This great vintage photograph from the U.S. National Archives shows the "Lantern Side of Hester Street" in 1903. At the time, the immigrant-settled Lower East Side had a very large Jewish population mixed in with established Germans, Italians and Eastern Europeans. In this photo you can see several Jewish storefronts and pedestrians, alongside street-side food carts and merchants selling wares on the busy street. Check out the specimen page for more info on the photo.
Eldridge St & Hester St
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!
