The Flatiron Before It Became an Icon (1905)
The Flatiron Before It Became an Icon (1905)
The Flatiron was only three years old when this snow scene was photographed in 1905. Its narrow outline already stood out at Broadway and Fifth Avenue.
The story behind the scene
Completed in 1902, the tower was officially named the Fuller Building. Its familiar nickname came from the triangular block it occupied, which resembled a clothing iron.
Its steel frame allowed a tall building on an unusually narrow site. Seen from the pointed end, the long sides almost disappear.
The Flatiron was not New York’s first skyscraper. Its shape and exposed position made it one of the easiest to recognise.
What you’re seeing
Bare branches and snow frame the building in the 1905 view. The modern photograph returns on another snowy day. Newer towers rise behind it, while the Flatiron’s pointed front remains visible from the street.
Why this photo matters
Snow clears away some of the visual clutter in both views. It leaves the building’s shape, the street junction and the changing skyline easy to compare.
Historical photograph: Detroit Publishing Co., 1905, Library of Congress, 2016804563. Modern photograph: Devyn Tapia.
Sources: Library of Congress; NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission