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History of NYC - 1890s

The 1890s were a pivotal point in NYC history. Washington Square Arch, Carnegie Hall are built and the New York Public Library established while the U.S. Immigrant Inspection Station begins operating on Ellis Island. The City of Greater New York created, consolidating the existing City of New York with the eastern Bronx, Brooklyn, most of Queens County, and Staten Island.

1890: Aerial View of The Battery

The Port of New York - a bird's eye view from the Battery, looking south.

1898: Dewey Arch

The Dewey Arch was a triumphal arch that stood from 1899 to 1900 at Madison Square in Manhattan. It was erected for a parade in honor of Admiral George Dewey.

1890: Newspaper Row

An aerial photograph of Park Row, also known as Newspaper Row as it became the epicenter of 19th century news.

1890: New York Streetcar

Photograph of commuters waiting to board a New York City streetcar, headed towards 23rd Street and Broadway.

1893: The Terminal, Old Post Office

Photograph of horse drawn trolleys on a snow covered street in Manhattan

1896: New York City Bicycle Messenger

Photograph of a young messenger posing with his bicycle.

1899: The Waldorf Astoria

Photograph of the Waldorf-Astoria built in 1893 on 5th Avenue, south from 35th Street.

1899: Jewish Market on the East Side

Photograph of a busy East side street lined with Jewish markets and filled with pedestrians.

1893: Union Square, Looking Southwest

Aerial photograph above Union Square filled with people and horses and the Lincoln Statue in the foreground.

1894: The Decker Building, Union Square

Photograph of the Decker Building overlooking Union Square. The structure was completed in 1892 for the Decker Brothers piano company, and designed by John H. Edelmann.

1896: Union Square Cab Driver

Photograph of a hansom driver standing in front of horse and cab.

1895: Broadway and John Street

Photograph of Broadway near John Street filled with carriages and pedestrians.

1896: Along the Bowery

Photograph showing elevated railroad, delivery wagons, streetcars, buildings and people in lower Manhattan.

1890: Statue of Liberty

Photograph of the Statue of Liberty with her torch illuminating the sky over New York Harbor.

1895: Fulton Ferry Brooklyn Bridge

Photograph of the Fulton Ferry crossing the East River with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

1896: View of Brooklyn Bridge

Photograph of boats in the East River docked near the Brooklyn Bridge.

1898: Brooklyn Bridge Terminal

Photograph of the curved overpass at Brooklyn Terminal, New York & Brooklyn Bridge.

1896: Street Sweeper and Broom

Photograph of a city worker sweeping the street in front of a corner grocery store.

1896: Horse Drawn Ash Cart

Photograph of a horse drawn cart and a man collecting ashes from local furnaces.

1896: Horse Drawn Carts on a Snow Covered Street

Photograph taken for a poster design of a winter scene on a snowy street.

1896: Saint Paul's Church and Astor House

Photograph of a busy street in front of Saint Paul's Church and Astor House.

1896: Grand Central Depot

Photograph of a street scene in front of Grand Central Depot, at the time the largest interior space in the nation.

1897: 16th Street and 6th Avenue

Photograph looking down the tracks of the elevated railroad on 6th Avenue near 16th Street.

1897: Dedication of Grant's Tomb

Photograph of mourners gathering for the dedication of Grant's Tomb taken from the river front.

1897: The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Photograph of the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel, taken from East of Fifth Avenue on the North Side of 34th Street.

1899: The Croton Distributing Reservoir

The Croton Aqueduct water system (Murray Hill Reservoir) started construction in 1837 and opened to great fanfare on October 14, 1842.

1897: Columbia College: View of Amsterdam Avenue with No Buildings

An aerial view of Columbia University campus, including Low Library and Milbank Hall.

1899: Canal Street and Broadway

Photograph of traffic on the corner of Canal Street and Broadway.

1896: Men Loading Horse-Drawn Snow Carts

Photograph of the streets after a blizzard, snow carts have been deployed to clear the roads for traffic.

1899: Snow Carts at the river after a Blizzard

Photograph of snow carts lined up next to the river to dump snow after a blizzard.

1899: Street in Harlem After a Blizzard

Photograph of a Harlem street covered in snow after the blizzard of Feb. 13, 1899.

1897: The Glow of Night

Photograph of a rain soaked street, illuminated by streetlamps which are reflected on the ground.


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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is History101.nyc?

Welcome to the History of New York City - A Unique Online Gallery of NYC's Origins, Curated and Digitally Restored by Fine Print New York.

We're opening our archives to present this Collection of Vintage Photos, Historical Images and Rare Lithographs. This Exclusive Series of High Quality Art Prints are only Available for Purchase Exclusively on this Site.

What Time Periods, Eras, Decades of NYC History are available?

We cover a great portion of the city's history, ranging from its earliest days as New Amsterdam to the late 1980s. Artists are currently working on photos from the 90s to present day,

Here's a current list of what is covered:

Dutch Era: When New York Was New Amsterdam

NYC in the 1600s

Georgian Era

NYC in the 1700s • NYC from 1800 to 1850

Victorian Era

NYC in the 1850s • NYC in the 1860s • NYC in the 1870s • NYC in the 1880s

Progressive Era

NYC in the 1890s • NYC from 1900 to 1905 • 1905 to 1910 • 1910 to 1915 • 

World War 1

NYC from 1915 to 1920

Art Deco

NYC from 1920 to 1925 • NYC from 1925 to 1930

Depression Era

NYC from 1930 to 1935 • NYC from 1935 to 1940

World War 2

NYC from 1940 to 1945

MidCentury Modern Era

NYC from 1945 to 1950 • 1950 to 1955 • 1955 to 1960 • 1960 to 1965 • 1965 to 1970

Energy Crisis

NYC from 1970 to 1975 • 1975 to 1980

Reagan Era

NYC from 1980 to 1985 • 1985 to 1990
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Is an Art Print more expensive than a regular Poster?

Yes, Art prints are typically more expensive than posters. Considering the additional value in both execution and material, along with the exclusive nature of this collection. While many of the images on this site were originally public domain, most of them were damaged or of subpar quality. Our graphic designers have spent countless hours restoring each one to current HD standards.

It is rare to encounter this level of curation, or the restorative drive required to retouch hundreds of photos by hand. There are already tons of online poster shops who gladly sell you cheap prints, but we're definitely not that type of shop and believe our pricing to be a of fair value for the quality being produced.

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Joseph Gornail, printer/photographer and founder of Fine Print New York. Joseph grew up in SoHo, Manhattan and is part of a long lineage of NYC printers, learning the family trade from his grandfather. While working for Dolo Records/Stretch Armstrong in 1996, Joseph founded All City Marketing & Printing, and in 1999 Co-Founded the legendary street wear company "Orchard Street " with lifelong friends Benjamin Holloway and Greig Bennett. Fine Print NYC was established in 2004 with a Nike project being the launchpad for a commercial printing company that has not only survived, but thrived in the digital age.

Steven Garcia, designer/illustrator and creative director of Fine Print New York. Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Steven attended Fashion Industries High School and F.I.T. before building a successful career at Saatchi & Saatchi for as a professional retoucher and storyboard artist in 1995. Steven started ShinyDesign in 1998 and partnered with Fine Print in 2004 as the exclusive design firm for the company. Steven has independently worked on major advertising campaigns for many brands over the years, such as Snapple, The Waldorf Astoria and Sony to name a few.

Together, Joseph & Steven are responsible for the curation and direction of the History101.nyc project, which has been under development since 2006. They have a long history of collaborating together, going back as far as 2001 when Joseph was gallery manager and Steven was a curator at The New York City Urban Experience, an art gallery & museum that was located at 85 South Street and owned by Mike Saes of the Nike Bridge Runners and True Yorkers.

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