At PHSNE, we frequently come across interesting historical photographs and we’ve decided it’s about time to share the wealth. Each month, we’ll post about a historical photograph that’s captured our attention and imagination. 

In 1906, an anonymous Boston Transit photographer captured this image of a horse-drawn carriage pulling in front of a streetcar in an area of downtown Boston formerly known as Adams Square. Adams Square existed from 1879-1963 in the location that now belongs to Boston City Hall.

It was named after the statue of Samuel Adams that was erected in that location and later moved to Dock Square. Adams Square was a hub of activity in its day—it was the home of Leopold Morse & Co., one of the city’s largest clothing retailers, as well as a stop along the Tremont Street Subway, (the MBTA Green Line’s predecessor). This image expertly captures the hustle and bustle of the square, filled with commercial signs, pedestrians, construction work, and more.

The streetcar pictured here was known as Bench Car #1906, described in the City of Boston Archives as a “one-of-a-kind 12-bench car with a ‘special’ roof design and a six-wheel Robinson radial truck.” The Robinson radial truck was designed to require only as much energy to take curves as it would to run on a straight track. This feature was especially relevant given Boston’s famously intricate street network.

We found this photo particularly interesting not only because it’s fun to compare today’s city living to that of the past, but also because it’s a salient reminder of the sometimes uneasy coexistence of modes of transportation. Where horse-drawn carriages used to come face-to-face with streetcars, now bicycles weave in and out of bumper-to-bumper car traffic. Boston’s transit struggles, it seems, are nothing new.

This image is just one of 65 photographs in the City of Boston Archives’ Boston Transit: Street Car Collection, which traces the evolution of Boston’s transit system in the early 20th century. Together, they offer an invaluable glimpse into the city’s transformation.

For PHSNE, photographs like this aren’t just windows into the past—they’re reminders of how images preserve the layered history of a city in motion.

Sources:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/albums/72157655111158045/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/19176356522/in/album-72157655111158045

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_Square_(Boston)

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1890-article-robinson-radial-car-truck-co-boston-streetcar-west-end-railway-102525-mab1-564