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| The Eros theater |
The 42nd street area will never be the same...Some of its amazing theaters (think Selwyn, Lyric or Empire, Ziegfeld follies, Houdini shows, etc.) were brutaly destroyed to make room for a "family friendly" environment. Giuliani's clean up time had come and all of this old NY had to go.
Only the Amsterdam Theater still stands widely transformed by Disney (as well as a a very few theathers and theater fronts that were miraculously saved and rebuilt (or partialy moved). Some of the photos featured here were taken a few months before most theaters were torn down or transformed...and as the city had commisioned artist Jenny Holzer to display messages on the old time canopes of 42nd street.
You will also find here various images the "Deuce", 8th avenue and Times square, all were taken between 1993 and 1998. The strip shows and peep shows, the porn theaters (Show World, Peep Land, The Playpen, etc.) before they were gone and as destruction had just started. As well as some of the obvious signs of the total transformation of this great New York area that was coming up. And finally, shots of the surrounding Broadway theaters with the plays of that time: Rent, Grease, Chicago, Titanic...Please en joy and share !
- © G.Alessandrini - All rights reserved worlwide for all images on this site -
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Peepland original token |
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| Here and below, the 42nd street theater fronts |
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| The Selwyn Theater |
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| The Empire Theater |
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| The Liberty Theater |
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| The Lyric Theater |
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The Amsterdam Theater |
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| Victory Theater |
 
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| The remains of The Nugget. Just before total destruction. |
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| And after the destruction... |
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| Times Sqaure |
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| 42nd street / Broadway |
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| A new era has begun. Cranes and construction everywhere; |
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| 8th avenue is dead. All the porn shops have closed. |
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| The infamous Hotel Carter |
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| Show World (8th between 42nd and 43rd st.) |
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| Show World, still in activity with its infamous "triple treat" theater ! |
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| Show World original token |
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| Times Square |
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| Empty Times Square ! (During a simulation of terrorist attack - 1990's -) |
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| The Smiths Bar on 8th avenue...A must for a real Times Square late night experience at the time ! |
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| The Playpen (Ideal Theater) |
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| 8th. ave and 42nd street...one more time, later on...with a giant ad for the Godzilla movie. |
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| Times Square after the snow storm |
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Chicago, The musical  |
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| Grease, The musical |
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| Rent at the Nederlander theater |
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| Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater |
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| Les miserables at the Imperial |
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| Times Square |
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| Times Square "TKTS" |
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| Street preacher on 42nd street |
Thanks for sharing this amazing set of photos of the end days of a Times Square I never got to experience.
ReplyDeleteActually, just one little correction - the Selwyn still stands. The interior was completely refurbished although the facade of the building is gone (it actually fell of it's own accord at some point - not via demolition but because it was in such poor disrepair). The Selwyn is now the American Airlines theater, one of the Broadway homes of the Roundabout Theatre Company.
ReplyDelete(LOVE these pics though - and the entire blog - well done!)
Anonymous, you're absolutly right about the Selwyn, I read something about its renovation after posting these images. Thanks for the details about this landmark theater of the old 42nd street.
ReplyDeleteKind regards and thanks for your interest in this blog !
Actually, the Selwyn was basically demo-ed and combined with another theater to create the American Airlines theater.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this amazing photos
ReplyDeleteWONDERFULL!!
ReplyDeleteMy heart aches
ReplyDelete....for all the "Repent or Perish" sign carriers
who have been displaced!
Perhaps ...they perished anyway?
Great photos, brings me back to my first visit to NYC in 1988.
ReplyDeleteWere those messages on the theater marquees part of an art project?
Thank You ! Yes, it was an art project proposed as a transitional event before the 42nd street complete rehabilitation. The theaters and shops were all still standing but everything was closed. The 42nd street strip was totally empty, waiting...the old soda shop was still functionning...
DeleteI think Show world is still there, you just have to access it from the storefront nest door to the old entrance. The booths and stuff are the same.
ReplyDeleteWell,the side entrance on 42nd st. might still exist...but I can garantee you that the place is nothing close to what it once was...I heard that it's supposed to become (or already became) some kind of comedy club.
DeleteShowworld is alive and well! Just enter through the storefront next door, or through the 42 st entrance, and the old booths and decor and clean up men are still there and exactly the same. The only thing missing is the old upstairs area for live girls. If you want to support the old Times Sq, visit show world and drop a few bucks into a booth.
DeleteIt is, indeed, nothing close to what it was before. But I agree with the sentiment - it should be supported.
DeleteMarvelous photographs! You really did capture a time of change in NYC, I remember it well...
ReplyDeleteHow nice of you to use black and white, instead of color photos that would have revealed just how shabby the area actually looked like back then
ReplyDeleteLove these shots, they and the rest of your blog really takes me back to that era. That said, it does bear noting that some of these places still exist, albeit mostly in physical form, not in spirit. On 42nd Street, The Victory Theater is now fully restored as the New Victory Theater, the Selwyn is now fully restored and used as the American Airlines Theater/Roundabout, the Lyric and Apollo were combined to create what is now Foxwoods, the Liberty Theater has been fully restored and is now used as an event space behind Famous Daves BBQ and the auditorium of the Empire is now used as the entrance to the AMC 25 movie theaters (look up when you walk into the space, it's fantastic). Additionally, The Times Square Theater is about to reopen as Broadway 4D. On 8th Ave, Show World, the Playpen, Smith's and that odd camera shop are still operating.
ReplyDeletePlayPen is gone, as that building (Ideal Theater) the community was fighting to keep it and return it to its former glory. The spot is a Hotel and exact location is Shake Shack now. There was the Check cashing around the corner on 44th st in front of the subway entrance.
DeleteGreat photos
ReplyDeleteIf you were ever in the Triple Treat bathroom and saw graffiti that said
ReplyDeleteRoses are red, violets are blue
Triple Treat sucks and so do you
That was ME! :-)
The pictures of the North West corner of 8th ave and 42nd st are actually the North East corner. as Show World and the Bank (now Duane Reade) is on the North West corner. You see the Hotel Carter which is on the east side of 8th ave .
ReplyDeleteThe Indian resturant was there as well as the subway entrance was on the NE corner of 42nd st.
Good pics.
You're absolutly right...I corrected the captions. Thank you.
DeleteI miss Nugget
ReplyDeleteMade 50+ trips to NYC late 60s to middle 80s Still have such affection for the city.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in Queens, NY and take 7th train to my junior high school in Sunnyside.
ReplyDeleteToo many times I would not get off at my stop and let the train take me to Time Square.
I think it was $1.50 for two or three kung-fu flicks if you get there early enough.
I suppose that's where my life time love for the movies was hatched.
So freaky, the above comment could have been me as well! In fact I did a double take when I read it to see if I had actually written it! I too took the 7 train from 74st to 46 st to JHS 125 and would at least once a month keep going and check out some flicks on the deuce. Never was asked for ID. Used to love watching the long trailers outside of the theater in those lobby boxes!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these great New York stories !
DeleteThese photographs are a fantastic glimpse into the city during this era. Great work.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos. Thank you for sharing them. You may be interested in my doc on the subject,BEGGING NAKED
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Begging-Naked-Elise-Bainbridge-Hill/dp/B0078JO3A4/ref=tmm_aiv_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Thank You !!! I'll definitly check your documentary which seems extremely interesting ! Thanks for sharing and please keep in touch.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/begging_naked you can watch the doc here too. Your photos are beautiful, they have a cinematic quality about them. I'm glad to continue my love affair with New York through your photos. They should be in a book!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Gregoire,you have a photo of the mural I helped paint on 42nd St. above during that transitional period. It's the one on the old PEEPLAND. When we were painting it I had the chance to explore inside the place. Incredible atmosphere. Thanks again for sharing your work. -Karen
ReplyDeleteWaow ! Many thanks for this great comment and memory !!! Please don't hesitate to let us know a little more about when and how you got to paint this mural on the old Peep Land facade..I did get the chance to see the inside as well...when it was still in buisness though ! :-)
DeleteThanks again for your comment !
Grégoire
This is incredible. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI used to fly to New York for the weekend from London in the early days of Virgin Atlantic. Used to buy electronics on 42nd St which you couldn't get in the UK like answering machines and cordless phones, then go to Show World for some movies and a peep show. Those were the days
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos. I have some I took myself in SF in the early 90s I must try to get them online but mine aint professional like yours.
ReplyDeleteI remember passing by some of these places as a kid. I tell you it's a much different world today that's for sure. I do gotta admit even though the deuce was seedy then, I miss it
ReplyDeleteI miss this times square very much
ReplyDeleteI lived on these streets as a teenager and worked the Playground across the street from the port with Covent House on 1oth Ave...it was sleazy but us street kids at the time loved it and need it. Seeing these photos really brought back some memories both good, bad, and life changing. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI wish this area could go back to its seediness. It had more character
ReplyDeleteI wish this area could go back to its seediness. It had more character
ReplyDeleteYes, it sure was more seedier
Delete