The second Madison Square Garden was a beautiful Beaux-Arts structure designed by Stanford White at Madison Square.

(Not the tasteless monstrosity now atop Penn Station on Eighth Avenue.)

Constructed in 1890, the building contained the world’s largest auditorium at the time.

The tower was the second tallest structure in the city, and dominated Madison Square Park.

The Barnum and Bailey circus, boxing and wrestling championships, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Democratic National Convention of 1924, and the annual Horse Show – all took place at Madison Square Garden.

In 1903, the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, published a series of postcard art entitled, “Fashionable New York”.

Number 3 in the series was a drawing of spectators attending the “Horse Show at Madison Square Garden”.

The postcard was probably enclosed in a Sunday edition of a Hearst newspaper, as many early postcards were done.

This postcard was mailed from New York City in December of 1904, addressed to Mrs. Jane Petit of Central Falls, Rhode Island.

One hopes that Mrs. Petit was pleased by the thrilling sight of the Horse Show.