Tag Archives: New York City

NYC’s Tiniest Museum Reopens

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Coincidental with the recent announcement from New York City’s quasi-official tourism bureau that the city has “reawakened” for tourism, NYC’s tiniest museum has declared itself open for business again. Like every other visitor attraction hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the … Continue reading →

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Dear New York, I miss you

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

For those of us with New York City hardwired in our DNA, this year away from the greatest city in the world has been difficult. With vaccination rates up, and with NYC’s iconic sights and institutions reopening, things will normalize … Continue reading →

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A little nostalgic story

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Books were an extraordinarily important part of my childhood and I tend to wax nostalgic when I run across a story online about one that I actually owned and read. This week, I happened on a piece about a book … Continue reading →

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A Strange Case

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

New York City’s amazing Morgan Library has scanned the entire handwritten manuscript to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  and it’s now available for paging through and reading online. The manuscript of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange … Continue reading →

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The Libraries Are Appreciated

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

The Libraries Are Appreciated, Jacob Lawrence From the Harlem series, No. 28 The Harlem Branch Library of the New York Public Library at 9 West 124th Street  

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NYC’s Tiniest Tourist Attraction

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

At the corner of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue South in the West Village, in front of the iconic Village Cigars store, lies this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mosaic embedded in the sidewalk. The  triangle’s enigmatic message: “Property of the Hess Estate Which Has … Continue reading →

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Call and Response

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I’m disappointed that I will be missing this current exhibition at New York City’s magnificent Morgan Museum and Library. Betye Saar: Call and Response is based on Los Angeles–based artist Betye Saar who emerged in the 1960s as a major voice in American … Continue reading →

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Pandemic Art

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

The New York City-based Brazilian-born Japanese artist Oscar Oiwa found himself in similar circumstances as many folks when the pandemic began last year. His projects and travels were all postponed, and he found himself locked down in his NYC apartment. … Continue reading →

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Old Nieuw Amsterdam

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I come from two old New York City families, but not nearly as old as these 17th century views of the city when it was still the Dutch  West India Company’s colony of Nieuw Amsterdam. Published in 1651, the image … Continue reading →

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Escape to New York

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Every year, the New York Public Library publishes humorous Black Friday ads that promote things like free books and 100%  off coupons. This Thanksgiving the library offered a  “Book Your Dream Getaway.” The “Black Friday travel deal” is an “all-inclusive … Continue reading →

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