James Ryder Van Brunt (1820-1916) was an American artist and Brooklyn native. Born on his family farm in old Gowanus, land that is now part of Green-Wood Cemetery, Van Brunt was of Dutch heritage, his ancestors having settled in the area as early as the seventeenth century. Van Brunt took inspiration from the Dutch heritage of the region, specializing in watercolors of local farmhouses and churches. The work pictured above, Peacock in an Architectural Setting, demonstrates Van Brunt’s artistic skill, even when working outside of his usual subject matter.

Francis Wupperman, better known by his stage name, Frank Morgan (1890-1949), will forever be remembered for his role as the title character in the Wizard of Oz. An eccentric and jovial character actor, Morgan was already a well-respected long before his 1939 role as “The Wizard.” His first film was released in 1916, over a decade before the first “talkies” were introduced. Sound films enabled Morgan to really flourish as an actor and he became highly sought after for both comedic and dramatic roles. In the accompanying photo, Morgan demonstrates his juggling ability, a skill he learned for a scene in his 1938 film “The Crowd Roars.”

During the second half of the nineteenth century, Edward Anthony (1819-1888) played an important role in the advancement of photography. He founded what would become the largest supplier of photographic supplies in the United States, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. The company sold everything from photographic chemicals to studio backdrops. The magazine, “Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin,” was published by the company from 1880 through 1902. The publication included a variety of articles pertaining to the art of photography as well as advertisements for all sorts of photographic supplies.

During the 1940s, male “crooners” dominated the music scene with their emphatically sentimental love songs. Alan Dale (1925-2002) emerged as a solo act in 1948 and was soon dubbed the “Prince of Baritones.” In 1956, Dale starred as a Rock and Roll singer in the film “Don’t Knock the Rock” alongside famed musicians Little Richard and Bill Haley and His Comets.

Elias Howe Jr. (1819-1867) is credited with the invention of the sewing machine, one of the most important innovations of the Nineteenth Century. Though Howe was not the first person to develop a sewing machine, he introduced the first efficient and practical version. In 1846 Howe received the first United States patent for a sewing machine using a lockstitch design. The lockstitch remains the most common mechanical stitch made by sewing machines. This particular model also introduced critical improvements that form the basis for the sewing machine design employed today, including a needle with the eye at the point and an automatic feed. The transition from hand stitching to mechanical stitching made possible by the sewing machine revolutionized the garment industry.

The above image depicts an Army air raid detection station set up in Green-Wood Cemetery in January 1941. In the years leading up to World War II, as there was an increased fear of air attacks, the United States developed and employed a system to monitor the sky for enemy aircrafts. Stations were set up that incorporated the use of searchlights and sound and heat locators. This view in Green-Wood shows a group of soldiers monitoring sound locators for the noise of airplane engines. Green-Wood’s high-elevation and proximity to urban centers made it an ideal location for the station.

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, 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.