Dreamy photochroms of New York City, 1900s

These amazing Photochrome postcards from New York City were purchased by Detroit Publishing Company and offer a stunning view of the Big Apple in natural colors.

In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of the western part of Brooklyn (by then a separate city), the County of New York (which included parts of the Bronx), Richmond County and . County of Queens.

The opening of the Metro in 1904, which was first built as separate private systems, helped to tie the new city together. During the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce and communication.

The photochrome process was invented by Hans Jakob Schmid in the 1880s and involved taking lithograph tablets and coating them with a chemical mixture that would allow them to retouch images with a colored tint. In the US, the Detroit Publish Company licensed the technology for use for its range of US locations.

The prints often have a distinctive gold border and one-line detail of the location and were mostly made from 1890–1910. Photochromes were especially popular as souvenirs for travelers. People often saved them for photo albums or had them framed.

During the height of its success, the Detroit Publishing Company maintained markets in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, London and Zurich.

He continued to expand his lines by selling images at popular boutiques, tourist destinations, and through mail-order. During World War I, sales of photographs and postcards began to decline.

With the advent of new, cheaper methods of printing being used by competing firms, this eventually took its toll on DPC and forced the company into receivership by 1924. After struggling for the next eight years, the DPC eventually liquidated all. Its property in 1932.