A 1940s view outside the Public Library

This postcard was mailed in 1943. But a typical day at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street doesn’t look much different in 2010.

Here’s a look at what occupied this corner before 1911, when the building opened.

This entry was posted on March 15, 2010 at 5:21 am and is filed under Midtown, Music, art, theater, Poets and writers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

oscar Says:
March 15, 2010 at 2:53 pm | Reply
well it looks like there are a lot more people walking in the street, which makes me think the streets were less overrun by cars back then. that would be nice.
Laura Says:
March 15, 2010 at 4:33 pm | Reply
Lovely postcard!

Great to see Patience & Fortitude in miniature…although it looks like Patience was pulling a bit of a disappearing act!
wildnewyork Says:
March 15, 2010 at 5:18 pm | Reply
I looked at the postcard a long time before concluding that yes, both are represented. They’re icons!
The story behind the New York Public Library lions « Ephemeral New York Says:
May 16, 2011 at 3:12 am | Reply
[…] the Depression taking its toll on the city, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia declared them to be “Patience” and “Fortitude.” He felt that these were the qualities city residents needed most to survive the horrible […]

Ephemeral New York