Queens Photos in New York Public Library Digital Archives

The New York Public Library has opened up its photo archives online (for personal and research purposes only).

It has photos of Queens, but they aren't easy to find. The subjects "Queens" and "Queens (New York, N.Y.)" contain only a few images. It's better to search for the keyword "Queens," and best to search specifically for "Queens" in the local history section.

You may also have luck searching by avenue and street names, but unfortunately, not many neighborhood names produce good results, since they didn't exist when the photos were taken.

Most shots are of buildings from the 1930s by photographer Percy Loomis Sperr. One of my favorites is of the Hell Gate Bridge by Berenice Abbott.

• More: Finding Historic Photos of Queens, New York

• More: Contemporary Photos of Queens