The New York Historical Presents Stirring the Melting Pot: Photographs from The New York Historical Collections, Exploring Memory, Identity, and Community

Unidentified photographer, Hester Street, West from the Southwest Corner of Norfolk Street, New York City, ca. 1898. Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, The New York Historical, Gift of Samuel V. Hoffman, 1912.

On view November 28, 2025 – March 29, 2026

This fall, The New York Historical presents a new exhibition that explores themes of memory, identity, and community. Stirring the Melting Pot: Photographs from The New York Historical Collections examines the immigrant experience in New York City through the lens of photography. The exhibition is on view November 28, 2025 – March 29, 2026.

“New York has always been a city of immigrants, and the photographs on view in Stirring the Melting Pot tell the story of resilience, identity, and belonging across generations,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “Through candid moments, the images reveal how individuals and families both preserved their heritage and transformed the city itself, creating community along the way.”

Curated by Valerie Paley, senior vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, and curatorial scholar Keren Ben-Horin, Stirring the Melting Pot offers an intimate portrait of the everyday lives of New Yorkers from across the globe who made a unique mark on the cityscape. Drawn from the vast holdings of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the exhibition features more than 100 photographs and objects that capture how generations of immigrants have shaped—and been shaped by—the city they came to call home.

Spanning the 20th century, the photographs and select objects showcase children at play and in classrooms, seniors at recreational centers, workers in sweatshops and factories, families gathered at home, and celebrants at parades and festivals—together forming a vivid visual record of adaptation and community building. Additional highlights include poignant photographs documenting the impact of the 1904 General Slocum steamboat disaster on one family, underscoring how tragedy reshaped both immigrant communities and city neighborhoods. The exhibition also explores the myriad cultural and religious expressions in New York City, with depictions of Greek Orthodox churches, Cambodian Buddhist temples, Jewish synagogues, and Sikh temples that reflect the city’s rich spiritual tapestry.

Support
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.

About The New York Historical 
New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; peerless collections of art, documents, and artifacts; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better. Connect with us at nyhistory.org or at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.