Urban Archive Community
Since day one, Urban Archive has been a space for telling stories with maps and archives.
Now, anyone can sign up to create and contribute. Whether you’re an educator, student, researcher, or a good ol’ history buff, we’d love for you to join our community as we actively build out new features and tell stories about the cities we love.
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Sign up to contribute research and tell community stories on our platform.
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Share research ideas and join technical discussions with our team and community of users.
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Tune in for quarterly chats to learn the basics of how we create and build at Urban Archive.
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Join us for Lot Talks: NYC History in 3 minutes or less.
Community stories
The Kidnapping of John Arthur Russel
On Monday, September 19, 1932, third-grader John Arthur Russell was plucked off of Third Avenue by two men in broad daylight.
By Henry Stewart, author of True Crime Bay Ridge and How Bay Ridge Became Bay Ridge.
Brooklyn Heights Zoo
If you look carefully, you can find dozens of different animals - some real, some fantastical - carved and painted on the buildings of Brooklyn Heights.
By Jeremy Lechtzin, oldbrooklynheights.com
Frederick Douglass in Brooklyn
Frederick Douglass is a key part of Brooklyn’s abolitionist history and legacy.
By Daniel Pecoraro, dp@history.works
Downtown New York's Signs of the Times
New York's ever-changing landscape provides fans of art, advertising, graphics, and history a wealth of unforgettable signs.
By Frank Mastropolo, Ghost Signs: Clues to Downtown New York's Past
Brooklyn's Irish: The Story of Jean Regan
Follow along a family’s recollection of the beautifully ordinary life on the streets of Brooklyn.
By John Maiocco
Paradise Found
This story shows us how the history of a family in Maspeth, Queens is intertwined with the development of the neighborhood.
By Steve Fisher