Urban Renewal in Albany, New York

“A Bicentennial of Albany Views: 1963-1967 and 1974-1975 Compared” is an album of photographs and captions that was handmade in 1976 by Florence L. Powell, a historical research assistant for the city of Albany. Powell’s album is composed of before-and-after pictures of the Clinton Square area of Albany (where Broadway and North Pearl Street meet Clinton Avenue) during the urban renewal era. The photographs document the demolition of buildings, the reshaping of streets, and the construction of Interstate 787 and the Leo W. O’Brien Office Building. The captions contain background information on the history and people associated with the places pictured, as well as Powell’s assessment of the effects of urban renewal on Albany.