Tag Archives: Hotels

A List Of New York City Hotels In 1877

Leave a reply

Visitors Could Stay At These New York City Hotels In 1877

We’ve provided lists like this twice before for New York’s hotels in 1882 and 1964.

This is useful to someone researching or wondering about where the New York City hotels of 1877 were located.

This compilation  comes from The Practical Guide To New York City and Brooklyn by Henry Morford; Union News Company and Lee, Shephard and Dillingham( 1877).

The advertisement for Stevens House from the book shows a rate of $1.00 per day for a single room. Double occupancy at most hotels ran between $1.00 to $2.00.

One thing to take note of is that 38 Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #188 – Broadway & 28th Street Hotel Victoria

2 Replies

Looking Down Broadway & The Hotel Victoria c. 1908

This view from the southwest corner of 28th Street looking south along Broadway was taken by the Detroit Publishing Company circa 1908.

Let’s take a closer look at this photograph.

On the left is the eight story Hotel Victoria stretching from Broadway to Fifth Avenue along 27th Street. President Grover Cleveland would use the Victoria as his headquarters whenever he was visiting the city. The hotel began operations in 1872 and was razed in 1914.

You are not contemplating suicide when on the third floor, but there is a man standing on the hotel’s window ledge. He does not appear to be cleaning the windows.

In the background Continue reading →

Ladies Testing An Inventor’s New Life Preserver – 1932

Leave a reply

Escalator Inventor, Jesse W. Reno’s New Life Preserver Gets A Test In New York

Buoys And Girls – In New War On Drowning
New York – These lucky buoys are embracing the quartet of pretty maidens who assisted at the tests of a new life preserver at the Park Central Hotel pool today (Tuesday.) The device is said to be of one third the weight and three times the buoyancy of the present cork life vests. The belts are the invention of Jesse W. Reno, well known engineer who also invented the modern escalator or moving stairway. The girls are, left to right: Dorothy Day, Pat Hughes, Prudence Edgar and Sherry Pelham. photo: International News Photos 5-3-1932

As this old news photo confirms, getting publicity for a product usually works when you have pretty women pose with it.

Jesse W. Reno

Engineer Jesse Wilford Reno has an extremely short biography on Wikipedia. Reno’s entry says he invented the escalator and claims it was first installed at the Iron Pier at Coney Island in 1891.

But when Reno died at the age of 85, his obituary Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #180 – Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island

1 Reply

The Elephantine Colossus or Colossal Elephant Of Coney Island c.1890

For over 150 years Coney Island has attracted visitors to sample its beach, cuisine and amusement parks.

This magic lantern slide photograph shows an attraction that was more of a curiosity. Though It was only in existence for 11 years, hundreds of thousands of people came to see the Elephantine Colossus.

It was not a ride, but Continue reading →

Hotel Brunswick & Windsor Hotel Fifth Avenue – 1891

Leave a reply

A Typical Day On Fifth Avenue -1891

Here are two views of Fifth Avenue from the 1891 book History And Commerce Of New York (American Publishing and Engraving).

In our first illustration above we are looking north along Fifth Avenue towards The Hotel Brunswick (with flag on the roof) at the corner of 26th Street.

The second illustration below, Continue reading →

Old New York In Postcards #29 – New York Mounted Police 1905

1 Reply

The Mystery Location Of The Mounted Police Unit

Looking at this postcard of New York’s finest on horses my first thought was: where is this?

The postcard itself holds few clues unless you are an expert in recognizing mundane landmarks from 120 years ago. The card shows some buildings and the mounted police.

But there was a way to find out by taking a closer look.

Because this postcard was put out by the Detroit Publishing Company in 1905, there might be an original photograph held by the Library of Congress where much of the company’s archive resides. A search provided a clear match. And from that photograph the location could be pinpointed.

The most important clues Continue reading →

Classic Hollywood #153 – Marilyn Monroe Wins An Award

1 Reply

Marilyn Monroe, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson At The 1962 Golden Globe Awards

Charlton Heston admires his Golden Globe Award for Most Popular Male Star as Marilyn Monroe is embraced by Rock Hudson who awarded Marilyn the Golden Globe’s Henrietta Award as The World’s Most Popular Female Star at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.photo: Golden Globe Awards, March 5, 1962

It may come as no surprise that Marilyn Monroe never won an Academy Award. She was never even nominated for one. Despite strong performances in Bus Stop and Some Like It Hot Marilyn was considered by many in the Hollywood community as a personality rather than a true  actress.

But Marilyn’s popularity with the public never waned, at least internationally. Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #155 – New York Herald Building c. 1897

Leave a reply

A Street Level View Of The New York Herald Building 1897

This magic lantern slide from around 1897 shows The New York Herald Building at 35th Street sandwiched between Broadway on the left and Sixth Avenue with the El on the right.

The Herald newspaper became the first paper to abandon newspaper row, where most newspapers had their headquarters along Park Row. The Herald’s new home designed by McKim, Mead and White, opened for business on Monday, August 21, 1893. According to the clock Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #146 – The Plaza Hotel With Interior Views 1909

1 Reply

The New Plaza Hotel And The Suite Of John W. “Bet A Million” Gates- 1909

This real photo postcard by Thaddeus Wilkerson shows the new Plaza Hotel. The hotel towers above its neighbors offering its guests terrific views of the city and the park. We are looking southwest from the Hotel Netherland on 60th Street and Fifth Avenue. The southern boundary of Central Park at 59th Street is on the right and on the extreme left is a portion of the Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth Ave and 58th Street.

The original Plaza Hotel on the same site was opened in 1890 and demolished in 1905.  The new Henry Hardenbergh designed Plaza Hotel was much larger than its predecessor.

The original estimate to buy the site, raze the old hotel and build the new hotel was Continue reading →

Old New York In Postcards #26 – Broadway 1895-1915

1 Reply

Views Along Broadway From Bowling Green To Washington Heights

Broadway and 62nd Street – The Colonial Vaudeville Theater is on the left, 1913

Broadway means New York City. Sure there are other Broadway’s in the United States, but none have the same clout that New York’s Broadway does. It is the longest street in Manhattan and one of the oldest. What the Dutch called De Heere Straat and later De Heere Wegh, became Great George Street under English rule. The street was paved in 1707, but only from Bowling Green to Trinity Church at Wall Street. After the Revolution, New York’s citizens began renaming streets and Great George Street became Broadway.

Here are some postcard views of Broadway dating from 1895 – 1915 Continue reading →