Waldorf Astoria Park Avenue

Title

Waldorf Astoria Park Avenue

Description

The Waldorf Astoria we know today occupies an entire city block bounded by Park and Lexington Avenues, and 49th and 50th Streets. It has stood as a paragon of architectural beauty and revolutionary first-class service since its opening in October of 1931.
In building the Park Avenue Waldorf Astoria, the atmosphere, traditions, and prestige of the old Waldorf-Astoria were preserved and transferred to a structure that incorporated the innovative design and technology of the Twentieth Century. Architects Leonard Schultze and Fullerton Weaver made use of the Art Deco style to combine traditional elegance with modern functionalism.

The images in this collection present many of the outstanding architectural and decorative features of the Waldorf Astoria and provide a glimpse into the transformation of the hotel’s décor over its eighty-year history.

Collection Items

Waldorf Astoria Park Avenue
Black and white photograph depicting the exterior of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel looking South on Park Avenue, 1950s.

"The Waldorf Astoria  Fine Living... a la Carte"
House Beautiful advertisement for a pre-view of luxury apartments in the soon-to-open Park Avenue Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Note how the advertisement is geared toward Depression-Era America, promising that the living arrangements "meet thrift ideas."

"The Waldorf from Park Avenue..."
Black and white photograph depicting the Park Avenue Entrance looking South on Park Avenue from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"...St. Bartholemew's in the foreground, the New York Central Building closing the…

"Park Avenue Entrance"
Black and white photograph depicting the Park Avenue Entrance of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"Park Avenue Foyer, Looking Toward the Main Lobby..."
Black and white photograph depicting the Park Avenue Foyer looking toward the Main Lobby from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"...the walls and pilaster are of Rockwood Stone...Louis Rigal designed the rug to…

"Holiday Decorations 1935...Park Avenue Foyer"
Black and white photograph depicting the Park Avenue Foyer and Terraces decorated for Christmas from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"Park Avenue Foyer and Terraces... Easter Decorations"
Black and white photograph depicting the Park Avenue Foyer and Terraces decorated for Easter from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"The Sert Room...Ready for Dinner Patrons..."
Black and white photograph depicting the Sert Room from the 1935 publication "The Waldorf-Astoria" by Richard Averill Smith.

"...Redecorated and Terraced for the Summer of 1935. The room may be reserved for private parties during the season when…
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