When the NYC Subway Was Just a Dirt Trench

A daily mix of stories about cities, city life, and our always evolving neighborhoods and skylines. [Curbed]( WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 GETTING AROUND [When the NYC Subway Was Just a Dirt Trench]( Rare photos from the early 1900s show the 120-year-old system’s pick-and-shovel beginnings. Photo: Courtesy of Capitol Hill Books As its name suggests, Capitol Hill Books is in Washington, D.C., but within seconds into a conversation with its co-owner, Hélène Golay, her roots in Brooklyn come up. “That’s kind of why I bought them,” she tells me when we start discussing the 37 extremely rare photographs of the New York City subway that she picked up at an auction. They were made in 1901 and 1902, and record the building of the first of today’s lines: north from City Hall to Grand Central, across 42nd Street where the shuttle runs today, and up the Upper West Side. Golay will be bringing them to the ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, where they’ll be on view (and for sale) from April 4 through 7, at the Park Avenue Armory. They’re asking $12,500 for the set. [Continue reading »]( Want more on city life, real estate, and design? [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Curbed and everything New York. [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The Latest [Some Actually Nice-Looking Small-Space Storage Solutions A slim cart, a felted bin, and a tiny little table with endless uses.]( By Ming Thompson [A Perfectly Pragmatic, Teeny Kitchen A food writer, and mini-hoarder, on making it work in a 35-square-foot galley.]( By Marian Bull [A Bold Park Avenue Penthouse for Empty Nesters They were moving from a six-story townhouse. How to make it feel like home?]( By Wendy Goodman [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read More From Curbed]( [Sign up to get The Listings Edit](, a weekly digest of the most worth-it apartments in New York. [GET THE NEWSLETTER]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved