In 1889, the civic and cultural leaders of New York City held a three-day celebration to commemorate the centenary of George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall on Wall Street. A temporary triumphal arch designed by the architect Stanford White was commissioned for the occasion, in order that the centennial parade would pass near the historic Washington Square Park named for the president.
Spanning lower Fifth Avenue a half block north of the park, the temporary arch featured clusters of flags and streamers of bunting topped by a wooden statue of Washington.
Architect White’s arch of white papier-mâché plaster was a tremendous hit. It received such praise that at the close of the centennial, a special committee was immediately organized to ask White to design a permanent version in marble to be erected in the park.
Donations from many sources flowed in and the grand dedication of the new arch took place on May 4, 1895. It stands 73½ feet high, with garlands and wreaths carved in marble, along with inscriptions and reliefs honoring George Washington, the city and state of New York, and the people who conceived and built the arch. The new arch was instantly loved and soon became one of the icons of the city, standing as a majestic gateway to both the park and to Fifth Avenue.
More than 30 years later, a new landmark just north of the arch, arose at the southeast corner of 8th Street and Fifth Avenue, the 27 story Art Deco style skyscraper known as One Fifth Avenue.
The construction of this architectural masterpiece by the architect Harvey Wiley Corbett of the firm, Helme & Corbett, began in 1926, and the building opened in 1927 as an apartment-hotel with two- and three-room units. The building’s facade of shaded brown brick is accented with fine masonry and gargoyles, and its massive form culminates in a single tower.
[The caption of the Arthur Hass postcard below, states that One Fifth Avenue is home of many celebrated personages in art and letters. Including Helena Bonham Carter, actress; Jessica Lange, actress; Brad Pitt, Hollywood superstar who lived there during the 1990s; Gwyneth Paltrow, actress and entrepreneur, also a resident in the 1990s; Keith Richards, legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones; Brian De Palma, film director known for Scarface and Carrie; and James Burrows, co-creator of the hit TV show Cheers.]
Artists and photographers quickly took to depicting the new building and the Washington Arch together. Some of the postcard images shown here were created by them of the Arch looking north towards Fifth Avenue include all or a large part of the upper stories of One Fifth Avenue. Some of the images seek to minimize the dominance of the apartment building by looking, as much as possible, straight up Fifth Avenue or by taking the artistic license of greying out the apartment building. Only one, a real photo card photographed from under the Arch, shows One Fifth Avenue from its base to its top.
Taken together they convey a pleasing sense of the stream of people and vehicles through the park as well as how these two landmarks from different eras dominate the park and its surrounding area yet mutually complement each other.
Left: a watercolor painting dated 1927 by the Austrian artist Albert Sallak, publisher unknown, part of a 12-card series of New York City landmarks.
Right: a photo by Percy Loomis Sperr of New York City, published in the 1930s by Max Jaffe of Vienna, Austria, using a half-tone collotype process.
Left: a colored pencil drawing by Pinckney Alston Trapier of Washington, D. C., published in 1932 by Lumitone Photoprint as part of its 20-card set, “Trapier Colorpoeme-Series ‘32”.
Right: a color photo by an unknown photographer, published in 1939 by R. H. Macy & Co., and part of the Macy Color Views of New York, one of the earliest series of chrome cards in the United States.
Left: a watercolor painting by H. C. Sowden, part of a 10-card series of New York City views published in the 1930s.
Right: a photo by Samuel Chamberlain, published in the late 1930s as part of his American Scene series of New York City.
Left: a real photo postcard by an unknown photographer mailed in 1940, published by Alfred Mainzer.
Right: a charcoal drawing by Arthur Hass, published in the late 1930s, part of a 14-card set (?; only thirteen have been found) of New York City landmark buildings, street scenes, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
One Fifth Avenue is beautiful, and provides an interesting shape and balance to the view up 5th Avenue. It’s really a shme that TWO Fifth Avenue was built (in the 60s?) right across the street — a blocky white-brick bore that quite ruins the streetscape.
Thanks Kyle – Great to learn about the history of this place that I’ve been to so many times. Love the collection too… some unusual views!
Now the song “Rose of Washington Sqare” is running through my mind.
Great postcards and interesting contrasts.