Black New York: Historic Photos From the Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York, located at the top of Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue in New York City, presents lively exhibitions and public programs that explore and interpret the city's past, and celebrate New York's heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation.

Among its vast holdings, the Museum is the steward of more than a quarter of a million photographs depicting New York City and its inhabitants from the advent of photography forward. Before photography was recognized by other museums as an important art form, an early, visionary curator, Grace Mayer, began collecting photographers' work for its documentary value.

There are countless stories in these images; the movement of the African American community within Manhattan is just one of them. We're proud to celebrate Black History Month by presenting this selection of photographs.