Publisher Description

There is no New York neighborhood that boasts a richer history or more exciting present than Williamsburg. At first a quiet waterside community, Williamsburg briefly became a wealthy suburb of Manhattan in the middle of the nineteenth century. Heavy industrialization and a tidal wave of immigrants later turned Williamsburg into New York s poorest, most crowded quarter. With images drawn chiefly from the rich photographic collection of the Brooklyn Historical Society, Williamsburg illustrates the neighborhood s transformation from one of New York s most impoverished and least fashionable neighborhoods to a modern-day example of the city s capacity for self-renewal."

Author Biography

New York native and resident Victor Lederer compiled this volume with the cooperation of the Brooklyn Historical Society. Author of College Point, he has also written about New York's history for the Museum of the City of New York. Founded in 1863, the Brooklyn Historical Society is one of the nation's oldest organizations dedicated to local history and is the repository of the world's largest collection of materials about Brooklyn. The society's 1881 landmark headquarters and museum is one of New York's architectural gems.

Long Description

There is no New York neighborhood that boasts a richer history or more exciting present than Williamsburg. At first a quiet waterside community, Williamsburg briefly became a wealthy suburb of Manhattan in the middle of the nineteenth century. Heavy industrialization and a tidal wave of immigrants later turned Williamsburg into New York

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