Dramatic, poignant, and provocative, PBS’s Point of View documentaries provide access to often overlooked facets of American society. African-American filmmakers and parents Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson chronicle twelve years of educational ups and downs of their son, Idris, and his classmate Seun in American Promise. The documentary follows the two boys’ journey through Manhattan’s...

George Bellows may be best known for his brawny and atmospheric painting of two men engaged in the lively sport of boxing from 1909 titled "Stag at Sharkey's." However, his work covered a wide range of subjects, including cityscapes, war scenes, and tenement life in New York City. This online exhibition complements an in situ exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it offers visitors...

What did New York look like in the late 19th century? Obviously it was a bustling and energetic place, but what were some of its key characteristics? We can tell a bit about it from first-hand narratives, photographs, and maps, but it's also useful to know that there were some intriguing films made around the Big Apple during this time. This marvelous collection from the Library of Congress's...

How could one weekly report keep tabs on the building activity in and around New York City and the surrounding area? From 1868 to 1922, the Real Estate Record did just that, and for anyone with an interest in urban affairs, it is a remarkable resource. It was digitized by the good folks at the Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections, and visitors can search through each volume by keyword...