PRESS PHOTOGRAPH OF JUAN TRIPPE, 1938

Juan Terry Trippe (1899-1981) was a remarkably successful American Airline entrepreneur, founding Pan American Airways in 1927 and building it up to the most prominent airline of the Twentieth Century. The above image depicts Trippe boarding an American Airlines airplane. Trippe famously expressed, “The true objective is to bring to the life of the average man those things which were once the privilege of the fortunate few,” a goal undeniably achieved by Pan American Airways. Under his leadership, Pan Am expanded travel routes and offered low-cost tourist fares to the masses.

THE MEADE BROTHERS’ DAGUERREOTYPE GALLERY, GLEASON’S PICTORIAL DRAWING ROOM COMPANION, February 5, 1853

The Meade brothers, Charles R. Meade (1826-1858) and Henry W. M. Meade (c.1823-1865), were pioneers in American photography. Among the first studio photographers, they are credited with popularizing the daguerreotype, making the medium available to the masses. The accompanying image, originally published in an 1853 issue of Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, depicts the Meade Brothers’ Gallery at 233 Broadway in New York City. At this location visitors could view and purchase a wide variety of daguerreotypes including portraits of prominent people and panoramas of cities around the world. Their collection even included a rare portrait of the reclusive Louis Daguerre, inventor of the eponymous daguerreotype process. The Meade brothers had two photographic studios on site as well as photography equipment and supplies for sale.

Baseball At Green-Wood

Green-Wood is rich in baseball history. Not just one, but several men, who thought of themselves as “The Father of Baseball” are interred at Green-Wood. We often host Opening Day tours of Green-Wood. Peter Nash wrote a book several years ago: “Baseball Legends of Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery.” And baseball historian Tom Gilbert is now working … Read more

Thanks To Our Volunteers!

In the fall of 2002, our first Historic Fund volunteers began working on our Civil War Project, searching Green-Wood’s grounds for any sign of Civil War veterans. Since that time, hundreds of volunteers have stepped forward, researching Green-Wood’s permanent residents, writing biographies, processing archival materials, working at the Historic Fund cart to greet visitors, appearing … Read more

ADA REHAN AS LADY TEAZLE ON THE COVER OF THE THEATRE MAGAZINE, April 1904

Ada Rehan (1857-1916) was a renowned American actress of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born Delia Crehan, the actress adopted her stage name after being misbilled as Ada C. Rehan. She gained notoriety for her performances in classic comedies. Rehan is pictured here in costume for one of her most famous roles, Lady Teazle in Sheridan’s The School for Scandal. In 1891, the dramatic critic William Winter praised Rehan’s acting ability. Of her performance as Lady Teazle he wrote, “No previous representative of the part, upon the American stage, has dressed it so richly as it was dressed by Ada Rehan.”

DURKEE’S BRAND SPICE TIN, Early 20th Century

Eugene W. Durkee (1850-1926) was a successful merchant of condiments, spices, and sauces. His father, Eugene R. Durkee, founded the Durkee company in 1861 to market his “secret recipe” dressing for salads and meats. Durkee quickly expanded, however, to manufacturing various sauces, condiments and spices. With factories in both Brooklyn and Queens, the Durkee Company was quite successful and well known in New York City. Pictured here is a tin in which cloves were sold, “One of Durkee’s Famous Foods.” Eugene W. Durkee went on to work for the federal government in 1906, hired to write federal standards for spices and extracts. Click the image to expand.

OLD ORCHARD, MAINE, OIL PAINTING BY LUCY M. DURAND WOODMAN, Late 19th Century

This serene seaside landscape was created by Lucy M. Durand Woodman (1829-1910), daughter of famed Hudson River School artist Asher B. Durand, dubbed the “Father of American Landscape Painting.” It is no question that Woodman shared with her father an affinity for capturing the essence of America’s natural landscape. This particular work, “Old Orchard, Maine,” depicts light waves crashing along the shore on a cloudy day. The artist and her father share a final resting space here in Green-Wood, surrounded by the natural beauty that provided inspiration for their work over a century ago.