Incredible Photos of New York City in the Early 1900s

 The early 1900s was an era of unprecedented change for America, and it’s amazing to see how things have changed since then. Thanks to the Library of Congress Flickr account, we can now enjoy hundreds of remarkable images documenting New York City at the turn of the century.

Here are a few highlights from the collection from between 1910 and 1915.

A woman crossing 5th Avenue and Broadway to Madison Square Park.

A model yacht race at Conservatory Lake, Central Park, New York City.

A group of babies in New York’s Lower Eastside.

People planning to travel to Philadelphia inflate a hydrogen balloon on the roof of the John Wanamaker store on Broadway and 10th Ave.

A man receiving a straight razor shave from a barber at the Hotel de Gink.

Care to go for a swim at Brighton Beach?

Lounging in the Battery Park shade on a hot day.

After crashing in Central Park, a vehicle balances on the edge of a bridge.

Swimming at the Coney Island beaches.

A typical busy afternoon on 5th Avenue.

The Hook & Ladder fire department on horses.

Want some flowers? These suffragists got you covered.

The fountain in Madison Square Park was a popular place to cool off.

Or you could stick your head in the mouth of a hippo in Central Park.

A kid on his way to class.

Edward Everett McCall (1863-1924), Chairman of the New York Public Service Commission, visiting the site of a fire in a New York City subway tunnel.

A street cleaner.

A group of students taking a break from class.

The aftermath of a fire in a New York City subway tunnel which took place near West 55th Street and Broadway.

Before cabs, street trollies provided mass transit for New Yorkers.