Trees A Comin!

Hurricane Sandy, with intense winds across Green-Wood’s 478 acres a few months ago, toppled, snapped off, and broke into pieces about 300 of our 7,000 trees. Now, in order to make amends, and at the same time bring to fruition several long-anticipated tree-planting projects, Art Presson, Green-Wood’s superintendent of the grounds, has gotten to work … Read more

In Memoriam: Captain Richard V.W. Thorne, Jr.

Recently, I came across an online item for sale. Here’s what it looks like: Not very impressive on the outside. But, on the inside . . . It was described by the seller as follows: An original and very ornate one of a kind MEMORIAL book prepared by the BROOKLYN CITY GUARD, an early Militia … Read more

John McComb: Old New York Architect

This is a guest blog by Benjamin Feldman, a great Green-Wood and New York City enthusiast who is the author of “Butchery on Bond Street: Sexual Politics and the Burdell-Cunningham Murder Case in Ante-Bellum New York” and “Call Me Daddy: Babes and Bathos in Edward West Browning’s Jazz-Age New York.”  Ben blogs at The New … Read more

Bronzes On Display

The Green-Wood Historic Fund recently lent a magnificent bronze of Civil War Brigadier General Thomas Sweeny to the exhibition, “American Heroes in Bronze: The Artwork of James E. Kelly,” at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown, New Jersey. You will find more on Sweeny’s fascinating story, from an earlier blog post, here. As the museum … Read more

Back To Oz

This Friday, the much-ballyhooed 3D movie, Oz The Great and Powerful, a prequel to the classic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” opens across the country. It stars James Franco as Oz. Here’s the video trailer. Which, of course, reminds us that veteran actor Frank Morgan reached the pinnacle of his career when he played … Read more

An Important, But Long-Forgotten, Architect

Ever on the watch for items for our Green-Wood Historic Fund Collections, I recently came across this photograph. And, after doing some research, I purchased it for Green-Wood. That name–Alexander Saeltzer–rang a bell for me–I am quite the fan of 19th-century New York City architecture and architects. So, I did some research. It turns out … Read more

Baseball Is In The Air!

Pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training. Baseball is in the air! And, earlier this month, an 1865 photograph of a baseball team sold at auction in Biddeford, Maine, for a $92,000 ($80,000 was the top bid; with buyer’s premium, the total for the buyer to take it home was $92,000). Now, that was … Read more

Green-Wood and Brooklyn Historical Society in 2013

GREEN-WOOD HISTORIC FUND AND BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETYANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS OFFERED (BROOKLYN, NY – January 16, 2013)  The Green-Wood Historic Fund (GWHF) and Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) announced today that they have entered into a one-year strategic partnership to collaborate on important public projects that celebrate the history of the two institutions, the … Read more