1. We’re celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday today with a lovely image depicting his First Folio, which the Library is honored to have in its collection! It’s a great day to enjoy one of his sonnets, read MacBeth (that’s one of our favorites), or delve into the mysterious life of the master author. May your day be “as merry as the day is long.” (Much Ado About Nothing)

    We’re celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday today with a lovely image depicting his First Folio, which the Library is honored to have in its collection! It’s a great day to enjoy one of his sonnets, read MacBeth (that’s one of our favorites), or delve into the mysterious life of the master author. May your day be “as merry as the day is long.” (Much Ado About Nothing)

  2. In honor of Earth Day, here’s the Earth … as depicted on our Hunt-Lenox Globe, one of the Library’s greatest treasures. Located in our Maps Division, the globe was prepared around 1510, and is the earliest surviving engraved copper sphere from the period immediately following the discovery of the New World, meaning it was one of the first cartographic representations of the Americas known to geographers. Of the two continents in the Western hemisphere, only South America is represented, appearing as a large island with the regional names “Mundus Novus” (the New World), “Terra Sanctae Crucis” (the Land of the Holy Cross), and “Terra de Brazil” (the Land of Brazil). 

    In honor of Earth Day, here’s the Earth … as depicted on our Hunt-Lenox Globe, one of the Library’s greatest treasures. Located in our Maps Division, the globe was prepared around 1510, and is the earliest surviving engraved copper sphere from the period immediately following the discovery of the New World, meaning it was one of the first cartographic representations of the Americas known to geographers. Of the two continents in the Western hemisphere, only South America is represented, appearing as a large island with the regional names “Mundus Novus” (the New World), “Terra Sanctae Crucis” (the Land of the Holy Cross), and “Terra de Brazil” (the Land of Brazil). 

  3. It’s Caturday, so we thought we’d share this 1890s newspaper poster from our Art and Architecture Collection of a little black cat running away from a loud newspaper boy declaring there’s a new opera house in town. The poster was an advertisement for the Boston Sunday Herald - quite appropriate, considering our thoughts have been with Boston and its people all week. 

    It’s Caturday, so we thought we’d share this 1890s newspaper poster from our Art and Architecture Collection of a little black cat running away from a loud newspaper boy declaring there’s a new opera house in town. The poster was an advertisement for the Boston Sunday Herald - quite appropriate, considering our thoughts have been with Boston and its people all week. 

  4. This photo was taken exactly 110 years ago today … and depicts construction at the site where our landmark 42nd Street building now stands (you can still see part of the reservoir walls on our lower level). Happy history!

    This photo was taken exactly 110 years ago today … and depicts construction at the site where our landmark 42nd Street building now stands (you can still see part of the reservoir walls on our lower level). Happy history!

  5. ourpresidents: A Presidential love letter to Libraries during National Library Week.  Pictured here is President Ford’s 1976 message honoring libraries and librarians. “In the finest American tradition, our public libraries offer all our citizens a chance to improve themselves and to broaden their horizons.” -from the Ford Presidential Library Some things never change.

    ourpresidents:

    A Presidential love letter to Libraries during National Library Week.  Pictured here is President Ford’s 1976 message honoring libraries and librarians.

    “In the finest American tradition, our public libraries offer all our citizens a chance to improve themselves and to broaden their horizons.”


    -from the Ford Presidential Library

    Some things never change.

  6. Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.

    — 

    Jackie Robinson

    On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers becoming the first black man since 1880 to play for Major League Baseball. 

    Check out NYPL’s collection of books about the iconic Jackie Robinson!  

  7. We were visiting the Maps Division today and spied a book from the fantastically-named Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, published around 1837. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (also known as SDUK) published several interesting books for the diffusion of knowledge, including one about “Vegetable Substances,” many of which you can find at the Library.

    We were visiting the Maps Division today and spied a book from the fantastically-named Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, published around 1837. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (also known as SDUK) published several interesting books for the diffusion of knowledge, including one about “Vegetable Substances,” many of which you can find at the Library.

  8. The first Pony Express took place in 1860 from Missouri to California. Did you know that contrary to what most believe, the Pony Express only ran for 18 months! There have been many myths surrounding the Pony Express over the years, mostly fueled by Buffalo Billy Cody and his Wild West Show. Check out an blog post written by NYPL to find out the truth about the Pony Express, along with a bibliography for those interested in learning more! 

    The first Pony Express took place in 1860 from Missouri to California. Did you know that contrary to what most believe, the Pony Express only ran for 18 months!

    There have been many myths surrounding the Pony Express over the years, mostly fueled by Buffalo Billy Cody and his Wild West Show. Check out an blog post written by NYPL to find out the truth about the Pony Express, along with a bibliography for those interested in learning more! 

  9. In honor of both NY teams opening the 2013 baseball season, we thought we’d share this image from our Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs depicting Yankee “second sacker” Aaron Ward getting thrown out at third base in the fourth inning of the first-ever game played at (the now old) Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923. The Yanks beat the Red Sox 4-1 (behind a homer by Babe Ruth), and are hoping for a similar result today when they face their Boston rivals. So let’s go Yanks and Mets! Tons more baseball photos in our Digital Gallery.  

    In honor of both NY teams opening the 2013 baseball season, we thought we’d share this image from our Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs depicting Yankee “second sacker” Aaron Ward getting thrown out at third base in the fourth inning of the first-ever game played at (the now old) Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923. The Yanks beat the Red Sox 4-1 (behind a homer by Babe Ruth), and are hoping for a similar result today when they face their Boston rivals. So let’s go Yanks and Mets! Tons more baseball photos in our Digital Gallery.  

  10. The Story of the Seven Sisters: Women's Magazines at NYPL →

    The Seven Sisters: Many have heard of them without even realizing it. They were the quintessential women’s magazines of the 19th and 20th centuries. Before Cosmo or Real Simple - before even today’s most popular blogs, such as CarolinesMode or HelloGiggles - there was Ladies Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, to name just two. In honor of the last day of Women’s History Month, The New York Public Library’s DeWitt Wallace Periodicals Division introduces the magazines that began it all.