What Staten Island looked like in the 1940s Through Rare Historical Photos

Close your eyes and let your imagination set sail to Staten Island in the 1940s. This era was a poignant interlude, a space between the world-shaking events of World War II and the promise of post-war prosperity. As you step off the iconic Staten Island Ferry, now more than ever a vital link, you’ll find the Island alive with stories that resonate deeply in the American narrative.

The Stapleton Navy Yard in Full Swing

If the ’30s hinted at the significance of Stapleton’s Navy Yard, the ’40s confirmed it. The Yard had become a hive of wartime production, with men and women working round-the-clock shifts. Imagine the clang of metal and the whir of machinery, the air tinged with a blend of oil and saltwater. The sight of destroyers and cargo ships setting sail for distant shores was awe-inspiring, fostering a potent sense of collective purpose and pride.

Ration Books and Victory Gardens

As the war raged on overseas, life at home was marked by sacrifice. Meatless Tuesdays, ration books, and price controls became a part of the Islander vocabulary. But Staten Islanders are nothing if not resourceful. In empty lots and backyards across the borough, victory gardens sprouted up. Families planted tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes, not just as a substitute for rationed goods but as a symbol of resilience and home-front contribution.

The Melody of the USO Shows

Ah, the USO Shows! These were the occasions when the whole community came together. These performances—often hosted in local halls or even makeshift stages near the navy yards—brought in artists, singers, and comedians to boost morale. For a few hours, the weight of the world would lift as laughter and music filled the air. Those sweet, transient moments left an indelible impression on young and old alike.

The End of the War: A Collective Sigh

V-J Day, August 15, 1945—the day was met with a blend of jubilation and relief. Church bells rang, impromptu parades spilled onto the streets, and neighbors hugged neighbors. The celebratory toasts were many, despite the lingering taste of rationed whiskey. That night, the skyline shimmered with fireworks, each sparking a tribute to the Islanders who had served and those who never returned.

The Birth of Suburbia

As the 1940s rolled to a close, the spirit of change was palpable. The GI Bill led to a surge in housing developments, heralding the advent of Staten Island as a suburban community. The Island began to witness the construction of planned neighborhoods, complete with schools and shopping centers. This transformation signaled a shift from a maritime and agricultural economy to one that increasingly relied on commuters working in Manhattan or other boroughs.

#1 A bus falls victim to flooding in South Beach, Staten Island, circa 1949.

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#2 President Roosevelt Ferryboat Carries World War II Servicemen, 1940s.

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#3 Northfield Hotel at Ferry Street and Richmond Terrace, Port Richmond Square, 1940s.

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#4 Rubsam and Horrmann Beer Advertisement, 61-63 Victory Boulevard, Early 1940s.

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#5 Staten Island Airport on Richmond Avenue, the Site of the Staten Island Mall, 1941

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#6 Procession at Mount Loretto, Blessed by Archbishop Spellman, 1940.

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#7 Easter Paraders at Clove Lake Park, 1940s.

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#8 The 1940 Graduating Class of St. Peter’s Elementary School, 1940s.

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#9 Employees of Procter & Gamble staged shows at the St. George Theatre, 1940s.

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#11 Intersection of Forest and Metropolitan Avenues, Circa 1949.

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#12 Veteran Fireman’s Hall at Castleton Avenue and Taylor Street, Clubhouse for Volunteers in North Shore Fire Department, 1940s.

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#13 Tottenville Casino, Popular Restaurant and Dance Hall, Also Served as a Banquet Hall; Burned Down in 1940.

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#14 Aerial View of Staten Island Waterfront and the Narrows, Circa 1948.

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#15 Bar Located at 3 Victory Boulevard, Circa 1940.

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#17 74/80 Arthur Kill Rd. in Richmond, Circa 1940.

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#18 People hanging up or taking down Christmas decorations outside 91 Richmond Ave with Roulston’s grocery store in the background, Staten Island, circa 1940.

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#19 Flames devastating the St. George ferry terminal, killing three and injuring 280, June 26, 1946.

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#20 Terra Marine Inn on Bruggeman’s Beach, Huguenot, Completed in 1908, Demolished in 1940s.

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#21 Tottenville’s Old Stadium Theater, Featuring “How Green Was My Valley” and “Cadet Girl”, 1941

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#22 Terra Marine Hotel Memories, Huguenot Beach: Summer Vacation, Fishing, Swimming, Boating, and Picnics, Hotel Dismantled in 1946.

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#23 Miller Field Diner, Dining by the Beach on Staten Island, Circa 1940.

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#24 Staten Island Mall Site, Former Home to Staten Island Airport, Opened in 1941.

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#25 Lou Marli with Joe DiMaggio, Staten Island Exhibition Game, 1946.

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#26 Kids Whose Families Summered at Cedar Grove Beach Staged a Season-Ending Show; Cast of August 29, 1945

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#27 Local Boys Take a Dip in Lyons Memorial Pool, 1940.

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#28 Pioneer Miniature Golf, Located on New Dorp Lane and Hylan Boulevard in New Dorp, 1940s.

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#29 Woolworth on Water Street, Tappen Park, 1940s.

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#30 Messina’s Market Hylan Blvd., Circa 1940.

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#31 Mosquito Control, Engineers Watch Fog Machine, 1940s.

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#32 The Commute, Circa 1949.

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#33 Forest Ave. with A&P Grocery Store, DeJong’s Bakery, Joe Geist’s Liquor Store, 1940.

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#34 Laying Road at Great Kills Park, 1949.

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#35 Borough Hall and Surrounding Area, St. George, 1940s.

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#36 Nunzio’s Pizzeria as it Looked in 1940s.

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#37 Firefighters Battle Fast-Spreading Fire at Richmond Terr. and Port Richmond Ave., 1943.

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#38 Richmond Avenue / Arthur Kill Road, Circa 1940.

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#39 New Dorp, Cars Parked up South Railroad Avenue at Rose Avenue, 1948.

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#40 Downtown Manhattan from Staten Island, 1941.

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#41 Staten Island Whitehall Terminal, Battery Place, New York, 1940.

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#42 The View of Hyatt St. from Borough Hall, 1940.

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#43 Red Cross Worker Pouring Coffee for Women’s Army Corps, Staten Island Terminal, 1946.

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#44 Clove Lakes Park, Brooks Pond During Snow, 1940s

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#45 Staten Island Ferry Commuters, 1940.

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#46 Miller Field Diner, New Dorp, Looks Like a Great Place for Breakfast, 1940.

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#47 Digging a car out of the snow after a storm on Christmas, West Brighton, 1947.

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#48 Homemaking Class at McKee Vocational School, named for Ralph R. McKee after his death, 1940.

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#49 Nicholas Kelly, Brough President Joseph Palma, and Thomas Bannon survey new lights on Ramona Boulevard, Annadale, 1940.

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#50 Plaza Bar and Restaurant, 1177 Castleton Ave., noted for the bowling alley next door, 1940s.

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#51 Remembering Those Lost at Pearl Harbor, 1941.

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#52 Classic football game between rival Staten Island high schools: Curtis and New Dorp, at Gabe’s Stadium, Port Richmond; Final score: New Dorp 12 – Curtis 0, 1949.

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#53 Saluting Private First Class Armond Cutinella, U.S. Army, a hero of the Battle of the Bulge, 1944.

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#54 Saluting veteran Victor Malaspina, who sabotaged the Brenner Pass in Northern Italy, 1945.

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#56 Borough Place and Richmond Terrace, March 25, 1948.

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#57 Boats stuck in ice-covered Great Kills Harbor, circa 1940.

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#58 The St. George Clipper, an iconic diner located at 40 Bay Street with an adjoining building with signs for “Cocktail Lounge” and a “television,” was in business from 1941 to 1979, Circa 1949.

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#59 Youngsters swimming off Pier 6, before it became Cromwell Recreation Center, 1940.

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#60 The Strand Theater on Nelson Avenue in Great Kills in the 1940s.

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#61 U.S.S. Staten Island Club, 98 Beach Street, Provided Relief and Assistance to American Merchant Marine and Other Seafarers, Founded in 1942.

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#62 On June 26, 1946, flames devastated the St. George ferry terminal, killing three and injuring 280; plans to replace the terminal were being submitted, 1946.

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#63 Henny’s Steak House; Henny’s takes its name from a former owner-fisherman-boxer, Henry (Henny) Schimming, who bought it in 1948; it closed in 2014, Circa 1948.

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#64 The Black WACs, females who joined the Women’s Army Corps and helped deliver mail during World War II, featured on the Staten Island African American Heritage Tour app, 1940s.

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#65 Staten Island Borough Hall ceremony attended by crowds disembarking ferry Knickerbocker, with Borough President Cornelius Hall, 1946.

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#66 10-Foot-Tall Snowman Built by Spring Street Kids in Concord, Circa 1944 or 1945, 1944.

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#67 New Dorp Staten Island Rapid Transit Crossing, Circa 1949.

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#68 Billboards along Richmond Terrace, 1947.

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#69 Christmas 1949 at the Park Avenue location of the Port Richmond Day Nursery, 1949.

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#70 The 107 to South Avenue, a vintage bus in operation between 1936 and 1956. Circa 1940s

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#71 Ice skaters on Martling’s Pond in Clove Lakes Park, Dec. 27, 1948.

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#72 Photo of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension Taken Around 1927; Church Moved to Current Location at One Kingsley Avenue, 1949.

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#73 Bay Street Looking Up from the Ferry Terminal, Circa 1940s

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#74 Forest at Bement Avenue, 1940s

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#76 Harold the Baseball Player balloon featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1946.

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#77 Happy Hippo balloon used during the 1940s in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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#78 John and Rose Tinessa’s store at 522 Port Richmond Ave., now part of Denino’s brick building, 1940

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#79 The Mosquito Man Fogs the Drive-in Theater in New Springville, Later Demolished for the Staten Island Mall, 1949.

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#80 Sailor’s Snug Harbor, Livingston, 1941.

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#81 Staten Island Airport, located on Richmond Avenue, sold in 1965, was the first commercial airport in Greater New York, now the site of Staten Island Mall, 1941.

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#82 Midland Beach, Staten Island, 1940s

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#83 Staten Islander Bobby Thomson, the “Staten Island Scot,” Known for “Home Run Heard ‘Round the World,” 1940s

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#84 Sailors’ Snug Harbor Workers Harvesting Corn for Silage, Circa 1940

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#85 National City Bank Building at 577 Bay Street, Stapleton, 1949

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#86 People standing in line to enter Midland Beach for free movies and dancing, 1940.

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#87 Rocky Capeci sponsored dinners for Staten Island draftees during World War II, event at Homestead Inn across from DeNino’s on Port Richmond Avenue, 1942.

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#88 Construction of Ramona Boulevard Nearing Completion, Opened as Drumgoole Boulevard, 1941.

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#89 St. George Ferry Terminal, 1947.

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#90 The Ferry Terminal Construction on Staten Island, Circa 1949.

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#91 Wanted: Six-Foot Tall Woman for Doorman at Paramount Theatre in Stapleton, 1943.

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#93 The Great Blizzard of ’47 dumped 26 inches of snow on Staten Island, 1947.

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#95 Pvt. Wilbur Rautenstrauch and Jack McGinley in Sicily, 1944.

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#96 Staten Island Ship Building Company’s Plant, Mariners Harbor, Home to Large Shipping and Dry Dock Companies in the First Half of the 20th Century. Cirica 1940s

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#97 Arrochar Railroad Station, located at Major and Floral Avenues, circa 1943.

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#98 Flooding in South Beach Takes over 2-Bay Street City Bus, 1949.

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#99 Walter Scholl, best known for his achievements on the gridiron, played semi-pro baseball on Staten Island, starred at Curtis and Cornell, 1940.

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#100 Aerial View of Swinburne Island, 4-Acre Artificial Island, Used for Immigrant Quarantine, Circa 1940.

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#101 New Dorp SIR Crossing, Circa 1949.

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#102 2064 Richmond Terrace at Port Richmond Avenue, Circa 1940.

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#103 “Heavy” Traffic on Bay Street, St. George, 1949.

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#104 Intersection of Forest and Metropolitan Avenues, 1949.

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#105 In a League of Their Own! 1947 CYO Champs, St. Ann’s School, Dongan Hills, Went Undefeated in the CYO Girls’ Softball League, 1947.

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#106 Page Avenue at Amboy Road in Tottenville, 1940s

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#107 Merchant Marine radio operator Victor DeLucie aboard the Charles C. Jones supply ship, 1944.

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#108 Going out 76 years ago: Address on the Melody Club ad, 1943.

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#109 The area around the piers on Staten Island was jammed with Army vehicles during World War II, 1940d

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#110 Port Richmond, circa 1946: Looking south at the bustling commercial center along Richmond Avenue, 1946.

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#111 A favorite pastime of Staten Island Ferry commuters is reading the newspaper, circa 1940, 1940.

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#112 Richmond Terrace, 1947.

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#113 The Firehouse at Van Duzer and Hannah Streets, from 1914 to Present Day Residence; a Century-Old Brick Firehouse Stands Tall in Tompkinsville, 1940.

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#114 Blessed Sacrament Basketball League Team Photo, Circa 1941.

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#115 Aerial View of South Beach Houses Under Construction on Staten Island, 1948

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#116 The Great Blizzard of 1947, Left Commuters Stranded, Second Biggest Snowfall to Hit Staten Island, 1947

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#117 Miller Field, an Air Coast Defense Station on the East Coast, was run by the U.S. Army from 1919 to 1969, named after Captain James Ely Miller, and was the last grass runway in New York City, 1948.

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#118 The beginning of construction for the Berry Homes in Dongan Hills signaled the end of the historic Richmond County Fair grounds, 1949.

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#119 After the Storm of ’47: The Arrochar Inn, 96 McLean Ave., 1948.

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#120 Frank Lombardi established a general store in Graniteville, 1905, selling various goods and later concentrating on motorcycles; the business remained in the family for over 100 years, 1942.

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#121 The Pioneer Miniature Golf Course in New Dorp, located at the corner of New Dorp Lane and Hylan Boulevard, offered 36 holes for 50 cents. Circa 1940s

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#122 The Empire Theater, built in 1916, served as a cultural landmark until 1978, and later taken over by Farrell Lumber Company, 1940.

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#123 A 70-year-old photo in front of McKee High School, revealing a family connection between generations who attended the same school, 1949.

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#124 A flashback to the 1940s in South Beach, Staten Island, captured in a photograph of Sand Lane, highlighting the city’s transformation over time, 1940s.

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#125 Did you know there was a diner at Miller Field in New Dorp during the 1940s? An Air Coast Defense Station run by the U.S. Army, 1940s.

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#126 The Lane Theater playing Detective Kitty O’Day and Broadway Rhythm, featuring a vintage car, circa 1940s.

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#127 Staten Island Bus Station in New York, circa 1942.

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#128 Chinese mariner Lee Ah Ding reading dock gate notices at Pouch Terminal, Staten Island, September 1942.

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#129 Hundreds of lorries await at the Free Trade Zone on Staten Island for transport by Allied freighters, January 16, 1940.

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#130 View of Staten Island with Downtown Manhattan in the background, circa 1944.

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#131 Fire at St. George ferry, caused by sparks from a transit car, delays 40,000 commuters, June 26.

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#132 Passengers depart from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, 1948.

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#133 Passengers depart from the Staten Island Ferry terminal, 1948.

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#134 Varied war goods in the Foreign-Trade Zone warehouse on Staten Island await shipment to Europe.

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#135 Passengers enjoy the outdoor deck during a trip on the Staten Island Ferry, 1948.

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#136 Old Killmeyer’s Hotel at 4254-4256 Arthur Kill Rd., Circa 1940.

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#137 A beach-goer in a bathing suit rented from Jaeger’s Hotel and Restaurant, South Beach, destroyed by fire in 1941.

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#138 A View of Brady’s Pond, 1944.

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#139 Students walk past Flynn Hall at Notre Dame College (now St. John’s University), Grymes Hill, 1941.

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#140 Christine and Edward Kaasmann of Eltingville served during World War II. This photo was taken in 1943.

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