Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
The midtown blocks were largely a residential area until the turn of the 20th century, when they were developed as commercial areas. As early as 1900, rising traffic led to proposals to restrict traffic on the avenue. The section south of Central Park was widened starting in 1908, sacrificing wide sidewalks to accommodate the increasing traffic. As part of the widening project, the New York City government ordered the removal of stoops and other “encroachments” onto the sidewalk in February 1908. The buildings that needed to be trimmed included the Waldorf–Astoria hotel.
By early 1911, the avenue had been widened south of 47th Street. Later that year, when widening commenced on the section between 47th and 59th Streets, many of the mansions on that stretch of Fifth Avenue were truncated or demolished. In addition, the front facades of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church were relocated, and the gardens in front of the St. Regis and Gotham hotels had to be destroyed.
Here, below are some amazing wide-angled views of Fifth Avenue from Washington Square, north to East 93rd Street, includes index of merchants and residents. These amazing photographs were taken by Burton F. Welles in 1911.
![]()
|
| Washington Arch - No. 12 Apartment house, West 8th St. |
![]()
|
| No. 1 Wm. Butler Duncan, East 7th St. - No. 19 Dr. E.L. Partridge, East 8th St. |
![]()
|
| No. 24 Charles de Rham - No. 42 Wm. Brockie, West 10th St. |
![]()
|
| No. 23 Daniel E. Sickles- No. 41 Miss M.L. Kennedy, East 10th St. |
![]() |
| West 11th St - No. 62 Mrs. Geo. L. Kingsland, West 12th St. |
![]() |
| No. 49 John Dallert, East 12th St.-No. 61 Wernz & Koehne, East 13th St. |
![]() |
| West 13th St. No. 72 - Princess Corsets - Ed. Pinaud, perfumerie - West 14th St. -No. 86 S.N. Wood & Co. |
![]() |
| No. 59 O.T. Luis & Co., East 13th St.- Manhattan Hair Works - East 14th St. |
![]() |
| East 14th St. No. 90, Ed. Pinaud - Peerless Film Ex. Naething's Restaurant -West 18th St. |
![]() |
| East 14th St.- Fourteenth St. - Voss & Stern - East 15th St. |
![]() |
| West 15th St. - The Union Skirt Co. - West 16th St. - No. 112 Louis Meyers & Son |
![]() |
| [East 16th Street] No. 79 Stern & Stern - Houghton Mifflin Co. - Marshall Field & Co. - Julius Strauss, laces |
![]() |
| No. 126 Johnson Cowdoin & Co. - No. 140 Hardman Piano Co. |
![]() |
| No. 99 Cohen Bros. & Co. - Bamberg & Risser - Lord & Taylor, East 19th St. |
![]()
|
| No. 152 F. Schumacher & Co., West 20th St. - Crouch & Fitzgerald, trunks - West 21st St. |
![]() |
| No. 143 Park & Tilford - Bonwit, Harris & Co. ladies wear - No. 159 O.J. Gude Co. |
![]() |
| West 21st St. - Ryer Mfg. Co. - Sternberger, Sinn & Co., brokers Dunlap & CO, hatters - No. 182 Pennsylvania R.R. Co. |
![]()
|
| No. 155 Chas. Scribner's Sons, publishers - O.J. Dude Co. - Flatiron Building - East 23rd St. |
![]() |
| West 23rd St. - United Cigar Co. - Albemarle Hotel - Hoffman House - No. 202 Berlitz, School of Languages |
![]() |
| Metropolitan Tower - Madison Square Garden - Brunzwick Building, East 26th St. |
![]() |
| No. 200-202, Berlitz School - Mark Cross - Cafe Martin - No. 224 |
![]() |
| Metropolitan Life Ins. Building - Long Beach Estates - Brentanos, books - No. 233, Pickslay & Co. |
![]() |
| No. 222, Lingerie Shop - Peck & Peck, hosiery - No. 240, The 5th Avenue Linen Store. |
![]() |
| No. 236-8, Smith, Gray & Co. - Second National Bank - No. 258 Marceau, Photographer, Rice & Duval, Tailors. |
![]() |
| No. 251, Coleman, Tailor, Little Shop - Pennsylvania Railroad Co. - No. 265 Calumet Club. |
![]() |
| No. 284 Gilman Collamore & Co. - No. 304 W.A. McLaughlin, shirt maker. |
![]() |
| No. 277 Mme. Estelle, millinery - International Sleeping Car Co. - Behning Piano Co. - No. 297 Dunne & Co. tailors. |
![]() |
| No. 318 Kaskel & Kaskel, haberdashers - Reed, Barton Co. silversmith Walk-over Shoes - West 33rd St. |
![]() |
| No. 303 F.A.O. Schwarz, toys, Haas Bros. - Kinckerbocker Club - No. 327 Geo. H. Everall. |
![]()
|
| No. 345 McCutcheon & Co., McKnight Realty Co. - No. 257 B. Altman, dry goods. |
![]() |
| West 33rd St. - Hotel Waldorf-Astoria - Knickerbocker Trust Co. - Aeolian Hall, pianos - No. 362 Maillards, confectioners. |
![]() |
| Best & Co. N.W. 35th St. & 5th Ave. - West 36th St. - Singer Sewing Machine Co. - No. 398 Tecla, jeweler. |
![]() |
| East 35th St. - Costikyan & Co, rugs - Chas. C. Kurzman, millinery - No. 391 C. G. Gunther & Son, Furs. |
![]() |
| No. 392-No. 394 - Singer Sewing Machines - Landay Bros., talking machines - Brick Presbyterian church - No. 414 Franklin Simon & Co |
![]() |
| No. 391 C.G.Gunther & sons, Furriers - Tiffany & Co. jewellers - William Schaus, art dealer - East 38th St. |
![]() |
| West 38th St. - Black, Starr & Frost, diamonds - No. 442, Miss Mary A. Wendel. |
![]() |
| East 38th St. - Hardman Piano Co. - Benson & Hedges, tobacconists - Union League Club. |
![]() |
| No. 450 Mirror, candies - Knox, hatter - New Public Library - West 42nd St. |
![]() |
| No. 471 Ufland Millinery & Co. - Frederic’s pearl shop - No. 491 Wadley & Smythe, florists. |
![]() |
| No. 504 Youngs Hats - West 43rd St. - No. 522 Sherry's caterers. |
![]() |
| East 43rd St. - Temple Emanu-el - Harriman National Bank - East 44th St. - Delmonico's. |
![]() |
| No. 530 Fifth Avenue Bank - A. Roman, Ladies’ tailor and Habit maker - L. P. Hollander & Co. - No. 556 M. Knoedler & Co. |
![]() |
| Delmonico’s, N.E. Cor. 44th St. & 5th Ave. - Margaret Murtha - Church of the Heavenly Rest - No. 555 Lewandos, cleaners, Dyers |
![]() |
| No. 550 L.P. Hollander & Co. - Dreicer & Co. - West 46th St. - Pickslay, jeweler - No. 572 Budd, haberdasher. |
![]() |
| No. 572 Budd, haberdasher - West 47th St. - Miss Carroll - Scott & Fowles, art dealers - West 48th St. |
![]() |
| No. 561 T. Strausberger, lamp shades - Alex. McConnell - Windsor Trust Co - No. 579 Miss. Helen M. Gould . |
![]() |
| No. 604 Miss. Russell Sage - West 49th St. - Frederick Flower - No. 618 Equitable Trust Co. |
![]() |
| No. 507 Mrs. C.H. Gardner - East 49th St. - Belgravia Apartments - No. 621 Buckingham Hotel - St. Patrick's Cathedral. |
![]() |
| West 50th St. - Joseph, importer - Crichton, Experts in Old English silver - No. 640 Henry Clay Frick. |
(Photos: Wells & Co./New York Public Library)
