All the greatest pool halls require players to either go up or go down a flight of stairs to get to them. Julian’s, at 138 East 14th Street in New York City, was no exception. The famous second-floor room opened in 1933 and remained at that location for decades. It eventually gained a reputation for seediness. One old timer recalls: “I loved shooting pool at Julians. The big tables with leather net pockets…the fans blowing…and the ‘no alcohol’ signs at the entrance, but if you put a dollar in one of the coke machines, and pushed the unmarked button at the far right, an ice cold Bud would come out. Definitely a missed landmark.”

Reginald Marsh shot the second and third images, at right and below. Active from the 1920s through the 1940s, Mr. March was known for his images of the Bowery, Times Square and Coney Island. The photos are available from the portal of the Museum of the City of New York.