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September, 2011

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Brooklyn Photo of the Week: WWI Rally for Sale of War Stamps

Written by Emily Reynolds on September 28th, 2011

WWI rally for sale of war stamps, ca.1918, v1973.5.2641; Brooklyn photograph and illustration collection, ARC.202; Brooklyn Historical Society.

This photo, taken near Borough Hall, shows a sale of war savings stamps (hence the “W.S.S.” on the sign) to support the nation’s troops in World War I. Examples of these stamps, sold during WWI and WWII, can be seen at the bottom of this page. The stamps accrued interest and were promoted as a sign of thriftiness and responsibility.

A 1918 issue of the St. Petersburg Daily Times stated that the President viewed “War Savings Stamps as the most important war revenue measure before the American people…the great lesson of saving and of thrift and of patriotism will be brought home to the rich and the poor alike and in the end make a better nation of us.”

Some of BHS’s collections relating to WWI have been posted on our catablog.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Library & Archives | 1 Response »
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Farm maps

Written by Carolyn on September 23rd, 2011

On Wednesday, Sept. 21st, BHS held its annual fundraiser Brooklyn Bounty, which is a wonderful event celebrating the borough’s food culture and sustainability movements. This year we also displayed historic maps illustrating Brooklyn’s farming history and pre-industrial landscape. In this post, I will be highlighting one my favorite maps showcased at Brooklyn Bounty. Titled “Plan of large & small gardens at the Pierrepont Homestead, Brooklyn,” this manuscript map was created by William C. Pierrepont in 1821.

First, an image of the map in its entirety. Although it may be underwhelming at first glance, its charm is really in the details.

Plan of large & small gardens at the Pierrepont Homestead, Brooklyn. W.C. Pierrepont. 1821. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.

A closer look and the layout of the Pierrepont family’s gardens is now visible. We see a barn, hotbed, greenhouse, and planned rows of vegetables. And apparently, the Pierreponts were partial to asparagus!

Plan of large & small gardens at the Pierrepont Homestead, Brooklyn. W.C. Pierrepont. 1821. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.

And zooming in a little more …

Plan of large & small gardens at the Pierrepont Homestead, Brooklyn. W.C. Pierrepont. 1821. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.

 

Plan of large & small gardens at the Pierrepont Homestead, Brooklyn. W.C. Pierrepont. 1821. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.

It’s easy to forget that Brooklyn was once a farming-based community, but when I look at this map, it helps me to remember that before the paved roads and apartment buildings, the landscape was populated by tilled fields and grazing livestock. It must have been a sight to see.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Hidden Collections, Library & Archives | 3 Responses »
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Brooklyn Photo of the Week: Gotham Theatre and East New York Junction

Written by Emily Reynolds on September 21st, 2011

Gotham Theatre and East New York Junction, ca. 1890, v1973.4.1435; Postcard Collection; Brooklyn Historical Society.

This postcard depicts a typical Brooklyn street scene from the 1890s, showing horse-drawn vehicles, trolleys, and one of the city’s newly-constructed elevated rail lines. The Gotham Theatre, on the right side of this image, was located near the intersection of Fulton Street and Alabama Avenue in East New York. It was constructed in 1890 and demolished in the mid-1930s. There are more photos of this intersection, and a brief history of the theater, at the website The East New York Project.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Library & Archives | No Responses »
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Brooklyn Photo of the Week: Early Brooklyn Farm

Written by Emily Reynolds on September 14th, 2011

Early Brooklyn Farm, ca.1880, v1972.1.824; Early Brooklyn and Long Island photograph collection, ARC.201; Brooklyn Historical Society.

This photograph shows a view of Brooklyn unlike any you might find today. When this photo was taken in 1880, Brooklyn was the country’s second largest producer of vegetables. Though twenty-first century Brooklyn is much more urban, it remains the home of many local food producers creating innovative and delicious products in Brooklyn. Next week on September 21st from 6:30-9:30 p.m., BHS will host its annual Brooklyn Bounty Cocktail Party, featuring local food, drinks, and music. This year’s event will honor Brooklyn’s agrarian heritage, as well as the people who are keeping that tradition alive today. Tickets are available. Read more about the event here.

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery. Use this database to search for individual photographs. Currently a small number of our images are available online, but we regularly add new photographs. You can also visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Fri, 1-5 p.m. to search through our entire collection of images.

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present | 2 Responses »
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What Are You?

Written by Sady on September 12th, 2011

Today’s guest post is by Jen Chau, founder of Swirl, a multi-ethnic, anti-racist organization that promotes cross-cultural dialogue.  “What are you?” is one of those questions like “Where are you from, I mean from from?” that people pose (sometimes ungracefully) when they are curious about someone’s racial/ethnic identity. What Are You? is also the title of an upcoming event (Monday, September 26th at 7pm), part of the Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations series, hosted here at the Brooklyn Historical Society and co-sponsored by Loving Day.  BHS is learning more about Brooklyn’s overlapping, interweaving communities and we hope you’ll join the conversation here in the comments and at upcoming events.

 

Photo by Lindsay Brandon Hunter, Model Alex De Suze

 

“What are you?” is something I have heard a lot in my 34 years.

From strangers on the street, mostly men.  On the subway one evening by an on-duty policeman.  At a party, from someone who was too curious not to ask within minutes of meeting me.  From classmates.  From a palm reader at a conference who held my hand, looked into my eyes and told me that I was Native American.  From teachers.  At a neighborhood lounge, a friend of a friend looked into my face and told me that I was a blend of cultures: Spanish and Asian.  From other mixed people who want to relate.

Some of these experiences have been more outlandish than others. Depending on the delivery of the question, I have been angered, amused, frustrated, shocked, or happy to engage. Underneath it all, I know that what exists for the questioner is curiosity.  What matters to me is whether that curiosity ends at my physical appearance, or if you also want to understand more about my multi-ethnic upbringing; more about me as a person.

We need to stop solely relying on identifiers like race in order to learn about one another.  Sure, race probably plays a part in who we are, but it’s not everything. It’s not always the beginning of the story and it’s usually never the whole story.

You can read more by Jen Chau on talking about race here.

 

Posted in Brooklyn Past & Present, Oral History, Public Programs | 5 Responses »
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