Charlies photos are all very interesting. The first photo is of the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is probably from about 1905 as the Brookly Elevated lines are electrified. Location is about Sands street. Motorized traffic across the span is non-existent. The BRT ran its elevated trains to Coney island and Brighton Beach via the Culver , Fifth Ave and Franklin ave lines . Trains to east New york ran via the Fulton street El and out to Richmond Hill and Ridgewood via the Lexington ave El and the Myrtle ave El.
The second Photo is at Cortlandt street and West street , where the World Trade Center is located. Cortlandt street was known as " Radio Row" home to Leonard radio, arrow Electronics and Blan the Radio Man. That was well after this photo was taken. Looking up the center is the Cortlandt street station of the 9th ave El. The building just to the left and behind the station is 30 Church street which was in The Hudson Terminal Complex , the original station in downtown Manhattan for the Hudson Tubes or todays PATH . The tallest building in the photo behind the el and just to the right is the Singer Building. It was the Worlds Tallest Building in 1908-9. Down in the foreground on the right, we can see a sign for the Pennsylvania Railroad, The lehigh Valley railroad and the New York Susquehanna and Western. This was the terminal for the Pennsylvania's railroad's ferry that ran over to its Exchange Place terminal in Jersey City.
In Photo 3 we are on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. The El Train might be a Culver train heading to Coney Island. The BRT's Park Row Train shed is in the background. Early photo, the El is electrified but the Municipal building is not yet in place.
The 4th Photo shows us the then new Times Building.several theaters in the photo including the Astor Theater and across the street , the Astor hotel. I am thinking that the photographer was probably right about at todays W 46th street where the TKTS booth is today.
Thanks for posting these Charlie.
