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

History of New York City - 1950 to 1955

At the apex of its postwar recovery, New York City continues to prosper at an unprecedented rate. A collaboration of Allies was successful not just in winning the war, but building bridges as the city welcomed a record number of immigrants seeking a new life. Puerto Rico became a US territory in 1952, opening up a wave of migrant citizens from the island and ultimately leading to the first Puerto Rican Day Parade, along with pop/cultural representation in classic NYC films such as West Side Story.

Photograph shows the Woolworth building from across Broadway Street.

1952: The Woolworth Building

Photograph shows the Woolworth building from across Broadway Street.

Photograph shows an elevated perspective of Cooper Union facing north and flanked along its east wall by the Third Avenue elevated railroad.

1952: Third Avenue Elevated Train at Cooper Union

Photograph shows an elevated perspective of Cooper Union facing north and flanked along its east wall by the Third Avenue elevated railroad.

Elevated perspective of The Flatiron building and the busy intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway.

1952: The Flatiron Building

Elevated perspective of The Flatiron building and the busy intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway.

Photograph shows an aerial perspective of the Flatiron Building looking south from Madison Square.

1952: Aerial View of The Flatiron Building

Photograph shows an aerial perspective of the Flatiron Building looking south from Madison Square.

Road construction delays traffic during rush hour on West Side Highway, at 79th Street, New York City.

1951: Rush Hour on the West Side Highway

Road construction delays traffic during rush hour on West Side Highway, at 79th Street, New York City.

Photograph of a man crouched on a sidewalk working on a bicycle, which is turned upside down in front of him.

1954: Sidewalk Bicycle Repair

Photograph of a man crouched on a sidewalk working on a bicycle, which is turned upside down in front of him.

Photograph shows a woman being photographed on a street corner. Two men, one holding an umbrella stand behind the camera which is on a tripod.

1954: Woman Being Photographed in the Rain

Photograph shows a woman being photographed on a street corner. Two men, one holding an umbrella stand behind the camera which is on a tripod.

Photograph shows busy intersection at Houston Street looking east from Broadway. An elevated train track visible in the background.

1952: Houston Street from Broadway

Photograph shows busy intersection at Houston Street looking east from Broadway. An elevated train track visible in the background.

An elevated perspective of Midtown Manhattan's famous skyscrapers with the Empire State Building casting a long shadow as the sun illuminates 5th Avenue.

1952: The Empire State Building

An elevated perspective of Midtown Manhattan's famous skyscrapers with the Empire State Building casting a long shadow as the sun illuminates 5th Avenue.

Aerial photograph of the Empire State Building illuminated at night.

1953: Empire State Building at Night

Aerial photograph of the Empire State Building illuminated at night.

Aerial photograph of Manhattan, looking south towards the downtown skyline. The Hudson River is also visible on the right.

1952: View of Manhattan Looking South

Aerial photograph of Manhattan, looking south towards the downtown skyline. The Hudson River is also visible on the right.

Photograph of a man holding an open umbrella, sitting on a dock with a view of the Statue of Liberty across the harbor.

1954: Man Looking Towards the Statue of Liberty

Photograph of a man holding an open umbrella, sitting on a dock with a view of the Statue of Liberty across the harbor.

Aerial Photograph of a busy night in Times Square, illuminated by its many billboards, storefronts and the lights of passing traffic.

1953: Times Square at Night

Aerial Photograph of a busy night in Times Square, illuminated by its many billboards, storefronts and the lights of passing traffic.

Photograph of people walking on a Manhattan sidewalk with several theatre marquees visible in the background.

1954: Pedestrians in the Theater District

Photograph of people walking on a Manhattan sidewalk with several theatre marquees visible in the background.

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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.

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.

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
How many historical Images are on this site?

There are currently 714 photos, lithographs, illustrations and maps on this site. Each one has been digitally restored and cleaned up by hand, which makes this collection truly unique.

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.

Can I purchase prints of the historical images available on the site?

History101.nyc is an ad-free and non-profit learning resource. We do not sell prints of these images. All operational costs are covered by Fine Print NYC

Do you accept admissions to this collection?

Absolutely! Feel free to send us an email with a preview of the image and we will let you know if it's a good fit for the archives.

How do you handle feedback or corrections regarding the historical context of images?

We welcome any feedback that you may have. If it proves to be historically accurate the changes will be reflected on the site shortly after our correspondence.

Do you collaborate with other historical societies or archives?

We have collaborated with NYC's Municipal Archives, The Tenemant Museum, Bronx Historical Society and a number of prominent NYC photographers to produce a series of limited edition postcards which free of charge, but only available via street distribution, primarily in Manhattan.

Do you also provide image restoration as a service for personal photos?

Yes, we can repair, restore and cleanup your old family photos, slides and negatives. You can either send us the digital files or the original photos to be professionally scanned.

Can you repair any type of image damage?

We can restore just about any level of damage or signs of aging, within reason. As long as most of the photo is intact we cn work with it. The one flaw we cannot fix is source material that is blurry. A poorly take photo can only be improved so much.

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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.