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America’s Bohemian capital: photos of New York’s Greenwich Village in the 1910s-1920s …

Ian Smith
Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

Greenwich Village,  often referred to by locals as simply “the Village”, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Greenwich Village has been known as an artists’ haven, the Bohemian capital, the cradle of the modern LGBT movement, and the East Coast birthplace of both the Beat and ’60s counterculture movements. Groenwijck, one of the Dutch names for the village (meaning “Green District”), was Anglicized to Greenwich.

Below you can check out some interesting photos that depict the “artistic neighborhood” in the 1910s-1920s.

 

Allison at her kitchen stove, dying scarves, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Allison at her kitchen stove, dying scarves, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Allison seated indoors at her desk, holding a letter, ca. 1912-1920 Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Allison seated indoors at her desk, holding a letter, ca. 1912-1920 Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917.Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Beals standing in the gallery doorway, 1917.Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Edith Hayes Thompson standing in the doorway of Her Shop, ca. 1912-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Edith Hayes Thompson standing in the doorway of Her Shop, ca. 1912-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Florence Gough and friends and or patrons inside of her shop, The Paint Box, ca. 1912-1925. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Florence Gough and friends and or patrons inside of her shop, The Paint Box, ca. 1912-1925. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Gough standing inside of The Paint Box, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Gough standing inside of The Paint Box, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Group portrait of Teddy Peck and Romayne Benjamin in their retail shop, The Treasure Box, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Group portrait of Teddy Peck and Romayne Benjamin in their retail shop, The Treasure Box, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Group portrait, indoors, of people gathered at the Garrett Coffee House, ca. 1912-1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Group portrait, indoors, of people gathered at the Garrett Coffee House, ca. 1912-1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Informal group portrait of an unidentified man and woman, ca. 1912-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Informal group portrait of an unidentified man and woman, ca. 1912-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Informal group portrait of Helen Clarke and an unidentified woman inventorying merchandise, ca. 1917-1927. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Informal group portrait of Helen Clarke and an unidentified woman inventorying merchandise, ca. 1917-1927. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Informal group portrait of Jane and Howard, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Informal group portrait of Jane and Howard, 1917. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Informal group portrait, ca. 1917-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Informal group portrait, ca. 1917-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Informal profile-portrait of an unidentified man, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Informal profile-portrait of an unidentified man, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Joan Schromache and Lin inside their shop, Jolin's, ca. 1915-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Joan Schromache and Lin inside their shop, Jolin’s, ca. 1915-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

 

Lin seated on floor pillows, ca. 1917-1925. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Lin seated on floor pillows, ca. 1917-1925. 

 

Newton and Mann in their office, ca. 1915-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Newton and Mann in their office, ca. 1915-1926. 

 

Portrait of an unidentified woman seated on a porch rail, ca. 1918-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of an unidentified woman seated on a porch rail, ca. 1918-1920. 

 

Portrait of Charlotte Powell standing on a ladder and painting the exterior of The Village Store, Sheridan Square, ca. 1915-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of Charlotte Powell standing on a ladder and painting the exterior of The Village Store, Sheridan Square, ca. 1915-1926.

 

Portrait of Don Dickerman standing in the doorway of his business, ca. 1912-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of Don Dickerman standing in the doorway of his business, ca. 1912-1920. 

 

Portrait of Dorothy Baxter, ca. 1918-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of Dorothy Baxter, ca. 1918-1920. 
Portrait of Jenny Criswell, ca. 1912-1918. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of Jenny Criswell, ca. 1912-1918.

 

Portrait of Miss Povry, ca. 1918-1920. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Portrait of Miss Povry, ca. 1918-1920. 

 

Ruth Murchison standing in front of the entrance to The Little Shop Around the Corner, ca. 1912-1926. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Ruth Murchison standing in front of the entrance to The Little Shop Around the Corner, ca. 1912-1926. 

 

Teddy Peck (left) and Romayne Benjamin (right) in their retail shop, The Treasure Box, ca. 1918-1920. (Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
Teddy Peck (left) and Romayne Benjamin (right) in their retail shop, The Treasure Box, ca. 1918-1920. (Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

All photosSchlesinger Library on the History of Women in America

Ian Smith

Ian Smith is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News