Front Page Stories from The Villager's First 20 Years
NYPL Digital Collections is in the process of digitizing back issues of The Villager, a weekly newspaper local to Greenwich Village. The papers are a treasure trove documenting historical events, activities, places, and people that helped to shape the Village and the city at large since it began circulating in 1933. The early editions of The Villager are a joy to read. While some headlines read as quaint or humorous, much of the reporting contains information vital to the fabric of the tight-knit community in Greenwich Village during the tumultuous years of the Great Depression, the World War II era, and the early years of the Cold War. Perhaps a testament to its ability to accurately report on and capture the spirit of its unique neighborhood, The Villager is still being published today.
Here are some highlights from the paper between the years 1933 and 1947:
“Playground Action Lags”
Punny headlines aside, the red tape of bureaucracy in city planning stretches all the way back to the 30's, when a plot of land bordering Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village was in the process of being secured for a community playground. The playground saga continues in many of issues of the Villager that follow. The Minetta Playground eventually opened up (on a much smaller stretch of land than originally intended) in 1935.
“Survey of Village Milk Consumption”
In May 1934, the price of milk skyrocketed, prompting Mayor Fiorello La Guardia to initiate an extensive city-wide survey to determine how much milk schools and households consumed on a regular basis. The Villager reported at the time that poorer households in the area were spending the majority of their food allowances on milk, and that city residents were "ready to fight for cheaper and better milk."
“Woman Candidate for State Assembly”
A short snippet at the bottom of the front page announces that Miss Helen Buckler had been nominated by the Knickerbocker Democrats to run for office in the 1st Assembly District in the State of New York. She was the first woman to run for office in the district. She lost to the Republican incumbent, a man.
“Oldest Artist 65, Youngest 9 Yrs Old”
The Sixth Outdoor Art Show in Washington Square Park was a record breaker for diversity. With 66 women artists present, this show had the largest proportion of female entrants in the show's history. It also featured artists from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and age demographics. The Outdoor Art Show was an event intended to give community members the opportunity to appreciate art and support local artists by purchasing pieces directly from them. The tradition, which began in 1931, still continues today.
“Kitten Still General Topic of Interest”
More proof that cats were popular entertainment before the age of the internet. Staff members at The Villager collectively adopted a kitten in January 1936, and invited readers to write in with name suggestions. This editorial details the overwhelming response of letters, and informs readers that they would like to choose a name that will suit the cat now, and as it becomes "older and more dignified." The name they chose? Scoopy, the Community Cat! Scoopy went on to be a columnist in his own right, writing occasional think pieces on keeping a positive attitude during war time efforts--among other things--called "Scoopy Mewses."
“Demolition of Elevated Imminent”
The subways beneath Manhattan may seem ancient, but in many cases they're newer than you think. The Sixth Avenue Subway line (now the BDFM trains) was once elevated above ground, making surrounding areas calamitous for residents and workers. The Elevated, as is was sometimes referred to, was demolished in 1938. By 1940 the subway beneath Sixth Avenue was open and fully operational, with hardly any interruption in service for daily riders--a much faster process than constructing the second avenue subway!
“Boxes of Beauty Increase Daily”
Residents of Greenwich Village have historically been great gardeners and champions of urban green space. One need only take a stroll around the Jefferson Market Garden and the surrounding area in order to see this tradition alive and well today. Window boxes were one major way in which Villagers sought to beautify their neighborhood with plants. An article from 1941 colorfully describes some notable window boxes, artfully arranged with geraniums, ivy, petunias, and begonias, and most issues of the Villager contains at least one article about the gardening community in the neighborhood.
“Villagers to Appear in Drama”
Community Theater: where civic-mindedness and bohemian creativity come together. Seeking to raise awareness on topical issues like the need for more parks and playgrounds, a troupe of 60 Villagers performed their "People's Plays" on a regular basis. This time around the play was called "Bread and Butter," and addressed the rising cost of living in the Village.
“Village Gay from Border to Border”
Charles Kaiser's book The Gay Metropolis points out that it was around the World War II era and the years immediately following that Greenwich Village became a haven for the LGBTQ community. This headline, which may or may not be winking at the growing gay community in the Village, actually refers to the neighborhood's annual extravagant holiday decor.
“Attractive Rivalry at Beauty Contest”
The highlight of the annual carnival put on by the Greenwich Village Association was arguably its beauty contest. In 1942, the winner was Greenwich Village resident Betty Joan Bacal, who would later be known as the movie star Lauren Bacall. When she received the title of "Miss Greenwich Village," Bacall was 18 years old at the time. Arguably, it was this new title that brought her the modeling opportunities that got her recognized by Hollywood executives.
“Cupid is Assisted at Village Canteen”
During World War II, The Music Box Canteen was a club where servicemen and women and merchant Marines could go for drinks, dancing, and general merriment while on leave. Located on Fifth Avenue between 12th and 13th Street, the club (according to this article) had a reputation for being a place where romance was often sparked between its patrons.
“To Discuss New Age in Education”
A Town Hall meeting at PS. 3 in the Village was held to discuss the manifold ways that young villagers could have access to an education better suited to the dawn of a new age in world technology. What was this new age? The "Air Age," of course. Amid the new innovations and technological advances made in the 40s regarding aeronautical engineering, concerned parents, teachers, and civic leaders wanted to make sure that they were preparing their children to meet the challenges of a more connected world. Given the reputation of Village schools today, not much has changed!
“Register Now for Library Courses”
Libraries have always been a big part of the rich education infrastructure in Greenwich Village. At the time when this article was written, courses in sculpture, watercolor, photography, drama, French, and other subjects were being offered to the public at the Hudson Park Library. Today, the Jefferson Market Library offers free classes to the public in subjects as wide ranging as drawing, economics, literature, and mathematics every semester.
“Village Becomes Hollywood Set”
It's no secret that many Hollywood films take place in New York, and that a good share of great New York stories take place in Greenwich Village. However, a signifiant proportion of New York movies are actually filmed on sets in Hollywood studios. In 1947, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, and Ethel Barrymore reported to work on MacDougal St., Sullivan St., and West Broadway in the Village for some "on the spot" filming--a "revolutionary trend" in filmmaking at the time.
“Stuyvesant Town Apt. on Exhibit”
A few months before Stuyvesant Town was slated to open between the Union Square, Gramercy Park, and East Village neighborhoods of Manhattan, curious New Yorkers flocked to an exhibit of the new housing development, then built, owned, and operated by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Villager assesses the model apartment as "simple and practical," though with "cleverly constructed" kitchens. Stuyvesant Town and neighboring Peter Cooper Village were build in the late 1940s to alleviate the housing crisis in the city that followed the Great Depression. Much like today, there was astronomical demand for housing, causing rent prices to soar. The first residents of Stuyvesant Town were World War II veterans and their families.
"Project Will Alter Face of Square"
Did you know that Fifth Avenue traffic used to run through Washington Square Park, passing around the famous Washington Arch? Washington Square Park has a long and varied history, during which it has been altered to adapt to the changing economic, social, and creative fabric of Greenwich Village. This article from 1948 details a plan to do away with linear streets passing straight through the center of the park in favor of a new layout intended to ease traffic and increase safety in the park. In 1964 these streets were closed and the park was redesigned once more at the demand of the community.
"LWS Council Asks Aid for Libraries"
Advocacy season for New York City's public libraries has always been an annual event. Early in 1950, the Lower West Side Council met at the Hudson Park Library to lobby for a generous increase in funds for The New York Public Library. The request? $2,794,450 for increased salaries for library staff and $1,130,660 to purchase new materials and make necessary upgrades to facilities. By contrast, in 2017, NYPL, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library received an additional $110 million for capital improvements to libraries across the city!
"Cats Are Not Villains"
Greenwich Village has always been home to activists for a variety of causes, big and small. The Empire Cat Club is one such band of Villager-activists, who at their annual meeting in 1951 initiated a spirited campaign "to obtain a more understanding treatment and more friendly portrayal of the cat in comics and motion pictures."
"Pigtails Vie for Special Honors"
In 1951, over 200 parents and children from across the city to compete in a pigtail contest. You read that right, pigtails. The winner was one Lillian Morganti of Bleeker St., age 4, who won a silk scarf for her hairdo. But competitors sought other prizes, like shortest pigtails (3/4 of an inch), longest pigtails (27 and 1/2 inches), and greatest number of pigtails (165). The Village pigtail contest was a short lived tradition in New York City, but continues in more rural parts of the U.S., like Idaho.
"Compulsory Jury Duty"
As late as 1953, jury duty in New York City was compulsory for men, but not for women. This article discusses a bill introduced by State Assemblywoman Maude E. TenEyck to "extend the duties and privileges of citizenship to a large segment of voters who have been exempted simply because they are women." Interestingly, the bill included a few reasons why a woman could be excuses from jury duty: daily care of a young child, or daily care of a person incapacitated through age, illness, or mental infirmity. No such excuses were available to men.
"Story Telling Days at Village Libraries"
The New York Public Library used to declare the months October - May to be "story telling" season, with the kick-off being somewhere around Halloween. According to this article, spooky stories were read from picture books by librarians in branches local to Greenwich Village like Tompkins Square, Hudson Park, Muhlenberg, and the former Jackson Square library on 13th street, though the programs were held throughout the NYPL branch system. Back in the 1950s, story time was aimed at 8-12 year olds. Today, story times at NYPL branches are offered for all different age groups--from infants to adults! You can check the schedule at nypl.org/events/calendar.
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