'Celebrating a Century' Event Update
Join Us to Commemorate a Century of Service and the Best of Brooklyn Heights
The Brooklyn Heights Association is proud to announce Celebrating a Century, an exciting year-long series of events highlighting Brooklyn Heights history, famous residents, and the BHA’s plans for the future. This series will include dozens of events, with something for everyone: from special exhibitions and readings to an outdoor concert, from walking tours to a pub crawl, from a community stoop sale to a picnic on the Promenade. The Celebrating a Century series will take place primarily within our historic neighborhood, but some will venture out to the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge Park or to the Brooklyn Museum.
Check back here regularly as we move through the year for reports on events as they happen, and previews of what's coming next so you can put us on your calendar. And thanks to our Media Sponsor, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
THE YEAR SO FAR:
Jan 20: Hollywood in the Heights’ Kicks Off Centennial Year
Jan 20: Boro Pres Commemorates BHA Centennial
Feb 26: ‘Brooklyn in Prints: A Special Gathering’ (Exhibit thru March 13)
UP NEXT:
March 6: Building Bridges Family Workshop
March 27: House Genealogy Workshop
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What a Night!
'Hollywood in the Heights' Kicks Off Centennial Year
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, the BHA kicked off its Celebrating a Century series with a packed house at St. Francis College auditorium for "Hollywood in the Heights." The star was Brooklyn Heights itself, as a crowd of 300+ viewed an entertaining video montage of some of the memorable movie scenes shot in the Heights through the years — from Moonstruck to Manhattan, from Prizzi's Honor to The Age of Innocence, up to more modern classics including Catch Me If You Can and last year's Coen Brothers caper Burn After Reading. Hosted by Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Pieces of April, About a Boy), the film retrospective was followed by an enlightening panel discussion that featured Hedges and two seasoned colleagues, line producer Mari Jo Winkler and location manager Kip Myers. All three described the unique appeal this historic district has to directors and discussed the special challenges of working in a neighborhood in such high demand for location shooting. Prompted by a flurry of audience questions, they also presented a rare inside view of moviemaking. One commenter on the Brooklyn Heights Blog's coverage of the event described the evening as "thoroughly entertaining and very informative." The overflow crowd seemed to agree.
More Photos from 'Hollywood in the Heights'
BHA Pres Tom van den Bout does his best "Phil Donahue" fielding
audience questions
Special thanks to:
David Rogow (film editor)
Claire Shanley and Jonathan Hoffman of Orbit Digital Midtown (post-production)
And we thank our sponsors for their generous support:
Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Lassen & Hennigs
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BHA Still Has That 'Brooklyn Attitude'
Boro Pres Marty Markowitz Commemorates BHA Centennial
As the BHA kicked off its Celebrating a Century series with "Hollywood in the Heights," Boro President Marty Markowitz took the opportunity to present BHA President Tom van den Bout with a proclamation commemorating the BHA's 100 years of service. "I want to congratulate President Tom van den Bout, executive director Judy Stanton, and all the members of the Brooklyn Heights Association, for carrying on BHA's 100-year mission," Markowitz said. "From day one, BHA has had the 'Brooklyn attitude.' The New York Times covered the organization's very first meeting, on February 6, 1910, and noted that people 'arose in their might, and, to some extent, their wrath, and succeeded in giving a very forcible object lesson of their demands for better transit facilities.'
"The article went on to say that Rev. Newell Dwight Hillis, one of BHA's vice presidents, stood up and said that the people of the Heights had remained too silent about their own interests, and that the time had come to — in his words — 'get busy.' And get busy you did, so much so that today the world is divided into two types of people: Brooklyn Heights residents and Heights wannabes. So here's to another hundred years of getting busy in Brooklyn Heights!"
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Debut Draws Crowd Despite Snowstorm
Brooklyn in Prints: A Special Gathering
Still Time to Visit: Exhibit and Sale Go Through March 13
A record-setting snowstorm couldn't stop eager Brooklyn fans from trudging their way to the Brooklyn Historical Society on Friday night for the opening of the BHA'S centennial Brooklyn in Prints show. Some 170 storm-clad visitors arrived to pore through bins of images of Brooklyn and peer at a once-in-lifetime exhibition of prize prints showing the borough in virtually all of its manifestations, from revolutionary battleground to today's lively urban settings.
The images which seemed to capture everyone's imagination were the super-size, 19th century aerial views of the New York harbor where Brooklyn Heights and its special features could be spotted. But there are also modern views of simpler things like the etching titled Brooklyn Deli by Joseph Essig and Maya Hardin's aquatint, Subway Entrance on Montague Street.
The theme seemed to be a picture and a price for every taste. The framed prints, provided by the The Old Print Shop of Manhattan, also a centenarian institution, will be on view through Saturday, March 13. (The display is in the long gallery down the steps from the main hall.) A price list is available at the desk and a portion of any purchases go to the benefit of the Historical Society and the Association. A preview of the images may be seen at www.oldprintshop.com.
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Arts & Crafts
Family Workshop: Building Bridges
Saturday, March 6, 1pm - 4pm
Brooklyn Historical Society
Looking for something special to do with the family? Join us for an all-family arts and crafts project building models of the Brooklyn Bridge, hosted by the Center for Architecture Foundation. Families with children ages 6 - 12 are invited to discover the bridge's secrets, and then to make a model of the Brooklyn Bridge to take home.
Space is limited, so click here now to register.
Suggested donation is $10 to $15 per family, $10 for BHS, BHA and Center for Architecture Foundation members.
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If Walls Could Talk:
A Workshop on the Genealogy of Your Home
As part of the BHA’s Celebrating a Century event series, there will be a unique two-hour workshop at the Brooklyn Historical Society on March 27th to help you uncover the history of your house using the Society’s resources. You will be introduced to the Society’s Othmer Library collections and the essential tools for house and building research. Then you will have the opportunity to use your new skills to piece together the architectural and social history of any Brooklyn home or block. If you have an interest in your home’s history, don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity. Space is limited, so act now!
Saturday, March 27 at 2 PM
Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont Street at Clinton Street
Admission: $10
To confirm attendance please call 718-222-4111 x250 or email vservice@brooklynhistory.org