Upcoming Monthly Roosevelt Island Historical Society Free Lectures - Eastwood and the History Of Affordable Housing In NYC, Gypsies Living In Blissville LIC, Art Deco And FDNY On Roosevelt Island

The Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) begins a series of free monthly Thursday evening lectures on October 12. According to RIHS:

The Roosevelt Island Historical Society Invites You to the First of Four Free Lectures

Eastwood and the History of Affordable Housing in New York City

by Matthias Altwicker, Architect

New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island
Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

Eastwood is recognized as a milestone in affordable housing in New York City, according to architect Matthias Altwicker. Learn about the fascinating history of the building designed by Josep Lluís Sert i López, as well as the origins and progress of affordable housing, at a lecture organized by the Roosevelt Island Historical Society at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

This lecture is the first in a series of four free programs sponsored by the RIHS. Future programs include:

On Thursday, November 9, get a close-up look at a hidden corner of nearby Long Island City in the film, 'Blissville.' Documentary-maker Hank Linhart captured the businesses in the area and filmed the lives of residents and a community of Romani or gypsies. A discussion will follow the one-hour film.

On Thursday, December 14, Anthony Robins will give an illustrated lecture on Art Deco, a term coined in the 1960s to describe a style of French decorative arts. The Chrysler Building, the Waldorf-Astoria and Rockefeller Center are just a few of the hundreds of Art Deco monuments that, during the 1920s and ‘30s, helped create the image of New York City as the world’s Modern Metropolis.

On Thursday, January 11, learn about the long and storied presence of the Fire Department of New York on Roosevelt Island from FDNY historian Gary Urbanowicz. Walk back to the time when only one family lived on Blackwell’s Island and trace the development of the firefighters’ presence in the community.

These events are FREE and open to the public. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m. and take place in the Roosevelt Island branch of the New York Public Library.

DIRECTIONS to the Roosevelt Island NYPL branch: Take the Tram at 59th Street and Second Avenue or the F train to Roosevelt Island. Take the red bus (no charge) or walk eight minutes north to 524 Main Street.