Information, News, and features from Montauk Library’s local history collection.
Meals at the Montauk Manor, 1940s Manor staff carry buffet trays, 1940s Manor dining room, circa 1940s Two black and white photographs depicting the splendor of meals at the Montauk Manor in the 1940s, and the enthusiasm of diners at the time. Al Holden and Richard T. Gilmartin Collections Montauk Library Archives Seconds, anyone? In… Read more »
“Wild Turkeys,” 1923 Black and white photograph Montauk Library Archives Wild turkeys, once nearly extinct, have had a rebound, including in Montauk, as anyone who drives on “the new highway” in Montauk and spots them on the roadside will attest. They were highly prized by Native Americans and European colonists alike, and formed the… Read more »
Roosevelt, Camp Wikoff Mascots, 1898 Black and white photograph of Teddy Roosevelt at Camp Wikoff with the camp’s mascots, which returned from the Spanish-American War with the troops Al Holden Collection Montauk Library Archives Readers might well ask what this photograph of soldiers playing with a mountain lion, a dog, and an eagle at Camp… Read more »
“A herd hits trail out Montauk way,” May 6, 1955 Photography by Times photographer Patrick A. Burns Scanned New York Times clipping Craig Tuthill Collection Montauk Library Archives Cattle drives are part of the collective memory of people who live in Montauk. For over 300 years, cattle and sheep fed off the moors, shearing the landscape into smooth mounds… Read more »
Pictorial maps enjoyed great popularity from the 1930s to the 1950s, and partnered beautifully with tourism and the travel industry. This gem was designed by Harry A. Chandler, a popular creator of bird’s eye views and pictorial maps whose ads could be found in NYC papers during the early part of the 20th century. This… Read more »
“The Fisherman,” ca. 1960 Original artwork by Bob Paganucci, graphic designer Illustration for the New York Mirror; Ink and poster white on brown chipboard Bob Paganucci Collection Montauk Library Archives Bob Paganucci, who pens poetry and wrote the song Montauk, shows equal artistry in his graphic design. The founder of Paganucci Design in New York City built a… Read more »
Sam and Bea Cox, ca. 1950 Sunrise Cottages Become East Deck, 1954 Maisonettes, ca. 1950 Three black and white photographs, one capturing the spirited duo Sam and Bea Cox, and two more referencing the motels that were part of their legacy (that’s Sam sitting with the dog; Bea is on the Maisonettes deck, standing left of the table)… Read more »
Library Ladies at Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2003 Tina Oberg, Karen Rade, Peg Ambrosio, Charlotte Schorr, Virginia Sayers and Marie Stokes pose in front of the Wölffer Estate tasting room, “Library Ladies” Collection, Montauk Library Archives. In the month of October, grape harvesting and wine-making continue at the crescendo pace begun in September, as workers pick, process and… Read more »
Montauker Margaret Potts to be inducted into Aviation Museum’s Hall of Honor this weekend. Watch live Saturday, 10/9 at 11AM Eastern Time here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuqRejOSW6c Montauker and WWII Army Air Veteran Margaret Potts will be inducted into Urbana, Ohio’s Champaign Aviation Museum Hall of Honor on Saturday, October 9, 2021, by her former flying student… Read more »
Columbus Day Parade, 1980. Photograph, black and white print, Al Holden Collection, Montauk Library Archives. There was a flurry of Columbus Day parades from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s in Montauk’s downtown, “the pride and joy” of a man named Joseph Bosco, the engine who powered the event. Mr. Bosco was born in Calabria, Italy,… Read more »