The Sewer

William P. Chappel

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This scene of pristine streets appears quite charming, but in 1807 the intersection of Roosevelt and Oak probably looked (and smelled) less pleasant. The city’s patchwork of sewers were intended to divert excess water to the rivers. Some were open trenches, but others, like this one, were enclosed in an attempt to prevent the stagnant or slow-running water from festering under the sun. Yet the sewers’ lack of ventilation and tendency to back-up often led to foul odors and streets marinating in fetid water. Lucky for the gentleman (at left) and the sailor (at right) that the sidewalks are somewhat elevated!

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art