Everything happens in New York, the city that never sleeps. Skyscrapers, bright lights, and famous stars make up this magical metropolis.
We draw on that great invention called photography to peek into its history and heart. A biography of the city in images. Past, present, and future of the Big Apple.
These are the most incredible New York photographs.
New York During The Crash Of '29
They called it Black Thursday. Today, we know it as the Crash of '29.
One of the New York photographs shows how the city experienced it, with the Wall Street reaching a boiling point. Then came Black Monday and Black Tuesday, confirming the end of one era and the beginning of a darker one.
New York Celebrates The End Of World War II
As witnessed in numerous New York photographs, the end of World War II was celebrated in New York City Times Square.
The end of the war was celebrated with a replica of the Statue of Liberty and hundreds of kisses. One of them is the famous spontaneous kiss between a nurse who passed by and a sailor. It was August 15, 1945, and the world was at peace.
Inauguration Of The 1964 New York World's Fair
One of the greatest World's Fairs took place in New York in 1964. Many still make a pilgrimage to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. They want to see the Unisphere up close. It is a large globe, a symbol of the event, made of stainless steel.
The globe stands proudly even today, and you can see it in New York photographs.
The Hindenburg Flying Over New York In 1937
In 1937, the Hindenburg tore through the New York sky. It was another way of traveling, and the journey was described as an incomparable experience.
Months later, the largest zeppelin the world had ever seen burned at the New Jersey station after sparks ignited the hydrogen charge that made it float. The images went around the world. No airship crossed the sky in commercial flight ever again.
1998: The Twin Towers From The Chrysler Building
From the Chrysler Building, the New York skyline is instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers in the background.
This is one of the New York photographs from 1998, where you can see the Big Apple waking up in all its splendor.
New York Is Cinema
On September 15, 1954, Marilyn Monroe became an icon of the 20th century at the intersection of 51st and Lexington avenues. There, the subway steam lifted her white dress on The Seven Year Itch set.
That exact point will always be one of the hot spots of the Big Apple, cinematographically speaking. New York is a cinema, and we all know it.
The Fast Food Of 1955
New York photographs also captured the iconic New York food stalls. They are a symbol of the city famous as the Empire State.
Gourmet Street Food In New York
You can find everything in NY street food carts, even gourmet delicacies of the new culinary trends conquering the world.
New York is the capital of the world, and this is where you must try the street food. You should immortalize the moment with one of the recognized New York photographs of fast-food carts.
Douglas Fairbanks Selling War Bonds In 1918
New York photographs from 1918 show how Douglas Fairbanks rallied a crowd in downtown New York.
Along with Charlie Chaplin, he promoted the sale of war bonds for World War I.
John Lennon Against The Vietnam War In Bryant Park In New York Photographs
Years later, there was another war on the front pages of the newspapers. This time, it was John Lennon who, together with Yoko Ono, asked New York City to mobilize. The couple preached against the Vietnam War.
Some 50,000 people listened to them live and directly in Bryant Park.
New York Celebrates The End Of The Vietnam War
New York celebrated the end of the Vietnam War on May 11, 1975. There were more than 80,000 people celebrating peace in Central Park.
New York Photographs Of The Pain And Flowers For The Murder Of John Lennon
Sadly, on December 8, 1980, a disturbed fan ended John Lennon's life on his doorstep. Thousands of flowers were deposited by crying fans at the murder scene.
Today, the Imagine mosaic in Central Park excites fans of the former Beatles legend.
The Dakota Building, Hidden History Of New York
John Lennon lived in the Dakota building in New York. This building was also the home of the mysterious English Wicca wizard Gerald Brosseau Gardner. He claimed to be able to invoke the hidden forces of nature. Since then, a window into the unknown has remained open inside it.
The story inspired Roman Polansky for his famous film Rosemary's Baby, whose filming aroused members of various satanic cults.
Among them was Charles Manson. He soon led the attack on the Californian house of the director. Polanski's pregnant wife, the actress Sharon Tate, was murdered that night.
During filming, strange events happened all the time and disrupted the shooting. The most notorious incident was the nervous breakdown suffered by the protagonist, the young Mia Farrow.
Nowadays, and despite this history, celebrities are fighting to live here. Things of fame, we suppose.
New York photographs show the lasting beauty of the Dakota building.
Times Square Through The Prism Of 1960s New York Photographs
Broadway Avenue, from the Dutch breede wegh, meaning wide road, is the longest street in New York. Its length of 33 kilometers crosses Manhattan from north to south.
When it crosses the seventh avenue, you are in Times Square, the center par excellence of the city. Theaters, lights, and hundreds of people rushing at any given moment. In 1965 New York photographs, it looked like this.
Times Square In 2013
And in New York photographs of 2013, it looked like this. Neon lights and Blade Runner billboards, skyscrapers, and lots of life.
The Cast Of The Musical Camelot On Broadway In 1960
Only a few in 1960 had not yet seen Broadway's Camelot. It was the greatest musical of the season that ran for three years, starring Julie Andrews as Guinevere and Richard Burton as King Arthur.
New York Photographs Of JFK And Jackie Kennedy At The 1960 Columbus Day Parade
Jackie Kennedy spoke of the same Camelot during the funeral of JFK. In her husband's honor, she tearfully said that the mythical King Arthur existed for a brief and brilliant period of time.
Among the New York photographs, in this one, the "king" walked through New York during the 1960 Columbus Day Parade.
The Beatles New York Photographs In Central Park In February 1964
On February 12, 1964, three Beatles were seen in a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park. Later they would give one of the band's most legendary concerts at Carnegie Hall.
It was New York that welcomed them to world fame.
Queuing In 1936 To See Toscanini Conduct The Big Apple Philharmonic
The Big Apple is famous for its long queues, and this is especially the case for seeing a music superstar. And this happened for more than a decade when Arturo Toscanini directed the New York Philharmonic (in two periods, from 1908 to 1915 first and from 1926 to 1936 later).
The queues to obtain a seat at Carnegie Hall were biblical and are captured in New York photographs.
Radio City Music Hall
The Radio City Music Hall was once saved from its closure and disappearance. After the severe economic crisis that the country suffered in 1978, it was declared a National Cultural Heritage. It was additionally covered with a glass partition for preservation.
The building is designed in recognizable Art Decó style and a tradition dating back to 1933. All its events evoke great interest, with classics such as The Radio City Christmas Spectacular or the Grammy and Tony Awards.
The New York Central Depot, The Root Of Grand Central Station
The New York Central Depot was the root of what would become the great New York train station.
Frenchified in style, it served rail traffic between 1871 and 1903. Then it was decided to modernize the gateway to the city in a manner more appropriate to the big city and, above all, more New York.
Minerva, Hercules, And Mercury Protect Grand Central
It is perhaps the most famous train station globally and, for many, the most beautiful. There are days when more tourists are passing to see it than passengers getting on a train.
It has a breathtaking starry ceiling, which curiously represents the constellations seen from the sky and not from the ground (by mistake). Tourists are also lured by its Beaux-Arts facade, with Minerva, Hercules, and Mercury on the top.
In 1968 they were about to demolish it to build a skyscraper. But luckily, a citizens' wave saved it. Thanks to them, you can see the station in New York photographs and in person.
New York Photographs Of The Iconic Interior Of Grand Central
Memorable cinematographic scenes have been shot inside the Grand Central. If we had to choose one, it would be Cary Grant gliding down its hall in Alfred Hitchcock's Death on His Heels.
Sheet Metal And Paint For The Statue Of Liberty In 1938
The Statue of Liberty, with the full name Liberty Enlightening the World, was a gift from the French people to the United States. It was given for the first centennial of its independence.
Inaugurated on Liberty Island in 1886, it immediately became a nation's symbol. It is interesting to know that it functioned as a lighthouse until 1902.
Another of its peculiarities is that Gustave Eiffel himself designed the interior structure of the monument. He designed it to withstand the force of the Atlantic winds.
However, it has needed extra care to continue looking perfect to the world. This one from 1938 shows workers taking care of the crown, as the photographer captured the moment from the torch of Miss Liberty.
The 1970 New York Thanksgiving Parade
In 1927, New York Zoo animals paraded alongside Macy's department store workers in the first Thanksgiving parade. Over the years, they were replaced by colossal flying balloons in the shape of animals. These animal balloons are now the most visible symbol of the event.
Today it is known as the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Inflation, which takes place a day before Thanksgiving.
The final touch to the grand parade is the Santa Claus float. It symbolizes the arrival of Christmas and has been broadcasted nationwide by NBC since 1955.
