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19 Striking Photos of New York’s Five Points Slum (1880s-1900s)

About Author 4-4 minutes 4/29/2025

Last Updated on April 29, 2025 by Matt Staff

The Five Points neighborhood in Manhattan was infamous for its overcrowding, poverty, and violence; a symbol of how harsh life could be in late 19th-century New York. These 19 gritty photographs from the 1880s to the early 1900s offer a raw look at survival in the slums. From kids playing in alleyways to workers grinding through long days, this was a time and place where even getting by was a struggle.

1. The Five Points Corner in New York City in 1890.

Black-and-white photo of a busy city street corner in the early 1900s, with people crossing, vintage cars, and storefronts, including a meat market and a shop with a sign reading “S. Feinberg.”
From the New York Public Library. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)

This is a view looking northwest at the Five Points corner of Worth and Baxter Streets. On the corner is the Five Points Clothing Store, advertised as being Cheaper than any clothing house in the city with Sol Feinberg as Merchant Tailor and Proprietor.

2. A man in an apron sits in his tenement room in Mulberry Bend in 1890.

A bearded man sits on a chair in a small, cluttered, dimly lit room with worn furnishings, a bed, stove, and scattered belongings, suggesting poverty and harsh living conditions.
Jacob Riis/Bettmann/Contributor

The Danish photographer Jacob Riis, who took this photo, included it in his book, ‘How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York’, which helped raise awareness of the living conditions and ultimately led to the demolition of Mulberry Bend in 1897.

For a deeper look into the real history of New York’s tenements, visit the Tenement Museum.

3. This guy is asking for a sign or something.

A man in worn clothing and gloves sits on a bench, gesturing with one hand raised and his eyes closed, in front of a storefront with chalk writing on the wall behind him. The image is in black and white.
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Hopefully, someone stopped to help him out.

4. A tough place to get the laundry done.

Black and white photo of a narrow city street with people walking, a horse-drawn cart, and a sign reading "Wing Lee Laundry" above a doorway. Buildings line both sides of the street.
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But, you had to get it done nonetheless.

5. Those alleyways could be dangerous, to say the very least.

Black-and-white photo of men standing in a narrow, cluttered alleyway with brick walls, stairs, and a wooden platform. Laundry hangs above, and a horse-drawn cart is seen in the background.
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You had to be alert at all times.

6. The smirks feel pretty sinister here.

A black-and-white photo of men in hats and work clothes gathered in a narrow alleyway with laundry hanging overhead and buildings on either side; some men stand, while others sit on wooden platforms.
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And it’s not entirely surprising.

7. Looks to be a busy day on the block.

Black and white photo of a busy city street in the early 1900s, with people walking, horse-drawn carriages, crowded sidewalks, and buildings lined with laundry and market stalls.
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The busier the days, the more trouble there was that could be found.

8. Looks like they needed to stop for a quick fuel-up.

A black-and-white photo shows a street vendor selling produce from a cart to a man, while another man drinks nearby. Several boys are visible in the background on a city street. The scene appears to be from the early 1900s.
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It looks to be potatoes, but one can’t be too sure.

9. That police dog doesn’t look like it messes around.

A vintage photo shows a police officer with a dog standing next to a man in a suit and hat, holding a box. The background is a wooded area, and handwritten text above reads "Police Dog & Arrested Man New York.
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Police dogs are serious business.

10. Those were long shifts.

Several women in old-fashioned dresses sort and fold laundry under an outdoor structure with metal beams. Baskets and piles of white clothing cover the ground. The scene appears to be from the early 20th century.
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Their hands must’ve been exhausted from the long, seemingly endless hours.

11. Kids really had to stick together back then.

A group of children in old-fashioned clothing stand together on a city street in front of a brick building, with some smiling and others looking serious. Chalk drawings are visible on the wall behind them.
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It was a time marked by the need for survival.

12. Get a load of that hat.

A police officer in an old-fashioned uniform stands in a cluttered, dimly lit room with scattered furniture, debris, and clothes hanging on the wall. The space appears disorganized and rundown, with a stove and a poster in the background.
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The hat wants to be taken seriously, but it’s still hard.

13. Giving a nightmarish look at the sleeping conditions for kids back then.

A woman fans herself while sitting near several children and adults lying on makeshift beds on the floor, some under blankets, in what appears to be a crowded, dimly lit shelter with laundry hanging above.
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Things were anything but easy.

14. It seems like a new sidewalk was being put together every day back then.

Black and white photo of workers digging a large trench in a city street while people watch from the sidewalk; early 20th-century clothing and storefronts line the street.
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Obviously, things have come a long way on this front.

15. A quiet, yet dicey day out there.

Black-and-white photo of an ornately decorated room with patterned wallpaper, U.S. flags, three men seated at tables, and one man standing behind a wooden counter. Antique furnishings and a stove are visible.
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You’ve got to be careful around the lad who insists on sitting alone.

16. That kid seems overly enthused about everything.

A group of immigrants, including men, women, and children in early 20th-century clothing, stand together and face the camera; one young boy salutes in front.
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The fit’s on point.

17. The real question is how long this guy stood out there?

A man in a suit and bowler hat stands on a muddy street holding a box and flowers, with horse-drawn carriage and brick buildings in the background.
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The answer is probably somewhere in the department of “too long.”

18. Notice the three-piece suit, of course.

Black and white photo of a busy city street in the early 1900s, with people in period clothing walking, street vendors selling goods, and buildings with fire escapes and signs lining both sides.
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Many three-piece suits back in the day.

19. The kids living during this time went through all kinds of struggles.

Two children stand near trash barrels on a city street beside a horse-drawn wagon. The girl in front wears a dress and looks down, while the boy looks into a barrel. Shops and businesses line the street in the background.
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Those childhood years were unkind to far too many children back then.

Want to see more of New York’s forgotten past?
Take a haunting visual walk through 20 Vintage Photos That Capture Boston’s Charm and Grit Over the Years, compare life across the decades in 37 Photos From 100 Years Ago That Put Time in Perspective, or continue exploring the Big Apple with 20 Vintage Photos of Old New York City.