From Sea to Stall
A visit to my local Greenmarket on Saturday mornings is as much a part of my routine as a cup of coffee. And without a doubt, September is one of my … Continue reading
Brigs, Barges & Wild Rovers: Transit from the Port of New York
Before the mid–20th century, when air travel took over as the fastest mode of transporting people and our things around the globe, our ancestors primarily relied on ships for trade … Continue reading
Broken Tulips at the Pier: The Archaeology of Whitehall Slip
The Archaeology Project Team at the Museum of the City of New York recently finished digitizing the artifacts from Whitehall Slip in partnership with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. These objects are housed … Continue reading
Smoking, Drinking, and Governing: Archaeology of the Lovelace Tavern
In early 1980, a team of archaeologists led by Nan Rothschild and Diana Wall uncovered several meters of burned floor-boards just a few feet below-surface on Pearl Street between Broad Street and Coenties … Continue reading
Gems Beneath South Ferry: Artifacts from the Terminal Collection
In 2005, a team of New York City archaeologists turned up new evidence of Manhattan’s dynamic past during excavations for the South Ferry Terminal Project. As the city renovated its South … Continue reading
Rufus King: Early New York, lawyer, diplomat and statesman
If you have found yourself wandering around the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, anytime in the last two centuries, you’ve possibly happened upon a farmhouse, situated between 89th Avenue, 150th street, … Continue reading
A Call to Serve: Scenes from the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service
With fresh tears in her eyes, a young girl approached Lillian Wald, a graduate of New York Hospital School of Nursing. Concerned for the girl’s well-being, Wald followed the child … Continue reading
Lunatics, Inmates, and Homeowners: The History of Roosevelt Island
The nurses plunged her into an ice-cold bath, pulled her out sopping wet, and threw a sheer flannel slip over her head. Large black letters spelled “Lunatic Asylum, B.I., H. … 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
John Bute Holmes, surveyor and polygamist.
To quote my colleague Susannah in her fascinating post from a few weeks ago, “Hints about long vanished and forgotten aspects of New York surround us if we know where … Continue reading
Festivities of the Gilded Age “Season”
The morning after returning from visiting family for Thanksgiving, I awoke with the thought, “The ball season has again returned, and already the ‘busy hum of preparation’ for its festivities … Continue reading
The Great Bygone Museum Tour
Ladies and Gentleman! Step this way! My dear blog readers, please accompany me on a tour to discover the unique and marvelous history of museums in New York City. Be … 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
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 