Rare Historic Photos of Manhattan in the 1860s

Picture this: New York City, 1860s. Horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets, and fancy dresses. Sound exciting? In the 1860s, Manhattan wasn’t the towering metropolis we know today. Skyscrapers? Not even a thought! The island was mostly low-rise, and the Brooklyn Bridge was still a dream. But don’t get it twisted; Manhattan was buzzing with energy, as people from all over the world poured in.

Gone were the simple colonial clothes. This era brought in hoop skirts, corsets, and top hats. Gentlemen wore suits with vests and pocket watches, while ladies displayed their fashionable side with elegant gowns and bonnets. And let’s not forget those fancy mustaches and beards!

Taverns, theaters, and dance halls dotted the island. A night out might mean catching a play, enjoying a lively jig, or simply strolling down Broadway, the city’s main thoroughfare. Vaudeville was big, and so were minstrel shows, though we now recognize the latter as a regrettable part of our history due to its racial insensitivity.

Street vendors called out selling fresh oysters, newspapers, or toys. Kids played marbles, while adults discussed the latest gossip. And Central Park? Well, it was just opening up, offering a slice of nature in the middle of the urban sprawl. The first elevated railways started to appear, changing the way New Yorkers commuted. The modern department store concept began to take shape, with stores like Macy’s offering a variety of goods under one roof.

While Manhattan was lively and full of growth, the 1860s were also a time of great conflict. The American Civil War (1861-1865) deeply affected the city, with many New Yorkers taking sides. Draft riots erupted in 1863, revealing deep tensions and opposing views on the war and conscription.

#1 The Populace Begins to Gather in Front of the City Hall to Witness the Arrival of the Embassy on Their Visit to the Governor and Mayor, 1860

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#2 Looking Towards Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#3 Broadway, Looking North from New Post Office, Manhattan, 1860

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#4 Looking North from Fulton Street Showing Broadway and City Hall Park, Manhattan, 1860

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#5 Broadway, Looking North from the Foot Bridge, Manhattan, 1860

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#6 Broadway, from Broome Street Looking North, Manhattan, 1860

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#7 Bowery, New York City Street, New York City, 1860s

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#8 The Fountain on the Mall, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1860s

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#9 The Burnt Out Wreck of Barnum’s Museum, Manhattan, New York City, 1868

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#10 Union League Club Building, Madison Avenue, New York, Manhattan, 1869

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#11 Broadway and Post Office, Manhattan, New York City, 1860s

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#12 Broadway, Instantaneous, New York City, 1860s

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#13 Brooklyn Bridge and Cotton Exchange, East River, N.Y.

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#14 Fifth Avenue, Looking North from the Reservoir, Manhattan, 1860

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#15 Looking Down Broadway from the Corner of Chambers Street, Manhattan, 1860

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#16 National Academy of Design, Corner of 4th Avenue and 23rd Street, Manhattan, 1860

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#17 Wall Street, Manhattan, New York, 1865

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#18 Custom House, Wall St., Manhattan, New York, 1865

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#19 Brooklyn Bridge, Near View, East River, New York City, 1860s

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#20 Looking North from Fulton Street Showing Broadway and City Hall Park, Manhattan, 1860

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#21 Looking Down Broadway from the Corner of Chambers/Broome Street, Manhattan, 1860

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#22 Broadway, Looking North from the Foot Bridge, Manhattan, 1860

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#23 Wall Street, Manhattan, New York, 1865

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#24 Broadway, from Broome Street, Looking North, Manhattan, 1860

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#25 Wall Street Below William, Manhattan, New York, 1865

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#26 Wall Street, View of Trinity Church, Manhattan, New York City, 1860s

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#27 Broadway on a Rainy Day, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#28 Broadway from the Balcony of the Metropolitan, Looking South, St. Nicholas in the Distance, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#29 View on Broadway, Reception for the First Japanese Diplomatic Mission to the United States, 1860

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#30 Hoffman House, Broadway and 24th St, New York City, 1864

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#31 Manhattan Market, Foot of West 34th Street, New York City, 1869-

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#32 New York Stock Exchange, Broad St, New York City, 1864

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#33 Residence of the Late A.T. Stewart, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#34 Post Office, New York, Manhattan

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#35 Terrace, Central Park, New York, Manhattan

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#36 City Hall, New York, Manhattan, 1865

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#37 Five Points, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#38 Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, Manhattan

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#39 View on the Mall – the Promenade, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1860s

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#40 The Esplanade, Central Park, New York, Manhattan

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#41 Western Union Telegraph Building, New York, Manhattan, 1860s

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#42 New York City & Vicinity, Manhattan, 1860s

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#43 The Mall, Central Park, Manhattan, 1860s

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#44 Hippopotamus Feeding, Central Park, Manhattan, 1860s

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#45 The Five Points, New York, Manhattan, 1865

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#46 Looking up Hudson St, from the Corner of Chambers St, New York, Manhattan, 1860

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#47 Grand Central Depot, New York, Manhattan

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#48 The Old Arsenal, Central Park, Manhattan, 1865

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#49 New York City from World Building, Looking North, Manhattan, 1900

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#50 Horse-Drawn Carriages on Broadway and Howard Streets, 1867

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#51 Chatham Square, New York City, 1860s

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#52 Fifth Avenue Looking North from Southeast Corner of 27th Street, New York, 1865

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#53 Broadway and Fifth Avenue from St Germain’s Looking North, 1860

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#54 View from the Loew Bridge

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#55 tereoscopic view of along Broadway, during rainy weather, 1860

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