In the 1920s, the extravagant materialism of the Gilded Age was fading from view. The opulent mansions built by New York’s elite in the late 1800s, by then seen as excessive and outdated, were gradually demolished to make way for modern development.

This striking 1926 image shows the dismantling of one of the Vanderbilt family's mansions at 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue. This vast space was once the grand dining room, where high society had gathered for lavish dinner parties. The house was soon replaced by a skyscraper, ushering in a new era for the city.

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