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Whether it’s people FaceTiming while they walk down the sidewalk or those vaguely ominous LinkNYC kiosks, video cameras are hardly a rare sight on NYC streets anymore. But in the 1920s, it was a different story.
Historian and videographer Michael Rogge has discovered some pretty fascinating (and rare) footage filmed around New York almost 100 years ago. The footage, which you can watch below, highlights a wide range of NYC icons and landmarks from Times Square to Chinatown. Some, like the gothic Woolworth Building, look about the same today. Others, like the full bathing suit-packed Coney Island, look quite, quite different.
Perhaps the most jarring moment, however, is when text comes on screen declaring the entire Plaza Hotel was worth a mere $13 million. That’s like 1/10th of an apartment on that block these days! Good to know that people were even complaining about real estate prices back then, though.
Check it out below.
