Our first issue of Old Photos of Boston Massachusetts

Being from the Boston area, we at Old Photographic come across many old photos of Boston and the surrounding areas. Not knowing quite how to categorize these images, we decided to create a series of articles showcasing some of the more interesting of those old photos of Boston that we have acquired.

North Terminal StationHere is a great image taken from a glass negative. It shows North Terminal Station (North Station) Circa 1898. North Station was located at Causeway and Nashua Streets in the North End of Boston.

The original North Station was demolished in 1928 to make way for the Boston Garden. This was replaced by the Fleet Center, now the TD Garden. The new building is still located at Causeway and Nashua Streets.

South Terminal StationHere is another image taken from a glass negative. What is unusual about this photo is that it was taken from the back side of the terminal, from South Boston. It shows South Terminal Station (South Station) Circa 1927.

I don't think I have ever seen an image of South Station from this angle. We know this is South Station due to the fact that you can see the Customs Tower to the right in the background.

In 1978, the Boston Redevelopment Authority sold the station to the MBTA, who renovated it. The renovation was completed in 1989 and now the building retains only the facade.

The Avery HotelWhat a great old photo this is! It shows the Hotel Avery & Clark's place to eat on the corner of Washington Street and Avery Street in Boston. This photo taken from an 8" x 10" negative looks to have been taken in the 1930's.

The Avery stood at the beginning of one of the seediest sections of Boston, The Combat Zone. In it's heyday it was a well known hotel with many famous personalities staying there such as; Jackie Gleason and his fellow vaudevillian, Art Carney. Jason Robards was another celebrity who stayed in the hotel for long periods in the 1950's while working on the play Stalag 17.

The long abandond and decrepit hotel was demolished in 1991 to make way for a new building.

Sumner St ans Winter St BostonOne of my favorite vintage photographs of Boston is this one showing Sumner street, looking towards Winter street and Washington street crossing.

The photo looks to have been taken in the late 1930's or early 1940's and may have been taken after the Valentine's Day Blizzard of 1940.

We just love all the action in this photo, and the great storefront views. The shop keepers are just starting to clear all the snow off of the sidewalks, while delivery trucks and wagons are trying to navigate the snow covered streets.

The Strand theatreThis old photo of Marget's Strand theatre, scaned from an 8" x 10" negative was taken in 1941. We know this because one of the movies playing is Dude Cowboy.

We believe the Marget's Strand stood in Scolly Square in Boston, but please feel free to leave a correction in the comments form below if we are wrong.

Even still, this is a really cool old photo of a theatre from days gone by.

Prince Spaghetti BuildingIn this vintage photo of the Prince Spaghetti Building in the North End of Boston, we can see the building before the old Central Artery was built. How do we know this? If the photo was taken after 1954, you would see the Artery above the camera.

The Central Artery was built between 1951 and 1954 and once completed the building with this advertisement was mostly obscured by the highway.

The building is still standing today, but the sign which was painted on the building is badly faded.