New York City

Tango Mania: From Brothel to Concert Hall

September 19, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp Leave a Comment

On September 11th, 2021, the traditional Last Night of the (BBC) Proms took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Away from the usual and rather bizarre jingoism, this performance was memorable for the “revolutionary” introduction of an accordion on stage.

Latvian virtuosa Ksenija Sidorova was the first accordion soloist ever to be invited to play on such an occasion. Her interpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s 1974 composition “Libertango” brought a packed house to its feet. [Read more…] about Tango Mania: From Brothel to Concert Hall

9-11 Heroism The Subject of Historians Podcast

September 10, 2021 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

This week on The Historians Podcast, New York City correspondent Jim Kaplan with the story of Richard Rescorla, the English born security director of Morgan Stanley. Rescorla died while saving the lives of thousands of Morgan Stanley employees at the World Trade Center when the twin towers in lower Manhattan were attacked by two passenger planes piloted by Islamic terrorists on September 11th, 2001. [Read more…] about 9-11 Heroism The Subject of Historians Podcast

Rise and Fall of Benjamin Franklin’s Glass Armonica

September 7, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp 2 Comments

In 1719, Étienne [Stephen] De Lancey built his house on a site at 54 Pearl Street on the corner of Broad Street which had been given to him by his father-in-law Stephanus van Cortlandt, New York’s Mayor. The small yellow bricks used in its construction were imported from the Dutch Republic.

In 1762, his heirs sold the property to Samuel Fraunces who converted the home into a tavern, first named the Queen’s Head and later known as Fraunces Tavern. [Read more…] about Rise and Fall of Benjamin Franklin’s Glass Armonica

Richard Rescorla: The Man Who Saved 2700 Co-workers On 9/11

September 1, 2021 by James S. Kaplan 3 Comments

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attack on New York City’s World Trade Center, it is perhaps appropriate to remember that while this was undoubtedly one of the most horrific events in New York City’s history, it was in certain respects one of the most heroic.

In the 103 minutes that the World Trade Center stood after the first plane was flown into them, about 2,900 people died. At the same time, more than 12,000 people escaped from the towers, an amazing feat in which there were many heroes. Richard Rescorla, the English born security director of Morgan Stanley, is credited with saving the lives of more than 2,700 people. [Read more…] about Richard Rescorla: The Man Who Saved 2700 Co-workers On 9/11

Carnage at Carnegie Hall

August 23, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp 1 Comment

On October 4th 1923 a concert took place in Paris at which there were performances of Airplane sonata (1921), Sonata sauvage (1922/3), and Mechanisms (1923).

The composer was a young man from Trenton, New Jersey. Among his supporters were Erik Satie, Darius Milhaud, and James Joyce. The recital broke up in a riot. To modernists in the audience such disturbances justified their artistic experimentation. [Read more…] about Carnage at Carnegie Hall

St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate

August 18, 2021 by Bill Orzell Leave a Comment

The Margaret Reaney Memorial Library is a fixture in the Erie Canal-side community of St. Johnsville, Montgomery County, NY. The Library contains a museum which features a wide array of art in a very fine collection.

An outdoor sculpture display in the north garden is listed in the Library’s catalog as “Nude Female and Lion” by Roland Hinton Perry. The bronze was cast in 1898 by Jno. Williams, Inc. foundry which was located on West 26th Street in Manhattan. [Read more…] about St. Johnsville’s Lion in Love Sculpture: A Piece of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Upstate

The Billion Oyster Project Is Working To Restore NY’s Oyster Reefs

August 9, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives.

Why oysters? Their reefs provide habitat for many marine species, have the ability to filter water, protect water quality, and help shield New York City shorelines from storm damage. [Read more…] about The Billion Oyster Project Is Working To Restore NY’s Oyster Reefs

Childhood Memories: Pulcinella & The Tradition of Dissent

August 3, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp 1 Comment

During carnival festivities in Madrid in February 2017, puppeteers Alfonso Lázaro de la Fuente and Raúl García Pérez gave a performance of La bruja y Don Cristóbal (The Witch and Don Cristóbal). The leading character is Spain’s counterpart to Mr Punch. With the show in full flow, police moved in. The puppeteers were charged with inciting violence as the witch carried a banner referring to a fictional terrorist organization.

In the United States, Punch & Judy shows reached a height of popularity during the latter decennia of the nineteenth century. This was a time of mass immigration and growing prosperity. The era was thirsting for entertainment. Aware of underlying social tensions, political authorities were keen to restrain the fun. [Read more…] about Childhood Memories: Pulcinella & The Tradition of Dissent

Shoemaking to Sewing Machines: One Central NY Cobbler’s Path to Prosperity

July 26, 2021 by Roy Crego 4 Comments

Shoemaking was a common trade for centuries, but quickly became a casualty of the industrial revolution in the 19th century. The development of the sewing machine in the 1840s, by Elias Howe, Isaac Singer (from Pittstown, Rensselaer County, NY) and others revolutionized the textile industry.

Machines that could stitch leather for shoes soon also appeared and events like the Civil War spurred the technology on. The U.S. Army ordered thousands of machine-made boots for its soldiers. During this time, Russel Crego (1820-1892) was one New York shoemaker who made a very successful leap from making shoes by hand to selling sewing machines, not only to factories but to the home market. [Read more…] about Shoemaking to Sewing Machines: One Central NY Cobbler’s Path to Prosperity

NYC Plans to Demolish Historic Hart Island Buildings

July 20, 2021 by John Warren 1 Comment

The city of New York plans to tear down most of the historic buildings on Hart Island, where more than one million people are buried in unmarked graves. The city declared an emergency, which bypasses cultural resource and environmental reviews.

New York State designated the entire island off the coast of the Bronx eligible for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2016. About 20 institutional and residential structures remain at the mile-long site, including a women’s insane asylum built in 1885 known as “The Pavilion,” a 1912 electrical generating dynamo building, and a 1930s Catholic chapel – 18 are planned to be demolished. [Read more…] about NYC Plans to Demolish Historic Hart Island Buildings