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.
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.
The view of the Flatiron Building around 1902. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The same scene in 2014:
Another view of the Flatiron Building, looking south with Broadway on the left and Fifth Avenue on the right. Besides the Flatiron Building, a few other ones still exist from the 1902 photo, including the building with the gold dome to the right, and the short, yellow brick building just beyond the Flatiron Building along Broadway. Notice the horse-drawn cabs along the side of Broadway – this photo was taken from almost the same location as this one, except in the road instead of along the sidewalk.
View of the Flatiron Building around 1903. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The same view in 2014:
Built in 1902 on a triangular plot of land between Broadway and Fifth Avenue at Madison Square, the Flatiron Building remains one of New York’s most distinctive skyscraper. At the time of its completion, it was one of the first skyscrapers outside of the downtown area, and the first north of 14th Street, which set the stage for subsequent skyscrapers that now dominate the midtown skyline.