Lower Broadway 1902

Photographed May 15, 1902. American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. Camera: Robert K. Bonine The film shows a view which is looking north on Broadway from the intersection of Fulton Street, in front of St. Paul's Church (just out of view to the left). Note the passing horse drawn streetcar appearing at 1:10. Public transportation for "Courtland and Fulton Street Ferry," the fare for public transportation was 5¢. ''So we're on Broadway street at last! Jes' see the peepil! Looks like church was lettin' out of every buildin'. . . . Why Paw-Paw Center on Fourth of July ain't a patch on it. What's the special occasion, mister, an' where's all these peepil goin' so goldurn fast?'' ''Oh it's just the ordinary crowd [a bystander replies]. It's like this every day.'' . . .''Speakin' about craowds, a feller on the train tol' me they was a feller once tried to cross Broadway, an' it was so golblame packed he stood on the sidewalk an' waited twenty-four haours, an' when he finally made a beeline, goldurned if a street car an' a brewery truck didn't both hit him!'' - Picturing the City / Zurier [Hughes 1904, 196.] (p.193) New York City in 1902: The first electric train ran over the Second Avenue elevated on Jan. 9th / Daniel Burnham's Flatiron Building on 23rd St. was completed, the tallest building north of the financial district / The Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street opened, future home of the fabled 'Algonquin Round Table' / Macy's moved from 14th St. and Sixth Ave. to 34th St. & Broadway in Herald Square http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq74yNMtrLE / Charles Francis Murphy succeeds Richard Croker as Tammany Hall leader (there's a film of Croker in this collection) / William Sidney Porter arrives in NYC becoming known as O. Henry / July 25th in San Francisco: Jeffries KO's Fitzsimmons in the 8th round Thanks to RRaquello for recognizing the exact location in this film. Recommended reading: Picturing the City / Urban Vision and the Ashcan School - Rebecca Zurier