16 Photos That Take You Through the Wild History of Wall Street
From the roaring stock markets of the 1920s to the high-tech trading floors of today, Wall Street’s history is as dramatic as it is impactful. Through bustling trading floors, stock market crashes, and historic milestones, Wall Street has proven itself to be a real force of nature — full of ambition, smooth talkers, and, at times, chaos (cue “The Wolf of Wall Street.”) Here are 16 photos that showcase how an unassuming street in New York went on to become an epicenter of the financial world.
1. The Great Crash: October 29, 1929
Droves of people gather outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Black Tuesday, their faces etched with panic as the stock market collapses. The crash led to the Great Depression, a decade-long economic crisis that saw people’s fortunes vanish overnight and unemployment soar to unprecedented heights in the U.S.
2. Checking the Daily Tape, 1929
Before the digital age, checking the daily tape was a crucial part of a stock broker’s routine. The “tape” refers to the ticker tape — a thin strip of paper that printed out stock prices and transactions in real time using a telegraph system.
3. Desperate Times Post-Crash, 1929
A man tries to sell his car for $100 (about $2,000 today) on Wall Street after losing all his money in the crash. Talk about having a bad day.
4. London on High Alert, 1929
At a London club operated by St Phalle Ltd., members gathered to witness the chaos of the Wall Street crash unfold. Telephone operators, in direct contact with New York, relayed the latest stock market fluctuations, which were quickly chalked up on boards for all to see (by that, we mean only men; women weren’t typically seen in these spaces until years later).
5. The Kennedy Assassination Shock, 1963
Traders walk around the NYSE frantically after hearing news of JFK’s assassination on November 22, 1963, sending the market into free fall.
6. The Way Forward, 1963
The trading floor and the visitors’ gallery were packed to the brim as the NYSE opened sharply at 10 a.m. for the first time after JFK’s assassination.
7. Wall Street Goes Digital, 1970s
John F. Flanagan Jr., a specialist at the NYSE with Stokes, Hoyt & Company, and Karen Nelson, a broker (seen in the background), examine a model showcasing the Exchange’s plans to modernize and digitize operations.
8. Construction Workers Rise Up, 1970
American flags seen waving above a massive crowd of construction workers who stormed an anti-war rally outside Wall Street on May 8th, 1970. The clash became known as the Hard Hat Riot.
9. Anti-Nuclear Protests on Wall Street, 1979
NYPD officers detain Anti-Nuclear Power protesters during a demonstration in front of the NYSE, at the corner of Broad and Wall Streets, on October 9, 1979. (Were they … posing for the cops?)
10. Hustle and Flow: Wall Street Style, 1980s
The scene, captured on September 22, 1982, reflects the high level of energy and intensity of Wall Street in the early ’80s.
11. High-Stakes Game of Telephone, 1981
A trader is seen hustling on the floor of the NYSE, taking orders and executing trades as his boss or supervisor looks on intently. (We hope he nailed it.)
12. Reagan Visits Wall Street, 1985
U.S. President Ronald Reagan visits the NYSE and is pictured standing on the floor’s indoor balcony as he greets a sea of Wall Street traders on March 1, 1985.
13. Draped in Orders, 1986
The floor buzzes with activity on September 12, 1986, as a broker takes orders during a record-breaking day of trading.
14. Dow Jones Drops 22% in One Day, 1987
Traders look on in a panic as the Dow Jones plunges 22% in a single day in October, 1987, marking the largest one-day drop in history. (Talk about a high-stress job, sheesh!)
15. In the Midst of the Great Recession, 2008
Traders pace the floor of the NYSE on September 29, 2008, when the world was in the throes of a Great Recession. This image was taken shortly after U.S. stocks plummeted following the rejection of a $700 billion rescue package.
16. Zooming to the Present, 2024
A trader works on the floor of the NYSE during afternoon trading on August 2, 2024, in New York City.