At the turn of the Twentieth Century, NYC was growing by leaps and bounds. The city would see many landmarks constructed during this era, including the Williamsburg Bridge, the Flatiron Building, Macy’s at Herald Square and Luna Park, which we know today as Coney Island. The NYC Subway system was also completed, and would contribute greatly to the growth of local businesses and the facility of commuting for the city’s now bustling population of 3.4 million inhabitants.
Two women passing a row of horse-drawn carriages as they walk alongside Madison Square Park.
Construction of the Flatiron Building by George A. Fuller Construction Company in 1902.
Families stroll through Madison Square Park, its trees framing the recently completed Flatiron Building.
Interior view of Grand Central's waiting room, completed in October of 1900
New York Times Building Under Construction at One Times Square. Completed in 1904 to serve as the headquarters of The New York Times.
Rapid transit construction work at Union Square at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 14th Street, New York City, June 8, 1901
A perspective of Brooklyn from the Brooklyn Bridge, framed by a B.M.T. train and commuters in 1900.
Located at the intersecton of Bowery and Division Street, Chatham Square was an express station on the IRT Third Avenue Line. It had two levels.
A steam-powered locomotive awaits boarding passengers on the Bowery's elevated train line near Grand Street.
Crowds of shoppers fill the busy streets north of 14th Street in the shade of the elevated train which once ran along 6th Avenue.
Construction worker perched 5 stories above the ground during the construction of a new building at Union Square.
Aerial view of the New Pennsylvania Station whose construction is nearly complete.
View along waterfront on West Street with many freight wagons, street cars and the buzz of daily activity.
The Harlem River Speedway was opened in 1898, inviting sightseers to enjoy the spectacular views of the new waterfront esplanade.
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.
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:
Art prints are engineered to stand out. They are are digital restorations of photographs, lithographs, paintings and other historic works of art. These prints require a higher resolution press than standard posters, and are printed on archival-quality paper or a flat textured wallpaper substrate.
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.
Discounts for Educational Institutions are available upon inquiry.
Digital licenses are available for educational institutions (schools, universities, non-profit organizations). Please contact legal@fineprintnyc.com to discuss conditions for licensing.
NOTE: Any form of commercialization or redistribution of these images, either as tangible goods or third party licenses, is expressly forbidden.
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.
315 Madison Avenue • NYC 10017 • (212)619-5446 • art@fineprintnyc.com
History101.NYC is an ad-free learning resource available to the public at no charge.
This project is dedicated to exploring New York’s fascinating heritage through the restoration of vintage photographs and prints.