Vintage Photograph Shows a Clean, Ad-Free Times Square in 1908

Times Square, 1908
Times Square, 1908
Photo: LOC

One Times Square, the famous building on the south end of Manhattan's Times Square built, was once the home of The New York Times. It was completed in 1904 and the Times stayed there for just 10 years before moving out. Over the next century, the building would become a home to a speakeasy, a shooting range, and offices. But ever since the massive billboards went up, the building has remained empty.

In this vintage photo from 1908, see the building in its original state, before 90% of it was plastered with advertisements. Here is a Google Street View of how the same angle looks today:

For more on this photo, including larger scans and prints, check out its specimen page in the Library of Congress archives.

via reddit

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…