Announcing the digitization of the City Museum’s silver collection
In the City Museum’s Silver Collection you’ll find objects made, owned, or sold in the city of New York, such as domestic and presentation hollowware, flatware, and costume accessories. The … Continue reading
What’s in an Artifact: Crown Glass
Archaeologists love “unearthing” the mysteries of history. In this post, we explore the fragmented past of crown window glass, a common artifact type connected with the production of glass windows in … 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
Mysteries in the Costume Collection
The City Museum’s Costume Collection offers a unique lens not just on New York’s history and aesthetics, but its personalities, too. Our most fascinating acquisitions come from those who’ve lived in … Continue reading
Urban Woodsman: Theodore Roosevelt and his Buckskin Suit
Traversing the Dakota back country atop his horse, a young Theodore Roosevelt arrived at a “desolate, little mud-roofed hut” belonging to Mrs. Maddox [1]. She “had acquired some fame in … Continue reading
Painting the Town Black
In the 1970s, graffiti emerged as a powerful form of self-expression on New York City streets. Our recent exhibition City as Canvas offered a window into the origins of this movement, and its evolution as graffiti artists like Lee … Continue reading
Cracking Jefferson’s Code
Imagine this scenario: The year is 1800. You’re the President of the United States. You need to transmit an urgent message to a diplomat living 3,000 miles across the ocean, … Continue reading
Where’s the bathroom? Uncovering the Almshouse Privy at Tweed Courthouse
Studying historical records can give us only so much information about a specific place. Archaeology offers a unique perspective on the details of everyday life that written records do not fully capture, such as: … Continue reading
Alice in Wonderland: La Gallienne’s Living Pictures
Actress, producer, and director Eva Le Gallienne built a reputation for taking classic works of literature and bringing them to life in the theater. In her 1932 production of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures … Continue reading
Flops: when good theater goes bad
Broadway is a magical place. Through the dreams, combined talents, and sheer luck of a group of people, audiences are transported into another world brought to life right before them. At … Continue reading
Conner and Kubrick’s New York
Illustrator McCauley “Mac” Conner, born in 1913 and still active today at the age of 101, continues to reside in New York City. He arrived during World War II and … Continue reading
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
Announcing an Archaeology Partnership: MCNY + LPC
The Museum of the City of New York is thrilled to announce a partnership with Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to document archaeological collections owned by the City of New York. On many … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 