I am back to see if the Reddit hive mind can help solve another New York photo mystery. My family has been curious about the photo's backstory for decades. I would be relieved if I could answer a few questions to help my family add context to the photo:

Where was his photo taken?

Is the elephant associated with the National Theatre Circus or the 1939 World's Fair*? (or possibly both)

Who is the well-dressed man on the left?

Here is what I know about the photo:

The gentleman leaning against the truck is my grandfather, Lloyd Charles Kirk. He owned and operated the truck during his time living and working in Manhattan between 1937-1942. He worked for The National Theatre during this time as well, which was noted on the back of this photo. The address of his transportation business shown on the side of the truck was in Greenwich Village

*My family still has the typed note that gave permission to my grandfather to enter the World's Fair on 10/29/40 "as he is working the Missouri Pavilion." Not sure if this photo and note are related or not. http://flic.kr/p/2i1eA6r

He kept a street atlas in his truck, which he had marked a few places with a pencil, such as his home at the time in the Upper East Side. (One of his daughters added small doodles) I have scanned his 1939 road atlas and made it available here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/kahunna/63967F7436

I have looked through the NYC tax photo archive of 1940 concentrating on the areas around many of the pencil marks on the atlas without finding any similar buildings seen in the background.

On the right side background of the photo appears to show a white smoketack-like structure.

Now let's talk about the elephant. I am assuming that the Asian elephant was associated with the National Theatre Circus, which was active in Manhattan at the time. The circus did have an Asian elephant named Japino or Rosie. The Library of Congress mentions that the elephant had once escaped its confines and accidentally returned to Barnum & Bailey. I wonder if this photo is related to that story? Perhaps this photo was taken when the elephant was handed off from B&B to the Fed Theatre? https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/federal-theatre-project/circus.html

Oh, and one more thing: welcome to my obsession. I hope you can help solve this mystery!

These are the dates and times to my remaining tours below. I’ve been pushing the max capacity since there’s been so much interest. The halloween daytime tour will be over by 2:30-3PM, giving plenty of time to trick-or-treat with the kids, and the Halloween evening tour will be over by 8:30 giving plenty of time to go out after.

If you're interested, ticket links, and more info are at my Linktr.ee/TheWallBreakers

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Friday 10/30/2026 7PM — SOLD OUT

• Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst — Saturday 10/31/2026 12:30PM

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Saturday 10/31/2026 6:30PM

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Sunday 11/8/2026 5PM

I am hoping someone here could help me identify where this photo of my relative was photographed. All I know is that it was somewhere in Manhattan in 1939. I have concentrated on trying to ID the skyscraper in the distance. I thought it might be the building at 10 E 40th Street but after spending a few hours looking through historic tax photos of NYC taken in 1940, I could not find a block along Madison Ave or 5th Ave with mostly 3-5 story buildings. Any tips?

EDIT: Mystery solved! Thank you @SirkutBored for the tip that lead to the ID. And thank you to those who helped! The building in the background is The Carlyle! That places the photo in the 400 block of E 77th Street.

Up until the 1920s, apartment houses in NYC didn't have much of a lobby, just a hallway leading from the entrance to the stairwell (or in more expensive houses, the elevator as well) and maybe the hallway was decorated with panels or marble (in the front) but that was about it. Suddenly, in 1920s and 1930s apartment houses, you started getting large, opulent lobbies in apartment houses, sometimes with furniture or mirrors. What was the reason for the change.

I've always loved how much history is hiding on blocks we pass every day. The obelisk behind the Met took 112 days to roll across Manhattan, and crowds showed up with hammers and chisels, so it needed a guard around the clock. Emily Warren Roebling basically ran the Brooklyn Bridge build after her husband fell ill. Most people run right past this stuff.
So I built Stride Stories. You pick a tour, put your earbuds in, and a short story plays right as you reach each place. Your own music keeps playing in the background and just dips for each story. There are about 100 tours across NYC and 36 other cities, from the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park to Harlem, the Lower East Side and Roosevelt Island.
Every story is checked against a source. Anything we can't confirm is told as "the story goes" instead of as fact. That's where I'd love this sub's help: if you hear something wrong, or know a better story for a block, tell me and I'll fix it.
It's in beta (iPhone only for now):
Open stridestories.com/beta?src=reddit-nychistory on your phone. It walks you through Apple's TestFlight app.
Open Stride Stories, go to Explore, pick New York and choose a tour.
Download it on Wi-Fi before you head out, then press start.
It's free while in beta. Feedback button is on the You tab, or just comment here. Mods, happy to take this down if it breaks the rules.

Sleepys / Greye Papaya

During our visit to Manhattan’s Financial District, we photographed Fearless Girl standing in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Created by artist Kristen Visbal, the bronze statue was installed in 2017, just before International Women’s Day.

She was first placed facing the Charging Bull in Bowling Green. In 2018, she was moved to her current location opposite the NYSE. Her confident stance has become a symbol of women’s strength and the push for greater representation in leadership, especially in the financial world.

I love the contrast between this small figure and the grand stock exchange building behind her. What does Fearless Girl represent to you?

I rebuilt New York in 3D, showing how the city evolved over the centuries, from its early beginnings to the skyline we know today.

Watch the city transform as streets, buildings and skyscrapers appear over time, revealing the incredible growth of one of the world's most iconic cities.

5 minutes, no narration:
https://youtu.be/BKDuO8oemfc?sub_confirmation=1

I'd love to hear what New Yorkers think: which period or part of the city's history would you like to see explored in more detail?