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640 Madison Avenue
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East 60th Street and Madison Avenue. Street view

1930

640 Madison Avenue

East 60th Street and Madison Avenue. Street view

IMAGE DATE1930
FromMuseum of the City of New York logoMuseum of the City of New York

This classic black trimmed 1930s simplified Art Deco building once housed the studios of the famous fashion photographer George Platt-Lynes, as well as Richard Avedon, the well-known fashion and portrait photographer.

This building ran the length of the full city block but was only two stories tall. These types of buildings (wide but short) were commonly built in the 1930s and were called "taxpayers." The name referenced that during the lean years of the Depression structures such as these collected only modest rents which barely financed the maintenance costs and property taxes. Most taxpayers have been demolished and replaced by larger buildings during the more financially stable years since the mid century, but a few remain (though not this one).

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