seventhavenue

Based on the higher-res version of this image on the LOC website, these windows say something like "National Cloak & Suit." According to the NYT, the National Cloak and Suit Company occupied "the entire west side of the block on Seventh Avenue between Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Street" in New York City. A look at Google Maps' Street View confirms that it's this location, 250 Seventh Avenue, currently a Whole Foods store. There is also an October 10, 1912 story about city-wide fire drill exercises the previous day, one of which took place at the building, so this picture could have been taken on October 9, 1912, unless there other fire drills of this type taken in other years.

Thanks, epicharmus! We will add a note to the source data and reload the description.

Bain News Agency has placed the date on the bottom of the photo: 10/9/12. Here is another view of the fire drill, in the adjacent photo in Bain's photostream:

And to think that this beautiful building was torn down and replaced by ugly Madison Square Garden. And now they want to replace MSG! Thanks so much to the LOC for sharing these great archival photos. Please add lots more.

Well said chocolatepoint!

I've seen the PBS history on this. It was the NYcity's biggest and well know tragedies in architectural history.

The only traces left of this great station are some of the stairways to the station platforms and the platforms themselves. The destruction of the old Penn Station was a civic disgrace.

It was called "progress"... at least now the Madison must be turned down and a new station built in that place, similar to the old building.

A visionary look at how Penn Station would change 7th Ave.

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