When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? : And 101 Other Questions About New York City

For years, the librarians at the New-York Historical Society have kept a record of the questions posed to them by curious New Yorkers and visitors to the city. Who was the first woman to run for mayor of New York? Why are beavers featured on the city's official seal? Is it true that a nineteenth-century New Yorker built a house out of spite? These questions involve people, places, buildings, monuments, rumors, and urban myths. They concern sports, food, transportation, the arts, politics, nature, and Central Park, among many other subjects. Taken together, they attest to the infinite stories hidden within the most intriguing metropolis in the world. In __When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green?__ the staff of the New-York Historical Society Library answer more than a hundred of the most popular and compelling queries. The endlessly entertaining entries in this book feature hard-to-find data and unforgettable profiles, sharing snapshots of New York's secret history for all to enjoy. Drawing on the library's extensive collections, the staff reveal when the first book was printed in New York, whether the story of Harlem residents presenting rats to government officials is true, who exactly were the Collyer brothers and why were they famous, and why premature babies were once displayed in Coney Island. For readers who love trivia, urban history, strange tales, and, of course, New York City, this book will delight with its rich, informative, and surprising stories. **Look inside to learn:** How "Peg-Leg" Peter Stuyvesant lost his right leg Whether Manhattan used to have cowboysHow the New York Yankees got their nameWho was Pig Foot MaryWhy the Manhattan House of Detention is called the TombsWho was Topsy and how she electrified New York CityHow many speakeasies were open during ProhibitionWhat occurred every May in the nineteenth century to cause so much commotionWhen penguins were stolen from the Coney Island Aquarium For years, the librarians at the New-York Historical Society have kept a record of the questions posed to them by curious New Yorkers and visitors to the city. Who was the first woman to run for mayor of New York? Why are beavers featured on the city's official seal? Is it true that a nineteenth-century New Yorker built a house out of spite? These questions involve people, places, buildings, monuments, rumors, and urban myths. They concern sports, food, transportation, the arts, politics, nature, and Central Park, among many other subjects. Taken together, they attest to the infinite stories hidden within the most intriguing metropolis in the world. In When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? the staff of the New York Historical Society Library answer more than a hundred of the most popular and compelling queries. The endlessly entertaining entries in this book feature hard-to-find data and unforgettable profiles, sharing snapshots of New York's secret history for all to enjoy. Drawing on the library's extensive collections, the staff reveal when the first book was printed in New York, whether the story of Harlem residents presenting rats to government officials is true, who exactly were the Collyer brothers and why were they famous, and why premature babies were once displayed in Coney Island. For readers who love trivia, urban history, strange tales, and, of course, New York City, this book will delight with its rich, informative, and surprising stories.-- Provided by publisher A treasury of trivia from the New-York Historical Society: “An extraordinary tapestry depicting New York's story.... An almost addictive read.”— Library Journal For years, the librarians at the New-York Historical Society have kept a record of the questions posed to them by curious locals and visitors to the city. Who was the first woman to run for mayor of New York? Why are beavers featured on the city's official seal? Is it true that a nineteenth-century New Yorker built a house out of spite? Who were the Collyer brothers? In this book, the library staff answers more than a hundred of the most popular and compelling queries. With endlessly entertaining entries featuring hard-to-find data and unforgettable profiles, it’s ideal for those who love trivia, urban history, strange tales, and, of course, New York City. Discover: How “Peg-Leg” Peter Stuyvesant lost his right leg Whether Manhattan used to have cowboys How the New York Yankees got their name Who was Pig Foot Mary Why the Manhattan House of Detention is called the Tombs Who Topsy was and how she electrified New York City How many speakeasies were open during Prohibition What occurred every May in the nineteenth century to cause so much commotion When penguins were stolen from the Coney Island Aquarium, and much more This Volume Examines The Proliferation Of Popular Romances, Their Vilification By Elite Writers, And The Ultimate Opposition Of Popular And Literary Fiction. Using Robert Greene's Pandosto (1585), An Elizabethan Prose Romance That Inspired Shakespeare's Late Play The Winter's Tale As A Case Study, Newcomb Demonstrates That Versions Of The Two Texts Repeatedly Converge, Resisting Simple High/low Division. Because Shakespeare's Works Are Considered Timeless Literary Achievements, Critics Have Distanced His Plays From Their Romance Sources--a Separation That Until Now Has Gone Largely Unquestioned. Newcomb Challenges This Assumption, Providing A Fascinating Account Of An Early Best-seller's Incarnations Over 250 Years Of Literary History. Growne So Ordinarie : Producing Robert Greene's Pandosto And Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, 1585-92 -- Social Things : Commodifying Pandosto, 1592-1640 -- Material Alteration : Re-commodifying Dorastus And Fawnia And The Winter's Tale, 1623-1843 -- The Romance Of Service : The Readers Of Dorastus And Fawnia, 1615-1762. Lori Humphrey Newcomb. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 267-316) And Index. In When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? The staff of the New-York Historical Society Library answer more than a hundred of the most popular and compelling queries. The endlessly entertaining entries in this book feature hard-to-find data and unforgettable profiles, sharing snapshots of New York's secret history for all to enjoy. Drawing on the library's extensive collections, the staff reveal when the first book was printed in New York, whether the story of Harlem residents presenting rats to government officials is true, who exactly were the Collyer brothers and why were they famous, and why premature babies were once displayed in Coney Island. For readers who love trivia, urban history, strange tales, and, of course, New York City, this book will delight with its rich, informative, and surprising stories. The New-York Historical Society, a preeminent educational and research institution, is home to both New York City's oldest museum and one of the nation's most distinguished independent research libraries. Each year, the library staff assists more than 5000 researchers on-site and another 5000 remotely. --Book Jacket With the expansion of the publishing industry between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, reading for pleasure became possible for an increasing number of people, not just the wealthy and educated. The growth of the book trade produced, alongside elite literature, a parallel popular literature. Lori Humphrey Newcomb examines the proliferation of romances in early modern England, as well as their vilification by elite writers. Using as her case study Robert Greene's Pandosto (1585), an Elizabethan prose romance that inspired Shakespeare's late play, The Winter's Tale, she shows that the two forms of literature influenced each other profoundly. Because Shakespeare's works are considered timeless literary achievements, critics have distanced his plays from his romantic sources--a separation that until now has gone unquestioned. Newcomb undermines this assumption, providing a fascinating account of an early bestseller's incarnations over 250 years of literary history With the expansion of the publishing industry between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, reading for pleasure became possible for an increasing number of people, not just the wealthy and educated. The growth of the book trade produced, alongside elite literature, a parallel popular literature. Lori Humphrey Newcomb examines the proliferation of romances in early modern England, as well as their vilification by elite writers. Using as her case study Robert Greenes "Pandosto" (1585), an Elizabethan prose romance that inspired Shakespeares late play, "The Winters Tale, " she shows that the two forms of literature influenced each other profoundly.Because Shakespeares works are considered timeless literary achievements, critics have distanced his plays from his romantic sources -a separation that until now has gone unquestioned. Newcomb undermines this assumption, providing a fascinating account of an early bestsellers incarnations over 250 years of literary history. Contents Foreword by Ric Burns Acknowledgments Firsts and Origins History and Politics Curiosities and Wonders Buildings, Streets, and Neighborhoods Arts, Leisure, and Diversions Index New York, New York City, New York History, Reference new,york;,new,york,city;,new,york,city,history;,reference new york,new york city,new york city history,reference