"A Trip Through New York City in 1911" with a very modern looking character

A little diversion from the coronavirus is this vintage video of a bustling 1911 NYC. May be Chinatown, I didn't know.

Something of interest I see is a guy that comes into the video going from right to left carrying a briefcase in front of the camera and looking like a guy from the 80s or 90s. His attire and hat are totally unique for that time. Stop the film at exactly 3:04 is where you see the guy. Also, stop the video at exactly at 3:12 and compare him to the man on his left.

After that, you might want to check out a shot at 3:58 of a family with a distinguished-looking black chauffeur. The maker of the video actually tracked down this family and its history through the license plate on this old car.

Nothing spooky here like time travel( of course maybe so) I'm suggesting just a great video uploaded a month ago with over a million views and a fantastic look at the past of the great NYC with what I think may be an extraordinary anomaly of Time and Place.

That's 3:04

Or just enjoy the old-time era of NYC

Very cool, all those souls have passed. Every life was important to someone at sometime. Rich or poor, means nothing now.......

One thing I noticed in these old early 20th century films is that every person you see bare none has a hat on.

I And I mean everybody.

The wide, high shots at around the 7:00 mark was cool to see.
2 guys walking holding hands on the bridge at 6:21 was strange but I suppose it might not have meant anything back then like it does now.

originally posted by: RazorV66
The wide, high shots at around the 7:00 mark was cool to see.
2 guys walking holding hands on the bridge at 6:21 was strange but I suppose it might not have meant anything back then like it does now.

Yeah, I saw that! One guy was African American It looked like.

originally posted by: Willtell

originally posted by: RazorV66
The wide, high shots at around the 7:00 mark was cool to see.
2 guys walking holding hands on the bridge at 6:21 was strange but I suppose it might not have meant anything back then like it does now.

Yeah, I saw that! One guy was African American It looked like.

Yeah he was, I just went back and looked again.

a reply to: Willtell

Yep those were the days open wet markets gutters full of blood everything from Typhoid to VD.

a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

a reply to: Willtell

Well, not everyone, one gentleman was walking with his hat in hand. Lol

a reply to: Willtell

Very cool to see. I didn't pay attention for the ones you pointed out, but was much more fascinated than I expected watching this from beginning to end!

a reply to: Willtell

This was obviously before they invented the word "jaywalking".

a reply to: underpass61

Yeah, those streets are hazardous. Horse, kids, cars, carts, buggies all in one.

In a lot of foreign countries like Egypt and India, they have streets like that even today.

a reply to: Willtell

People used to want to have class.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

That's why literally everyone has a cap or hat on

a reply to: Willtell

they way i understand it, hats were more of a protective function from weather, and other activities in the 19th century. it protected your head from sun, snow, rain, dust when riding a horse, in a wagon or the early automobiles, while plowing in the fields, walking down the street, and so forth during the 19th century. in the late 19th and the early 20th they became more of a status symbol, and fashion statement as technology increased ie no more riding in wagon, cars stated getting tops, people in cities started using mass transit.

hats of the past have mostly been replaced with the ball cap style now days by those that still wear them and there are still a some that wear fedora's panama (which the guy you pointed out appears to be wearing) straw boater, as a fashion accessory.

the functionality part has all but faded except those that wear them to cover bald spots and thinning hair.

a reply to: Willtell

A few observations...

- a huge lack of advertising.

- the city looks so much more genuine and beautiful with that lack of advertising intruding ones eyes.

- they all look over dressed compared to today

- their clothes and they look dirty (yes I know why)

- some people looked at the camcorder like it was a supercomputer (yes I know why)

- it was probably 80 degrees yet they were still wearing all those clothes

- I bet their clothes were stinky (and them)

- they were all looking forward and not down

- they probably smelled of putrid ass

- they all looked so bored without their smartphones

- there were a lack of stop lights and not a lack of jay Walker's

- life was rough back then and it showed on their faces

- they all looked like they could use a nice relaxing shower

a reply to: Alien Abduct


Sure, a lot of down and out folks. But on the other hand, such as the modern-looking young man at 3:04 and a lot of men with top hats on looking prosperous is in the video...and many attractive women looking good. Something that is timeless---beauty.

It’s the same as today, the richer look better and the poorer look worse.

Nothing much changes

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck
a reply to: Willtell

Yep those were the days open wet markets gutters full of blood everything from Typhoid to VD.

and everyone just walking through horse manure like it was nothing