Historic Jersey

Juno, owned by Mrs. Charles Mapes, jumps to the command of her owner's 16-year-old daughter, Judy, after the dog's turn in the ring at the Morris-Essex Kennel Show in June 1955.

The Morris-Essex Kennel Show, The Show of Shows

January 8, 2016

In the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, the Morris-Essex Kennel Show was said to be the world’s largest and richest one-day sporting event....
Read More »
Riding the Cyclone at Palisades Amusement Park. The park closed in 1971, replaced by condo towers.

High Above the Hudson at Palisades Amusement Park

"Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun. Come—On—Over.” ...
Read More »

Atlantic City’s Airborne Equines

The trained diving horses of Atlantic City were an attraction that made the biggest splash on the boardwalk's Steer Pier....
Read More »

The Promised Land: The Rise of Hispanic Immigrants

The state of New Jersey has the third-highest percentage of foreign-born residents, with Hispanics making up the state's largest immigrant group....
Read More »
Employees process asparagus at Seabrook Farms during World War II. Many of the farm's workers at the time were Japanese-Americans who had been interned since the beginning of the war.

Where New Lives Cropped Up: Seabrook Farms

Seabrook Farms, a huge farming and food–processing operation in Cumberland County, employed Japanese-Americans who had been interned in detention camp....
Read More »

Hoboken’s Hot Dog Man

Serving the famous—and infamous—for 52 years....
Read More »
Staff stood at attention in the flagship Gruning's ice cream parlor in South Orange village some years before the 1946 fire there.

Gruning’s Ice Cream Parlor Was Hot-Fudge Heaven

For many North Jerseyans of a certain age, Gruning's was the greatest ice cream parlor there ever was. ...
Read More »

The Way We Were: A Pictorial History

January 7, 2016

Classic photos of the Garden State we know and love....
Read More »
A Douglass freshman wearing a traditional dink hat, circa 1965.

Higher Ed, High Ideals: Women’s Colleges

Women had the opportunity to receive higher education from a number of institutions. ...
Read More »

Cold War, Colder Architecture at The McGuire Air Force Base

In 1957, one of the most sophisticated computers in the world could be found at the McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County....
Read More »
Commuters board the Hoboken Ferry, 1963.

Welcome Aboard: Commuting on the Hoboken Ferry

January 6, 2016

For almost 90 years, ferries would remain the only way to traverse the Hudson....
Read More »

Camden’s TV Mastery

January 5, 2016

How the South Jersey city revolutionized entertainment by becoming the birthplace of commercially viable TV....
Read More »
Ella Fitzgerald at the Asbury Park Casino in 1938 with bandleader Chick Webb.

Jammin’ in Jersey, Where Jazz Once Reigned

Jazz was a fixture of clubs throughout Newark and Asbury Park, where greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday plied their trade....
Read More »

Rockin’ Till Broad Daylight in Wildwood

Once known as Little Las Vegas, Wildwood was home to many music firsts, including the performance of the first rock 'n' roll song....
Read More »

Down on the Corner: The Neighborhood Pharmacy

January 4, 2016

The town pharmacy once served as a gathering place for communities, where patrons could grab a malted milkshake, the latest comic book or any number of household essentials....
Read More »

Booming ‘Burbs: Suburbia Shapes NJ Culture

The Baby Boom after World War II gave New Jersey an unprecedented opportunity for construction and growth, shaping the state for decades to come....
Read More »

Finding Joy Between the Racks at Avato’s

Avato’s Department Store in Clifton was a place of elegance and style that kept customers happy for over 70 years. It was also my grandmother's shop. ...
Read More »

Secret Santa: A Mysterious Christmas Delight

December 10, 2015

Keeping the magic in one neighborhood’s Yuletide tradition....
Read More »
Frank Sinatra parties hearty in Hollywood with Rat Pack pals Dean Martin, left, and Sammy Davis Jr., 1961. Two decades later, Sinatra ran afoul of Jersey authorities when he and Dino hit the blackjack table at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.

Sinatra’s Blackjack Blowup

December 5, 2015

How an Adubato thrust himself into Sinatra’s notorious brouhaha at Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget....
Read More »
Hoboken-born-and-bred singer Jimmy Roselli, circa 1970, was a powerful draw in Atlantic City and New York.

Hoboken’s Other Italian Singer

December 3, 2015

Frank Sinatra wasn't the only singer from the Mile-Square City to make it (sort of) big....
Read More »