Emblematic Photographs of New York City in 1870:
A. T. Stewart's Marble Mansion
Three evocative 19th-century photographs of New York City which offer a wonderful snapshot of contrasting facets of the rapidly growing metropolis. These photographs were made by an anonymous visitor to New York circa 1870. The unidentified photographer was skillful and sensitive enough to juxtapose these amazing images on one side of a card mount.
The three images are captioned:
- 55th Street as it is.
- Broadway showing 'busses'
- The Fashionable Quarter: 34th Street at the intersection of 5th Avenue
The image of 55th Street reveals a rugged, undeveloped landscape that hints at the city’s ongoing expansion and urbanization, with two young men or boys sitting amid the rubbish heaps. In contrast, the photograph of Broadway captures the bustling energy of city life, filled with horse-drawn ‘busses’ and dense pedestrian traffic, showcasing New York’s role as an urban hub. The third image, A.T. Stewart’s marble mansion on 34th Street at the intersection of Fifth Avenue, illustrates the opulent wealth and architectural grandeur of the city's elite. Together, these scenes depict New York as an urban crucible, balancing areas of congestion, luxury, and development.
The Marble Mansion
The A.T. Stewart mansion, built in 1869 on the corner of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, was famously known as the "Marble Mansion." This grand residence was constructed by Alexander Turney Stewart, one of New York City's wealthiest men and a pioneer in the retail industry. Its gleaming white marble facade and opulent architectural details symbolized the incredible wealth that was beginning to define certain areas of the city, particularly along Fifth Avenue. Stewart's mansion stood as a beacon of New York City's prosperity and aspirations at a time of tremendous growth. The sheer luxury of the mansion, with its imported materials and grandiose design, underscored the growing disparity between the city's wealthy and its working classes, while highlighting Fifth Avenue's emergence as a boulevard of affluence in 19th-century New York.
The Manhattan shown in these photographs was a city in transformation, with industry, commerce, and infrastructure driving a rapid expansion. The images capture New York’s dynamic urban landscape as it prepared for its future as the world’s preeminent metropolis.