Between 1892 and 1924, 12 million people passed through Ellis Island; two-thirds of them went immediately to Manhattan's Lower East Side. Some stayed just a few weeks before moving on; others settled and became a part of the fabric of New York City. For New Yorkers who didn't live in the area--and for generations since--the primary experience of this "melting pot" has been visual.
Photographs, images in newspapers and books, and postcards all tell a story of the Lower East Side that is at once revealing and--paradoxically--often obscures the real story. In this talk, which uses the current New York Historical exhibition "Stirring the Melting Pot" as its centerpiece, historian James Nevius will look at how our ideas of the immigrant experience have been shaped by visual media. Examining the work of photographers like Lewis Hine and Jacob Riis, illustrated newspapers such as Harper's and Frank Leslie's, and caricatures and drawings by Thomas Nast, Nevius will explore 19th- and early-20th-century attitudes toward the changing face of New York City.
Tickets are $22 ($20 including fees) and include a recording of the talk, which will be emailed to all registrants approximately 24 hours after the presentation. PLEASE NOTE: The Zoom link only works for the live presentation on the day of the event. If you plan to watch the recording, look for a separate email with a link to Vimeo.