So, why do we call it Gotham anyway?
New York is a city of nicknames—the Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, Empire City, The City So Nice They Named It Twice... but let’s just concentrate on one: Gotham.For some, the term Gotham City...
View ArticleBeware of Zombies: The Grim Origins of Washington Square Park
Centered on Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village is a neighborhood made legendary by the world famous artists, musicians, and writers that have flourished and created within steps of its arch....
View ArticleNYC Reads: Books on the Subway
"I hope you are not here because you like to read." It was the opening salvo for my interview with the admissions director at the University of Maryland's Graduate School of Library & Information...
View ArticleA Helluva Town: The Origins of New York’s Hellish Place Names
"New York, New York, a helluva town. The Bronx is up but the Battery's down." —On the Town With at least three "Hell" based place names within its boundaries—Hell Gate, Hell's Kitchen, and Hell's...
View ArticleHistory on the Half-Shell: The story of New York City and its oysters
Blue Points, Saddle Rocks, Rockaways, Lynnhavens, Cape Cods, Buzzard Bays, Cotuits, Shrewsburys -- raw on the half shell. Fried oysters, oyster pie, oyster patties, oyster box stew, Oysters Pompadour,...
View ArticleMaury and the Menu: A Brief History of the Cunard Steamship Company
In 1907 the Cunard Steamship Company launched the first of their Express Liners, the Lusitania and the Mauretania, ships that become bywords for speed, luxury and elegance in transatlantic travel. They...
View ArticleNew York City Land Conveyances 1654-1851: What They Are and How They Work
On microfilm, in olde worlde language, in undecipherable hand writing. Who cares? This is digitized, right? Yes, sometimes, often, and not yet. Being a librarian, I spend a lot of time rummaging...
View ArticleGenealogy Research Tips: Breaking Through Brick Walls and Getting Past Dead Ends
Genealogy research may now be among America’s favorite hobbies, but it certainly is not the least frustrating. Stamp and coin collecting may start to look more attractive after you spend a few days...
View ArticleWho Lived In a House Like This? A Brief Guide to Researching the History of...
The Library's Milstein Division is home to one of the largest free United States history, local history, and genealogy collections in the country, and many of our patrons are writing their family...
View ArticleThe Great Obituary Hunt: A Genealogy Research Guide
Like all good detective work, genealogy research benefits from organization, patience, and procedure. One of many tools in the researchers toolbox is the obituary. Obituaries are small articles in a...
View ArticleEveryone Counts: Using the Census in Genealogy Research
—You should always start your genealogy research by interviewing your relatives. Carefully record all of the names, dates, and places that they tell you. Don’t worry if Uncle Joe and Aunt Joan have a...
View ArticleTelling Time on New Year's Eve: Why the First Ball Was Dropped in Times Square
On New Year's Eve all clocks are synchronized for the epitome of countdowns. The clinking of champagne glasses and the first kiss of the New Year will all be coordinated to the descent of a...
View ArticleBehind the Scenes of the Milstein Suspense Trailer
History has secrets... but secrets don’t stay hidden if you know where to look...The Library's Milstein Division staff are very excited to present a movie trailer-style promotional video, which debuted...
View Article1940: What's Going On
Released April 2, 2012 by the National Archives, the Sixteenth United States Federal Census is an exciting and important document. It describes the lives of Americans caught between two cataclysmic...
View ArticleDirect Me NYC: NYPL Helps You Find New Yorkers in the 1940 Census
The genealogy world is buzzing with today’s release of the 1940 Federal Census, but some have been disappointed to discover that the newly released data cannot yet be searched by name. Never fear, NYPL...
View ArticleWiki Gangs of New York: Editathon Recap
It was time to represent New York City and the Wikipedians showed up in force to do so! Wiki Gangs of New York was a Wikipedia editathon which took place at the Stephen A Schwarzman building on April...
View ArticleConnections in Unlikely Places: A WWII Genealogy Story
Many patrons arrive at the Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History and Genealogy with questions and something more. Often it is a letter written long ago, an address of a deceased cousin, or a...
View ArticleDirect Me NYC 1786: A History of City Directories in the United States and...
New York Public Library's Direct Me NYC 1940 project recently digitized a selection of New York City 1940 telephone directories, in order to help patrons online search the 1940 census. Before the...
View ArticleFifth Avenue From Start to Finish: The 1911 Equivalent of Google Street View
One of the treasures of the New York Public Library is the photographic publication "Fifth Avenue, New York, From Start to Finish." Luckily for us, this rare and beautiful collection of photographs has...
View ArticleHow Did the Pigeon Get to NYC?
One can scarcely think of any park in NYC — or any city, really — without envisioning the ubiquitous pigeon there as well. Despite signs requesting you not feed the birds in adjacent Bryant Park, the...
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