Peeling Off The Painted Layers of NYC Walls: Experiments With The Google...
As a web developer who works on a screen and an illustrator that works on paper, I have always admired those who could paint big—often on impossibly large and inconveniently placed walls—only to be...
View ArticleBustles, Bear Grease, & Burnt Brandy: 19th Century Self-Improvement...
Rapidly evolving developments in printing technology and paper manufacture during the 19th century were a democratizing process which lowered costs and made books of all kinds accessible to a wider...
View ArticleJohn Quinn's Art Collection
When few American collectors or museums were investing in the European avant garde, New York lawyer John Quinn (1870–1924) built an art collection primarily comprised of Modernist works. Through social...
View ArticleJuly is International Zine Month
It's International Zine Month (June 21 is Zine Library Day!) and they are everywhere... the Zine Pavillion at ALA in Vegas, Brooklyn Zine Fest recently drew 2,763 attendees, a 20,000 title zine...
View ArticleHow to Find Historical Photos of New York City
Sometimes, in order to track down a photo of a certain place in a certain era, you will need to know the name of a photographer that was known for his or her work in those circumstances. Berenice...
View ArticleUnited States v. "The Spirit of '76"
During World War I, the making of movies—even seemingly pro-American films—could be a dangerous proposition, given the wartime hysteria so prevalent on the U.S. home front. Case in point:Robert...
View ArticleMargot Adler 1946-2014
The Library, indeed the worlds of thought, conscience and letters have lost a good friend. Long a user of this Library, Margot Adler wrote some of her first book, Drawing Down the Moon: Witches,...
View ArticleNYPL Labs and Map Division host first library Net Artist Residency
NYPL Labs is pleased to announce the Library's first-ever Net Artist Residency, in partnership with local hardware startup Electric...
View ArticleFrom the Archives of the Century: The Century Foundation & NYC, Part II
My previous post detailed the Twentieth Century Fund’s relationship with New York City issues and its first task force on New York City’s economic troubles in the 1970s, the Task Force on Prospects and...
View ArticlePlay Strike! Exploring NYC Playgrounds Through Historical Newspapers
Ultimately, the strike only lasted several days, though it left a lasting impression with the local papers and the Parks & Playgrounds Association President, who seemed quite disappointed with the...
View ArticleIn the Absence of Sparrows: James Foley Remembered
Poet Daniel Johnson and Journalist James Foley formed a bond nearly 20 years ago when they taught together in the Teach For America program. Together they made a pact that they would be writers. Foley...
View ArticleMark My Words: Printers’ Marks in the Rare Book Division
As you can see, printers’ marks can contain beautiful and entertaining designs. They also offer us a window into the past—teaching us how people lived, what they made, and the principles they valued....
View ArticleTo the Left: The Nation Online Archive
On Thursday July 6, 1865, just three months after the end of the Civil War, the first issue of The Nation hit the newsstands. The Nation was founded by Anglo-Irish journalist E.L. Godkin and...
View ArticleNYPL Ask the Author: Tom Perrotta
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View ArticleNYPL Ask the Author: Joseph O'Neill and Hal Foster
When you're a reader, there's little better than a trusted book recommendation, and who is more trusted than a beloved author? That's why NYPL Ask The Author gets the skinny on author reading habits...
View ArticleDance Your Way Through Fall
Summer is almost formally over and our fall work is already in full swing. There are a plethora of events at the New York Public Library revolving around dance to take you through the end of the year,...
View ArticleA Digitized History of The New York Public Library
The full text of the History of the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations is available to download through the NYPL Catalog, or to view in the NYPL Digital Collections platform...
View Article400 Years of Banned Books
September 21 – 27 is Banned Books Week, when libraries and other members of the book community support the freedom to read and raise awareness of challenges to this freedom. Sadly, the banning of...
View ArticleSculpting White Wax: Fatherhood in the Middle Ages
Once, in the words of a late-thirteenth-century song,There lived a good man who had a little son whom he loved as his own life. This child caught a fever and died on the third day. The father, with...
View ArticleWhere in New York is Sesame Street?
More about the history of Sesame Street Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis.Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones."G" is for Growing: Thirty Years of Research on...
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