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And now — Eartha Kitt on a bicycle

I was going to run this picture alongside my post on bicycle history last week, but decided this needed a post all its own.  This picture and the one below were taken by Gordon Parks for Life Magazine in June 1952.

Dressed for success: The tradition of Thanksgiving masking, children in drag, begging for money!

Turkey anyone? Thanksgiving maskers, in New York, taken sometime between 1910-15. Whatever you do, don’t look the ‘lady’ directly in the eye! My new column for the Huffington Post is live, and the topic is a strange, forgotten holiday custom called Thanksgiving masking, popular among New York kids from the 1890s-1930s. Children dressed as exaggerated… Read More

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Fernando Wood: More on Lincoln’s wily scoundrel

While the Confederacy may be the enemy in Stephen Spielberg‘s new film ‘Lincoln‘, it is a defeated and toothless one, tattered and on the cusp of surrender. But as this is a legislative melodrama, not a war film, the real foes are the South-sympathizing, anti-war Democrats, opposed to passing Abraham Lincoln’s signature Thirteenth Amendment, which… Read More

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Podcasts

Bicycle Mania! The story of New York on two wheels, from velocipedes to ten-speeds — with women’s liberation in tow

  Alice Austen’s iconic photograph of a telegram bike messenger in 1896, a year where many New Yorkers were wild about bikes. Austen even rode one around with her camera.  PODCAST The bicycle has always seemed like a slightly awkward form of transportation in big cities, but in fact, it’s reliable, convenient, clean and —… Read More

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History in the making: Post-Sandy Coney Island edition

The old Coney Island El Dorado bumper car ride, 2007 (courtesy Flickr/chris trudeau) Whistleblower: A heartfelt tribute to David Durk, the NYPD officer who exposed corruption in the force with the help of Frank Serpico (subject of the 1973 Al Pacino film ‘Serpico’). “Durk then went on to take a mad genius approach to enforcing… Read More

Bites of the Big Apple: Interview with the Bowery Boys

We sat down in Washington Square Park with the New York web series Bites of the Big Apple, hosted by Kirsten Alana and produced by Michaela Potter, to talk about the Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast and website. Visit their website for other videos in this series. As the video includes screenshots of… Read More

Holland Tunnel, still drying out, turns 85 years old today

Contract No. 3. South tunnel, New York. taken December 1923  [NYPL]  The Holland Tunnel, New York’s first automobile tunnel, linking downtown Manhattan with Jersey City, New Jersey, turns 85 years old today after a hard month for the city’s underground passages. The tunnel was closed for several days after Hurricane Sandy, reopening on November 7.… Read More

New York gas rationing 1942: “The taxi driver’s golden age?”

Today begins mandatory gas rationing in New York City due to shortages caused by Hurricane Sandy. There was limited gas rationing during the 1970s, but the longest a gas ration was ever sustained in New York City was 70 years ago, during World War II, officially becoming a nationwide policy in December 1942. It was… Read More

Help Fraunces Tavern, the South Street Seaport Museum and Stone Street! Still picking up after Hurricane Sandy

There are still so many places throughout the city struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Many people in outlying regions are still without basic needs. In my post on Friday — A Snapshot of Hurricane Sandy — there’s a list of charities and volunteer organizations where you can donate or volunteer. There’s further information… Read More

Nasty Nor’easter: Horses, balloons suffer in strange storms

The illustration above overemphasizes the appeal of the windblown look. (Courtesy NYPL)  We really, really don’t need a Nor’easter right now. No, really. But unfortunately it is that time of year, when the northeast United States and eastern Canada are whacked with gale force winds and bitter cold, a wet and chilling blast that can… Read More

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Pop Culture

Election Night, live on TV! New York City newsrooms, 1952

Above: The CBS news broadcast was sponsored by Philco, an early radio and television manufacturer. In the photos of the ABC newsroom below, you’ll notice they are also sponsored by a television manufacturer, Admiral. The candidates are now at our mercy. Election Day comes in two phases. The first is in the hands of the… Read More

PODCAST: A snapshot of Hurricane Sandy, Nov. 2, 2012

Above: Aftermath of a massive blaze in Breezy Point on the Rockaway Peninsula (Picture courtesy AP)  PODCAST A brief encapsulation of what’s happening in the city as of Friday afternoon, November 2, reviewing some of the events associated with Hurricane Sandy, the catastrophic storm which hit the Northeast this week. Featuring some of the historical… Read More

The New York City Marathon still on for Sunday! (UPDATE: Scratch that! Now cancelled as of Nov. 2)

UPDATE: As of this Friday afternoon, the New York City Marathon has been cancelled The ING New York City Marathon will still go on as scheduled this Sunday, November 4. The marathon served as a symbol of New York’s perseverance and strength before, most notably a few weeks following September 11, 2001.  Although some have… Read More

“Not since the Great Blizzard!” “Bigger than 1821!” Hurricane Sandy inspires historical superlatives

When things get really, really bad, history provides validation and context.   The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has already inspired newscasters, meteorologists and journalists to reach to the greatest disasters in New York City history for comparison. These can seem very hyperbolic at times and even a little weird. (‘7 Devastating Hurricanes: Where Will Sandy Rank?‘… Read More

Hope everybody is safe and sound!

I’ll update the blog later today with some observation on catastrophic Hurricane Sandy. Tom is one of the thousands on the Manhattan side without power. I’m on the Brooklyn side and fared a little bit better, although I cannot say the same for the many trees on my block.   Be safe today! Above picture… Read More