Roosevelt Island Historical Society Spring Events - Interesting Lectures, Subway Tour, Cherry Blossom Walk, Coler Hospital Community Advisory Board Brunch & More

Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy spoke at the March 1 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Session. Ms. Berdy invited the RIRA Common Council Members and all Roosevelt Island residents to upcoming RIHS events including:

• Thursday, March 2 North Brother Island lecture at the Roosevelt Island Library
• Friday, March 3 Coler Hospital Community Advisory Board Legislative Brunch
• Sunday March 19 2nd Avenue Subway Tour
• Saturday April 22 Annual Cherry Blossom Walk (UPDATE 3/17 - Cherry Blossom Walk is Sunday April 30

The RIHS adds:

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

North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City

by Christopher Payne, Photographer

North Brother Island. Photo credit: Christopher Payne.

New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island
Thursday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Travel to a place frozen in time: North Brother Island, which few have heard of, sits in the East River, between The Bronx and Rikers Island. Christopher Payne, photographer, will explore the colorful past, present and future of this island, where today nature is reclaiming the abandoned buildings, in a lecture at the New York Public Library branch on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, March 2, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.

North Brother Island once was the site of Riverside Hospital, a quarantine hospital originally situated on Blackwell’s Island, and later housed veterans' residences and a juvenile drug treatment center. Today, the island is a wildlife sanctuary. Payne was granted permission by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to photograph and document the island, which is closed to the public.

This lecture is the first in a series of four free programs sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Historical Society. Future programs include:

-On Thursday, April 6, RIHS President Judith Berdy will discuss the role that Roosevelt Island's Metropolitan Hospital played in World War I. This historic institution was one of a number of American hospitals that sent doctors, nurses and other staff members to run field hospitals in Europe during the Great War.

-On Thursday, May 4, photographer Charles Giraudet, who photographed Goldwater Hospital before that facility was demolished, will share his impressions and photographs of Queens' Triboro Hospital, now scheduled to be closed.

-On Thursday, June 15, Tom Campanella, historian-in-residence at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in Cornell’s Department of City and Regional Planning, will discuss the environment. This program takes place at Cornell's new Architecture and Planning (AAP) facility in lower Manhattan. Details to come.

These events are FREE and open to the public. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m. The 3/2, 4/6 and 5/4 programs take place in the Roosevelt Island branch of the New York Public Library. RIHS will provide details about the 6/15 program in a future announcement.

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.

You can get more information and join the Roosevelt Island Historical Society at their web site or walk into their Visitors Center Kiosk 

 Image From RIHS

next to the Tram Station.

UPDATE 3/17 - RIHS Cherry Blossom Walk is Sunday April 30.