Historic Aerial Photographs of NYC

The good people behind NYCity Map have brought a smile to the Preservator's world today. Last week NYCity map added to its set of aerial photographs of New York City. According to NYCity Map Blog version 7.0 now has 1951 Aerial images obtained from the Department of Records. This means that another fantastic data tool is at our fingertips as we research sites through time: from 1924, to 1951, to 1996, to 2006, up to 2008.
Historic maps are great resources for preservationists, planners and historians alike, but aerial photographs can be even more potent. Maps are drawn and there can be an element of mystery (particularly with old maps), but photos tell it like it is. Now NYC researchers have even more historic aerial photos to use thanks to NYCity Map. Aerial photos are powerful tools that enable us to better understand a site's context and the trajectory of neighborhood history.

As previously posted here, the 1924 aerial photos were taken by Arthur Tuttle for the city's chief engineer. They are an extremely important set of photos that enable urban historians and researchers to understand neighborhood, and indeed citywide change. (You can also view this set through the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery here.) Prior to the addition of the 1951 aerial, there was a jump between 1924 and 1996. That is a huge span of time in which the city changed radically. (And yet, in so many interesting ways, stayed the same.)

Consider this example of downtown Brooklyn:
In a 1924 aerial, below,  you can see the Manhattan (center left) and Brooklyn (left) bridge approaches complete with a maze of train tracks. Pieces of the Navy Yard are also at right. Commodore Barry Park (bottom right) is a more formally designed square than its current configuration.

Now compare the above with the aerial from 1951 below. Same area, but look at what change 25 years can bring. Cadman Plaza replaces a maze of traintracks off the Brooklyn Bridge. The Farragut Housing towers have sprung up from once-dense and small-scale blocks.  Also, Commodore Barry park is now the ball fields we see today.

Pretty neat, right? Browse around and see what you find.