Mora – Photographer of the Rich and Famous
What do rich Gilded Age socialites, stuffed bears, and elaborate costumes have in common? They’re all features in these very atypical Gilded Age portraits. As I was cataloging the Museum’s … Continue reading
The “Forgotten” Father of Greater New York: Andrew Haswell Green
November 13, 1903. An 83 year old man leaves his office at 214 Broadway and gets on the Fourth Avenue street car by City Hall to join his nieces for … Continue reading
A Century of Grand Central Terminal
There’s no place like Grand Central. The sheer scale and elegance of the main concourse transforms the daily commute into a complex choreography as commuters and tourists negotiate through the … Continue reading
Winter in the City
In case you missed it, winter descended on New York City last week. Freezing temperatures (the coldest in two years), snow, and wind made many New Yorkers remember why they … Continue reading
The Broadway-Lafayette Transfer and the Evolution of the City’s Subway
By the time you read this, there will have been a major improvement in the subways of New York City. If you don’t ride the B, D, F, or M … Continue reading
The Curse of the Roeblings? The Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic symbols of New York. Try imagining the skyline without the looming Gothic towers. Now try to imagine no bridges over the … Continue reading
The Bowery
Walk the Bowery under the El at night and all you feel is a sort of cold guilt. Touched for a dime, you try to drop the coin and not … Continue reading
Prizefighters
If anyone had asked my opinion on boxing a few weeks ago, my response would have been tepid at best. I’d never really given the sport much thought. And yet … Continue reading
Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation
After reading Lauren Robinson’s fantastic blog post about the return of Mad Men, I found myself haunted by the destruction of the original Penn Station. And as I dug deeper, … Continue reading
The digital team reflects on Valentine’s Day
We here in the digital lab have conflicted feelings about today’s holiday. So we’ve pulled images from our collection that express a variety of viewpoints about romance and Valentine’s Day. … Continue reading
100 Years Ago – The Equitable Building Fire
January 9th, 1912, just after 5 A.M. The wind is howling at nearly 40 miles per hour–with gusts of up to 68 miles per hour–making the already below freezing temperatures … Continue reading
The Evolution of Madison Square: From Potter’s Field to Eataly
In the early-1800’s, Madison Square was a swampy area far outside of the city. The park did not have an auspicious beginning, as its first uses were a potter’s field … Continue reading
The Age of Innocence?
Before I started cataloging postcards, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what was in store for me: numerous souvenir type views of the greatest hits of everything … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 