Tenement Tales: Immigrant Life in 19th Century New York

On the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a tenement building dating from the 1850s still stands. The Tenement Museum on Orchard Street has restored several original apartments and built a huge archive of documents to tell the stories of families who entered America through the port of New York, raised families in tenements like this one, started businesses, and moved on. In this study group, we will visit families from Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Russia by entering their parlors, kitchens, and workspaces via 20-minute videos prepared by Tenement Museum researchers and educators. Discussion will follow each video, developing an understanding of their lives and the ongoing process of research and documentation. Reading material, distributed each week prior to the study group, will supplement the discussion. Materials are free.