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Rare Color Photos Of 1940s New York City

Almost seventy years ago, photographer Charles Weever Cushman set out Manhattan to take pictures with his expensive Kodachrome camera. What's most impressive now is how little the city looks to have changed. Aside from how good the cars and hobos used to look, of course.

  • 1. Liberty Street Ferry, Sept. 1941

    1. Liberty Street Ferry, Sept. 1941

  • 2. Lower East Side, Oct. 1941

    2. Lower East Side, Oct. 1941

  • 3. Busy street, Oct. 1942

    3. Busy street, Oct. 1942

  • 4. McSorley's Old Ale House on East 7th St., Oct. 1942

    4. McSorley's Old Ale House on East 7th St., Oct. 1942

  • 5. McSorley's Old Ale House, today

    5. McSorley's Old Ale House, today

  • 6. Three homeless men in Battery Park, June 1941

    6. Three homeless men in Battery Park, June 1941

  • 7. Brooklyn Bridge, June 1941

    7. Brooklyn Bridge, June 1941

  • 8. Beverages cart, Bowling Green, Oct. 1942

    8. Beverages cart, Bowling Green, Oct. 1942

  • 9. Chinatown, Oct. 1942

    9. Chinatown, Oct. 1942

  • 10. Man looking out from Battery Park, June 1941

    10. Man looking out from Battery Park, June 1941

  • 11. Lower end of Broadway, Oct. 1942

    11. Lower end of Broadway, Oct. 1942

  • 12. Lower Clinton St., Sept. 1941

    12. Lower Clinton St., Sept. 1941

  • 13. Broome Street and Baruch Place, Lower East Side, Sept. 1941

    13. Broome Street and Baruch Place, Lower East Side, Sept. 1941

  • 14. Two children, happy after moving into a new housing project, Oct. 1942

    14. Two children, happy after moving into a new housing project, Oct. 1942

  • 15. Pearl St., Oct. 1942

    15. Pearl St., Oct. 1942

  • 16. Oct. 1942

    16. Oct. 1942

  • 17. Wall St., June 1941

    17. Wall St., June 1941

  • 18. Lower East Side, Oct. 1942

    18. Lower East Side, Oct. 1942

  • 19. Lower Manhattan from a Jersey City ferry, Sept., 1941

    19. Lower Manhattan from a Jersey City ferry, Sept., 1941

  • Check out even more here.