Photographers

New York Times Building Under Construction

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The Times Square Building as it appeared during its construction, around 1904. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The building in 2014:

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As mentioned in this post, the New York Times Building is literally a shell of its former self.  Because of its narrow dimensions, it is more profitable to rent out the outside of the billboards, than to rent out the interior for offices.  Today, only the ground floor is used; as of 2014, it was the home to a Walgreens.  It looks completely different from the 1904 photo; it wasn’t even completed, and it still easily towered over its surroundings at Times Square.  Both the building and the square were named after the New York Times, and although the paper moved to a new location in 1913, the name stuck.

Metropolitan Opera House, New York City

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The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The scene in 2014:

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Located diagonally across from the Casino Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House was opened in 1883, along Broadway between 39th and 40th Streets.  It closed in 1966, and was replaced by the current office building.  Notice the New York Times Building a few blocks away – it’s still there, but is completely overshadowed by the buildings around it, as well as by its own billboards, which cover almost the entire facade.

Mott Street, New York City

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Mott Street in Chinatown, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The street in 2014:

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From this angle, not much has changed on Mott Street, looking north from Chatham Square.  Almost all of the buildings on the left (west) side are still there, including probably the oldest building in the photo, the Church of the Transfiguration, which was built in 1801 and has served as the building for a variety of different denominations for a variety of immigrant groups.  Today, it is a Roman Catholic church with a predominantly Chinese congregation.

Salvation Army at Herald Square, New York City

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A Salvation Army collections bucket at Herald Square, around 1903. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The view in 2014:

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I don’t know if the Salvation Army still puts kettles in Herald Square during the Christmas season, but the sight of Salvation Army volunteers ringing a bell next to a kettle hung from a tripod stand is certainly recognizable to modern eyes.  The same can’t necessarily be said for Herald Square, though, which looks significantly different from 110 years ago.  Probably the most obvious change is the lack of the Sixth Avenue El, which was taken down in 1939 and replaced with the IRT Sixth Avenue subway line.

Herald Square, New York City

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Looking north along Broadway at Herald Square, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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Herald Square in 2014:

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Although the New York Herald went out of existence in 1924, the square at Broadway and Sixth Avenue retains its name.  The newspaper’s headquarters was in the building on the right-hand side of the photo; it was built in 1895 and was demolished in 1921, 3 years before the newspaper was acquired by the New York Tribune to create the Herald-Tribune, which went out of business in 1966.  Another, much larger newspaper building is also visible in the first photo – the New York Times Building in the distance.  It is still there today, although overshadowed by the rest of the Midtown development.

Santa Claus at Herald Square, New York City

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Santa Claus at Herald Square, around 1903. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The view in 2014:

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Apparently this was before Santa put on some weight. I suppose 110 years of milk and cookies will do that to a guy. In any case, both photos show the scene looking north along Broadway at Herald Square.  The Macy’s building is on the left in both photos, and the New York Herald building is partially visible on the far right. The Santa in the picture is collecting money for Ballington and Maude Booth’s Volunteers of America organization.  The sign indicates that they are looking to raise funds to give clothing and shoes to 5,000 poor for Christmas.