Name/Title
B+W photo of fire on dock near Holland America Line, 5th & 6th Sts., Hoboken, Nov. 6, 1931.Entry/Object ID
2013.001.0062Description
Black-and-white photo of warehouse building fire near Holland America Line pier, Fifth & Sixth Streets, Hoboken, November 6, 1931.
8" x 10" wide print. Photograph taken by Acme Newspictures, Inc., New York. Reverse has their credit stamp; mimeographed caption (text below); reference file stamp of N.E.A. [Newspaper Editors Association] dated Nov 12, 1931.
The elevated view was apparently taken from a rooftop of a River Street house between Fifth and Sixth Streets with the crowds watching from what is Stevens Institute of Technology land. In detail image of lower right corner, the stone wall that runs down Fifth St. to River Road is seen. The street below with railroad tracks is River Road. Freight building that has burned belonged to Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad (and Hoboken Shore Railroad). The two pier sheds are those of the Holland America Line at piers 5 and 6. Mentioned in the caption below is the S.S. Statendam of the Holland America Line, but it cannot be seen in this view.
See photo 2013.001.0063 for different image later the same day. See reference image of page one article from The Sun (New York), Nov. 6, 1931 which discusses how the fire started and how the S.S. United States of the Scandinavian American Line was also involved.
Caption on reverse:
169094
$500,000 FIRE SWEEPS HOBOKEN DOCK.
A spectacular fire causing damage estimated at $500,000 blazed through the Hoboken, N.J. waterfront today, and set flame to the liner Statendam which was moored in the path of the flames. The boat was towed into the Hudson where the blaze in her rigging was quickly extinguished. The fire was reported to have started in a freight car spreading rapidly through the freight station and onto the pier. Above is a general view as firemen fought to control the flames.
CREDIT LINE (ACME) 11/6/31
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Accession
2013.001Source or Donor
PurchaseAcquisition Method
PurchaseCredit Line
Museum Collections.General Notes
Note
Original or Copy: Original
Status: OK
Status By: dw
Status Date: 2013-11-20
