I Knight Thee, Sir Hot Dog
In 1939, for the first time in American history, the King of England set foot on U.S. soil. After a whirlwind tour of Washington, President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor invited King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to an informal picnic at their "country home" in Hyde Park, New York. In true American fashion, Mrs. Roosevelt decided that no picnic would be complete without hot dogs. Snobs everywhere, including the President's mother, balked at the thought of a hot dog being presented to His Majesty. But, when the King enjoyed…
Happy Mother's Day
In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I would highlight some photographs from our Herzberg Collection. Irving I. Herzberg was an amateur photographer who took thousands of pictures of the people of Brooklyn. His photographs captured everyday life throughout the borough, but he excelled at informal portraits - on the bus, subway, at the beach, people usually lost in thought. In these closeups of mothers and children, Herzberg, through superb composition, conveys a quiet moment, where the mother at least for the…
Mystery Market
Here is another mystery market for all you Brooklyn mavens. Anyone who can tell us the location of this market gets a copy of the print.
Types of Brooklyn Girls
"Brooklyn Girls are renowned for beauty, grace, and wit... To those so unfortunate as to live outside the boundaries of the borough, all its young women are equally charming... But the native knows that each section of the city has its own peculiar type." For several weeks in 1902, the Eagle published weekly drawings that represented certain female social "sets" in Brooklyn. Each week, they asked readers to submit a 250 word essay in response to the recent image. Judges selected the best three essays on each set to be…
A Small Accolade, and Some Brooklyn Moustaches
Good news! Amid the gloom of budget cuts, bursting property bubbles and bankruptcies, we take heart from the fact that Brooklynology won an honorable mention in the ArchivesNext Best Archives on the Web awards. That alone is a fine thing, but better yet, among the other winners is the University of Kentucky's "Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century" in the "Most Whimsical Archives-Related Website" Category--one of the most amusing blogs we have seen in a long time. Never having met a good idea that wasn't worth borrowing, I thought we might occasionally bring to your attention a few of the…
The Drivotrainer
Having grown up in the suburbs, I only learned to parallel park to pass the driver's test. So when I borrowed a friend's car recently, I realized I would have to parallel park for the first time since I was 16. But at the moment of truth I recalled my old driving lessons and found myself perfectly aligned with the curb. Success! I cannot say that I would have been able to pull off this feat if I had learned to drive under THIS method: These high schoolers are practicing parallel parking with the Aetna Drivotrainer, which had its debut…
Now the Drum of War. Robert Roper on Whitman and his Brothers in the Civil War
Robert Roper, author of an acclaimed book on the Whitman brothers in the Civil War, will give a talk sponsored by the Brooklyn Collection on Wednesday April 29th at 7 p.m. in the Trustees Room, Third Floor, Central Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn NY 11238.
Birds of Prospect Park
Brooklyn is not a quiet borough. When I walk around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and listen to the wind in the trees, I will inevitably hear air plane engines over my head or the sound of sirens in the distance--not really the noises that I want to hear in this sanctuary. But one sound that I've waited all winter for, I finally get to hear again: birdsong. A lovely publication called Birds of Prospect Park that I found on our shelves is a delightful guide to birds in Brooklyn. Published in 1951 by the Brooklyn Bird Club, this pamphlet …
America's Favorite Spokescow
I can't help it; the thought of a cow with an office and a secretary makes me laugh. I've had a copy of this photograph displayed on my desk since I first stumbled upon it in our files, often wondering about the story behind it. After a particularly long day of teaching, I decided to indulge in a little research of my own. Turns out, we've just interrupted Elsie the Cow, the world famous mascot for Borden Milk Products, hard at work. One can only imagine what Elsie is dictating. Perhaps a thank you note to a fan who saw her cameo in the…
We don't serve bread with one fish ball
Today's post comes directly from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 29, 1887, p. 6: Luckily for today's Brooklynite, the restaurant scene has finally emerged from New York's shadow after centuries. I've even heard that Manhattanites travel to Brooklyn to dine out. Web sites like Chowhound, Edible Brooklyn, and BPL's own No Shush Zone spread news and reviews on current cuisine in the borough. Anyone know where to get good fish balls? For those who don't enjoy reading 19th century newsprint, the article text follows: "Brooklyn can stand…
Ancient Questions Posed
Among the Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs that are now a part of the Library's Brooklyn Collection, are hundreds of images of Brooklyn's orphanages. Changes in social welfare policies have closed the doors of these places, but we here are fully aware of their past existence--in fact, a couple of times a year you can bet on an alumnus of one orphanage or another calling to ask for information about or pictures of their old home. Some of the sweetest images come from the Pride of Judea Home, established as a Jewish orphanage on Dumont Avenue and…
Our Bi-Weekly Mystery Picture
The word "unidentified" occurs all too often in our photograph database. I have decided it is time to tidy up a few of these "unidentifieds," and you, dear readers--I know you are out there--are going to help. Here are two pictures of a market in an unidentified Brooklyn location. The first to give a convincing account of the location may have a print of either of these if he or she so wishes, otherwise they may simply consider themselves covered in glory. Now here are a couple of clues: signs visible in the top picture read Printing 135, Bottaro…
Waiting for Spring
In these early days of April, watching eagerly for signs of leaves returning to the trees, I am reminded of this old poem: Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where them boidies is? The boid is on the wing-- Absoid! Of course the wing is on the boid. -Anonymous Often attributed to Ogden Nash or other individuals, versions of this poem have appeared in newspapers (and now web pages) since the mid-twentieth century. Written in "Brooklynese," the poem is featured in a New York Times article on January 18, 1976 about our…
The Brooklyn That Never Was Part 2
Back in December I posted a short piece about the Union Temple building that never saw the light of day, at the corner of Eastern Parkway and Plaza Street. This stretch of the Parkway was a graveyard for grand designs, for directly opposite the Temple, the Moderne style Central Library building by Githens and Keally was the replacement for an unrealized original design by Raymond Almirall. The long sad story of the unfinished wing and the "hole in the ground" that that sat for thirty years until a Central Library was finally opened in 1941 (and then…
Librarian Conditions Vastly Improved Since 1920s
Although the ladies in the photograph appear to be in good health and are enjoying their tea in pleasant surroundings, evidence uncovered today reveals stark truths about the lives of librarians in the 1920s. Seeking something else entirely, I stumbled upon the following in the 1921 Annual Report of Brooklyn Public Library, which, thanks to the kind ministrations of Google Books is now available online. Evidently it was the habit of the Assistant Chief Librarian to list in one paragraph all those who had fallen in the line of duty during the year. Call me…
Important Things in Small Packages
I could write many, many entries on Brooklyn during World War II (and perhaps someday I will), but for the time being I am drawn to a small, rarely noticed item in our collection: There is nothing astounding about this particular ration book, other than the fact that it still exists. I have been fascinated with the World War II home front since I first encountered the American Girl tales in my childhood, but I have never seen an actual ration book. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a few of them while preparing for a lesson on war efforts in…
Our bi-weekly quiz. Mystery picture.
Attention Brooklyn Buffs and Buffettes--can you identify the building in this picture? Clue--it was in Brooklyn, and the photo was taken in May 1914. Post your answers or guesses as a comment and collect kudos for being the first to get it right. AND--the winner gets a free 8 x 10 copy print of the featured picture. All comments will be published together when the winner is announced so as not to give the game away.
Baseball Fanatics Beware
Opening night of the 2009 Major League Baseball season is just 12 short nights away as I write. Brooklyn’s baseball team is long gone, the Dodgers having played their last game in Brooklyn in 1957. While working on some research for a patron, I found a cheeky bit of ephemera for Brooklyn Dodger fans hiding in the Ephemera Collection files. Called “A Health and Safety Manual for the 1954 Baseball Season for Spectators, for Radio and TV fans and for all Brooklynites and other Dodger fans whereever they are,” this guide instructs Dodger fans on how to avoid…
Wait, there's more?
If you're a photo nut like me, you may be scrolling through the posts on Brooklynology, thinking "Wow! These are awesome pics! I wonder if they have any more?" Well, have I got news for you. The answer is YES! For some instant gratification, start at the Historic Brooklyn Photo Galleries. Browse through photos by selected themes such as neighborhoods, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and transportation. If that's not enough, you can search more than 15,000 photographs in the BPL catalog. If Coney Island is your thing, a simple keyword search…
Forgotten Brooklyn, an Illustrated Talk and Book Signing by Kevin Walsh. Central Library Trustees Ro
How many guide books to New York City do you know that devote two pages to Brooklyn and think they have done a good job? Kevin Walsh, author of Forgotten New York, breaks this unsatisfactory mold, exploring the borough from end to end and uncovering corners even lifelong Brooklynites may not know. Kevin Walsh is an urban explorer extraordinaore and the creator of www.forgotten-ny.com. He grew up in Bay Ridge and now hosts sold-out Forgotten New York tours throughout the boroughs.