This photograph depicts a carriage driver continuing his work amidst a strong snowstorm on February 22, 1893. The hoof prints and wheel trails left in the snow show that this driver is one of many who had made their way down Fifth Avenue during this storm. It gave me a sense of resilience and I felt the strength of the city. The wind is blowing so hard that you can see that the snow is traveling almost horizontally, yet there is still life and there is still movement along Fifth Avenue. It also shows another less beautiful side of the city. Fifth Avenue is a very popular shopping district, and I pass by many luxurious stores along Fifth Avenue each Sunday on my way to church. However, that same avenue could also look blurry and cold as seen in this photograph. New York City has many different faces, and they may not all be visible at the same time.

This photograph shows the construction of the Vanderbilt Hotel. It portrays the constantly-changing New York landscape. There is a clear difference between the average, 4-story apartments along Park Avenue and the structure that will soon be the hotel. This photograph is important because it represents the increase in height of our city’s skyline over time. Walking down this same avenue today, that building does not look as big as it does here. Every other building in the vicinity is the same height, and one would never think that 4 Park Avenue once stood out among the rest.