Old Photo of Rochester’s South Avenue, 1904.

Rochester’s South Avenue, Photo (1904)

Old Photo of Rochester’s South Avenue, 1904. (Rollover the image to zoom)

Rochester’s South Avenue, 1904. (Rollover the image to zoom)

RochesterSubway.com offers reprints of this image through Zazzle.com print service. Choose your print size, paper/media type, and add extra oomph to your prints with custom-fitted frames and matting that will turn any wall into your own personal gallery.


Old Photo of
Rochester’s
South Avenue



How cool would this South Avenue trolley look on your living room wall? This photo, from the Library of Congress image collection, was taken in 1904 by the Detroit Publishing Co.

Other Rochester icons that can be seen in this photo include the Granite Building and the Cook’s Opera House.

The 13 story Granite Building, seen in the background, was considered the finest commercial building in the city when it was built in 1893 by Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company. The building was gutted by the great “Sibley” fire the very same year this photo was taken. The fire destroyed several buildings on Main Street, but the Granite Building which was designed to be “fire-proof” remained largely intact.

The Cook’s Opera House (left), built in the 1890’s, hosted such stars as Buffalo Bill and Sarah Bernhardt. The interior was a fairly elaborate late Victorian opera house with two horseshoe shaped balconies. In the 1920’s Cook’s Opera House began operating as the Family Theatre, and was the last holdout in Rochester to show silent movies when talkies were sweeping the country. Later the theatre became the Embassy, which was mainly known for its burlesque shows. The theatre was closed in the 1950’s and remained vacant, though well preserved, until it was destroyed by fire in 1973. The Riverside Convention Center now sits on this site.

If you dig this image as much as we do, consider ordering a reproduction available at Zazzle.com.


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Like most postcards from this era, the illustration captures beautiful detail from a distant time. The subway operated at peek capacity during World War II. But within a decade it would quickly be undone by the growing popularity of the automobile.



Add extra oomph to your prints with custom-fitted frames and matting that will turn any wall into your own personal gallery.


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Subway & Broad Street Bridge
This illustrated vintage postcard shows Rochester’s new Subway and Broad Street bridge. Postmarked 1938.

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Four Corners, State & Main Sts.
Trolleys, automobiles, horse-drawn carraiges, and pedestrians fill The Four Corners. Circa 1912.

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Typical Rochester Rail Equipment
This illustrated vintage postcard shows three of Rochester's trolley cars outside the E. Main St. Station. Postmarked 1941.

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Erie Canal Aqueduct & Downtown
A great view of the Erie Canal Aqueduct and many businesses along the Genesee River in downtown Rochester. Circa 1905.

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South Entrance to the
New Rochester Subway

View of the Genesee River, barge canal terminal, Lehigh Valley RR, and new subway (circa 1928)

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RTC Token (1948-1965)
Good for one city fare on all bus and trolley lines (including the Rochester Subway). Issued 1948. 16mm. White Metal, Copper-plated.

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