Made in 1956 for the home market and released by Castle Films, this travelogue of New York shows off all the highlights of the Big Apple.

00:00 The film opens with the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom at the main ocean gateway to the US, a source of pride for New Yorkers and an inspiration for travelers.

0:41 It then describes Manhattan Island, 13 miles long and no more than 2 miles wide, where building expansion is only possible upwards. Famous Broadway begins here, running its entire length.

0:56 The first skyscrapers were built in the financial district, with the Woolworth Building being the tallest for many years. Historic reminders like Trinity Church (dating to 1790) on Wall Street and the site where Washington was sworn in as the first president (when New York was the capital) are still present.

1:27 The New York Stock Exchange, a world-famous security market, is seen from this historic spot. The Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883, is humorously noted for having been “sold” many times to gullible visitors.

1:41 At Manhattan’s end lies the crowded East Side, a “Melting Pot” with distinct foreign impressions that produced many great Americans, though some still cling to old country customs.

2:05 Old Chinatown offers an exotic glimpse of the Orient on Manhattan Island, featuring importers, merchants, art dealers, prosperous businessmen, and ancient Chinese dramas.

2:30 Near Washington Square is the Bohemian section, Greenwich Village, where those with artistic ambitions absorb the art atmosphere. Outdoor exhibitions are a regular springtime tradition, displaying various art styles.

2:57 The ever-changing skyline of Midtown New York is primarily devoted to business, with towering office buildings dwarfing even historic churches like “the little church around the corner.”

3:21 The Empire State Building, the tallest structure globally at 1,472 feet high, sees over 75,000 daily visitors.

3:35 The United Nations building is central, embodying global hopes where delegations from nations big and small meet, symbolized by flags of equal size.

3:52 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, known as “the crossroads of the world,” is home to the Public Library, one of the nation’s largest. Fifth Avenue, once lined with mansions, is now dedicated to exclusive stores.

4:13 Women predominantly navigate the sidewalk traffic, often gazing at expensive window displays.

4:34 Most New York visitors want to see Radio City and the RCA building (850 feet tall). From its observation roof, Midtown Manhattan’s buildings are dwarfed, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral, dedicated in 1879.

5:04 At Rockefeller Plaza, professional skaters practice on the outdoor public rink, which becomes an outdoor lunch area in warmer weather.

5:17 Fashionable Park Avenue is a busy thoroughfare with a railway running beneath it.

5:30 Central Park, though appearing small in the distance, is an enormous oasis and recreation area for the city’s millions, especially children living in surrounding apartments.

5:59 Coney Island is New York’s ocean playground, offering everything found at expensive summer resorts to large crowds.

6:17 On Manhattan’s west side lies the Hudson River, spanned by the massive George Washington Bridge to the Jersey side. Parkways speed traffic north and south along the river.

6:40 Not far away is Harlem, a crowded section of the city that retains one of the old Dutch names.

6:53 Riverside Drive, formerly a fashionable residential area, passes Riverside Baptist Church, known for its 390-foot tower and 72-bell carillon.

7:12 Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant is buried in an imposing tomb facing Riverside Drive. Nearby are the main buildings of Columbia University, one of America’s oldest colleges.

7:26 The film concludes at Times Square, the heart of the theatrical world, where the “Great White Way” transforms night into day, attracting thousands of visitors to “the Wonder City.”

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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com