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Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group discovering, preserving and sharing our history We are the inheritors, the interpreters and the creators of our history |
Past Events of 2019
Monday, February 4, 2019 at 6:30pm, Ballroom of the Hostelling International NY
"East of Broadway in the 1950s: Growing Up Poor on West 105th Street"
"East of Broadway in the 1950s: Growing Up Poor on West 105th Street"
Presenter: William Helmreich, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at City College of New York and CUNY Graduate Center. Professor Helmreich is the author of 17 books, from his first book about living, working and traveling with the Black Panthers to his recently published The Manhattan Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide
Dr. Helmreich, the child of Holocaust survivors, grew up in the 1950s on West 105th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, alongside Puerto Rican, Black, Irish, and Italian families. He talked about the street life and culture, poverty, family life, barber shops, restaurants and bakeries, nearby movie theaters, public housing and area parks. He described his travels around the city with his father--how the two would play a game they called "Last Stop"--riding the subway to a stop and then walking around the new neighborhood. Helmreich said that these trips were the main impetus for his walking books about NYC.
Monday, January 14, 2019 at 630pm, Ballroom of the Hostelling International NY
"Thought You Knew All about the Northern End of Central Park?"
Presented by Dr. Steven Wolf, author of Central Park Love Song: Wandering Beneath the Heaventrees, and moderated by local historian Jim Mackin
Dr. Wolf’s book is a blend of fact and fiction including excerpts from novels, poems, essays and songs about Central Park. The book’s narrator and his dog learn why the park is so large on an island so small, why it grows in the center of Manhattan and what in the park has been lost to the needs of an ever-changing city. For the January 14 program, Wolf focused on the Park’s northern end, bordering the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Writing in the NYTimes, Sam Roberts called Wolf’s book “an eloquent, evocative ode that encompasses New York history, past and contemporary protagonists, geography and botany so gracefully that reading his book is like, well, a walk in the park.”
Presented by Dr. Steven Wolf, author of Central Park Love Song: Wandering Beneath the Heaventrees, and moderated by local historian Jim Mackin
Dr. Wolf’s book is a blend of fact and fiction including excerpts from novels, poems, essays and songs about Central Park. The book’s narrator and his dog learn why the park is so large on an island so small, why it grows in the center of Manhattan and what in the park has been lost to the needs of an ever-changing city. For the January 14 program, Wolf focused on the Park’s northern end, bordering the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Writing in the NYTimes, Sam Roberts called Wolf’s book “an eloquent, evocative ode that encompasses New York history, past and contemporary protagonists, geography and botany so gracefully that reading his book is like, well, a walk in the park.”
Dr. Wolf teaches literature and humanities at Berkeley College and is the editor of I Speak of the City: Poems of New York (Columbia University Press). An excerpt about the park's notorious Casino appeared in The New York Times, and his city portraits and histories appeared regularly in The Villager. His fiction has been published in Playboy, Ploughshares, Shenandoah, Penthouse, and a short story cycle Intimate Articles with illustrations by Larry Rivers, published by TenSpeed Press.
Past Events of 2018
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 6:30 pm, Ballroom of the Hostelling International NY
Bloomingdale Blocks/ How Block Associations Influenced and Improved our Neighborhood:
Moderated by Pam Tice, speakers included Mort Berkowitz who shared memories of his work at the Citizens Committee for New York City, which supported the development of block associations in the '70s. Along with Mr. Berkowitz, three current neighborhood block leaders, Nancy Macagno of the West 106th Block Association, Jean Jaworek of the North West Central Park Multiblock Association, and David Reich of the West 102-103 Block Association talked about their block associations in our neighborhood.
Watch Video of this presentation:
Moderated by Pam Tice, speakers included Mort Berkowitz who shared memories of his work at the Citizens Committee for New York City, which supported the development of block associations in the '70s. Along with Mr. Berkowitz, three current neighborhood block leaders, Nancy Macagno of the West 106th Block Association, Jean Jaworek of the North West Central Park Multiblock Association, and David Reich of the West 102-103 Block Association talked about their block associations in our neighborhood.
Watch Video of this presentation:
Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30pm, Ballroom of the Hostelling International NYC
The Harlem Renaissance
William Seraile, Professor Emeritus of African-American history at Lehman College, CUNY, presented an illustrated talk on the remarkable flowering of African-American literature, art, music and theater in Harlem in the early 20th century
William Seraile, Professor Emeritus of African-American history at Lehman College, CUNY, presented an illustrated talk on the remarkable flowering of African-American literature, art, music and theater in Harlem in the early 20th century
William Seraile is Professor Emeritus, Department of Africana Studies, Lehman College. He is the author of several scholarly articles and five books, the most recent of which is Angels of Mercy: White Women and the the History of New York's Colored Orphan Asylum.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 6:30pm, the Ballroom of the Hostelling International NYC
The Architects of Bloomingdale: An illustrated presentation by Jim Mackin and Gil Tauber about the architects who shaped our neighborhood and 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.
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.
The 2018 Jim Torain Award honored Peter Salwen for the work he has done researching and sharing local history. Mr. Salwen's 1989 book Upper West Side Story continues to be the primary history of the Upper West Side in the three decades since its publication.
(photo on left: Jim Mackin and Gil Tauber of the BNHG presenting award to Mr. Salwen)
(photo on left: Jim Mackin and Gil Tauber of the BNHG presenting award to Mr. Salwen)
Summer Morning on Bethesda Terrace
Peter Salwen is also a painter whose light-filled urban landscapes are in collections across the U.S., Europe and South America. His paintings "try to express the deep pleasure to be found in something as simple as sunlight on a wall or the ordinary traffic of people and machinery at city street corner." https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/peter-salwen.html
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
The Artists Who Made Them, the People Who Posed for Them and the Stories They Tell
A presentation by local historian Jim Mackin
Renowned for his NYC walking tours https://www.weekdaywalks.com, Mr Mackin described the sculptures that grace the Upper West Side’s Bloomingdale neighborhood, and shared stories and history of the artists and their models. He called particular attention to Audrey Munson who modeled for over a hundred statues in the city, as well as the "Walking Liberty" half dollar. Jim 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
Watch Video of this presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRlb42RHdU
Read Marjorie Cohen's BNHG blog about Audrey Munson at The Rise and Tragic Fall of a Model Who Broke the Rules
Watch Video of this presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRlb42RHdU
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.
Dr. William Seraile
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.
April 17, 2017 at 630pm, the Ballroom of Hostelling International-NYC
"Movies Filmed in Bloomingdale: Why Hollywood Likes Our Neighborhood"
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
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
March 1, 2017 at 630pm, the Ballroom of the Hostelling International-NYC
"From House to School: The History of Bloomingdale School of Music:
Building Community Through the Power of Music for 52 Years"
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"
A Presentation by Erika Floreska, Executive Director
Memories and Historical Photos
With a Musical Presentation by Current Students
January 23, 2017 at 630pm, 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
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.
Watch VIDEO of this presentation:
Made Them, The People Who Posed for Them, and the Stories They Tell"
A Presentation by Local Historian Jim Mackin
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.
Watch VIDEO of this presentation:
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An Excel file of all BNHG events from 2000 to 2017