April is a wonderful time in New York City, as we transition into spring with flowers blooming and people filling the streets once again. Today we explore April through our Historic Image Archive — a carefully curated collection of nearly 4,000 images of our neighborhoods and New York City from the late 18th through the early 21st centuries, donated by the public and taken by Village Preservation staff over the years.
Ralph Lauren Mural, 99 University Place
This photo from the Robert Fisch Collection was taken on April 22nd, 2014. This mural by Brooklyn’s Jonathan Bartlett was up for only a short period of time in early 2014 on the Ralph Lauren store at 12th Street and University Place.
Street Fair, Gay and Lesbian Youth in New York
Also from the Robert Fisch Collection, this photo of a street fair table of LGBT youth in Greenwich Village was taken on April 20th, 1983. See another image taken that day here. Can you help us identify the exact location of either? If so please let us know!
Portrait of Ida Ravani
From our Center for Migration Studies Collection, this image taken in 1926 of immigrant Ida Ravani with a bouquet of flowers shows the vibrant Italian immigrant community which characterized much of Greenwich Village, especially the South Village, in the early 20th century. Explore the collection further to see images from and of the original Our Lady of Pompeii Church (demolished in 1925) and the schools, funeral homes, and organizations connected to it, as well as other aspects of this rich immigrant community.
Andy Warhol and Brillo Sculpture
This photo of pop artist Andy Warhol amid his towering Brillo box sculptures was taken in the Stable Gallery, 33 East 74th Street, New York, April 21, 1964, by acclaimed photographer Fred W. McDarrah. Fred’s late wife Gloria and sons Tim and Patrick were great supporters of Village Preservation and donated many images to be shown on our archive. See numerous Fred W. McDarrah collections and photos here.
