The images below are courtesy of the New York City Municipal Archives. The project was conceived and spearheaded by Vivian Ducat and was underwritten by a grant from the Hudson River Foundation. Image research by Ray Segal for the Riverside Oval Association.
Photograph looking southeast from 151 street and the Hudson River, May 28, 1908.
The shot shows what appears to be a small marina filled with private boats. Note what appears to be a woman in a long skirt crossing the elevated path over the train tracks in the left part of the image and what appears to be a roofed over snack bar with two people inside it to her right. The staircase down from Riverside Drive is still in existence today though the river’s edge is much less used.
Construction of Riverside Drive viaduct in the west 150’s, 1927. Notice the active docks, as well as the railroad and the car in the background of the picture.
Photograph taken September 17, 1927, looking north toward the construction of the Viaduct. The Victorian building to the right appears to be the 1860 Wheelock mansion which was demolished in 1939 to make way for the River Arts at 159th and Riverside Drive West.
Structure by the Hudson’s edge, location undetermined.
January 4, 1933 photo in which the men appear to be tarring the street along the river. Notice the old wall on the right side of the frame.
A photograph taken January 13, 1932, from the docks at 158 street, looking south at the corner of 153 street and Riverside Drive and Trinity Cemetery just to the north. A structure by the water’s edge is visible.
A 1920’s drawing of the Riverside Drive Viaduct that would be built along the periphery of the neighborhood that was called Audubon Park. That viaduct is still in place today and is most visible when exiting the West Side Highway at 158 Street.
Undated photograph looking south at the Wheelock mansion (demolished 1939) and with cars making use of the Viaduct from 155-158 on the left hand side. It appears as if Grants tomb is visible on the right-handside of the image in the distance.
A photograph of Riverside Drive taken on May 16, 1908, looking north toward the domed structure on 151 street taken around 147 street. Note the relative lack of apartment houses that had been built at that time along the eastern side of Riverside Drive.
May 15, 1933 picture of the head of the 158 street dock along the Hudson River in upper Manhattan. A boat that appears to be a pleasure or tour boat appears to be docked in the bay there.
May 15, 1933 photograph of a curvy section of Riverside Drive in which the relatively undeveloped state of the New Jersey shore across the Hudson is visible.
A photograph from 5/15/1933 in which it appears as if the viaduct had a paved ramp to bring pedestrians and maybe cars down to the paved area in front of the River’s edge at158 street. Riverside Church can be seen in the background of this south facing view. A relatively busy boat basin can be seen to the south of 158th.
Photograph taken in April 1932 of cars on Riverside Drive approaching the right turn at 155 street, with Trinity Cemetery visible on the right hand side of the frame and the dock area along the Hudson River on the left side of the image.
Photo taken July 9, 1932 from the docks at the base of 158 street and the Hudon River looking up at the viaduct and the newly constructed building 765 Riverside Drive (Right) and Riverside Drive West (left). Those buildings stand where Audubon’s wooden house had stood only two years before.
Image from 4-3-29, of woman walking in Fort Washington Park, with first stanchion of the George Washington Bridge, to be completed in 1931, visible to her left.
Construction of viaduct or possibly Riverside drive looking north toward 159 street. In a photo taken on January 20, 1928. Note all the houses located by the piers in upper Manhattan. The Victorian style Wheelock Mansion (1860) can be seen to the right of the frame.
January 10, 1933 photograph of 163 and Riverside Drive in which it is possible to see both horses and heavy equipment along the riverfront, to the south of the George Washington bridge. No fence seems to enclose Riverside Drive as it does there today.
Photo from August 16, 1933, looking north along the riverfront of the Hudson in Upper Manhattan looking north at the George Washington Bridge. The photograph suggests a small universe of structures and docs along the water’s edge.
Photograph from the New Jersey side of the Hudson looking at southern Washington Heights.
The image below is courtesy of the Palisades Interstate Park -NJ Section
This photograph was taken here at ‘Bloomer’s Beach’ in the summer of 1932. From the Park’s Annual Report for that year:
“The bathing beaches and bath houses were open to the public from the latter part of May until Labor Day. It is estimated that about 130,000 persons used the pavilions at Hazards Beach and Undercliff and that, in addition to these, about 210,000 made use of the similar dressing rooms provided at Bloomer’s, Alpine and Quinn’s Beaches. Besides these, there were many person who did not use the bath houses, but who came to the Park in bathing suits and removed their outer wraps upon arrival.”
Most of the people using these beaches came from across the Hudson by ferry from New York. Competition from the George Washington Bridge, which opened in late 1931, began to put the ferries out of business – and the Palisades beaches followed. By 1943, only Alpine Beach remained open. Then, from the Annual Report for 1944:
“The Alpine bathing area was closed for bathing for the duration, because of river pollution caused by war conditions”
While the Park no longer operates beaches in New Jersey, the water quality of the Hudson today may be better than it was when this photograph was taken.
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The images below are courtesy of the New York City Municipal Archives. The project was conceived and spearheaded by Vivian Ducat and was underwritten by a grant from the Hudson River Foundation. Image research by Ray Segal for the Riverside Oval Association.
Photograph looking southeast from 151 street and the Hudson River, May 28, 1908.
The shot shows what appears to be a small marina filled with private boats. Note what appears to be a woman in a long skirt crossing the elevated path over the train tracks in the left part of the image and what appears to be a roofed over snack bar with two people inside it to her right. The staircase down from Riverside Drive is still in existence today though the river’s edge is much less used.
Photograph taken September 17, 1927, looking north toward the construction of the Viaduct. The Victorian building to the right appears to be the 1860 Wheelock mansion which was demolished in 1939 to make way for the River Arts at 159th and Riverside Drive West.
Structure by the Hudson’s edge, location undetermined.
January 4, 1933 photo in which the men appear to be tarring the street along the river. Notice the old wall on the right side of the frame.
A photograph taken January 13, 1932, from the docks at 158 street, looking south at the corner of 153 street and Riverside Drive and Trinity Cemetery just to the north. A structure by the water’s edge is visible.
A 1920’s drawing of the Riverside Drive Viaduct that would be built along the periphery of the neighborhood that was called Audubon Park. That viaduct is still in place today and is most visible when exiting the West Side Highway at 158 Street.
Undated photograph looking south at the Wheelock mansion (demolished 1939) and with cars making use of the Viaduct from 155-158 on the left hand side. It appears as if Grants tomb is visible on the right-handside of the image in the distance.
A photograph of Riverside Drive taken on May 16, 1908, looking north toward the domed structure on 151 street taken around 147 street. Note the relative lack of apartment houses that had been built at that time along the eastern side of Riverside Drive.
May 15, 1933 picture of the head of the 158 street dock along the Hudson River in upper Manhattan. A boat that appears to be a pleasure or tour boat appears to be docked in the bay there.
May 15, 1933 photograph of a curvy section of Riverside Drive in which the relatively undeveloped state of the New Jersey shore across the Hudson is visible.
A photograph from 5/15/1933 in which it appears as if the viaduct had a paved ramp to bring pedestrians and maybe cars down to the paved area in front of the River’s edge at158 street. Riverside Church can be seen in the background of this south facing view. A relatively busy boat basin can be seen to the south of 158th.
Photograph taken in April 1932 of cars on Riverside Drive approaching the right turn at 155 street, with Trinity Cemetery visible on the right hand side of the frame and the dock area along the Hudson River on the left side of the image.
Photo taken July 9, 1932 from the docks at the base of 158 street and the Hudon River looking up at the viaduct and the newly constructed building 765 Riverside Drive (Right) and Riverside Drive West (left). Those buildings stand where Audubon’s wooden house had stood only two years before.
Image from 4-3-29, of woman walking in Fort Washington Park, with first stanchion of the George Washington Bridge, to be completed in 1931, visible to her left.
Construction of viaduct or possibly Riverside drive looking north toward 159 street. In a photo taken on January 20, 1928. Note all the houses located by the piers in upper Manhattan. The Victorian style Wheelock Mansion (1860) can be seen to the right of the frame.
January 10, 1933 photograph of 163 and Riverside Drive in which it is possible to see both horses and heavy equipment along the riverfront, to the south of the George Washington bridge. No fence seems to enclose Riverside Drive as it does there today.
Photo from August 16, 1933, looking north along the riverfront of the Hudson in Upper Manhattan looking north at the George Washington Bridge. The photograph suggests a small universe of structures and docs along the water’s edge.
Photograph from the New Jersey side of the Hudson looking at southern Washington Heights.
The image below is courtesy of the Palisades Interstate Park -NJ Section
This photograph was taken here at ‘Bloomer’s Beach’ in the summer of 1932. From the Park’s Annual Report for that year:
“The bathing beaches and bath houses were open to the public from the latter part of May until Labor Day. It is estimated that about 130,000 persons used the pavilions at Hazards Beach and Undercliff and that, in addition to these, about 210,000 made use of the similar dressing rooms provided at Bloomer’s, Alpine and Quinn’s Beaches. Besides these, there were many person who did not use the bath houses, but who came to the Park in bathing suits and removed their outer wraps upon arrival.”
Most of the people using these beaches came from across the Hudson by ferry from New York. Competition from the George Washington Bridge, which opened in late 1931, began to put the ferries out of business – and the Palisades beaches followed. By 1943, only Alpine Beach remained open. Then, from the Annual Report for 1944:
“The Alpine bathing area was closed for bathing for the duration, because of river pollution caused by war conditions”
While the Park no longer operates beaches in New Jersey, the water quality of the Hudson today may be better than it was when this photograph was taken.