Notes from the Podcast (#127) The Civil War Draft Riots
The New York draft riots of 1863 were both a distraction to the actual battles of the Civil War and the purest embodiment of underlying Northern viewpoints,…
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Super Local: Captain America and New York’s other heroes
July 27, 2011
A 1940s antique store carries more than dusty lamps in the summer superhero film, 'Captain America: The First Avenger," which transplants its hero's origins from the Lower East Side to downtown Brooklyn.I know I can be a bit fanatic in my New York-centeredness, but this…
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More Articles
The legendary police headquarters at 300 Mulberry Street
There is nothing extraordinary at 300 Mulberry Street anymore, just a standard five-story apartment complex and a parking garage, hugged to its south by a Subway sandwich…
The other Draft Riots: Brooklyn infernos, Queens bonfires
You probably know something about the Civil War draft riots that kept New York paralyzed during the week of July 13, 1863. But New York only…
Purging ‘Evil’: New York vs. the Concert Saloon!
A torrid night at Harry Hill's concert saloon on Houston Street. Naturally, such fun must be stopped! (Pic courtesy NYPL)Yes, yes, the Civil War began 150…
New York and “Night Vision: Photography After Dark”
Albert Langdon Coburn sees mystery on 'Broadway at Night'While you rush to join the thousands of museumgoers checking out the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fantastic Alexander…
Defying gravity: New York’s most famous daredevils
Bird in the sky: The delicate Ms. Millman makes it look easyLast night on my walk home, I observed something you just don't always see everyday…
A ragtime tribute to the New York Hippodrome
I hope you've had a chance to play around in the Library of Congress's National Jukebox was recently launched on their website. It's an incredible catalog…
Notes from the Podcast (#126) Fernando Wood
Somebody should make a movie about Fernando Wood, and the role should be played by Johnny Depp. Wood is endlessly fascinating, not only as a shady…
The mysterious Central Park convent: Mount Saint Vincent
House on the hill: the stark and mysterious convent of Central Park, 1861In tomorrow's podcast, I'll be spending a bit of time in 1861 and will…
The Bowery Boys Go To War!
The Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast celebrates its FOURTH ANNIVERSARY this week! And we're using the occasion to debut a trilogy of summer podcasts,…
Parks and Recreation
Time Capsule: Gay Hippies vs the Nudists in Central Park!
Above: From a great photo stream of images from the 1971 parade by Me In San Fran/Flickr (check them out here) I happened across some rather…
A chemical company in Union Square sells a kingly elixir
One hundred years ago today (June 23), the big news was the coronation of England's King George at Westminster Abbey. Judging from the New York papers,…