History101.NYC is an ad-free learning resource available to the public at no charge. The project is dedicated to exploring New York’s fascinating past. We restore vintage photographs and prints that document the City's history and heritage. We also research the natural forces that shaped the environment, along with the people who formed the landscape and culture.
History of NYC - 1960 to 1965
During the early 60s, New York City and its infrastructure continued to grow under the direction of Mayor Warner and prolific architect Robert Moses. Not all of his ideas were accepted, including a proposal to build a Lower Manhattan Expressway which would have cut through from the Williamsburg Bridge to the Holland Tunnel and dramatically changed Soho and Little Italy. Nonetheless he remained an imbipresent force in the shaping of the city at this time. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was constructed finally uniting the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
1964: Street Scene at 5th Avenue and 40th Street
Photograph of midtown traffic and pedestrians walking along 5th Avenue, looking south at the corner of 40th Street.
Artist Credit: Thomas J. O'Halloran. Reprinted with permission.
1960: Jefferson Market Library
Photograph of Jefferson Market Library, formely Third Judicial District Courthouse on 425 Avenue of the Americas.
Artist Credit: Giorgio Cavalieri. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Clock at Pennsylvania Station
Photograph taken from a Historic American Buildings Survey on April 24, 1962 of the Pennsylvania Station Concourse from the south.
Artist Credit: Cervin Robinson. Reprinted with permission.
1964: Macombs Road, Bronx New York
Photograph of an abandoned car on Macombs Road in the Bronx, New York City.
Artist Credit: Phil Stanziola. Reprinted with permission.
1964: Playing on MacDougal Street
Photograph of a local game of kickball being played in the middle of MacDougal Street in Manhattan.
Artist Credit: Paul Palumbo. Reprinted with permission.
1960: Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry
Photograph of the New York Harbor from the Battery to Staten Island taken from the Ferry.
Artist Credit: Max Henry Hubacher. Reprinted with permission.
1960: New York Harbor and Manhattan Skyline
Panoramic photograph of the New York Harbor with tugboat and lower Manhattan skyline.
Artist Credit: Max Henry Hubacher. Reprinted with permission.
1964: TWA Terminal Interior at Night
An interior shot of the Trans World Airlines Terminal, taken from the mezzanine level at night.
Artist Credit: Balthazar Korab. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station, Interior Entrance
Photograph of Pennsylvania Station's Entrance and Waiting Area.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station
Photograph of the steel support beams of Pennsylvania Station's famous Main Concourse.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station Interior Masonry
Photograph of the elaborate stonework and pillars that once adorned the walls of Pennsylvania Station.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station Facade
Photograph of Pennsylvania Station's southern facade along 31st Street.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station and Seventh Avenue
Photograph of Pennsylvania Station's Entrance at 370 Seventh Avenue.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Pennsylvania Station Concourse Interior
Photograph of passengers waiting for their train at Pennsylvania Station's Main Concourse.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission.
1962: Washington Market Trucks
Photograph of trucks being loaded with produce at Washington Market in Downtown Manhattan.
Artist Credit: Phil Stanziola. Reprinted with permission.Next Chapter: History of NYC - 1965 to 1970
As the boon of the postwar economy declined and the civil rights movement began to build momentum, the late 60s would prove to be a time of change. The skyline loses one of its ... Continue Reading