Immigrants from what was then called “Greater Syria” came to New York beginning in 1880. They settled on the Lower West Side of Manhattan, just steps away from the Battery. In 1890, the community numbered about 2,000 people—the largest Syrian community in the United States. It was also the economic, spiritual and intellectual center […]

German Ocean Liner KRONPRINZESSIN C Originally schedule speaker Matthew Dennison's lecture on Beatrix Potter has been cancelled.   The Industrial Age spawned growth, engineering wonders and a spirited race for size and distinction in many areas.  As the sun set on the 19th century and then began to shine even more brightly in the early years of the […]

Cover of Ms. Murdoch’s Book From imaginings of the “Angel in the House” to falsely attributed accounts of the Queen’s advice to “lie back and think of England,” popular representations of Victorian women tend to fall into overly simplified gender distinctions. Current society perceives Victorian women as corseted and caged in crinolines, protected from the […]

Munstead Wood, Gertrud Jekyl Garden, photo by Kathleen Bennett. PLEASE NOTE: This event has been rescheduled from its original date.  It will take place on February 23rd. New horticultural imports, exciting technological innovations, controversies over color theory, patterns and lay-out all characterize this period. Owners and their head gardeners looked to former historical styles (especially […]