I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks. I’ve been digging for interior pictures of the Fidelity addition for a while but I’ve only found that one of the interior corridor. Apparently it was also renovated and modernized in the 50s (according to the court case 92 Liberty Street Corp v. Dooney) so it’s been a hell of a search.
Offices inside the Fidelity Casualty Building (1895) on the 8th floor, overlooking Temple Street
Typical floorplan of the original building, and the 1910 tower addition that I stitched together from books
Oh my… this is pure gold! And now you are responsible for making me restart my modeling of these two buildings from scratch so I can have them with perfect proportions, thank you!
Lmao no problem. I just restarted mine too so I could redo everything more accurately, and I’m so happy to have actual info on these things. When I can finally find a good lobby photo it’ll be like the best day of my life.
Did you try to check if where you got this 8th floor photo they provide the original source? I noticed that in some of the periodicals they would write an index of illustrations sources that sometimes help us to find more about the subject. Maybe there are more photos from the same ‘collection’ and hopefully including the lobby.
Oh nevermind, just noticed you said the photo is from 1895
Here’s the book it’s from, I’ve been searching like crazy for lobby shots. I guess that one I posted earlier of the annex lobby corridor is the first sign of progress, but I guess we’ll see.
Update: holy shit I’m proud of myself
Lobby corridor looking north circa 1954, following the renovation that started in 1950 (Arch. Forum 1954)
Demolition of the original building with 140 Broadway in the background (Arch. Forum April 1968)
Wow I’d never imagine the lobby would look like that, even for the 50s. Great job again!
I tried to find something using the few info which were available in the image from the book you linked, but with no success. However looking for other key words linked to Cedar Street I ended up finding a book with wonderful info and images about other buildings, I’ll post some of them.
Equitable Building
Equitable Business Hall
Equitable Bldg. floor plans
Entrance
The Tribune Building
First story plan
Section through the entrance
Section through the dome of the Pulitzer Building
Section through the Manhattan Life bldg
Saint Paul’s typical floor plan
Times Building elevation
All of them are from the book Rise of the New York Skyscraper, 1865-1913. There are other buildings there and you can also see the ones that I sent here with more zoom.
Rendering of 1 Wall Street with the 1965 annex
Summer 1964 ft. Home Insurance Plaza and the 1 Wall Annex under construction
1950s view of the West Side Elevated Highway in front of Pier 8
Old Chase Building in the early 50s
140 Broadway under construction c. 1966
195 Broadway and Singer Building in 1965
Skyline view’s from 1908
The National Park Bank Building
Chemical National Bank Building
Liberty National Bank Building
Collection Mackensen
You have more of the collection, I really love these photos👌
Thank you for your interest in my private collection.
Yes, I have a few more pictures:
National Bank of Commerce
Lawyers Titel Building with the complete annex to the Liberty Street.
Collection Mackensen
I have a nice „little“collection about the skyscraper history in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and other U.S. cities. I have a few more pictures not only in NY.
I love how the Commercial Union Building resembles the Fidelity & Casualty Building… or is it the other way around? I tried to quick search about it but I couldn’t find any info.
I tried a quick search too and didn’t get too far. Earliest sign of its existence I saw was 1895, the same year the Fidelity & Casualty Building opened, so it’s hard to say.
The poor building got Great Depression’d in 1937 because of overbearing taxes, and the lot stayed empty until a Roman Catholic church was built on the site after World War 2.
These are awesome dude!
1903
270 Park Avenue is currently being built in this area.
The large building to the left of the Grand central Terminal is the Biltmore Hotel.
Pershing Square with the unbuilt Murray Hill Hotel around 1919.
1931 and 1928
Collection Mackensen
available at:
Museum of the City of New York
It’s the EXACT same angle!
New York Law School Building (demolished 1985 for Millennium Hilton)
Lobby hallway
Typical floor plan and lobby plan
Various diagrams, plans and lobby views of the Guaranty Trust Building (demolished 1964-5)
Typical floor plan of 60 Wall Street (demolished in 1976 to avoid property taxes)
Queen Building typical floor plan (demolished 1955 for One Chase Manhattan Plaza)
Guaranty Trust Buildings typical floor plan, 31-35 Nassau Street (demolished 1965)
R.G. Dun Company Building typical floor plan (demolished 1968 as part of a failed Civic Center urban renewal plan)
Courtesy of the LPC, undated view of the Municipal Building; the parking lot at Chambers and Elk Streets was still occupied by a building dating back to 1878, which came down in 1971