Looking Through the Lens at Augusts Past
Our Historic Image Archive includes thousands of historic photos of our neighborhoods and NYC. Today we explore a few of the images captured in the month of August in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
This photo from our 9/11 Memorial Photos collection was taken by Deborah Kadetsky on her way to an outdoor Radiohead concert at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey on August 16, 2001. Many concert attendees remember the iconic backdrop of the NYC skyline, especially following what would occur less than a month later. Captured just days before September 11th, this photo is a reminder of how quickly our skyline and lives were reshaped.
This photo from our Robert Fisch Collection was taken on a mild summer evening on the Christopher Street Pier. In the 1980s, the Christopher Street Pier was a decaying, semi-abandoned industrial area that functioned as a sanctuary for New York City’s LGBTQ+ community.
The following photo of a “ghost sign,” also from the Robert Fisch Collection, was taken at 8th Ave. and 13th Street on August 15, 1993. While the sign may still be painted on that wall, it is no longer visible, as a new building known as 122 Greenwich Avenue was built on that parking lot following LPC approval in 2007. See this new building, as well as all others approved by the LPC within the Greenwich Village Historic District, in our report here.
If you’re interested in seeing other ghost signs, click the “Ghost Signs” label on our images here, then click apply and you will see several dozens of these signs throughout our neighborhoods.
Our image archive highlights the history of the people and built environment of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, and New York City in general. It has been assembled over the years through generous donations and consists of several dozen different collections.
Learn how you can help build these collections by donating images here.