The Street Corner That Shaped the Flatiron (1902)
The Street Corner That Shaped the Flatiron (1902)
Snow and bare branches frame the Flatiron in this 1905 photograph. The tower had opened three years earlier on a narrow wedge of Manhattan land.
The story behind the scene
Daniel Burnham’s firm designed the building for the Fuller construction company. Completed in 1902, it occupied the triangular block where Broadway and Fifth Avenue meet near 23rd Street.
The Fuller name was official, but the building’s shape made Flatiron the more memorable description. Its pointed end looks much narrower than its long sides.
The site explains the design. The tower follows the street boundaries, producing a building that changes appearance sharply as it is viewed from different directions.
What you’re seeing
The Detroit Publishing Company photograph uses snow and bare trees to frame the narrow front. The modern image returns from a similar direction. The surrounding buildings and street fittings have changed around the same triangular block.
Why this photo matters
The address is as important as the tower. Broadway and Fifth Avenue created the site that gave the building its shape and familiar name.
Sources: Flatiron NoMad: The Flatiron Building; National Park Service: Flatiron Building record; Library of Congress photograph record.