Street Scene on Broadway, Herald Square and 34th Street

Street scene on 34th Street and Broadway, Herald Square, Manhattan. Looking down on busy intersection, people crossing, buses, trucks, cabs, other autos, Macy's entrance just visible with union picket in front.

In the late 19th century, the area around Broadway and West 34th Street became an important entertainment district. Saks & Co, and R.H. Macy's anchored the shopping at 34th Street, having led the move, beginning in the early 20th century. Sixth Avenue and 34th Street was also the site of cross-town streetcars, the Sixth Avenue Elevated, and the Hudson Tubes to New Jersey.

Photograph taken on July 16, 1936, by Berenice Abbott (1898-1991). Source: Federal Art Project / New York Public Library.