No business like snow business! Early 20th century photos capture New York clean-up crews battling the city's harsh winters

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: | Updated:

This generation of New Yorkers has certainly had their fill with snow, storms, and ice, being slammed not only with Superstorm Sandy, a powerful Nor’easter, and several blizzards in recent winters.

But city-dwellers of earlier generations had the same problems – but had less evolved technology in the process of street maintenance and snow removal.

Photographs from New York City’s Municipal Archives dating between 1880 and the early 1900s show how the Department of Sanitation dealt with snow in the era bridging horses and carriages and the motorcar.

In earlier years, department workers collected unwanted snow in horse-drawn carts, taking the slush to either the East River or the Hudson for disposal.

With the advent of the car, more complicated devices like ice breakers and snow plows were introduced. 

Hauling away: A truck with trailer, both loaded with snow, in the early 1900s

Hauling away: A truck with trailer, both loaded with snow, in the early 1900s

One way or another: A New York City Department of Sanitation crew out on the street

One way or another: A New York City Department of Sanitation crew out on the street

Different equipment: A two-horse team near the pier

Different equipment: A two-horse team near the pier

Fancy gadget: A man in a derby hat demonstrates a snow removal machine while three dignitaries look on

Fancy gadget: A man in a derby hat demonstrates a snow removal machine while three dignitaries look on

Ice breaker: A man stands in a snowy New York street by a tractor-truck snow plow. Attached to it is an open vehicle with steel-rimmed wheels on which another man stands

Ice breaker: A man stands in a snowy New York street by a tractor-truck snow plow. Attached to it is an open vehicle with steel-rimmed wheels on which another man stands

Nuisance: Two men on tractor plow piles of high snow

Nuisance: Two men on tractor plow piles of high snow

Technology: Men watch as 'new' type of snow gatherer tractor pushes snow to sewers

Technology: Men watch as 'new' type of snow gatherer tractor pushes snow to sewers

Nowhere else to go: A group of workers dumps a wagon-full of dirty snow into the river

Nowhere else to go: A group of workers dumps a wagon-full of dirty snow into the river

Playground: Children at Worth Street and Five Points play in dirty snow banks; wagons, tenements and shops can be seen in the background, c 1880-1900

Playground: Children at Worth Street and Five Points play in dirty snow banks; wagons, tenements and shops can be seen in the background, c 1880-1900

Inter-borough: The Brooklyn Bridge showing snow and ice, circa 1934

Inter-borough: The Brooklyn Bridge showing snow and ice, circa 1934


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