Events

Collectors’ Night 2018

Collectors’ Night 2018
New York City Fire Museum, 278 Spring St., New York, NY 10013
Online admission: $10 general/$7 Reliquary and Fire Museum members
Door admission: $13 general/$10 Reliquary and Fire Museum members
Buy tickets here!
RSVP on Facebook

The City Reliquary will be hosting its 13th annual Collectors’ Night on Saturday, April 14th, 2018,6pm-8pm, at the New York City Fire Museum. Join us in celebrating curious collections, displays, and ephemera!

Each year, collectors and archivists — whose acquisitions run the gamut, from loose groupings to the hyper-specific–showcase their treasures to the public and participate in rapid-fire show-n-tells. This is an opportunity to get up close with collective labors of love.

Special guest speakers will focus on municipal collections of New York City and feature:

Brian Kelley’s NYCTA project, which began as a simple collection of MetroCards taken from the ground and has since expanded to encompass Transit Authority materials, patches, pamphlets, pins, tickets, tokens, limited-edition MetroCards, and more.

Nelson Molina, a retired DSNY worker, will present on his Treasures in the Trash collection.

And a special presentation from Amanda Pietrzykowski, Collections Manager and Curator of the New York City Fire Museum, detailing the history and cultural heritage of the fire service of New York.

 

This year’s collections include:

  • Coca-Cola ephemera (David Argov)
  • Earthrise Museum (Ben Sisto)
  • Museum of Interesting Things (Denny Daniel)
  • Squished pennies (Suzie Sims-Fletcher)
  • Found ID cards and corroding bottle caps (Harley Spiller)
  • Archival 16mm cartoons (Tommy Stathes)
  • Antique china, glass, bottles, and seaglass (Emily Kawasaki)
  • Chicago gang business cards from the 1960s-1990s(Brandon Johnson)
  • Collection of frog-related items (Dianna Maeurer)
  • Photo postcards from World War I (Chris Engel)
  • Shea Stadium ephemera (Jason Antos)
  • Labels and sign letters/numbers (Gail Mitchell)
  • The Wallet of Ronda J Smith – a collection of personal cards / credit cards / driver’s licenses (Ronda Smith)
  • Items created by a number of companies and entities that share that collector’s namesake (Glen Eden Einbinder)
  • Henry & Jay’s Collection Agency (Jason and Henry McLean)
  • “The Operative Owl”: a collection of primarily antique owls that function (Lesley Doyel)
  • Eiffel Tower collection (LuLu LoLo)
  • Retired NYC street furniture (Steven Gembara)
  • Polar bear collection (Olive Scanga)
  • Spider Gwen collection (Gwen Rosenstien)
  • Rescue Bot collection (Terry Haden)
  • Geological collection (Rosie Herman)
  • Sea life (Opal Herman)
  • PETROLIANA – vintage items related to gas stations and the oil business (Kevin McGeary)
  • Potato Tomes – Books with “Potato” in the Title from all around the world (Jeffrey Allen Price)
  • Behind the Make Up – The Soulfulness of Clowns: A collection of clown portraits showing their private pensive moments (Georgine and Bill Eberight)

Pizza and been generously provided by Two Boots Pizza and Brooklyn Brewery.

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March 2: The 11th Annual Panorama Challenge

Panorama Challengers gather around the Panorama
The 11th Annual Panorama Challenge
Friday, March 2: Doors 6 PM, Game 7 PM
Queens Museum
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
General Admission: $15 online/$20 at the door
City Reliquary & Queens Museum members: $12 online/$15 at the door

SEEKING KNOW‐IT‐ALL NEW YORKERS AND LOVERS OF NYC!

Once again, The City Reliquary, Queens Museum, & The Levys’ Unique New York! have partnered for an exciting evening of trivia with the whole city at your feet. Meet us at the world’s largest architectural scale model – The Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum – for a most unusual evening of trivia.

Panorama Challenge quizzes players on all things NYC. MC Matt Apter reads questions while our judges highlight clues on the Panorama using lasers (well, laser pointers). Players in teams of 10 (or so) use those clues (and musical hints!) to determine the correct answer.

BUY TICKETS NOW!

Quizmaster Jonathan Turer returns for his seventh year with another batch of new questions. This year categories may include: Gotham Gangsters on Film; McKim, Mead & White sites; and questions based on the Grammys, the movie Wonderstruck, and the exhibit Never Built New York at the Queens Museum. The ever-popular Halftime Quiz will also be returning!

How To Form A Team:
Teams may organize as Panorama Challengers or Panorama Pros. Challengers are first‐timers or those who have not dedicated their lives to the study of NYC. Their questions will be easier! Pros are returning contestants and die‐hard students of our city’s hidden corners. They answer twice as many questions per round (60 total!) Friendly tour guides from The Levys’ Unique New York! will help match contestants to teams.

The winning Pro team will join the ranks of legendary past winners when its name is etched on the Panorama Challenge Trophy housed at the Queens Museum!

This year promises another impressive panel of judges–stay tuned for more details!

Reserve Your Team’s Spot Now!

While scores are tallied, there will be an electrifying performance by Batalá New York — an all-woman Afro-Brazilian samba reggae percussion band!

 

 

 

Sandwiches, snacks, and beverages available for purchase, with beer from our friends at the Rockaway Brewing Company. Proceeds from admission and concessions support The City Reliquary Museum and Queens Museum.

A free shuttle will travel between the Queens Museum and under the Mets‐Willets Point 7 stop from 5:30-7 pm and 9-10 pm.

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Press Coverage for Miss Subways 2017

Miss Subways 2017 received a ton of great media coverage. If you weren’t able to attend this event, definitely check out some of the links below. And be sure not to miss Miss Subways 2018!
Articles with excellent event photos:
Gothamist
Post-event articles:
Atlas Obscura
Pre-event articles:

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Introducing the 2017 Miss Subways Contestants!

We put out the call, and a fabulous group of civic New Yorkers responded. Here are the contestants who will compete for the title of Miss Subways 2017 on September 28. Each brings something special, but only one will take home the transit tiara.

Tickets on sale now! All proceeds benefit Riders Alliance and The City Reliquary! More event details here.

Let’s meet the contenders…

Don’t miss out on this weird, wonderful, and very New York event in support of the subway system! Get those tickets!
Event details here.

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Sept. 28: The 2017 Miss Subways Extravaganza

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Deadline extended to Sept. 14!!

We’re seeking Miss Subways 2017!

On Thursday, September 28 at 7 PM, The City Reliquary Museum will host The 2017 Miss Subways Extravaganza. You might remember that the Reliquary celebrated NYC’s most maligned line with its 2009 “Miss G Train” competition. How things have changed! The G is now one of the most reliable lines in the system. Clearly, something must be done.

With a wink and a nod to the Miss Subways pageants held in NYC between 1941 and 1976, this event is a call to arms for advocates and lovers of the NYC underground. In a night of performances spanning the classy, the trashy, the weird, and the whimsical, contestants will demonstrate their love for their subway line of choice to a panel of local celebrity judges.

The Museum of Interesting Things will join us with a table display of subway ephemera!

Tickets are on sale for $20-$60 ($17 for Reliquary members). Beverages available by suggested donation, with beer courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery.
All proceeds benefit The City Reliquary and the Riders Alliance.

Are YOU this year’s Miss Subways?

Can your talents inspire Governor Cuomo to action? We’re looking for contestants who believe they should be the ambassador for the subway in its time of crisis. Despite the potentially “miss”-leading title, we welcome contestants of all gender identities. The deadline to enter is Thursday, September 14th at 11:59 PM. 

TO ENTER: Send the following to [email protected]:
1) a short essay telling us why you want to be Miss Subways 2017, what your favorite subway line is, and why it inspires/enrages/enchants you;
2) a detailed description of your proposed performance.Show your love for our subterranean system through song, dance, poetry, or any other talent: Rubik’s cube solving, hula hooping, speed knitting, playing the sousaphone…surprise us!;
3) a photo. Feel free to send additional things, such as a song you’ve written, or a story of a memorable subway ride.

Our judges panel features CELEBRITIES & CIVIC HEROES! Including:

janeane-garofalo

Actress, comedian, and progressive activist Janeane Garofalo! Rising to fame in the ’90s with iconic appearances on The Ben Stiller Show and Reality Bites, she recently starred in the 90s throwback comedy, Wet Hot American Summer!

 

 

RJDowntown NYC art star and icon, Reverend Jen Miller! The Rev Jen was an early participating artist at Collective: Unconscious in the Lower East Side in the 1990s, where she began the Anti-Slam & Art Star movement. She’s been a muse for internationally renowned comedians and authors (the TV show “Bored to Death” featured a character based on her Elf Girl persona). She is the founder of the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant and of the Troll Museum, which tragically closed in 2016.
Roger-Clark 640x360NY1 reporter Roger Clark! As an intrepid NY1 morning reporter, Roger has surfed Rockaway Beach, learned the trapeze, kayaked the Hudson, and canoed the Gowanus Canal. He regularly covers community issues and highlights non-profits that help make NYC great. And he’s in a punk band! Roger’s band Perp Walk has played venues such as Bowery Electric, Hank’s Saloon, and The City Reliquary.

21994065_10213279746564399_7587461439172856378_oBaratunde R. Thurston, star of stage (acclaimed comedian, highly sought-after keynote speaker) and screens (producer, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah; fellow, MIT Media Lab, digital editor, The Onion, unusually astute talking head on political talk shows; prolific tweeter). He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller, How to Be Black.

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Collectors’ Night 2017 Recap

Collectors’ Night 2017 was a huge success! Last Saturday, nearly 300 people come to The New York City Fire Museum to see over 30 collectors show diverse collections ranging from Beanie Boos to business cards for Chicago street gangs. Guest speaker Miriam Sicherman presented her Closet Archaeology project she has worked on with her 4th-grade students, and LuLu LoLo performed her collector obituary monologues.

Check out the pics below. Thanks again to the sponsors for this event: The New York City Fire Museum, Two Boots Pizza, and Brooklyn Brewery. See you next year!

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Collectors’ Night on NY1

Roger Clark from NY1 visited us to talk about Collectors’ Night with Reliquary Founders Dave Herman and Bill Scanga. Collectors Brandon Johnson, Miriam Sicherman, and Harley Judd Spiller showed some of their collections, and a few of the City Reliquary kid collectors made an appearance too!

Roger Clark of NY1 visited us to talk about Collectors’ Night!

NY1 pic

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Collectors’ Night 2017

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Collectors’ Night 2017
New York City Fire Museum, 278 Spring Street, NY, NY
Saturday, April 8 @ 5 PM
Online admission: $7/$5 Reliquary or Fire Museum members
Door admission: $10/$8 Reliquary or Fire members
Join the Facebook event

The City Reliquary Museum is proud to present its annual Collectors’ Night on Saturday, April 8 at the New York City Fire Museum. Collectors’ Night celebrates one of the quirkier cultural practices of everyday New Yorkers. Every year, artists, packrats, and other unusual archivists gather to show off their collections. Displays range from the charming and quotidian to the intriguingly morbid. Special presentations by guest speakers focus on a specific area of collecting.

Collectors’ Night 2017 Guest Speakers:

Schoolteacher Miriam Sicherman of the “Closet Archeology” project will discuss the early 20th-century debris found by her 4th graders under the floorboards of their 1913 NYC public school. See coverage from the New York Times.

Mike Zohn of Obscura Antiques & Oddities will discuss his collection of original artwork from 1960s & ’70s Mexican comic books.

And a special performance from artist and activist LuLu LoLo of the Where Are The Women Monuments project. LuLu will perform two short monologues drawn from the obituaries of Elizabeth Tashjian, founder of The Nut Museum, and Hugh Hicks, whose massive light bulb collection formed the Mount Vernon Museum of Incandescent Lighting.

This year collections:

  • Industrial Revolution and Mechanical Era ephemera from Museum of Interesting Things. With interactive demonstrations.
  • Rare maps, books and photos chronicling the history of Queens from Jason Antos
  • Coca-Cola ephemera from David Argov
  • 100 years of paper, cardboard and self-playing ephemeral records from Michael Cumella aka Phonograph DJ MAC. Some records will be played on site.
  • 12 reproduction mechanical banks from Georgine and Bill Eberight. Includes coin demos.
  • Vintage cartoon decals, illustrated aprons, cocktail napkins, and more comic ephemera from Gabe Fowler of Desert Island Comics
  • Business cards of Chicago gangs from the 1970s & ’80s from Brandon Johnson. Brandon’s collection of gang “compliment cards” has been published as Thee Almighty & Insane. The book has been reviewed by Vice.
  • Preserved insects from Jamison Heldrich
  • Beach and sea glass collected in New York from Emily Kawasaki
  • Vintage hats & handkerchiefs from artist and activist LuLu LoLo
  • Found fishing lures and metal tins from different countries from Gail Mitchell
  • Road maps from Alex Schneider
  • Classic educational filmstrips from Jonathan Sims. With projection of some strips.
  • Collections of rock collections acquired from friends, family, states, and geological societies from artist Ben Sisto
  • 1950s lady head vases from Lisa and Nina Skriloff
  • Star Wars items, mounted mini orchids, and wheat pennies from Mike Smith
  • Mid-century desk lamps from Ronda J. Smith and Adrien Blanc
  • WWII family ephemera and vintage potato ads from Harley Spiller, aka Inspector Collector
  • Archival 16mm vintage cartoons by Tommy Stathes of Cartoons on Film. Screenings throughout the night.
  • Over 100 1:64-scale police, fire and emergency vehicles, with many international police cars and rare items from Corgi, Solido, Siku, Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Tomica, from Jeremy Willinger
  • And the City Reliquary Kid Collectors! Featuring the collection of “O” shapes from Opal Herman, the geisha doll collection of Rosie Herman, the miniature action figures of Gwen Rosenstein, and the Beanie Boo & Pokemon collection of Olive Scanga!

Event Schedule

5:00-5:30: DJ music by Nigel; Pizza by Two Boots & Beer by Brooklyn Brewery (by donation); time to browse collections

5:30-6:00: Introduction to CN by CR President Bill Scanga; Round 1 of Rapid-Fire Show-n-Tell

6:00-6:15: Intermission

6:15-7:15: Speakers: Miriam Sicherman’s Closet Archeology; LuLu LoLo performance; Mike Zohn’s Mexican Comic Art

7:15-7:30: Second Intermission

7:30- 8:00: Round 2 of Rapid-Fire Show-n-Tell Closing remarks by CR Director Dave Herman

Refreshments courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery and Two Boots Pizza!

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#CollectorsNight

Tickets through Artfully, $7/$5 for City Reliquary or Fire Museum members. Become a Reliquary member today! Admission at the door will be $10/$8 Reliquary and Fire Museum members. Buy online and save!

Check out a few pics from Collectors’ Night 2016, and see more on our Facebook page.

 

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The 10th Annual Panorama Challenge

Contestants at Pano Chal 9 in 2016.

Contestants at Pano Chal 9 in 2016.

The 10th Annual Panorama Challenge
Saturday, March 4, 2017
The City Reliquary Museum, Queens Museum, & The Levys’ Unique New York! Partner for a Unique Evening of Trivia!
Queens Museum: New York City Building
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368

Tickets Available Now!!
General Admission: $15 online/$20 at door
City Reliquary & Queens Museum members: $12 online/$15 at door

SEEKING KNOW‐IT‐ALL NEW YORKERS AND LOVERS OF NYC! Meet us at the world’s largest architectural scale model – The Queens Museum Panorama of the City of New York – for a most unusual evening of trivia with the whole city at your feet! Proceeds support The City Reliquary Museum and Queens Museum.

Panorama Challenge quizzes participants about our city while judges highlight clues on the Panorama with laser pointers. Teams of 10 (or so) will use those clues and musical hints to answer questions about our fair city.

Jonathan Turer, in his sixth year as Quizmaster, has devised brand-new questions! New for 2017: Open House New York has joined us to create a category based on their upcoming series Getting to Zero: New York + Waste. Other categories include: Seinfeld, Snow in the City; Traveling by Subway; Mills, Mills, Mills; and Forts of NY. In light of BREXIT and the 2016 Presidential Election, the Halftime Quiz will feature questions based on British NYC and the Trumps.

Teams may be organized as a Panorama Challenger or Panorama Pro. Challengers are first‐timers who may not have dedicated their lives to the study of NYC. Their questions will be easier! Pros are returning contestants who are die‐hard students of our city’s hidden corners. They answer twice as many questions each round (60 total!) Worry not, friendly guides from The Levys’ Unique New York! will help match contestants to teams.

The winning Pro team will join the ranks of legendary past winners when its name is etched on the Panorama Challenge Trophy at the Queens Museum!

This year’s impressive panel of judges includes award‐winning Dean of NYC Guides Lee Gelber; author and award‐winning webmaster of Forgotten NY Kevin Walsh; author and urban explorer Moses Gates; two-time Panorama Challenge winner Mitch Paluszek; and Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscione.

While scores are tallied, there will be an electrifying performance by Batalá New York — an all-woman Afro-Brazilian samba reggae percussion band!

Beverages, sandwiches, and snacks available for purchase with beer from our friends at the Rockaway Brewing Company. Proceeds from admission and concessions support The City Reliquary Museum and Queens Museum. A free shuttle will travel between the Queens Museum and underneath the Mets‐Willets Point 7 stop from 5-6pm and from to 9-10 pm.

The Levys’ Unique New York! NY’s First Family of Tour Guides, is a family-run business of native New Yorkers: Mark and Matt Levy. The Levys’ Unique New York creates engaging, entertaining, educational and energetic private tours of NYC. From New York City Highlights to Architecture, Ethnic Eating Tours of Chinatown & the Jewish Lower East Side to Brooklyn’s Beat, we are passionate about our great city. Website: levysuniqueny.com

The Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park features contemporary art, events of hyperlocal and international impact, and educational programs reflecting the diversity of Queens and New York City. Changing exhibitions present the work of emerging and established artists, both local and global, that often explore contemporary social issues, as well as the rich history of its site. In November 2013, the Museum reopened with an expanded footprint of 105,000 square feet, a soaring skylit atrium, a suite of daylight galleries, 9 artist studios, and flexible event space. The Museum works outside its walls through engagement initiatives ranging from multilingual outreach and educational opportunities for adult immigrants, to a plethora of community led art and activism projects. The Museum’s educational programming connects with schoolchildren, teens, families, seniors as well as those individuals with physical and mental disabilities. The Queens Museum is located on property owned in full by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Museum’s hours are: Thursday – Sunday: 11am – 5p.m. Admission to the Museum is by suggested donation: $8 for adults, $4 for seniors, Free for children 18 and under. For general visitor information, please visit queensmuseum.org or call 718-592- 9700.

The City Reliquary Museum & Civic Organization preserves the everyday artifacts that connect visitors to the past and present of New York City. It was originally established as an apartment window display in 2002 at the corner of Grand and Havemeyer Streets and relocated to 370 Metropolitan Avenue in 2006. The Reliquary also hosts public events that invite neighbors and visitors to meet, exchange ideas, and celebrate the diversity of our city.

Location: 370 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211; Hours: Thursday–Sunday, 12pm–6pm. Admission: $5 general; $4 college students/educators/seniors; children 12 & under free. Website: cityreliquary.org Phone: 718.RU.CIVIC (782.4842)

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Collector’s Night 2016

What a great night! Check out our Facebook album of pics from this year’s Collector’s Night!

Collector poster front

Collector’s Night
Hosted at the New York City Fire Museum
Friday, June 10, @6:30 PM

Join us at the New York City Fire Museum Friday, June 10 at 6:30 PM to celebrate the odd obsessions of everyday New Yorkers! 

Admission: $10 general/$5 for members of The City Reliquary or New York City Fire Museum. Tix available through our Artful.ly page!

Spittoons used by congregants of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, ca. 1900. From the Museum at Eldridge Street.

Spittoons used by congregants of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, ca. 1900. Museum at Eldridge Street.

All collectors will display and discuss their collections throughout the evening. This year, for the first time in Reliquary history, guest museum will also share parts of their collections! Look out for displays from Museum at Eldridge Street, Museum of Interesting Things, Interference Archive, Reanimation Library, and MoRUS (Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space)!!

We’ll also enjoy talks by three guest speakers:

  • Stanley B. Burns, MD of The Burns Archive, an extensive photographic collection of the forgotten, unseen, and disquieting moments in history
  • Austin Wright of The Museum of Democracy, the world’s largest collection of historical and political campaign memorabilia
  • Howard Warren, retired Trinity School science teacher, who will discuss the dismantling of Jim Crow through the integration of professional baseball

#CollectorsNight2016

"Talked to Death" artifact, late 1890s. From the Museum of Democracy.

“Talked to Death” artifact, late 1890s. Museum of Democracy.

Confirmed collections include:

And countless others! Don’t miss this fun, interesting, and oh-so-Reliquary event!

RSVP through the Facebook event!

Jackie Robinson figurines, 1947 (left) and late 20th century (right). From the collection of Howard Warren.

Jackie Robinson figurines, 1947 (left) and late 20th century (right). From the collection of Howard Warren.

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Thanks to our sponsors at Brooklyn Brewery and Two Boots Pizza!two boots logo

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