‘New York 400: A Visual History of America’s Greatest City with Images from the Museum of the City of New York’

Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson sailed along the river that bears his famous name. Little did he realize at the time that the tiny port would eventually become America’s largest and most famous city. To commemorate this historical event, the Museum of the City of New York has opened its archives to share more than 500 images tracing the city’s colorful history.

Divided into 16 chapters beginning with Henry Hudson’s arrival in 1609 and ending with immigrants reshaping the city during the 1990s and early years of this century, “New York 400” explores the city inside and out. Rare images — including engravings depicting the treaty between Governor Minuit and the Native Americans, and an Indian village of the Manhattans prior to the occupation of the Dutch — show the very beginning of the region’s recorded history. Early maps, prints and paintings bring this period into sharp focus.

The Museum of the City of New York’s vast archive includes more than 1.5 million objects and images. Many of the images selected for New York 400 are being published for the very first time, providing a fresh, new perspective of the rich visual history of New York.

The introduction by John Thorn and his running commentary via captions scattered throughout the book add just the right touch. Mr. Thorn, a prominent New York journalist, also served as editor in-chief of the project.

“New York 400” is more than just another collection of images tracing the rise of a great American city. It is a celebration of what both New York and our country are all about, and a fitting tribute to the melting pot that is America. This magnificent book deserves to be on your coffee table. 