East Village photographer James Maher has a stash of old black and whites taken by his grandparents, residents in the 1930s and 1940s.
That’s before anyone had ever heard of the East Village, and the neighborhood was just a part of the vast cramped area known as the Lower East Side.
This one, of a parade honoring the Fifth Street Boys taken between Avenues A and B, is pretty poignant.
The war is over or coming to a close, but the neighborhood boys—Germans, Poles, Italians—sent to fight aren’t home yet.
Check out more vintage East Village photos from Maher’s collection.
Tags: East Fifth Street East Village, East Village during World War II, James Maher photography, New York during the 1940s, Victory Parades NYC, World War II New York
Ephemeral New York 
November 7, 2010 at 5:19 pm |
When we came to America in the early 1950s the first apartment my parents rented was on 5th Street but between 1st Ave and Ave A. Still I’m sure that as a child I probably saw a few of the people in your report and perhaps even spoke to some of them. I like to think so though I know that can’t be true. Anyway, a great awesome blog!
November 7, 2010 at 5:30 pm |
I’m sure you knew a few of the people out celebrating in the photo. I wonder how many boys didn’t come back. To my knowledge, there’s no East Village WWII memorial the way other neighborhoods have. But then, there was no East Village.
November 7, 2010 at 5:44 pm |
Isn’t there one in Tompkins Square Park? I think on 9th Street by the bathrooms but of course I maybe wrong.
November 7, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I’ll check!
November 7, 2010 at 6:28 pm |
Here’s few in Tompkins Sq. Park
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SLICES/tompkins/tompkins.html
November 7, 2010 at 7:01 pm |
Wonderful collection. Thanks for the link.