4 New Books for the Brooklyn History and Architecture Lovers on Your Holiday Gift List

For the Brooklyn history buff on your list, there is still time to pick up a book offering a deep dive into the borough’s past.

We’ve rounded up four titles published this year that will provide interest for the winter months ahead and are filled with images of the borough, past and present.

Historic Black Brooklyn
Brian Merlis and Clarence Taylor

Packed with previously unpublished photos, this more than 300-page volume gives a glimpse into the lives of Black Brooklyites in the 19th and 20th centuries. The accompanying text, along with maps and other historic documents, provides details on the Black experience in neighborhoods from Coney Island to Brooklyn Heights and includes contributions from Brownstoner columnist Suzanne Spellen. It’s available at just two local stores, Peace & Riot in Bed Stuy and Spoonbill Books in Williamsburg.

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Dumbo
Paul Goldberg

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger tracks the transformation of the neighborhood defined by its location under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass from its early roots as a waterfront village to the Dumbo of the 21st century, transformed by the vision of David Walentas. The iconic, tourist-loved shot on Washington Street is naturally featured on the cover while inside, historic and contemporary images illustrate the tale of the rebirth of the once-neglected industrial center.

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Jane’s Carousel
Jane Walentas

Dumbo gets another glance, and the Walentas name pops up again, with this look back at the author’s quest to bring a vintage carousel to the Brooklyn waterfront as part of the revival plan for the neighborhood. Supporting images document the origins of the 1922 carousel, its restoration and ultimate opening to the public in 2011.

Building the Brooklyn Bridge, 1869–1883: An Illustrated History, With Images in 3D
Jeffery I. Richman

While 3D glasses, which are included, are required to view some of the stereo-card-like images inside this history of Brooklyn’s iconic bridge, there is still plenty of visual material to enjoy without them. Author Richman culled photographs, engineering drawings, woodcuts and more that, along with detailed construction information, bring the beloved engineering feat to life.

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