Figure 1.--The photograsph was an early attempt at color photography called photochrom and provides a wonderful look at the colors that we can only guess at with the black and white photography of the day. Despite their mostly rural roots, Italian immigrantls most Italian immigrants gravitated to New York and other large American cities, mostly in the northeast, although Chicago was another major center. Here we see Mulberry Street in New York, one of the major streets of Little Italy. The photograph is undated, but was probably taken around 1900. The big boy in the foreground on the right seems to be holding a glass--possibly a beer. Perhaps nothing unusual at that time and place? Also notice the boy in the same quadrnt of the photograph wearing a pink blouse and ruffled collar. Also notice all the push carts, a very important part of city life at the time. To see an enlarged detail, put the cursor on the image. Source: Library of Congress. USZ62c4 4637

The photograsph was an early attempt at color photography called photochrom and provides a wonderful look at the colors that we can only guess at with the black and white photography of the day. Despite their mostly rural roots, Italian immigrantls most Italian immigrants gravitated to New York and other large American cities, mostly in the northeast, although Chicago was another major center. Here we see Mulberry Street in New York, one of the major streets of Little Italy. The photograph is undated, but Ma taken around 1900. The big boy in the foreground on the right seems to be holding a glass--possibly a beer. Perhaps nothing unusual at that time and place? Also notice the boy in the same quadrnt of the photograph wearing a pink blouse and ruffled collar. Also notice all the push carts, a very important part of city life at the time.

Photochrom

The photograsph was an early attempt at color photography called photochrom and provides a wonderful look at the colors that we can only guess at with the black and white photography of the day. This is not a true color photograph. Photochrom was a colorization printing process worked out in Switzerland which is why it is spelled without the final "e". As the process began to be used in America, the "e" was added to for the English pronunciation. A Photochrom image is a lithographic print made from an initial black-and-white negative. The color images were created by using multiple lithographic stones to add the color. The process was quite complicated. The result while not a true form of color printing was not the colorized postcard image in which colors were painted on without any regard to actual colors. The hues may not be precisely correct, but looking at the image, they seem very accurate indeed.

Mulberry Street

Despite their mostly rural roots, Italian immigrantls most Italian immigrants gravitated to New York and other large American cities, mostly in the northeast, although Chicago was another major center. Here we see Mulberry Street in New York, one of the major streets of Little Italy. Mulberry Stree is located on Manhatten. The primary Italian sections ran from Spring Street to Canal Street. Mulberry Street ran into the Fie Poibts area and what would become Chinatown. This was not the only Italian neigborhood in New York City. There was another Little Italy in The Bronx. The Feast of San Gennaro during September was centered on Mulberry Street.

Push Carts

Also notice all the push carts, a very important part of the commercial life of the city at the time. Italians were especially known for their pushcarts. I am not sure if Italians were more likely to operate push carts than other ethnic groups or if it is just a reflection of the very large mumbers of Italians. Of course the standard stereotype was the organ grinder and monkey. There were very few of thse, but there were huge numbers of push carts. Few Italian immigrants when they first arrived had enough money to open a store, but many were able to afford a push cart. And many individuals who eventually opened a store began with a simple push cart. Here we see push carts lined up as stales, but other push carts were pushed into residential neighborhoods selling a wide variety of goods.

Chronology

The photograph is undated, but was probably taken during the 1890s. This is because the Detroit Pgotographic Company's work with Photochrom was most prevalent in the 1890s. We would guess in looking at the photograph tht the image was taken in the late 1890s. Note also that there are no automobiles in the image. We suspect that after the turn of the 20th century that you would begin to see some automobiles.

Beer

The big boy in the foreground on the right seems to be holding a glass--possibly a beer. Perhaps nothing unusual at that time and place? Perhaps it is some other drink, but I am not sure what that would be. I don't see in the image just where he purchased the drink, but the saloon or vendor you would think would not want him to go to far with his drink.

School

The clothing the children re wearing seem to be their school clothes. Note that several of the boys seem to be carrying school books. Thus it looks like the pgotograph was taken in the afternoon after school.

Tenaments

In the photograph you can see the tenaments over the ground-level store fronts. It was often the stores that gave a neighborhood its ethnic character. The actual population could be more varied. Note the clothes hanging from the firescapes, a sure sign of residential tenaments. The fire escapes came to be used almost as spare rooms.

Clothing

The boys here seem to be wearing mostly flat cap, although it is a bit difficult to make out the details. Some look more like British-style schoo caps. One boy in the middle of the steet wears knee pants. We can't make out the pants work by the other boys, but we suspect that many are wearing knee pants. Sevral boys wear suspenders. Note the blue sailor suit the boy mext to the boy with kneepants is wearing. Also notice the boy in the same quadrant of the photograph wearing a pink blouse and ruffled collar. We are not sure if it is a pink blouse or a red striped blouse. The color reproduction, however, seems to be reasonably accurate. Note the red awnings in the background. Modern color conventins were not yet universally accepted in the 1890s. We note that some outfits for boys were made in pink.

Created: 3:38 PM 9/7/2006
Last updated: 3:39 PM 9/7/2006