1. darienlibrary: Mr. Ferguson culls movies for the LES Heritage Film Series from more than 6,000 titles of rare 16-millimeter films that form the core of the Reserve Film and Video collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, in Lincoln Center Plaza. The collection focuses on independently produced works, including animations, experimental films and documentaries, and anyone with a New York Public Library card can reserve and check out 16-millimeter films, many of which are rare artworks. “Sean has mined the collection for films that really speak of the area — historically and aesthetically — and bring together the Seward Park community,” David Callahan, the principal librarian of the Reserve Film and Video collection, said in an e-mail. “He’s selected a range of films made over decades that reflect the film collection’s composition — documentaries, feature films and experimental works.” (via Film Series Covers a Century of the Lower East Side - NYTimes.com) Filed under: library program inspiration

    darienlibrary:

    Mr. Ferguson culls movies for the LES Heritage Film Series from more than 6,000 titles of rare 16-millimeter films that form the core of the Reserve Film and Video collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, in Lincoln Center Plaza.

    The collection focuses on independently produced works, including animations, experimental films and documentaries, and anyone with a New York Public Library card can reserve and check out 16-millimeter films, many of which are rare artworks.

    “Sean has mined the collection for films that really speak of the area — historically and aesthetically — and bring together the Seward Park community,” David Callahan, the principal librarian of the Reserve Film and Video collection, said in an e-mail. “He’s selected a range of films made over decades that reflect the film collection’s composition — documentaries, feature films and experimental works.”

    (via Film Series Covers a Century of the Lower East Side - NYTimes.com)

    Filed under: library program inspiration

  2. Here is a feel-good Caturday for you all. This photo from sometime between 1898 and 1905 is in the “animal friendships” section of our Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection, and shows a little cat and his or her canine companion sniffing something out together as a team (likely food). How cute is that? In addition to being adorable, it gives us an excuse to use this line from “Ghostbusters,” one of many films shot at our landmark 42nd Street building (and one that we had a little fun with to fight budget cuts with group Improv Everywhere): “Cats and dogs living together - mass hysteria!” Do you like this crazy Caturday feature? Check out all of our previous entries, too. Hey, it’s raining. You need something to do!

    Here is a feel-good Caturday for you all. This photo from sometime between 1898 and 1905 is in the “animal friendships” section of our Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection, and shows a little cat and his or her canine companion sniffing something out together as a team (likely food). How cute is that? In addition to being adorable, it gives us an excuse to use this line from “Ghostbusters,” one of many films shot at our landmark 42nd Street building (and one that we had a little fun with to fight budget cuts with group Improv Everywhere): “Cats and dogs living together - mass hysteria!” Do you like this crazy Caturday feature? Check out all of our previous entries, too. Hey, it’s raining. You need something to do!

  3. Behind the Scenes

    Did you see the awesome new trailer for the Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History & Genealogy? (Yes, even library research divisions can have trailers.) Find out how it was made and what the mysterious researcher was investigating. Perhaps his search will inspire you to dig up your own family secrets…

  4. STAR TREK: The Musical! OK, not really, but even Mr. Spock would find fascinating what we dug up in the Billy Rose Theatre Division about the original Star Trek actors before they went stellar. Who knew that Nichelle Nichols sizzled in the local cabaret scene before taking up her earpiece on the starship Enterprise? Or that George Takei was an activist, or that William Shatner, of Shatner’s World; We Just Live in It… — first trod the Broadway boards over 50 years ago? Dust off your Klingon dictionary and stay tuned, as we bring you the stage origins of Kirk, Spock, Sulu and crew, and boldly go where few have gone before with rare photos in our Gallery.

    STAR TREK: The Musical! OK, not really, but even Mr. Spock would find fascinating what we dug up in the Billy Rose Theatre Division about the original Star Trek actors before they went stellar. Who knew that Nichelle Nichols sizzled in the local cabaret scene before taking up her earpiece on the starship Enterprise? Or that George Takei was an activist, or that William Shatner, of Shatner’s World; We Just Live in It… — first trod the Broadway boards over 50 years ago? Dust off your Klingon dictionary and stay tuned, as we bring you the stage origins of Kirk, Spock, Sulu and crew, and boldly go where few have gone before with rare photos in our Gallery.

  5. History has secrets - and you can unlock them at the Library. That’s the theme of this pretty darn amazing new “suspense trailer” highlighting our incredible Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy (which is often featured on the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” and can be used to trace family histories). Just watch it - it’s awesome.

  6. And the Academy Award for Best Performing Arts Library in New York City goes too.. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts! Believe it or not, but The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has TWO Academy Awards in its collections. One is the Oscar that Paul Muni won in 1937 for Best Actor in THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR and the other belonged to Burl Ives who won it for Best Supporting Actor in 1959 for THE BIG COUNTRY. 

    And the Academy Award for Best Performing Arts Library in New York City goes too.. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts! Believe it or not, but The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has TWO Academy Awards in its collections. One is the Oscar that Paul Muni won in 1937 for Best Actor in THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR and the other belonged to Burl Ives who won it for Best Supporting Actor in 1959 for THE BIG COUNTRY. 

  7. Daisy Bates was the poster child of black resistance. She was a quarterback, the coach. We were the players.

    — Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock Nine, the group of students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.

    Learn more about Daisy Bates at the Schomburg Center on Saturday, when they host a film screening of Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock at 4pm. The director will be there for a talk-back.

  8. “WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT BASKIN!?!?” The beloved 1988 film BIG made us realize that Tom Hanks is awesome, Zoltar machines are dangerous, giant pianos can provide great exercise, and if MacMillan Toys was a real company it would be the coolest place to work. In other words the movie is a classic. The same cannot be said for the 1996 musical adaptation of the film that left many people saying: “I don’t get it.” BIG: THE MUSICAL opened and closed quickly on Broadway in 1996 and has become largely forgotten. Well forget no more. We found in our collections at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in our Billy Rose Theatre Division this original playbill. Can you say shimmy shimmy cocoa pop? 

    “WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT BASKIN!?!?” The beloved 1988 film BIG made us realize that Tom Hanks is awesome, Zoltar machines are dangerous, giant pianos can provide great exercise, and if MacMillan Toys was a real company it would be the coolest place to work. In other words the movie is a classic. The same cannot be said for the 1996 musical adaptation of the film that left many people saying: “I don’t get it.”

    BIG: THE MUSICAL opened and closed quickly on Broadway in 1996 and has become largely forgotten. Well forget no more. We found in our collections at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in our Billy Rose Theatre Division this original playbill. Can you say shimmy shimmy cocoa pop? 

  9. Sometimes you never know what gems you will find in the collections of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Gems such as this awesome publicity photo of George Burns and Art Carney having fun on the set of the 1979 film GOING IN STYLE (great movie). In case you can’t see it, they are reading Burns’ own autobiography The Third Time Around  which you can also find at The Library for the Performing Arts. Say goodnight Gracie. 

  10. Alluring screen actress Jennifer Jones appears before an equally alluring muse (mews?) in this photograph by Hollywood portraitist John Engstead. The painting behind her is by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, famous poster artist for the first modern cabaret Le Chat Noir,which opened its doors 130 years ago yesterday. This particular photograph is begging for a real-life backstory, so if you know anything please drop us a note! In the meantime, happy Caturday!!! And thanks to our Jeremy Megraw for pulling this photo from the collections at our Library for the Performing Arts!

    Alluring screen actress Jennifer Jones appears before an equally alluring muse (mews?) in this photograph by Hollywood portraitist John Engstead. The painting behind her is by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, famous poster artist for the first modern cabaret Le Chat Noir,which opened its doors 130 years ago yesterday. This particular photograph is begging for a real-life backstory, so if you know anything please drop us a note! In the meantime, happy Caturday!!! And thanks to our Jeremy Megraw for pulling this photo from the collections at our Library for the Performing Arts!