Notable New Yorkers

Antonia Pantoja—a black, queer, Puerto Rican educator and social worker—was a formidable figure in the historical development of Puerto Rican and Latinx life in New York, Puerto Rico, California, and beyond during the second half of the 20th century.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"Meet" Charles T. Harvey, featured in the exhibition "New York at Its Core," who worked to solve New York City's traffic problem in the early 20th century.

"Meet" Ellen Curtis “Madame” Demorest, a pioneering and creative entrepreneur featured in the exhibition "New York at Its Core." Along with her husband William, she created a massive fashion empire in New York City in the middle of the 19th century.

Florence Mills (1896-1927) is one of nearly 70 New Yorkers you can virtually “meet” if you visit the Museum’s permanent exhibition New York at Its Core. We’re bringing her to you #MuseumFromHome in honor of Women’s History Month. Read on to learn more about this iconic New Yorker.

The Museum's exhibitions have shared stories of the world’s most influential metropolis. our most recent exhibition, "Collecting New York's Stories: Stuyvesant to Sid Vicious" features highlights drawn from hundreds of additions to the Museum’s permanent collection over the past three years, including photographs that will intrigue anyone who appreciates music legends who have made their mark on the city throughout the years.

Rebecca Jacobs, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, and filmmaker Nate Lavey created an original film in collaboration with Louis Mofsie on The Thunderbirds’ 41st Annual Grand Mid-Summer Pow Wow, held in summer 2019.