STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The current view of the corner of Broad Street, looking down Tompkins Avenue in Stapleton, features Newport Car Service — unlike a vintage photo from 1899, which shows an entirely different scene highlighted by a small shoe repair company.
The horse-drawn carriage shown in the 1899 photo highlights how significantly transportation modes have evolved over the years.
The photographer of this 1899 image, George Bear (1856-1945), opened his photo studio on Beach Street in Stapleton around 1881, just a few blocks from this location. He had trained as a photographer in Germany before immigrating to the United States in the 1870s.
Bear’s clientele primarily came from the German-American community in Stapleton and often included factory workers, laborers, and tradespeople.