Documentation of the extensive collection of urban-scene paintings at the Museum of the City of New York commenced with a generous initial grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 1989 -1992, which enabled the Museum to concentrate on the creation of systematic object files and artist files for the collection, while benefiting from the advice of consulting art historian Dr. William H. Gerdts. The NEA also supported the subsequent conservation of many individual paintings. Consecutive grant awards from the Bay Foundation paid for additional conservation of key canvases and panel paintings. The National Endowment for the Humanities advanced the documentation of the collections by providing for the invaluable expertise, during the period from 1992 to 1995, of consulting scholars Elizabeth Blackmar, Daniel Bluestone, Cristine Boyer, Kevin Starr, Ellen Todd, and the late Milton Brown. The grant included partial funding for the preparation of the catalogue manuscript, the content of which was enlivened and focused by contributions of consulting historians Michele H. Bogart and William R. Taylor. Furthermore, the publication program of The J. M. Kaplan Fund and the Moore Charitable Foundation also awarded funds that made possible the final organization and printing of this book. W. Cody Wilson generously made possible the special fold-out page showing the Anatol Shulkin mural (plate 75) and the Ben Shahn series (plates 76 -81).

The creation of Painting the Town has drawn heavily on the expertise and assistance of many scholars and researchers, as well as on staff members of numerous galleries, auction houses, archives, historical organizations, and libraries. Sources of information are generally cited in the endnotes accompanying each essay and catalogue entry. Certain individuals and institutions, however, deserve special acknowledgment for their contributions: Archives of American Art, the Art Students League, Joe Austin, Kevin Avery (Department of American Paintings and Sculpture, Metropolitan Museum of Art), the Bauta family, Rick Beard, Raymond Beecher (Greene County Historical Society), Lynn S. Beman, Deborah Bershad (New York City Art Commission), Mary Brendle, Lillian Brenwasser, Kennedy Galleries, Brooklyn Museum Library and the American Paintings Department, Norman Brouwer (South Street Seaport Museum Library), the late Milton Brown, Katherine Burnside (Hirschl and Adler Galleries), Marietta Bushnell (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Library), Kathleen Collins (New York City Transit Authority Archives), Irene Cramer (Woodstock Art Association), Gloria Deak, Joseph DePlasco (New York City Department of Transportation), David Dearinger (National Academy of Design), Joseph di Troia, Jameson W. Doig (Princeton University), Douglas Dreishpoon, the Floating Hospital, Frick Art Reference Library, Maxine Friedman (Staten Island Historical Society), Abigail Gerdts (National Academy of Design), Holly Haswell (Columbiana Library, Columbia University), Catherine Hayes (Hirschl and Adler Galleries),

Richard Hollinger (Transit Authority Museum Archive), Pamela Hubbard (Department of American Paintings and Sculpture, Metropolitan Museum), Joseph Jackson (New York Yacht Club Library), Steven Jaffee (Con Edison Library), Kennedy Galleries, Norman Kleeblatt (Jewish Museum), Marianne Kramer (Central Park Conservancy), Jeffrey Kroessler, Jonathan Kuhn (New York City curator of monuments), Grace La Gambina, Cassandra Langer, Sarah Landau, Claire Laurens (Brooklyn Historical Society), Christopher Letts (Hudson River Foundation), Kathleen Luhrs, Kenneth Maddox (Newington-Cropsey Foundation), John Manbeck (Brooklyn Borough Historian), the National Academy of Design, Janet Marcuse, Kathleen McCauley (Bronx County Historical Society), Brooks McNamara, the Metropolitan Museum (Thomas J. Watson Library and the Department of American Paintings and Sculpture), Elsa Meyers (New Jersey Historical Society), National Museum of American Art, Kenneth Moser, Kenneth Myers, Ellen Nelson (Cape Ann Historical Society), New York Public Library, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Arts, Prints, and Photographs, Kenneth Newman (Old Print Shop), Anthony J. Peluso, Nina Root (American Museum of Natural History), Laura Rosen (Triborough Bridge Authority Archives), Michael Rosenfeld (Michael Rosenfeld Gallery), Charles Sachs (New York City Transit Museum), Marvin Schneider, Vincent Seyfried (Queens Historical Society), Paul Schweitzer (Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute), Wendy Shadwell (New-York Historical Society), Howard and Carolyn Sievan, Peter Sluszka (Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and Birdsall), the Society of Illustrators, Joel Swimler (American Museum of Natural History), Barbara Sykes-Austen (Avery Library, Columbia University), Irene Tichener (Brooklyn Historical Society), Leonard Louis Tucker (Massachusetts Historical Society), Laura L. Vookles (Hudson River Museum), Robert C. Vose, Jr., Cristina Wasserman (National Museum of Women in the Arts), Bruce Weber (Berry-Hill Galleries), Nancy Weinstock (New York Times Picture Archives), Steve Wheeler (New York Stock Exchange Archives), Margo Williams (Brooklyn Historical Society), John Wilmerding (Princeton University), Mina Weiner, Sharon Worley (Cape Ann Historical Society), Devra Zetlan (Municipal Reference Library), and Richard Zigun (Coney Island U.S.A.)

Patient, loyal volunteers and student interns in the Museum's Department of Paintings and Sculpture contributed countless hours to organize material and follow up research leads. Their detective work and enthusiasm kept the project moving forward. Volunteers included Ann Blatt, Nancy Cochran, Florence Daniels, Fritz Gold, the late Barbara Halpern, Margo Hensler, Andrea Lakian, Ellen Schreiber, the late Herbert Schwartz, Nanette Scofield, Hilda Spitz, the late Ruth Stone, Edith Umansky, Rein Virkma, Helga Windhager, and Carole Zicklin. Interns were Shelley H. Butler, Mora Beauchamp Byrd, Jennifer Hochhauser, Katherine Kuo, Katherine McCusker, Hong Mei, Eileen Kennedy Morales, Nicholas Popper, Miriam Shuman, Jonathan Solomon, and Sally Weiner.

Present and former colleagues at the Museum of the City of New York provided vital support and good humor, making themselves available to guide research and assist with the technical production of this publication. Special thanks to Terry Ariano, Kathleen Benson, Darnelle Bernier, Sheila Clark, Mary Cope, Andrew Davis, Rob Del Bagno, M. Alison Eisendrath, Edward P. Henry, Marty Jacobs, Edya Kalev, Lisa Kim, Lisa Koenigsberg, Marguerite Lavin, Barbara Lund-Jones, Phyllis Magidson, Carol McGrath, Jane McNamara, Josephine Nelson, Leslie Nolan, the late Mark Ouderkirk, Australia Ramos, Wendy Rogers, Peter Simmons, Deborah Dependahl Waters, Amy Weinstein, Steven West, Kassy Wilson, Jennifer Wolf, and Bonnie Yochelson.