Silver Jubilee Commissioner Grover A. Whalen struts with 1923 Fifth Ave. marchers in spirit of headline proclaiming the 'greatest exposition ever by an American municipality.' The parade photo layout appeared on front page of a Silver Jubilee Review issue.

Strut Into
City History:
See How We
Celebrated
Five Boroughs'
25th Birthday

The year 1998 was observed as the Centennial of the "Greater City of New York." Take a look back at how its Silver Jubilee was celebrated in 1923.

The Department of Correction and all the other major municipal agencies participated in a 25-day "educational exposition" that filled four floors of what was then the city's premiere exhibition and trade show hall, the Grand Central Palace on Lexington Avenue between 46th and 47th Street.

The "Official Book of the Exposition" sold for 50 cents a copy in an era when a subway ride was a nickle. The book had been prepared in advance of the exhibition and the parade that preceded it. The publication contained a listing and layout of the displays, floor-by-floor, booth-by-booth, agency-by-agency, as well as a listing of the parade contingents and their assembly points along the line of march.

Bound-volume of Silver Jubilee Review published daily during exposition.

The Official Book carried articles about the history of the city before, during and after Consolidation into a five-borough metropolis. It also featured reports by the city agency heads on their departments. Correction Commissioner Frederick A. Wallis reported on the jail system.

Each day of the exhibition, that ran from May 26 to June 23, a Silver Jubilee Review was published and distributed to visitors. It reported on that day's schedule of events and featured updated news, photos and cartoons about the exposition.

A final issue featured photo montages of some displays as well as portraits of key exposition committee people. At the end of the exhibition, the issues were bound into books presented to jubilee committee members and others. One such bound volume of Silver Jubilee Review issues is shown here.