Berenice Abbott’s photograph of El Second and Third Avenue Lines, Hanover Square and Pearl Street
Map of the New York World’s Fair and Approaches
William J. Wilgus (1865–1949)
Grand Central Terminal in Perspective
1939
William J. Wilgus Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division
Grand Central Terminal in Perspective
The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad turned to civil engineer William Wilgus to realize its plans for a modern transit hub and permanent terminal in New York City. Grand Central Station’s decade-long construction coincided with the shift from steam to electric power, which allowed the trains to go underground as they approached the station. Wilgus engineered this transition and funded construction by leasing the land over the tunnels—the first instance of air rights. In the 1930s, Wilgus and two other engineers made large donations of papers and pamphlets to the Library. This plan comes from the typewritten treatise that summarizes Wilgus’s achievements and is illustrated with prints and maps drawn from his own collection at the Library. The bibliography points to some of these, indicating their original call numbers.
: William J. Wilgus Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.
