New-York Historical Society

Introducing New-York Hysterical! Enjoy an early-bird hour of #comedy with acclaimed NYC stand-ups every Friday in September during our pay-as-you-wish hours. Host Tom Delgado—a comedian, actor, tour guide, and certified New York City history nerd—leads a night of laughs at the Museum with a Gotham spin. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/476Nbv4

New York is full of unsung heroes. Hats off to all the hard-working people, past and present, of New York and beyond. We hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy some much-deserved rest today on #LaborDay. Note: The Museum is closed on Mondays. 📷 ⁣1) Irving Browning, Construction worker building 500 Fifth Avenue, ca. 1929-1938. 2) William Hassler, Porter of the UEL&PC store, 1916.⁣ 3) Orrin Sage Wightman, Nursing student on Blackwell’s Island, 1916. ⁣4) Eugene Gordon, Chinatown ginseng store, 1988. 5) William Hassler, ca. 1911, Men working in the W. 129th Street sewer, ca. 1911.⁣ 6) Claire Yaffa, New York Foundling Hospital Photograph Collection. ⁣7) Unidentified photographer, NYC Department of Finance, ca. 1950s.

The statue atop Bethesda Fountain was designed by Emma Stebbins, who is believed to have sculpted the angel after her longtime partner, Charlotte Cushman. Stebbins, born #OnThisDay into a wealthy and well-connected New York family, created the Angel in her studio in Rome. She had gone to Italy in 1857 to study sculpture and live in a community of like-minded, independent women artists. Among them was the famous 19th-century actor Charlotte Cushman, acclaimed for her facility in playing male roles, including Romeo and Hamlet. Read our interview with Stebbins biographer Maria Teresa Cometto here: https://bit.ly/4g5hfuW 📷 1) Charlotte Cushman (seated) with sculptor Emma Stebbins. Harvard Theatre Collection 2) Herman A. Blumenthal, Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City, ca. 1905-1909.

Their job is just beach. 🏖️ Happy #NationalBeachDay from New Yorkers of the past—as seen in these photos from our Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. Note: The Museum is open this weekend, but closed on Monday, September 2, 2024. 📷 1) Irving Browning, Coney Island, c. 1920-1938. 2) George E. Stonebridge, Orchard Beach, 1907. 3) William D. Hassler, Manhattan Beach, 1917. 4) William D. Hassler, Brighton Beach, c. 1912. 5) George E. Stonebridge, Boats on the Sound, Orchard Beach, 1912. 6) William D. Hassler, High angle view of Manhattan Beach, ca. 1917. 7) George P. Hall & Son, Brooklyn: Balmer's Beach and Bathing Pavilion, 1911. 8) George P. Hall & Son, Brighton Beach Hotel and boardwalk, ca 1876-1914.

"We rarely get a glimpse into the practical garments of past generations." Our upcoming exhibition "Real Clothes, Real Lives" explores an archival collection from Smith College, offering a fascinating narrative on the evolution of women’s labor, economics, and social roles. https://bit.ly/3AGUa1o 📷 L-R: Motor Corps of the National League for Women’s Service, Ambulance Corps Uniform, c. 1917 and Smith College Relief Unit Uniform and Hat, c. 1917.

🐾 Happy #InternationalDogDay to all the good puppers out there! Explore more pets of the past in our upcoming exhibition "Pets and the City"—opening on Oct. 25, 2024. Mark your calendars! https://bit.ly/3yXnPmH

💥 🥊 This work packs a punch! Throughout his career #GeorgeBellows was drawn to the gripping spectacle of boxing. "Counted Out" captures the drama of the match as the crowd awaits a decision. The carefully constructed composition places the viewer in the ring and draws the eye upward through the arc of the referee’s arm to the face of the presumed victor. See more in "From Paul Revere to Edward Hopper: Treasures from the Leonard L. Milberg Collection of American Prints, Drawings, and Watercolors"—on view through October 27, 2024. https://bit.ly/3XMl29R 📷 George Bellows, Counted Out (first version), 1921, Lithograph. Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg

💅 Self care? Nailed it. Who invented the modern #manicure? And where did it start? Mary E. Cobb developed the American manicure salon in 1878, working with her podiatrist husband Dr. Joseph Parker Pray right here in New York City. She opened her first parlor in 1878 adjoining his practice at 69 West 23rd Street in New York City.⁣ After she divorced Pray on the grounds of persistent cruelty, she sold her own mail-order line of cosmetics and nail products, and trained women in the art of manicure so they could join the growing beauty industry. Cobb operated fashionable Manhattan parlors and outposts in Chicago and London. She sold Bran-u Nail Powder polish, Pan-za hand cream, Manicure Eko soap, and Cherri-lip—a blush tint for nails, lips, and cheeks. ⁣ ⁣ ✨ Last Chance: Visit "Women’s Work" before the show closes this Sunday, August 25, 2024. https://bit.ly/3DLkndA ⁣ 📷 1) Mrs. J. Parker Pray, 1875. 2) Mary E. Cobb, Jar, 1884-1920; Gift of Bella C. Landauer. 3-4) Mary E. Cobb, How to be Your Own Manicure, 1884, Hagley Museum and Library

#OnThisDay in 1901 The Willis Avenue Bridge, spanning the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx, opens for traffic. The bridge was meant to relieve congestion on the Third Avenue Bridge to the north, which opened in 1898. It cost 2.4 million to build (more than 73 million in today's dollar).⁣ The opening celebration included officials and crowds gathering on the bridge for the ceremony, young girls in patriotic garb marching in a parade, and even the firing of a cannon. ⁣ 📷 George E. Stonebridge Photograph Collection

"The idea of animal companionship has evolved in step with the development of the city itself." Learn more about the history of New Yorkers and their pets in our upcoming exhibition "Pets and the City" in the latest from artnet. https://bit.ly/4dnfGqe