Old New York in Early Photographs: 1853-1901 [Paperback]

Mary Black (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1973

New York City as it was 1853-1901, through 196 wonderful photographs: great blizzard, Lincoln's funeral procession, great buildings, much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 2 Revised edition (June 1, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486229076
• ISBN-13: 978-0486229072
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for historians and genealogists., October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Old New York in Early Photographs: 1853-1901 (Paperback)

This book features 196 carefully chosen photos from the New-York Historical Society, arranged by neighborhood from the Battery to the Bronx (though the emphasis is on Manhattan). These superb photos document the changing face of New York City -- not only the buildings (from mansions to shacks), but the people, clothing styles, and modes of transportation. A succinct description accompanies each, pointing out features of interest. Some focal points are presented in several photos taken years or decades apart. An excellent book for anyone who wants to really get a sense of the times.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better collections out there, November 11, 2003

By 

Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old New York in Early Photographs: 1853-1901 (Paperback)

The print quality of the photos in OLD NEW YORK IN EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS is quite good, better than most. And the quantity of the photographs is equally impressive. And that's about it for the positives.

Arranged by neighborhood, the photos have little else to do with each other. There is no unifying theme holding the photos together. Not that every collection ought to have a theme as powerful as Jacob Riis' HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES, but these photos seem so haphazardly arranged. The scanty text doesn't even attempt to explain how the individual vignettes came about, or how it relates to the particiular time in New York's history that the photo was taken. And, of course, Manhattan is the only borough represented here. I suppose the citizens of the other four boroughs had yet to climb down from their trees and build fires, never mind operate cameras.

Rocco Dormarunno from ooog-ooog Brooklyn

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Big Apple Box, July 27, 2003

By 

Carolyn Paetow (Proctorville, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Old New York in Early Photographs: 1853-1901 (Paperback)

If one desires a book of page-size, sterile photos of substantial structures (with minimal captions) this volume will certainly fill the bill. If, however, one prefers historical snapshots of people amidst the buildings or scenes of shacks or tenements, be forewarned that these are few and far between. Also, in number, the later-in-time pictures tend to predominate. Thus, if the viewer is looking to gaze a la Gangs of New York, some of the wordier texts provide much more appropriate photographic fodder.