Clowns!
Clowns inspire laughter and happiness in some people, and fear or aversion in many others. They have been around for more than 4,000 years and in nearly as many places … Continue reading
Victoria and Tennessee Claflin, the sisters’ tale continues….
In the previous installation about the life of the Claflin sisters here, we saw the meteoric rise of Victoria and Tennessee “Tennie” Claflin, who shocked Gilded Age New Yorkers by … 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
Decadance and Fashion: Costume Treasures
Theatre is a space that grants opportunity for collaboration, inviting artists of different medias to join together to create something much larger than themselves. It is an opportunity to take an any … 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
Chantecler, a Barnyard Fantasy
While digitizing the vast collection of over 30,000 photographs that make up the theatre production files at the Museum of the City of New York, a project generously funded by the Institute … Continue reading
Elaine Stritch, Grande Dame of the Stage
Last Saturday night the crowd gathered around the piano at Marie’s Crisis to sing “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Broadway’s 1970 hit musical, Company, in honor of the dearly departed … 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
Jack Stewart and the documentation of early graffiti writing
When graffiti first began to appear on subway cars in New York City in the late 1960s, Jack Stewart (1926-2005) became one of the first, along with Jon Naar, to photograph … Continue reading
Revolutionary sisters: Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin
If you’ve never heard of Victoria Woodhull or her younger sister Tennessee “Tennie” Claflin, you’re not alone. When I first came across them in the Museum’s Portrait Archive, I was … 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
Mel Rosenthal in the South Bronx
Mel Rosenthal (born 1940) grew up in the South Bronx. When he returned to the area 20 years later, after receiving a Ph.D. in English Literature and American Studies from … Continue reading
Inside the Glamour – Baumgarten Interiors
For a span of a few weeks last winter, I lived in two worlds. My real world consisted of a Brooklyn apartment filled with IKEA furniture, roommates, and the usual … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 