Old Photos USA

[JBOB]

Philadelphia First

Oldest continuously occupied street in the Western Hemisphere: Elfreth's Alley, since 1713.
First art school and art museum: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, founded 1805.
Oldest theater in continuous use in the English-speaking world: Walnut Street Theater, since 1809.
First orchestra to appear in a motion picture (1937), on television (1948) and to tour China (1973): Philadelphia Orchestra.
First city to guarantee religious freedom, beginning in 1682.
First African-American church: Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, established 1794.
First zoo in America: Philadelphia Zoo, chartered in 1859 and opened in 1874.
First July 4th event: 1776. Still a big celebration every year with the 10-day Sunoco Welcome America! festival.
First Thanksgiving Day Parade: 1919.
First botanical garden: Bartram's Garden, opened 1728.
First U.S. stock exchange: Philadelphia Stock Exchange, 1790.
First international-style skyscraper: Loews Philadelphia Hotel (12th & Market Streets), formerly the PSFS (bank) Building, 1932. This was also the first totally air-conditioned building in America.
First and oldest hospital in America: Pennsylvania Hospital, opened 1751.
First World's Fair in America:the Centennial International Exhibition, 1876.
First American convention: the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the Constitution of the United States was written and adopted by representatives of the 13 original colonies.
First American university: The University of Pennsylvania assumed university status in 1779.
First library: The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731; its current location, 1314 Locust Street, is open to the public.
First U. S. Mint: established in 1792 on Seventh Street, near Arch Street, it was the first property acquired by the federal government.
More Than 150 museums and 1379 historical sites in the City Limits.
37 percent of downtown residents to walk to work.
Worlds Tallest Masonry Building 548ft walls are up to 22ft thick; City Hall..



Philly Density
http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=270597
Walking Cities
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,...00-1-P,00.html

Most Stressful U.S. Cities
http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/stress3.aspx

LIVE 8 The largest Concert in this WORLDS HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.live8live.com/whatsitabout/index.shtml

U.S. Refineries
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/rankings/refineries.htm


Philadelphia Birth of a Nation

[ap_gyde]

St. Paul

1865


1888


1890


1904


1910



1917


1925



1940


1950


1956


1965


Today

[Nick in Atlanta]

This pic of SF in 1971 reminds me of the movie Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood. I think this may have been the only period in time when you could actually build office space in SF. Buildings under construction, hard to believe!!

[lovecharlie]

Pittsburgh 1936

[MIMICA]

That time period of the United States history impresses me the most. People we real to eachother, and if you had a problem with someone you took it outside. I loved the architecture and the cars. Everyone dressed nicely and it looks like a great time to live (except for the depression).

[lovecharlie]

Pittsburgh 1912. I never knew Pittsburgh had such an Historic skyline, It looks really developed back then.

[emutiny]

before jail was built?

?

1991




1943 hargett st

kkk 65'

43?

91'

[lovecharlie]

Salt Lake City 1920


Df Walker Bank Building 1917, Salt Lake City

[sargeantcm]

Buffalo, NY -
(All these are from the photo galleries at Buffalonian.com and wnyheritagepress.com- some good old stuff there.)

Late 1800s Buffalo Harbor


Pre-1890s Main St


1901 - Electric Tower at the Pan-American Exposition, celebrating the "City of Light" (Before Paris, Buffalo was the first city in the world to use electricity to light it's streets.)


1905


1924 - Cadillac Accident

Buffalo Traffic Accidents, 1923-25

1924



1929 - Main St

Same view in 2004 -


1929 - New York Central Terminal


1930s - Why did the streetcars have to go?


1931 - Depression-era food line


1936


1950s - General Mills plant


1950s

Same view in 2004 -


1950s


1950s

Same view in 2004 -


1955


1951


1960s - Remember when the US had a steel industry? Bethlehem Steel in all it's glory (and pollution).


1960s


1967


1968


1969


1970s - "Elevator Alley"

[ROCguy]

All the "before" pictures, sadly, look way better than the "current" ones. But Buffalo still has probably more preserved historic structures than almost any city it's size.

[sargeantcm]

What's sadder, though, is how far beyond Buffalo that really applies. I'd bet the same could be said about 75% of the cities in the US, even many in the south. A whole way of life, totally gone. I think the trend is turning to start to favor the "old way" again, but it'll never be the same.

[Jerome]

Sargeantcm:

Your 1968 photo of Downtown Buffalo must be from the 1970's as the HSBC (Marine Midland) building was not completed until 1972. It was not yet under construction in 1968.

[sargeantcm]

That's what I thought, I was just quoting what the source said, and considering you can't see it missing from the 1969 pic...

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by sargeantcm

That's what I thought, I was just quoting what the source said, and considering you can't see it missing from the 1969 pic...

I remember seeing it go up as a (very) young child, luckily I would not have been able to remember that had it been completed by 1968.

[lovecharlie]

Buffalo had a great skyline back in the day, especially for a city of its size, it beats my home town of Wolverhampton (uk) even now, as for being the first city in the world to use electricity in its streets, thats amazing, once again for a city of its size u would expect to have been London or new York. The Electric Tower was a grand looking building, they should rebuild it.
What I have noticed is how many car parks there were in cities in the 50`s and 60`s, i bet some grand buildings were knocked down for that.
I think its interesting that cities are now returning to trams ( or as we call them trollies ) as a major form of transport in the built up areas.

[sargeantcm]

Originally Posted by lovecharlie

...The Electric Tower was a grand looking building, they should rebuild it...

They should have never let it fall into such disrepair...

As for rebuilding it, it sort of was rebuilt, in 1912. The major inspiration behind the Electric Tower (fmrly Niagara Mohawk Bldg) -


Like the "original", it is most impressive at night.

Originally Posted by lovecharlie

...What I have noticed is how many car parks there were in cities in the 50`s and 60`s, i bet some grand buildings were knocked down for that...

In that respect, here it's like the 50s and 60s never ended. Pretty soon we'll be marketing our lots as historically significant!

[lovecharlie]

Some photos of Dallas in the 1920`s, from the Dallas Public Library.
[IMG]

Dallas 1923
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1935/dallas19233je.jpg[/IMG]

Dallas 1927


undated photo of downtown Dallas.


In my opinion Dallas looked far prettier back then.

[lovecharlie]

The Newer Electirc Building in Buffalo (fmrly Niagara Mohawk Bldg) does remind me of the older Electric Building, however the Terminal Tower in Cleveland reminds me of it a lot more.

[lovecharlie]

The dallas 1923 photo that didnt work earlier.

[lovecharlie]

The Smith Tower, Seattle

Under construction in February 1913.


The Smith Tower in 1929.


The Smith Tower and Pioneer Square in 1955.