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Construction of the Statue of Liberty, 1885 -

The colossal Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French people to the United States, built by the maker of the Eiffel Tower. It was built entirely in France before being disassembled and sent to New York. This photo shows a man standing beside the statue's feet and the base of the torch, waiting to be hoisted onto the pedestal.

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Ice-skating at Central Park, 1890 -

The world-famous Central Park was created in 1858 to give the residents of the rapidly growing city a natural escape from the hustle and bustle. The tradition of ice-skating on the frozen lake has lasted for more than a century. In addition to the two ice rinks that are set up every year, visitors can skate for free on the Conservatory Water lake when it's sufficiently frozen!

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Market stalls on Hester Street, 1895 -

Hester Street is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and was originally home to the Ashkenazi Jewish community in New York. It has since been absorbed into Chinatown but still maintains a few kosher and Jewish-owned stores.

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Mulberry Street, ca. 1900 -

At the turn of the 20th century Mulberry Street was the heart of Manhattan's Little Italy. It makes up part of the infamous Five Points district, a section of Manhattan that used to be a dangerous slum dominated by crime and disease.

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Grand opening of the New York Subway, 1904 -

The New York subway system is one of the defining features of this great city. It took four years to build the first line, which was opened in 1904.

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A family living in a tenement, ca. 1910 -

Although New York was a prosperous city experiencing incredible economic growth, the first half of the 20th century was a difficult time for the US. The Spanish flu, the World Wars, and the Great Depression hit the country hard. Many families lived in deplorable conditions. Large families would often live in one room apartments like this one.

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Women's suffrage movement march, 1913 -

On May 3, 1913, people crowded the streets of New York to watch the women's suffrage march pass by. This came shortly after the first ever suffrage march had taken place in Washington, D.C. After almost a century of campaigning, women eventually won the right to vote in 1920.

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Clerks wearing cloth face masks, 1918 -

The so-called Spanish flu was a worldwide pandemic that killed 20 million people between 1918 and 1920. Our medical practices are more advanced in the 21st century, but face masks are a preventative measure we still use today.

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Times Square, 1921 -

The famous Times Square has been through many ups and downs since its development in the 19th century. It was home to the New York Times Tower, which started the tradition of the New Year's Eve spectacular. It later became a crime-ridden area dominated by drug trade, prostitution, and adult movie theaters. After decades of investment and redevelopment, it became the family-friendly touristic center we know today.

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A woman walking on Sixth Avenue, 1929 -

Sixth Avenue, renamed Avenue of the Americas in 1945, is one of the busiest arteries of the city. It runs from Tribeca to Central Park.

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Small's Paradise Club in Harlem, 1929 -

Small's Paradise was a famous Harlem nightclub opened in 1925. At the time, it was one of the only integrated nightclubs run by an African-American man. They hosted many famous musicians and the waiters were known to sing, dance, and roller skate through the crowd.

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Grand Central Station, ca. 1930 -

The famous Grand Central Station in Manhattan is still a busy transportation hub, but at the beginning of the 20th century it became a feat of architectural excellence. It took 10 years to build and was officially opened for business in 1913.

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Construction workers taking a break, 1932 -

The early 20th century saw skyscrapers popping up all over the city. New York had some of the tallest buildings in the world at that point, and construction workers became accustomed to working at incredible heights.

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"High Lunch," 1930 -

The famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was under construction in 1930. This daring photoshoot captures two waiters serving lunch on a steel girder hanging high above the city.

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New York skyline with Chrysler Building, ca. 1930 -

This shot of New York City taken in 1930 shows a much less populated skyline than the one we know today. The pointed Chrysler Building was the centerpiece at the time.

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Workmen on a gargoyle of the Chrysler Building, 1940 -

The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in Manhattan and one of the most famous buildings in New York. It was completed in 1930 and held the record for the world's tallest building for 11 months after its completion.

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Chinatown, 1938 -

This photo was taken on New Year's Eve in Chinatown, in 1938. The man holds a sandwich board declaring the most recent news about Word War II in Chinese.

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New Year's Eve at Times Square, 1941 -

Since the first celebration in 1907, thousands of revelers have gathered in Times Square on New Year's Eve to watch the famous ball drop. A giant Waterford Crystal ball starts to move down the flagpole at 11:59 pm as the countdown begins, and it reaches the bottom at midnight.

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Aftermath of New Year's Eve, ca. 1940 -

Revelers and off-duty soldiers sleep on the steps of Grand Central Station after celebrating New Year's Eve.

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New Yorkers queue for smallpox vaccine, 1947 -

An outbreak of smallpox occurred in New York City in 1947. The city's mayor asked all New Yorkers to get vaccinated if they hadn't had a smallpox jab in the last seven years. This huge crowd was photographed queueing for their vaccinations at the Morrisania Hospital in the Bronx.

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Aerial view of Manhattan, ca. 1955 -

By the 1950s, more and more skyscrapers were puncturing the clouds above New York City. The Chrysler Building was joined by the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center.

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A New York bakery, 1950s -

A New York baker prepares his shop early in the morning, with the skyline reflected in the window.

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Fashion model poses in front of the Hudson River, 1953 -

New York City became one of the world's greatest cultural centers during the 20th century, which included the growth of its thriving fashion industry. The first ever fashion week was held in New York in 1943.

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Beatles fans at the Warwick Hotel, 1965 -

The Beatles first appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in the United States in 1964, and by 1965 Beatlemania had well and truly gripped the country. This crowd of desperate fans are being restrained by police as they wait outside the Warwick Hotel, the Beatles' New York residence.

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Fifth Avenue at night, ca. 1970 -

Fifth Avenue is the most famous street in all of New York, traversing the entire island of Manhattan. It's best known as a luxury shopping street and has some of the most expensive retail space in the world.

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The first Earth Day, 1970 -

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. It came at a time when there were no regulations to protect the environment. Senator Gaylord Nelson is credited with creating Earth Day to highlight the issue of environmental protection.

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Jazz on the streets of Harlem, 1970 -

The summer of 1970 was a hot one in New York. This photo captures a jazz band playing from the back of a truck in Harlem, entertaining the local children.

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Saks Fifth Avenue Christmas display, 1970 -

The famous department store Saks Fifth Avenue is known for its Christmas window displays. They have become increasingly spectacular over the decades and are usually unveiled with great fanfare towards the end of November.

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Soho in the snow, 1974 -

Heavy snowfall covers a SoHo street at night. January and February are usually the snowiest months in New York, and most of the worst snow storms in the city's history occurred during those months.

Sources: (History) (CUNY) 

See also: Travel back in time with these vintage winter photos

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