A beautifully detailed original vintage gelatin silver photograph of New York City Hall, one of the most important surviving civic landmarks in the United States. Photographed from the southwest in City Hall Park, the image captures the marble-fronted building with remarkable clarity, while pedestrians and early automobiles animate the foreground, placing this grand architectural monument within the everyday rhythm of early 20th-century New York.

The photograph is mounted on its original board and retains multiple period labels and institutional markings, enhancing both its historical interest and collector appeal. The printed architectural label identifies the subject as:

“AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE

McComb, John (1763–1853), and Mangin, Joseph F.

Old City Hall

From S.W.

1803–1812; Restorations, p. 1858 and 1917

Front and Sides, Marble; Rear, Brown Stone

L. 214 ft., W. 105 ft.

New York, City Hall Park”

The label records the building’s designers, John McComb Jr. and Joseph François Mangin, its original construction period of 1803–1812, and later restorations including the important 1917 restoration. This reference to the 1917 work, together with the clothing and automobiles visible in the photograph, strongly suggests a date of circa 1917–1920.

The mount also bears a “University of Maine Art Collection” stamp and a verso stamp reading “Picture Supplied and Mounted by Rudolf Lesch Fine Arts, Inc., 225–V Ave., New York.” These institutional and dealer markings suggest that the photograph was prepared as an architectural study or teaching photograph, making it especially appealing to collectors of New York history, American architecture, civic buildings, and early 20th-century educational photography.

New York City Hall remains one of the finest examples of early American civic architecture. Seen here shortly after its early 20th-century restoration, the building appears both monumental and alive: marble façade, cupola, grand entrance steps, street traffic, pedestrians, and period automobiles all preserved in a sharply rendered, atmospheric image of old New York.

Medium: Original vintage gelatin silver photograph mounted on board

Image size: 7.25 × 9.25 in.

Board size: 9.75 × 12 in.

Date: c.1917–1925

Location: City Hall Park, New York City

Condition: Very good; strong image quality, fine detail, and attractive period presentation on original board

Provenance / markings: University of Maine Art Collection stamp; Rudolf Lesch Fine Arts, Inc., New York mounting stamp; printed American Architecture study label

A scarce and desirable architectural photograph of New York City Hall, combining strong image quality, early 20th-century street detail, institutional provenance, and original period labeling.