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Restoration of a 19th Century photo of St. Patrick's Cathedral when the 5th Avenue was a quiet street perfect for an afternoon stroll and any place above Central Park was considered to be The Upstate.

19TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPH OF ST PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL

By the first half of 19th century the number of Catholics in the Diocese of New York had greatly increased with most of New York state's Catholics at the time were Irish. As a result, several additional dioceses were created in New York state.

As early as 1850, Bishop John Joseph Hughes determined that the growing Archdiocese of New York needed a large cathedral to replace the older Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, sometimes shortened to St. Patrick's Old Cathedral or simply Old St. Patrick's in Lower Manhattan, the area currently known as Nolita.

In 1853, Hughes announced that he had hired the firm Renwick & Rodrigue to design a cathedral on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. Plans for the cathedral were finalized in 1858. On August 15, 1858 Archbishop Hughes laid the cornerstone in front of 100,000 spectators near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 50th Street.

The photograph, taken soon after the new St. Patrick's Cathedral opened on May 25, 1879, shows that particular stretch of 5th Avenue as a still relatively quiet street, perfect for an afternoon stroll. This was still the time when areas above Central Park were considered to be The Upstate.

The digital archiving and subsequent restoration of this photograph of New York’s St. Patrick's Cathedral were commissioned by one of the oldest and most prestigious private organizations dedicated to the preservation of New York’s history.

The print was meticulously cleaned to remove years' worth of dust and filth before a high-resolution scan of the image was created. To bring the original look back, the image's tones and contrast were adjusted and the digital image underwent meticulous retouching to eliminate any signs of scratches and minor damages.

 
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