One hundred years ago Manhattan's population was around 2.3 million. In the 1800s, there were still cattle drives near Broadway. These images are a reminder of how much culture and technology can change in just a few decades.
My feeling was, the world doesn't change as much as you'd think. If you take away the romanticism due to the black and white + noisiness, it's a lot like today. Awesome pics.
look at those old pictures of New York, they are 2d but still very cool!