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February 18, 2026

New York City in the Late 1950s Through Nick DeWolf’s Lens

New York City in the late 1950s was a cinematic landscape of vibrant contrasts and mid-century modernism.

The streets were a symphony of chrome-bumpered Cadillacs, yellow Checker Cabs, and men in sharp fedoras hurrying past neon-lit diners. This era captured the city at a cultural crossroads: the grit of the Bowery coexisted with the soaring optimism of new glass skyscrapers like the Seagram Building.

It was a decade that felt both bustling and intimate, defined by a gritty, jazz-fueled energy that cemented New York as the undisputed capital of the world. These vintage photos, taken by American photographer Nick DeWolf, capture street scenes in New York City in the late 1950s.

Corner of 5th Avenue and east 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, 1957

Corner of 6th Avenue and west 42nd Street, New York City, 1957

LaGuardia Airport, New York City, 1957

Passenger holding area, New York City, 1957

East 42nd Street, New York City, 1957

Grand Central Terminal, New York City, 1957

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1957

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1957

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1957

Midtown Manhattan, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

New York Penn Station, New York City, April 1958

"New York's Greatest Entertainment Value", New York City, March 1958

At a bar, New York City, March 1958

From the airplane window, New York City, June 1958

Manhattan, New York City, March 1958

Market, New York City, March 1958

Subway rider, New York City, December 1958

The Empire State Building, New York City, March 1958

The Peacock Caffe, Greenwich Village, New York City, March 1958

The Peacock Caffe, Greenwich Village, New York City, March 1958

Times Square, New York City, March 1958

Transition booth, New York Coliseum, New York City, March 1958

View of city from the observation deck of the Empire State Building, New York City, March 1958

Idlewild Airport, New York City, October 1959

Idlewild Airport, New York City, October 1959

Lobby of the Imperial Theatre, Broadway, performance of the musical, "Destry Rides Again", New York City, March 1959

Passenger lounge, Idlewild Airport, New York City, May 1959

Passenger terminal, Idlewild Airport, New York City, May 1959

Passenger terminal, Idlewild Airport, New York City, October 1959

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