Posters and Patriotism: Selling World War I in New York
The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917; three years after the conflict had begun. Although the U.S. was involved in the war for just 18 months, … Continue reading
An American Pioneer in Photojournalism: Jessie Tarbox Beals
March is Women’s History Month, a time when we celebrate women’s contributions to our history, culture, and society. This month provides the perfect opportunity to highlight some of these female … Continue reading
From the Bowery to Broadway: Women of the Yiddish Stage
Last week, the Museum opened “New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway,” a fabulous new exhibition that explores the history and influence of Yiddish theater in New York … Continue reading
The short, sad story of actress Clara Bloodgood
On the evening of December 5, 1907, respected actress and society woman Clara Bloodgood fatally shot herself in a Baltimore hotel room. She was in town to star as the … 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
Breeches on Broadway
With Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kinky Boots, and Matilda currently on stage, Broadway has placed a spotlight on issues of cross-dressing and gender identity. While processing the Museum of … Continue reading
The Political Campaign
In honor of the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States, I decided to take a look at how campaigning for political office and the democratic process is … 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
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
Lincoln’s last play; or, the continuing fascination with “Our American Cousin”
A distant cousin stands to inherit a large British estate on the brink of financial ruin. Sound familiar? The main storyline from the phenomenally popular British series “Downton Abbey” shares … Continue reading
The Literary World through the Eyes of a Woman at the turn of the 19th Century
Miss Ella M. Boult, writer and editor, served as assistant editor and secretary to Edmund Clarence Stedman from 1899 until his death in 1908. Stedman was a journalist on the … Continue reading
23 Skidoo
Today crowds gather around the Flatiron Building to admire its architecture and place in New York history, but back in the early part of the 20th century, men gathered there … Continue reading
Locker Room Grooming, 1904
In 1904, there was much rejoicing uptown over the opening of a women-only gym situated between Barnard College and Teachers College. The New York Times noted that the men at … Continue reading
