Grand Central Turns 100: A Look Back, Then And Now

Feb. 1, 2013, marks Grand Central Terminal’s 100th anniversary.

1. Visions for the Future

Then:

“Bird’s-eye view of the new Grand Central Station as it will look when completed,” New York Tribune, June 26, 1910.

Via: chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

Now:

The elevated doughnut-shaped skywalk designed for the “next 100 years” of Grand Central Terminal by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Via: dnainfo.com

2. Correspondence

Then:

Mail sorting (captured ca. 1910 and 1915).

Via: loc.gov

Now:

Travelers find new ways to check mail at the Apple store in Grand Central Station on Dec. 9, 2011. It features two Genius Bars and 15-minute Express Workshops for commuters on a tighter schedule.

Image by Spencer Platt / Getty Images

3. Safety Precautions

Then:

Firemen on duty (date unknown).

Via: sfgate.com

Now:

Members of the National Guard on duty, April 2010.

Via: nyportraits.blogspot.com

4. Critter Sightings

Then:

A special animal appearance by a 5-year-old chimpanzee (and Hollywood film actor) Bonzo, congratulating a train-caller for getting New York Central’s 20th Century Limited express passenger train into New York on Feb. 5, 1951.

Image by  Tom Fitzsimmons / AP

Now:

Sammy, the adventurous blogging dog, checks out the new Apple store.

Via: sammyandthecity.com

5. Using the Payphone

Then:

by Forrest Jerome (date not specified)

Via: forrestjeromephotography.com

Now:

Grand Central Terminal payphones being dismantled, April 2012.

Via: imgur.com

6. The View from Park Avenue

Then:

1919

Via: nycpast.tumblr.com

Now:

March 17, 2009

Via: iras_azy

7. Post-celebratory Snooze

Then:

New Year’s Eve, 1969

Via: alephsaran.tumblr.com

Now:

New Year’s Eve, 2006

Image by Mario Tama / Getty Images

8. Hailing a Cab

Then:

Taxi drivers on strike (photo taken ca. 1910-1915)

Via: loc.gov

Now:

In 2008, taxis aplenty!

Via: trodel

9. The Pedestrian Rush

Then:

Jan. 1, 1940

Image by Getty Images

Now:

Nov. 1, 2012

Image by Getty Images

10. The Subterranean Oyster Bar

Then:

In 1913, a slice of cheesecake cost a mere 19 cents.

Via: fineprintnyc.com

Now:

Today, a full cheesecake can be ordered for $30.95.

Via: gourmay.net

11. The Iconic Grand Central Shoe Shine

Then:

(exact date unknown)

Via: goodbyemelbournehellonewyork.com

Now:

In October 2011, the tradition holds strong.

Via: honeynfizz.blogspot.com

12. Waiting for the Train

Then:

By Boris Yale Klapwald/Brain-Ink

Via: nytimes.com

Now:

Via: annele_tru

13. A Romantic Liaison

Then:

October 1941, by John Collier (FSA/Office of War Information archive)

Via: shorpy.com

Now:

A British couple getting married in 2012, captured by Judie L. Guild..

Via: getmarriedny.com

14. Displays of Patriotism

Then:

Main Concourse, 1941: an 85-foot mural celebrating “the fertile U.S. land, the productiveness of U.S. industry, the future welfare of U.S. children” as an advertisement for World War II bond sales.

Via: nycpast.tumblr.com

Now:

November 2010, a more understated approach.

Via: mikeshaheenphotography

15. A Lady on the Train

Then:

1970s: A book and a hat were one’s best defense from unwanted disturbances.

Via: acidcow.com

Now:

Insulating gadgetry abounds.

Via: buzzhunt.co.uk

16. Star Sightings

Then:

Via: cfda.tumblr.com

Now:

Marcus Wainwright, Karen Elson, Keren Craig, Hamish Bowles, Victoria Beckham, Peter Westmacott, Anna Wintour, Georgina Chapman, Tamara Mellon, Jourdan Dunn, and David Neville attend the launch of Britain’s GREAT campaign at Grand Central Shuttle Station on Feb. 15, 2012.

Image by Getty Images

17. The Main Concourse

Then:

Taken btw. 1900 and 1915

Via: loc.gov

Now:

Via: iamthefutureofphotography.tumblr.com

Happy 100th birthday, Grand Central Terminal!

Via: logodesignlove.com

Commuters move through the grand hall of Grand Central Terminal in New York, Jan. 25, 2013.

Image by Brendan Mcdermid / Reuters