We’re proud to share the latest addition to our historic image archive, a new collection of nearly 150 images of streets, buildings, and storefronts throughout the West Village donated by architect and preservationist Linda Yowell, which she took from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. The collection shows details of individual buildings, streetscapes, and the neighborhood that are about to be or are in the process of being restored, altered, or destroyed. This includes everything from small details on historic storefronts or rowhouses, to huge changes like the demolition of the Women’s House of Detention, as well as familiar landmarks like the White Horse Tavern, Jane Jacobs’ house (555 Hudson Street), 233-37 Bleecker Street (the likely inspiration for Edward Hopper’s Early Sunday Morning), 75 1/2 Bedford Street (the narrowest house in the Village), Gay Street, and more.

Some photos date to the early 1970s, when Linda first moved to the neighborhood, while many were taken between 1997 and 1999 as part of projects Linda was commissioned as an architect to undertake.

You can view our entire historic image archive of over 4,000 images of Greenwich Village, the East Village, NoHo, surrounding neighborhoods, and NYC landmarks here. Prints are available of many images with proceeds supporting Village Preservation’s work. If you’d like to donate images to our collection, contact info@villagepreservation.org.