The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have given Americans a new appreciation of our country's traditions and history. Vintage New York, created in 1998 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the joining of New York's five separate boroughs into one great metropolis, chronicles the first hundred years of this great city's people, events and landmarks.

This copperplate etching shows the New York City skyline as it appeared in 1930

            The exhibition consists of over a hundred 19th and early 20th century original and replica engravings, etchings and photographs. For older viewers, it's a voyage back in time that evokes nostalgic memories. For the young, it shows images of the city's past that they probably have never seen before.

            

Squatters in 1869 in the part of Manhattan that later became Central Park.

The Franklin Square Station on the Third Avenue El in New York in 1878.

The disparity between the rich and the poor in the late 19th century is evident in a comparison of the hovels of the Squatters with these Fifth Avenue Mansions.

Pushcarts were the equivalent of today's discount stores and street vendors in the 1920's.

Beer was sold by the bucket out of trucks like this one seen in this Harpers 1920 engraving.

            

Etching of a typical tenement building in New York in 1930. Washlines connected almost every building on every block.

A panic took place on Wall Street after the 1888 financial crash. No one anticipated that this scene would be repeated again in 1929.

Organ grinders were a popular form of street entertainment in the city in 1910.

            Many of the scenes in Vintage New York are simply of peaceful oases tucked away in corners of this great metropolis: places where its citizens can find refuge from the hectic pace of urban life.

The Little Church Around the Corner - a refuge from the hectic pace of midtown business life.

Madison Square Garden in 1924, one year before it's demolition.

A 1936 view of the harbor with fishing boats that surrounded Manhattan.

The Brooklyn Bridge Footpath in 1888. Hazardous work that created one of the greatest bridges in the world.

Firefighting using steam powered trucks in 1868 was another hazardous occupation. This explosion killed five & left twenty-two injured.

           This exhibition is a small glimpse into the lives of the people of one of the world's greatest cities in a bygone century. In times of strife, a look into the past is often helpful in maintaining a positive perspective for the future.

The 34th St. station in 1951, a year before this last el in Manhattan was demolished.

Vast areas of the city were destroyed to make way for 1950's & 1960's urban development.

          Vintage New York is an attempt to bring to light once again an aspect of nostalgic New York that survives today only in small part, whether in architecture or in spirit. Preserving the memories of a time almost forgotten may well provide a haven from a world that often seems too anxious to rush into uncertain futures. A complete listing of all the prints in the exhibition can be seen by clicking here, and new color prints by Leon Dolice included in the exhibition and sale can be seen by clicking here.

            Vintage New York was created by The New Rochelle Council on The Arts, a cultural resource for the 80,000 residents of the City of New Rochelle, NY and citizens of Westchester County, New York. It was funded in part by a grant from the Michael and Helen Schaffer Foundation. More information on the NRCA can be found on the NRCA web page.

            This exhibition is available for loan at no charge to museums, arts organizations, educational institutions, corporations and others who may have a use for it as a cultural resource. Since 1998, Vintage New York has been seen at the New Rochelle Library, where it opened, Hofstra Museum, Art & Decor Expos at Javits Center in NY, The Shrub Oak Library, The Montauk Artists' Association, The Oakeside Cultural Center in Bloomfield, NJ, Grand Terminal Gallery in Manhattan and a number of other galleries in the greater New York metro area. It was most recently on display at Grace Institute, 1233 Second Avenue (64th-65th Streets) in Manhattan October - December 2003. A holiday benefit sale of prints of New York from the exhibition was held as well.

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