Photography: 15 Pell Street, New York Chinatown

Part of 15 Pell Street (left) and a section of Doyers Street were photographed by the Byron Company. The glass negative is at the Library of Congress. 

In the photograph, the sign of “Wing Hong Yuen 15 Pell St.” is clearly visible. I believe the photograph was made between 1900 and 1904. The Trow New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory, Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, March 1900, listed two businesses at 15 Pell Street: Wing Hing & Co. and Wing Wo Tai & Co. A few months later they were replaced. The New York World, September 15, 1900, published a list of Chinatown contributors to the Galveston Flood. Wing Hong Yuen donated five dollars and its name was misspelled “Wing Hong Yhem” (top of the second column).

Wing Hong Yuen was listed in Trow’s General Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, City of New York, July 1, 1901 and Trow’s General Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, City of New York, July 1, 1903 (below).

In Trow’s General Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, City of New York, July 1, 1904, Wing Hong Yuen’s address was 25 Pell Street. 

The photograph was printed in Collier’s, February 4, 1905, on page 15. (The reproduction is very dark.)

Scan from author’s collection

The photograph was also used by the Detroit Publishing Company which produced postcards. The company obtained a title copyright according to the Catalogue of Title Entries of Books and Other Articles, Volume 45, Engravings, Cuts, and Prints, Number 34, August 24, 1905. 

In Chinatown, New York. 8984. (F 33398, Aug. 3, 1905.) 71458

Text: 8984. In Chinatown, New York

Copyright, 1905, by Detroit Publishing Co.

The postcard had an entry in the Catalogue of Copyright Entries, Part 4, Engravings, Cuts, and Prints, New Series, Volume 1, Number 20, September 20, 1906. 

In Chinatown, New York. 8984. (F 45115, Aug. 30, 1906; 2 c. Aug. 30, 1906.) 4203

Wing Hong Yuen was mentioned on page 2 of the New York Evening Post, April 26, 1905.

Tom Lee Arrested

... Around on Pell Street, Wing Hong Yuen, who steers his frail canoe so carefully in the troublesome waters of Chinatown that he is the friend of all and never bumps into other craft, smiled all over his chubby, fat face when he was approached.

But, singularly enough, Wing had never heard of Tom Lee until to-day, and was seeking rather than giving information.

Below are some of the 15 Pell Street tenants from 1894 to 1898.

New York Sunday World, December 9, 1894, page 28

A Model Chinaman Is Choy Dung

... No bloated capitalist living upon the unearned increment is he, but with characteristic thrift he has hired out his services to the syndicate of which he is a member, and although officially the treasurer of the firm and the custodian of all its funds, he every night dons an apron and is the brightest and most alert of the waiters in the restaurant at No. 15 Pell street, one of the show places of Chinatown. ...

The Trow Copartnership and Corporation Directory of New York City, March 1895

Hue Kai & Co. (Hue Kai, no Co) 15 Pell

Trow’s New York City Directory, July 1, 1896

Wing Tuck, meat, 15 Pell

The Trow Business Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx City of New York, 1897

Sun Kee & Co. 15 Pell

Trow’s New York City Directory, July 1, 1897

Sun Kee & Co. grocers, 15 Pell

Trow’s Business Directory of the Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx City of New York, 1898

Wing Wo Tai & Co. 15 Pell

Trow’s New York City Directory July 1, 1898

Wing Wo Tai & Co. grocers, 15 Pell

New York Tribune, December 29, 1898, page 5.

Festivities in Chinatown.

Hope Mission Children Give Their Christmas Entertainment.

A Chinese Merchant Plays Selections on the Sun Instrument, and Boys and Girls Make Speeches.

At 7 o’clock on Tuesday evening Doyers-st. appeared as if a see was in progress, and the point of resistance, judging by the actions of the rescue mission, at No. 17. Crowds of children clamored around both of its doors yelling for admittance, and four big policemen lowered at them, but made no attempt to stop their assault on the doors, for it was the night of the Christmas entertainment of Hope Mission School and the Star of Hope Club, and the little ones had the freedom of Chinatown. ...

At Supper

A Chinese supper for thirty-four was given to the guests at the “Chinese Delmonico’s,” No. 15 Pell-st., after the entertainment. Among the dishes were chop suey, chow mang, boiled rice, rako mang, Oolong and dragon’s beard tea, Chinese lychees, pickled pineapple and various other strange dishes of pastry and sweetmeats.

H. A. Gould, one of the trustees of the work, gave each woman present a souvenir in the shape of a little plate, and then he spoke about the many branches of the work carried on by the New-York Rescue Band besides the children’s department. There is an uptown work for erring girls another in Chinatown, and a fresh-air work in Nyack. Among the many interesting things he said was that since the establishment of the mission the Police Department had taken off forty of the bluecoats who formerly enforced the law in Chinatown. Dr. Furry and the Rev. Mr. McNeill also spoke. A midnight visit was paid to the Chinese temple in Mott-st.

(Next post on Wednesday: San Francisco Chinatown, 1921)