Greenwich Village

The Revolution’s First Bloodshed, New York’s Liberty Poles & The Battle of Golden Hill

July 21, 2023 by Johanna Porr Yaun 2 Comments

After the end of the French and Indian War, there was tension over King George III and Parliament’s plan to tax the Colonies to pay off the war debt. John Wilkes, editor of The North Briton newspaper and a member of Parliament, opposed the King in his publications.

Wilkes’ most critical editorial was printed in 1763 in Issue # 45, a number highlighted to evoke memories of the Jacobite Uprising of 1745, commonly referred to as “The 45 Rebellion” or simply “45” in political culture. The King was personally offended and issued a warrant for Wilkes’ arrest. [Read more…] about The Revolution’s First Bloodshed, New York’s Liberty Poles & The Battle of Golden Hill

Greenwich Village’s Free and Independent Republic & John Sloan at Jefferson Market’s Night Court

July 10, 2023 by Jaap Harskamp Leave a Comment

Painters such as James McNeill Whistler and Childe Hassam exported the streetscape from Paris to America by creating various impressionistic vistas or bird’s-eye city views. As society became increasingly urbanized, art took a less genteel direction. Members of New York Ashcan movement urged painters to drop orthodoxy and depict the bustling streets of the city.

Although not an “organized” school of painting, the unity of the group consisted in a desire to grasp urban realities. The name ashcan (dustbin) was initially hurled against these artists as a term of derision – it became a banner of distinction.

As committed urbanists, these painters were both observers and participants. John French Sloan, Robert Henri and friends created a dynamic record of metropolitan street culture. Although attacked by their opponents as being “devotees of the ugly,” these artists looked for aesthetic vitality in ordinary life. [Read more…] about Greenwich Village’s Free and Independent Republic & John Sloan at Jefferson Market’s Night Court

Stonewall LGBTQ National Monument Vandalized

June 14, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Three men vandalized the Stonewall National Monument on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village over the weekend. According to surveillance video released by the New York Police Department (NYPD), the men were passing by the monument around 3 am on June 10th. [Read more…] about Stonewall LGBTQ National Monument Vandalized

Justus Schwab & East Village Radicalism

April 9, 2023 by Jaap Harskamp 3 Comments

Today, the city of Frankfurt-am-Main is the largest financial hub in Continental Europe, home to the European Central Bank (ECB), the Deutsche Bundesbank and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The same city was at one time the epicenter of a liberal uprising that swept the German states. The Frankfurt Parliament was convened in May 1848; its members were elected by direct (male) suffrage, representing the full political spectrum. In the end, the revolution of 1848 failed and was suppressed with excessive force and retribution. [Read more…] about Justus Schwab & East Village Radicalism

Andy Warhol Exhibition Opens In NYC May 10th

March 28, 2023 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

The Brant Foundation has announced “Thirty Are Better Than One,” an exhibition of over 100 artworks by Andy Warhol, at its East Village location in New York City. On view from May 10th through July 31st, 2023, the survey spans the entirety of Warhol’s career, from his early drawings and intimate Polaroids to instantly recognizable silkscreens and sculptures. [Read more…] about Andy Warhol Exhibition Opens In NYC May 10th

Ben Brotherson’s Bank Scheme

February 1, 2023 by Dave Waite Leave a Comment

Around 1800, Philip and Catharine Brotherson arrived in Blue Corners on the western edge of Charlton in Saratoga County. Over the next 40 years, their five children grew to maturity, the last being Benjamin Kissam Brotherson, born in 1819.

At the age of sixteen, Benjamin was hired as a clerk for the dry goods merchant James Winne in Albany, New York. During his time in Albany, he was known as an upstanding young man of good moral character. Three years later, in 1838, he moved to the city of New York and took a job at Union Bank, where he would work for the next twenty years. [Read more…] about Ben Brotherson’s Bank Scheme

The Queen of Greenwich Village: Romany Marie Marchand

January 17, 2023 by Jaap Harskamp 6 Comments

The coffee habit was introduced into Western Europe in the mid-seventeenth century. The emergence of the London coffeehouse transformed various aspects of intellectual and commercial life. Lloyd’s insurance, the postal system and the auction house are some of the institutions that trace their origins back to the coffeehouse.

At a time that journalism was in its infancy, the coffeehouse provided a center of communication and news dissemination. It served as a forum of discussion, often becoming a hotbed of political strife and faction. Coffeehouse culture helped shape the public sphere of the Enlightenment. [Read more…] about The Queen of Greenwich Village: Romany Marie Marchand

NYC Preservationists, Officials Protest Demolition of Historic Landmarks

December 22, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Thursday, December 15th, the New York City Historic Districts Council (HDC) and their community partners were joined by elected officials and concerned members of the public for a press conference at City Hall, condemning City agencies for approving a raft of demolitions of landmarked buildings across New York City. [Read more…] about NYC Preservationists, Officials Protest Demolition of Historic Landmarks

Italian Heroes In New York: What Purpose Did Statues Serve?

December 14, 2022 by Jaap Harskamp 1 Comment

Nationalism of the nineteenth century represents very different values to those of our era. With the present rise of frenzied flag-waving and militant xenophobia, it is hard to understand the cult status achieved by foreign revolutionary figures such as Lafayette, who was honored as the “French Hero of the American Revolution.”

In 1878 a bust of Giuseppe Mazzini was unveiled in New York City‘s Central Park. A decade later, on the sixth anniversary of his death, Giuseppe Garibaldi was memorialized with a bronze statue in Washington Square Park. Why were these relatively unknown Italian insurgents given such a prestigious presence in New York? [Read more…] about Italian Heroes In New York: What Purpose Did Statues Serve?

Marsha P Johnson State Park Gateway Design Unveiled

December 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The preliminary design for a new gateway to Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Brooklyn was unveiled this summer. The park honors Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender woman of color who was a pioneer of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. [Read more…] about Marsha P Johnson State Park Gateway Design Unveiled