Boston has a lengthy, influential history, much of which predates the medium of photography. However, these 12 rare photographs - captured during the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries - steer our imaginations back through time. Such frozen moments let us envision Boston's past more easily, and breathe life into the facts we already know about our city's history.
1. This is what Dock Square looked like in the 1860s. The lettering on the stores is simple yet lovely.
2. William B. Phelps had a furniture and upholstery store – Russell and Phelps – that occupied 17 to 27 Brattle Street in Boston during the 1860s. The sign is visible halfway up the buildings to the left.
Squinting also reveals a sign for dining rooms, and for Quincy House. The latter was the biggest hotel in the city at the time. Nowadays, this is the location of City Hall Plaza.
3. Winter by the Common, circa 1875, when horse-drawn sleighs apparently took to the streets of Boston.
7. Also taken outside North Station, this photo captures the hustle and bustle of travelers taking streetcars. Old advertisements are always fascinating – this one is promoting discount rail tickets.
Clearly visible are signs for the Metropolitan Steamship Company, which connected New York and Boston via boat, a building housing an electrician’s business, and to the right, Rowe’s Wharf.
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9. A little boy selling vegetables on a Boston street in 1909.
This picture makes you wonder about the contents of the bag the woman is carrying. Hopefully, it contained something light!
Which of these pictures intrigues you the most? Share your thoughts (and memories) in the comments below!
If you're interested in old photos of Boston, you should also view these shots taken during the Great Depression and these images captured during World War II.
As we walk through the streets of Boston, we know we're traveling along roads and by buildings that existed long before we did; however, viewing old photos of Boston helps the scope of that history to really sink in. All of these historic Boston photos are well over a century old and provide fascinating glimpses into what life was like in 19th century Boston.
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1. This old Boston photo, taken in 1869, shows members of the First National Photographic Convention posing in the Public Garden.
6. The Great Boston fire of 1872 led to the death of 14 people and demolished hundreds of buildings downtown. This image, taken just after the fire, hints at the level of destruction the city suffered.
It cost 25 cents to view Caroline S. Brooks’ work, shown here with the artist, when it was displayed in Boston’s Amory Hall in 1877.
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8. Charles Sumner served as a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts and was a fervent Abolitionist. This photo was taken of the Shaw Honor Guard surrounding the casket at his funeral in 1874.
This photograph was taken on September 20, 1881. This is the second Boston Theatre (the first one was torn down in 1852) and it was able to seat 3,000 people!
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13. Irish clam diggers posing on a Boston wharf in 1882.
14. The Bijou Theatre stood on Washington Street from 1882 until 1943, when its failure to meet fire regulations forced it to close. This is what the interior looked like in 1885.
The Bijou was notable because it was the first theatre in the country to be totally lit by electricity; Thomas Edison personally installed the electrical system here.
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15. A glance back through time to Pemberton Square in the year 1885. This is what it looked like before it was absorbed by Government Center.
17. Trinity Church rises in the background of this shot, which depicts dignitaries standing on Boylston and Dartmouth Streets to watch a cornerstone be set in place – presumably for Boston Public Library.
20. Apparently, Boston has always been a city that attracted cyclists. Here, the French inventor Pierre Lallemant, perches on a penny-farthing in Boston in 1886.
Did the subjects of any of these old Boston pictures surprise you? These historic Boston pictures really make us think about our deep roots in Boston and the Bay State. How about you?
Compared to other U.S. cities, Boston has many businesses that have endured the passage of time. Many restaurants in Boston have been in business for many decades or even a century or so! Inevitably, other beloved stores and eateries were less fortunate and had to close their doors. Here are one dozen old Boston department stores that we still miss to this day (sigh):
When William Filene opened his first department store - Filene's - in 1890, it was similar to all its other Boston competitors. However, his son Edward Filene took over and became the first person to introduce the idea of "bargain basement" pricing to the consumer. Extra stock was sold at low prices in the department store's lower level and Filene's Basement became hugely popular. In 2011, the brick-and-mortar store closed. An online version of Filene's is still in business.
Boston was the first city in the U.S. to offer a department store, among other things. Jordan Marsh and Company went on to spawn locations throughout the country and the world. The flagship store was demolished in the 1970s and other branches were taken over by Macy's.
At one time, Jordan Marsh, Filene's, and Gilchrist were the three shopping landmarks of Downtown Crossing. Gilchrist's opened in Boston in 1842 and, by 1964, there were multiple store locations across Greater Boston. Gilchrist's building is still standing, although the store itself closed in 1977. This popular spot was especially well-known for its macaroons!
This beloved restaurant launched in 1963 and quickly became THE place to dine and hobnob. Famous folks like Joe DiMaggio and Judy Garland dined here, and it was particularly popular with Boston's political power players. This establishment was the brainchild of Anthony Athanas, who immigrated to the U.S. from Albania. He turned Anthony's Pier 4 into one of the most financially successful restaurants in the country and was known for always being on hand to welcome guests to his seafood restaurant (which was also famous for its popovers). The restaurant closed in 2013, but the same family still owns Hawthorne by the Sea Tavern in Swampscott and Anthony's Cummaquid Inn in Yarmouth Port.
A 68-foot-tall cactus sign is all that remains of this once-huge restaurant in Saugus. The chain of restaurants was born in the 1960s and spread to other New England states like Connecticut and New Hampshire. However, the Saugus location on Route 1 was truly vast, with a dining room that could accommodate well over 1,000 diners. Sadly, it closed in 2013.
At first, Kennedy's specialized in boy's and men's clothing before venturing into the field of women's clothing in the 1930s. During the 1980s, Kennedy's struggled and had to shut the doors of its main store (at Summer and Hawley Streets). This 1874 building was supposed to be knocked down, but preservationists campaigned against this move and were able to save the top three floors of the façade.
Locke-Ober was a Boston dining institution from 1875 until 2012. During its 137 years in business, this establishment was known for its elegance, history, and steak and lobster fare. Formality was always in fashion at Locke-Ober and the restaurant's last owner, David Ray, decided to shut down rather than change Locke-Ober's signature style. The space is now occupied by Yvonne's.
For 47 years, Johnny D's in Somerville was a popular music venue for acts ranging from the Dixie Chicks to Neil Young. Whether you were in the mood for jazz, blues, rock, folk or just a great brunch, Johnny D's delivered. This restaurant and club closed more recently, in 2016, but it is definitely missed.
Dini's was in business from 1926 through 1990 and this Tremont Street restaurant was renowned for its lobster and schrod. It offered fresh seafood and good value - although the average taxpayer was probably still taken aback to learn that Massachusetts governor Edward King spent $1,200 on Dini's lobster and crab salad sandwiches delivered to his office!
This restaurant dished up Polynesian food between 1961 and 2000. A tiki bar with stand-up comedy and an award-winning pupu platter? What a delicious combination.
In 1920, this shop started out as a humble dry goods store, but within a decade, it had changed direction to focus on women's clothing. The enterprise expanded to include four stores located in Boston (on Tremont Street), Hyannis, Cohasset, and Wellesley. C. Crawford Hollidge remained in business until a major fire in 1967 decimated the flagship building in Boston. The store transferred to a new location but closed again - for good - in 1969.
R.H. Stearns and C. Crawford Hollidge were in direct competition, as the former was located on Tremont Street, across from the Park Street subway station. This department store was established in the 1840s but moved to Tremont Street in 1910. The store concentrated on classic goods and, in the 1970s, several other branches opened throughout Greater Boston. However, the flagship location in Boston closed for good in 1978.
How many of these do you personally remember? Are there any other now-defunct companies or restaurants that fill you with nostalgia? What old Boston department stores do you miss the most? Let us know in the comments. Find yourself in Boston with nothing to do? Check out all the goings-on with our friends at StubHub.
