![View of downtown Rochester from Kodak tower. [IMAGE: Rochester Public Library Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-state-street-from-kodak-tower-00.jpg)
Here is a neat view I came across while rummaging around in the Local History Department at the Rochester Public Library. The image is of State Street with downtown Rochester in the background, taken from one of the top floors of Kodak tower…
Posts Tagged ‘old photos’...
View of Downtown Rochester from Kodak Tower
Tuesday, November 17th, 2015Tags: downtown Rochester, Granite Building, history of Rochester, Hotel Seneca, Kodak Tower, Lincoln Alliance Building, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, State Street
Posted in Architecture, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 10 Comments »
Abandoned Theme Park: Frontier Town
Monday, October 26th, 2015![Frontier Town. [IMAGE: Nate Sengillo]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/frontier-town-abandoned-theme-park-01.jpg)
Last week a Facebook message came in from RocSubway reader, Nate Sengillo. Nate wanted to share photos from his recent trip to Frontier Town. I’ve never been there myself, but I know I’ve heard of this place before as my family has spent more than a few summer vacations at nearby Lake George. But now seeing Nate’s photos, I wish I had…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, abandoned theme park, Art Benson, Frontier Town, Frontier Town Then and Now, Iroquois, Jennifer Renee St. Pierre, movie, Nate Sengillo, North Hudson NY, old photos, photography, Ross Mealey, theme park, upstate New York, urban exploration, video, wild west
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration, Video | 12 Comments »
2015 Swimsuit Edition
Thursday, June 25th, 2015![Vintage swimwear. Rochester NY. [IMAGE: Albert R. Stone]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-vintage-swimsuits.jpg)
School’s out, Sea Breeze is open, and summer is officially in full swing. But before you head out to the beaches this weekend, take note of the latest trends in swimwear. You don’t want to be caught looking silly wearing last year’s style.
For 2015, that vintage look is back, and we’ve dug up some real classics – from Rochester’s old natatoriums to the shores of Lake Ontario…
Tags: Charlotte Beach, Durand Beach, Durand Eastman Beach, Lake Ontario, natatorium, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Ontario Beach, Ontario Beach Park, Rochester, Rochester NY, South Avenue Natatorium, swimsuits, vintage bathing suits, vintage clothing, vintage fashion, vintage swimsuits, vintage swimwear
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images | No Comments »
Canal Break!
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014![Looking north through the gap in the north wall of newly completed Barge Canal. A break occurred at Bushnell's Basin on May 19, 1911. [PHOTO: Perinton Municipal Historian collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-erie-canal-break-04.jpg)
On May 19, 1911, a 150 foot long break occurred in the wall of the New York State Barge Canal at Bushnell’s Basin. Construction on this section of canal had just been completed eight days earlier.
According to an article in the Monroe County Mail, it was a canal worker, John McCarthy, who at 4pm discovered water pouring through a narrow crack in the canal bank…
Tags: Brook Hollow Road, Bushnell's Basin, Erie Canal, history of Rochester, infrastructure, John McCarthy, Marsh Road bridge, New York State Barge Canal, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Perinton, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 6 Comments »
Rochester’s Great Flood(s)
Monday, May 19th, 2014![A large crowd is gathered on Front Street to look at the flood at the other end of the street. Varlan's Hotel, Rosenberg's Pawnshop, Charles Adam's Sons Grinding, J.G. Zweigle's Sons, W.T. Bridle Furniture, William Pigeon Shoes, Hyman Davis Shoes, Genesee Provision Company, Myers Department Store, and the F.H. Loeffler Company are visible in the photo. March, 1913. [IMAGE: Albert R. Stone]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-ny-flood-march-1913-01.jpg)
With all of the recent flooding 
in our area, RocSubway reader Michael Delaney wrote in and suggested, “a great idea for an article would be about the history of flooding in Rochester and the civil engineering that has gone into solving the issue. Beyond the dams, I’ve heard that there are huge storm sewer tunnels underneath the city. It would be very interesting to know more about it.”
Situated at the intersection of the Genesee River and Erie Canal, Rochester’s geography has blessed—or cursed—us with a long long history of great floods. Before the construction of the Mount Morris Dam (1948-1952) records indicate the City of Rochester had experienced severe flooding about every seven years between 1865 and 1950. Talk about a pesky problem.
Digging into all of the engineering marvels that have spared modern Rochesterians from most of these high waters could easily span many pages. And I promise to dedicate future posts on the subject. But for now, I want to show just how bad this problem was by highlighting just one flooding disaster that occurred in late March, 1913…
Tags: Aqueduct Bridge, Atlantic Supply House, Bartholomay Beer, Black Creek, Brown Street, C.P. Ford & Company, Central Avenue, Charles Adam's Sons Grinding, Court Street, Dave Solomon, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, Erie Canal Aqueduct, F.A. Sherwood Company, F.H. Loeffler Company, F.P. Van Hoesen Company, Fahy Market, Fifth Avenue Clothes Shop, flood, Front Street, Genesee Aqueduct, Genesee Provision Company, Genesee River, Gorsline Building, history of Rochester, Hotel Richmond, Hyman Davis Shoes, J.C. Vine's Columbia Hotel, J.C. Wilson Company, J.G. Zweigle's, J.G. Zweigle's Sons, Jacob Goldstein's Lodging House, John M. Forster Company, local history, Market Streets, Mill Street, Mount Morris Dam, Myer's Department Store, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, People's Rescue Mission, Plymouth Avenue, Postal Telegraph Cable Company, Powers Building, Rienzi, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Poultry & Commission Company, Rochester Thread Company, Rosenberg's Pawnshop, Scottsville, South Avenue, Varlan's Hotel, W.T. Bridle Furniture, Weis & Fisher Company, West Shore railroad bridge, William H. Larkin Hotel, William Pigeon Shoes, Zweigle's
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 12 Comments »
Filling In: Charlotte, Part 1
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
Welcome, readers, to the first of a three part series on Charlotte. This first part will serve as an introduction to the series and a brief history of Charlotte. The second part will be a survey, in the engineering sense, of the current state of Charlotte. It will include the demographics of the neighborhood and the built environment, as they exist today. Finally, the third part will layout a vision for Charlotte that works to harness all of the potential of the neighborhood. This final part will be broken into recommendations for residential and commercial development, transportation, and governance.
The plans described here will be ambitious, but we shouldn’t let ourselves shy away from ambition – as you may know, Charlotte has recently been in the news over some redevelopment plans. While Filling-In believes both plans have virtues, they both have numerous weaknesses as well. Because we are unassociated with any of the plans currently in play, and will believe they are built when we see it, the plans presented here will assume they did not happen, and instead will show a different vision of Charlotte’s future.
But now, we present a brief history of Charlotte.
Tags: Beach Avenue, Charlotte, Charlotte Beach, Filling In, Filling In Charlotte, Lake Avenue, Matthew Denker, old photos, old photos of Rochester NY, Ontario Beach, Ontario Beach Park, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Urban Development | 30 Comments »
Powers Building, Main & State Streets, 1968
Friday, February 28th, 2014![The Powers Building at Main & State Streets, 1968. [PHOTO: Winters, via Library of Congress]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/powers-building-rochester-1968.jpg)
Check out this great photo of the Powers Building from 1968. Notice the workmen up on the ledge of the Mansard roof. Down at street level a shiny new, streamlined façade as been awkwardly forced on top of this 1869 building…
Tags: Crossroads Building, downtown Rochester, Elwood Building, First National Bank, Four Corners, Fun Foto Friday, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Monroe County Savings Bank, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Powers Building, Powers Hotel, Rochester, Rochester NY, State Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
Historic Rochester in 3D Stereoscope
Monday, November 25th, 2013![3D Stereogram of High Falls (c.1885) [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/high-falls-rochester-1885.gif)
From the 1850’s to the 1930’s stereograms were considered cutting edge home entertainment technology. Two photos taken at the same time from slightly different angles would be view together using a special set of lenses called a stereoscope. The result would be an ever so subtle (yet mind-tingling) simulated 3D view…
Tags: Academy Building, Athenaeum Library, Chapin's monument, CJ Hayden monument, High Falls, Lake Avenue, Lower Falls, Monroe County Court House, Mount Hope Cemetery, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Pitkin monument, Pitkin vault, Powers Building, Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester Free Academy, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co., stereogram, stereoscope, stereoscopic views, vintage views, West Main Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 5 Comments »
Sand Sculpting at Charlotte Beach, 1922
Friday, June 28th, 2013
How’s this for a summertime Fun Foto Friday? This is Robert Pernell. He’s a sand artist. Or was. This photo was printed in the Rochester Herald on August 6, 1922. Robert used to entertain the crowds at Charlotte Beach with his larger-than-life creations…
Tags: Atlantic City, Charlotte, Charlotte Beach, Fun Foto Friday, history of Rochester, old photos, old photos of Rochester, Ontario Beach, Ontario Beach Park, Robert Pernell, Rochester, Rochester history, rochester images, Rochester NY, sand art, sand sculpture, World Championship of Sand Sculpting
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 2 Comments »
Meet the Babcocks: A Typical American War Worker’s Family
Sunday, January 27th, 2013![The Babcocks, an American family. Rochester, NY. March, 1943. [PHOTO: Library of Congress]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/babcock-family-rochester-ny-portrait.jpg)
Yesterday, the archival photo blog, Shorpy , shared a great photo of the Babcock family from Rochester NY. The image is one of a collection of 38 photographs by Ralph Amdursky for the U.S. Office of War Information. The series shows how the Babcocks, a “typical American war worker’s family,” lived in 1943 during the height of WWII…
Tags: Babcock, Babcock family, history of Rochester, Library of Congress, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester history, Shorpy.com, U.S. Office of War Information, World War II, WWII
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 12 Comments »
Proof, Santa Is Real
Wednesday, December 19th, 2012![Two little girls have a chat with Santa in front of the Duffy-Powers Department Store on the corner of W. Main and Fitzhugh Streets, Rochester, NY. Printed in Rochester Herald, December 24, 1914. [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-duffy-mcinnerney-santa.jpg)
It’s December 24, 1914, and two fashionably dressed little girls have Santa Claus cornered at the entrance to a downtown Rochester department store. And they are absolutely spellbound. Be sure to click on this image for a closer look. If this is not the definition of the holidays I don’t know what is. I like to imagine what the girls were saying at this moment; “Hey shouldn’t you be at the North Pole making our toys?! … Can we swing from your beard? … You know, you don’t look nearly as fat in real life, Santa.”
Yes, I am forever grateful to you, Mr. Photographer, for capturing this moment in time. A moment which would have otherwise been lost somewhere in the ether, has been wrapped up and handed to us with a great big bow. Yes, Virginia, Santa is real. Oh, and if you’re wondering where exactly this conversation with Santa took place…
Tags: downtown Rochester, Duffy-McInnerney Department Store, Duffy-Powers Department Store, Fitzhugh Street, Main Street, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, Santa
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 6 Comments »
Today, December 11, in Rochester History: A Strange Sidewalk Accident
Tuesday, December 11th, 2012![These men are standing around a hole in the sidewalk where John Hornby and James Kenney fell through on December 11, 1901. In the background is the Clemson Hotel, with Charles R. Holliger, proprietor, at 52 South Avenue. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-sidewalk-accident-01.jpg)
On December 11, 1901 this section of sidewalk on South Avenue played a cruel practical joke…
Tags: accident, China, James Kenny, John Hornby, old photos, old photos of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Saint Paul Street, sidewalk accident, sidewalks, South Avenue, this date in Rochester history, Woonsocket RI
Posted in Rochester History, Transit + Infrastructure | 6 Comments »
B. Forman Co.
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012![A view of the the fac̨ade of the B. Forman Co. store at 46-50 Clinton Avenue South. Christmas decorations are visible. c.1930. [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-b-forman-department-store-02.jpg)
For the past few days we’ve been doing some holiday window shopping at the old Sibley’s and McCurdy’s department stores. “But, WAIT! What about B. Forman’s?…” you say? Well, I searched around a bit, and though I wasn’t able to find many photos of window displays from B. Forman Co., fear not… I’ve got something you might like. Newspaper ads from December 18 – December 25, 1929! Don’t say I never gave you anything…
Tags: ad, B. Foreman Co. Department Store, Christmas, Clinton Ave, Clinton Avenue, Democrat & Chronicle, Democrat and Chronicle, downtown Rochester, holidays, McCurdy & Co., old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co.
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 6 Comments »
Window Shopping at McCurdy & Co.
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012![The McCurdy & Norwell Company department store was located at 285-291 Main Street East, at the corner of Elm Street. The display windows are crowded with goods. The store occupied several attached buildings of various heights and styles. c.1901-1913 [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone Collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mccurdy-department-store-windows-02.jpg)
Do you remember window shopping at the big downtown department stores? Freezing cold holiday shoppers all pressed up against the plate glass like moths to a porch light. Dreams of sugar plums and reindeer and presents under the tree were fueled by these sparkling menageries of the latest and greatest stuff. The displays themselves were an art form; and drawing people in off the street was the ultimate goal. In all but our largest metros, scenes like these have been lost as retailers gradually moved to suburban malls. Yesterday we went window shopping at the old Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co. department store. Today let’s browse a series of pictures (also from the Rochester Public Library) documenting some of the windows at McCurdy & Co. department store in downtown Rochester more than 70 years ago…
Tags: Christmas, downtown Rochester, Elm Street, Empire Theater, holiday windows, holidays, John Cooke McCurdy, Main Street, May Department Stores, McCurdy & Co., McCurdy & Co. Department Store, McCurdy and Robinson, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester history, Rochester NY, window shopping
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »
Window Shopping at Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co.
Saturday, December 1st, 2012![An exterior view of Sibley's as seen at nighttime and decorated for Christmas. 1939. [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-sibley-department-store-windows-02.jpg)
Do you remember window shopping at the big downtown department stores? Freezing cold holiday shoppers all pressed up against the plate glass like moths to a porch light. Dreams of sugar plums and reindeer and presents under the tree were fueled by these sparkling menageries of the latest and greatest stuff. The displays themselves were an art form; and pulling people in off the street was the ultimate goal. In all but our largest metros, scenes like these have been lost as retailers gradually moved to suburban malls. This series of pictures from the Rochester Public Library documents some of the windows at Sibley, Lindsay and Curr Co. department store in downtown Rochester more than 70 years ago…
Tags: Alexander M. Lindsay, Christmas, downtown Rochester, Empire Theater, holiday windows, holidays, John Curr, Main Street, May Department Stores, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Osburn House, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rufus Sibley, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co., window shopping
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 13 Comments »
The Life and (Explosive) Death of Rochester’s Driving Park Bridge
Monday, November 19th, 2012
Last week we explored some of the caves in Rochester’s Genesee River gorge. While digging around for information about Lower Falls, I came across some great stuff on the nearby Driving Park Bridge. The bridge that you know today was built in 1989. But the previous bridge (shown above) had been there for nearly 100 years. That’s pretty remarkable when you consider its length of 717 feet, the icy Rochester weather, and the relentless spray from the Lower Falls below. Be sure to click on the image above for a much larger view. And check out the link at the end of this article to watch the explosive demolition of the old steel bridge in the 1980’s…
Tags: Avenue E, bridge, demolition, Driving Park Bridge, Genesee River, Genesee River Gorge, infrastructure, Lefferts L. Buck, Lower Falls, Niagara Falls Bridge, old photos, old photos of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Williamsburg Bridge
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 14 Comments »
Left for Dead: Rochester’s Union Depot
Friday, November 9th, 2012![Rochester's NY Central (Bragdon) Station half demolished, c.1970? [PHOTO VIA: John R. Stewart]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-bragdon-station-demolition-1.jpg)
I know I keep coming back to this over and over and over again. But I just can’t believe we intentionally reduced this once world-class rail station to rubble only so we could pay tens of millions 50 years later in an attempt to build a much smaller and less impressive imitation of what we once had.
I’m not going to say much more about it. I just wanted to share these recently found photos of Rochester’s half-demolished NY Central (Bragdon) Station. Like a decapitated, rotting corpse left to rot in public as a reminder of a brutal ‘auto’cracy. Most of the building was torn down in the 1960’s but one section stood like this for over a decade before it was finally removed altogether and replaced with the current Amtrak building in the mid to late 70’s. Oy, how painful…
Tags: Amtrak Station, architecture, Bragdon Station, Central Avenue, Claude Bragdon, demolition, downtown Rochester, history of Rochester, Joseph Avenue, New York Central Railroad, North Clinton Avenue, NY Central Station, old photos, railroad, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Union Station
Posted in Rochester History, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 13 Comments »
State Takes Rochester Rail Station Project From City
Friday, October 26th, 2012![New York Central Railroad Station c.1905-1914 [PHOTO: Detroit Publishing via Library of Congress]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-ny-central-railroad-station.jpg)
First, a little bit of history. The building shown above was one of Rochester’s earliest rail stations. Make sure you click to see all the great detail in the photo. It was located on Central Avenue between St. Paul & Clinton near the site of the current Amtrak Station. This view is looking west from Clinton Avenue, sometime between 1905-1914. In 1914 this station was replaced by the great Bragdon station in 1914, which was demolished in 1965…
Tags: downtown Rochester, New York Central Railroad, NYSDOT, old photos, old photos of Rochester, railroad station, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester NY, rochester photos
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 11 Comments »
Loew’s Theater: Rochester’s Other Lost Movie Palace
Thursday, October 11th, 2012![Loew's Rochester Theatre, Rochester. On the marquee: Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, Maria Dressler in “Anna Christie” and on stage Barto and Mann, Harry Girard’s Ensemble, and A. Robbins. Photo by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann. April 26, 1930. [PHOTO: George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann. Via Brad Smith's Flickr Stream]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/loews-theater-rochester-01.jpg)
Earlier this week a collection of photos of Rochester’s RKO Palace Theater was discovered thanks to the Rochester Theater Organ Society. Mixed in with those RKO Palace photos were a few interior shots of Rochester’s other lost movie palace… Loew’s Theater. So I thought it only fair to shine the spotlight on this one too. Loew’s Theater also happened to be on Clinton Avenue, just four or five blocks south of the RKO. Xerox Tower now occupies the spot. Take a look…
Tags: downtown Rochester, Loew's Theater, old photos, old photos of Rochester, RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, South Clinton Avenue, Washington Square, Xerox Tower
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 27 Comments »
Never Before Seen Photos of RKO Palace Theater
Sunday, October 7th, 2012![Rochester's RKO Palace Theater during demolition. 1965. [PHOTO: D.O. Schultz / Rochester Theater Organ Society]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/RKO-Palace-013-AuditoriumNorthWall.jpg)
A few weeks after we discovered the RKO Palace Theater floor at the site of RGRTA’s future transit center, Russ Shaner, president of the Rochester Theater Organ Society contacted me. These were the guys who saved the old Wurlitzer pipe organ from the RKO Palace before the building was demolished. And as it turns out, one of their founding members, D.O. Schultz, captured a treasure trove of photographs and left them with the Organ Society before he moved to Florida years ago. Russ asked RochesterSubway.com for help, both archiving the photos, and sharing them with you, the public. Yesterday you saw part 1, and now, here is part 2 of this awesome collection…
Tags: Clinton Avenue, demolition, downtown Rochester, Mortimer Street, old photos, old photos of Rochester NY, RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester Theater Organ Society, Russ Shaner, Saint Paul Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 16 Comments »
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