State Dinners at the Lotos Club
New Yorkers, as we know, love to document their peer group—even colonial New Yorkers did it, as Curator Bruce Weber recently described in a post on the City Musuem’s exhibition … Continue reading
Jumpsuits to Bullseye Bras: A Midcentury Fashion Trip
In the Dressing Room, on view at the City Museum through March 25, thanks to funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a mannequin cloaked in a … Continue reading
From Harlem to Hanoi: Dr. King and the Vietnam War
As we commemorate Black History Month at the City Museum, we look back at what is perhaps one of its most iconic figure’s least appreciated speeches—which took place here in … Continue reading
When Portraits Were King: Conversation with Curator Bruce Weber
Curator of Paintings & Sculpture Bruce Weber explains the importance of self-image in 18th century New York, the evolution of the city’s painting scene, and the detective work underlying the … Continue reading
Can’t make it to the runway? Check out Dressing Room: Archiving Fashion
Do you have your tickets to New York City Fashion Week, yet? If not (or even if you do) we invite you to step up to the velvet rope here … Continue reading
Folded and Feathered: bringing hand fans to the Collections Portal
Long before air conditioning was a common amenity in most residences and buildings, high society New York women established their “cool” with an opulent, yet useful accessory: the hand fan. … Continue reading
Librettist Harry B. Smith and the thousands of words
In the time it took to pull together images and write this blog, lyricist Harry Bache Smith could probably have written a popular hit song, contributed a number and a … Continue reading
Traditions and Tastes: Seven Dutch Bible Tile Fragments Recovered from the South Ferry Terminal Site
By guest blogger Leslie Gerhauser We are pleased to welcome Leslie Gerhauser as guest blogger to discuss fascinating Dutch Bible tiles that were uncovered by archaeologists in lower Manhattan. The Museum of … Continue reading
Reintroducing Ruby Bailey!
In 2004 the Museum of the City of New York acquired a collection of clothing and fashion mannequins from the estate of Harlem resident Ruby Hyacinth Bailey. Her work, alongside … Continue reading
The Archaeology of Colonial New York’s Battery Wall
The Museum of the City of New York is currently digitizing an extensive collection of artifacts excavated from New York’s colonial Battery Wall in preparation for public access and long term … Continue reading
Ice Skating
Nobody is certain when humans first began ice skating, but it is believed that they did so at least a few thousand years ago. The first skates were sharp pieces … Continue reading
The New York Women Who Dismantled Prohibition
Women have been considered some of the most visible advocates of the temperance movement—the movement beginning in the nineteenth century to voluntarily abstain from drinking alcohol. Less known is … Continue reading
Conserving and Photographing the Silver Collection
The digitization of the Museum of the City of New York’s silver collection has progressed steadily since our last blog post highlighting presentation pieces in the collection. There are now … Continue reading
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 