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New York is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but such beauty is often best witnessed by looking back. Gotham has seen many changes over the last many decades, from its people to its architecture, and each change has helped build the character and legacy of the city in the eyes of the world. In honoring that legacy, we look to the work of many photographers who captured the essence of The Big Apple from the olden days until now. Enjoy this gallery of 50 Stunning Vintage Photographs of New York City.
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Cluster of Skyscrapers
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1901
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Park Avenue, 1957
Photographer: Samuel H. Gottscho
Year: 1957
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Snow on Fifth Avenue
Photographer: Mark Kauffman
Year: 1947
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DC-4 Flying Over NYC
Photographer: Margaret Bourke-White
Year: 1939
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Helicopter Over Gotham
Photographer: Anonymous
Year: 1956
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Washington Square Arch
Photographer: Samuel Gottscho
Year: 1930
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View From River House, 52nd Street
View From River House, 52nd Street
Photographer: Samuel Gottscho
Year: 1931
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Harlem River
Photographer: William Henry Jackson
Year: 1890
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Fire at the Fox Playhouse
Fire at the Fox Playhouse
Photographer: George Grantham Bain
Year: 1916
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Equitable Building Fire
Photographer: George Grantham Bain
Year: 1912
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Fifth Avenue at East 56th Street
Fifth Avenue at East 56th Street
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1905
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Crowds Outside Grand Central
Crowds Outside Grand Central
Photographer: George Grantham Bain
Year: 1908
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Under the El
Photographer: Frank Oscar Larson
Year: 1953
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Chrysler Building Reflection
Chrysler Building Reflection
Photographer: Frank Oscar Larson
Year: 1954
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Brookyln Bridge Tower
Photographer: Eugene de Salignac
Year: 1933
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George Washington Bridge
Photographer: Jack Rosenzwieg
Year: 1936
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The View from Brooklyn Bridge
The View from Brooklyn Bridge
Broadway to the Battery
Photographer: Berenice Abbott
Year: 1938
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Midtown Manhattan Aerial
Photographer: Andreas Feininger
Year: 1944
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Acrobats on the Empire State Building
Acrobats on the Empire State Building
Photographer: Otto Bettmann
Year: 1934
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Manhattan from Union Square
Manhattan from Union Square
Photographer: Andreas Feininger
Year: 1942
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Dock View
Photographer: Andreas Feininger
Year: 1946
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Downtown Mist
Photographer: Eliot Elisofon
Year: 1953
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Queensborough Bridge, New York City
Queensborough Bridge, New York City
Photographer: Frank Paulin
Year: 1956
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Harbour
Photographer: Henri Cartier-Bresson
Year: 1947
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C Train
Photographer: Richard Sandler
Year: 1985
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City Hall Subway Station
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1904
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Pennsylvania Station
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1910
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Chinatown
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1900
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Little Italy
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1905
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The Heart of New York
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1908
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Fulton Fish Market
Photographer: Gordon Parks
Year: 1943
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Up Broadway
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company
Year: 1901
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Times Square on a Rainy Day
Times Square on a Rainy Day
30 Rockefeller Center Plaza
30 Rockefeller Center Plaza
Photographer: Wurts Brothers
Year: 1932
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Queensboro Bridge
Photographer: Eugene de Salignac
Year: 1910
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Fulton Street Dock
Photographer: Bernice Abbot
Year: 1935
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Manhattan Bridge in Progress
Manhattan Bridge in Progress
Painters on the Brooklyn Bridge
Painters on the Brooklyn Bridge
Photographer: Eugene de Salignac
Year: 1914
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Stickball, Spanish Harlem
Stickball, Spanish Harlem
Parachute Jump, Coney Island
Parachute Jump, Coney Island
Photographer: Margaret Bourke-White
Year: 1951
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Storm Clouds Over the Brooklyn Bridge
Storm Clouds Over the Brooklyn Bridge
Photographer: Andreas Feininger
Year: 1946
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Cops in the Train, the Bronx
Cops in the Train, the Bronx
Photographer: Martha Cooper
Year: 1981
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Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge
Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge
Photographer: Eugene de Salignac
Year: 1918
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New York Times Building Under Construction
New York Times Building Under Construction
Photographer: Detroit Publishing Company Company
Year: 1903
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Grand Central Terminal, New York City
Grand Central Terminal, New York City
Photographer: John Collier
Year: 1941
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