Tribute in Light
Since September 11, 2003, twin pillars of light have pierced the Lower Manhattan sky from dusk to dawn each year, briefly reverting our skyline to an impression of its previous … Continued
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Tag: Historic image archive
Ghost Signs Abound in Our Historic Image Archive
A year or two into my career as a historic preservationist, I was accused (in good humor) of being a warden of “the ephemera of New York.” I tended toward … Continued
Small Businesses in the Historic Image Archive
Linda Yowell, architect and preservationist, recently donated a wide assortment of photos to Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive, covering the 1970s through the late 1990s. Among them are images of … Continued
The Linda Yowell Image Collection: Capturing the West Village’s Charm and Evolution Over the Decades
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive is a treasure trove of photographs that display the visual history of our changing neighborhoods and notable New York City landmarks and sites. We are … Continued
SoHo’s Cast Iron Landmarks: 1969 and Today
Edward LaGrassa was an architecture student in 1969 when he photographed hundreds of cast iron buildings and structures, largely in SoHo and Tribeca, but also in Harlem and Upper Manhattan. … Continued
Mystery Photos — 90s Drag Scene Edition
Many of the donated images in our Historic Image Archive were received with little identifying information. We often think, who are these people? Where is this location? When was this picture … Continued
Time for Summer!
There’s no better place to enjoy summer than the East Village, Greenwich Village, and NoHo! There is something for everyone, including amazing local ice cream, live music, community gardens and … Continued
Riccardo Spina Image Collection — A Window Back to Greenwich Village a Half Century Ago
One of the delights of working in the field of historic preservation is getting to regularly dig into old image archives, where unique, wonderful, and fleeting glimpses into the past … Continued
April in the Archives
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 … Continued
Redefining Downtown: One Chase Manhattan Plaza
Our Historic Image Archive includes thousands of images from the late 18th through the early 21st centuries. While most of our images show Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, … Continued
Julys Past From Our Historic Image Archive
Our Historic Image Archive provides a snapshot of our neighborhood’s past. From summers on the piers to drag shows at the Pyramid Club and an important archeological dig, you can … Continued
Hot Dog History in the Village Preservation Historic Image Archive
July is National Hot Dog Month (as designated by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council) and we have a few savory slices of NYC hot dog history in our … Continued
LGBTQ+ Pride Through The Decades
Our Historic Image Archive includes thousands of photos documenting the people and architecture of the Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, as well as New York City, from the … Continued
Picturing the World Trade Center
The twin towers of the World Trade Center dominated the New York City skyline for almost thirty years, from their grand opening on April 4, 1973, until their destruction on … Continued
Robert Fisch Collection: Windows To The Past On The Side Of A Building
Our historic image archive is full of thousands of images that give us unique insights into New York City life. Recent additions show drag performances in the 1990s, the HighLine … Continued
New Historic Image Collection Captures Four Decades, Lost Institutions, 9/11, LGBT Celebrations
Today we are proud to share the first part of a collection of hundreds of photos donated by longtime Greenwich Village resident Robert Fisch, primarily of the Greenwich Village of … Continued
Image Archive Collection: The High Line in 1979 — Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal
We recently added a new collection to our historic image archive, Noah Greenberg’s “Manhattan Promenade” Proposal. This collection dates from 1979, and includes shots of what we now know as … Continued
‘Manhattan Promenade’: The Plan for Adaptive Reuse of the High Line ca. 1979, and Other New Historic Images
We’re proud to share with the public new historic images and materials from a 1979 proposal by Greenwich Village architect Noah Greenberg to turn the abandoned West Side Elevated Rail Line that ran through … Continued
Village Preservation Releases Nearly 1,000 Crowdsourced Images of the World Trade Center, 9/11, and Aftermath, with Moving Personal Stories
We are proud to release nearly 1,000 images donated by the public to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks on the World Trade Center. Earlier this … Continued
9/11 In Memoriam — Point Thank You
In honor of the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, Village Preservation has assembled over 500 donated images documenting the World Trade Center, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and the days and … Continued
NYU vs. the East Village
On East 12th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues, the entrance to a 26-story dorm, designed to house 700 NYU students, sits “discreetly” behind a disembodied 1847 church tower. Neither … Continued
Share Your Photos For Upcoming September 11th 20th Anniversary
This September will mark 20 years since the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center. Few New Yorkers were left untouched by this devastating assault, which shattered our city, our … Continued
New Historic Image Collection Explores Downtown Drag + Performance Scene of the 1990s
As we approach LGBTQ+ Pride Weekend, Village Preservation is proud to share with you a wonderful new collection in our historic image archive of donated images from Jillian Jonas chronicling the fiery … Continued
Historic Photo Mysteries from a Newly Donated Collection (and a reminder of what’s at stake with the SoHo/NoHo upzoning proposal)
Village Preservation recently shared an incredible new addition to our historic image archive of donated photos of cast-iron New York City landmarks, some destroyed during the late 60s, others threatened … Continued
More Historic Images: The Pryor Dodge Collection
It just never stops growing…Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive, that is. The latest addition is the Pryor Dodge Collection, a collection taken between 1966 and 1967. They provide a wonderful … Continued
Archive Exploration Made Easy On Our New Website
Archiving is one of the many ways that Village Preservation ensures the preservation of our neighborhoods. By keeping records and files of images, stories, and the processes of preservation since … Continued
New Addition to Our Historic Image Archive Gives Intimate View of Greenwich Village and NYC in the 1940s and 50s
We recently added a new collection, the Jean Polacheck Collection, to our historic image archive. This collection dates largely from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, and includes scenes of Washington … Continued
Exploring our New Image Archive
We are very excited to share our new and improved Historic Image Archive with you! Whether you are an historic researcher or photography buff, our new archive offers endless layers … Continued
Historic Images and Maps Solve Mysteries of Missing Church and Street
An Instagram follower recently asked us for clarification about an image we posted from our historic image archive of the long-demolished former home Our Lady of Pompeii Church. She wanted … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 4
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to ‘normal.’ … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again, Part 3
We’re continuing to spend a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return … Continued
Things We’re Looking Forward To Doing Again
We’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about things we used to do before the coronavirus outbreak, that we’re looking forward to hopefully doing again once things return to … Continued
Our Epic Greenwich Village and East Village Watch-List
It’s time to dive into our beloved neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo as they’re seen through the movie camera lens. Presented in no apparent order, this … Continued
Willem de Kooning at Home
On March 23, 1962, Village Voice photographer Fred McDarrah took a group of photos of Abstract Expressionist artist Willem de Kooning in his studio and home at 831 Broadway. De … Continued
A Young Italian Immigrant Who Almost Didn’t Make It Into America
We don’t know much about Nicosia Graziano’s story. But the few details we do have are emblematic of what many immigrants to this country one hundred to two hundred years … Continued
The Weathermen on West 11th Street, and Beyond
If you walk down West 11th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, you’ll notice one home with a curiously angled facade at No. 18. If you follow that curiosity, as … Continued
Changing Fashion of New York
Artists and photographer Carole Teller donated hundreds of photographs to Village Preservation that she took from the 1960s through the 1990s. An East Village resident for over fifty years, Carole … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: The United Palace Theatre
Tucked into the Meredith Jacobson Marciano New York in the 1970s to 9-11 collection of our Historic Image Archive is an image of the United Palace Theatre at 4140 Broadway at 175th Street in Washington Heights. With its close-up and upward-facing viewpoint, the image captures the intricacy and nobility of the building’s design.
Demolitions in Our Historic Image Archive: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Village Preservation is always working hard to document, celebrate, and protect the historic character of our neighborhoods, including the great buildings that make Greenwich Village, NoHo and East Village such … Continued
Historic Image Archive Mysteries Solved: Downtown Street Art of the 1980s/’Shadowman’ Edition
There are so many gems in our vast 2,100+ image Historic Image Archive, sometimes it even takes us a while to realize what we have and identify some of our … Continued
Big New Step for the Village Preservation/Urban Archive Partnership
Urban Archive is a location-based mobile app that empowers New Yorkers to learn about history where it happened. The site brings together the digital collections of New York City’s museums, … Continued
More Historic Images Show Us What’s Changed and What’s Remained the Same
One of our most recently landmarked buildings, the Roosevelt Building at 841 Broadway, has an exciting application for alterations which includes the restoration of its piers at the storefront level. … Continued
The Changing Face of Astor Place and Cooper Square
As we do every month, we just added some new historic images to the Village Preservation historic image archive from the latest Landmarks Permit Applications which we have reviewed. This … Continued
Small Business Snapshot, ca. 1998
Artists and photographer Carole Teller donated hundreds of photographs to Village Preservation that she took from the 1960s-1990s. An East Village resident for over fifty years, Carole so beautifully and … Continued
Remembering the World Trade Center and the Aftermath of Its Destruction
For almost 30 years, the original World Trade Center dominated the New York City skyline. Its twin towers were the subject of countless photographs; visible throughout the five boroughs, they … Continued
More Historic Photo Mysteries Solved — Brownstone Revival and New York Apocalypse Edition
Village Preservation has a collection of over 2,000 images in our Historic Image Archive, ranging from the 18th to the early 21st century, most of Lower Manhattan, but with some … Continued
Immersive Village History in your Pocket: Google Arts & Culture
Sure, our phones might seem to be more curse than blessing sometimes, eating up our time and attention more than we’d like to admit. But of course they have also … Continued
Tell Your Story for Urban Archive’s “My Archive”
If you’re not familiar with the Urban Archive App, now is a great time to delve into it. GVSHP has partnered with Urban Archive extensively, and we’re adding one more … Continued
New Historic Images- Astor Place, 10th Street, Village Community School, and more.
GVSHP just added 29 new historic images to our archive taken from current public applications to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for significant changes to landmarked buildings in our neighborhoods. … Continued
Village Preservation’s Historic Image Archive: Interior Motives
With the colder air, the shorter days, and the mania of holiday planning that come with late November, it seems right to start spending more time in the warm, comfortable … Continued
Wanamaker’s, A Shoppers Paradise
In a recent application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to make some changes to the building at 770 Broadway (8th/9th Streets), there is a great picture of this impressive building … Continued
Trendy Nightspot is the Clue to this Historic Image Mystery, Hiding in Plain Sight
Last week we solved one of our longstanding historic photo mysteries, when Eric Robinson, the cousin of the photographer, Carole Teller, was able to identify the location of this elevated train which … Continued
A ‘Riveting’ Historic Photo Mystery Solved!
GVSHP’s historic image archive reflects an amazing cross-section of NYC history. Many of the images arrived to us unidentified in terms of location. We have solved many historic photo mysteries including … Continued
How well do you know the Village?
GVSHP partnered with the Village Alliance and Urban Archive to host a scavenger hunt in the Village on September 15, 2018. One team got all 30 questions right – can you … Continued
A Times Square Art Excursion with Carole Teller
There are limitless things to discover among the astounding collections of photographs by Carole Teller in GVSHP’s Historic Image Archive. A resident of the East Village for over 50 years, … Continued
Historic Photo Mysteries Solved
Last week we put out a call for help to solve mysteries regarding the locations of some images from our Historic Image Archive‘s most recent addition, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part … Continued
More Photo Mysteries from our Newest Historic Photo Collection
We recently unveiled the new addition to our Historic Image Archive, Carole Teller’s Changing New York, Part 4, which includes about two hundred fifty images of Greenwich Village, the East Village, … Continued
A Bevy of New Historic Images from Landmarks Applications
Every month, GVSHP posts the upcoming applications for changes to landmarked properties in our neighborhoods that are significant enough to warrant a public hearing, known as certificates of appropriateness. Typically … Continued
Putting Historic Images On The Map
Our ever-expanding historic image archive has a number of fascinating collections which offer glimpses into our neighborhood and beyond throughout past decades. Carol Teller’s Changing New York (Parts I, II … Continued
Help us Solve Some Historic Photo Mysteries
Over 80 new historic photos taken by Carole Teller were recently added to the GVSHP Image Archive. Every time we add photos to our collection, we uncover some great stories, like … Continued
A Walk Around the East Village ca. 1980 with Carole Teller
One of the facts of life that has always bummed me out is that I can’t visit history, to experience the past first-hand. Thankfully, though, GVSHP has just released Part … Continued
Our 2018 Resolutions
Happy New Year! We here at GVSHP hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and look forward to 2018! Like many people everywhere, GVSHP has also made some resolutions for the … Continued
A Great Tool for Seeing History Wherever You Are
My colleague, Director of Research and Preservation Sarah Bean Apmann (she tells me that “Exalted Majesty Tour Guide” also works as a title), led the first GVSHP walking tour that I attended – … Continued
Fred W. McDarrah’s Greenwich Village and the East Village of the 1950s and 60s
Perhaps no single photographer could be said to have captured the energy, the cultural ferment, the reverberating social change emanating from New York City in the second half of the 20th century … Continued
New York City from the 1970s to 9/11: Through the Lens of Meredith Marciano
A film industry location scout with a keen eye for settings, Meredith Jacobson Marciano has been an East Village resident since 1986. An avid photographer with an eye for pop … Continued
Solving Mysteries in Historic Photos, Part II
Last time we put out a call to the public to help us solve some mysteries in historic photos, we got a great response. While we have identified many of … Continued
Remember ‘The Alamo’: A history of the Astor Place cube
On November 1, 1967, an enigmatic 20-foot-tall cube first appeared on a lonely traffic island where Astor Place and 8th Street meet. Though several months before the release of “2001: … Continued
The Alamo Turns 50!
On November 1, 1967, an 8′ x 8′ x 8′ 1,800-pound giant black cube was installed in Astor Place as one of 25 temporary public artworks by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. However, … Continued
Rare photos of the High Line being demolished in the 1960s tell the story of a changing West Village
Few structures have had a more far-reaching impact upon the West Village and Chelsea than the High Line. Its construction in 1934, then partial demolition in the early ’60s, and … Continued
The High Line is Dismantled and the West Side is Transformed
There’s no overstating it – we at Village Preservation love our members and friends sharing old mementos and images of our neighborhood. Personal or family pictures taken of one’s surroundings or … Continued
Solving Mysteries in Historic Photos
One of many wonderful things GVSHP does is accept donations of old photos for our historic image archive, so we can share them with the world. Old photos of course … Continued
Oral History: Gloria McDarrah and Last Chance to Purchase an Iconic Piece of History
Three years ago today, Village Preservation conducted an oral history with Gloria McDarrah, a Village resident for over 60 years and a longtime member of GVSHP. She worked in publishing, … Continued