So, do we call it St. Patrick’s Old Basilica now?
New York's original St. Patrick's Cathedral located in Little Italy -- or NoLIta, if you must-- just got a serious upgrade yesterday, when the Pope deemed…
Articles
History, stories, and deep dives from the Bowery Boys.
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Santa Claus: a Broadway concert saloon from the 1850s
December 9, 2010
A Broadway saloon in 1859 during a 'Sunday sacred concert', as in, not very sacred at all. The Santa Claus probably looked like this on a good night. [Courtesy NYPL]I'm doing some research on a couple upcoming entries for the How New York Saved…
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More Articles
A meteorite’s biggest enemy? Crazy boys with jackknives.
Rock of ages: The meteorite is lifted off its wagon for removal into the American Museum of Natural History. I wonder if those ragamuffins to the…
Holidays
The strange, surreal history of celebrity appearances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Beautiful monsters: The stars of The Munsters are predictably not on their best behavior during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade of 1964 (Photo courtesy Frankensteinia) Macy's…
Uncategorized
Mesmerizing: The forgotten museum of Rubens Peale
Believe it or not, this long-gone, unsuccessful attempt at a museum actually figures into the larger tale of a major New York institution, which we cover…
Uncategorized
Airwaves beware: The Bowery Boys television debut!
Illness and a crazy schedule this week have conspired to delaying this weeks podcast, but we promise to have it ready to download by Wednesday morning.In…
The abstract beauty of Robert Moses’ most horrifying idea
This is beautiful because it's not real: a cross-section of Paul Rudolph's cross-Manhattan proposal, looking east towards the two approaches consuming the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges.This…
Burton’s faux nude follies: NYC’s first ‘legit’ flesh shows
An exotic tableau from the Ziegfeld Follies. The presentations by Burton in the mid-19th century would have been less ornate, but certainly more tantalizing. (photo source)FRIDAY…
New York Hocus Pocus: Kellar and the Spirit Cabinet
Many late 19th century New Yorkers were hypnotized by the the glamor of the spiritualist circuit, mediums, magicians and mind readers purporting communications with the ghostly…
Mysterious Stories
The Plastic Faces of Ben Cooper, Brooklyn King of Masks
Kids these days! With their fancy selection of Halloween costumes, with ornate detailing and comfort, with their diversity and realism. For thrifty parents in the 1970s…
Mysterious Stories
I Sit On Your Grave: New York’s Hidden Burial Plots
Here's a chilling thought for the Halloween season: if you're visiting one of New York's many amazing parks and squares, most likely you're standing on land…
A new ‘Metropolis’ — for our metropolis — at the Ziegfeld
Fritz Lang claims the Manhattan skyline influenced the look of his film 'Metropolis' . In fact, the film's fantasy city resembles futuristic sketches rendered by American…
Mad Men
‘Mad Men’ notes: Remembering the Times Square HoJo
Howard Johnson at 46th Street: Dinner and a movie, all in one corner! There's even Vietnam war protesters outside. (Photo by Bob Gruen, taken 1972, courtesy…