Manhattan’s Dawn of a New Century: A Photo Journey Through the 1900s

As the clock ticked over, ushering in the 1900s, Manhattan’s skyline began a transformation that would define its iconic silhouette. The city reached higher and higher, with steel and glass giants emerging from the ground. The Flatiron Building, with its distinctive shape, already graced the streets, but new structures like the Woolworth Building promised to take skyscrapers to unprecedented heights. This was Manhattan telling the world: we’re growing, and the sky’s the limit!

Beneath the City Streets

While buildings reached for the clouds, innovation burrowed beneath Manhattan’s bustling pavements. The city’s first official subway line roared to life in 1904, changing the way New Yorkers commuted forever. No longer constrained by the chaos of street traffic, residents could traverse lengthy city stretches in mere minutes. These underground railways, with their tiled stations and rumbling trains, symbolized a new era of urban mobility. The veins of Manhattan now pulsed both above and below the ground.

A Melting Pot of Cultures

As ships sailed into New York Harbor, they brought with them a treasure more valuable than gold: a rich tapestry of cultures. Immigrants, full of dreams and hopes, disembarked on Ellis Island, and Manhattan’s neighborhoods began to flourish with diverse communities. Little Italy, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side became vibrant hubs of culture, cuisine, and commerce. The streets echoed with a myriad of languages, and Manhattan truly embodied the spirit of the American dream.

The Sparkle of Broadway

The early 1900s also saw the entertainment heart of Manhattan – Broadway – beginning to find its rhythm. Glittering marquee lights illuminated the way for theatergoers, eager to witness the latest plays, musicals, and vaudeville acts. Legendary venues like the New Amsterdam Theatre opened their doors, setting the stage (quite literally) for a century of world-class entertainment. Every night, the Great White Way buzzed with anticipation, laughter, and the magic of live performance.

In a Time of Progress

The 1900s marked a period of rapid innovation and progress for Manhattan. The first automobiles chugged alongside horse-drawn carriages, signaling a shift in transportation. The city’s first skyscrapers punctured the horizon, while newsstands brimmed with headlines about the Wright Brothers and their flying machine. It was a time when the old world began to blend seamlessly with the new, and Manhattan stood proudly at the forefront of it all, ready to embrace a century filled with promise and potential.

#1 Hanover National Bank in Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1903

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#2 Manhattan Opera House, West 34th Street, New York City, 1906

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#3 Manhattan from under the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, 1903

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#4 Holland America Piers with view of Manhattan across Hudson River, New York City, 1905

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#5 Times Building, Manhattan, New York City, 1906

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#6 Oriental Hotel and bath house, Manhattan Beach, New York City, 1905

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#7 City Hall and Park, Manhattan, New York City, 1905

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#8 Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, 1907

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#9 Manhattan Rising, 1907

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#10 Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1903

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#11 Manhattan, 1908

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#12 Shipping at East River docks. More maritime Manhattan, New York City, 1900

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#13 Manhattan sky-line from North River, New York City, 1901

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#14 Broad Street and curb market, New York, Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1906

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#15 Hotel Manhattan, Madison Avenue and 42nd Street, New York City, 1904

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#16 Manhattan, East River and Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn, 1904

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#17 Manhattan skyline and East River, 1906

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#18 Manhattan entrance to Brooklyn Bridge, 1906

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#19 East River and Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, 1903

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#20 Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn, 1907

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#21 New York skyline, Manhattan, 1908

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#22 Lower Manhattan, New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street in 1903.

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#23 Another of Detroit Photo’s Manhattan stores, 1903

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#24 Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline, 1905

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#25 Hotel Manhattan, at 42nd Street, 1904

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#26 The Manhattan landmark under construction, 1902

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#27 Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan, 1906

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#28 Temporary footpath, Manhattan Bridge, 1908

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#29 The Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. tower on a gray winter afternoon in Manhattan, 1909

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#30 The Brooklyn Bridge Promenade and Manhattan Terminal in 1907 amid a forest of billboards facing the trains, 1907

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#31 Manhattan Criminal Courts Building in November 1907.

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#32 Manhattan Bridge, Construction, 1909

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#33 New York, Manhattan, 1908

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#34 The Hudson & Manhattan Railroad tunnels under the Hudson River, shortly after their opening in 1908. The tunnels were used for the PATH train service between New Jersey and New York.

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#35 Ernst Roeber’s Manhattan saloon at 499 Sixth Avenue, New York City, around Easter 1908.

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#36 Girl on Highbridge, Manhattan to the left, the Bronx to the right, Washington Bridge in the distance, 1900

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#37 Flatiron Building, One of the Tallest Buildings in New York City When Completed in 1902, Designed in Beaux-Arts Style, 1900s

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

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#39 Manhattan, Pedestrians, Traffic, Cars, Double Decker Bus on Fifth Avenue, 1900

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#40 New York Life Insurance Company Building, 346-348 Broadway, View from the West Showing Leonard Street, New York City, 1890s

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#41 Parade of Returning Spanish-American War Veterans, New York City, 1900

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#42 Group of People Near Dewey Arch, New York City, 1900

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#43 Mulberry Street, New York City, 1900

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#44 Madison Square and Dewey Arch, New York City, 1900

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#45 Immigrants at Battery Park, New York City, 1900

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#46 Jumel Mansion, New York City, 1900

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#47 Man with Sign “Dr. Rankin’s Dental Parlor” Attached to Coat, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1900

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#48 Intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue Looking North, New York City, 1900

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#49 Newspaper Row, Park Row, New York City, 1900

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#50 Horse-Drawn Carriages and Coaches on the Driveway, Central Park, New York City, 1900

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#51 The Driveway, Central Park, 1900

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#52 Group of Men Curling, Central Park, New York City, 1900

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#53 Fraunce’s Tavern, Broad and Pearl Streets, New York City, 1900

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#54 Washington Memorial Arch, New York City, Circa 1900

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#55 Two Women Strolling Near Cab Stand, Madison Square, New York City, 1900

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#56 Street Scene, Pedestrians, Horses, Wagons, Traffic, Policeman, Manhattan, 1900s

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#57 Columbus Circle Showing Entrance to Central Park, Trolley Cars, Horse-Drawn Carriages, Pedestrians, New York City, 1900s

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#58 Fifth Avenue & 46th Street Traffic, Shops, Pedestrians, Shoppers, Cars, Busy Intersection, New York City, 1900s

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#59 Broadway and 42nd Street with Cigar Store, Horsedrawn Carriages, Advertisements, New York City, 1900

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#60 View of Central Park from South West Corner Looking North, Plaza Hotel Visible, New York City, Circa 1900s

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#61 Exterior of Tiffany House, Designed by Stanford White, 72nd Street and Madison Avenue, New York City, Circa 1900

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#62 Pedestrians Walking Past a Clock, Facing North on Broadway and 32nd Street, New York City, Circa 1900

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#63 Building Housing Apparel Makers, Corner of Broadway and Bond Street, New York City, Circa 1900

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#64 Three Girls Jump Rope, Rooftop Playground of Hebrew Institute, East Broadway and Jefferson Streets, Manhattan, New York City, Circa 1900

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#65 Exterior View of Battle Row, City and Suburban Homes Company’s New Model Tenement, First Avenue and 68th Street, Manhattan, New York City, 1900

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#66 Exterior View of Alfred Corning Clark Buildings, City and Suburban Homes Co. New Model Tenement, First Avenue and 68th Street, Manhattan, New York City, Circa 1900

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#67 Intersection of Broadway and 42nd Streets with Billboards, Theatre Performances, Pedestrians, Horse-Drawn Carriage, Cobblestone Roads, Circa 1900

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#68 Three-Story Club Building at Fifth Avenue and 63rd Street, Manhattan, New York City, 1900

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#69 The Elevated ‘El’ Train Tracks Running Along Third Avenue Past Tenement Buildings, New York City, circa 1900

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#70 People Boarding a Streetcar on Lexington Avenue, Looking North from East 34th Street, New York City, 1900

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#71 Tiffany House, Mansion on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street, Built by Stanford White for Louis Comfort Tiffany, Manhattan, New York City, 1900

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#72 Women Sitting Near the Formal Stairs Leading to Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, New York City, early 1900s

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#73 View of Brownstones on Fifth Avenue Between 60th & 61st Streets, New York City, 1900

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#74 Side View of the New York World Building and Street Activity on Park Row, Downtown Manhattan, 1900s

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#75 Pedestrians by the Conservatories in Central Park, New York City, 1900s

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#76 Men Leaning Against a Railing in Madison Square Park, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, Manhattan, New York, 1900s

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#77 Street Vendors on the Lower East Side, New York City, 1900s

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#78 Street Scene at 57 Hester Street and 55 Hester Street on the Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, circa 1900

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#79 The Apollo Theatre on 42nd Street, New York City, 1900s

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#80 John Jacob Astor’s House on Fifth Avenue and 65th Street, New York City, 1900s

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#81 Bethesda Fountain Designed by Emma Stebbins in Central Park, New York City, 1900s

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#82 People Boarding the Ferry in Manhattan, New York City, 1900s

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#83 Broadway View, New York City, 1900s

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#84 Biplane Towed Down Fifth Avenue for July 4th Parade, New York City, circa 1900

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#85 Wagons on Manhattan Streets by YMCA Clock Sign, New York City, circa 1900

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#86 Horse-Drawn Women’s Suffrage Cart on its Way to Boston, New York City, circa 1900

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#87 Battery in Manhattan, New York City, Buffeted by Ocean Waves, circa 1900

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#88 Street View, 57th & 6th Avenue Looking West, New York City, circa 1900

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#89 Jewish Bakery “Horowitz” on Lower East Side, New York City, circa 1900

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#90 Buying Easter Flowers in Union Square, New York City, circa 1900

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#91 Manhattan ASPCA Provides Water for Horses, New York City, circa 1900

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#92 Max Schwartz’s Primadora Havana Cigars, 3rd Avenue, New York City, circa 1900

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#93 Crowded Hebrew District, Lower East Side, New York City, 1900

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#94 Vanderbilt Mansion on Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1900s

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#95 Fifth Avenue Looking North, New York City, 1900s

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#96 Fifth Avenue and 51st Street, Vanderbilt Mansions on Easter, New York City, 1900s

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#97 View of Broadway from 38th Street, New York City, 1900s

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#98 The Bowery, Looking North, New York City, 1900s

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#99 Fifth Avenue and Madison Square, New York City, 1900s

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#100 Wall Street, Financial District in Lower Manhattan, New York City, 1900s

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#101 The Mall, Central Park, People Strolling in the Pedestrian Esplanade of Central Park Mall, New York City, 1900

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#102 Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan, New York City, 1906

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#103 Newspaper Row, Park Row, New York City, 1900s

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#104 Union Square, New York City, 1909

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#105 Flatiron Building, New York City, 1905

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#106 Busy Street Scene, Broadway, Downtown Manhattan, New York City, 1901

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#107 Dewey Arch, New York City, 1900

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#108 Mott Street, Chinatown, New York City, 1900

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#109 High Angle View of Union Square Looking North toward Union Square West and Park Avenue South, New York City, 1900

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#110 Battery Walk, New York City, 1902

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#111 Street Scene, Pell and Doyers Streets, Chinatown, New York City, 1901

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#112 Mulberry Street, New York City, 1900

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#113 City Hall and Park, New York City, 1900

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#114 Aquarium at Castle Garden, New York City, 1902

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#115 Clam Seller, Mulberry Bend, Little Italy, New York City, 1900

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#116 Columbus Monument, New York City, 1900

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#117 Jewish Markets on Busy Street, Lower East Side, New York City, 1904

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#118 Italian Neighborhood with Street Market, Mulberry Street, New York City, 1900

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#119 Laundry Hanging between Tenement Buildings, Park Avenue & 107th Street, New York City, 1900

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#120 Metropolitan Museum, View from Central Park, New York City, 1900

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#121 People Skating, Central Park, New York City, 1900

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#122 Riverfront Looking South from Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, 1904

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#123 Tennis Courts, Central Park, New York City, 1900

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#124 Union Square, New York City, 1900

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#125 Recreation Dock, New York City, 1900

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#126 Stagecoach, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1904

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#127 The Elevated, Eighth Avenue and 110th Street, New York City, 1900

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#128 Bowery Near Grand Street, New York City, 1900

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#129 Summer Looking West on 23rd Street from Sixth Avenue, Bon Ton Music Hall on Right, New York City, 1900

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#130 St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1902

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#131 First Auto Show, Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1900

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#132 The Empire Theater at Broadway and 40th Street, New York City, 1901

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#133 The Former Waldorf Astoria Hotel on the Site Now Occupied by the Empire State Building, New York City, Early 1900s

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#134 Madison Square Park in New York City, at the junction of 5th Avenue and 24th Street, 1901.

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#135 Crowd watching fire fighters at 6th Avenue and 32nd Street, New York, New York, early 1900s.

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