1950 Garbush Map of Manhattan, New York City

This is a lovely and highly detailed map of Manhattan prepared c. 1950 by Norman Garbush. The map presents Manhattan and New York City at the height of mid-century modernism.

A Closer Look

The recto consists of three maps. A large map of Manhattan covers the right half of the sheet, with the area north of 180th St. separated as an inset at the top-right. Streets are labeled throughout, along with bridges, piers, subway stations, parks, and landmarks (museums, famous buildings, sporting venues, churches, and temples). Descriptive text discusses distinctive neighborhoods, such as Harlem and Greenwich Village. On the other side of the sheet is a subway map of the city, indicating the complex system in play at the time, when the three independent systems were undergoing a gradual process of unification. At the bottom left is a detailed map of the Financial District in Lower Manhattan, which allows for the granular mapping of individual buildings (some pulled out in an index on the left), including banks, department stores, and office buildings.

The verso contains a similarly detailed map of Midtown Manhattan between 23rd and 62nd St. While Garbush includes a disclaimer at the bottom-right that not all buildings are individually indicated, the map is quite remarkable for labeling many if not most of the individual buildings in the area, including hotels, churches, theaters, museums, and landmarks like Grand Central Station, (old) Pennsylvania Station, and the New York Public Library. Some facts about New York City are included in a table at the bottom left, while additional tables below the map give the traveler a helpful short-hand list of popular destinations.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared and published by Norman Garbush, care of the New York Litho. Corp. and distributed by the Interborough News Company. The map is undated, but from its content and style, it must date to the late 1940s. In particular, the map includes features that were completed in the early 1940s, such as the IRT's Dyer Ave. Line, but does not include features from the early 1950s, such as the IND Rockaway Line. Notably, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (now the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel) is described as under construction; it opened to traffic on May 25, 1950.