Managing the stage: the Phil Friedman papers, 1936-1987
Actors, directors, and playwrights are often given the most audible recognition for successes on stage, but perhaps one of the least lauded roles is that of the stage manager. From … Continue reading
Relaxing with a summer cocktail – it wasn’t always so easy.
Just because this August has been cooler than usual (or perhaps it just seems that way after July’s heatwave), doesn’t mean those New Yorkers of legal drinking age are any … Continue reading
“145 Bluebells of Scotland and a Swiss Cheese to You!” – Corresponding with Carl Van Vechten
In May of 2013, with the generous support of the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation, the Museum of the City of New York hired Project Archivist Boni Joi Koelliker to begin … Continue reading
Vanderbilt Ball – how a costume ball changed New York elite society
In the spring of 1883, the solemnity of Lent didn’t stand a chance against the social event on the mind of all of New York’s elite society: Mrs. W. K. … Continue reading
Conservation of the J. Clarence Davies Map Collection
The Museum is nearing the completion of the two-year National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded project “Conserving, Digitizing, and Creating Access to the J. Clarence Davies Collection of Art.” Begun … Continue reading
Duncan Phyfe Center Table
This Empire center table (36.160) featuring a painted tondo (circular composition) on its top is one of the highlights of the Museum of the City of New York’s furniture collection. … Continue reading
The Contentious History of Supplying Water to Manhattan
“What made New York a prosperous port – its deep saltwater rivers – made its drinking water lousy. By the middle of the eighteenth century, Manhattan’s water was already infamous: … Continue reading
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
Aftermath of a Fire in the Lower East Side
Chartered in 1875, the Manhattan Railway Company operated elevated train lines in Manhattan and the Bronx. In 1879, it leased elevated lines running along Second, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Avenues … Continue reading
Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland in a “Changing New York”
This week, we have a guest post from our fabulous archival intern, Suzanna Calev, who is currently obtaining a double Master’s Degree in Library Science with a concentration in Archives … Continue reading
Discovering the World’s Fair Collections
Thanks to a generous Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), as Project Archivist, I now have the pleasure of exploring … Continue reading
Ghosts of the 6 Train
New York City’s vast transit system is in a constant state of flux, expanding to fill the needs of underserved areas and simultaneously contracting due to budget cuts or obsolescence. … Continue reading
Golden Boy at the Tonys
This Sunday, an estimated six million theater lovers will gather around their television sets for the live broadcast of the 67th Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards, the annual event honoring Broadway … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 