Art
Before streetcars and subways, New Yorkers crowded onto horse-drawn omnibuses—large coaches that rumbled through city streets picking up passengers. This 1865 scene captures South Ferry's daily bustle: workers, shoppers, and commuters depending on these humble vehicles to move through their expanding city.
Art · Full story
You squeeze through the narrow door and grip the overhead rail. Bodies press against you—the smell of wet wool, horse sweat, tobacco. The bus lurches forward, and you're jostled sideways into a woman clutching a market basket. Through the small window, you catch glimpses of storefronts blurring past.
Reflect
How do you feel when you're packed on crowded public transit today? What hasn't changed in 160 years?