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28 Old Photos Of Williamsburg You've Never Seen Before

By

Jen Carlson

Published May 3, 2012

Modified May 3, 2012

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Williamsburg Bridge, View showing Kent Avenue yard “W”, 20 feet, for “WSS” to be placed on towers. March 20, 1918. WSS stands for “War Savings Stamps.” Letters were erected on the south side of the Manhattan tower during World War I.

 

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By

Jen Carlson

Published May 3, 2012

Modified May 3, 2012

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Sure, we've seen old photos of Williamsburg in the early to mid 1900s, but now that the NYC Municipal Archives has dusted off their nearly one million old photos and made them available online, we can get an even better look (and travel further back in time).

Their photo archive site was down for a while after it launched last week, but is now sort of working again. Click through for 28 photos of the neighborhood before it became home to artisanal cocktails and luxury condos—you'll see an old newsstand on Bedford Avenue in 1955, the construction of the Williamsburg Bridge, and more.

Note: The Williamsburg Bridge was called the NERB, or New East River Bridge, during the time many of these photos were taken, as you'll notice in the captions.

Tagged

brooklyn

flashback

history

municipal archives

williamsburg

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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