A Photographic Tour of 1890s Manhattan’s Timeless Elegance

If the 1880s were about starting the race to the sky, the 1890s were about gaining momentum. The Flatiron Building, one of Manhattan’s most iconic structures, began construction in 1899. With its unique triangular shape, it was like nothing the city had ever seen!

Underneath the bustling streets, something big was brewing. In the late 1890s, work began on the New York City subway. While the first subway line wouldn’t open until 1904, the dreams and designs of an underground transportation system took root during this decade.

Central Park was no longer a new kid on the block, but it was the place to be. Families, couples, and individuals flocked there for leisurely strolls, boat rides, and picnics. It was Manhattan’s refreshing escape from the urban hustle.

Let’s Go to the Park!

By the time the 1890s rolled around, Central Park had comfortably settled into its role as Manhattan’s green heart. Originally opened in 1858, the park was no rookie in offering residents respite from the city’s chaotic pulse. The allure of Central Park in this era was undeniable. It acted as a communal living room, drawing a mosaic of people from every corner of the city. Families, pushing prams and clutching picnic baskets, sought out the park’s vast meadows to lay out their spreads and revel in the sunshine. Couples wandered hand-in-hand, their laughter echoing through the winding paths shaded by sprawling trees. Boat rides on the park’s serene lakes provided both a romantic backdrop for some and a fun-filled adventure for others.

Shopping, 1890s Style

In the late 19th century, long before the dawn of digital carts and one-click purchases, the bustling streets of Manhattan offered a shopping experience that was nothing short of spectacular. The 1890s heralded the golden age of department stores, grand emporiums of commerce that were more than just places to buy goods; they were destinations in themselves.

Macy’s, already an established name by the 1890s, was steadily transforming into a shopping behemoth. Located on 34th Street and Broadway, its vast multi-storied structure was a testament to the scale of retail ambitions of that era. Inside, customers could find a mind-boggling variety of products, from the latest Parisian fashions to exotic teas from the far east.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Vaudeville shows continued to entertain, but now they had competition. The first moving picture shows, or “nickelodeons,” made their appearance. For just a nickel, one could witness the magic of moving images on screen. Music halls and theaters flourished, with Broadway beginning to establish itself as the entertainment hub we know today.

The Newspaper Wars

The 1890s saw fierce competition between newspapers. Publishers like Pulitzer and Hearst battled it out with sensational headlines (sometimes stretching the truth) to grab readers’ attention. This era, known as the age of “yellow journalism,” was filled with juicy stories and larger-than-life characters.

#1 Grant’s Temporary Tomb: Two Women Visit the Tomb, Riverside Park, New York City, 1890.

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#2 New York City Harbour: View from the East River Bridge, Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#3 Bicycle Show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1890s

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#4 Bicycle Show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1890s

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#5 Two People Stand at the Doorway of a Two-Storey Property in MacDougal Alley, Greenwich Village, New York City, 1898

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#6 Grace Church and Rectory, New York City, 1897

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#7 Entrance to Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#8 Grand Opera House, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#9 Music Day, Central Park, Crowd at an Event at the Music Pavilion, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#10 The Museum, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#11 View of Broadway, John Street and Maiden Lane, New York City, 1898.

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#12 Wall Street, New York City, 1898.

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#13 Central Park Cycle Parade: Young Men Participating in a Bicycle Parade in Central Park, New York City, 1895.

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#14 Broadway and Vesley Street South, New York City, 1898.

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#15 East Harlem Shantytown: Wood-Built Shacks at 102nd Street and Fifth Avenue, Upper Manhattan, New York City, 1894.

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#16 South Ferry Traffic: Stereoscopic Image Showing Pedestrians, Carts, Carriages and a Horse-Drawn Streetcar, Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1893.

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#17 New York City Street Scene: Young Shoeshine Boy with Policeman on Mulberry Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1897.

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#18 Dewey Arch: Close up of the Dewey Arch, Madison Square, New York City, 1899.

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#19 Broadway: Looking North from Wall Street, New York City, 1898.

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#20 Metropolitan Club: Pedestrians and Horse-Drawn Carriages Outside the Clubhouse, Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#21 Hell’s Kitchen & Sebastopol: Carts Parked Along the Sidewalk, West Side of Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#22 Alexander Hamilton Custom House: Portion of the Building Along with Surrounding Builds, Cars, and People, New York City, 1890.

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#23 Broadway & Duane Street: View of Broadway and Duane Street, Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#24 Singer Building, 149 Broadway at Liberty Street, New York City, 1895.

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#25 Washington Building, Battery Place: Pedestrians, Street Cars, and Horse-Carts, Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1890.

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#26 Broadway & Duane Street: View of Broadway and Duane Street, Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#27 Petit Chateau, Midtown Manhattan: Exterior of the Vanderbilt Residence at 660 Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1895.

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#28 Dewey Landing Parade: High Angle View of John Philip Sousa’s Band, New York City, 1899.

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#29 Harlem After the Blizzard: Snow-Filled Street in Harlem, New York City, 1899.

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#30 Astor Residence at 840 Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1893.

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#31 A Bar and Lunch Room: Nash & Fuller, Proprietors at 39, 40, and 41 Park Row, New York City, 1890.

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#32 Sixth Avenue: Shopping District and Elevated Railway on Sixth Avenue, from 18th Avenue, New York City, 1899.

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#33 Sixth Avenue: Shopping District and Elevated Railway on Sixth Avenue, from 18th Avenue, New York City, 1899.

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#34 Battery Park: People Sitting on Park Benches, Buildings in the Background, New York City, 1895.

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#35 East River View, Lower Manhattan: Ships Moored Alongside Piers, Buildings Beyond, New York City, 1895.

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#36 Western Union Telegraph Company’s Marine Office, Battery Park, New York City, 1895.

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#37 East River Bridge: Spanning the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, 1895.

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#38 Broadway & Canal Street: Pedestrians, Horse-Drawn Carriages, and Streetcars, New York City, 1895.

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#39 Dewey Arch: Pedestrians Gathering Around the Arch, Madison Square, Manhattan, New York City, 1899.

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#40 Elevated Rail Line, The Bowery: Carriages and Pedestrians Beneath the Tracks, Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#41 Broadway: Pedestrians and Trams in September, New York City, 1899.

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#42 East Harlem Property: Wood-Built Property on the North-East Corner of 118th Street and Fifth Avenue, Upper Manhattan, New York City, 1895.

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#44 Woman Holding a Large Wicker Basket Buying from a Pushcart Vendor on Mulberry Street, New York City, 1897

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#45 42nd Street West from Park Avenue, New York City, 1898

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#46 Squatters’ Building in Central Park, New York City, Date Unknown

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#47 Hospital, Bellevue, Blackwell’s Island Old & New Buildings, New York City, Mid 1890s

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#48 Broadway, New York City, 1895

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#49 Steve Brodie in His Bar, the New York City Tavern, New York City, 1890s

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#50 Union Square, New York City, 1895

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#51 Broad Street Looking Towards Wall Street, New York City, 1893

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#52 Union Square, New York City, Between 1890 and 1901

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#53 Broadway Theatre with Posters Announcing Julia Dean in The Woman in White, New York City, 1899

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#54 Delmonico’s Restaurant on the Corner of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, New York City, 1898

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#55 The Bowery, Looking North, New York City, 1897

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#56 City Hall in Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1897

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#57 Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City, 1897

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#58 Fifth Avenue and Madison Square, New York City, 1897

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#59 Trinity Church on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1897

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#60 Union Square, New York City, 1897

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#61 The Mall, Central Park, New York City, 1897

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#62 Washington Bridge, Harlem River, New York City, 1897

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#63 Bowling Green, Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1897

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#64 Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, 1897

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#65 Printing House Square, New York City Hall, World Building, Tribune Building, New York City, 1897

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#66 St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, 1897

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#67 General View Showing the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, 1895

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#68 The Dewey Arch at Madison Square Flanked by a Colonnade, People Walking in the Center, New York City, 1899

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#69 1898 Triumphal Plaster Arch Columns Celebrate Commodore Dewey Manila Victory, Spanish American War, Madison Square Park, New York City, 1898

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#70 Exterior View of the Grand Central Hotel, Looking North on Broadway Near 3rd Street, New York City, 1890s

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#71 Pedestrians, Traffic, Cars, Double Decker Bus on Fifth Avenue, Turn of 20th Century, New York City, 1900

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#72 Intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street With Streetcars, Worth Monument, New York City, 1899

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#73 Exterior View of Cornelius Vanderbilt II Residence, Built on the Block Between 51st and 52nd Streets, New York City, 1894

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#74 Exterior View of Residence Belonging to Cornelius Vanderbilt, New York City, 1894

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#75 Pedestrians on Street During Blizzard, New York City, 1899

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#76 High-Angle View of Third Avenue Line Elevated Railway, New York City, 1893

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#77 Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City,1890s

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#78 Wall Street and Trinity Church, Manhattan, New York City, 1898

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#79 Broadway, the Busy Thoroughfare of America, Manhattan, New York City, 1896

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#80 View on Broadway, Near Trinity Church, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#81 Troops Entering the Park from Tryon Row, City Hall Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1860

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#82 From Empire Building Past Trinity Church Steeple, Up Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, 1896

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#83 Broadway, the Busy Thoroughfare, Manhattan, New York City, 1894

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#84 S.E. South-East from East River Bridge Tower, Brooklyn Bridge, East River, New York City, 1890s

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#85 Broadway from Murray Street, Looking North, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#86 From Empire Building Past Trinity Church Steeple, Up Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, 1896

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#87 40 Fifth Avenue, North of 34th Street, Manhattan, New York City, 1896

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#88 Broadway and Post Office, Manhattan, New York City, 1895

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#89 Wall Street and Trinity Church, Manhattan, New York City, 1890

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#90 East River Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, East River, New York City, 1890s

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#91 Broadway, the Busy Thoroughfare of America, Manhattan, New York City, 1896

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#92 Broadway in 1893,

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#93 New York and Brooklyn Bridge, 1893

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#94 Statue of Franklin, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#95 Post Office, Staats Zeitung and Tribune Buildings, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#96 Grand Central Depot, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#97 The Fifth Avenue Hotel and the Worth Monument from the Balcony of St. Germains, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#98 The Custom House, Manhattan, New York City, 1890

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#99 Grand Central Depot, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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#100 View of Pathway and Seats, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1890s

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