The Political Campaign
In honor of the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States, I decided to take a look at how campaigning for political office and the democratic process is … Continue reading
The World of Yiddish Theater, As Seen By Alter Kacyzne
While cataloging the Museum’s Yiddish theater collection, I stumbled across some photographs that stood out among the thousands I had seen. They are beautiful, expertly lit yet not artificial, as … Continue reading
Brooklyn’s Boweries
A few months ago I attended the Wyckoff House’s country fair, held on the grounds of New York City’s oldest surviving building. The house is an anachronism among the car … Continue reading
Photographing Our Painting Collection
Here in the Museum of the City of New York’s Collections Department we have embarked on an exciting new project to digitize selected objects from our paintings holdings. This is … Continue reading
Forbidden Broadway circa 1900: a look back at lampooning.
Forbidden Broadway is back again this Fall with a new “Alive and Kicking” addition gleefully lampooning the current offerings of the Great White Way. A revue show first conceived in … 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
Hidden in Plain Sight
New York is home to many humble cemeteries right on the beaten path, their presence unannounced by towering monuments. Many of the city’s parks, such as Madison Square and Bryant … Continue reading
A Fine Line: The Art of the Clothesline
Living in New York City, one becomes accustomed to the grey area between public and private space. Intimate details are exposed through the most mundane daily tasks. Laundry is one … 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
Summer in the City
Now that summer is in full swing, we look back at the ways New Yorkers have either escaped or embraced the heat. The Drive in Central Park was a place … Continue reading
Walt Whitman’s New York
Walt Whitman, one of America’s most celebrated writers, was born into a working-class Long Island family on May 31, 1819. Four years later, the family moved to Brooklyn. Whitman cherished … Continue reading
Construction of the 74th Street Power Station
For the past two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of digitizing our photographs of the construction of the 74th Street Power Station located on the East River between 74th and … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 