Press Releases

POSTPONED: The 13th Annual Panorama Challenge

2019 winning team hosting the Panorama Challenge trophy
2019 Panorama Pro winners, the Dutch Killers!

The Panorama Challenge is postponed in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. We hope to reschedule this event later in the year when we can once again safely gather to celebrate our love of New York City, and we hope to see you there. We’ll announce a new date when we have more information.

The 13th Annual Panorama Challenge
Friday, April 17, 2020: Doors 5 PM, Open Museum Galleries 5-7pm, Game 7 PM
Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

General Admission: $15 advance/$20 day of game

City Reliquary & Queens Museum members: $12 advance/$15 day of game

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

It’s almost time for the 13th Annual Panorama Challenge! 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!

On the occasion of this year’s Panorama Challenge the Queens Museum’s galleries will be open after hours from 5 – 7pm, so that participants can visit the newly opened exhibition season, which features a wide range of perspectives and explorations of the city of New York.  Exhibitions on view include After the Plaster Foundation, a show on artists’ experiences with home, displacement and real estate in the city, Ridgewood Reservoir for the 21st Century (Community Partnership Exhibition in the Watershed Gallery), and Bruce Davidson: People in Public Places. Make sure to visit the exhibitions and expect a few related questions in the Challenge!

Panorama Challenge quizzes players on all things NYC. MC Gary Dennis 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 ​to determine the correct answer.

Quizmaster Jonathan Turer returns for his ninth year with another fresh batch of questions. This year, categories may include: ‘Women in Song’ (audio clues), ‘Brush Up on Your Shakespeare’ and ‘Bruce (Davidson) in NYC’ which will focus on works from the photographer’s exhibit at the Museum. And, to celebrate the 13th Challenge: ‘Unlucky’. Start building your teams accordingly!

Teams may organize as Panorama Challengers or Panorama Pros. Challengers are first‐timers or casual trivia fans. Their questions will be easier!  Pros are returning contestants and dedicated enthusiasts 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!

A new prize will be awarded this year in honor of the late Lee Gelber, long-time Panorama Challenge judge and ‘Dean of New York Guides’. To commemorate his love of jokes and puns, the team with the funniest or cleverest name will be added to “The Dean’s List”, a trophy that will live at the museum along with the ‘big prize’. 

Food and beverages will be available by suggested donation. A free shuttle, generously provided by DaVinci Limo & Tours, will travel between the Queens Museum and under the Mets‐Willets Point 7 stop from 5:30-7 pm and 9-10 pm.

Miss Subways 2018: September 27th!

Purchase Tickets!

$20 general / $15 Reliquary Members

On Thursday, September 27 at 7 PM, the 2018 Miss Subways Pageant returns at Littlefield, 635 Sackett Street in Brooklyn. You might recall that last year we revived this quaint but outdated spectacle and gave it a modern spin. We had so much fun that we’re making it an annual event!

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. It’s been another roller coaster year for the NYC subway.  Some good – Fair Fares! and the “Fast Forward” modernization plan – but as we all know: the subway is still a mess, the fixes still need funding, and we have to keep up the pressure.

In a night of performances spanning the classy, the trashy, the weird, and the whimsical, contestants will demonstrate their devotion to their subway line of choice. But only one will take home the transit tiara!

 

Tickets are on sale now. $20 general admission, $15 for museum members. All proceeds benefit The City Reliquary and the Riders Alliance.

 

April 28: Tour of Dead Horse Bay (Member Exclusive)

Tour of Dead Horse Bay, Brooklyn
April 28, 2018, 11am–3pm
Admission (Members only) $25
Purchase tickets here (members: please log into artful.ly to purchase tickets)
Become a member today!
RSVP on Facebook

As a final event in conjunction with NYC Trash! Past, Present, and Future, the City Reliquary will be hosting a Member-Exclusive tour of Brooklyn’s Dead Horse Bay. Once a horse-rendering plant (hence it’s name) and, later, used as a New York landfill, the Bay offers a rich natural and cultural history. The detritus of generations can be found on its shores where, unlike most other places in New York, layers of the past are not erased.

Tour size will be limited to 22 people. Buy your tickets now!


Speaker:

Robin Nagle—author of Picking Up, anthropologist-in-residence for New York City’s Department of Sanitation, and professor of anthropology and environmental studies at New York University—will discuss the history of Dead Horse Bay and its significance in New York’s trash history.


Schedule:

11am: Meet at The City Reliquary; the museum will open one hour early so that tour attendees will be able to experience the NYC Trash! exhibit before it closes.

12pm: Passenger van to Dead Horse Bay.

1pm: Welcome and talk from Robin Nagle, anthropologist-in-residence for New York City’s Department of Sanitation.

1:45pm: Low tide. Attendees are invited to explore Dead Horse Bay on their own.

2:30pm: Passenger van back to the City Reliquary; return by 3pm.

This is a member-exclusive event. Become a member today to attend this event, and other great programming.

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.

Be a part of the our exhibition, “NYC Trash!: Past, Present, & Future”!

Jacob A. Riis, "Italian Home Under a Dump," ca. 1890. Museum of the City of New York (90.13.1.208)

Jacob A. Riis, “Italian Home Under a Dump,” ca. 1890. Museum of the City of New York (90.13.1.208)

CALL FOR EXHIBITORS:
NYC Trash! Past, Present, & Future

The City Reliquary invites proposals for its upcoming exhibition, NYC Trash! Past, Present, & Future, which will open in October 2017 and run through April 2018. From Jacob A. Riis’s images of 19th-century squalor to plans for waste management in the 21st century and beyond, this show will explore the diverse ways that New Yorkers relate to and deal with their trash.

Waste management experts, collectors of NYC Department of Sanitation ephemera, enthusiasts of reuse/recycling, and anyone invested in the past, present, or future of trash in New York City are encouraged to submit their ideas. Contact [email protected] with your name, phone number, and a brief description of your exhibit idea including any AV and/or size & space requirements.

The curators are particularly interested in contributions that address projects related to reuse and recycling and how the city must deal with its waste in the future, but all proposals will be considered. The deadline for submissions is August 14, 2017.

July 27: Healix Collective presents “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth”

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Healix Collective returns to our backyard on Thursday, July 27th for ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH, the second installment in their summer screening series. There will be a special reading by NYC poet Camonghne Felix before the film.

Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth is a feature documentary film which tells the compelling story of an extraordinary woman’s journey from her birth in a paper-thin shack in cotton fields of Putnam County, Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the 20th Century.

Alice Walker made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her groundbreaking novel, The Color Purple, which has been transformed from a novel, to a Hollywood movie and latterly to a successful Broadway musical. This universal story of triumph against all odds is not that different from Walker’s own story.

Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth offers audiences a penetrating look at the life and art of an artist, a self-confessed renegade and human rights activist. In 2010, Yoko Ono honored Walker with the LennonOno Peace Award, for her ongoing humanitarian work.

Doors @  7, film starts at sundown
$5 – $10 suggested donation | All proceeds support The City Reliquary
Beverages available by suggested donation, with beer from Brooklyn Brewery. 

Visit www.healixcollective.com for more!

July 1: Opening Reception for “The United States: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”

 

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New extended date!
The United States: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

June 29 – August 20, 2017  Sept. 24, 2017
Opening reception: Saturday, July 1 @ 7 PM
Admission: $5


The City Reliquary proudly presents, in partnership with the New York Chapter of the SS United States Conservancy
The United States: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. This exhibition celebrates the extraordinary career of the luxury liner known as “America’s Flagship” and her relationship with the City of New York. The show will run from June 29th to September 24, 2017.

The opening event at The City Reliquary on Saturday, July 1 at 7 PM will commemorate the 65th Anniversary of SS United States’ famous record-breaking Maiden Voyage. There will be an 8 PM screening of the film Colossus On The River (1965; Runtime: 15 min.). Beverages available by suggested donation, with beer courtesy of The Brooklyn Brewery and a specialty cocktail courtesy of Montauk Rum.

This show will trace the life of the ship, from young speed queen and popular cover girl to aging star of yesteryear and nearly forgotten “has-been,” and finally–with your help–to one of the great comeback stories in U.S. history.


About the SS United States:

SaveTheUnitedStatesCopyright2cropped_72dpi_PStipUpon its completion in 1952, the SS United States immediately won the Blue Riband for setting a new Transatlantic speed record–a record that remains unbeaten.
In her heyday, the ship welcomed celebrities from the golden age of Hollywood, such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Mahalia Jackson, Salvador Dalí, Grace Kelly, and Joan Crawford. During the 1964 New York World’s Fair, it was touted as the fastest and most luxurious way to travel to Europe.
With the advent of jet technology, however, overseas travel began to look less exciting and became less profitable. In 1969, the SS United was abruptly withdrawn from service while docked in Newport News, Virginia for annual maintenance. She was moved to South Philadelphia in 1996 where she remains today.

The SS United States Conservancy purchased the ship outright in February 2011. They hope to find a new purpose for the fastest, finest, and largest ocean liner ever to be built in the United States.

Want to get in touch with the SS United States Conservancy’s New York Chapter? Drop them a line at [email protected]

June 24: Bicycle Fetish Day 2017

BFD card

This year Bicycle Fetish Day becomes a teenager! We’re gearing up for our 13th annual family-friendly block party for bikes. Meet us on Havemeyer St. between Hope & Grand Streets in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn on Saturday, June 24, from 12 noon to 6 PM. Free and open to the public!  

Join us at our family-friendly event to celebrate NYC diversity and bicycles. Love your Bicycle? Bring your two-wheeled pride and joy and show it off. You could win a trophy, prizes, and a year of bragging rights!

#bicyclefetishday

This year’s street party for two-wheel transportation includes:

  • Classic Bicycles, Mutant Bicycles, Handmade Bicycles, unicycles, vintage BMX, Cargo Bikes, and more from clubs, nerds, & enthusiasts devoted to the bicycle!
  • Badass bike skills on display all day!
  • Music to get you dancing in the street!
  • An Alley Cat/Fun Ride!

and

BIKE COMPETITIONS!

Judging starts at 2 PM. Categories include:

2:00 – Best Commuter Bike
2:30 – Best Vintage Bike
3:00 – Best Small-Wheel Bike
3:30 – Cargo Bike
4:00 – Best Handmade Bike
4:30 – Ugliest Bike
5:00 – Kids Bikes
&
**5:30 – Best In Show**

See you on the street!


About The City Reliquary Museum:

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 in 2002 as an apartment window display at the corner of Grand and Havemeyer Streets in Williamsburgh. It 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 educators/college students/seniors; Free to employees of all museums foreign & domestic and children 12 & under; Website: cityreliquary.org; Phone: (718) 782-4842; Email: [email protected]

June 3: Opening Reception for Closet Archaeology: An Accidental Time Capsule

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Saturday, June 3 @ 2 PM
Admission: $5

In the winter of 2015 in the Children’s Workshop School in the East Village, a Manhattan fourth grader peered into the dusty crevices beneath his classroom closet floorboards. He wondered what treasures might have fallen there in the 104 years since the building was constructed. His classmates took notice and joined him in poking under the boards and pulling out artifacts of everyday life.

Through this “closet archaeology,” the students excavated an accidental time capsule built over a century by the students who had also once sat in their classroom. These junior archaeologists have unearthed love notes, spelling tests, caps from glass milk bottles, portraits of silent film stars, penny candy wrappers, and more. They have even found former students, now adults, who remember losing these items. The project was covered in The New York Times. Miriam Sicherman runs the Closet Archaeology Instagram account.

The City Reliquary is proud to present the first formal exhibition of Closet Archaeology after featuring it at Collectors’ Night 2017.

The Opening Reception on Sat., June 3 at 2 PM will include presentations from some of the junior archaeologists from the Children’s Workshop School as well as professional collectors and anthropologists:

Beverages available by suggested donation, with beer courtesy of The Brooklyn Brewery.

See the slideshow below for a selection of objects, and see even more of Miriam’s students’ finds on the Closet Archaeology Instagram.

 

 

May 6: Obscura Day Kickoff Party with NYC Trivia

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Saturday, May 6, 11 AM – 1 PM
Hosted by New York Obscura Society
Admission: $12

The City Reliquary is proud to host the kickoff party for Obscura Day 2017. Awaken your mind with a special morning session celebrating exploration and observation. Enjoy free coffee from Oslo Coffee Roasters and beer and shandy cocktails from The Brooklyn Brewery for a suggested donation from the treehouse bar in our backyard garden.

Test the obscurity of your NYC knowledge with trivia hosted by Atlas Obscura resident quizmaster and staff writer, Eric Grundhauser. New York know-it-alls of all ages are invited (but not required!) to participate. Topics will include the Reliquary collection, everyday New York sights, and the hidden wonders of our city. Trivia begins at 11:30 AM.

Join the Facebook event!

#obscuraday

Tickets available through Eventbrite. Advance Tickets Only. All Sales Final. No Refunds or Exchanges.

QUESTIONS?
Email Larissa Hayden at larissa.hayden@atlasobscura.com