New-york after civil war period

[Nezhul]

Hello.
I want to write a novel set in alternate New York after civil war (1865-188x). I'm seraching for a good reading and research materials (maybe movies or novels, ideally some encyclopedia) that depict those times clearly. The visuals, the life, social structure and struggles. I'm not American, so I don't know USA history all that well.

Could anyone suggest something? Would be very thankful.

 

[rae121452]

edith wharton specialized in that period. you can't do better if you're looking for social structure. also, there is a novel entitled "the alienist" that you should read. it is very well researched and a good read besides. i can't recall the author but it was hugely popular 10 or so years ago and was recently on u s tv. the follow up, "angel of death" is also in that time period.

 

[KindofHere]

................

 

[psiberzerker]

I would suggest you read this. It's a little out of period, but didn't change much back then. Can't beat the atmospheric description...

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/he.htm

I have others i can suggest, if you like.

 

[KenNicottii]

Martin Scorsese’s 2002 theatrical film “The Gangs of New York”, although set in 1863, is going to give you the most elaborate, accurate, and expensive cinematic re-creation of mid-18th century New York City.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_of_New_York

 

[MelissaBaby]

edith wharton specialized in that period. you can't do better if you're looking for social structure. also, there is a novel entitled "the alienist" that you should read. it is very well researched and a good read besides. i can't recall the author but it was hugely popular 10 or so years ago and was recently on u s tv. the follow up, "angel of death" is also in that time period.

The Alienist set quite a bit later, in 1896. The author is Caleb Carr, by the way. I liked it quite a bit, the sequel less so.

 

[lovecraft68]

The show the Alienist from TNT takes place in New York 1898 ish if you want to watch a couple of episodes.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Luc Sante's Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York is a good place to start.

https://www.amazon.com/Low-Life-Lur...UTF8&qid=1524934782&sr=1-1&keywords=Luc+Sante

My father's side of the family has been in New York since 1902 and my mother's side since the 1850s, so I may be able to point you in the right direction for more specific questions.

 

[jehoram]

Martin Scorsese’s 2002 theatrical film “The Gangs of New York”, although set in 1863, is going to give you the most elaborate, accurate, and expensive cinematic re-creation of mid-18th century New York City.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_of_New_York

Even better, seek out Herbert Asbury's 1928 non-fiction book of the same name. It's the source for the movie, and goes into greater detail than a movie can.

 

[SimonDoom]

I agree with others that the book The Alienist does a pretty good job of capturing that era.

Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence does a good job of capturing the mores and attitudes of the upper crust in New York in that era.

Muckraker Jacob Riis's book How the Other Half Lives captures the depth and extent of poverty and the squalid conditions many people lived in in that era in New York.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Three more

This one is a classic I think but I haven't read it yet, Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.

https://www.amazon.com/Gotham-Histo...rds=gotham+a+history+of+new+york+city+to+1898

These two I do own: Old New York in Early Photographs, 1853-1901 . . .

https://www.amazon.com/Old-York-Ear...1&keywords=old+new+york+in+early+photographsl

. . .and Old Brooklyn in Early Photographs, 1865-1929.

https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Ear...-1&keywords=old+Brooklyn+in+early+photographs

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

There are plenty of NYC local history books with lotsa local flavor. The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge is one, TITAN, the bio of John D.Rockefeller is another. try some of the early GODFATHER scenes from when Vito Corleone was a boy. Puzo wrote books about the time youre interested in. NYC pspers are on line from 1800s.

 

[loquere]

So one where the South wins?

Hello.
I want to write a novel set in alternate New York after civil war (1865-188x). I'm seraching for a good reading and research materials (maybe movies or novels, ideally some encyclopedia) that depict those times clearly. The visuals, the life, social structure and struggles. I'm not American, so I don't know USA history all that well.

Could anyone suggest something? Would be very thankful.

 

[Hypoxia]

For a view without rose-colored glasses, see archivist Otto Bettmann's classic The Good Old Days-They Were Terrible! "debunking the wrongly nostalgic view of the Gilded Age, describing in vivid detail hazards of pollution, dangerous traffic, low-quality housing, rural hardships, serf-like labor conditions, rampant crime (police corruption indemic [sic]), unhealthy food or drink, lack of public health (helped by horrible sanitation problems), brutal education methods, grindingly difficult, slow traveling and even perils in leisure activities which menaced people."

Before automobile, the hundreds of thousands of horses in New York City each exuded their daily 20 pounds of shit and 30 gallons of piss in the streets. Cental Park was a pig farm. Don't inhale.

 

[loquere]

So does the south win?

 

[Hypoxia]

So does the south win?

Any serious answers will be moved to the Politics Board. The closest I can come here is yes, but it took awhile.

Hey, how about those steam engines!

 

[gunhilltrain]

The problem with Asbury's book is that it seems to have a number of fables or tall tales in it. It was probably intended to be tongue-in-cheek, at least in part.

These should be useful:

The Historical Atlas of New York City

https://www.amazon.com/Historical-A...-1&keywords=historical+atlas+of+new+york+city

The Encyclopedia of New York City

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia...sr=1-1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+new+york+city

Frank K. Hain and the Manhattan Railway Company: The Elevated Railway, 1875-1903

https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Hain-M...r=1-2&keywords=elevated+railroads+in+New+York

The last one is notable because New York in that period was one of earliest cities in the world to develop a rapid transit system (London being the first). The elevated lines started by using steam locomotives and didn't electrify until early in the twentieth century.

 

[loquere]

Any serious answers will be moved to the Politics Board. The closest I can come here is yes, but it took awhile.

Hey, how about those steam engines!

Fair answer.

 

[Nezhul]

Hey, thanks all for advices!

I was watching Viasat History today (it's a TV channel in case you don't have it where you live), and I thought - there's bound to be historical educational films about 19th century New York, right? Maybe done by Viasat or BBC or something like that.

But a quick google search gave me nothing.

Maybe someone knows?
Thx a lot.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I found this on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyUV6A8fQ04

There seems to be six episodes (New York: A Documentary) and at least some of it concerns the second half of the 19th Century. I've only watched a couple of minutes so far.