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When NYC Was Electrified: The Hudson-Fulton Celebration

The Hudson-Fulton Celebration began more than 100 years ago. Starting on September 25, 1909, over a million New Yorkers and tourists enthusiastically joined in the two-week festivities to commemorate the tricentennial of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the river that now bears his name and the centennial of Robert Fulton’s invention of the steamboat.

This story can be read in its original format here.

By

New-York Historical Society

1

New York City Hall

New York City Hall

An exclusive committee consisting of the United States’ most elite businessmen—including J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie—spent four years planning the celebration. Together, they designed pavilions and organized fêtes and parades for the occasion.

2

Thomas Cusack Co. Building

Thomas Cusack Co. Building

The event lauded New York as a global city at the heart of American progress and at the center of the nation’s emerging identity as a world power.

3

Singer Building

Singer Building

Among the impressive parades and parties across the five boroughs was a historic flyover enjoyed by over a million onlookers. Wilbur Wright of the famed Wright brothers successfully completed a 20-mile flight over the city on October 4.

4

Washington Square Arch

Washington Square Arch

During the festivities, many parts of the city were illuminated for the first time—500,000 light bulbs lit up New York’s most famous monuments. The Statue of Liberty, Grant’s Tomb, and the Washington Arch were cast in an electrified glow.

5

Plaza Hotel

Plaza Hotel

Night view illuminated for the Hudson-Fulton celebration, 1909.

6

Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

Columns of the court of honor on Fifth Avenue erected for the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, New York City, 1909.

7

Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

Hudson-Fulton celebration, Court of Honor, New York City, night illuminations, September 26, 1909.

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