The Taxi Cabs Of New York City Of The 1920s & 1930s
At the turn-of-the century, New York City had over a million horses serving the public. That situation was greatly affected by the arrival of automobiles. By the 1920s there were few horse drawn carriages still transporting people to their destinations. Along with the subway and buses, the taxi / auto industry had taken the horse’s place.
So what did these early taxi cabs look like? Below are some examples.
For this 1927 taxi model we can get a glimpse of the interior with the door open.
The fare for a ride was 20 cents for the first quarter mile and a nickel each additional quarter mile. The location of this photograph is somewhere along the waterfront.
This Packard taxi similar to the one shown above it, appears large and commodious.
A DeSoto Sky-View taxi looks to be parked near Central Park’s 60th Street and Fifth Avenue entrance.
This limousine-like taxi is part of the Parmelee System, a large nationwide taxi fleet.
A frontal view of a 1938 Dodge taxi, with a license plate for the upcoming 1939 World’s Fair.
