Available courses
I teach classes at three New York institutions: Columbia, New York University, and the Municipal Art Society (M.A.S.).
M.A.S.: Urban Genealogy: An Introduction to Researching Buildings in New York City
This is a seminar usually sponsored by the Municipal Art Society, generally in February (though occasionally a little earlier or later). The seminar consists of four event lectures, followed by a morning field trip. We learn how to unearth detailed information about New York City buildings. The four evening sessions include:
The Building – an introduction to the records of the Department of Buildings
The Client – weaving your way through deeds, directories, obituaries, Who’s Who, and local histories
The Architect – using standard texts, guidebooks, periodicals, the Avery Index, and Committee for the Preservation of Architectural Records publications
Miscellaneous Sources – using photograph collections, maps, New York City archives, libraries and historical society
The field trip visits the Manhattan Department of Buildings, the New York County Register’s Office (for conveyance records), the Municipal Archive, and the City Hall Library (formerly called the Municipal Reference Library).
The 2018 seminar concluded in February.
New York University School of Professional Education
NYU SCPE offers classes during three trimesters, and I usually have an offering in the spring and fall catalogs. These are five-class, non-graded courses that take place on the city streets. Classes have been devoted to downtown, midtown, and Art Deco New York. Check the calendar for up-to-date offerings.
Columbia Summer Session
Since 2010, I’ve taught a summer session course at Columbia on the architecture and planning of New York City. Unlike the offerings at NYU, this is a graded course, with essays, a presentation and a final paper. Click here for information and registration for the 2018 course.