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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
