Blog posts by Sarah

POTW: Cute and Cuddly?

Sarah

Boy with raccoon, 1986, COHEN_0019; George Cohen photograph collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Move over rats and pigeons, today's Photo of the Week is looking at that other, often overlooked member of our city's wildlife: the raccoon. The little trash panda seen in this photograph was kept as a pet in Brighton Beach in the 1980s, but according to the City of New York, that's a big no-no. Wildlife NYC states "No one may possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for…

POTW: Barrel of Fun

Sarah

 

[Barrel of fun], circa 1953, CONE_256. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
The Barrel of Fun was a popular ride at Steeplechase Park in the shape of a cylinder that rotated as the ride-goer tried to walk through. The unsteady surface caused stumbles and tumbles, falling over family, friends, and dates in an effort to reach the other side. How would you fare in this classic Coney Island attraction? Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collections? Visit…

POTW: Street Scenes with John D. Morrell

Sarah

[South side of Kings Highway between E. 16th Street & E. 17th Street. Levine's Clothing, 1612 Kings Highway Adler's Ladies Specialty Shop -1610 Kings Highway], 1961, V1974.9.353, John D. Morrell photograph collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History 
The John D. Morrell photographs collection includes over 2,000 black and white and color negatives and prints, donated by Long Island Historical Society (now CBH) assistant librarian John D. Morrell. Images include street scenes from almost…

Black and white photograph of buildings on St. John's Place, one with a campaign sign for Kings County District Attorney William O'Dwyer in the 1945 mayoral race.

POTW: O'Dwyer for Mayor

Sarah

[1831 St. John's Place], 1945, PORT_0680; Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Today's Photo of the Week looks at 1831 St. John's Place, where the owners were supporting Kings County District Attorney William O'Dwyer in the 1945 mayoral race. O'Dwyer was elected the 100th mayor of New York City later that year, and after two terms was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico by President Truman. Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collections? Visit our online…

POTW: Fort Hamilton Cannon

Sarah

[Boys at Fort Hamilton cannon], circa 1910, V1981.284.55; Emmanuel House lantern slide collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
 Today’s Photo of the Week shows a group of youngsters posing on the Fort Hamilton cannon, a 116,000-pound Rodman gun at John Paul Jones Park. The cannon was made during the Civil War, but after several failed tests at Fort Hamilton it was deemed unsuitable for combat. After a brief stay in Pennsylvania, it was returned to Brooklyn in 1900 and installed in the park…

Kitchen Connections

Sarah

One of the things I love about archival research is how many senses it activates. The obvious visual delights, tactile sensations, hints of grass and vanilla wafting from the boxes, and the reading room rustle of papers, chairs, and keyboards. Noticeably and rightfully absent is our fifth sense, taste. Archival research has no flavor*, but food is constantly on the minds of many researchers. What were their research subjects eating? What did it taste like? What did their homes smell like while it was cooking? How and where did they source ingredients? These questions are key to understanding…

POTW: A Tree Grows on Garfield Place

Sarah

[Garfield Place trees], circa 1916; Raymond V. Ingersoll collection (BCMS.0061), Box 13. Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library.
Walking around Park Slope is especially lovely in the Spring as the trees bloom to create a canopy over the sidewalks. One of the neighborhood's most beautiful streets, Garfield Place, has Raymond V. Ingersoll to thank. Ingersoll served as Brooklyn Parks Commissioner from 1914 to 1917, making tree planting around the borough a top priority for his administration. Garfield Place…

Sepia toned photograph of two men on a tandem bicycle

POTW: Biking with a Friend

Sarah

 [Tandem bicycle on the beach at Coney Island], 1889, V1972.1.808; Early Brooklyn and Long Island photograph collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
What's better than riding a bike on the beach? Riding a bike on the beach with a friend. Today's Photo of the Week looks at the tandem bicycle, an intimate vehicle that requires teamwork. Operating a tandem bike might be easy, but finding a tandem partner is tricky. You need someone sporty, unafraid of leg cramps, with the…

POTW: From the Vault: Real Brooklyn, a day in our lives photographs now available at BHS

Sarah

This From the Vault post was originally written by John Zarrillo and published on March 10, 2016 by the Brooklyn Historical Society. To see the latest Photo of the Week entries, visit the Brooklynology blog home, or subscribe to our Center for Brooklyn History newsletter.

Chosen for Mom, by Doris Adler, 2003; Real Brooklyn, a day in our lives photographs, 2007.041, Box 1; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
This post was authored by BHS Library and Archives processing intern…

Pint-Sized Pilgrims

Sarah

[Young turkey hunters], 1951, HOLI_0109; Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Residents of the Infants Home of Brooklyn, located at 1358 56th Street attended their 1951 Thanksgiving dinner dressed as pint-sized pilgrims, ready to hunt their own turkey! For children living at the Infants Home, a holiday to gather with family may have felt a little sad, but we love how their caregivers tried to make the holiday a little more fun. We hope these little ones had the best Thanksgiving ever.  At…

National Pasta Day

Sarah

[Employees of I. Defrancisci & Son Macaroni Machines], 1917, OSOS_0015. Our Streets, Our Stories collection. Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. Donated for capture by Leonard DeFrancisci.
Did you know that October 17th is National Pasta Day? According to Italy Magazine, there are approximately 350 different types of pasta, including a personal favorite, macaroni. These curved, bouncy little tubes are the perfect vehicle for a variety of sauces and cheeses or eaten alone with butter and garlic. If you lived in Brooklyn…

The George Aptecker Collection

Sarah

George Aptecker, [Girls at Coney Island], 1961. George Aptecker collection, CBHM.0003. Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. 
Today's Photo of the Week looks at an image from the George Aptecker collection. Aptecker was a photographer and diarist who photographed street scenes and portraits in and around New York City. He was a frequent contributor to U.S. Camera Magazine, Camera 35 Magazine, and Modern Photography Magazine. He also exhibited his work at the Village Camera Club, Underground Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of…

Bookplates: Explanation and Inspiration

Sarah

A bookplate is a label attached to the inside cover of a book, usually with the owner's name or initials, sometimes following the Latin phrase “ex libris” which translates to “from the books of.” Each label is unique to its owner, a way of announcing to the world, "This is mine!" A label that we would recognize as a modern bookplate has origins in late 15th century Germany. One of the first examples is this small hand-colored woodcut print depicting an angel holding a shield, which appears in books from the library of scholar and priest Hilprand Brandenburg (1442-1514). By…

POTW: Brooklyn Army Terminal

Sarah

[Brooklyn Army Terminal], 1945, NEIG_2376; Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Today’s Photo of the Week shows the interior of the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), a sprawling complex spanning 95 acres on the Sunset Park waterfront. Designed by Cass Gilbert and completed in 1919, it was the largest military supply base in the United States. In this photo, we can see supply trains and balconies, which allowed cranes to access cargo from any floor. BAT also served as headquarters for the New York Port…

Want a Tattoo? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Sarah

[Brooklyn Blackie Tattooing], 1961; Irving Herzberg Collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Did you know that from 1961-1997 tattooing was banned in New York City? The city blamed the ban on an outbreak of Hepatitis B, but the shops may have been casualties of Mayor Wagner’s crusade to “clean up” ahead of the 1964 World’s Fair. With the shops closed many artists left the city, but a few began working out of apartments, and any New Yorker could still get a tattoo if they knew where to look. This photograph shows a family peeking…

POTW: Celebrating Don Newcombe

Sarah

[Don Newcombe], circa 1951, DODG_0749; Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
Happy Black History Month! Today we’re celebrating Dodgers pitcher Don “Big Newk” Newcombe. Born in New Jersey in 1926, he played for the Newark Eagles, Nashua Dodgers, and the Montreal Royals before pitching his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 20, 1949. Later that year he became the first Black pitcher to start a World Series game and was named Rookie of the Year. After completing two years of…

July 16, 1968 Was Hot

Sarah

[Cyclone roller coaster], 1968,  V1988.12.47; Otto Dreschmeyer Brooklyn slides, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. 
The holidays are over and we're sliding into the cold, quiet weeks of deep winter. Today's Photo of the Week hopes to bring some color and heat to these dark days! This photo shows Astroland's Over the Falls in front of the Cyclone on July 16, 1968. The photographer, Otto Dreschmeyer, noted on the back of the image that the day was hot. After the freezing holiday weekend, it might be difficult to…

Be Kind, Rewind

Sarah

[Boy outside of video store], 1986, COHEN_0036; George Cohen photograph collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Today's Photo of the Week rewinds to 1986, where a boy is peering into a Brighton Beach video store. These entertainment temples started in the late 1970s and wound down in the 2000s, although there are still some to be found in New York City, serving those looking for a hit of nostalgia or simply unwilling to make the jump to streaming. We all remember having to settle for an older title because the new…

The Lady of Gravesend

Sarah

The Lady so integral to the history and development of Brooklyn spent most of her life in England. She was born Deborah Dunch around 1586, in London’s Gray’s Inn or a country estate outside the city. Her father, Walter Dunch, was a barrister and her grandfather, William Dunch, was an Auditor of the Royal Mint. She was a child during the reign of Elizabeth I, and grew up in the shadow of the plague, which had killed one-quarter to one-third of London’s population only twenty years before her birth and made appearances again in 1581 and 1592.

[Memorial to Lady…

Williamsburg Bridge

Sarah

[Waterfront basketball], 1951, PARK_0050; Brooklyn Daily Eagle Photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. 
The Williamsburg Bridge was completed in 1903, making it the second of three bridges to connect Brooklyn to our neighbors in Manhattan. Make no mistake, this middle sister is no Jan Brady. At completion, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and quickly became a vital artery for movement between the boroughs. The bridge was one of the last to be designed to accommodate horse and carriage traffic and…