This 1938 documentary short MANHATTAN WATERFRONT, was made by the Van Beuren Corporation and released by RKO. The film provides terrific views of Manhattan just before WWII, including the Battery, East River, cruise ship terminals (1:08), wharves, and more. The harbor tugs are shown operating at 1:28, pushing a huge ocean liner out to sea. A schooner, remnant of an earlier era, is seen at the 1:57 mark. The Seaman’s Church Institute is seen at the 2:00 mark, and houseboats and barges at the 2:30 mark. The Fulton Fish Market is seen at the 3:00 mark, largest wholesale fish market in the world. The Brooklyn Bridge is seen at the 4:00 mark, as well as the Williamsburg Bridge. The tony River House is seen at the 5:00 mark, followed by the ash cans of skid road on the waterfront. Derelict barges and sunken hulks are seen at the 5:50 mark. Many bridges are seen at the 6:40 mark including swinging and lifting bridges including Triborough Bridge. Riverside Drive is seen at the 8:30 mark.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com