Today is a very special edition of Open Thread. The blog remembers the events of the World Trade Center and pays tribute to the nearly 3,000 souls lost. Our hearts are especially with the brave fire fighters, families and loved ones of local firehouse, Ladder 118/Engine 205, who lost six heroic men on that tragic […]
Archive | History RSS feed for this section
Hot Event At Brooklyn Historical Society Thursday Evening, August 10: How Curry Spiced Up New York
Did you think America’s first celebrity chef was Chef Boy-Ar-Dee? He was a mere toddler when J. Ranji Smile arrived in New York in 1899 to introduce curry dishes to the city’s high society. On Thursday evening, August 10 at 7:00 the Brooklyn Historical Society will present gastronomic historian Sarah Lohman and MIT scholar Vivek […]
Is The Brooklyn Heights Historic District a Mistake? Heights Resident Sandy Ikeda Thinks So
Sandy Ikeda is a professor of economics at SUNY Purchase, and a resident of Brooklyn Heights. He’s also a very personable and bright guy, as your correspondent can attest, having gone on two Jane’s Walks through the Heights that he led, one several years ago and one this April. On each occasion he showed extensive […]
Brooklyn Historical Society Shows How Hollywood Gets History Wrong, For Free!
This coming Monday evening, July 31 at 6:30, the Brooklyn Historical Society begins a series of movie screenings, “Hollywood Does History… Poorly.” This series will “look at films that play fast and loose with history, often to absurd effect.” First in the series is Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, […]
Coming at Brooklyn Historical Society
On Monday evening, July 24 at 6:30 the Brooklyn Historical Society will present a screening of Rebecca Messner’s film Olmstead and America’s Urban Parks. Frederick Law Olmstead, along with Calvert Vaux, designed Central Park and Prospect Park. Olmstead considered the latter his finest design. Ms. Messner will be present to discuss her film after the […]
Coming at Brooklyn Historical Society
Aspiring Izaak Waltons will get inspiration at the Brooklyn Historical Society this Thursday evening, July 6 at 6:30 for “Gone Fishin': Brooklyn’s Favorite, Forgotten Pastime,” a panel discussion featuring local anglers and environmental advocates. There’s plenty more coming up in the next couple of weeks, including a book talk on Tuesday evening, July 11 about […]
At Brooklyn Historical Society This Week
On Wednesday evening, June 28 at 6:30, the Brooklyn Historical Society will present a panel discussion on the timely topic, “Who is Muslim.” It will be led by Imam Khalid Latif, chaplain at NYU, and will feature a distinguished panel of Muslims living in America who will “challenge stereotypes, highlight alternative narratives, and share their […]
Author of Novel About Vanishing New York at Brooklyn Heights Branch Library Thursday
This Thursday evening at 6:15 the Friends of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library will present John Freeman Gill, author of The Gargoyle Hunters, “one of Booklist’s picks for Best New Adult Fiction of 2017,” to discuss and sign his novel at the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library’s temporary quarters, 109 Remsen Street. The novel is based […]
BHS Events Examine NYC Fiscal and World Beer Histories
Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 13) evening at 6:30 the Brooklyn Historical Society will be host to NYU historian Kim Phillips-Fein, author of Fear City: New York City’s Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics. Professor Phillips-Fein will discuss “the fiscal policies that led the city to the brink of bankruptcy, the scare tactics used by […]
Brooklyn Historical Society This Week
This Tuesday evening, June 6 at 6:30 (all programs begin at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted) the Brooklyn Historical Society will present, from its “Tales from the Vault” series, “Adopting Brooklyn as a Home,” featuring accounts by Puerto Rican, West Indian, European, and African immigrants to Brooklyn. “BHS archivist Brett Dion brings Brooklyn history to […]
Nabe Chatter