At the eastern end of Duane Street behind One Police Plaza hides a little-known relic of war and suffering. It’s a window and some surrounding bricks from the Rhinelander Sugar House prison—originally built in 1763 as a warehouse to store sugar and mol... »
Constructing the Brooklyn Bridge didn’t just claim the lives of up to 30 laborers. John and Washington Roebling, the father and son engineers in charge of building the bridge, were also casualties. John Roebling, right, lost his life early on. Named ch... »
When the Brooklyn Bridge opened in May 1883, it gained fame for its beauty and accessibility. And not long after that, it became known for its jumpers. The first person to leap from the bridge was Robert Odlum, a 34-year-old swimming instructor. On the... »
The vantage point in a “View From Brooklyn,” painted by George Copeland Ault in 1927, looks like Brooklyn Heights or Red Hook. Or is it farther up the East River, from Williamsburg or Greenpoint? “A precisionist and surrealist painter, especially noted... »
When the Williamsburg Bridge opened on December 19, 1903, Scientific American (by way of nycroads.com) had this to say about a structure critics conceded wasn’t nearly as breathtaking as its neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge: “Considered from the aesthetic... »
Amazing that a century-old penny postcard can capture the beauty and magic one still encounters on a stroll across this magnificent bridge. »
When the Brooklyn Bridge—under construction for 13 years—was gearing up for opening day in May 1883, 19th century New York’s biggest showman made a proposal. To test out the bridge, P.T. Barnum offered, he’d walk his troupe of elephants across it. Auth... »
In the years after the Revolutionary War, Brooklynites living along Wallabout Bay off the East River were greeted almost daily by a macabre sight. Human bones and skulls, bleached by the sun, would be unearthed by tides, washing ashore. These were the ... »
Early 20th century Brooklyn offered lots of ways to get around: elevated trains, trolley cars, and automobiles, as this postcard, stamped 1918, shows. Is this another view of the same intersection circa 1925? It’s from the Brooklyn Historical Society’s... »
