rationed
foods without ration points is stealing--stealing from our fighting men and our
Allies the food they must have if we are to win this war."
Written on border: "OWI [Office of War Information] photo." Incorrect source code on image.

I find that the subway rats seem to be more active in the wintertime. Maybe in the summertime they are all out in the park!

Rat bis-kit.
Printed on border: "Help stop the rat waste" "Rat bis-kit --can be obtained at any drug or general store.
It provides the cleanest, quickest and easiest way to get rid of rats. A very attractive bait--rats eat it greedily-- and die outdoors."
Includes additional text. Written on border: "May 18, 1918"

I like to count the number of rats I see while waiting for the subway in the morning. My current record is three in one morning. One time one ran over my toe!

from "Dick, the Rat: The Ways of Rat-Catching."
New York Times, January 30, 1896.

350 rats in Astor House kitchen?!

Share your NYC rat stories here!

Images courtesy of the NYPL.
News article Courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Outhouse, 1902

2007-06-28T07:43:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhcch, eeeee. Man I really gotta go! Isn't there someplace a girl can use the bathroom around here?

Outhouses, 1902
Photographic negatives of the New York City Tenement House Department

Oh, um, great.

Outhouse interior, 1902
Photographic negatives of the New York City Tenement House Department

Outhouses like this one could be found all over the city in the early 1900's. Sometimes one outhouse would serve an entire tenement building.

There are no holes dug there, it's basically a box on the ground. Warning: this is gross.

In 1905, the slum population in New York exceeded the population ratio in Bombay, reaching a density ratio of 1,000 persons an acre in some areas. -Trivia-library.com

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Let's play armchair historian!

2007-06-27T07:45:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, the NYPL often does not give much accompanying information to their pictures. Sometimes this is frustrating, especially in the category of political cartoons! Let's play armchair historian here and see if we can figure out what's going on.

It might help some if Wall Street gave trading stamps.
Printed on image: "30 green trading stamps with every share of Amalgamated copper ;
Ask for catalogue of valuable premiums, piano lamps, dinner sets, go-carts, phonographs, etc. ;
We give trading stamps ; 25 green trading stamps with all purchases of Inter-Met ;
30 pink trading stamps with every share of St. Paul."
Published 1905.

Here are some trading stamps for Fish Furniture on eBay. When properly filled with stamps, the coupon is worth $3 in 1934.

I found the following on trading stamps, from the Penal Code of the State of New York in 1905. (Thanks Google Book Search.)

From Penal Code of the State of New York, Including the Amendments Made by the Legislature of 1905.

My guess as to what's going on in the above cartoon, is that perhaps the mayor tried to make these trading stamps illegal, and the artist is suggesting that trading stamps are a needed part of the economy, and of course the wealthy stockbrokers would know nothing about trying to shop with trading stamps.

This is just a guess though! What do you think?

Coney Island 1901-- not so different from today!

2007-06-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

I see no difference between today and 1901 aside from the price tag and the silly hats!

The Coney Island barker
Printed on border: "' 'Ere y'are, ladies and gents! Three shots for a nickel!
You need fun and we need the money!" Written on border: "Sept. 1901."

Sadly, your humble blogger missed this year's Mermaid Parade. Sigh.

Mermaid startling man digging for clams, Coney Island, N.Y.
Printed on image: "Ho for Tilyou's bathing suit & chowder 25 cts."
From: History of Coney Island

Pictures from 2007's Mermaid Parade here!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Bowling Green

2007-06-25T07:33:00.000-04:00

Just north of Battery Park downtown, is a little sliver of a park-- Bowling Green!

The park is a wedge-shaped plaza, formed by the splitting of Broadway into two forks, the eastern of which becomes Whitehall Street and the western of which becomes State Street after Broadway terminates. - Wikpedia

Bowling Green, New York City. n.d.

People have been using the park for luncheons and even business meetings back to the 17th century Dutch. Before that it served as a cattle market; and is also home to the city's first public well. The name comes from NYC's common council of 1733, who leased the area to a few neighboring landlords at three peppercorns a year (!), the landlords having promised to build a "bowling green."

Beginning of Broadway in 1899.
Printed on border: Washington Building (No. 1 Broadway), Bowling Green Building,
Columbia Building, Aldrich Court, Empire Building, Standard Oil Building, Welles Building.

In 1770, the British erected a statue of King George III in Bowling green. Some New Yorkers were not happy about this. Several laws to discourage vandalization were passed, including the placement of a cast-iron fence decked out with little crowns on the fenceposts.

After the declaration of Independence was read aloud at City Hall on July 9, 1776, an angry mob rushed to Bowling Green toppled the statue, and knocked off every one of the poor litte cast iron crowns. The scars on the fence can been seen there today.

Bowling Green, n.d.
Wurts Brothers: Photographer

The Bowling Green subway station, now abandoned.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Silly Hats: Part II

2007-06-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

I'm sure these are nice ladies who worked real hard to get to America.... but those are some pretty silly hats.

Dutch woman immigrants at Ellis Island, New York.
Augustus F. Sherman: Photographer
n.d., late 19th century probably.

Dutch woman immigrant at Ellis Island, New York.
Augustus F. Sherman: Photographer
n.d., late 19th century probably.

Images courtesy of the NYPL.
With my apologies to the Dutch.

Army Ladies

2007-06-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

"The 6888th was the only unit of African-American women in the Women’s Army Corps to serve overseas during World War II. The 6888th was tasked with eliminating floor-to-ceiling stacks of undelivered mail and packages addressed to US service members, but stored in British warehouses. This backlog dampened the morale of soldiers serving on the front lines. The 6888th, under extraordinarily difficult working conditions, eliminated the backlog of mail. The 6888th then was detailed to France, where they were tasked with eliminating a backlog of mail in six months. However, since the unit was aware of the importance of the frontline soldiers receiving their mail, the unit accomplished its task in half the time."

--Office of Veteran Affairs, in biography of Cpl. Alyce Dixon.

I wonder if Alyce is in this picture.

A crowd of African American Women's Army Corps members waving at the camera, Staten Island Terminal,
New York Port of Embarkation, March 13, 1946.

Caption on back: "After almost fourteen months overseas in England and France the Wacs pictured above were happy to be home. They arrived from France on Friday, March 8th and landed at Staten Island Terminal of the New York Port of Embarkation. They were among the last contingent of the 6888th Central Postal Directory to return from overseas. 3/13/46."

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Flatiron Building; 23 skidooooo!

2007-06-20T07:54:00.000-04:00

Do you know this building?

It's the Flatiron Building, and it was one of the tallest in the world at 285 feet (and only a few feet across at the north end) when it was completed in 1902. Unsurprisingly, its construction got New Yorkers talking. Many predicted it would collapse, but the recent development of steel allowed buildings to climb higher and higher.

Royal guests in the city, such as Grand Duke Boris of Russia, were taken to gaze upon the American Ingenuity of the flatiron building. From the New York Times, August 30, 1902:

(definition of bowsprit)

Oh Duke Boris, you're such a card.

The acute triangular shape of the Flatiron building also created one serious wind tunnel.

From the New York Times, Feburary 6, 1903:

Conservative guesses at 1000 miles per hour? Sheesh.

Flatiron Building, circa 1910.

It is rumored (and generally accepted as fact in the city, I daresay) that the expression "23 skidoo" originates from the Flatiron wind tunnel.

...and because of the juxtaposition of the streets and the park across the street, there was a wind-tunnel effect here. In the early twentieth century, men would hang out on the corner here on Twenty-third Street and watch the wind blowing women's dresses up so that they could catch a little bit of ankle. - Columbia University, "Birth of the Skyscraper"

The police supposedly hung out on 23rd Street to disperse crowds of young men watching the show; hence, 23 skidoo.

A VERY high res photo of the Flatiron building in 1910.

Courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003)
Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Silly Hats: Part I

2007-06-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

WELCOME TO PART I OF OUR SERIES ON SILLY HATS

Pile it on, baby!

Fashionable crowns and brims with foliage trimming. 1909.

How much stuff can you fit on YOUR hat?

Written on mount: "Apr. 1907" Printed on border: "For sale at leading retail millinery
departments & establishments. Ask your dealer for Gage hats."

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Dear RSS'ers

2007-06-18T18:23:00.000-04:00

Three African American women constructing a wooden skeleton frame, n.d.

Dear RSS'ers,

I'm sorry if the feed seems to update fifteen times today. Just doing a little maintenance.

s!

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Waiting in Federal Hall, 1876.

2007-06-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

Have the lines improved?

New York City. - exchanging silver for fractional currency at the Sub-Treasury;
Applicants awaiting their turn. Federal Hall, 1876.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Midnight in a two-cent doss, 1894

2007-06-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

Midnight in a two-cent doss. March 1894.
Frederick L. M. Pape: Artist

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Nightlife, 1891

2007-06-15T07:49:00.000-04:00

Popular concert in Tompkins Square, N.Y. 1891.
Thure de Thulstrup: Artist

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

View from the Penthouse, 1937

2007-06-14T07:25:00.000-04:00

General view from penthouse, 56 Seventh Avenue, Manhattan. July 14, 1937.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Would you pay to sleep here?

2007-06-13T07:52:00.000-04:00

A Five Points lodging cellar, 1872.
From Lights and shadows of New York life, or, The sights and sensations of the great city.
James Dabney McCabe: author.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

350 W. 88th Street, 1913

2007-06-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

The Strathallan. 350 West Eighty-eighth Street.
In: 1913 supplement to the World's loose leaf album of apartment houses.

Google Street View: 350 West Eighty-eighth Street

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

An Untimely Death, 1853

2007-06-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

NY Daily Times, April 21, 1853.
Courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003)

Flam and Flam Lawyers, 1938

2007-06-08T10:08:00.000-04:00

Flam and Flam, 165 East 121st Street, Manhattan. 1938.
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

The building at 165 E. 121st Street appears to be residential.

Image Courtesy of the NYPL.

Fish Market, 1905

2007-06-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

I encourage everyone to have a look at this picture, just because it's so old!

"Fish market in New York ghetto."
Written on border: "1905-06."

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Old Time Radio

2007-06-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

For other history nerds, I recently discovered a great Old Time Radio podcast from WMKV.org.
Using iTunes, go to the podcast directory and search for "Big Broadcast (Old Time Radio)," There's a ton of them and they are really fantastic. I have been listening to 1940's detective shows at work and there are some great stories there, and the voice actors are very talented as well-- they have to be charismatic to tell the story with no visuals!

My favorite, though, are the commercials. Suddenly, in the middle of a scary story, an actress will break into glorious praise of Lipton iced tea ("B-R-I-S-K!") a la The Truman Show.

There are a lot of historic-type podcasts out there for anyone interested; I've also listened to a few of FDR's fireside chats and they are in striking contrast to President Bush's brief weekly radio addresses (which can also be found on iTunes.)

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Caption on back: "Sergeant Julius C. McKenzie of Ashbury Park, New Jersey has recently been appointed Station Manager of WABS, the Hospital Program Distribution System at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Sergeant McKenzie also acts as Program Director, announcer, script writer and administrator for the Aberdeen radio station. 12-11-47."

Game room, circa 1910

2007-06-06T08:02:00.000-04:00

Sailors' game room, Seamen's Church Institute of New York, 25 South Street.
circa 1910.

I was unable to figure out what is now at 25 South Street; Google Earth shows there is definitely a building there but it's probably residential.

Image oourtesy of the NYPL.

Blossom Restaurant, 1935

2007-06-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

Blossom Restaurant, 103 Bowery, Manhattan. October 03, 1935
Berenice Abbott: Photographer

Image oourtesy of the NYPL.

Advertisement, 1852

2007-06-04T07:59:00.000-04:00

I wish my exterminator was this poetic.

Courtesy of the New York Daily Times, May 21, 1852.
Courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003)

Horace Greeley for President?

2007-06-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

A "Dodge" that won't Work.
American caricatures pertaining to the Civil War.

Horace Greeley was a founding father of the Republican Party and ran for president opposite Ulysses S. Grant as the Liberal Republican Party candidate. According to Wikipedia,

As a candidate, Greeley argued that the war was over, the Confederacy was destroyed, and slavery was dead — and that Reconstruction was a success, so it was time to pull Federal troops out of the South and let the people there run their own affairs. A weak campaigner, he was mercilessly ridiculed by the Republicans as a fool, an extremist, a turncoat, and a crazy man who could not be trusted.

A caracature of Greeley.

Mr. Greeley also sported an impressive neckbeard.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

In honor of Saturday

2007-06-02T08:30:00.001-04:00

A German beer garden in New York City on Sunday evening.
Alfred Fredericks: Artist
Written on border: "Oct. 15, 1859"
Printed on image: "The audience is requested not to stand on the chairs & tables"

If you like beer gardens, I highly recommend the Bohemian Hall in Astoria!

Image oourtesy of the NYPL.

The Gilbert elevated railroad. May 18, 1878.

2007-06-02T07:27:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge!

The Gilbert elevated railroad. May 18, 1878.
Davis, Theodore R.: Artist
Printed on border: "Exterior of car" "Interior of car."
"Raising cars upon the tract over an inclined plane." "See page 389."
Written on border: "West side from Trinity Church to Central Park."

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Scene in a gambling saloon, 1868

2007-06-02T06:43:00.000-04:00

Scene in a gambling saloon.
Written on border: "Secrets of the Great City, 1868."

Images Courtesy of the NYPL.

Union Square, 1936

2007-06-01T07:21:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge!

Union Square, 14th Street and Broadway, Manhattan. July 16, 1936
Bernice Abbot, photographer.

All images oourtesy of the NYPL.

Drugstore Fire, 1851

2007-05-31T07:34:00.000-04:00

Drug Store fire on Avenue C.

102 Avenue C is now home to Li's Restaurant, which gets rave reviews on Menupages.com despite being "pretty ghetto looking."

New York; Sep 26, 1851
Courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003)

Busy City Life

2007-05-30T07:36:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of interesting things in this picture: the cigars sign, the old cars, and especially the, uh, elevated subway in the middle of 42nd Street.

This photo has no date, but I would guess late 1930's by the style of the cars.

Sixth Avenue & West 42nd
Wurts Brothers: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

Angry!

2007-05-29T08:08:00.000-04:00

Man waving his fist as woman and children watch, New York City, 1892
Printed on border: "Ah, Vittoria, why didst thou stay my avenging arm?"
Smedley, W. T. (William Thomas), 1858-1920 -- Artist

What do you think this man is so angry about?

Image courtesy of NYPL.

By request: Brooklyn Trolley

2007-05-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

I wasn't able to find much on the Brooklyn trolley, unfortunately. I did, however, find some interesting transportation picturess.

Forgotten-NY.com has a very informative site, with pictures, about the Brooklyn Trolley here.

"Beauties of street-car travel in New York. "
Charles Stanley Reinhart: Artist
Printed on border: "Drawn by C.S. Reinhart, from a sketch by M. Woolf."
Written on border: "May 20, 1871. Cartoon on streetcar murder in N.Y."

"Brooklyn Rapid Transit car, prepared for winter service"
Bartlett And Company -- Printer
Written on border: "Pay-as-you-enter cars, N.Y.C. 1908."

Central Park carriage service, organized 1869.

Street car, New York City.
Printed on border: "[American] Optical Co.'s lenses were used exclusively." "[... Express] Co.
Westcott Express Co.--Wakefield Rattan Co.--The building at 928 and at 932 to 938 Brooks Brothers, clothing for men
see co-operation notice on page 494. Written on border: "1906."

Over New York pavements : every-day scenes in this favored metropolis.
F.T. (Frederick Thompson Richards: Artist
Printed on image: "Sectional view of street paving" Written on border: "Sept. 29, 1892"

All images courtesy of the NYPL.

And you thought your apartment was bad

2007-05-27T07:58:00.000-04:00

"Social conditions in Manhattan
Problems for the new Tenement House Commissioner, Thomas C. T. Crain."

...to put it lightly. These are real living conditions, circa 1870. Unfortunately I can't make out the picture descriptions.

Things didn't work out so well for Mr. Thomas C.T. Crain. He rose to power via the political machine Tammany Hall, and was also the presiding judge at the trial following the infamous Triangle Fire. According to The Triangle Factory Fire, a website produced by Cornell University, whose archives hold his records,

"In today's world, Crain probably would not have been allowed to preside, because several years before this trial he, too, had been blamed for a deadly fire. While serving as Tenement House Commissioner in New York City, Crain failed to prevent an apartment house blaze that left 20 people dead. The judge's [Crain's] instructions to the jury at the end of the trial provoked widespread criticism and clearly helped win an acquittal for Harris and Blanck. Still, Crain can also be found in this record taking the prosecution's side in several disputes."

Mr. Crain seems to have since faded into obscurity.

Image courtesy of the NYPL.
Additional information from The Kheel Center.

Moving pictures on Houston Street, 1920's

2007-05-26T08:41:00.000-04:00

East Houston Street, NYC. 1920's.
Written on image: "Moving picture theatres."
Browning: Photographer

A few movies that were showing in the 20's:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring John Barrymore
The Last of the Mohicans, starring Wallace Beery
Stolen Moments, starring Rudolph Valentino
The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick, directed by Thomas Bentley
The Farmer's Wife, directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Steamboat Willie, a Walt Disney Mickey Mouse short
The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson & May McAvoy

Images courtesy of the NYPL.
1920's movies from Wikipedia.

Magazine Stand, 1935

2007-05-25T22:31:00.000-04:00

I notice two things about this picture: almost all the magazines appear to be women's magazines (that old dude looks very interested), and the cool old cash register on the lower right.

Click to enlarge!

Newsstand, 32nd Street and Third Avenue, Manhattan. November 19, 1935.
Bernice Abbott: Photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

The City That Never Sleeps, 1921

2007-05-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

Times Square North: night illumination. 1921.
Irving Underhill: photographer

Image courtesy of the NYPL.

For Memorial Day weekend

2007-05-25T12:47:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a happy and relaxing 3-day weekend!

Please take a moment to think of our country's fallen soldiers and their families, both recent and in the past, during these troubled times.

Farewell parade -- 27th division , Aug. 30, 1917, New York City. 23rd and 5th.
Printed on border: "W.W. Brooks, Rutherford, N. 3"

"The girl they left behind them."
Written on border: "Dec. 1918." Illegible signature on lower right.

Farewell parade of U.S. troops, 1918. (Marching in front of the NYPL.)
Written on border: "World Wide Photos"

All images courtesy of the NYPL.

Tenement Life

2007-05-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

"An Interior," 1880.
Shults, A. B. (Albert B.), 1868-1913 -- Artist

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Hello!

2007-05-24T08:50:00.000-04:00

Hello! Your humble blogger speaking. I was wondering if you all prefer photographs or illustrations, and also what sort of other subjects you'd like to see. Am I posting too many people? Not enough buildings? More Brooklyn and Queens? Do you prefer posts with more or less pictures?

It doesn't take me long to create a post so I am happy to indulge ideas!

--Shannon

In the Pokey

2007-05-24T08:46:00.000-04:00

Law and Order: Old School

Female prisoners in the fourth police station. 1872.
From Lights and shadows of New York life, or, The sights and sensations of the great city.
(Philadelphia : National Publishing Co., c1872.)
McCabe, James Dabney (1842-1883), author.

The Black Maria -- prisoners leaving the van at the foot of Twenty-sixth Street, New York City, to embark
for Blackwell's Island. (nka Roosevelt Island.) 1867.
Printed on border: "Pictorial clipping service of the New England Bookshop 16 E. 54 St., N.Y."

Conveying prisoners from court to jail. 1885.
From Our police protectors : history of the New York police from the earliest period
to the present time. (New York : A. Costello, 1885.) Costello, Augustine E., author.

Prisoners brought into Essex Market court.
Kappes, Alfred, 1850-1894 -- Artist
Written on border: "Mar. 1887" Printed on border: "The New York Police Department." "505"
Illegible signature at lower left.

All images courtesy of the NYPL.

Puttin' on the Ritz

2007-05-23T07:35:00.000-04:00

See and be seen, where else? Why, at the Ritz-Carlton!

(I can personally vouch that the both the drinks and the view at the rooftap bar at the Ritz downtown are still spectacular!)

Click to enlarge!

"Dining in the extremely attractive surroundings of the roof garden restaurant of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel,
New York, in which dancing [is] enjoyed during the dinner hour and evening." Print, 1918.

Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton, New York.
Written on border: "Mar. 1915."

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

Hard Times, NYC

2007-05-22T06:45:00.000-04:00

Main Entry: rag·pick·er
Pronunciation: 'rag-"pi-k&r
Function: noun
: one who collects rags and refuse for a livelihood
--http://www.m-w.com

Ragpickers arise in places of extreme poverty where there is a large informal economy. Ragpickers can still be found in the rapidly expanding metropolises of the third world.

Information on ragpickers in India

Written on border: "Apr. 9, 1870" "This was copied by H.W., May 7, 1870,
but with policeman standing erect."
Thomas, W. L. -- Engraver

Tenement life in New York - Rag-pickers' court, Mulberry Street. 1879.
Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931

All images courtesy of the NYPL.

Girls in bathing suits, 1870's style

2007-05-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

New York City - "Women's Day" at the free swimming bath at the foot of Fifth Street, East River.
Printed on border: "See page 321." Written on border: "July 22, 1876."

Sea bathing scene at Coney Island, 1866.
Printed on border: "Frank Leslie's illustrated almanac for 1866." "33."

Images courtesy of the NYPL.

The Haunted House on 158th

2007-05-20T07:39:00.000-04:00

Spooky!

Wheelock House, 661 West 158th Street, 1937
"Walls around overgrown yard surrounding mansion are partly fallen,
house has mansard roof with decorative ironwork, a tower and bay window."

Images courtesy of the NYPL.