Manhattan Center, 311 W. 34th St. near 8th Ave. (1986)

See the Manhattan Center Studios website for an excellent history of this building. It was built 1906/07 as the Manhattan Opera House and operated as such until approx. 1929/30.

On the front overlooking 34th St. is an inscription "Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite" (click for image). In 1922 the building was bought by the Free Masons, who rebuilt the facade and added this inscription. The name was changed to Manhattan Center in 1940, then to Manhattan Center Studios in 1986.

A photo by Percy Loomis Sperr (1890-1964) dated 1941 featuring the New Yorker Hotel in the background shows this sign in an earlier form when it read: "The / Manhattan / Ballrooms / and / Banquet / Halls." See the New York Public Library's Digital Collections for image.

The Manhattan Center is still in business as of April 2006, but the sign has faded considerably in 20 years (click for 2006 image).

< previous || next  >      index      map      signs by date      signs by name