Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Russ & Daughters’ Appetizing Factory | BCAP at Home | Thursday, July 29

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July 29, 2021 9:30 am EDT

Take a behind-the-scenes virtual tour of Russ & Daughters’ Appetizing Factory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard! We’ll hear the story of how this iconic New York business was started over a hundred years ago by a pushcart peddler on the streets of the Lower East Side and step inside their bakery to see how they make bagels, babka, black and white cookies, and other appetizing delicacies!

Join this free family virtual program with Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program. 

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The Civil War and Prospect Park | Virtual Program | Friday, July 30

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July 30, 2021 12:00 pm EDT

Did you know that Prospect Park has a piece of Gettysburg’s famed Little Round Top? And one of the oldest statues of Abraham Lincoln in America? While memorials to the Civil War are prominent features of the park, the war itself also shaped its design. ​Co-designer Frederick Law Olmsted spent the war directing the US Sanitary Commission, which provided medical care to the Union Army, and that experience influenced his ideas on public space and public health. On this virtual tour, we will explore the park’s many Civil War connections, from Grand Army Plaza to the Parade Ground.

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Art Inspired by Nature with Tatiana Arocha | BCAP at Home | Wednesday, August 4

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August 4, 2021 9:30 am EDT

Join artist Tatiana Arocha for a virtual visit and artmaking workshop live from her studio at the Brooklyn Navy Yard! We will see how she incorporates plants, seeds, and other natural materials into her mural making process, while drawing inspiration from plants and animals in the rainforest in her native country of Colombia. Recommended materials to have ready for the program include paper, crayons or pencils, dirt in a cup, a leaf, seeds, and some small rocks.

Join this free family virtual program with Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program. 

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Rockaway Ferry Virtual Tour | Virtual Program | Thursday, August 5

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August 5, 2021 12:30 pm EDT

The fastest way to the beach is on the NYC Ferry, so join us for another virtual boat tour as we cruise the Lower New York Bay. We will pick up the ferry in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, then make our way under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, past Coney Island, and down to the Rockaways. Along the way, we will discuss the forts and islands that used to protect the harbor, the history of recreation along the city’s Atlantic seaboard, and the rich aquatic life of Jamaica Bay and the New York Bight. At the end of the tour, we’ll take a walk across the Rockaway Peninsula and virtually stroll along the beach.

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Tide Mills: Green Energy from the Colonial Era | Virtual Program | Tuesday, August 31

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August 31, 2021 12:30 pm EDT

In colonial New York, reliable power came from muscles (human and animal), firewood, and tides. From Spuyten Duyvil to Marine Park, Wallabout Bay to Flushing Bay, settlers turned many tidal marshes across New York’s vast estuary into millponds to run machinery as the water ebbed. In this virtual program, Brad Vogel of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club and the Tide Mill Institute will share examples of this green energy from the past.

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Capturing Food Carts with Photographer Maxwell Schiano | Episode 233

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Food carts are an iconic image of New York City that most New Yorkers pass every day. Even if they stop to enjoy their food, not many take in the beauty and visual appeal of food carts – that’s why photographer Maxwell Schiano published a 64-page zine of his photography celebrating these icons, New York City Vibe, Volume One. In this conversation, we will learn about his process and check out his stunning photos that reveal so many wonderful details about these carts and the people working inside them. We will also be joined by Carina Kauffman-Gutierrez, deputy director of the Street Vendor Project, who will update us on the current challenges vendors face in New York City.

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Famous and Forgotten: Street Names of the Brooklyn Navy Yard | Episode 232

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Behind the gates of the Brooklyn Navy Yard lies a network of streets that are a mystery to most New Yorkers. Named for naval heroes, shipyard operations, and even a numbered grid, these streets trace the Yard’s history from the War of 1812 through World War II. While new attention has been given to how and whom we memorialize in our public places and streets, we will unpack the stories of the people behind these street names as we virtually walk through the history of the Yard.

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Street Food of the Financial District | Episode 231

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Two young men are holding bowls and posing for the camera in front of a smiling street vendor on a halal food cart

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Take a virtual walk through Manhattan’s Financial District and learn about some of the food carts and food trucks that serve this neighborhood. We will check out some of our favorite spots, and talk to vendors about their food, how their businesses have fared during the pandemic, and how they are managing as the city reopens. We wish we could pass out tastings with everyone, but we will share the spots that we visit to check out on your own.

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Ship Spotting at the Brooklyn Navy Yard | BCAP at Home

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New York Harbor is bustling with boats every day, making it perfect for ship spotting, a hobby that involves seeing, learning about, and tracking ships as they come and go. The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a great place to see all kinds of ships, including ferries, fireboats, tugboats, and even oyster tenders! During this program, our expert ship spotting guide will share some tips and tools to help us learn more about the boats we see in the harbor. We’ll also visit with a NYC Ferry captain who will show us around the wheelhouse and the controls they use to operate the boat each day.

This free family virtual program is part of Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program.

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Machines and Tools: Printing Technology with Woodside Press | BCAP at Home

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Typeface collection at Woodside Press at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

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How did people print newspapers and books before the age of computers? Join this virtual program to learn about the history of printing technology with Woodside Press at the Brooklyn Navy Yard! We’ll virtually visit their workshop, which is like stepping back in time, and see how they use tools and machinery that are over a hundred years old that still work great today. We will share tips for how children and families can do their own printmaking at home using paper, paint, potatoes, cauliflower, and other objects.

This free family virtual program is part of Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program. 

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