New York State Library
NYSL Facebook page NYSL Instagram account NYSL Twitter account

Photographs of Albany, N.Y.
ca. 1850s-1970s

PRI4060

Quantity: 36 black-and-white photographs; photographs printed on 20.5 x 12.5 cm. paper and are mounted on board (28 x 36 cm.), two to a board, except for 33 and 34, which initially also were mounted that way but that board has been cut in half.
Access: Collection is open for research. White cotton gloves must be worn when handling photographs. Library does not own copyright.
Acquisition: Gift of Hugh Flick; accessioned December 1981
Processed By: Billie Aul, Senior Librarian, Manuscripts and Special Collections, 1993; revised 2010

Scope and Content Note:

This collection appears to have been designed to illustrate a history of the Home Savings Bank, Albany, New York; the bank can be seen in many of the photographs. The photos have cropping marks but the publication that they were intended for has not been identified. One of the photos is on page 5 of Home Savings Bank of City of Albany: Its History and Achievements, 1872-1922 (Albany, N.Y.: J.B. Lyon Co., printers, 1922). Many other buildings and streets of downtown Albany are also featured in these photos, which altogether provide a good overview of the changing cityscape of Albany from the 1850s to the 1970s. In some cases, buildings were erected, and later razed within the time frame of these photos: for example, the Tweddle Building and Ten Eyck Hotel. Changes in modes of transportation and its infrastructure are also depicted.  This collection also includes aerial views showing State and Pearl streets, circa 1928, and of the Empire State Plaza under construction about 1970. 

List of Photographs:

Photograph Description
1 Cover of Bank [Pass] Book No. 1, Home Savings Bank of the City of Albany [1872] (13.5 x 9 cm.)
2 View of the front of 40 State Street, the Commercial Bank Building, ca. 1870s (14.5 x 10 cm.), housing:
- Home Savings Bank
- The Board of Trade
- BEW Tailor
- D.R. Niver
- Mission Rooms
3 Horse-drawn trolley labeled "Lumber District," ca. 1915; the "Lumber District" was located along the Erie Canal from Lawrence Street to North Street (11 x 14 cm.)
4 "Elm Tree Corner," northwest corner of State and Pearl, ca. 1850s (11.5 x 14.5 cm.)
- Pianoforte factory on corner (structure replaced by Tweddle Hall in 1860)
- Pearl Street Baptist Church
5 Electric trolley and horse-drawn carriage on State Street near St. Peter's Episcopal Church (11 x 14 cm.)
6 View of port (8 x 14 cm.) showing:
- sailing vessels at dock
- buildings in the background [possibly along Quay Street]
- Dunlop Elevator
- A.P.W. Paper Co.
7 Tweddle Building at northwest corner of State and Pearl streets after fire, 1883; the building housed a concert hall on the upper floors with bank and other retail stores occupying the lower floors (12.5 x 10 cm.)
8 Wider view of northwest corner of State and Pearl, ca. 1912;  (11.5 x 14.5 cm.) showing:
- Tweddle Building (rebuilt after 1883 fire; razed in 1915 to make way for the expansion of Ten Eyck Hotel)
- Ten Eyck Hotel on State Street
- Bank on State Street
- R.C. Reynolds Co. Furniture on North Pearl Street
- electric trolleys on North Pearl
- automobiles becoming more numerous than horse-drawn vehicles
9 Exterior of Empire Theater, [South Pearl Street?] (11.5 x 14.5 cm.) Advertisements are posted for:
- Mollie Williams Herself and Her Own Show
- Miss William's [sic] Own Version of the Hawaiian Native Dance with her 25 Hula-Hula Girls
- Ladies Matinee Today Orchestra Seats 10 Cents
- Buell Typewriting, Circular Letters, Mimeographing [sign in window on second floor of building]
10 Circus parade, with elephants, possibly on South Pearl Street; electric trolley on track next to parade (12 x 14.5 cm.)
11 View of North Pearl Street from State Street, ca. 1905 (11.5 x 14.5 cm.) showing:
- Tweddle Building on northwest corner
- Albany Savings Bank on west side of North Pearl
- Home Savings Bank indicated by sign on the side of a building on the east side of the street
12 State Street looking up from Pearl Street, ca. 1881-1882 (14.5 x 11.5 cm.) showing:
- Capitol Building under construction in background
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church
- Albany City Hall (carillon appears to be under construction.)
- Tweddle Building (before fire of 1883)
- horse-drawn wagons (mostly for public market on upper State Street)
- horse-drawn trolley and carriages
13 Northeast corner of State and Pearl streets, ca. 1922 (11.5 x 17 cm.) showing:
- Home Savings Bank
- Riley's clothing store, advertising its 25th anniversary sale
- Douglas Real Estate
- The Popular Store
- State Bank of Albany (69 State Street)
- billboard ads for Star Cars, built by Durant Motors; the Times Union; Chesterfield cigarettes
- several automobiles including a bus and truck
14 Northeast corner of State and Pearl streets, ca. 1913 (11.5 x 14.5 cm.) showing:
- Home Savings Bank
- Douglas Real Estate
- John G. Myers Co.
- United Traction Company streetcars and a number of pedestrians in foreground
15 Northeast corner of State and Pearl streets, ca. 1918 (11.5 x 14.5 cm.) showing:
- Home Savings Bank
- Bradt Drug Co.
- A. Schulte Cigar
- Douglas Real Estate /
- billboard ads for Wrigley's [gum?]; Freihofer's [bakery]; Meditation Cigars
16 Northeast corner of State and Pearl streets (11.5 x 14.5 cm.), ca. 1912, showing:
- Home Savings Bank
- Bradt Drug Co.
- A. Schulte Cigars (store)
- Douglas Real Estate / Hyman & Hess
- Savard & Colburn
17 North Pearl Street in winter, ca. 1891 (11 x 13.5 cm.) showing:
- E.W. Wooster Furniture
- Julius Wendt [photographic studio]
- electric trolley cars
- steeple of church in background
18 Northeast corner State and Pearl streets decorated with flags and bunting, ca. 1910 (11 x 16.5 cm.), showing:
- Home Savings [Bank]
- Chism Bros.
- Coulson and Wendt "Novelties – Souvenirs – Millions of postcards"
- John G. Myers Co. [department store]
19 Unidentified residential street scene showing a number of children dwarfed in height by the snow banks; possibly taken after the Blizzard of March 1888 (11.5 x 13.5 cm.)
20 Opera House entrance after large snowfall; situated on the west side of South Pearl Street between Hudson Avenue and Beaver Street (14.5 x 10 cm.)
21 Horse-drawn wagons and one motor-bus at a covered shed and loading dock, possibly at the public market, ca. 1912 (11.5 x 15 cm.)
22 Albany basin (port): view from Hudson River bridge showing Steamer W.M. Whitney and other steamboats at dock, ca. 1891 (11.5 x 14.5 cm.)
23 Aerial view of Albany public market looking towards the northeast showing buildings along Beaver and Grand streets, ca. 1918 (11.5 x 14 cm.); also showing:
- numerous horse-drawn wagons loaded with farm produce
- a few automobiles
- Ten Eyck Hotel, tower of City and County Savings Bank, and top of Home Savings Bank in the background
- billboard advertisements for Albany Business College, United Knitwear Co. and Empire Theater
24 Waterfront view at Albany Basin; Quay Street at Hudson Avenue taken shortly before the buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of the Delaware & Hudson Building, ca. 1913 (11.5 x 13.5 cm.) showing:
- corner of Post Office building
- J. Stephens & Sons [wholesale fruits]
- Signs on buildings, advertising:
- M.G. Stoneman, Paints, Oils. Steam Engine and Boat Supplies
- J. Stephens and Sons Wholesale Bananas [and] Fruits
- Sails, Awnings, Tents
- Murray's Line
- Hinckel Ales and Lager
- Empire Burlesque 
- Mansion Hotel
- The Hampton Fireproof [Hotel] in the background
25 Broadway and State Street taken from D&H Building, ca. 1915 (11.5 x 14.5 cm.). Good cityscape showing (L-R) New York Telephone Building, Capitol Building, City Hall carillon tower, and Education Building at the top of the hill; in foreground is seen part of the Post Office and the Federal Building, the First Trust Company Building (northwest corner), a side of the Hampton Hotel, and the "Plaza" still under construction at the time.
26 Northwest corner Pearl Street at State Street, 1872; trees obscure most of the buildings; sign on one building: "Plank Book Manufactory" (10 x 16 cm.) / [This picture is also on page 5 of Home Savings Bank of City of Albany: Its History and Achievements, 1872-1922 (Albany, N.Y.: J.B. Lyon Co., printers, 1922). New York State Library call number: C,332.1097474,H765,88-17716]
27 Parade of World War I veterans, which appears to be at the site of the public market, along Hudson Avenue, ca. 1919 (10 x 14.5 cm.). The sign for Proctor's Theatre can be seen in the background.
28 United Traction Company streetcar #609 (West Albany route) with ad "Henry Johnson Licked a Dozen Germans – How Many Stamps Have you Licked?" ca. 1918 (10.5 x 16 cm.)
29 Construction site, location not identified (11 x 14.5 cm.)
30 North corners of State and Pearl streets, ca. 1916 (11.5 x 15 cm.) showing:
- Home Savings Bank
- Douglas Real Estate
- Bradt Drug Co.
- John G. Myers Co.
- Ten Eyck Hotel
31 North Pearl Street – A view looking primarily at buildings on the east side of the street, ca. early 1910s (11.5 x 14.5 cm.), showing (right to left):
- Home Savings Bank [a glimpse as determined from its position in other photographs in the collection]
- S.S. Kresge Co. 5 & 10¢ Store with a banner reading Christmas Toys [and] Tree Ornaments
- John G. Myers Co. [department store]
- Rabineau
32 Corner of North Pearl and State, ca. 1927 (14.5 x 11 cm.), showing:
- Ten Eyck Hotel
- State Bank of Albany (northeast corner – erected 1927)
- Home Savings Bank (11 North Pearl – was the tallest building in Albany when completed in 1927)
33 Aerial view of downtown Albany centered on State and Pearl streets, ca. 1928 (11.5 x 17 cm.), showing:
- Ten Eyck Hotel
- State Bank of Albany
- Home Savings Bank
- Albany County Savings Bank
- Construction site of National Savings Bank Building at southwest corner of State and Pearl
- City Hall
- Court of Appeals
- Albany County Courthouse
- St. Peters Episcopal Church
- St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
34 Aerial view of Albany showing construction of the Empire State Plaza, ca. 1969. Corning Tower, Swan Street Building, Agency Building 4, and Legislative Office Building are visible. Also under construction at the time, was One Commerce Plaza (Twin Towers), the building at the corner of Washington Avenue and Swan Street. Also visible is the construction of the arterial from 787 to the plaza and the bridge across the Hudson River to Rensselaer. The original Dunn Memorial Bridge, constructed ca. 1932, is also in view. (16.5 x 11.5 cm.)
35 Aerial view of Albany looking northwest, showing the construction of the Empire State Plaza, ca. 1971. Corning Tower, Swan Street Building, Agency Building 4, and Legislative Office Building are almost complete while Agency Buildings 2 and 3 are under construction. Also shows much of downtown Albany, including a vacant lot where the Ten Eyck Hotel had stood. A portion of the arterial from 787 to the plaza is complete and carrying traffic. (11.5 x 16 cm.)
36 Aerial view of Albany looking north showing construction of the Empire State Plaza and surrounding infrastructure, ca. 1971; Hudson River is on the right showing the new Dunn Memorial Bridge and remnants of the support piers of the old bridge. (11.5 x 16.5 cm.)
Last Updated: March 30, 2022