Category: Culture

  • Marion Anderson

    Marion Anderson

    In 1947, Marian Anderson and the conductor, composer, and pianist Leonard Bernstein (1918– 1990) performed for nearly 20,000 spectators at the City University of New York’s Lewisohn Stadium. The photographer Ruth Orkin, who had demonstrated an interest in capturing musicians at work, took multiple photographs of Anderson and Bernstein as they prepared for the concert.…

  • 1932

    1932

    1932 was an amazing year in Harlem: Arthur Schomburg was appointed curator of the ‘Negro Division’ of NYPL at the 135th Street Branch (managing the priceless material he donated to NYPL that documented the life and achievements of the Black diaspora The renowned sculptor Agusta Savage opened The Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts (you…

  • Mount Morris Park 1848

    Mount Morris Park 1848

    A fascinating map of Mount Morris Park from 1848 is up for sale for $3,400: https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/61038/mount-morris-park-central-harlem-map-of-property-belong-nicholson This map shows land owned by Samson Adolphus Benson, which extends north of Harlem creek, and south of Kingsbridge Road (all of the detailed blocks on the map are part of this Benson portfolio. In addition to showing the…

  • Election Dates Published

    Election Dates Published

    The voting dates are out!  The New York Primary election date is June 27.  Early Voting starts June 17 and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is June 12.   Remember to ask your neighbors when you see them and chat, if they’re going to come out to vote, and make a plan to coordinate. Talk to them about…

  • Juneteenth March/Run/Walk/Roll

    Juneteenth March/Run/Walk/Roll

    JuneteenthMarch.org Engineering the Next Generation: Students Wanted Sector Charlie – Build the Block Residents & Business Owners of Sector Charlie! Join Neighborhood Coordination Officers Lau & Hackeling for their Build the Block on Mar. 16 at 5pm, @ 85 East 125 Street. Not sure this is your sector? Visit http://ow.ly/iUc250MZFC2 & type in your address…

  • August Robles

    August Robles

    This photo of East Harlem caught my eye with the Botanic sign and the police carrying Tommy guns: Note that the officers also have gas masks: And bullet proof vests that look more like aprons when compared to the ones we see on the police these days: Lastly, there appears to be a laughing priest…

  • Remains

    Remains

    Three decades after legislation pushed for the return of Native American remains to Indigenous communities, many of the nation’s top museums and universities still have the remains of thousands of people in their collections. ProPublica has a fascinating project to map any remains of indigenous first peoples. It’s amazing to see the numbers: And the map…

  • The Harlem Riots As Seen Through Nazi Eyes

    The Harlem Riots As Seen Through Nazi Eyes

    Ebay has/had and interesting photo of La Guardia and two police officials taken by a Life photographer in December 1943 up for sale in Europe. The photo is not particularly flattering for La Guardia, who is seen as significantly shorter than the two police officials who virtually crowd him as he leans against and wraps…

  • Zoe Anderson Norris

    Zoe Anderson Norris

    Recently a New York historian – Eve Kahn – reached out to residents on East 126th Street regarding a former resident from the block – the reformer/publisher/writer Zoe Anderson Norris (1860-1914). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe_Anderson_Norris https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/news/forgotten-gilded-age-author-zoe-anderson-norris-be-celebrated Zoe Anderson Norris lived at 57 East 126th Street around the turn of the 20th century.  In addition, as an author, Zoe…

  • Under The Tracks

    Under The Tracks

    (from Uptown Grand Central’s newsletter) “The overhead lights in the back of a public plaza in East Harlem, mounted on a rusty viaduct that supports the Metro-North Railroad, were not working. And Carey King was panicking. Ms. King, who runs the plaza as the director of Uptown Grand Central, a nonprofit group formed by local…

  • New Majority NYC Endorses Inez Dickens to Represent Harlem in City Council

    New Majority NYC Endorses Inez Dickens to Represent Harlem in City Council

    City and State has an article on New Majority NYC formerly known as 21 in ‘21, a women-in-elected office advocacy group that played a key role in bolstering the number of women represented in the City Council. Since its founding in 2017 the group has surpassed its initial goal two years ago when voters elected 31 women…

  • National Geographic Travel Guide to Harlem

    National Geographic Travel Guide to Harlem

    National Geographic UK has a (mostly) culinary guide to Harlem which does highlight many of the places to see in our community: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2022/09/why-harlem-is-new-yorks-most-culturally-rich-neighbourhood [Note the prices in British pounds at the end.] One quibble is that the definition of Harlem is given as: Harlem, a 45-block stretch from Central Park to 155th Street — clipped…