On Thursday evening, February 25, the Brooklyn Historical Society will host two events, both starting at 6:30. Downstairs in the main event space Randy Cohen (photo) will have as his guest on his latest Person Place Thing Kickstarter co-founder and CEO Yancey Strickler. Also on the program is fiddler Stephanie Coleman. Admission is $5; free […]
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Coming Up At Brooklyn Historical Society
As I learned from reading Bob Furman’s Brooklyn Heights: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of America’s First Suburb, in 1790 one third of Brooklyn’s population, which was then 4,500, was slaves. Tomorrow (Thursday, February 4) evening, starting at 6:30, the Brooklyn Historical Society will present a panel discussion, “Why New York? Slavery on Long Island”, […]
How did the Fruit Streets Get Their Names?
The Times’ “New York Today” offers an explanation…or two…without actually taking a stand. Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple Streets. A vitamin C trifecta. Why do these streets in Brooklyn bear names both boggy and tropical? As it turns out, there is no definitive answer to today’s question. Click away to see what Mrs. Middagh might have had to […]
Coming Up at Brooklyn Historical Society
On Tuesday evening, January 19, starting at 6:30 p.m. the Brooklyn Historical Society will present a screening and discussion of A Place at the Table, “which exposes the realities of hunger in the United States through the stories of three families who struggle daily to secure the source of their next meal.” Following the screening, […]
The BHB Ten for 2015!
Here, in no particular order, are the people you, the readers, and we nominated for the Brooklyn Heights Ten for the past year, 2015. Tracy (“Mrs. Fink”) Zamot and daughter Gracie: The sudden and unexpected loss of BHB’s founder, publisher, contributor, and guiding light John “Homer Fink” Loscalzo last April left all of us on […]
Coming Up at Brooklyn Historical Society
Judge Jack Weinstein (photo), of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York (the Eastern District includes Brooklyn along with the rest of Long Island and Staten Island) is one of the longest sitting judges on the federal bench. Early in his career he was part of a team of lawyers who […]
Robert Furman’s Brooklyn Heights is a Trove of Information
Robert Furman’s (with contributions of photographs of historic Brooklyn Heights buildings by Brian Merlis) Brooklyn Heights: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of America’s First Suburb is a massive–471 pages–attempt to encompass all that is significant in the history of our neighborhood. The subtitle provides a narrative arc, though an inverted one. It begins with a […]
Brooklyn Historical Society Honors Gina Ingoglia Weiner With Space and Fund For Exhibitions
Gina Ingoglia Weiner, late of Brooklyn Heights, served on the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Historical Society from 1990 to 2015. She was active in many civic associations, the author of over eighty children’s books, and a highly regarded artist and garden designer. To honor her memory, BHS has named an exhibition space (photo) […]
Landmark Status Sought for Two Brooklyn Heights Buildings
Last Monday I attended the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the designation of Brooklyn Heights as New York City’s first landmarked historic district, held at the Brooklyn Historical Society and co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Association and by the New York Preservation Archive Project (“NYPAP”). The evening’s program (read more about the proceedings in the Eagle) […]
Brooklyn Historical Society Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Brooklyn Heights Historic District
This coming Monday evening, November 23, the Brooklyn Historical Society, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Heights Association and the New York Preservation Archive Project will present a festive evening to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Brooklyn Heights’ designation as New York City’s first historic district. The program will feature noted architectural historian and Brooklyn resident […]
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