Chagallesque

From 1908, a German postcard titled “New York From Hoboken”:

The only buildings on the New York skyline that I’m entirely sure of are the Park Row Building (two spires, left and down from the car’s front right tire) and the St. Paul Building to its right. The photo that served as the basis for this illustration was probably older, as there’s no sign of the Singer Building or the adjacent City Investing Building, or the pair of huge blocks that were the Hudson Terminal. Frankly, I think the artist who colored and drew over the photo to create the illustration was riffing freehand for at least some of the work.

There’s a surprising lack of ships on the Hudson River, with only three smallish boats visible. That’s possible but unlikely in that era. The detail of the schooner on the right and the waves is a lot more realistic than the buildings in the background, which could suggest where the artist’s interests lay, or could suggest a greater familiarity with those subjects.

Finally, I have no idea why there’s a car in midair. To symbolize the free spirit of the US as seen from afar? A visit from the ghost of Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs future? Frustration at the inability to drive between New York and Hoboken?