New-York Historical Society

Did you know that the first #Paris Olympics were also the first #Olympics where women were allowed to compete? In the 1900 Paris games, women could participate—but out of 997 athletes only 22 were women! And they could only compete in sports that were deemed “feminine.” Women’s participation increased slowly over the years. Decades later, in the 1924 Olympics (also held in Paris), you can see that the Olympics were still mostly a celebration of male athletes. Click through to see materials from the 1924 Olympics in our Patricia D. Klingenstein Library collections. Taking matters into her own hands, French athlete and sports advocate Alice Miliat (1884-1957) organized a game for female athletes. The Women's World Games (which welcomed 77 athletes from 5 countries to Paris in 1922) ultimately pressured the Olympics Committee to include women in more events in the official games. In this year’s summer Olympics women will be equally represented for the first time!

The one and only Edward Hopper 🤩 Hopper was born #OnThisDay in1882 in Nyack, New York. The artist is best known for his enigmatic scenes evoking loneliness. This is a preparatory drawing for one of Hopper’s most famous etchings showing a couple traveling on an elevated train at night. The couple seem deep in conversion, but the woman appears distracted as she gazes out the window—an attitude that adds to the sense of psychological tension. See this work and more on view in "From Paul Revere to Edward Hopper: Treasures from the Leonard L. Milberg Collection"—on view through October 27, 2024. https://bit.ly/3XMl29R 🎨 1) Edward Hopper, Night on the El Train, 1918, Charcoal on paper. Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg. © 2024 Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. 2) Installation view.

🌱 Before Central Park was the area you enjoy today it was a community of African American property owners known as Seneca Village. ⁣ ⁣ Seneca Village existed from 1825 through 1857 between 82nd and 89th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues. By the 1840s, it had become a multi-ethnic community of African Americans, Irish and German immigrants, and perhaps a few Native Americans. In 1855, the New York State Census reported approximately 264 people living in the village. There were three churches, as well as a school and several cemeteries. ⁣ ⁣ Lower Manhattan, where most New Yorkers lived, had become overcrowded and unsanitary. Many affluent and civic-minded citizens were concerned that commerce and industry were taking over. They were also displeased that communities of poor immigrants were changing the character of downtown. As a result, they proposed that a large park be built. #OnThisDay in 1853, the city government authorized taking the land to lay grounds for a public park. All village residents were forced to vacate beginning in 1856. Learn more about the lost spaces and places in our special exhibition "Lost New York"—on view now. https://bit.ly/4aBuX5B ⁣ 📷 Map of the area later bounded by 81st and 86th Streets, Central Park at the proposed 6th Avenue, and Columbus Avenue, Manhattan, ca. 1836, Pen and ink, watercolor, pencil on paper.

Join us for an evening of conversation and music to celebrate the legacy of legendary musician Alice Coltrane. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3y8Pf8A

The New York World’s Fair opened in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens in 1939. Around five million visitors got a chance to behold a towering sculpture by Augusta Savage. ⁣What is the tragic story behind the work? ⁣ See more lost—but not forgotten—sights that once defined New York City. Learn more in our special exhibition “Lost New York.” https://bit.ly/4aBuX5B

“I wanted to envision the Dutch colonial era from a different timeline, starting with a Lenape perspective," said artist-in-residence Beatrice Glow. Learn more about the special exhibition "When Our Rivers Meet." https://bit.ly/4cRwa9R

⭐ Mary Cassatt was the *only* American to exhibit with the Impressionists. Cassatt first displayed prints with the group in 1880. "The Banjo Lesson" (1894) showcases Cassatt’s continued interest in printmaking. She was often inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and admired the ethereal quality of delicate dry point lines. This work relates to a panel of her now-lost mural for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The mural's theme was “Modern Woman” and featured a banjo-strumming woman as an allegory of music. (Banjo playing became quite popular at the time among middle- and upper-class women.) See this stunning etching alongside another print by Cassatt, "The Bath" (1891), in the special exhibition "From Paul Revere to Edward Hopper: Treasures from the Leonard L. Milberg Collection." https://bit.ly/3XMl29R 🎨 1-2) Mary Cassatt, The Banjo Lesson, 1894. Multiplate color drypoint and soft ground etching. Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg. 3-5) Installation views of Cassatt's prints.

🎤 We've got jokes! 😆 Join us this Friday night for a roster of acclaimed stand-ups. Host Tom Delgado—a comedian, actor, writer, and tour guide—leads a night of laughs with a NYC spin featuring Leclerc Andre (The Tonight Show and Conan); Katie Hannigan (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert); and Todd Barry (Comedy Central). Stop by our New-York Historical Summer! series for a cocktail and jazz before you settle in for some stand-up. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Y09yjl

The Civil War Draft Riots began #OnThisDay 161 years ago. It was the largest civil disturbance in U.S. history—and it took place in New York City. A mob of more than 50,000 people voiced their opposition to the Civil War Draft in a violent outburst that took place over the course of four days and targeted African American residents. Rich men could buy their way out of the draft for $300 (about a year’s salary), leaving mostly working class men—many Irish immigrants—to shoulder the burden. They wreaked havoc across the city and targeted Black civilians. (African Americans were exempt from the draft, as they were not yet considered citizens.) When this draft wheel was donated to the New-York Historical Society at the end of the Civil War in 1865 it still contained more than 3,600 unread draft cards—some of which you can see on display in the Museum's 4th floor. The mob also zeroed in on the Colored Orphan Asylum on 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue. Thankfully, the 250 orphans who lived inside were evacuated, but the orphanage was never rebuilt in the same location. Before the crowd torched the orphanage to the ground, one young girl was able to save this family Bible from the dining room and it's on display in our Objects Tell Stories gallery.

Last chance! Explore our special installation commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam. On view is the Castello Plan, a map depicting New Amsterdam at the peak of its settlement circa 1660, just before the English took control. Through documents and objects, the installation explores how settlers, Indigenous people, and enslaved Africans experienced the world illustrated in the Castello Plan. "New York Before New York: The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam" closes this Sunday, July 14, 2024. Learn more: https://bit.ly/43fYq27