OthÂer than one or two of the world’s superÂcenteÂnarÂiÂans, nobody rememÂbers New York in 1911. PlenÂty of livÂing hisÂtoÂriÂans and enthuÂsiÂasts of the city have paid intenÂsive attenÂtion to that boomÂing time periÂod when the city’s popÂuÂlaÂtion fast approached five milÂlion, but none expeÂriÂenced it first-hand. They, and we, can get no closÂer to it than watchÂing the footage above, origÂiÂnalÂly shot by a Swedish docÂuÂmenÂtary team which set out to capÂture the most celÂeÂbratÂed places in the world at the time, a list also includÂing NiaÂgara Falls, Paris, Monte CarÂlo, and Venice. The pracÂtiÂcalÂly immacÂuÂlate conÂdiÂtion of the film highÂlights both the simÂiÂlarÂiÂties and difÂferÂences between the street life of New York over a cenÂtuÂry ago and of New York today.
Take a look at the taiÂlored or taiÂlored-lookÂing clothÂing on nearÂly everyÂone, even the one-legged man makÂing his delibÂerÂate way past the ChiÂnese groÂcery. Then as now, most New YorkÂers got around on foot, and since the city’s first subÂway line had opened just sevÂen years before, the domÂiÂnant pubÂlic tranÂsit options remained streetÂcars and eleÂvatÂed trains.
In the realm of priÂvate vehiÂcles, horse-drawn carÂriages had only just begun to give way to motorÂcars. (Since 1911 was still the age of silent film, the ambiÂent sound of all this was added latÂer.) “Take note of the surÂprisÂing and remarkÂably timeÂless expresÂsion of boreÂdom exhibÂitÂed by a young girl filmed as she was chaufÂfeured along BroadÂway in the front seat of a conÂvertÂible limÂouÂsine,” says the MuseÂum of ModÂern Art’s notes.
MoMA, which exhibÂitÂed the footage last year, also points out familÂiar landÂmarks: “OpenÂing and closÂing with shots of the StatÂue of LibÂerÂty, the film also includes New York HarÂbor; BatÂtery Park and the John EricÂsÂson statÂue; the eleÂvatÂed railÂways at BowÂery and Worth Streets; BroadÂway sights like Grace Church and Mark Cross; the FlatÂiron BuildÂing on Fifth Avenue; and MadiÂson Avenue.” Any modÂern New YorkÂer halfway interÂestÂed in the city will know all those places, and even if the city has changed in countÂless othÂer ways, they’ll sense the very same charÂacÂterÂisÂtic vitalÂiÂty in these clips that they feel there today. Will New YorkÂers of the future have the same reacÂtion, to, say, the JapanÂese high-defÂiÂnÂiÂtion video demo footage shot on those very same streets in the 1990s? It’ll take about eighty years to find out. We probÂaÂbly won’t be here by then, but New York cerÂtainÂly will.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
1905 Video Shows New York City SubÂway TravÂelÂing From 14th St. to 42nd Street
The OldÂest Known Footage of LonÂdon (1890–1920) FeaÂtures the City’s Great LandÂmarks
Berlin Street Scenes BeauÂtiÂfulÂly Caught on Film (1900–1914)
New York City: A Social HisÂtoÂry (A Free Online Course from N.Y.U.)
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities and culÂture. His projects include the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.