Notable New Yorkers

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Four dresses which belonged to Marian Anderson, in various colors and styles dressed on mannequins placed in front of the Museum's main staircase.
Behind-the-Scenes Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Marian Anderson's Concert Gowns

Exploring Anderson’s career, the Museum has undertaken a project to examine, photograph, and digitize a collection of twelve garments—11 concert gowns and one coat dating from the early 1930s to the late 1950s—that were donated to the museum in 1993 by Bette Midler to help preserve the singer’s legacy.
Willis Reed and Wilt Chamberlain tip off at the start of a basketball game
Notable New Yorkers Friday, November 13, 2020

Glory at The Garden: When the Knicks Won it All

On May 8, 1970, the New York Knicks won their very first NBA championship amidst a tumultuous era in NYC history. Reflect on a time when the city’s sports stars were like rock stars, and it felt like anything was possible in New York.  
The Museum of the City of New York was honored to host Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Notable New Yorkers Monday, October 19, 2020

RBG and NYC

Since the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, 2020 at the age of 87, countless pieces have explored her work and enormous legacy.
Black text on white background reads “I [Heart] NY More Than Ever.” The bright red heart symbol has a black bruise along the lower left edge.
Behind-the-Scenes Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Milton Glaser and I [heart] New York

A tribute to celebrated graphic designer Milton Glaser, who created the iconic I [heart] NY logo. A selection of his works were recently added to the Museum’s Ephemera Collection, and several reflect cultural and social movements of the late 20th and early 21st century.
Colorized photograph of Elsie Richardson
Notable New Yorkers Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Elsie Richardson: Investing in Bed-Stuy

Civil rights and community activist Elsie Richardson (1922-2012) undertook visionary organizing in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant beginning in the 1960s. Her work in creating the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation drew citywide and national attention.
Color photograph of Mario César Romero wearing a white suit jacket and burgundy button down shirt against a brown-marbled wall
Notable New Yorkers Thursday, May 7, 2020

Mario César Romero

Mario César Romero, (b. 1942) was a great friend to the Museum who recently passed away from COVID-19. Kathy Benson Haskins, former Museum staff member (now retired) and Community Advocate, wrote this heartfelt tribute that highlights his connections to East Harlem.
A black and white photograph of three nurses standing around a patient in a hospital bed.
Movements and Causes Friday, April 24, 2020

Echoes of Epidemics Past:

Infectious disease has repeatedly shaped and challenged our city. In fact, before the 20th century, contagion was the overwhelming fact of life – and death – in New York.
Color photograph of Fathers Denis Hanly (right) Joanna Chan, and Richard Grillo (left), sitting in a living room.
Notable New Yorkers Friday, April 17, 2020

Building Bridges with Language and Theater

Among the almost 70 New Yorkers featured in the Museum of the City of New York’s permanent exhibition, New York at Its Core, is Sister Joanna Wan-Ying Chan, 陳尹瑩, a multi-lingual and multi-talented artist who founded vital cultural institutions in Manhattan’s Chinatown.