1900s

Cafe Martin, New York City

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Cafe Martin, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 26th Street, New York City, around 1908. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The scene in 2014:

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The building in the first photo was the site of the famed Delmonico’s restaurant from 1876 until 1899. Located directly across Madison Square from Madison Square Garden, it was one of several locations owned by the Delmonico family, and was considered one of the best fine dining restaurants in the country.  This building was sold in 1901, and became the Hotel Martin.  I don’t know what became of this business, but the building obviously no longer exists; based on the architecture of the current building, this was probably sometime by the 1920s.  However, most of the surrounding buildings in the 1908 photo still exist, including the building immediately to the left, which looks looks out of place in the first photo, but blends in well in the present-day photo, now that it is no longer three stories taller than its neighbors.

Detroit Publishing Company, New York City

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The Detroit Publishing Company offices at 229 Fifth Avenue in New York City, between 1900 and 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The location in 2014:

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The Detroit Publishing Company has been the source of the majority of the “then” photos that I have used on this blog, so I figured it would be interesting to re-create the site of their New York offices at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 27th Street.  The company photographed all across the country, but especially in the northeast, and many of their images were published as postcards.  The company was liquidated in 1932, and their archives were donated to the Library of Congress in 1949.  Today, the images are in the public domain, and are available via the Library of Congress website.

I am not sure whether or not this is the same building; they have similar architectural features, but there are enough differences to suggest the building was either demolished or very heavily renovated.  As for the three billboards on the left-hand side of the building, I don’t know what ever became of Amolin Powder, but both Benedictine and Lea & Perrins are still around over 100 years later.

Looking north on Fifth Avenue from 27th Street, New York City

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The view looking up Fifth Avenue from 27th Street after a snowstorm, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The view in 2014:

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Taken a block south of and across the street from this view, these two photos show a very different Fifth Avenue over the past century.  Most of the buildings in the 1905 view are around four stories high, all of which have since been replaced with modern high-rises.  The only building left from both photos is the one in the center, at the corner of Fifth and 28th.  In the first photo, it has a clearly defined tower, but the pyramid-shaped cap at the top is no longer there.  In 1905, it was fairly prominent among the rest of the buildings, but today it is one of the shortest in view.

Looking north on Fifth Avenue from 28th Street, New York City

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The view looking north on Fifth Avenue from 28th Street, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The same view in 2014:

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Despite it being over 100 years since the first photo was taken, many of the buildings along Fifth Avenue are still there. In particular, Marble Collegiate Church in the left-center of the photos appears almost unchanged; it was built in 1854, back when Fifth Avenue looked far different from either of these two photos, and it is home to the third oldest church congregations in the United States, having been founded in 1637. A few other buildings are also identifiable from both photos, including the tall building to the left of the church, although at some point in between someone added four stories to it, with little regard for making it match the rest of the building.  The most notable difference, of course, is the Empire State Building, which would not be completed until about 25 years after the first photo was taken.

Broad Street Lunch Carts, New York City

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Lunch carts at the corner of Broad Street and Beaver Street, in the Financial District of New York City, around 1906. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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The same street corner in 2014:

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Absolutely nothing from the original photo still exists today.  Well, I suppose the lunch carts might be hanging around somewhere in a museum or antique store, but nothing is still at the site today.  Even the sellers and customers are long-dead.  Francis Draz & Co., which sold wine, is gone, as is its building, and the site is now occupied by one of Manhattan’s ubiquitous Duane Read drugstores.  Out front, workers in the financial district can still grab something to eat from a street vendor, except frozen yogurt has evidently replaced 3 cent hot frankfurters (or, 2 for 5 cents!) and one cent glasses of lemonade (or 2 cents if you want yours made to order).  Above Francis Draz & Co., a “lunch room” evidently caters to those who have the luxury of sitting down for their lunch break.  On a side note, several of the 1906 lunch carts are sponsored by “Young’s Hats,” which, according to one of the least reassuring advertising slogans of all time, are “now better made.”

Fraunces Tavern, New York City

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Fraunces Tavern at the corner of Broad and Pearl Streets in New York City, between 1900 and 1906. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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After its reconstruction, around 1907-1915. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

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In 2014:

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Claimed to be the oldest building in Manhattan, the building was constructed in 1719, and was used as a tavern in the second half of the 18th century and well into the 19th century.  However, the building suffered some serious fires in the mid 19th century, and was consequently reconstructed several times.  By the turn of the century, it looked nothing like its original appearance.  In fact, when it was finally “restored” in 1907, it was redesigned based on what was presumed to be colonial appearance; its actual 18th century configuration is unknown.  I don’t know how much of the original structure is left, but I would hazard a guess that it is an architectural equivalent to the ship of Theseus, with the question being, if a building has, over time, had every single part of it replaced, is it still the same building? And if not, at what point did it cease to be the same building? But, if it is the same building, what would happen if, theoretically, all of the original pieces were recovered and reconstructed, say, across the street. Which would be the “real” building? Inquiring minds want to know.