New York City Archives - Page 11 of 19

28th Street Subway Station (1)

November 3, 2016June 1, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The 28th Street subway station on the Lexington Avenue line, around the time that it opened in 1904. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The station in 2014:

The 28th Street station on the Lexington Avenue Line was part of New York’s first subway line. The station opened on October 27, 1904, and the first photo was probably taken around that time. Notice the lack of turnstiles – when the subway first opened, employees would stand at the entrance (between the curved iron railings on the right-hand side) and collect fares. Also, the station originally had separate stairways for entering and exiting – exiting passengers didn’t need to pass back through the fare collection area. Overall, not much looks the same today, although the mosaics on the walls are still there. Otherwise, the changes seem to be for the worse, although I’m sure the present-day photo would look far better than a photo from the 1970s or 80s.

On a different note, I am fairly certain that these two photos show the same platform (uptown), but it is difficult to distinguish the two with any degree of certainty, so the 1904 photo could actually be of the downtown platform. Either way, they look almost identical, so a photo of either one would still accurately reflect the changes over the past 110 years.

Subway Station 23rd Street & Lexington Ave, New York City

November 3, 2016June 1, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The entrance to the 23rd Street subway station on Lexington Avenue, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The station entrance in 2014:

The subway station is still there, but the elaborate entrance and exit kiosks are long gone. The 23rd Street station was opened in 1904, along the Lexington Avenue Line, the first subway line in New York. In the intervening years, this intersection has remained remarkably unchanged, even down to the “East 23rd Street” lettering on the corner of the building above the station entrance.

Dewey Arch, Madison Square, New York City (2)

November 3, 2016June 1, 2014 by Derek Strahan

Dewey Arch at Madison Square, in 1899 or 1900. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

In 2014:

Another view of the Dewey Arch, looking up Broadway with Fifth Avenue to the right. As with the previous photo, very little from the first photo still exists. Even the Empire State Building, which is over 80 years old, wouldn’t be completed for over 30 years after the first photo was taken.

Dewey Arch, Madison Square, New York City (1)

November 3, 2016May 30, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The Dewey Arch at Madison Square, in 1899 or 1900. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The scene in 2014:

Built across Fifth Avenue in 1899 to commemorate Admiral George Dewey’s victory in the Spanish-American War, the Dewey Arch stood at Madison Square for just a year before it had to be taken down due to deterioration; it had not been constructed out of particularly durable materials, although it fulfilled its purpose as part of the parade and celebrations in 1899 to honor Admiral Dewey. If it still existed today, it would certainly be interesting to see Fifth Avenue traffic trying to fit under it, so I suppose it’s better that it was taken down, anyway. Very little from the first photo still exists today, although one military monument does appear in both photos. The Worth Square Monument, visible in the distance just to the left of the Dewey Arch, was dedicated in 1857 in honor of General William Jenkins Worth, a New York native who served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.

Seeing New York City, at the Flatiron Building

November 3, 2016May 30, 2014 by Derek Strahan

New York tours at the Flatiron Building, around 1904. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The same scene in 2014:

New York City sightseeing tours are nothing new, although the vehicles in the 1904 photo hardly resemble the tour buses that now roam the streets of New York. Taken along the Fifth Avenue side of the Flatiron Building, the 1904 vehicles advertise that tours start at the “Flat Iron Building,” even though the sign above the door of the building is marked with its then-official name, the Fuller Building. The vehicles also state “Telephone Connection,” which I presume means that the tour offices have a telephone. One would think that the number would also be provided, though, but perhaps back then all one needed to do was tell the operator to connect them with “Seeing New York.” The tour buses also look incredibly dangerous – there are no seat belts or other safety equipment, and it’s a long way down if anyone falls off. I don’t know what eventually became of the company, but the Flatiron Building is still there, as is the other building visible to the right.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, New York City

November 3, 2016May 30, 2014 by Derek Strahan

The view of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, looking east on 23rd Street in New York City, in 1900. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The same view in 2014:

Prior to the construction of the tower, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was headquartered in the 11-story building at the corner of Madison Avenue and 23rd Street. It was built in 1893, and appears to dominate over its surroundings. However, as seen here, it was soon dwarfed by the tower when it was completed in 1909. It was demolished in the 1950s and replaced with the current, nondescript concrete and glass structure at the same location.

As an interesting historical note, the building in the 1900 photo has a banner on it that reads “Headquarters Republican National Committee,” and a huge banner over 23rd Street to promote the candidacy of William McKinley for president and Theodore Roosevelt for vice president. They would go on to win the election in the fall, and a year later Roosevelt became president after McKinley’s assassination.