Plep's US Trip

2002-06-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Mr. Beller's Neighborhood 'combines a magazine with a map. It uses the external, familiar landscape of New York City as a way of organizing the wildly internal, often unfamiliar emotional landscapes of the city dweller. It is about a specific place - New York - and it is about the many different consciousness that thrive and wilt and rage and reminisce here. We publish reportage, personal essays, photo essays-- any piece of writing that might illuminate a corner of life in the city. By and large everything you read on the site is true. The site has been running since June, 2000. A lot of what we've been publishing recently has involved the events of 9/11 in some way, but this is a site about a place, not a disaster, and we're open to all kinds of writing. '

This seems like a good place to finish, for now.

Next update will be on plep, my main site, on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week! Be well, all!

2002-06-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Someone's account of their Trans-Siberian trip - a Trans-Siberian journal and galleries. Very well done, entertaining and informative. Wouldn't mind doing this trip one day - not so much the ultimate road trip as the ultimate rail trip.

The Trans-Siberian's grand bazaar. 'It takes more than five days to get from Beijing to Moscow through Mongolia—no trip for the impatient. But I have always loved this journey. At one time the departure was a solemn occasion, with deserted carriages pulling out of the station before a row of Red Guards waving Mao’s little red book to the strains of The East is Red. Nowadays, it is a hectic affair, with a myriad of goods overflowing in jam-packed corridors ... ' Nice account, photos.

Horse races, open spaces and the fate of Genghis Khan's balls. Readable Salon.com article on the Trans-Siberian railway.

Three islands that have been important in shaping world history -

Manhattan. A really nice virtual tour of the history of the island, up to the 1990's. 'To touch the soul of New York City, your first stop is in realizing that the soul of New York City is about what you can't touch ... '

This Sceptred Isle. BBC Radio 4's history of Britain, 'from the Roman invasion to the Millennium Dome'. The BBC's history site looks at British history from many other different angles, including oral, multicultural and family histories.

Overview of Japanese history, from the earliest times. The page on the atomic bomb is full of good links.

(These three islands seem to me to have something in common, possibly a kind of 'island' mindset, just as the great harbours of San Francisco and Sydney seem to share something different - perhaps a more 'open' mindset).

2002-06-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

'Justice for Janitors Day 2002 is coming to a town near you. Immigrant janitors from up and down the East Coast are visiting cities where fights are being waged for the American dream. ' (Witnessed a demo for this yesterday. My first impression is to wish them luck - they deserve it).

Mysteries under Moscow. Via Metafilter.

Related - underground London (bomb shelters, Roman roads, lost rivers, abandoned Tube stations), forgotten NY ('the infrastructure of a lost metropolis'), underground Paris.

The disabled have access to so many things in San Francisco. I think this is one of the nicest things about the city.

'Satirical letters to the editor'. Via artbabyart.com.

2002-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Streets of San Francisco: a personal geography.

Whilst away, I have been reading various works by Bruce Chatwin.

In Patagonia: fact or fabrication? 'Opinion regarding Bruce Chatwin is evenly divided in Patagonia - between those who have never heard of him and those who will probably slam their door in your face at the mention of his name ... '

A pom in the Antipodes: Bruce Chatwin's Australia.

In seach of the miraculous. Overview of Chatwin's writing.

What is psychogeography? - "the study of the effects of geographical settings, consciously managed or not, acting directly on the mood and behaviour of the individual".

Golden Gate Bridge - Sydney Harbour Bridge.

San Francisco Bay - Sydney Harbour.

(It seems to me that there are many, many, many similarities between Sydney and San Francisco).

Sierra Nevada - Blue Mountains.

Just for something different... BollyWhat?!, the guide for clueless fans of Bollywood films. Via Sharpeworld, posting on Fresh Signals.

An article about RoboCup 2002, the World Cup for robots. Via
Ghost Rocket.

RoboCup 2002 official site.

2002-06-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Interactive map of Haight Ashbury. 'University of San Francisco (I enrolled here in Sep 1957; the Jesuits threw me out in Oct 1961. I lived here in Phelan Hall when I wasn't living in an off-campus apartment. One summer I lived, undetected, in a faculty office - Fitzgerald's; I avoided the under-the- door drafts by sleeping in a coffin normally used by basketball cheerleaders as a game prop). I was involved in campus politics, the College Players (theatre), and edited "The Foghorn" (campus newspaper - that, BTW, was why they tossed me out) ... '

'The San Francisco Oracle published in the Haight Ashbury from 1966 - 1968 was the most unique and beautiful publications of the 60s. It is remembered for its extraordinary graphic design by major San Francisco artists, its rainbow colors and the cultural explorations and breakthroughs in its articles, interviews and poetry. The Oracle continued the cultural influence of the Beat writers publishing the writings of Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Michael McClure. '

Via the American Museum of Beat Art, a very good place in itself (featuring a slide show with bongos!).

Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics. 'Founded in 1967 by Dr. David E. Smith, the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. We believe it should be free at the point of delivery, and it should be comprehensive, nonjudgmental, demystified, and humane. '

Rock Medicine 'is a mobile medical emergency facility. This Program is set up to treat attendees at large gatherings such as concerts, public, commercial and private events, sports events. A comprehensive assortment of supplies, medications and equipment travels with Rock Medicine wherever its sent in ''road boxes'' modeled on those the bands use to transport their equipment. '

Escapes from Alcatraz. 'Has anyone ever escaped from Alcatraz? Yes! '

The Japanese-American Internment. '...May it serve as a constant reminder of our past so that Americans in the future will never again be denied their constitutional rights and may the remembrance of that experience serve to advance the evolution of the human spirit...'

Chinese Playground. Book by Bill Lee, on growing up in Chinatown.

An 'Unvarnished' Story. '5,500 Years of History in the Vicinity of
Seventh & Mission Streets, San Francisco.' The prehistory of the city.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian is good.

Bridging the Bay. The design and politics of six bridges of the Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bridges that never were.

The bridges on San Francisco Bay.

Shaping San Francisco: An Interactive Political History. From the point of view of labour, African-Americans, ecology, etc...

2002-06-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Precita Eyes murals. San Francisco mural artists' collective.

A timeline of San Francisco history. 'In 1579 Captain Drake and crew, midway through their piratical circumnavigation of the globe, steered their Golden Hind into a foggy North Pacific cove surrounded by buff cliffs that reminded them of the White Cliffs of Dover. They stayed five weeks at the place they dubbed Nova Albion, repairing and supplying the ship and getting along famously with the natives ... '

Sir Francis Drake history on the Internet. ' ... After raiding Spanish interests along South American coast, Drake landed near present day San Francisco and claimed the land for England. Drake named the territory "Nova Albion" or Latin for "New England". Drake reportedly left an inscribed plaque (with a hole in the lower right corner that holds an English sixpence) announcing the English arrival and claim of California before he sailed across the Pacific Ocean and back to England. The plaque (seen below) was found in the hills surrounding San Francisco in 1936, analyzed by expert metallurgists and was proported as authentic. In 1970's, advanced chemical analysis at MIT proves the plaque a fake ... '

Determination of longitude by Francis Drake on the coast of California in 1579.

The Missions. 'After 1769, the life of the California natives who came in contact with the Spanish was reshaped by the mission fathers, not the townspeople of the pueblos or the soldiers of the presidios. The Franciscans came to California not merely to convert the tribes to Christianity but to train them for life in a European colonial society. Conversion was seldom an entirely voluntary process, and converts (neophytes) were not left to return to their old ways but were required to live in the walled mission enclosure or on rancherías, separate settlements sponsored by missions although located some distance from the mission proper ... '

Mexican California.

The United States and California. 'The Mexican government and Spanish-speaking Californians became increasingly suspicious of the motives of the "Americans" of the United States. In 1844, John Charles Frémont led a party of Army topographical engineers that "accidentally" crossed the Sierras into California and traveled the length of the San Joaquin Valley before making their way home. In 1845, a commodore in the U.S. Navy, misinformed about relations between his country and Mexico, sailed into Monterey harbor and declared a victory in a non-existent war. Then Frémont returned in December 1845, ostensibly to survey the passes through the Sierras being used by American emigrant trains ... '

Via American Memory's overview of early California history.

The immigration station at Angel Island. '1905, construction of an Immigration Station began in the area known as China Cove. Surrounded by public controversy from its inception, the station was finally put into operation in 1910. Although it was billed as the "Ellis Island of the West", within the Immigration Service it was known as "The Guardian of the Western Gate" and was designed control the flow of Chinese into the country, who were officially not welcome with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 ... '

Trent Hayward, 1966-2000.

We close our eyes, a poet dies. 'Trent Hayward died nearly within spitting distance of the gleaming, gold-bedecked dome of San Francisco City Hall. On the evening of Friday, June 2, he laid his head to rest on a ragged patch of earth one too many times. He never arose from his final sleep ... '

Poor News Network.

The Resistance Poems. '... As poor folks who have barely managed to Make it through OUR lives, the Po' Poets believe that the "Word" is healing and that one of the ways for all of us to survive is to use words and images to honor our collective struggle through life itself ... '

2002-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Howl

Six photographs of Allen Ginsberg / a haiku / and one drawing by the poet. 'These photographs of Allen Ginsberg were taken in 1993 at The Naropa Institute during the fourth and final week of the summer writing program of The Jack Keroac School of Disembodied Poetics. I had been invited, as an artist in residence, to document the week's activities which culminated in two benefit performances at The Boulder Theatre with Allen Ginsberg, dancer Melissa Finley, and musician Phillip Glass. Ginsberg read Howl in its entirity for the first time in seven years, as well as Kaddish and Plutonium Ode. (The latter accompanied by Phillip Glass on piano.) ... '

Jack Kerouac's San Francisco. A directory of the beat generation. 'The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!" '-----JK

Photos of the beats. Includes one photo entitled 'The last gathering of beat poets and artists' which is somewhat reminiscent of 'A great day in Harlem'. Via wood s lot.

Mark Twain's San Francisco.

Some murals of San Francisco.

San Francisco flags are a way of telling the history of the city. Via the Museum of the City of San Francisco, which has major online exhibits on subjects as diverse as the 1849 Gold Rush, the construction of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, and the earthquakes of 1906 and 1989.

San Franciscans survive Titanic sinking.

Lillie Hitchcock Coit. 'One of the most unusual personalities ever connected with our Fire Department was a woman. She was Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who was destined not only to become a legend but to attain that eminence long before her life ended ... '
'She came to this city in 1851 from West Point, where her father had been an army doctor. Seven years later, when only 15 years old, she began her famous career with Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 5. '

Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill 'in San Francisco has provided visitors, and locals, with impressive views of The City since its completion in 1933. '
'Lillie Hitchcock Coit, philanthropist and admirer of the fire fighters at the 1906 earthquake fire, left funds to The City for beautification of San Francisco. '

The Red Victorian, a peaceful world hotel (with a great website).

The Aids Interfaith Chapel. 'Grace Cathedral is one of a handful of American churches possessing an AIDS Chapel. The Chapel occupies the main floor lobby of the Singing Tower, the cathedral's north tower. The upper levels of the tower house the bell carillon and Chapel of St. Francis/Columbarium. The tower lobby, formerly used at various times as a storeroom, carilloneur's room, Cathedral School classroom, and, briefly, as the cathedral gift shop, was set aside as the AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel in 1995, and the completed Chapel was dedicated in 2000. At the dedication, Vice Dean Frances Tornquist commented on the location of the Chapel, placed close inside the cathedral entrance, so that those who might otherwise feel uncomfortable inside the vast cathedral would be welcome to come in "just a little way." ... '

Historic photos of Golden Gate Bridge.

On this day in rock and roll history... Via Portage.

Today I went for a couple of long walks, taking in the city, and visiting both the abovementioned City Lights bookstore and Telegraph Hill, as well as seeing some interesting murals.

2002-06-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

City Lights. 'Since 1955, independent publishers of cutting-edge literature and books on compelling social
and political issues.' This is a great bookshop!

City Lights and beat literature.

City Lights and situationism.

North Beach Library's beat writers collection. Cheers to d'monquis.

The 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. San Francisco's 1915 World's Fair. 'This site is a work in progress, with images, photos and text on this fabulous fair. New items are added almost every month, so check back when you can for updates.' Great site.

San Francisco 1906 earthquake. 'At 5:12am on Wednesday April 18th, 1906, San Francisco's reality changed.
Here are six snapshots taken after the big earthquake.'

Via San Francisco Memories, a very good site in itself.

Detecting media/political bias. Via Rebecca's Pocket.

Asia First, a weblog about the arts and culture of India and China.

2002-06-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Haight. 'A great part of our city was built between 1850-1900 when Victorian architecture was in flower. Some 14,000 residential examples remain, about half of which have been restored by a keep-sake-conscious populace.'

'This survival statistic is astonishing considering 514 blocks went up in flames in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. Fine examples of these elegant Victorians may be seen in the Pacific Heights area, in the vicinity of Mission Dolroes, and in a neighborhood known as Cow Hollow, once the city's dairyland, now a boutique-lined Union Street.'

'Locally, there are three basic designs - ITALIANATE, patterned after Roman Classical ornamentation, was in great vogue between 1850 and 1875. It is characterized by inward slanting bay windows, slim ribbed columns flanking the front door and flat roofs. View the examples of these row houses nesar Bush and Fillmore Streets.'

'The following links relate to pictures taken in San Francisco on September 21, 2001.'

'My digital camera is quite old, and it doesn't take the best quality photographs. I'm sorry about that. To begin, start with the first link below, and it will link to the second photograph, etc. etc. Alternatively, pick a specific photograph you wish to see and just click on it.' (cheers to d'monquis).

The climate of San Francisco. 'San Francisco is in an area of "exceedingly diversified topography" (McAdie, 1903) that is favorable to numerous microclimates (McAdie, 1913; Gilliam, 1962). Winds are channeled over and around the City of San Francisco by the terrain, resulting in pronounced differences in the weather across relatively short distances (Root, 1960; Null, 1978) ... '

Explanation of microclimates.

The history of the peace bridge of Berkeley. Via d'monquis.

Housing Project Independent Media Center. Interesting site this, with links and information on the homeless issue in the Bay Area. A bit of research on Street Spirit, another street paper, pointed me in this direction. I'm trying to educate myself about the homeless issue here, but it does seem that people with what would be quite respectable jobs are finding it hard to make ends meet here (the current issue of Street Spirit mentions pre-school teachers, for example).

Mick Jagger to be knighted. What's next, Sir Keef Richards?!?!

2002-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sam Spade. 'The original blonde Satan, Dashiell Hammett's SAM SPADE is surely one of the most important figures in the entire private eye genre. He made his debut in 1929 in the pages of Black Mask, in the serialized first part of The Maltese Falcon, and
the genre has never been the same. He's a "hard and shifty fellow," a partner in the Archer and Spade Detective Agency of San Francisco ... '

the poetic dream.

Grace Cathedral. Walk their
virtual labyrinth.

Chartres Cathedral's labyrinth.

The Digger Archives. From the
overview :- 'The Diggers were one of the legendary groups in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, one of the world-wide epicenters of the Sixties Counterculture which fundamentally changed American and world culture. Shrouded in a mystique of anonymity, the Diggers took their name from the original English Diggers (1649-50) who had promulgated a vision of society free from private property, and all forms of buying and selling
... '

The English Diggers, of the English Civil War.

Welcome to Hippyland. "I think the real test of psychedelics is what you do with them when you're not on them, what kind of culture you build, what kind of art, what kind of technologies... What's lacking in the Western mind is the sense of connectivity and relatedness to the rest of life, the atmosphere, the
ecosystem, the past, our children's future. If we were feeling those things we would not be practicing
culture as we are." - Terence McKenna, Tripping.

2002-06-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

From history :-

The
Sensational Beginnings of Yellow Journalism. 'In
1898, newspapers provided the major source of news in
America. At this time, it was common practice for a
newspaper to report the editor's interpretation of the
news rather than objective journalism. If the
information reported was inaccurate or biased, the
American public had little means for verification.
With this sort of influence, the newspapers wielded
much political power ... ' William Randolph Hearst,
proprietor of the San Francisco Examiner, was
especially connected with 'yellow journalism'.

'William
Randolph Hearst, the son of George Hearst, a
newspaper proprietor, was born in San Francisco in
1863. After studying at Harvard University (1882-85)
he took over the San Francisco Examiner from his
father in 1887. Inspired by the journalism of Joseph
Pulitzer, Hearst turned the newspaper into a
combination of reformist investigative reporting and
lurid sensationalism. He soon developed a reputation
for employing the best journalists available. This
included Ambrose Bierce, Stephen Crane, Mark Twain,
Richard Harding Davis and Jack London. ' Hearst
opposed the League of Nations, was pro-Nazi in the
1930s and anti-Communist in the 1940s. He was also the
inspiration for 'Citizen Kane'.

2002-06-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

Interesting things :-

San Francisco Chinatown. Here's a history of the place, from 1840. (Followers of Falun Gong were holding a meditation session in one of the squares there this morning).

Save the Bay. Save San Francisco Bay Association's website, is full of information. Also interesting is this site about the Bay Trail, an endeavour to encircle San Francisco Bay. The Bay is lovely. By way of comparison :- a virtual photographic tour of Sydney Harbour, another wonderful natural harbour.

The Transamerica Pyramid.

Street Sheet, a homeless newsletter, produced by the Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco. By way of comparison :- the International Network of Street Papers, the Big Issue, and an article about a Russian street paper - 'Anatoliy Chkan, 52, comes from Kazakhstan. A former geologist, he has worked abroad and speaks Persian. He now lives in a hostel in St Petersburg and sells the street newspaper The Depths. '

2002-06-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Surplus skin used for bioweapons research.

2002-06-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Make fuel cells, not war! Via Booknotes.

2002-06-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Argentina 0 - 1 England.

I can follow the World Cup in California! I see Italy lost to Croatia - all the front-runners are going down.

Even the beggars are friendly here.

2002-06-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

I like San Francisco. The flight over was good too. Gorgeous view of the desert. Lovely.

MAD magazine is good.

Just some things I've been thinking about (on the flight over)...

Monarch butterflies migration.

The miracle of migration, both butterflies and birds.

Songbird migration. 'An estimated 500 million birds migrate from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa, many of them making the last 3,600 kilometers across the Mediterranean and the vast Sahara desert nonstop. '

Journey North, a study of migration and wildlife.

The Northallerton Memorials Project. (Yorkshire)
'The aim of this project is to create a permanent record of the life and death of each of the men whose names are recorded on the War Memorials of Northallerton, and its satellite villages of Romanby and Brompton. '

Songlines Aboriginal art and pointillism.

'Huang Shen, a native of Fukien province, painted landscapes in the styles of the Yuan dynasty scholar-artists Huang Kung-wang and Ni Tsan as well as Buddhist and Taoist figures. In calligraphy, he excelled at cursive script, following that of the T'ang dynasty calligrapher Huai-su. He eventually became famous for his innovations in painting, being known as one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangchow." '

The gypsies and travellers of Britain; 'Moving On', a poem by Hester Hedges, a Gypsy who is studying for a law degree at De Montfort University.

Dreamtime. 'Dreamtime is often referred to as the time before time or the time of the creation of all things and for years it has been used by Australian Aboriginal peoples to understand and explain the world. The Dreamtime is the Aboriginal past that is illustrated by cultural mythological stories, which are used to make sense of the surrounding environment as well as people's lives. '

Tower of Babel gallery.

2002-06-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

How to thank Kenya for 9/11 cows. 'Fourteen cows were given to the people of the United States this week by members of a Masai tribe who live in a remote village near Kenya's border with Tanzania. The tribe sent the cows -- the most precious gift they can give -- to help America recover from the terrorist attacks nearly nine months ago ... ' (thanks, Laura!)

As well as visiting Harlem, took a wander through Central Park today. The Central Park website is very informative and well worth a look - some of the statues are pretty interesting.

There is an awful lot of money floating around in uptown Manhattan (and an awful lot of poverty just about everywhere, too).

I've seen quite a lot more on this trip, both good and bad, but I think I'll post about it at a future date, to do it full justice. It's been a packed couple of days - I'm off to San Francisco tomorrow morning.

Spotted :- Sex Pistols 1977 photo album - remembering the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

2002-06-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

I've changed my mind about what to do today (and found an Internet cafe on my route).

On the way through lower Manhattan yesterday, I was able to see some of the gargoyles I'd been interested in, so I feel satisfied. New York has an interesting 'medieval' heritage - take a look at this page on NYC gargoyles. Check out this page on the gargoyles of Wall Street and this page on the Woolworth Building.

Also took a look at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a place I missed last time I was here, which really is an amazing building, both architecturally and in terms of its contents. Here's what it looks like from the outside.

Something else seen yesterday - the Flatiron Building, which I'd seen pictures of before but never put a name to. Recently, somebody pointed out a building in Piccadilly, in London, to me and told me that it looked like the Flatiron Building. Now I know what the Flatiron Building looks like... and yes, they are very similar.

African burial ground under New York streets.

Anyway, my thirst for gargoyles sated, today I'm walking up Broadway in the opposite direction - through midtown, uptown and into Harlem.

Harlem 1900-1940, photographs of an African-American community.

A great day in Harlem. Jazz history through one photograph.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is on my route.

I've only experienced culture shock once so far on this trip - watching Fox News this morning. Of course, I only saw a couple of hours, but it really seems to blur the line between factual news and biased opinion.

Here's a page about the BBC licence fee, and why it doesn't take advertising. I can see some value in this approach, in terms of keeping the station independent.

Generally, the Manhattanites are very nice and very friendly, and I'm enjoying the city.

Laters!

2002-06-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

'Ello All.

Made it into NYC safe and well. I'm still up and awake, trying to stay awake as long as possible to get over the jetlag. Enjoying it very much so far
though - I'm about 2/3 of the way through a long walk from my hotel (on 45th Street) down to the southern tip of Manhattan, approximately following the route of
Broadway.

Right now, I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in SoHo. Hopefully will finish the walk by the end of the day. It's quite pleasant out, though.

Got a good look at the Chrysler Building on the way in. Other things I've seen on my stroll :-

Grace Church.

Some interesting fading ads.

Bits of chalk graffiti on the ground - my favourite :-

'Be mindful even if your mind is full.' Too true.

In a little while, I'll be strolling past Chinatown and
the Museum for African Art.

At Heathrow Airport, I saw a book about the sculpture of Naum Gabo, the Constructivist artist. I haven't thought about Gabo in years. Seeing an exhibition of Gabo's work at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, when I was aged about 12 or 13, was one of my first encounters with 20th century art. Strange how such things stick in the mind.

Congratulations to all the World Cup giant-killers!

SoHo in a New York context, of course, means 'South of Houston Street', whereas Soho is London is named after a Norman hunting cry. The things you learn, eh?

Tomorrow I think I'll check out some gargoyles. So the next update will probably be when I get to San Francisco. Laters all!

2002-06-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

I went for a long country walk yesterday. In the sunshine. Beautiful.

Just about packed now. I fly out early tomorrow morning. Should anyone wish to contact me while I am travelling, the best address is :-

eep4nn@yahoo.co.uk

And today is my 30th birthday.

2002-05-31T00:59:00.000-07:00

New York Underground. 'By the mid-1800s New York City was one of the most crowded places on earth. Each year tens of thousands of new immigrants were arriving, spilling out into the streets and competing with established city dwellers for space. The congested streets and pokey transportation system were a source of constant complaint: "Modern martyrdom may be succintly defined as riding in a New York omnibus," groused one passenger. Another noted, "It would not be decent to carry live hogs thus--and hardly dead ones." ... '

Five Points. 'Archaeologists and historians rediscover a famous nineteenth-century New York neighborhood.'

The village of Gotham, in Nottinghamshire.

2002-05-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

The Skyscraper Museum. 'Located in New York City, the world's first and foremost vertical metropolis, the museum celebrates the city's rich architectural heritage and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its successive skylines. Through exhibitions, programs and publications, the museum explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology, sites of construction, investments in real estate, and places of work and residence ... '

The UN.

Bronx Zoo.

Streetplay. Street games for kids.

2002-05-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

A Century Apart: Images of Spirit and Struggle, Jacob Riis and five contemporary photographers. 'The Museum of the City of New York presents a seminal exhibition, making an important contribution to the current dialogue on urban life in A Century Apart: Images of Struggle & Spirit, Jacob Riis and Five Contemporary Photographers. This exhibition showcases the work of Danish-born Jacob Riis, America's first photojournalist, who visually captured the condition of the city's homeless and poor at the end of the nineteenth century ... '

More Riis photos.

How the Other Half Lives. By Jacob Riis, 1890. Studies among the tenements of New York.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
Immigrant stories.

2002-05-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

100 Years of New York City.
'A special from the New York Times, published in 1998. 'The following articles offer a glimpse into the past 100 years of New York City -- a decade at a time. Each decade includes a full time line prepared by the staff at The New York Times, photos from The Times archives, headline clippings from archive copies of The Times, and essays by noted authors and Times staff writers.'

The new born city, seen from above. A panorama of New York City from 1902.

New York Times crosswords. Includes links to historic crosswords.

Broadway 101. 'Welcome to Broadway 101. What you will find here is the history of The Great White Way, sectioned off by decades. The first installment tells the history of Broadway and the theatre prior to 1900. Then we begin with the period of 1900 to 1910. You can read about any decade individually or you can start at the beginning. We're currently working on the next installment. '

New York State's oldest canal.

2002-05-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

NY Times front page on the launch of Sputnik.

A sculpture tour of Central Park. Part of a collection of virtual tours of Central Park.

2002-05-31T00:23:00.000-07:00

Aleksandr Rodchenko at MoMA.

New York World's Fair 1939-40.
"I think that there are moments where you can see the world turning from what it is into what it will be. For me, the New York World's Fair is such a moment. It is a compass rose pointing in all directions, toward imaginary future and real past, false future and immutable present, a world of tomorrow contained in the lost American yesterday."
- John Crowley, from the film The World of Tomorrow

New York World's Fair 1964.

'The 1964 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow in Queens, New York had a two year run; from April 22 to October 18, 1964 and from April 21 to October 17, 1965 - a total of 360 days. It was held in conjunction with the city of New York's 300th anniversary of British forces under the command of the Duke of York gaining control of the Dutch city of New Amsterdam in 1664. '

'The 1964-65 World's Fair featured 140 pavilions on 646 acres, the old site of the 1939-40 New York's World Fair. Althought the majority of the pavilions were United States commerical companies, there were also 21 state pavilions and 36 foreign pavilions. It was the dawn of the space age and the fair's theme was "Man in a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe."
'

2002-05-31T00:20:00.000-07:00

New York photos :-

Weegee's World. Classic photographs from NYC.

NYCASD. Photographic comparions of New York and Amsterdam.

2002-05-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Photo tour of Chinatown.I stayed in Chinatown for the first few days last time I was in NYC - it's worth a look round. A small city within a city.

The Museum for African Art. Not only a good collection, but an interesting building too. I spent a lot of time here last trip.

2002-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

Some New York landmarks :-

The Construction of the Empire State Building 1930-31. A great collection of photos.

The Chrysler Building.

New York's World Trade Center: A Living Archive. 'Early this year, I published a book called Divided We Stand, A Biography of New York's World Trade Center. The result of eight years of research, writing and revision, it also distilled the cumulative associations of my 50 years as a New Yorker and witness to the city's heroic and deeply flawed trajectory of development. '

'Guiding my approach was the idea that my book would not assume the mantle of a "definitive" work. Rather, my goal was to create a useful, well-written and documented book that would also serve as the basis for a much broader exercise in cultural history writing - one that would push beyond the scope of an individual author, in this case, me. Hence this Living Archive ... '

New York Area Roads, Crossings and Exits. Comprehensive.

2002-05-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to spend much time in NYC, but this seems to be a good way to pass it :-
A love of monsters: gargoyles and architectural details in NYC.
Virtual tours and locations of these stone creatures... I can't wait. I'm going to spend a day tracking them down.

Regular readers of plep may have noticed my interest in urban archaeology - quite a few of the links on my London page are on this theme. New York also has a rich urban heritage; here are some of my favourite links :-

nycsubway.org. Resources relating to the subway.

Abandoned stations on the NY subway.

Forgotten NY. 'THE PAST is all around us in New York. It's on the buildings high above and in the subways and tunnels deep below. It's even in the paths the streets take. This site is your gateway to a New York City that existed long ago -- and still exists in a hidden form today. We'll show you the past in lampposts, advertisements, bridges, buildings, signs, and things you pass every day in the street that bear silent witness to the NYC that once was. We'll also show you forgotten and overlooked aspects of present-day New York. Want to peek into a New York that few know? Choose a topic from the list at left...'

Fading Ad Campaign. 'Fading Ad Campaign is a photographic project documenting vintage mural ads on building brickfaces in New York City spanning nearly a century. It has become a metaphor for survival for me since, like myself, many of these ads have long outlived their expected life span. Although this project doesn't deal directly with HIV/AIDS, it is no accident I've chosen to document such a transitory and evanescent subject. Of the hundreds of ads I've photographed, many have already been covered up, vandalized, or destroyed. But still many silently cling to the walls of buildings, barely noticed by the rushing passersby ... '

Ellis Island. 'Welcome to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum Website. Ellis Island was the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954 in their search for freedom of speech and religion, and for economic opportunity in the United States. Because of its unique historical importance, it was declared part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965. After a six-year, $162 million renovation, it reopened to the public as a museum in 1990 ... '

NY correction history.

Virtual Harlem.
Documenting the Harlem Renaissance.

More as I can dig them up...

2002-05-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Web de Anza. Resources relating to the colonisation of San Francisco.

Interesting buildings in NYC.

New York underground.

NY Times' printing history.

2002-05-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be updating this page on my forthcoming North America trip.
Other stuff I'm interested in gets posted to my main weblog, plep.

2002-05-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Medieval New York.

Let the first post be a test.