“Leonard Street, south from Calyer Street, showing in the left center foreground the spire of a Polish Church. July 25, 1939.” Photo via NYPL
The New York Public Library’s Old NYC website is an excellent resource for taking a walk down memory lane through vintage photos. The site maps the NYPL’s immense digital collection of vintage images of the five boroughs. While the concentration of photos is visibly the densest in Manhattan, the Brooklyn collection is also expansive, and an excellent wormhole back in time.
We already used the tool to roundup one set of images showing Greenpoint throughout the 20th Century, and here’s another, this time with a smaller date margin.
“Milton Street, east from Franklin Street to Manhattan Avenue. Showing on the left, in the background, the St. John’s Lutheran Church, at No. 155; in the extreme background, the St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church, at No. 870 Manhattan Avenue. April 27, 1930.” Photo via NYPL“The Franklin Street tenements and W.P.A. men working on a highway project at Calyer Street. June 27, 1935.” Photo via NYPL“139-159 Kent Street, north side, east from No. 139 at left foreground, east of Franklin Street. March 3, 1935.” Photo via NYPL“Clay Street, at Commercial Street, viewing westward toward the latter and showing operations on a W.P.A. sewer project. On the north side of Commercial Street is a coal yard, on Newtown Creek. July 22, 1936.” Photo via NYPL“Banker Street (right), north from Norman Ave., showing the Eagle Barrel Co., at 150 Banker Street. In the background on the left is Gem Street. The midtown skyscrapers of Manhattan are in the extreme background. July 23, 1937.” Photo via NYPL“152 Russell Street, west side, between Norman and Nassau avenues., showing the First Scandinavian Lutheran Church. March 3, 1935.” Photo via NYPL“North Henry Street, north from Nassau Avenue. September 1, 1939.” Photo via NYPL“Leonard Street, south from Greenpoint Avenue. In the background, the St. Elias Greek Church, at No. 20-22. On the right is a partially visible St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church and School. July 25, 1939.” Photo via NYPL“Franklin Street, east from near Kent Avenue. August 24, 1941.” Photo via NYPL
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Great pictures. Franklin Avenue is in a different part of Brooklyn. Do you mean Franklin Street? Not clear
Compared to the lush summertime greenery and many trees found on Milton street now, the 1930 photo of Milton Street looks quite barren, if nor bleak. But the church of St. Anthony has always been the crowning focal point at the head of the block, the best “dead end” view one could have. Thankfully the fact that Milton St. part of a historic district has preserved the facades of the many unique & different homes found here and on surrounding blocks such as Kent and Noble.
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Great pictures. Franklin Avenue is in a different part of Brooklyn. Do you mean Franklin Street? Not clear
For some reason the NYPL caption read “Franklin Avenue” but you’re right, it should be Street. Fixed, thank you!
Not a tree in any of the pictures.
Compared to the lush summertime greenery and many trees found on Milton street now, the 1930 photo of Milton Street looks quite barren, if nor bleak. But the church of St. Anthony has always been the crowning focal point at the head of the block, the best “dead end” view one could have. Thankfully the fact that Milton St. part of a historic district has preserved the facades of the many unique & different homes found here and on surrounding blocks such as Kent and Noble.
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