About 200 years ago, Fifth Avenue was a mere country road leading to Yorkville, which was a small village at the time. But as New York City grew, so did the city’s famous artery.
At the turn of 20th century, the avenue perfectly reflected the huge changes that were happening in the city, and Fifth Avenue became synonymous with fashionable life, expensive mansions, as well as the city’s cultural and social institutions.
Photographer Burton Welles decided to capture Fifth Avenue with his wide-angle lens—from one end to the other.
