The Yankee Doodle Boy gets digitized
Since 1968, the Museum has been home to a large collection of scripts, sheet music, and scores created by George M. Cohan, the most prolific theater artist in the … Continue reading
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
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
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
Can you hear me now?
Most of us hardly think about the technical logistics of communication these days. With the touch of a few buttons we can send an email or text message, or pick … Continue reading
Hygienic whiskey and little nerve pills: The rise of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising
Before the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the manufacture and sale of so-called “medicine” in the United States was unregulated. This wild west atmosphere enabled … Continue reading
The plague of New York City summers
For modern New Yorkers, summer presents a variety of opportunities. Some choose to flee its oppressive heat, inadequately air conditioned offices, and swarms of tourists; while others stay to take … Continue reading
Brides and Debutantes: White Dresses all Around
The start of summer brings with it the beginning of wedding season. As a bride-to-be myself, I couldn’t help but take a closer look at the numerous wedding invitations that … Continue reading
Company Songs
While cataloging ephemera under the National Endowment for Humanities grant, I couldn’t help but notice how many companies, clubs, societies, and associations had songs written and printed for special occasions. … Continue reading
The Civilian War Effort in New York City During World War I and World War II
This week, we have a guest post from one of our Collections interns, Emily Arbuckle. Emily is completing her Masters Degree in Information and Library Science and Archives Certificate at … Continue reading
The origins of dining out in New York City
The holiday season is upon us, bringing with it numerous opportunities for eating and visiting restaurants. As we prepare the City Museum’s ephemera collections for digitization as part of a … 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
MCNY Blog: New York Stories 