Can One Object Define New York City?

It was Sam Roberts, the longtime urban affairs correspondent for The New York Times, who curated A History of New York in 101 Objects.  Drawing from the rich archives of the New-York Historical Society, the exhibition offers a compelling narrative of the city’s past – told through a carefully chosen collection of objects that are by turns iconic, ironic, and thought-provoking. Each item earned its place by meeting a simple but powerful criterion: it had to represent or provoke a lasting transformation in the life of the city.

To be included, an object had to be more than memorable – it had to matter.  Each selection had to either catalyze change or embody a turning point in New York’s evolution. Timelessness was also essential; nothing could be chosen solely for its connection to recent trends or fleeting nostalgia. The result is a fascinating portrait of the city through things it left behind. Here are just a few highlights: The Flushing Remonstrance, a 1657 petition for religious freedom that was a precursor to the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Beads from the African Burial Ground, 1700s. Slavery was legal in New York until 1827, although many free blacks lived in the city. The African Burial Ground closed in 1792 and was only recently rediscovered.

The Bagel, early 1900s. The quintessential and undisputed New York food (excepting perhaps the pizza).

The Automat Vending Machine, 1912. Put a nickel in the slot and get a cup of coffee or a piece of pie. It was the early twentieth century version of fast food.

The one and only, genuine, original Anthora, the small, disposable blue and white coffee cup with Greek motifs and sharp ochre letters spelling “We Are Happy To Serve You.”

The “I Love NY” logo, designed by Milton Glaser in 1977 for a campaign to increase tourism. Along with Saul Steinberg’s famous New Yorker cover depicting a New Yorker’s view of the world, it was perhaps the most famous and most frequently reproduced graphic symbol of the time.