2014 - Page 48 of 49 - Lost New England

Empire State Building (5)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The view looking west from the Empire State Building in 1951. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.

The scene in 2011:

There hasn’t been an incredible amount of change in the past 60 years in this small wedge of Manhattan, but one notable building that no longer exists is Penn Station, seen in the upper left of the 1951 photo. The above-ground part of the historic station was demolished in 1963 and replaced with Madison Square Garden, which is barely visible in the 2011 photo – the round building immediately to the left of the tall black skyscraper.

Empire State Building (4)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

The view in 2011:

Probably the most famous photo of the construction of the Empire State Building (and not to be confused with the staged photo of construction workers eating lunch on a beam atop the Rockefeller Center), one of the most dramatic elements of this photo is the contrast between the old worker and the new progress of the Empire State Building. Also interesting about it is the Chrysler Building, which had previously been the tallest building in the world, now looking small and insignificant in the shadow of the new title holder.

Empire State Building (3)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.

The view in 2011:

The caption of the first photo is “Icarus, high up on Empire State.” However, this worker, thankfully, did not have his wings (cable?) melt. Both photos show some of the changes in the area looking north of the Empire State Building, toward the Upper West Side, the Hudson River, and New Jersey beyond it. The only readily-identifiable building from both photos is the large white building in the lower right corner of the 931 photo – it is barely noticeable in the same area of the 2011 photo.

Empire State Building (2)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.

The same view in 2011:

These historic photos, which capture the human element of the construction of the Empire State Building, also show how much midtown New York has changed in the past 80 years. One prominent landmark that didn’t even exist in 1931 was the Rockefeller Center, whose construction was just beginning when the first photo was taken. It is now easily visible in the upper center of the 2011 photo.

Empire State Building (1)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.

The same view in 2011:

The view from atop the Empire State Building, looking north toward the Upper West Side and the Hudson River. Central Park is seen prominently in the 1931 photo, but it is barely visible 80 years later, as the increasing height of the skyscrapers has all but blocked it from view.

Football at Fenway (2)

January 23, 2016January 2, 2014 by Derek Strahan

A football game at Fenway Park, sometime between 1947 and 1956. Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library.

The same view in 2006:

As mentioned in my previous post, football was a common occurrence at Fenway Park. However, this photo was taken a couple decades after the other one – a couple telltale signs are the right field bullpens and the light tower, which was not added to Fenway until 1947. I don’t know the exact date of the first photo, or whether this was a college or professional game, but it could be a Boston Yanks game. The Yanks were a short-lived NFL team that played at Fenway Park from 1944 to 1948, which would put it within the time frame of the first photo, and the scoreboard above the bleachers has “Boston” and “Visitor” as the two teams, which suggests this was a professional team that regularly played home games here.