Panorama of the Harbor of New York, Staten Island and the Narrows, published by Goupil & Co., 366 Broadway New York

Join us on Sunday, January 28 at 1 PM for Views of the Narrows in the 1800s, a lecture by Dr. Peter van Alfen. New York City is blessed with one of the greatest harbors in the world, protected from the ravages of the Atlantic by the wide Lower Bay and the narrow channel that separates it from the Upper Bay. Throughout the nineteenth century the Narrows between Staten Island and Brooklyn held a special fascination for numerous artists, including painters and printmakers, who produced views of the Narrows from different vantage points. In this talk we will explore these views along with contemporary maps focusing on how various structures in and around the Narrows evolved both to service commercial maritime traffic and also to fortify this important passage against naval attack.