nypl:

On April 12, 1861, the US Civil War began with the shelling of the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Library has an incredible collection of sketches made by Civil War staff artists from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. They documented battles, preparations, camp life, and the deaths of generals and other military leaders.

The sketch above shows “Rebels preparing to bombard Fort Sumter—scene on Cummings Point.”

Civil War

1 year ago  /  24 notes  /  Source: nypl

nypl:

RIP FDR, who died today in 1945.

Jerry Costello in the Knickerbocker News, Albany, N.Y. [Caricature of Franklin D. Roosevelt]

FDR

1 year ago  /  36 notes  /  Source: nypl

nypl:

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and remember those who perished as well as those who survived, the Music Division of the NYPL’s Library for the Performing Arts has opened All Hands on Deck: Remembering the Titanic (1912-2012). On exhibit are sheet music of songs performed on the ship and written in its honor, as well as photos from from the films “Titanic” (1953) and “A Night to Remember” (1958).

Also, save the date for two Titanic events:

- a concert titled The Titanic (1912-2012): Remembering the Era, the Music and the Musicians at LPA on May 5 at 2:30 p.m. Vocalists Constance Green, Ellen Lang and Irwin Reese will recreate the music performed on board the ships along with other popular songs of the era.

- 100 Years of Titanic with John Batchelor, Charles Pellegrino, and Stephen Spignesi - a panel discussion at Mid-Manhattan Library on Tuesday, May 15 at 6:30pm.

RMS TITANIC

1 year ago  /  46 notes  /  Source: nypl

nypl:

Sometime in 1910, according to an often-repeated story that has acquired the status of legend, William Augustus Spencer visited the new central building of the New York Public Library, still under construction at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

He was so impressed that he vowed there and then that he would bequeath his personal collection of fine illustrated books to the Library. He then returned home to Paris.

For his next visit to New York, in April 1912, he booked passage from Southampton, England, on the RMS Titanic.

Read the rest of Kathy Coblentz’s account of how the NYPL came to acquire the Spencer Collection (it’s more complex than you might think).

RMS Titanic

1 year ago  /  29 notes  /  Source: nypl.org