History of NYC - 1940 to 1945
The 1940s would mark a turning point in how society shares information thanks to widespread adoption of television. The first two TV stations in the city, WNBT (now WNBC) and WCBW (now WCBS-TV) signed on the air for the first time. This era would also mark the beginning of another World War, and an inevitable wave of migrants seeking refuge from war-torn Europe. In the midst of this global drama, the New York City Opera was founded and New York Fashion Week began, further establishing the city’s empire of industry and the arts.
1941: Grand Central Terminal Concourse Interior
Photograph of commuters at Grand Central Terminal's Main Concourse, bathed in sunlight streaming through its majestic windows.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1942: Soldiers at Pennsylvania Station
Soldiers and sailors line up inside the concourse of Pennsylvania Station.
Artist Credit: Marjory Collins. Reprinted with permission.
1943: Fulton Fish Market
Photograph of dock workers moving cargo at Fulton Fish Market with Manhattans' downtown skyscrapers visible in the background.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.
1943: A Harlem Scene
Photograph of pedestrians and brownstone buildings in a Harlem neighborhood.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.
1943: Harlem-Policeman
Photograph of a young police officer walking his beat in Harlem.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.
1940: 16 Greenwich Street
Exterior view of 16 Greenwich Street and adjoining buildings beneath the shadow of the elevated railroad tracks.
Artist Credit: Stanley P. Mixon. Reprinted with permission.
1943: Harlem Street Scene
Photograph of three men walking down the street past on of Harlem's nightclubs.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.
1940: Battery Place and Washington Street
Exterior view of old buildings at the corner of Battery Place and Washington Street from southwest.
Artist Credit: Stanley P. Mixon. Reprinted with permission.
1940: Brooklyn Wallabout Market
Photograph of a vast crowd of trucks and horse-drawn carts at the Wallabout Market in Brooklyn, New York.
Artist Credit: Al Aumuller. Reprinted with permission.
1942: New York Taxi Driver
Photograph of a taxi driver polishing the hood of his car in front of a row of brownstones.
Artist Credit: Albert Fenn. Reprinted with permission.
1943: Late Evening on the Lower East Side
Photograph of South Street with downtown Manhattan's iconic skyline in the background.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.
1940: Cars Parked on Greenwich Street
Photograph of cars parked in front of the buildings in facing Battery Park, between Washington And Greenwich Streets.
Artist Credit: Stanley P. Mixon. Reprinted with permission.
1940: Manhattan's Southwest Harbor
An aerial photograph of lower Manhattan overlooking Battery Park as part of a survey of Greenwich Street.
Artist Credit: Stanley P. Mixon. Reprinted with permission.
1943: A Rainy Day in Times Square
Photograph of wet street and pavements at Time Square with the Times Building barely visible through the rain.
Artist Credit: John Vacon. Reprinted with permission.
1943: Worker at Fulton FIsh Market
Photograph of a worker unloading at the Fulton Fish Market docks against a backdrop of downtown skyscrapers.
Artist Credit: Gordon Parks. Reprinted with permission.Next Chapter: History of NYC - 1945 to 1950
After six years of a world at war, the Allies have emerged victorious, an event which would fuel the American economy well into the next two decades. New York would ride this wa... Continue Reading
