newyorkworldbuilding

Various sources seem to suggest that this is the start of a transcontinental bicycle race between New York and San Francisco. These two cyclists represented the Caribou Club. An article from the New York Times is here (dated May 4 1914): query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9807E... And this article records the departure of a second team: query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F03EFD8103CE6...

As the article says, this is at Murray Street--specifically at Murray Street and Broadway in New York City. The building on the left is New York City's City Hall. (John McComb Jr. and Joseph Francois Mangin, 1813; compare to this picture.) The darker-colored building on the right is the New York World or Pulitzer Building (George B. Post, 1890). It was the tallest building in New York City from 1890 to 1894, and was demolished in 1955 to make way for new entrance ramps onto the Brooklyn Bridge.

amphalon and epicharmus, thank you for the identifying information. We will update the source data and reload the description.

Correction: May 4, 1913 not 1914

quadmod: Thanks for clarifying the year--we'll make note of it!

This is a great photo.

in the 60's i worked in the woolworth building....great shot

In front of the Cotton and Coffee Exchanges is the Hanover Square Station of the Third Avenue Elevated, which was was the last of the Els to vanish. It made its last scheduled run in May 1955, demolished in 1956. William Russell Grace (1832-1904) was New York City's first Roman Catholic mayor in 1880. He opposed Tammany Hall, reformed the police, curbed vice, and reduced taxes- and was re-elected in 1884. Another view of the Coffee Exchange and Hanover Square Station: digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?482823

The New York World Building was also known as the Pulitzer Building after the famous editor, Joseph Pulitzer, who commissioned it. Pulitzer's private office was on the second level of the dome which gave him the ability to look down upon other buildings along the street. The New York World Building was a skyscraper in New York City designed by George Browne Post and built in 1890 to house the now defunct newspaper, The New York World. The height of the building in stories is disputed, with estimates ranging from the 26 stories claimed by The World to 16 or 18 stories according to current standards. Construction of the New York World Building began on October 10, 1889 and was completed on December 10, 1890. The World Building was rebuilt at an unknown date after a fire completely demolished it. The rebuilt building was demolished in 1955 for the expanded car ramp entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. During the 19th century, many high-rise buildings were constructed by newspaper companies which soon developed into a competition and a race for the tallest. The New York World Building resulted in being the tallest of all of them during that time. It was the first building in New York to surpass the spire height of 284 foot of Trinity Church which, at the time, dominated the city's skyline. It was also featured on the cover of the World Almanac from 1890 to 1934. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_World_Building

Is this where they keep all the prizes? ;) -- Seen on your photo stream. (?)

"The massive Victorian skyscrapers on Park Row were built by the city's nineteenth-century newspaper publishers, who found it advantageous to maintain proximity to City Hall and the financial district. "From left to right are: the Pulitzer Building (G. B. Post, 1890); the Tribune Building (R. M. Hunt, 1876); the Times Building (G. B. Post, 1889); and the Potter Building (1883). At the turn of the century, the papers began to move uptown, leaving only the name "newspaper row" as their legacy. "Abbott's photograph of City Hall Park and Park Row, which was taken from the 14-story Postal Telegraph Cable Building ... " --More: Museum of the City of New York