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New York circa 1910. "East River bridges from the Singer Tower" -- the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg spans. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
the farm where my house will be in 20 years.
Here is a Google Earth view of roughly the same area today. I spotted one surviving building, at 84 William Street. It's to the right in the 1910 photograph and behind the skyscraper with the red dot in the attached photograph. Street View below:
Just southeast of the Brooklyn Bridge is the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park. The monument was dedicated on November 14, 1908, so was brand new when this photo was taken. The monument commemorates the 11,500 American soldiers who died in captivity aboard 16 British prison ships during the American Revolution.
For years I've been hoping to find a view from circa 1910 of east Harlem, specifically of Union Settlement. Alas, this photograph is too far downtown to show that area.
Union Settlement basically took up the block defined by 104th and 105th Streets, and 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue. My great-grandfather Gaylord White was the head of this ongoing community center from 1901 to 1923.
I've found the NYC tax photos of the building from the 1940s, but no images have cropped up from earlier. If Shorpy or Shorpy's followers ever track down Union Settlement images, I would be forever grateful!
Best,
Jeremy Butler
“I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn I’ll sell cheap."
I am surprised at the high amount of sophisticated building construction for 1910 -- and so soon after the financial panic of 1907. The "never say die" and "get it done" attitude of our country was extraordinary.
["Early America" was about 250 years before this photo was taken! - Dave]
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