LOST INWOOD
-Works in Progress 2023-
-TUESDAY DECEMBER 5th, 7:30PM at THE INWOOD FARM
Greetings!
It’s become an annual tradition at LOST INWOOD where we invite you behind the scenes and talk about new projects and discoveries. Each and every year we uncover new photos and stories, and 2023’s batch is awesome.
-Interested in the Fort George Amusement Park? We have a great new collection of images for you.
–Revolutionary War buff? We solve the puzzle of Thomas Davies’s 1776 battle painting of Inwood.
-Love Panoramas? Our friends at the Kingsbridge Historical Society have unearthed some gems.
–Dyckman Farmhouse fan? Rare INTERIOR shots from when the museum opened in 1916, and more.
-Inwood’s urbanization in the early 1900s. New images show just how quickly it happened.
-What about today’s news? Buildings are going up, but some interesting preservation efforts are in the works.
History is fun. Please join us Tuesday December 5th 7:30PM at the INWOOD FARM. It’s a free presentation. Reservations are recommended.
Flashback to 1917: Major League baseball is still decades away from including athletes of color, and while black independent teams are filled with fantastic players — and NYC sports fans wanting to see them play — local stadium booking agents block many of them from playing games for years…all but one, that is. Enter in the Dyckman Oval ballpark in Northern Manhattan, which made a name for itself by booking sporting events regardless of race, and became a go-to stop for some of the best black sports outfits of the era. From hosting the Negro National League World Series to showcasing at least 30 future hall of famers like Rube Foster and Satchel Paige (not to mention Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig), this is the story of the Dyckman Oval legacy and its remarkable, yet largely forgotten, role in the story of professional African-American and Latin-American teams.
Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the incredible history of New York City’s Dyckman Oval — originally built in 1917, this 4,500 seat multi-sport stadium located in the Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood was home to some of the nation’s top African-American and Latin-American professional teams before American sports became integrated.
Led by author and local historian Don Rice, our virtual journey surrounding the former Dyckman Oval will include:
- The origin story of Dyckman Oval and how it became the home field for prominent African-American and Latin-American teams, who were widely ignored by white press outlets and fans
- A rich portrait of sporting life at the Oval, including baseball, football, boxing, cricket, speed skating, soccer, dance contests, and even French haute-couture baseball tournaments
- Notable people who made their legacies in northern Manhattan, from early promoters who courted the people in Harlem, to Alex Pompez and his team “The NY Cubans (aka the “Latins from Manhattan”), to Fritz Pollard’s “Brown Bombers” football team during the NFL’s 1934-1946 ban on African-American players
- Memorable sports moments in the Oval’s history, including the 1935 Negro National League World Series and Babe Ruth’s multiple appearances at the stadium
- The unexpected demise of Dyckman Oval in 1938, with a virtual visit to where home plate would be located today
- Rare maps and photos, including historic clips featuring news stories and courtroom dramas
Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A session with Don — any and all questions about the Dyckman Oval are welcomed and encouraged!
Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!
See you there, virtually!
—The Uptown Images of Street Photographer Percy Sperr–
-TUESDAY OCTOBER 3rd, 7:30PM at THE INWOOD FARM
Hope you all had a great summer. At LOST INWOOD this month we’ll feature a fantastic collection of uptown images taken by street photographer Percy Loomis Sperr. In his heyday of the 1920s and 1930s, Sperr’s output was so prodigious (at least 30,000 images) that he’s been called the “Official Photographer for the City of New York.”
Over the years we’ve managed to acquire a number of Sperr’s original negatives and prints, from High Bridge to Kingsbridge and beyond. On Tuesday Oct 3rd at 7:30PM at INWOOD FARM we’ll see a fantastic, high-resolution selection of Sperr’s masterful work taken around the neighborhood, just as Inwood’s urban footprint was being completed.
So please join us – Tuesday October 3rd 7:30PM at the INWOOD FARM. It’s a free presentation. Reservations are recommended.
Back Porch History: A History of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
September 21st at 6PM
Gather on the back porch at DFM as Board President and local historian, Don Rice, pulls together everything we know about this fascinating and historic structure! Attendees will hear about the unique story of the farmhouse, including the people and places that have played an important role in DFM’s history.
Historia en el Porche Trasero: Historia del Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
21 de septiembre a las 6PM
La Increíble Historia de Dyckman Farmhouse reúne todo lo que conocemos sobre esta histórica y fascinante estructura. Usando fuentes primarias como documentos, mapas e imágenes raramente vistas trazaremos la historia de la casa más antigua de Inwood e incluso trataremos de hacer algunas predicciones sobre su futuro.
