[Kiddie Carnival], 1994, 2010.019; West Indian Carnival Documentation Project records; Brooklyn Historical Society.Every year on Labor Day, the West Indian Carnival brings thousands of people to the streets of Brooklyn. Activities begin on the Thursday before Labor Day and conclude on Monday with the parade on Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Carnival evolved among the enslaved African population in Trinidad as a parallel to, and political send up of, the masquerade balls of French…
Girl Contestants, 1941, V1987.7.53; Drake Bakeries photographs, v1987.007; Brooklyn Historical Society.The photo of the week depicts children participating in a 1941 cake-eating event sponsored by Drake Bakeries at Luna Park in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn. Eight young women are shown with hands behind their backs, competing to try to eat an entire cake. The judges, singers Diane Courtney and Bradford Reynolds are pictured in the background. Drake Bakeries hosted a three-day “Kiddy Party” at Luna Park where a…
Cyclone No. 2, 2005, 2005, 2008.035.2; Ron Meisel photographs, 2008.035; Brooklyn Historical Society.It’s hard to believe that there are only a few more weeks to savor summer. This photograph by Ron Meisel reminds me to make the most of the long summer nights before fall approaches. Taken in 2005, the photo of the week depicts the Cyclone rollercoaster at dusk in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn.The Cyclone is an iconic Brooklyn landmark. It was built in 1927 by Harry C. Baker and Vernon Keenan. In the mid-19th…
[Shellens family portrait], circa 1912, V1988.468.61; Michael Shellens family collection, ARC,094; Brooklyn Historical Society.The photo of the week depicts the Shellens family around 1912 in front of their home in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. Michael Shellens (pictured back left) was born in Belgium in 1854 and moved to the United States at a young age. He became a ship’s cabin boy in his teen years and worked his way to captain, taking several voyages across the globe until his retirement in 1898. He later…
La Borinquena, 2004, 2009.004.8; James and Karla Murray Counter Culture exhibition photographs, 2009.004; Brooklyn Historical Society.The photo of the week depicts an exterior view of La Borinquena, a family-owned grocery store located in the South Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Known as Los Sures (Spanish for the Souths or Southside), the neighborhood’s Puerto Rican roots stretch back to the early half of the twentieth century, when Puerto Rican migrants began settling in the borough. A thriving center of Puerto…
[Charles (Karl) Blieffert photograph album], circa 1912, 2015.010.1; Charles (Karl) Blieffert photograph album; Brooklyn Historical Society.We hope you’re having a fun and relaxing summer so far! The photo of the week is from the Charles (Karl) Blieffert photograph album depicting summer social activities, including boating, fishing, and sunbathing, from 1908 to 1917 in the Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay, and Brighton Beach neighborhoods of Brooklyn. To see more pages from this album, check out this page.Charles (Karl)…
Lucille Fornasieri Gold, [Children playing at water fountain], circa 1975, V2008.013.37; Lucille Fornasieri Gold photographs, 2008.013; Brooklyn Historical Society.The photo of the week by Lucille Fornasieri Gold is one of my favorites from Brooklyn Historical Society’s photography collection. Taken around 1975, it depicts children playing in a water fountain by the Flatbush Avenue entrance to Prospect Park. The wall graffiti and loose garbage on the ground is a reminder of the fiscal crisis that gripped New York City in…
Marcia Bricker, Women with Ceiling, 1976, V1992.43.12; Marcia Bricker photograph collection, V1992.43; Brooklyn Historical Society.Documentary photographer, Marcia Bricker, has pursued a visual study of cafeterias since the 1970s, focusing on Dubrow’s cafeteria in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Dubrow’s was a family-owned chain of cafeteria-style, self-service restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the last of which closed in 1985. Brooklyn Historical Society photography collection includes 47 photographs taken by…
Sunset, Coney Island, 1966, V1988.12.92; Otto Dreshmeyer Brooklyn slides, V1988.12; Brooklyn Historical Society.All of us at BHS wish you a happy Fourth of July! With that in mind, we bring you some fireworks over Brooklyn. The photo of the week is a double-exposure depicting a Coney Island Sunset and fireworks. A double-exposure is a photographic method that involves opening the camera shutter twice to expose the film multiple times. This results with two separate images superimposed onto one image.This photograph comes…
[Spencer Memorial Church], circa 1930, V1973.5.396; Brooklyn photograph and illustration collection, ARC.202; Brooklyn Historical Society.Happy Pride! New York City is celebrating LGBTQ pride this month with parades, parties, and events throughout the city. This week, we bring you a Photo of the Week focused on a Brooklyn space with a historic connection to the LGBTQ community. Spencer Memorial Church, pictured here around the 1930s, is located at the corner of Clinton and Remsen streets in the Brooklyn Heights…
[Brooklyn soccer league team], circa 1991, V1989.2.8.1; Photography collection, V1989.2.8; Brooklyn Historical Society.This summer, soccer fans across the globe are celebrating the return of the 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia. In a major upset, the United States men’s national soccer team didn’t qualify this year, but Brooklynites are fortunate to have access to dozens of opportunities to watch the matches throughout the day, accompanied by all nationalities represented and the fervor of the world's adoration for…
[1953 Brooklyn Dodgers], 1953, V1987.19.4; Photography collection, V1987.19; Brooklyn Historical Society.It’s your last chance to catch the exhibition Until Everyone Has It Made: Jackie Robinson’s Legacy, on view at our main location at 128 Pierrepont, celebrating the legacy of Jackie Robinson and his role integrating baseball, as well as his lifelong commitment to racial equality. Robinson understood the crucial role he played in the integration of America’s national pastime, but he also knew the journey toward equality…
American Sugar Refining Company, circa 1890, V1973.5.840; Brooklyn photograph and illustration collection, ARC.202; Brooklyn Historical Society.Well before the iconic Domino Sugar sign that graced the skyline until 2014, this is what the Domino Sugar empire looked like along the Brooklyn waterfront. The history of the sign and company goes back to William Havemeyer, a German immigrant who arrived in the United States around 1799. With the help of his brother Frederick, he opened his own refinery in 1807 on Vandam Street…
Lucille Fornasieri Gold, [Women with four large dogs], circa 1975, archival inkjet prints, v2008.013.92; Brooklyn Historical Society.It’s no surprise that Brooklynites love their dogs! Brooklyn Historical Society’s photographic collections include hundreds of images depicting Brooklyn dogs from various time periods. You can view roughly 50 of these photographs published online. The summer is a great opportunity to appreciate the borough’s love of pups with over 30 dog-friendly parks and dedicated spaces, and many dog…
[View of boardwalk at Coney Island.], 1958, V1974.4.526; John D. Morrell photographs, ARC.005; Brooklyn Historical Society.The Coney Island boardwalk is fun for visitors all year long, but there’s nothing quite like Coney Island in the summer! Last week, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Brooklyn boardwalk a Scenic Landmark in recognition of its historic significance and as an effort to preserve the site for future generations. This weekend is the perfect time to celebrate Coney…
[Home of Consuelo de Passos], 1989, v1989.1.13.9; Brooklyn’s Hispanic Communities Documentation Project, ARC.120; Brooklyn Historical Society.The photo of the week by Tony Velez depicts Consuelo de Passos in her Brooklyn home with part of her collection of Mexican regional costumes in 1989. This photograph is part of the Hispanic Communities Documentation project, initiated by Brooklyn Historical Society in 1988 to document the experiences of Brooklyn residents who arrived from Puerto Rico, Panama, Ecuador, and several…
[Blossoms], circa 1977, v1990.2.219; Donald L. Nowlan Brooklyn collection, ARC.120; Brooklyn Historical Society.Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened on May 13, 1911, over a century ago. According to their website, the Original Native Flora Garden was the first display garden at BBG which showcased native plants. Springtime is my favorite time to visit when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. You can now keep track of the blossoms using the Cherrywatch feature on the BBG site. The photo of the week depicts the Cherry Esplanade in…
David and Avril at their home in Brooklyn, July 1960. David C. Hurd papers, 2015.019; Brooklyn Historical Society.One of the most exciting aspects of working with the rich collections at Brooklyn Historical Society is uncovering the lives and stories of past Brooklynites. The photographs and letters in the David C. Hurd papers, reveal a heartwarming courtship and love story between David and Avril Hurd, pictured here in July 1960.David C. Hurd was born in Jamaica and migrated to Brooklyn in 1907, living in various…
Students Tending Victory Garden, 1943, 2014.019.17.01.006; Packer Collegiate Institute records, 2014.019; Brooklyn Historical Society.One of the best parts of spring in Brooklyn is the reward of endless produce options from the farmers market or grocery store to your local CSA or community garden. According to NYC Parks, community gardens account for 100 acres of public open space in the city. The photo of the week depicts Packer Collegiate Institute students tending to their Victory Garden on campus during the spring of…
[63-71 Sands Street], circa 1940, v1974.16.0043; Edna Huntington papers and photographs, ARC.044; Brooklyn Historical Society.Brooklyn Historical Society has a legacy of notable collection staff who work hard providing research assistance and enhancing our rich collections. We just passed National Library Week and thought it would be a good opportunity to draw your attention to a former librarian who donated hundreds of photographs and personal papers to the BHS collection. The photo of the week by former Head Librarian…