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Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group discovering, preserving and sharing our history |
Past Events of 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 6:30pm, the Ballroom of the Hostelling International NY
The Architects of Bloomingdale: An illustrated presentation by Jim Mackin and Gil Tauber about the architects who shaped our neighborhood
Presentation of the First Annual Jim Torain Award to Peter Salwen for the work he has done to honor the history of the Upper West Side
This presentation focused on the most influential architects in the Bloomingdale neighborhood from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th--Richard Morris Hunt, Rosario Candela, Schwartz and Gross and others.
Presentation of the First Annual Jim Torain Award to Peter Salwen for the work he has done to honor the history of the Upper West Side
This presentation focused on the most influential architects in the Bloomingdale neighborhood from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th--Richard Morris Hunt, Rosario Candela, Schwartz and Gross and others.
Friends and family of Jim Torain together with members of the BNHG planning committee
- Before the presentation began, the first annual JIm Torain award honored Peter Salwen. The Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group established this award to honor the memory of Jim Torain, a neighbor who worked tirelessly to preserve the legacy of the "Old Community" where he grew up. The "Old Community" is the name given to the African American neighborhood that flourished on West 98th and West 99th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue--a neighborhood that was destroyed in 1955 as part of the city's urban renewal plan. Without Torain’s work, the history of this vibrant neighborhood, once home of so many talented and accomplished people, may have been lost to time.
Watch video on the "Old Community" with commentary by Jim Torain at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWGwsA1V2r4
Peter Salwen receives the annual Jim Torain Award, presented by Jim Mackin and Gil Tauber
The 2018 Jim Torain Award honored Peter Salwen for the work he has done researching and sharing local history. Mr. Salwen is well-known for his 1989 book, Upper West Side Story which continues to be the primary history of the Upper West Side almost three decades since it was published.
Presentation sponsored by the Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
with the Columbus Amsterdam BID and Hostelling International NY
Presentation sponsored by the Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
with the Columbus Amsterdam BID and Hostelling International NY
Thursday, September 27, 2018 6:30 PM, the Ballroom of the Hostelling International
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John Tauranac spoke about the Upper West Side gems that he uncovered while researching his latest book: Manhattan's Little Secrets: Uncovering Mysteries in Brick and Mortar, Glass and Stone
Published by Globe Pequot Press http://www.globepequot.com/book/9781493030477 |
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 6:30pm at the Ballroom of the Hostelling International, NYC
Plants and People: How Central Park's Landscape is Evolving
Presenter: Regina Alvarez of the Central Park Floral Project
Ms. Alvarez, the former Director of Horticulture and Woodland Management at the Central Park Conservancy, shared her experience of the ecological restoration of Central Park's Woodlands and the recent findings of the Flora Project.
Presenter: Regina Alvarez of the Central Park Floral Project
Ms. Alvarez, the former Director of Horticulture and Woodland Management at the Central Park Conservancy, shared her experience of the ecological restoration of Central Park's Woodlands and the recent findings of the Flora Project.
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Central Park Botanical Tour with Regina Alvarez Saturday morning, July 7, 2018
The Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group organized a walking tour of woodlands in the northern part of Central Park, led by Regina Alvarez of the Central Park Floral Project. The tour was a companion event to her talk on June 26 entitled Plants and People: How Central Park’s Landscape is Evolving. On the walking tour, she generously shared her vast knowledge of the ecological restoration of the Central Park’s woodlands and answered a flood of questions about plants and their contexts. The route went around the Pool, along the Loch, and into the North Woods.
The Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group organized a walking tour of woodlands in the northern part of Central Park, led by Regina Alvarez of the Central Park Floral Project. The tour was a companion event to her talk on June 26 entitled Plants and People: How Central Park’s Landscape is Evolving. On the walking tour, she generously shared her vast knowledge of the ecological restoration of the Central Park’s woodlands and answered a flood of questions about plants and their contexts. The route went around the Pool, along the Loch, and into the North Woods.
Thursday May 24, 2018
Exhibit and tour 1pm or 230pm
560 W 133rd St.(Nash Building East of Broadway)
560 W 133rd St.(Nash Building East of Broadway)
Columbia University provided a lecture and guided tour of the Manhattanville area that illustrated the rich history of the area, particularly the role the area played in the pasteurization of the area's milk supply, ending the scourge of childhood mortality caused by tainted milk.
Learn more at http://manhattanville.columbia.edu/about/history
Learn more at http://manhattanville.columbia.edu/about/history
Thursday, April 19, 2018 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
"Madame Jumel Collects: the Pioneering Art Collection of Rags-to-riches New Yorker Eliza Jumel"
A presentation by art historian Margaret Oppenheimer.
Ms. Oppenheimer, author of The Remarkable Rise of Eliza Jumel: A Story of Marriage and Money in the Early Republic, discussed Mme. Jumel’s art collection--over 240 paintings acquired in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century.
A presentation by art historian Margaret Oppenheimer.
Ms. Oppenheimer, author of The Remarkable Rise of Eliza Jumel: A Story of Marriage and Money in the Early Republic, discussed Mme. Jumel’s art collection--over 240 paintings acquired in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century.
The amazing Eliza Jumel--raised in a brothel, indentured as a servant, and confined to a workhouse while her mother was in jail--rose to become one of the richest women in New York. Along the way, she turned herself into an art connoisseur, acquiring more than 240 paintings while living in Paris between 1815 and 1817. The largest assemblage of European art to reach these shores up to that time, the collection, soon dispersed, remains virtually unknown today. In this richly illustrated lecture, Ms. Oppenheimer brought Jumel’s pioneering collection back to life, discussing the paintings, their owner, and the early nineteenth-century art scene in New York and Paris.
Monday, March 19, 2018 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
Sculptures in the Bloomingdale Neighborhood:
The Artists Who Made Them, the People Who Posed for Them and the Stories They Tell
A presentation by local historian Jim Mackin
Watch Video of this presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRlb42RHdU
The Artists Who Made Them, the People Who Posed for Them and the Stories They Tell
A presentation by local historian Jim Mackin
Watch Video of this presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRlb42RHdU
Well-known for his NYC walking tours, https://www.weekdaywalks.com/, Mr Mackin spoke about the sculptures that grace the Upper West Side’s Bloomingdale neighborhood, sharing stories about the artists and their models and explaining the history that surrounds each work. He called particular attention to the significance of Audrey Munson who modeled for over a hundred statues in the city, as well as the "Walking Liberty" half dollar. Jim also pointed out the contributions of the Piccirilli Brothers, marble carvers who produced sculpture works throughout New York City, as well as French's statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
Read Marjorie Cohen's BNHG blog about Audrey Munson at The Rise and Tragic Fall of a Model Who Broke the Rules
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
The History of New York's Colored Orphan Asylum
presented by Dr. William Seraile, Professor Emeritus at Lehman College, CUNY. Dr. Seraile taught African American history for 36 years and is the author of several books including Angels of Mercy: White Women and the History of New York's Colored Orphan Asylum.
presented by Dr. William Seraile, Professor Emeritus at Lehman College, CUNY. Dr. Seraile taught African American history for 36 years and is the author of several books including Angels of Mercy: White Women and the History of New York's Colored Orphan Asylum.
Founded by a group of affluent white women in 1836, the Asylum sheltered and educated thousands of African-American children. After its original building was destroyed by a white mob in the 1863 Draft Riots, a new one was built at 143rd street and Amsterdam Avenue. Dr. Seraile talked about how the organization's history sheds light on the changing conditions of African Americans in NY from the abolition of slavery in 1827 through the mid 20th century.
Read Dr. Seraile's summary of his presentation at New York's Colored Orphan Asylum
Read Dr. Seraile's summary of his presentation at New York's Colored Orphan Asylum
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
Author Daniel J. Wakin Book Talk:
The Man with the Sawed-off Leg and Other Tales of a New York City Block
In The Man with the Sawed-off Leg and Other Tales of a New York City Block Daniel J. Wakin tells the fascinating history of seven Beaux Art townhouses on Riverside Drive between 105th and 106th Streets – an "only if the walls could talk" kind of tale. Residents of the homes were among the most famous New Yorkers of their time: Marian Davies; Duke Ellington; the Fabers of pencil factory fame; Lucretia Davis, heir to the baking powder fortune; two mayors; lots of gangsters and more. The title refers to the unfortunate fate of a gangster who was shot in the leg in the course of an armored car robbery and died in one of the townhouses that his gang was using as a safe house. Mr. Wakin talked about the history of the seven townhouses and reflected on what their stories tell us about New York City and especially the Upper West Side. Read an excerpt from this presentation at The Man with the Sawed-off Leg
Read Marjorie Cohen's interview with Mr. Wakin for the website Brick Underground:
https://www.brickunderground.com/live/uws-dan-wakin-seven-beauties-book
The Man with the Sawed-off Leg and Other Tales of a New York City Block
In The Man with the Sawed-off Leg and Other Tales of a New York City Block Daniel J. Wakin tells the fascinating history of seven Beaux Art townhouses on Riverside Drive between 105th and 106th Streets – an "only if the walls could talk" kind of tale. Residents of the homes were among the most famous New Yorkers of their time: Marian Davies; Duke Ellington; the Fabers of pencil factory fame; Lucretia Davis, heir to the baking powder fortune; two mayors; lots of gangsters and more. The title refers to the unfortunate fate of a gangster who was shot in the leg in the course of an armored car robbery and died in one of the townhouses that his gang was using as a safe house. Mr. Wakin talked about the history of the seven townhouses and reflected on what their stories tell us about New York City and especially the Upper West Side. Read an excerpt from this presentation at The Man with the Sawed-off Leg
Read Marjorie Cohen's interview with Mr. Wakin for the website Brick Underground:
https://www.brickunderground.com/live/uws-dan-wakin-seven-beauties-book
Past Events of 2017
November 28, 2017 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
"Northern Exposure: Central Park above 96th Street"
A Presentation by Sara Cedar Miller,
Historian and Photographer, Central Park Conservancy
Ms. Miller spoke about the Park's topography and history – its connection to the Dutch and English occupation, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, including the fascinating story of the Park cannon's true identity. Read Pam Wise's blog on this presentation at Northern Exposure
A Presentation by Sara Cedar Miller,
Historian and Photographer, Central Park Conservancy
Ms. Miller spoke about the Park's topography and history – its connection to the Dutch and English occupation, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, including the fascinating story of the Park cannon's true identity. Read Pam Wise's blog on this presentation at Northern Exposure
October 4, 2017 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
"HISTORY OF HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL NYC"
Featured presentations by HI NYC’s Community Engagement staff: Manager Emily Gallagher and Coordinators Ben Puterbaugh and Indigo Goodson. Pam Tice, former Executive Director of HI NYC, and volunteer historian, provided a history of the building from the days when it served as the "Association Residence for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indigent Females."
Read Pam Tice's blog on the history of the Hostel's building and how it became a landmark at The Story of 891 Amsterdam.
Featured presentations by HI NYC’s Community Engagement staff: Manager Emily Gallagher and Coordinators Ben Puterbaugh and Indigo Goodson. Pam Tice, former Executive Director of HI NYC, and volunteer historian, provided a history of the building from the days when it served as the "Association Residence for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indigent Females."
Read Pam Tice's blog on the history of the Hostel's building and how it became a landmark at The Story of 891 Amsterdam.
June 6, 2017 at the Ballroom of Hostelling International NYC
"Figures in Stone: The Wonderful (and often unnoticed) Building Sculptures of the Upper West Side"
This program featured a presentation by architect Robert Arthur King, FAIA, a passionate observer and photographer of NYC building sculpture. Mr. King put the program together especially for an Upper West Side audience featuring sculptures on buildings from West 72nd to West 110th Street. His talk was preceded by Stonefaced, an excellent short film by Vivian Ducat that focused on Mr. King’s decades-long fascination with the subject. A Q&A with Mr. King and Ms. Ducat followed the presentation. Mr King is author of Figures in Stone: Architectural Sculpture in New York City
This program featured a presentation by architect Robert Arthur King, FAIA, a passionate observer and photographer of NYC building sculpture. Mr. King put the program together especially for an Upper West Side audience featuring sculptures on buildings from West 72nd to West 110th Street. His talk was preceded by Stonefaced, an excellent short film by Vivian Ducat that focused on Mr. King’s decades-long fascination with the subject. A Q&A with Mr. King and Ms. Ducat followed the presentation. Mr King is author of Figures in Stone: Architectural Sculpture in New York City
May 16, 2017 at Trinity School, 101 West 91st Street
"Trinity School from 1709 to 2017"
“Behind the Scenes” Event sponsored by the BNHG
The history of the Trinity School, founded at downtown Trinity Church in 1709 and now one of the oldest schools in the US. In 1895, the school moved uptown, building on a series of lots on West 91st Street in the midst of rows of townhouses in turn-of-the-century Upper West Side. The school evolved from church-sponsored to ecumenical, from a charity school to a private school, from all-boys to co-educational and to a school that prides itself on its diverse student body.
“Behind the Scenes” Event sponsored by the BNHG
The history of the Trinity School, founded at downtown Trinity Church in 1709 and now one of the oldest schools in the US. In 1895, the school moved uptown, building on a series of lots on West 91st Street in the midst of rows of townhouses in turn-of-the-century Upper West Side. The school evolved from church-sponsored to ecumenical, from a charity school to a private school, from all-boys to co-educational and to a school that prides itself on its diverse student body.
"Movies Filmed in Bloomingdale: Why Hollywood
Likes Our Neighborhood"
April 17, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY,
891 Amsterdam Avenue
Featured Gary Dennis--former actor, owner of the Upper West Side's beloved "Movie Place", tour guide and, according to the NY Times, "film scholar without portfolio" --along with Jim Mackin, local historian and frequent BNHG program presenter
Films included: Trading Places/Little Murders/Seven-Ups/Bullets Over Broadway/Who's That Girl/Warriors
Likes Our Neighborhood"
April 17, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY,
891 Amsterdam Avenue
Featured Gary Dennis--former actor, owner of the Upper West Side's beloved "Movie Place", tour guide and, according to the NY Times, "film scholar without portfolio" --along with Jim Mackin, local historian and frequent BNHG program presenter
Films included: Trading Places/Little Murders/Seven-Ups/Bullets Over Broadway/Who's That Girl/Warriors
"From House to School: The History of Bloomingdale School of Music:
Building Community Through the Power of Music for 52 Years"
March 1, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY, 891 Amsterdam Avenue
A Presentation by Erika Floreska, Executive Director
Memories and Historical Photos
With a Musical Presentation by Current Students
Building Community Through the Power of Music for 52 Years"
March 1, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY, 891 Amsterdam Avenue
A Presentation by Erika Floreska, Executive Director
Memories and Historical Photos
With a Musical Presentation by Current Students
"Sculptures in the Bloomingdale Neighborhood: The Artists Who
Made Them, The People Who Posed for Them, and the Stories They Tell"
January 23, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY, 891 Amsterdam Avenue
A Presentation by Local Historian Jim Mackin
Watch VIDEO of this presentation at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ImZN-5Gmv0
Jim Mackin, well-known for his walking tours http://www.weekdaywalks.com/ that cover just about every neighborhood in NYC, shared little known details about the various sculptures that grace the Upper West Side's Bloomingdale neighborhood. He shared stories about the sculptors who made them--some of the most famous artists of their time-- and the models who posed for them – including Audrey Munson, of whom Daniel Chester French wrote: “I know of no other model with the particular style that Miss Munson possesses. There is a certain ethereal atmosphere about her that is rare.”
Mr. Mackin explained the history that surrounds the sculptures and how they came to be located on the Upper West Side. His presentation included statues in Riverside Park and Straus Park; some that adorn the interiors of Riverside Church and St. John the Divine; and one that stands as the centerpiece of Frederick Douglass Circle.
Made Them, The People Who Posed for Them, and the Stories They Tell"
January 23, 2017 at Hostelling International-NY, 891 Amsterdam Avenue
A Presentation by Local Historian Jim Mackin
Watch VIDEO of this presentation at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ImZN-5Gmv0
Jim Mackin, well-known for his walking tours http://www.weekdaywalks.com/ that cover just about every neighborhood in NYC, shared little known details about the various sculptures that grace the Upper West Side's Bloomingdale neighborhood. He shared stories about the sculptors who made them--some of the most famous artists of their time-- and the models who posed for them – including Audrey Munson, of whom Daniel Chester French wrote: “I know of no other model with the particular style that Miss Munson possesses. There is a certain ethereal atmosphere about her that is rare.”
Mr. Mackin explained the history that surrounds the sculptures and how they came to be located on the Upper West Side. His presentation included statues in Riverside Park and Straus Park; some that adorn the interiors of Riverside Church and St. John the Divine; and one that stands as the centerpiece of Frederick Douglass Circle.
| bnhg_chronology_of_events_2000-2017.xlsx |
An excel file of all BNHG events from 2000 to 2017