New York Journal — Times Square 1938 & Millard 1933

In the winter of 1938, Times Square blazed with electric light so intense it could be seen from miles away. The billboards that lined Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets had transformed the intersection into something unprecedented in human history: a place where night had been abolished, where commerce and entertainment merged in a continuous spectacle of light and movement. They called it The Great White Way, and it was unlike anything the world had ever seen.

The front cover presents a vintage illustration of Times Square circa 1938 — the Hotel Astor and the Capitol Theatre visible among the landmarks of the district, the street alive with pedestrians in fedoras and overcoats and vintage automobiles, and above everything the electric signs blazing with the light that had made Times Square the most photographed intersection on Earth, the Art Deco architecture of the district framing a scene of urban energy and cultural confidence at the height of its pre-war glory. The back cover presents C.E. Millard's whimsical pictorial map Manhattan: First City in America (1933), published by S.M. Stanley Co., New York — the central map of Manhattan flanked by 26 illustrated vignettes depicting modern landmarks and historical events, cartoon illustrations celebrating the city's evolution from Dutch colonial settlement to the world's financial and cultural capital, the decorative borders featuring steamers in the harbor, City Hall, the customs house, and panoramic views from Williamsburg, capturing the pride and optimism of 1930s New York in a single exuberant image.

Product Details

• Format: 5.75 × 8 in (14.6 × 20.3 cm)
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets)
• Perforated pages — tear out cleanly without damaging the binding
• Paper weight: 90 gsm, suitable for fountain pens and pencils
• Hardcover with matte finish, casewrap sewn binding
• Weight: 400 g (14.1 oz)

Perfect For

• New York City history enthusiasts and urban historians celebrating 1930s Manhattan
• Travelers documenting NYC adventures with a vintage aesthetic
• Collectors of vintage cartography and Art Deco design
• Broadway theater lovers and entertainment historians
• Students of 1930s American culture and urban development
• Thoughtful gifts for anyone captivated by the electric energy of The Great White Way

Read more: The Great White Way: How Electric Light Transformed Times Square in the 1930s