Blog posts by Deborah

Black Masons in Brooklyn: an Indomitable Brotherhood

Deborah,

New temple dedicated--Past Deputy Grand Master Jacob Lawrence, Grand Master Daniel Mason, and Deputy Grand Master Charles L. Weaver, left to right [all African Americans,] share the gavel at dedication of Universal Grand Lodge's new temple at 442 Willoughby Ave. A cornerstone-laying ceremony has been planned for later in the year. 1954. CLUB_0110. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs
I became interested in the subject of Freemasonry after happening upon several pictures of African American Masons in our Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs.   I have…

These Homes are for the Birds

Deborah,

Ten boys pose with birdhouses of their own construction, 1916. EAGL_0237. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
In spring of 1916 the Brooklyn Daily Eagle posted a challenge to the children of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties: make a birdhouse for the birds of Long Island.
Consuelo Gestal sends first entry blank, Junior Eagle-Daily Edition banner. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6, 1916, p. 5.
The invite appeared in the Junior Eagle - in a section dedicated to…

Brooklyn Goes Daffy - It's Spring!

Deborah,

View of many flowering daffodil plants in Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1935. GRDN_0093.  Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History​ 
Spring has officially sprung, on March 20th to be exact, and with it come the bright faces of flowers. I am always on the lookout for blooms in the late days of winter, but for me the daffodils mark the true turn of the season. This photo of the week, taken in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1935, makes the flowers look like they are glowing. If you think the flowers are…

POTW: A Decade in the Life of a Brooklyn Photographer: the Laura Fitzpatrick Collection

Deborah,

Elizabeth and Laura Fitzpatrick, 1943. FITZ_0186, Laura Fitzpatrick photograph collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Today’s Photo of the Week comes from the collection of Laura Fitzpatrick, who began taking pictures at age 11 of her friends, family and neighbors in Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, during the years 1938-1948. Our photo depicts Laura and her mother Elizabeth standing on a Brooklyn street, elegantly dressed and coiffed. Behind them we see a line of storefronts and a man breezing by in a wide cap. In…

Sliding into the New Year

Deborah,

[Families sledding on a snowy hill in Prospect Park]  1978, V1990.2.183, Donald L. Nowlan Brooklyn collection, 1990.2, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
This From the Vault post was originally written by Tess Colwell and published on February 18, 2015 by the Brooklyn Historical Society. To see the latest Photo of the Week entries, visit the Brooklynology blog home, or subscribe to our Center for Brooklyn History newsletter. This POTW was originally posted late in a snowy winter. We have yet to see…

Cutting a Rug: Evidence(s) of Social Dance in Brooklyn

Deborah,

Juke box jive--Happy-faced teenagers at Colony House [located at 297 Dean Street] applaud two slick-footed regulars [dancing], 1944. SWEL_0695. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History   
Roll up the rug – what you do at the start of a house party  Cut a rug – what happens when you neglected to roll it up first  I’ve been a social dancer most of my life, and the form closest to my heart is Lindy hop. I was interested to see what I could find in the archive that documented…

POTW: No Bones About It – They Are Getting the Skinny on This Exam Subject

Deborah,

Young students, oldest school--[eight] prospective R.N.'s are receiving instructions from Anna Dennis, R.N., director of nursing at the Prospect Heights Hospital … 1946. HOSP_0566. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
In honor of the scary season, today's photo of the week features our popular Halloween friend. Here in Brooklyn Heights within the last few weeks we’ve seen skeletons clambering up or down the sides of buildings, leaning chattily over a table in quiet conversation, or…

POTW: Eugene L. Armbruster photographs and scrapbooks, 1900-1939

Deborah,

[Portrait of man posing on a boardwalk in Coney Island], 1898, v1974.022.4.068, Eugene L. Armbruster photographs and scrapbooks, ARC.199; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
This From the Vault post was originally written by Tess Colwell and published on September 13, 2017 by the Brooklyn Historical Society. To see the latest Photo of the Week entries, visit the Brooklynology blog home, or subscribe to our Center for Brooklyn History newsletter. In the dog days of summer, it seems fitting to call out a collection…

One-Woman Coney Express

Deborah,

Ponyback protest--Post office economy moves notwithstanding. The Oceantide Civic Association of Coney Island undertook to show that the mails must go through, 1950. WORK_0770. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. 
Today’s Photo of the Week features a photogenic protest against the curtailment of postal service. The previous year the Post Office ran a deficit of $550, 000. On April 18, 1950 the Postmaster General, Jesse M. Donaldson, acting on advice of the House Appropriations Committee, cut…

Fighting Metal: Keys to Victory

Deborah,

Librarian Charlotte Villanyi wearing jewelry made from castoff keys collected by the Brooklyn Public Library in nationwide campaign sponsored by the Paper and Twine Club. CBPL_0722, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History. 
When I first saw today’s POTW, I thought - Best jewelry ever, but what is the story here?  The photo’s caption covers the bare essentials, but left me opportunities to dig for more.  Miss Charlotte Villanyi [standing in front of several book shelves] tries out…

POTW: What’s Better Than a Bake Sale?

Deborah,

St. Thomas Aquinas : moving pictures. [Projection booth for outdoor movies] 1913. CHUR_1201, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
This gangly construction was the brainchild of Rev. Dr. James Donohoe of St. Thomas Aquinas Church at 9th Street and 4th Avenue who, desiring to fund the construction of a new school to serve his parish, struck on the idea of offering outdoor picture shows on the planned school site. The setup was carefully considered, with a solid projection building, metal screen, electric…

Built for Brooklyn History: A Place With Many Names

Deborah,

[Long Island Historical Society, Pierrepont Street and Clinton Street], 1961, by Ellis Herwig, V1974.031.30; Long Island Historical Society photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
This From the Vault post was originally written by Tess Colwell and published on July 26, 2017 by the Brooklyn Historical Society. To see the latest Photo of the Week entries, visit the Brooklynology blog home, or subscribe to the Center for Brooklyn History newsletter. Visitors to the Center for Brooklyn History on Pierrepont Street sometimes…

POTW: Encounter with Kismet on a Ride Through Bed-Stuy

Deborah

Architectural rendering of Kismet [Shriners] Temple located at 62 Herkimer Street, Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1909. Caption on front: R. Thomas Short, Architect, lower right. CLUB_0509. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History 
Cycling recently through Bed-Stuy I was startled to see two huge onion domes, one with a sag to its finial, rising above neighboring rooflines and I stopped to take some pictures of a remarkable building. A banner on the front indicated it is the Friendship…

POTW: Bring Your Photo ID: Filling Gaps in the Archive

Deborah,

Flatbush Avenue with a view of Erasmus Hall High School and Astor Theater. 1972-1977. NEIG_0858. Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History 
Everyone loves a mystery, and we have no lack of them here in the archive. Some are in the form of unidentified photographs waiting for eagle-eyed staff or other longtime Brooklynites to recognize their true identities and bring them out of the darkness. Today’s Photo of the Week flashed into view as I was browsing our collection, a picture identified only as…

The Art of Healing: Works from the Veterans Creative Arts Program collection

Deborah,

Courage of a soldier by Mavis John. 2014. VETS_379. New York Harbor Hospital Creative Arts Program Collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History 
New York City is host to art programs for diverse populations offered in a range of venues: museums, schools, libraries, cultural institutions and hospitals. It is rare to get a glimpse of artworks made by veterans of military service. From 2008-2017 the Veterans Creative Arts Program, hosted at the Veterans Affairs (VA) New York Harbor Hospital, Brooklyn Campus, offered…

Faces of a Family in 19th Century New York: the Ramus Collection

Deborah,

Isaac and Esther Ramus around 1855. bhs_v1978.174.38. Ramus family papers and photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
The first set of photographs originating from the former Brooklyn Historical Society to be featured  in the Center for Brooklyn History digital portal is the Ramus family collection.   It is a tantalizing set of images rich in examples of fashionable dress between 1848 and 1910 and a variety of photographic techniques including daguerreotypes, tintypes,…

POTW: Housing Starts: The Riverside Buildings and the Push for Affordable Housing in Brooklyn

Deborah,

Solution of the tenement problem: Riverside Building, the Quadrangle, 1892. WILC_0320, Julius Wilcox photograph collection, Center for Brooklyn History.
In the late 19th century housing conditions for the poor in Brooklyn were crowded, unsafe, poorly ventilated, and lacked amenities. Today's Photo of the Week shows one of the first efforts in our borough to create affordable and pleasant housing for those who struggled to pay the rent.   The cyanotype above…

POTW: Process of EL-imination: the last days of the Fulton Street elevated

Deborah,

Requiescat in pace--No tears were shed for the passing of the Fulton St. L today, but Masur, the florist on lower Fulton St., rushed out with a wreath to hang on the elevated pillar in front of his shop [with sign, "Funeral services May 31, 1940 of the dirty elevated, undertaker, Mr. Storekeeper of Fulton St."] as a final touching tribute. TRAN_0262, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Center for Brooklyn History
In search of something wholly unrelated, I fell upon the mischievous photograph above from the Eagle commemorating the final run of the…

POTW: Mesopotamia in Brownsville

Deborah

Loew's Pitkin Theater, 1958. NEIG_0227, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Center for Brooklyn History
Today’s Photo of the Week features a busy corner in Brownsville, 1501 Pitkin Avenue, where the stately Loew’s Pitkin Theater took up the entirety of the block between Legion Street and Saratoga Avenue. I was drawn to the building by this snapshot showing the random composition and distinctive pinked edges of mid-century candid photography, with the huge structure looming over a…

POTW: The Brief Life of a Fanciful Building

Deborah

Fulton Ferry House, [190-?] TRAN_0364, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Center for Brooklyn History
Our photo of the week features the Fulton Ferry House that once stood where Old Fulton Street met the water’s edge in Brooklyn Heights, one in a series of ferry buildings on that site. One of the handsomest depictions of this building is paired in the Eagle photographs with an earlier Brooklyn ferry house, built sometime before 1746. The early view is adapted from an engraving in Stiles’ … history … of Brooklyn, N. Y. from 1683 to 1884. Stiles is…