Curated by Joseph A. Gornail & Steven D. Garcia of Fine Print New York • 315 Madison Avenue • Email Us • 212.619.5446

History of NYC - 1925 to 1930

From 1925 onward, the City would experience a massive cultural renaissance. New venues were opening all over the city to accommodate the growing demand for arts and entertainment, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Savoy Ballroom along with the Paramount, Roxy and Ziegfeld Theatres. The Holland Tunnel would also open its entrance for automobiles, which facilitated the growth of suburban communities in New Jersey.

A group of onlookers crowd around the Post Office's Air Mail plane in the middle of Times Square.

1927: Air Mail Plane on Display in Times Square

A group of onlookers crowd around the Post Office's Air Mail plane in the middle of Times Square.

Photograph of a pair of construction workers demolishing a wall.

1927: Wall-Demolition

Photograph of a pair of construction workers demolishing a wall.

Photograph of a New York City Laborer posing for a portrait with an axe in his hands.

1925: New York City Laborer

Photograph of a New York City Laborer posing for a portrait with an axe in his hands.

Photograph taken from The Shelton Hotel (James T. Lee) of the The Ritz Tower & Hotel Beverly (Emery Roth)

1927: 49th and Lexington - The Shelton Looking North

Photograph taken from The Shelton Hotel (James T. Lee) of the The Ritz Tower & Hotel Beverly (Emery Roth)

Photograph looking up Fifth avenue north from the former Lord & Taylor building at the left at 38th Street.

1925: 5th Avenue Street Scene

Photograph looking up Fifth avenue north from the former Lord & Taylor building at the left at 38th Street.

New York City Entrance Plaza To Holland Tunnel which was opened by November 13, 1927.

1929: Entrance To Holland Tunnel

New York City Entrance Plaza To Holland Tunnel which was opened by November 13, 1927.

Photograph of Babe Ruth out in fifth inning trying to go from first to third on Lou Gehrig's single, facing off against Senators third baseman Ossie Bluege.

1925: Babe Ruth Sliding Into Third Base

Photograph of Babe Ruth out in fifth inning trying to go from first to third on Lou Gehrig's single, facing off against Senators third baseman Ossie Bluege.

Photograph of pedestrians on Wall Street with Trinity Church in the background.

1928: Wall Street and Trinity Church

Photograph of pedestrians on Wall Street with Trinity Church in the background.

An illustration of a potential design of Battery Park by Eric Gugler. The proposed design featured an obelisk structure and waterfront park.

1929: Battery Park Proposal by Eric Gugler

An illustration of a potential design of Battery Park by Eric Gugler. The proposed design featured an obelisk structure and waterfront park.

Photograph of the home of Andrew Carnegie - an American industrialist who amassed a fortune in the steel industry then became a major philanthropist.

1926: Residence of Andrew Carnegie

Photograph of the home of Andrew Carnegie - an American industrialist who amassed a fortune in the steel industry then became a major philanthropist.

Photograph of an automobile passing in front of the residence of Charles Schwab on Riverside Drive,

1926: Residence of Charles Schwab on Riverside Drive

Photograph of an automobile passing in front of the residence of Charles Schwab on Riverside Drive,

A bird's eye perspective of Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan and both East River Bridges.

1927: Aerial View of Brooklyn and Manhattan

A bird's eye perspective of Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan and both East River Bridges.

Photograph of a young couple holding each other at Coney Island's Luna Park.

1928: Couple at Coney Island

Photograph of a young couple holding each other at Coney Island's Luna Park.

Photograph of a busy street in front of St. Paul's Church, viewed from Broadway.

1929: Saint Paul's Church

Photograph of a busy street in front of St. Paul's Church, viewed from Broadway.

Photograph of a traveling library parked on a grassy verge in the Bronx, with a line of kids waiting to check out some books.

1928: New York Public Library Bookmobile

Photograph of a traveling library parked on a grassy verge in the Bronx, with a line of kids waiting to check out some books.


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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
Can I License Any of These Images?

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.

Who started History101.nyc?

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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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.