Video from a drive through the city. Colorized and enhanced, about 5 minutes.

Pedestrians in the streets
Horse drawn delivery
Taxi cabs

[www.youtube.com]

I love these. Anyone notice what's missing from those same scenes today? (Probably a variety of things, but one glaring omission to me.)

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Hurts like a bastid...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2021 10:22AM by mrbigstuff.

No one's on their phone? Haha.

Almost no yellow or white lines in the street? Crosswalks?

No traffic signals / stop lights

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Long time Mac user

Oh!! How did I not notice that was weird!

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RecipeForDisaster
No one's on their phone? Haha.

Almost no yellow or white lines in the street? Crosswalks?

Yes! I did see some traffic signals, but nothing like now.

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Hurts like a bastid...

jaywalking was a sport.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

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SurfMacJpMtb
No traffic signals / stop lights

That was my first observation, but on more careful inspection I did see them. They're on posts on some corners and only have two lights (Red/Green). Some of those still remained when I was growing up in NYC in the late 50's/early 60's.

Interesting that it doesn't look all that much different from the 1906 San Francisco video going down Market Street. The vehicles are different,, but it still looks like the same kind of free for all.

(also enhanced and colorized) [www.youtube.com]

also, here's a great video of Paris in the 1890s with artificial color and sound - some great street scenes. [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2021 02:28PM by hal.

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mrbigstuff
I love these. Anyone notice what's missing from those same scenes today? (Probably a variety of things, but one glaring omission to me.)

Minorities?

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Those cars are wonderful. Imagine the amount of maintenance those carburetors, points, and condensers must have required! And what is that vehicle pulling up at 2:23? Amazing grille.
[youtu.be]

And where are the potholes? The streets look suspiciously smooth, I wonder if they were retouched.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2021 06:20PM by tenders.

A quick history of road traffic rules, and why everyone was in the road in old films
[www.youtube.com]

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Eli Weisel

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

"I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it." - Billy Graham 1981

"Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise" - Barry Goldwater

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mrbigstuff
I love these. Anyone notice what's missing from those same scenes today? (Probably a variety of things, but one glaring omission to me.)

Bicycles.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

1) Midtown Manhattan is not New York City
2) people are crossing mid-block or against the light
3) bike-riding still equals death in that neighborhood
4) more horses elsewhere in NYC

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tenders
And where are the potholes? The streets look suspiciously smooth, I wonder if they were retouched.

They also look very clean, no accumulation of litter at the curbs. Of course most of the common fast food/beverage litter hadn't been invented yet.