Lincoln and the Jews: An Interview with Dr. Jonathan Sarna
Did you know that more than twice as many books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than weeks have passed since his death almost 150 years ago? With Passover beginning at sundown, we’re honoring...
View ArticleInterview With Photographer Stephen Somerstein
On January 16, the New-York Historical Society will open Freedom Journey 1965: Stephen Somerstein Photographs from Selma to Montgomery. This exhibit features the stunning and historic photographs of...
View ArticleHappy Birthday, Women’s Suffrage!
This week the 19th Amendment, granting American women the right to vote, turned 95. To commemorate the victory, we’re continuing the tradition of the tenacious suffragettes. Join us tonight at 7 pm for...
View ArticleWhen NYC Was Electrified
This week, we remember the 106th anniversary of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration. Starting on September 25, 1909, over a million New Yorkers and tourists enthusiastically joined in the two-week...
View ArticleHappy Birthday, N-YHS!
This week, the New-York Historical Society turned 211! To celebrate our birthday we’re taking a look back on the construction of N-YHS’ permanent home at 170 Central Park West. Before settling along...
View ArticleFour Christmas Traditions born in New York
With more than four centuries of history, it’s no wonder that so many beloved Christmastime traditions originated in New York. Here are a few highlights, and remember if you’re in the city during the...
View ArticleWhen Penn Station Was a Masterpiece
Pennsylvania Station is finally getting much-needed renovation, but no amount of construction will bring back the bygone Beaux-Arts architectural magnum opus of the 20th century. Designed by McKim,...
View ArticleSuffrage on the Menu, Part II: The Marble House Conferences of 1909 and 1914
Written by Ina Bort Our last post explored the biography of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the doyenne-turned-activist we believe commissioned this plate’s manufacture. Today we explore the first of two...
View ArticleScenes from the First Earth Day: Photos from the 1970 Rallies in New York City
Every year on April 22, people around the world pause to rally for the planet. Earth Day has become a global event, part demonstration, part celebration, as concerned citizens lend their support to a...
View ArticleLIFE in Pictures: Pop Star Billy Eckstine and the Infamous 1950 Photo That...
Billy Eckstine drove his fans wild. Nicknamed Mr. B, the dashing singer had a voice that was described as a “suave bass-baritone” and a stage presence that, for a time at least, rivaled Frank...
View ArticleSan Francisco is a Ghost Town: The Story Behind Eadweard Muybridge’s Spooky...
Tycoons love to survey their empires. And in the 1870s, that empire was San Francisco. The city was in a period of ravenous growth fueled by mining discoveries like the 1848 Gold Rush and the Comstock...
View ArticleManhattan in Motion: Capturing Canal Street in 1986
Panoramas are all about spectacle, and the biggest spectacle in New-York Historical’s current exhibition Panoramas: The Big Picture is Claude Samton’s 1986 photomosaic of Manhattan’s Canal St. An...
View ArticleFrom Selma to Montgomery: Stephen Somerstein’s Photographs of the 1965 Civil...
Stephen Somerstein was a 24-year-old student at the City College of New York’s night school and picture editor of the student newspaper when he photographed some of the most iconic images of the civil...
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