Hans Holbein’s painting Portrait of the Artist’s Wife with Katherine and Philipp reeks of reality. He used all his artistic magic as Henry VIII’s court painter. That work elevated his status. But it also made him a neglectful father and husband.
Lewis Latimer made history many times. From improving the lightbulb to helping Alexander Graham Bell, he’s a hero of invention and ingenuity.
New Yorkers know the name Dyckman. But many aren’t aware that this notoriety started with Dyckman Farmhouse. Luckily, it endures as a vital, engaging museum in Upper Manhattan.
The Met Cloisters Museum graces Upper Manhattan with art, peace, and quiet. Not a religious place, it still feels like a spiritual sanctuary. That’s thanks to the calming spaces and extraordinary art collection.
The Henrick I. Lott House makes the long trek into Deep South Brooklyn well worthwhile. This 1719 home itself makes history.
The Immigrants sculpture celebrates and portrays desperate longing all at once. It’s only steps across a path from Castle Clinton in Battery Park.
American History resonates throughout Fraunces Tavern. Sons of Liberty plotted our Revolutionary War. Then at its end, George Washington bid his troops farewell here.
Kid-friendly and communal, The Old Stone House breaks the House Museum mold. This historic structure keeps it real. There’s no pretension and nothing’s precious.
The Bronx holds no greater surprise than the exquisite Van Cortlandt House Museum. It’s an elegant estate – like a cake topper for the big city below.
Iconoclast Alice Austen captured her world with a keen photographer’s eye. Ahead of her time, Austen started taking pictures at only ten years old. Lucky for us, she never stopped.
The first time I visited Green-Wood Cemetery, I fell in love. It’s a Brooklyn Historical Marvel. Not only a place to honor death, there’s a lot to do and even more to learn.
Veterans Day only comes once a year. But memorials are with us every day. In fact, Battery Park in lower Manhattan teems with veterans memorials.
Conference House is a treasure trove for history lovers. Its parlor set stage for a Revolutionary War treaty that Ben Franklin and John Adams both attended.
The initial American Lefferts in the family was a first namer, Leffert Pietersen Van Haughwout. He arrived here on the Spotted Cow ship in 1660. The journey took seventy days across the Atlantic. Thank goodness he made it and then proceeded to marry and have 14 children. Brooklyn’s better off thanks to them. That’s true today due to the Lefferts Family Farmhouse landmark in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
The Little Red Lighthouse, a 40 foot wonder, saved lives along the Hudson River. In the 1800s, the river teamed with boats doing New York City business.
If the concept of Pompeii creeps you out, you should still go. We’ve all heard the tragic story of Pompeii. But misconceptions are prevalent.
Philipsburg Manor nestles beautifully in historic Sleepy Hollow, New York. It lies about a half hour train ride outside upper Manhattan. This landmark estate tour isn’t like the others.
Imagine capturing a hundred years in a townhouse time capsule. That’s what it’s like at the Merchant’s House Museum, thanks to Gertrude Tredwell.
La Basilica de la Sagrada Familia represents the culmination of Antoni Gaudi’s mastery. This glorious church lives and breathes. It’s a sacred place, even for a heathen like me.
A memorial to Nellie Bly awaits construction on Roosevelt Island, NYC. This was the site of her first journalistic adventure. Back then called Blackwell’s Island, this was where she spent her Ten Days in a Mad-House. It remains the most familiar and historic Nellie Bly story.
Angela Davis made history with a powerful and poignant voice. Her work began in the sixties Civil Right movement and continues today. Scholar, activist, writer, and all around badass, she exemplifies strength.