It's rare we can look back at an era of NYC like the 1940s and see it through such sharp, colorful images. Thanks to Charles W. Cushman, a tourist here during that time with a knack for photography, it's possible. We've looked at Cushman's vast archives before—which span the nation and overseas over a few decade—all in all containing 14,500 Kodachrome color slides. He donated the images to his alma mater, Indiana University, and they digitized everything after nearly tossing them in the garbage. Check out his 1960s NYC photos here, and click through for his shots of New York City in the early 1940s.

Here are a few things that were going on in 1940s NYC:

