Comments on: The Past is Another City

The Past is Another City

Miko — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:26:31 -0800

Photos of 1940s New York City.

By: Malice

Malice — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:28:28 -0800

I adore old photos. Nice find!

By: shmegegge

shmegegge — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:29:00 -0800

hot fucking damn, this is pretty awesome.

By: Elmore

Elmore — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:30:20 -0800

Nishe, I said nishe. Cool post.

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:33:40 -0800

Egad, compare Times Square.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:36:44 -0800

DO WANT

By: Devils Slide

Devils Slide — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:51:54 -0800

What an absolutely amazing set of a special time and place in history. Seems you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a jazz legend back then. And NYC was so ahead of its time; there are lesbian lovers sharing a kiss at a movie theater without anyone giving them a second look. Thanks, Miko.

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:05:12 -0800

Check out the poster's other sets, also sorted by decade.

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:16:10 -0800

My last year's calendar was old pictures of old NY. I was sorry when January rolled around again. These contain niceness.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:49:23 -0800

You're a doll.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:51:48 -0800

Hydrox and Ice Cream. Timelessly delicious.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:59:59 -0800

Wow. These are so great I'll forgive you for making me feel sharp pangs of nostalgia for NYC. Check out this shot of the Polo Grounds!

By: languagehat

languagehat — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:01:13 -0800

And here's Ebbets Field.

By: dersins

dersins — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:18:13 -0800

Egad, compare Times Square. ...and it's even different now!

By: YoBananaBoy

YoBananaBoy — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:38:19 -0800

These are great. Slightly reminds me of Hines and Levitt. Lovely post, Miko.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:41:49 -0800

Thanks for the heads up, Miko, these are great! And indeed, this guy's earlier NYC collections are great, too. Check this amazing view of that crazy grandiose entrance to the Manhattan Bridge, years before it was surrounded by Chinese movie theaters and restaurants!

By: Faze

Faze — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:45:29 -0800

This was New York after ten years of the Great Depression: a grimy, ugly, worn-out place brimming with unquenchable human vitality. All those foul tenements. Gritty wasn't just a metaphor.

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:01:04 -0800

Some of those color shots of the red brick buildings reminded me strongly of this. I feel I know a bit better what the painter was trying to capture and express.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:08:31 -0800

Hah! These are great. I love how this one is just the essence of sketchyness -- right down to the anonymous men in long coats. The train in this one is great. I guess there's a reason they call it steampunk. And wow, a look at pre -Robert -Moses-Bronx. I can only imagine what happened to these places. Nice to know that Times Square was always pretty annoying. Except during wartime, when it was just kinda freaky. Okay, I guess sometimes it can be a bit heartwarming. The downtown skyline was always beautiful and impressive. The Williamsburg bridge never was. They tore down Ebbet's Field!!!! Of course I don't even think my Dad is old enough to remember that place, but as an American, I feel obligated to shed a tear for the death of innocense or something. These are probably my ancestors. This is totally the beginning of a movie that's never been made. Or perhaps every movie that's ever been made. Who is to say? South Street looks pretty much the same. Housing projects were such a disaster in urban planning. If this neighborhood were still around, imagine how cool it would be in 2009. Back before the Italians moved out of Chinatown. (I kid, I kid) Same as it ever was. Anybody here read Winter's Tale? Somewhere in this crowd, a man and woman are kissing famously. Man, I missed all the good stuff. Noir. Best. Bridge. Evar. My god! Annoying subway musicians are EVERYWHERE. You can't even time travel to get away from them. On the plus side, they don't play accordions anymore. On the down side, they all want to play Knockin' on Heaven's Door. Greyhound bus terminals were apparently magical places. Someone's going to make this into a t-shirt in 5...4...3...2.... What the hell you lookin' at? This one speaks for itself. Anybody else read The Basketball Diaries? Didn't they make a musical about this? Cojones. Another great movie.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:31:29 -0800

This post is so wonderful I can't stand it. The only other thing that makes me this hideously nostalgic is watching 70s movies like Save the Tiger.

By: scratch

scratch — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:40:19 -0800

My home, my home, I want to go home. (No, I'm not that old. But despite everything, the city is still the city; you just have to know where to look.) Bittersweetly excellent post.

By: sfts2

sfts2 — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:51:27 -0800

Love the stadiums. Love springtime in NY. Walking by Williamsburg Bridge entrance and then Bryant Park tomorrow eat your heart out...

By: chihiro

chihiro — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:33:59 -0800

Amazing, especially the color ones. They make me feel like I could walk right into them.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:39:38 -0800

sfts2 - while you're near Bryant, be sure to observe the W.R. Grace building -- a work of simple, understated beauty.

By: sfts2

sfts2 — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:12:09 -0800

See it all the time...:-)

By: nosila

nosila — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:44:09 -0800

People cast such dark shadows before I was born. I wish I could do that.

By: dame

dame — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:42:25 -0800

Beautiful. I often get the strangest sense of nostalgia for a time I never knew living here.

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:22:41 -0800

Wow, awesome post. Thanks!

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:33:00 -0800

Oh wow, this might be the most amazing photo I've ever seen. Holy unexpected arm, Batman!