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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Join our slack channel

Share research ideas and join technical discussions with our team and community of users.

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TUNE IN FOR COMMUNITY CALLS

Tune in for quarterly chats to learn the basics of how we create and build at Urban Archive.

Interested in telling a story?

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

Questions?