Stunning Color Photographs of New York City in the Early 1900s

Life was colorful in turn of the century New York City. But because almost all the photographs we see from that era are in black and white, it is hard to imagine what the city looked like in its full color glory.

The Library of Congress holds the incredible collection of The Detroit Publishing Company who manufactured postcards and chronicled the world with their photographs from 1880-1920.

One of the processes used to achieve color was called the photochrom. Photochrom’s are color photo lithographs created from a black and white photographic negative. Color impressions are achieved through the application of multiple lithograph stones, one per color. In 1897, the Detroit Publishing Company brought the process over from Switzerland where it was first developed.

The images presented here were eventually used for postcards. Here is a look at New York in 1900.

South Street and Brooklyn Bridge 1900

Park Row a.k.a. Newspaper Row

West Street and Liberty Street

Ninth Avenue Elevated 110th Street Curve

The Bowery looking north 1900 showing Third Avenue Elevated and The Bowery Savings Bank

City Hall New York City 1900

Fifth Avenue and 51st Street

High Bridge

(via Stuff Nobody Cares About)