1960s
Woodstock: What people said the famous music festival was REALLY like (1969)
Woodstock was supposed to be ‘3 days of peace and music’ – but as these stories from right after the concert describe, it didn’t exactly end up that way.
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1800s
70 vintage Coney Island beach, boardwalk & amusement park scenes (1890s-1920s)
As you can see from these Vintage Coney Island photos & postcards, This beach area just outside New York City was one of the most popular resorts in the United States.
1980s
The original Ghostbusters: A blockbuster movie that’s not a bust (1984)
With a cast headed by Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Dan Aykroyd, the original ‘Ghostbusters’ movie from 1984 had blockbuster written all over it.
1900s
Give me your tired, your poor: The history of the Statue of Liberty poem
On the inside of the pedestal of the world-famous New York landmark is the Statue of Liberty poem, written by Emma Lazarus to welcome immigrants and visitors to America.
1800s
What was it like to be a telephone operator? Behind the scenes in the early switchboard days
In the olden days, you needed a telephone operator to connect your call manually through a switchboard. Her job wasn’t as easy as you might think.
1910s
Harry Houdini’s underwater box escape: See how he did his famous trick
Houdini’s underwater box escape was one of his most famous tricks – he was was shackled, chained and nailed into a box before being thrown overboard.
1980s
Matt Dillon: An insider’s talk with teen actor & ‘The Outsiders’ star (1983)
Sometimes life is like a movie, like actor Matt Dillon’s life. Nothing much happened to him until age 14, when he was discovered at a New York junior high.
1900s
The New York heat wave: How people tried to beat the heat back in 1911
Before air conditioning and refrigerators existed, here’s how peolple managed to stay cool during the great New York heat wave of 1911.
1800s
Lillie Langtry: The life and loves of the scandalous Jersey Lily
Legendary beauty Lillie Langtry was a statuesque blonde with blue eyes, a perfect complexion and a ravishing figure. She was acclaimed by the social set, and became the mistress of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
1910s
The Titanic sank fast – and these are some of the 1,500 people she took with her (1912)
Beneath words “Titanic sank” is the tale of a tragedy that gave birth to heroism and cowardice: Greatest of leviathans went to oblivion in 100 minutes
1900s
These 10 old roller coasters at vintage amusement parks will make you really appreciate today’s safety standards
Take a look back at ten old roller coasters from the early 1900s, and admire the courage of the riders who sat down in those rickety little cars and sped off into the wild blue yonder.
1800s
So much snow! NYC overwhelmed during the Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 lasted from March 11 through March 14, 1888, and is considered to be one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history.
1800s
See how our famous Statue of Liberty was originally assembled, from the 6-story head to the gigantic torch
It took years to complete the construction of the Statue of Liberty – also known as Liberty Enlightening the World – but here are some peeks behind the scenes into how it was done!
1800s
See how they had to remove snow 100 years ago
Without the kind of winter weather equipment we take for granted, removing snow from city streets and sidewalks was a huge undertaking. Here’s a look!
1910s
Think you’re stylish now? See how ladies’ little nose rings started to get trendy 100 years ago
More than a hundred years ago, daring women started to wear nose rings as a fashion statement. Take a look back at their favorite jewelry styles… and the reaction to the rings.
1970s
Debbie Harry & Blondie have the punk rock moves (1977)
The band Blondie was discovered one night by some wealthy people out slumming after the theatre, and hired to perform at a party in a posh apartment.
1970s
Tourist photos of the World Trade Center (before 9/11)
Here’s a selection of photos taken by visitors to NYC who snapped pictures of the impressively tall twin towers of the World Trade Center during the months and years before they fell.
1970s
The Godfather: The gangster movie moves uptown (1972)
You liked the side action upstairs in the bedroom during the wedding from the book The Godfather? In the movie, you got it. Liked the horse-head bit? You got it. The restaurant caper with the crooked police captain? You got it, you got it.
1980s
The Beatles’ John Lennon shot and killed in New York (1980)
Former Beatle John Lennon shot and killed in New York: The musician who set the beat for a revolutionary youth generation in the 1960s, was shot to death outside his Manhattan home.
1800s
How long did people live in the Victorian era? US life expectancy in the 1800s
What is the average lifespan for men and women in America? Among the curious things shown by the census of 1880 is the new data relative to the US life expectancy.
1910s
How 146 people died needlessly in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (1911)
To this day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York on March 25, 1911, remains the deadliest industrial disaster in the city’s history,
1930s
5 classic oven-fried chicken recipes from the ’30s
How to make oven-fried chicken – Texas recipe (1939) Oven-fried chicken is one of the dishes that is particularly simple to prepare. After the preliminary
1970s
TV’s Taxi takes off with Hirsch, DeVito & Danza (1978-1982)
Set in New York, ‘Taxi’ concerns the lives of folks laboring for the Sunshine Cab Co. Judd Hirsch plays the only real cabbie – the others are just hacking until they get a break in their real calling.
1980s
Earthlings love the movie E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial, with his oversized, glowing heart, has been capturing the fancy of moviegoers since he touched down in earthbound theaters to the tune of about $3 million a day.
1800s
The end of an era: New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel torn down (1929)
The doors of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a 36-year-old internationally-known institution, closed May 1, 1929. Noisy wreckers will clank in to tear it down. The old generation passes with a sigh. The new era enters with a roar.
1800s
Take a trip back to New York’s original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The luxurious original Waldorf-Astoria was among America’s first big hotels. When it was built during the Victorian era, and for years thereafter, it was considered the finest hotel in the world — and it soon became the most famous, too.
1800s
Owney: How the world’s most famous dog traveled the globe (1890s)
Owney, the world’s most popular dog has traveled almost around the globe. He made the journey around the world all alone and with only a tag about his neck — and found friends everywhere. Here’s the story!
1800s
Have you seen Tom Collins? Plus 5 classic Tom Collins cocktail recipes
A Tom Collins isn’t a drink just named after some guy, somewhere. It’s a drink named after nobody, nowhere. Ah, but there’s a story to go along with it all. Find out the backstory of “Have you seen Tom Collins?” — and get recipes for four original, old-fashioned versions of the Tom Collins cocktail!
1930s
Disney’s movie ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ dazzles the critics (1938)
NYC 1938: The dramatic entertainment most widely discussed for the past four weeks has been Walt Disney’s first full-length movie, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’
1800s
The suite life: See the rooms at the elegant old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1903)
New York City’s old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel — torn down in 1929 — was a luxurious Victorian building that served overnight guests as much as Manhattan’s social elite. Here, take a look inside the hotel rooms and suites, and see what accommodations would have looked like back in 1903!
1700s
New Amsterdam to now: Images of New York in the Colonial days
Here are images showing New York City’s growth from a frontier settlement known as New Amsterdam to the metropolis of the western world –through the Colonial times, and in the early days of US independence.
1970s
The Odd Couple: Jack Klugman & Tony Randall are Oscar & Felix (1970s)
“The Odd Couple” TV show recounted the madcap experiences of Felix Unger (Tony Randall) and Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman), two of Neil Simon’s most endearing and enduring characters.
1910s
Amazing newly-discovered footage takes you back to New York in 1911
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have lived a century ago, or to have wandered the streets of a much younger Manhattan, you will be amazed by this footage from New York in 1911!
1800s
See NYC’s stunning historical Fifth Avenue mansions (1890s)
Take a stroll back to the late 1800s and early 1900s to see some of the grand homes and mansions that lined New York City’s famed Fifth Avenue.
1910s
WWI: Media & public call for Germany’s unconditional surrender (1918)
In October 1918, near the end of WWI, The New York Tribune and other newspapers nationwide carried the line at the top of the front page: AMERICA’S HISTORIC ANSWER: UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.
1910s
Gray Gardens in the Hamptons: See this infamous mansion’s amazingly beautiful walled garden in color (1916)
Come take a stroll through these gated gardens, and lose yourself in another era. These photos show how the walled gardens at Gray Gardens in East Hampton, New York looked in the year 1916.
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