August 1, 2011

Color Pictures of NYC From The 1940s


A friend of mine sent a link to a website called Retronaut which recently posted some rare color photos of New York City from way back in the day....1942 to be exact.  This one is of Canal Street on the west side.  And the one below is familiar to denizens of the East Village.  It's McSorley's Tavern on 7th Street which has not changed at all since 1942, except for that fact that women are now allowed.

We're so used to seeing ol' New York in film noir black and white that it's always a shock to see that, yes, the world was colorful back then too.  What's notable to me is how quaint the city looks with it's low curbs and cobblestone streets.  There are some really beautiful pictures on the main site, worth checking out....