The Upper West Side sure has changed over the last 160 years. This daguerreotype, which dates back to 1848, shows a private home on a grassy hill along Bloomingdale Road, an extension of Broadway that ran through the Upper West Side. It's believed to be the oldest photo ever taken of New York City. The photo was found in New England in its original casing with a handwritten note describing the area as "a continuation of Broadway." Bloomingdale Road was one of the first streets to run the length of Manhattan in the 1700s; the other was Boston Road, which is now Park Avenue. The photo sold at a 2009 auction for $62,500.
· The Oldest Photo Ever Taken In New York City [Ephemeral NY]
· 1840s Daguerreotype Is Sold for $62,500 [NTY]
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