As New York has evolved over the past three centuries, one thing hasn't changed. Our love for pets. In a new exhibit at The New York Historical (formerly The New-York Historical Society), Pets and the City, visitors can trace the evolution of how animals figure into life in New York from the times of the Lenape people to today. Through the exhibition of paintings, photographs, memorabilia, sculptures, video clips, and ephemera, you'll learn about domesticated squirrels, World War I messenger pigeons, NYPD K-9 units, and iconic urban animals like Flaco the Owl.
If you are an Untapped New York Member at the Insider tier or higher, you can join us for an exclusive educator-led tour of this new exhibit on November 23rd!
This tour is just $10 for members, a $29 value, and 100% of your ticket goes to The New York Historical.
The exhibition starts in the 1700s and examines the relationship between Native Americans and the animals who inhabited Manhattan in pre-industrial times. As you progress through the exhibit, the next phase of the timeline looks at European settlers and their adoption of squirrels, lambs, dogs, and other four-legged critters as pets. You start to see animals welcomed into homes and treated more as companions to be doted on rather than workers.
William Davis Hassler (1877-1921), William Gray Hassler seated at a small table eating Quaker Puffed Rice Cereal, with Reddy the Cat, ca. 1912. Print from digitized negative. Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, New-York Historical Society
As the 19th century dawned, pets became fully integrated into urban life. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded right here in New York in 1866. Since then, animals in New York have gained more rights and protections and have become even more firmly implanted into daily life.
In addition to adorable paintings and photographs that show children and adult pet owners fawning over their companions, there are displays about working animals of modern times. The exhibit sheds light on helpful creatures like the messenger pigeons of World War I, Seeing Eye dogs, carriage horses, bombing sniffing canines, and more.
While the exhibit celebrates all the joys pet ownership brings, it doesn't shy away from the challenges of urban living for pets and wildlife. The exhibition investigates issues surrounding pet adoption, the trafficking of exotic animals, and service animals.
Odds are that most people interested in this exhibit might have a pet of their own. Good news, you can bring your dog! On select Saturdays and Sundays, Wags West will take your dog for a walk while you explore the exhibition. See what times this "dog valet" is available here.
Pets and the City is on view now through April 20, 2025, at The New York Historical. The institution has recently unveiled a new name and a new logo. You might notice that the new name drops the hyphen that was nestled between New and York since 1804, but the hyphen hasn't completely disappeared. The museum's new "H" logo features a prominent crossbar that nods to the hyphen's legacy, "and the history of New York City as a bridge of peoples and cultures."
Tang Wing for American Democracy, The New York Historical Courtesy of Alden Studios for Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
This rebrand coincides with the museum's 220th anniversary and the announcement of a new wing, the Tang Wing for American Democracy, dedicated to exhibitions and programming on democracy set to debut on the United States' 250th anniversary in 2026. Join Untapped New York Members for an exclusive guided tour of Pets and the City on November 23rd and see everything new about The New York Historical!
