Pensão Espadarte  - Sesimbra

 

Maternidade Alfredo da Costa

 

 

Sesimbra

 

Casa das Tesouras, conhecida por «casa do fato feito» numa época em que quase toda a gente vestia por medida, em costureiras ou alfaiates.
Rua da Escola Politécnica. LISBOA DESAPARECIDA de MARINA TAVARES DIAS, volume IV, «A Moda em Lisboa».

 

 

Terreiro do Paço no início do século XX, com indicação do local do regicídio de 1908. Postal Ilustrado, edição Tabacaria Costa.
(«Lisboa Desaparecida», volume V) — em Terreiro do Paço.

 

 

Avenida 24 de Julho (antigo Aterro da Boavista) na segunda década do século XX. Imagem escolhida para a capa do volume III da «Lisboa Desaparecida».

Casa Africana, na Rua Augusta, detentora da famosa imagem de marca «O Preto da Casa Africana», cuja publicidade se vê no painel da fachada. Aqui fotografado na década de 1920, o célebre estabelecimento comercial encerrou portas nos últimos anos do século XX.

 

Santa Catarina de Alexandria, padroeira dos livreiros de Lisboa

 

 

 

Avenida 24 de Julho e mercado no início da década de 1940.

 

 

Recriação de Lisboa Antiga, em 1935, no local do antigo Convento das Francezinhas (a S. Bento).

 

 

1ª Sede no  Palácio Palmela

Actual Sede na Rosa Araújo em Lisboa

2ª Sede na Rua Garret

A estátua inaugurada em 1955

Skyscrapers looked more imposing, somehow, in the black-and-white photographs from a bygone era. Maybe it's the absence of the reflective glass facades with their false sky intervals and over-abundance of bland stone walls... Or maybe it's the (barely visible) spiderwebs spread between the towers by the energetic Peter Parker? Perhaps it's glamorous ladies entering a glitzy club, or the aromas emanating from a genuine Jewish Deli?.. Either way, New York of 1920s-1960s period is a very special place indeed:










(photos by Andreas Feininger and others, via)

If you want to see how it all started, click to enlarge this N.Y. skyline from 1908 on Shorpy site:


(image via Shorpy)


(1932 skyline, click to enlarge on Shorpy)




(1931 Gotham City skyline, click to enlarge on Shorpy, photo by Samuel Gottscho)

Thanks to the wonderful Lileks site, many old postcards have been preserved and proudly displayed with fascinating history attached. One thing to notice, is that the wonderful structures of that era seem to benefit from the open and uncluttered urban landscape of the time (less build-up, more parking lots, more empty space), easily commanding the attention they justly deserve.


The Lincoln Building


500 - Fifth Avenue


Rockefeller Center


(images credit: vintagephoto)


(image via, click to enlarge)


(for larger versions visit Shorpy - click here and here)

Good old traffic on Fifth Avenue, 1913 (fragment):


(image via, click to enlarge)



The Building that stood before the World Trade Center:

Hudson Terminal Building covered two full square blocks and was every bit as massive as the World Trade Center towers built on the same space later. It was truly one of the largest office building in the world... Looks very imposing, almost on the verge of being oppressive:



Here it is again, with the surroundings:



(image via, click to enlarge - also see this)

100-year old skyscrapers: "still standing, and taller than anything in most towns":


Addams Express Building, 1914

This medium-sized (!) hotel "Edison" would've been perfect setting for Spiderman's climbing exercises:


(images courtesy: Lileks.com)

Now add some color!

Found through Skyscraper City display of the vintage color photographs of American cities, the exceptional Charles W. Cushman Collectionshows New York in 1941 and 1960 - and it looks great, even with its gaudy "pulp-ish" color scheme.

It is also fascinating to compare the skylines of yesteryear with modern "commercial jungle" landscape:





(all photos via Charles W. Cushman Collection)

New York's Magic Today

Bright & often glamorous:


(images credit: Nicola Praderio)



(originals unknown)