The Sun : “It Shines for All”
In 1920, New York City dwellers could choose among 14 of daily newspapers–just in English. (There were also papers in Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish.) Among them was The Sun, which dated to September 3, 1833 and would last until 1950. Here is the broadsheet’s page one for the first day of 1920.
The Sun, 1 Jan. 1920, p. 1. Library of Congress.
Among the notable front-page articles here, The Sun saw fit to report on the city's New Year's Eve celebrations of the night before: "1920 Welcomed in Wine Oceans by Joyous Folk." The headline alludes to the machinations for and amounts of alcohol consumption with Prohibition looming. The article’s opening sentence reminds us that one of NYC's oldest New Year's traditions is the ringing of the Trinity Church bells. For more on New Year’s Eve 1919 in NYC, see Jonathan Goldman’s article here.
Though The Sun had gone through numerous changes, mergers, and names, the motto, "It Shines for All," had appeared since its inception. In 1916 the paper was bought by magnate Frank Munsey who moved its headquarters to a 280 Broadway, seen below in a 1917 photograph by William Hassler.
The Sun building, 1917. Courtesy of The Museum of the City of New York.
Formerly a department store, 280 Broadway was soon renamed as the Sun Building. It was landmarked in 1965 and now houses the offices of NYC’s Department of Buildings. A clock bearing the newspaper motto still adorns its exterior.