New York City in the 1860s

An artist’s panoramic illustration where lower Manhattan, New Jersey and both Hudson and the East Rivers are visible, along with Brooklyn and Queens in the distance.

Photograph shows traffic and businesses along Broadway, New York City, New York.

A slightly elevated perspective of a bustling street known as Broadway, which remains a hub of commerce and culture to this day.

Photograph shows the “National Bank of the Republic” (NBR), “National Bank Note Company” at right, other commercial buildings, pedestrians and traffic on Broadway.

An early photograph of Trinity Church on Broadway.

Aerial View of General Worth Square on 25th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue. It is the second oldest monument in any New York City park and also serves as a memorial/ burial site for General William Jenkins Worth.

The Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal church in the Diocese of New York. It was built at 36–38 Fifth Avenue and West 10th Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan New York City.

An artist’s rendering of Squatters near Central Park living among farm animals in their shacks.

A photograph of Central Park in its pristine and far less developed stage, compared to what we know today.

Photograph of a man in a suit standing pensively on a bridge overlooking the arched footpath beneath.

A unique perspective revealing the ornate patterns of Central Park’s stonework.

A detailed view of Central Park’s terrace masonry.

A photograph of the Music Pavilion on a quiet and overcast autumn day.

The Manhattan Market was located on 34th to 35th Streets and 12th Avenue (future site of the Jacob Javits Convention Center). The Market opened on November 11, 1872 with a "concert that drew together no less than 30,000 people according to The New York Times.

George Washington is a large bronze sculpture of George Washington by John Quincy Adams Ward, originally installed on the front steps of Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall Street in New York City.

Instantaneous Panoramic View of Union Square, flanked on the right side by the famous electric trolley cars that once served as mass transit.

A northeast view of Union Square and 4th Avenue crowded by trolleys and pedestrians during peak hours.

Aerial view of Union Square on an overcast morning. The streets are sparsly dotted with pedestrians and street cars.

A photograph shows a famous intersection of downtown Manhattan, lined with trolleys and a vastly different urban landscape.

Located at 120 Broadway, the original Equitable Building was completed in 1870 and is part of history for being the world’s first office building to feature passenger elevators. The building was very popular and eventually occupied the entire block (Broadway, Cedar, Pine and Nassau Streets).

New York City’s original, Multi-storied post office building. The building is characterized by arched windows and columns on each level.

An illustration of a busy corner of downtown Manhattan. The corner of Chatham and Pearl Streets were home to many markets and storehouses.

The New York Historical Society was founded in 1804 and is the City’s first museum. Originally located on 11th Street and 2nd Avenue with land purchased from Peter and Julia Stuyvesant in early 1854.

Housing was often organized by local communities to provide food and shelter to those most in need.

Piers 17 and 18, located in the South Street Historic District Extension, stand as physical evidence of the water-oriented economy of New York City in its developmental years.

A lone silhouette under a shaded pedestrian overpass is captured against the backdrop of Wall Street’s ferry and Brooklyn in the distance