mead

The building was completed in 1913, so this image must be from between 1910 and 1913.

Great! We'll narrow the date range and add the area of New York City and the Municipal Building identification from the tags.

World's tallest building, when it opened on April 25, 1913. Built for $13,500,000 -- and financed completely in cash by owner Frank W. Woolworth, the pioneer dimestore entrepreneur.

Also, the photo is looking North, you can see the Metropolitan Life building (completed in 1909) just to the left in the distance and the East River and Roosevelt Island on the right side of the photo off in the distance.

Dr. John Abner Mead (1841-1920), governor of Vermont (1910-1912): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Mead

This is what the site looks like now: www.visitingdc.com/images/madison-square-garden-address.jpg Pity.

I can see what you mean. It sure is a terrible pity indeed. Why did they destroy such a magnificent work of architecture?

Oh, they thought it was progress, I guess. Cf. the relevant speech in "Mad Men." One good thing about it, though, is that the whole movement of historic landmark preservation was apparently much strengthened by the destruction of Penn Station: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Landmarks_Preservatio...

It was a travesty. I'm 22 years old and a New Yorker. It breaks my heart to see the Penn Station that was.

They didn't think it was progress, even at the time everyone realized what a tragedy it was. However, the station was privately owned, by the Pennsylvania Rail Company, which was bleeding red ink thanks the Robert Moses and the Interstate Highway Act. The destroyed the station to get money, specifically a 25% stake in Madison Square Garden. It was a business decision by a company that was failing and desperate to do anything to try to bring in revenue.