Old Queens, N.Y., in Early Photographs: 261 PrintsThis rich pictorial treasury documents the early times and ambiance of Queens, one of Long Island's westernmost counties and the largest borough of New York City. Over 260 rare photographs, carefully selected from public and private archives, recall "the good old days" in such communities as Maspeth, Ridgewood, Jamaica, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Flushing, College Point, Whitestone, Woodside, Elmhurst, Corona, Bayside, Howard Beach, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and many other areas. Included are vintage views of numerous landmarks and locales — among them DeWitt Clinton's mansion (Maspeth); the 1655 Robert Coe House (Corona); Arbitration Rock, the traditional border between Brooklyn and Queens from 1660 to 1769; Pettit's Hotel in Jamaica (Washington really did sleep there in 1790); St. James Episcopal Church (1735) in Elmhurst; and Woodside (in one of the oldest known photographs of the area — 1871-72). Also depicted are a cluster of more recent landmarks: Astoria Studios, the Whitestone Bridge under construction, the 1939 World's Fair, and much more. Each fascinating photograph is accompanied by a detailed, well-researched caption, while a general Introduction vividly outlines the colorful history of Queens — from its prehistoric glacial origins through a lengthy period of agricultural development that lasted from colonial times through much of the 1800s, to the twentieth century, when it acquired a largely residential character. Compiled by two noted experts on Long Island history, this pictorial grand tour will be a must for residents of Queens, Long Islanders, nostalgia buffs, historians, and lovers of vintage photography. |
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Astoria Borough Public Library Broadway Brooklyn and Jamaica building built Church College Point corner Corona Creedmoor Douglas Manor Douglaston Dutch EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS East River Elmhurst ferry Flushing Forest Hills Gardens Glendale Grand Avenue Grand Central Parkway Hawtree Hempstead Hillside Avenue Hotel Indians Island Rail Road Jackson Avenue Jackson Heights Jamaica Avenue Jamaica Bay Jamaica Plank Road Kew Gardens L.I.R.R. photo land lection Long Island City Long Island Rail looking east looking north looking south looking west Manhattan Maspeth Myrtle Avenue N.Y.C. Board North Beach Northern Boulevard opened Photo by Frederick Photo by N.Y.C. Plank Road Jamaica postcard Queens Borough Public Queens Boulevard Queens County Queens Historical Society Queens Village Queensboro Bridge Queensboro Corporation railroad station residential Richmond Hill Ridgewood Road Jamaica Avenue Robert Presbrey collection Rockaway Seyfried collection subway trolley Turnpike Vincent F Weber Whitestone Woodhaven Woodside York