Vintage Photograph From 1900 Shows Kids Playing on a Lower East Side Tenement Rooftop

Airshaft of a dumbbell tenement, New York City, taken from the roof
Airshaft of a dumbbell tenement, New York City, taken from the roof

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has a great digital collection titled American Cities which "depicts the city, its development, and its people and their way of life from the early 19th century to recent times."

This photograph from the American Cities series (archive #535468) features a rooftop shot of a New York City "dumbbell" tenement building along with a group of kids playing on it.

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

Something wrong with this post? Let us know!

Brought To You By…