Newspapers and Newsies
What if? Meteors over Manhattan, 1922
In 1922, the New York Tribune envisioned what it would be like if a meteor hit downtown Manhattan. The article is a real scare piece on…
Articles
History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.
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Brooklyn HistoryThe curious tale behind the first film ever made in Brooklyn
February 20, 2013
Millions and millions of hours of television and film have been made within the five boroughs since the invention of the camera. But have you ever wondered where the very first roll of film was ever shot?That distinction most likely goes to a nondescript…
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Holidays
Whip it! Early Valentine’s Day custom in old New York involved public displays of flirtatious flagellation
In old New York, there was a curious Valentine's Day custom involving young women running around town whipping men with rope.Yes, you read that correctly. This…
Gilded Age New York
“The First Dandelion” and Walt Whitman’s very bad timing
In 1888, the New York Herald ran this poem by the great Walt Whitman: …
Gilded Age New York
Before Al Roker and Sam Champion, there was Farmer Dunn, New York’s weather guru of the late 19th century
How did New Yorkers know to panic over the weather in the 19th century? How could they know to run through the streets in terror at…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
How to make a mermaid: A chat with Mark Siegel, the creator of ‘Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson’
A passenger steamer passes along the Hudson, early 1900s. (Courtesy LOC)As a kick-off to the Bowery Boys Book of the Month section, I thought I'd ask…
Bowery Boys Bookshelf
‘Sailor Twain’ : A mystery at the bottom of a haunted river (Bowery Boys Book of the Month)
We're trying out a new feature here on the blog by debuting our very first ever Bowery Boys Book of the Month selection! Each month I'll…
Know Your Mayors
Ed Koch, the 105th Mayor of New York, 1924-2013
Koch in 2004 at the Republican National Convention which was held in New York City. Photo by Joe Cavaretta, courtesy the Associated PressDid you know Koch…
Landmarks
Grand Central Terminal’s Ten Greatest Moments on Film
Grand Central Terminal has seen millions of people rush across its Main Concourse over the past one hundred years, and more than a few movies have…
Planes Trains and Automobiles
J. P. Morgan Jr. rides the subway and is accosted by a hat
Any of you who ride the 4-5-6 train in rush hour will especially relate to this story. It takes place, in fact, on that very line,…
Landmarks
Grand Central Terminal: The original plan from 1910
Continuing the celebration of Grand Central Terminal's 100th anniversary, here's a look at the proposed street plan which was run in the New York Tribune on…
Friday Night Fever
In good company: The local significance of Obama’s inaugural quote: “Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall”
As many others today are ruminating on the symbolic and historic implications of yesterday's presidential inaugural ceremony, allow me to dwell a little on a curious…
Gangs of New York
A very strange coincidence surrounds New York’s most famous gangsters and ‘Boardwalk Empire’ inspirations
Many of the early 20th century's most renown gangsters were born in late January! Today is Al Capone's birthday. (He's pictured above in his infamous mugshot.)…