Many of the articles referenced on this site are locked away in digital archives or behind paywalls. You may have access to certain archives or digital subscriptions via your local library or other research institution. For example, cardholders of the New York Public Library have access to a range of databases including digital archives for the New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, New Yorker, Newsday, and a selection of women’s magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and Town & Country.
Digital Collections:
Brooklyn Newstand, Brooklyn Public Library: Digitized archives of Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn Life, and Brooklyn Evening Star covering 1809 to 1963
Culinary Institute of America Menu Collection: Searchable collection of over 40,000 menus, from restaurants in all 50 states and over 80 countries, as well as from ships, railroads, and airlines.
Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts Collections Online: Digitized historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives around Massachusetts
Esquire Classic: Magazine archive covering all issues from 1933 to today
Harley J. Spiller Collection, University of Toronto Scarborough, Library, Archives & Special Collections: Menus from the collection, digitized via archive.org and organized alphabetically
Museum of the City of New York: Online collection of images and objects
New York City Department of Records & Information Services, Complete Archive: A treasure trove of historical resources, including tax department photographs of building frontages from the 1940s and 1980s, liquor licenses, an 1890 police census, and more.
New York Historical Society Digital Collections: Digitized holdings of the New York Historical Society Museum and Library, including photographs, maps, and more
New York Public Library Digital Collections: Prints, photographs, and more digitized from the collections
Other Resources:
New York Songlines, Virtual Walking Tours of Manhattan Streets: A well-researched guide to every street in Manhattan, with references to past events, former residents, and former and current businesses at each address.
OldNYC: Interactive map of New York City featuring historical photos spanning 1800-2000 from the New York Public Library
Lost City Blog:
“Where to Eat in New York, Circa 1934“: Guide to “Manhattan dining organized alphabetically according to nationality [Posted April 16, 2009]
“Where to Eat in Midtown, Circa 1959“: Republished article from The Broadway Beat, 1959 providing a guide to the state of restaurants in Midtown
The New York City Restaurant Archive 