Question on NYC in early 1900s, are photo's around?

[jgenduso]

Hi everyone,

Even though I haven't matched them up yet, I have found many records the show folks from my grandmother's birth town of Resuttano and with our surname Genduso, Lo Re, Cagnina and Gallina mostly wound up on 2 Monroe St - 10 Monroe St and Mulberry St. in NYC.

Is there any way to get a picture of what the area looked like back then? I have looked at google maps from what it looks like now and it it seems the "even" side of Monroe St. buildings, doesn't exist.

And this is probably a stretch but did they have directories back then that included immigrants. Sorry if this is an ignorant question.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Joseph

[elba]

Hi Joseph,

You could try this site - it has hundreds of links, many of which contain photos...

>NYPL SITE<

Hope it helps
elba

[PeterTimber]

Another site that may also prove helpful is www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/gallery/home.shtml and go down the left hand column to where its says TAX PHOTOS and click on that and follow thru on the website that comes up since ALL tax paying houses in NYC were photographed in 1939. =Peter=

[Felitti-Trimarco]

Hi Joe,

This is not an ignorant question at all. It's a fantastic inquiry and I have a lot of experience with this. My Italian ancestors were in NYC during the early 1900's and I am constantly on the look out for old NYC photos of their residences and of the neighborhood where they lived. What's already been mentioned are the NYC tax photos, which are a great resource. These photos were taken in the later 30's and early 40's. Even though this wasn't NYC circa 1900, these photos still preserve the images of buildings which existed in 1900 but no longer do so today. You have to pay for these photos, but it is well worth it. I've ordered at least a half a dozen myself and have been very happy with the results.

The NYPL site is fantastic as well. I've recovered at least 20 photos from the 20's and 30's of building where my ancestors used to reside. Be patient and search thoroughly.

Be aggresive with your google searches. Keep searching through archives of old NYC photos. Just last week I found a new one pertinant to my particular area of research, and I've been doing this for years. Persistance pays off in the end.

- Felitti-Trimarco

[Sal]

AS mentioned above, the NYPL digital archives have many old photos. Try
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigi ... col_id=219 this link direct to the specific archive for streets and buildings. Put "Monroe Street" (without quotes) in the search box and one of the photos will be of #5 Monroe St in the 1930s.

Sal
www.trentinoheritage.com