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.
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.
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.
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.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, between 1909 and 1915. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The same building in 2014:
Completed in 1909, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower was the tallest building in the world until the completion of the Woolworth Building in 1913. It was the company’s headquarters until 2005, and the tower portion is now being converted into a hotel. At the base of the tower in the first photo, to the right, is the original office building, which built in 1893 and replaced by the current one in the 1950s.
The second Madison Square Garden, between 1900 and 1910. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The view from the same angle in 2014:
Once upon a time, Madison Square Garden was actually located at Madison Square. The building in the first photo was actually the second Madison Square Garden – the first was built in 1879 as an open-air arena, and was replaced in 1890 by the one in the photo. This one lasted until 1925, and was used for a variety of concerts, circuses, sporting events, and even the 1924 Democratic National Convention. The Democrats lost the presidential election that year to Calvin Coolidge, and the building didn’t fare much better – it closed in 1925 and was demolished. Its replacement, the New York Life Building, which was completed in 1928 and still stands today. As far as I can tell, nothing in the first photo still exists today, except for Madison Square itself.