These are really professional photographers who took these pictures... Note how sharp and clear most of the photos are and these are over a 100 years old.  There aren't many old photos as good, remember they didn't have film or digital photo cards those days.  Most probable is that these were glass plate images and taken thru a pin hole type camera and the opening was timed just right to get a dark enough exposure.  Developing was another tedious task which they had to be careful not to break the glass!   Please understand that I had no hand in writing the captions, but whom ever did, there's a grammar class starting Wednesday at a school near you.       American Cities a Century ago Woodward Avenue, Detroit , Michigan, in 1917. 2. Atlantic City, 1910. Wonder why they're carrying umbrellas - no sun!   No rain!    Hmmmmm      b 3. The main street of Memphis , north of Avenue Gayoso, 1910. 4. Station "Louisville-Nashville", Florida , in 1910.   5. Forsyth Street, Jacksonville , Florida, in 1910. Love those cars.    b 6. The beach in Atlantic City , 1915.   7. Grant Avenue after an earthquake in San Francisco in 1906. I didn't realize there was so much distruction in that earthquake.    b 8. Carts for transporting dairy Thompson , Washington , 1927. How in the world did the dairy get those horses so evenly  lined up.    B 9. Washington, DC, 1914. Not so thoughty having those horses run on a railroad tracks. (thoughty? must have been a popular word back in the day) 10. Cadillac Square, Detroit , Michigan, 1916. 11. Ninth Street, Washington DC, 1915. 12. 13.     I wouldn't want to walk across this street in a long dress.   B Corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street , New York , 1910. 14. Broad Street north of Spruce Street , Philadelphia , 1905. 15. View of Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn in 1909. 16. Fire at 55th Street , New York , 1915.   17. Fifth Avenue, New York, 1913. 18. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, 1907. 19. The New York Public Library, New York , 1915. Didn't realize they had 4-laners in those days.  b 20. Wall Street, New York , 1911. The 2 sidewalks together  are as wide as the street in this pic.    B 21. Fifth Avenue, New York, 1913. Look at those top hats!    b 22. Manhattan, 1907. 23. The northern part of Fifth Avenue , New York , 1913. Must have been something big going on.  Look at the crowds and traffic jams.  B 24. City Hall – City Hall in New York . 25. Dexter Avenue and the Capitol, Montgomery , Alabama , in 1906. WoW!   Really wide street. - 6-lane and it's practically empty.   b 26. Valnut Street, Cincinnati , Ohio, 1910 (that's Walnut Street) 27. Washington, DC, 1913. 28. Broadway and the building of "The Times", New York , 1915.