New York Streetside
New York has seen its share of interesting, humorous, or just plain odd signs. In addition to being entertaining, the signs tell us a lot about how the city has … Continue reading
Christmas in New York City
New York has been the setting for many Christmas stories, fables, and traditions. In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia Hanson of 115 West 95th Street wrote to the editor of The Sun, … 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
“Painting for fun is catching on furiously among celebrated people”
In an October, 1948 article, LOOK magazine proclaimed, “Painting for fun is catching on furiously among celebrated people. About one hundred Big Names have answered a call for help from … Continue reading
Fitness Crazes of Yesteryear
Fitness crazes are nothing new to Americans, and the 19th century had its own fair share of extreme exercise routines. As lifestyles became more sedentary and health issues more numerous, … Continue reading
Carl Van Vechten Looks at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
In 1924, employees from Macy’s organized the company’s first parade featuring floats and animals from Central Park Zoo. The parade began at 9 in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, November … Continue reading
Belasco’s Ghost
New York is haunted by nature of its constant transformation. Neighborhoods change, leaving only small or hidden remnants of what they were; once thriving communities are slowly eclipsed by others. … Continue reading
Photographing the Postcard Collection
Ever wonder how much work goes into digitizing a collection for view on our Collections Portal? Here at MCNY, the digital team has been hard at work numbering, shooting, and … Continue reading
The Digital Team Gets New Digs!
The Museum of the City of New York’s digital team is proud to announce that we have moved into our new digital lab! For almost two years we have been … Continue reading
Temple Emanu-El
Temple Emanu-El was established in 1845 as New York City’s first Reform congregation. 33 members met in a loft at the intersection of Clinton and Grand Streets on Manhattan’s Lower … Continue reading
Coney Island Rides
For more than 130 years, Coney Island has been host to a number of imaginative amusements. Here we take a look at the amusement rides – some long gone, some … 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
23 Skidoo
Today crowds gather around the Flatiron Building to admire its architecture and place in New York history, but back in the early part of the 20th century, men gathered there … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 