The original Pennsylvania Station was a historic railroad station, opened in 1910 and demolished a short 54 years later. It's grandeur matched or exceeded that of Grand Central Terminal, and was one of the architectural jewels of the City.
By the mid-60's however, rail traffic had declined massively due to the rise of both the airline and automotive industries, and the building was demolished so that an above-ground business complex and sports arena could be built instead.
What a tragedy. At least we can still enjoy vintage photographs like this one in the Library of Congress Digital Archives and celebrate its beauty and architecture through the lens of an old New York photographer.
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