Greenwich Village: Today and Yesterday

Eighth Street, ca. 1945, by Berenice Abbott

Seventy years ago, photographer Berenice Abbott and writer Henry Lanier published Greenwich Village: Yesterday and Today, a book that was one part photographic portrait of the neighborhood, one part history, and one part (quasi) walking tour.

Earlier this summer, James headed out with a copy of the book to see how much of Lanier and Abbott's neighborhood still exists. The results were published today by Curbed NY and can be read at 

https://ny.curbed.com/2019/9/4/20847376/greenwich-village-berenice-abbott-history-tour

Abbott's photos, while not as famous as those she took in the 1930s for Changing New York, capture the Village on the cusp of change. As James notes in the article, many of the places Abbott photographed were already on the verge of closing when she captured the images. Some of the Abbott photos that weren't reproduced in the story are included below.

The Lafayette Hotel, ca. 1945, by Berenice Abbott

Edward Hopper in his studio, ca. 1945-48, by Berenice Abbott

Children playing in Washington Square Park, ca. 1945, by Berenice Abbott

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Read more in

Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City
-- NOW OUT AS AN AUDIOBOOK! --

and don't forget

Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers

Postcard Thursday: Examining History with an Old Guidebook

James has a story that ran in Curbed NY yesterday detailing a walk around Lower Manhattan using a guidebook written in 1909.

Initially, his plan was simply to see how accurate that guidebook could be today, but along the way, he encountered a number of plaques and markers commemorating the Revolutionary War, and this set him on a different tack. You can read all about it in the article: https://ny.curbed.com/2018/3/28/17168160/new-york-city-walking-tour-historic-guidebooks-1909.

A number of the spots talked about in the story will also feature in our walking tour on Saturday, April 21, "Hidden History" of Lower Manhattan. There are only a few spots left for this unique walk, so please read all the details at http://blog.insidetheapple.net/2018/03/hidden-history-lower-manhattan-walking.html and sign up today!

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Read more about NYC history in

 

Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers

Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City

Hidden History: Lower Manhattan Walking Tour

Hidden History: Lower Manhattan Walking Tour Saturday, April 21, from Noon-2pm Join James Nevius, author of Inside the Apple and Footprints in New York, for a walk around the Financial District in search of moments from the city's rich history that have faded from view. We'll search out forgotten marble markers, obscure statues of famous people (and famous statues of obscure people), explore the remnants of the Dutch village of New Amsterdam, and discover why New Yorkers a century ago were OBSESSED with the American Revolution. Whether you've traversed this neighborhood your whole life or are new to the area, this tour will likely show you places you've never seen before. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Reserve on or before Friday, April 13, you can reserve spots for just $20 per person, after which time the price will jump to $25 per person. TO RESERVE: Send your name, the number of people in your group, and a contact number (in case we have to contact you on the day of the tour) to walknyc@gmail.com. We will send you a confirmation with details of where to meet within 24 hours.

Postcard Thursday: 1866 Redux

Last July, James wrote a piece for Curbed about exploring modern-day New York City with a handful of 19th-century guidebooks as his only companions. The piece, "A Walking Tour of 1866 New York," has recently been nominated for an award for "Outstanding Achievement in NYC Essay/Article/Series Writing" by the Guides Association of New York City.

While we wait to see if he's won (winners will be announced March 6), here's the link to the story, a fascinating piece of time travel. http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/27/12278588/new-york-city-historic-guidebooks-walking-tour

There's more history-minded journalism coming soon from James and Curbed, including a story about the Broadway Theater District and another time-travel feature. The best way to keep up on these things is to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/insidetheapple or Twitter www.twitter.com/insidetheapple.

Those guidebooks have some fabulous advertisements in them. Here's just one example:

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Read more about NYC history in

 

Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers

Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City

Postcard Thursday: Time Travel to 1866

Earlier this summer, James took to the streets with a handful of guidebooks written in the 19th century to see if he could reconstruct a 150-year-old walking tour. He walked from Battery Park to Madison Square, examining what was -- and was not -- still visible from the era just after the Civil War.

His write-up of his adventures was published yesterday in Curbed. You can read it at http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/27/12278588/new-york-city-historic-guidebooks-walking-tour. There's also a handy map with some of the highlights from James's reconstructed tour at http://ny.curbed.com/maps/new-york-city-historic-guidebooks-map

One great aspect of these guidebooks are the advertisements.

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FINAL REMINDER -- TOMORROW!
JULY 29 at 6:30PM || EXPLORING HAMILTON'S NEW YORK

We will be speaking at the New-York Historical Society on Friday, July 29, at 6:30pm. The illustrated talk, which takes you through the New York City Alexander Hamilton would have known, is free with museum admission (which is pay-what-you-wish on Friday nights) but the museum would like you to make a reservation. Click this link for all the details: http://www.nyhistory.org/programs/exploring-hamilton%E2%80%99s-new-york

* * * * Read more about NYC history in   Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City