Seeing New York

They visited "the historic section, in its Dutch, British and American periods; the Bowery, Chinatown, Brooklyn, Castle Garden, Central Park, the Grand Boulevards, the historic Hudson River, Columbia University, General Grant's tomb, [and] statues of Christopher Columbus and William Shakespeare.

Most of them are so uncomfortable in their lofty perches that they keep their eyes downcast and "rubber" not at all, except when [opera impresario] Mr. Hammerstein or some other notable flits across their path.

[4]As with celebrity tours today, Seeing New York might make stops at private residences of those in the headlines.

[5] Hannah Elias, covered in lurid terms in the press, was one such stop, with the coach returning for a second trip, apparently at the request of the guests.

[5] The "Seeing Yacht," for a fare of $1, gave a three-hour tour that circled "the island of Manhatton [sic], showing the Statue of Liberty, Blackwell's island [now Roosevelt Island], Jersey City, Brooklyn, Harlem, Bronx, the navy yard, the ocean liners and the wharves, with their commerce and extensive shipping interests.

The "Seeing New York" electric omnibus waits in front of the Flatiron Building, filled with well-dressed tourists
Well-dressed tourists look up while on a sightseeing tour of New York City in 1905
Small ad for the city tours on the "Seeing New York Yacht" and electric open-topped buses from The Sun
Display ad featuring the distinctive Seeing New York omnibus from The Evening World (New York, N.Y.), February 21, 1908