Can you hear me now?
Most of us hardly think about the technical logistics of communication these days. With the touch of a few buttons we can send an email or text message, or pick … Continue reading
Celestial Sphere, Color Movies, Gardens on Parade!
Help the Museum digitize its 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair Collection! The Museum’s New York World’s Fair collections continue to be a major resource for researchers all over the globe, … Continue reading
Studio 54: Behind the velvet rope
Studio 54 opened on April 26, 1977, at 254 West 54th Street. The space initially served as a home to the Gallo Opera House (pictured to the left), which opened … Continue reading
Bringing the American Civil War to high school students
This spring the Collections Department has been collaborating with our colleagues in the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Center to use archival material to support education programming. The City Museum developed Surpass! a … Continue reading
Rufus King: Early New York, lawyer, diplomat and statesman
If you have found yourself wandering around the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, anytime in the last two centuries, you’ve possibly happened upon a farmhouse, situated between 89th Avenue, 150th street, … Continue reading
From automobile maintenance to aeronautical engineering
New York City traffic jams have long been the source of iconic scenes in movies and television, as well as real-life frustration, perceived near death experiences, and a whole lot … Continue reading
Visiting New York City’s Hotels
The holidays are prime tourist season in New York City – we’re coming up on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next week, department stores are mounting their holiday window displays, … Continue reading
Dorothy Dignam and Gramercy Park
This week we will have a guest post from yet another one of our fabulous summer interns, Mickey Dennis, a student at Washington State University, who is currently pursuing a … Continue reading
Beating the summer heat with picnics, entertainment, and excursions
I have been enjoying this uncharacteristically cooler summer. My window air conditioning unit is still sitting on the shelf in the closet, and with just two weeks of August left, … Continue reading
Mod Women: New York Fashion of the 1960s
The Museum’s Costumes and Textiles Department recently completed a thorough assessment of all 1960s garments in the collection, identifying those pieces that exhibit design and craftsmanship of the highest quality, … Continue reading
Happy Birthday to Berenice Abbott
Thursday, July 17th, is the 116th anniversary of Berenice Abbott’s birth (1898-1991). The Museum of the City of New York holds over 2500 works in the collection by Abbott, who … Continue reading
Illuminating New York City Through Material Culture
The Museum of the City of New York’s ephemera collections have held a special place in my heart since I took on their custodianship, along with manuscripts, maps, and rare … Continue reading
The Swedish Nightingale’s “Birds of America”
Jenny Lind, the acclaimed soprano from Sweden often referred to as the “Swedish Nightingale,” arrived in New York City in September of 1850. Her first two American concerts were delivered … Continue reading
