Articles from around the web and on the newstand

The Forward looks at 97 Orchard Street: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York City Tenement. This new book, a culinary history of immigrant foodways in America, is centered around some of the families who lived in our tenement. You'll recognize names like Baldizzi and Moore, but the author also talks about the Glockners, who were the original landlords and usually only get a passing mention on our tours ("this six-story tenement was built by German-born tailor Lukas Glockner in 1863..."). Read about what working-class people who lived in New York might have eaten based on their religion, ethnicity, and era in which they lived.
[Read the article]

The City Room blog has a slideshow of images by Rebecca Lepkoff, a photographer who roamed the Lower East Side in the 1940s and 50s. She photographed a dynamic and diverse neighborhood and was especially good at capturing the people who lived here. Ms. Lepkoff is now 94 years old, and she'll be at Tenement Talks tonight to talk about her experiences and her art.
[See the slideshow]

The Village Voice profiles two tenements on Delancey Street which have been the site of old tenant / new tenant / landlord fights in recent years. The author checks in with the building owner, the newcomers, and the longterm residents, looking at neighborhood change and what it means for everyone. It's a little window into the Lower East Side today.
[Read the article]

New York magazine traces the legend of Annie Moore, the first immigrant to be processed through Ellis Island in 1892, when the facility first opened its doors.
[Read the article]

Tenement Talks podcast on WNYC

If you missed Dave Isay's second appearance at Tenement Talks last month, listen to a podcast of the event on WNYC.org. Isay is the founder of the national StoryCorps project, which records oral histories of every day people. He was here to talk about his newest collection of stories, Mom.

David Isay on Listening: "That act of recognition, of realizing that there is so much more we share in common than divides us, can really help build bridges and remind us, especially in these incredibly divisive times, that we should spend a little more time listening to each other, and a little less time screaming at each other."

Food Wars @ 97 Orchard Street

A few months ago the Travel Channel show "Food Wars" filmed a scene at the Tenement Museum. For the episode pitting the pastrami of Second Avenue Deli against that of Katz's, the producers wanted a "meeting of the minds" to take place somewhere on the Lower East Side - a place where the owners of the two restaurants could meet to discuss the rules of the contest. Because of our connection to the history of the neighborhood, the Tenement Museum was a perfect choice!

Any film or tv producers out there who might be reading this know that it's pretty hard to shoot inside 97 Orchard Street. For one thing, it's dark - almost every film shoot requires extra lighting. It's also busy all day, every day, with the hundreds of school kids, tour groups, and public visitors who come to see the museum daily. For a film crew with a tight schedule, that usually means we can't accommodate the production. But for the "Food Wars" crew, we worked out a great alternative - filming on the roof!

You can see in the background the lovely streetscape of Allen Street. It was cold and rainy the day we filmed - you can see the talent wearing plastic rain smocks and carrying umbrellas - but the crew pushed through and got the scene they needed. It was fun to meet the owners & operators of both iconic delis, who swapped gossip about other restaurateurs, DOH inspections, and the Lower East Side back in the day.

You can watch some video snippets from the episode here, and catch the show on The Travel Channel to find out who won the big showdown!

- posted by Kate

From the Collection

Found at 97 Orchard Street in 2008.

From the Collection

Found at 97 Orchard Street in 2010.

Update about a Collection Item

Last week we featured this item, found in the Museum in 2008:

A reader wrote in with some information about the artifact, sending us a short article from The Financier, New York edition, from May 19, 1917:

Liberty Loan Buttons Arrive in NY

“Button! Button! Who's got the Button?” This is the game that every man woman and child in the United States is expected to play for the next two weeks. On the seriousness with which all the players regard the game will depend to a large extent America's success in the World War.

The button is the Libery Loan badge which will be given to every subscriber to a Liberty bond. The game will be to see how many persons wear the button on June 15.

The first installment of thirty thousand of these buttons out of the two hundred and fifty thousand which the Treasury Department has alloted [sic] to the Second Federal Reserve District, in which New York City is located, arrived from Washington this morning. The headquarters of the Liberty Loan Committee have received strict orders from the Federal authorities to exercise the greatest care to prevent these badges being worn by any but bona fide subscribers to the loan.

The Liberty Loan button is blue with a red circle in the center. From a distance it appears not unlike a campaign button, except that instead of the face of the candidate, there is inscribed the head and shoulders of the Statue of Liberty with her flaming torch On the outer border of blue there is written in white letters, “Get Behind the Government.” The red center contains the inscription “The Liberty Loan of 1917.” The man or woman who wears the button has enrolled his name on the loan for Liberty's Roll of Honor. Get a button.


So, it appears someone in 97 Orchard Street - or a friend or family member - purchased a Liberty Loan in June, 1917.

Work for the Blog!

Do you ever read our blog and think, "Hmm, this is great, but they should be writing about XY&Z"? If so, we need you! The Museum is looking for a great writer and reporter to intern/volunteer here this summer. The right person would have a creative spirit, a curious nature, and love what we do here at the Museum. We have a lot of great ideas and look forward to hearing yours!

Communications & New Media Intern

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is seeking a communications/writing intern for summer 2010 to assist with its blog. Responsibilities include:

- Museum blog:
    o Work with the Museum’s Public Relations Manager to brainstorm content
    o Research and write posts based on LES history, artifacts, or current events that relate to tour content
    o Interview LES business owners, historians, Museum staff, or others with a compelling story to tell
    o Write posts about upcoming Tenement Talks and recaps of past events
- Additional:
    o Write descriptions for Tenement Talks events
    o Brainstorm web marketing and ways to better reach our public
    o Assist with social media content

Responsibilities might, if intern is interested, extend to editing podcasts and video content for posting on Tenement Museum YouTube channel and blog.

Our communications intern should expect to commit about 6-10 hours per week researching and writing. Days are flexible, including the possibility of doing some work from home or library, but we would like you to be in the office at least two afternoons per week.

Internship is unpaid, but you will receive great perks: free tours at the museum, a discount at the museum shop, and of course clips for your portfolio. You’ll also be supporting one of New York’s most popular small museums and working with a great group of people. Just ask former blog intern Liana!

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample (something that shows your journalistic skills) via email. No phone calls please.