Oysters: From Rags to Riches
Today, it’s hard to find an oyster for less than $2 a pop, but until the turn of the 20th century, oysters were so plentiful in New York, rich and … 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 Beach Pneumatic Transit Company – just a bunch of hot air?
My alarm didn’t go off this morning, meaning I overslept and I did not have enough time to ride my bicycle into work as I often do, and instead would … 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
WAY Back to School
It’s that time of the year again. As Labor Day rolls around, students of all ages and in all phases of their education start anticipating – and in some … Continue reading
The Restoration of a Pilot House
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cargo containers coming into New York Harbor were loaded from ocean-going vessels onto large barges with railroad tracks on the deck. Vessels like … Continue reading
Peter Pan: over 100 years of the boy who wouldn’t grow up
Wendy Darling: Boy, why are you crying? Boy: What’s your name? Wendy: Wendy Moira Angela Darling. What is your name? Boy: Peter Pan. Wendy: Is that all? Peter Pan: Yes. … 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
Novelty, Simplicity, Buoyancy, and Pliancy
Novelty, simplicity, buoyancy, and pliancy – aren’t these all features we seek in every aspect of our day-to-day life? Helen Traphagen certainly felt these attributes were important when she set … 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
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 