The Northern Traveller, from 1844, relates an earlier, uncredited, positively gushing description of the capital city on the Hudson: “The younger race of fashionables and semi-fashionables know Albany, or affect to know it, merely as a big city-looking place, full of taverns and hotels, where they land from the steamboat, on their way to…

In 1938, a builder named Primomo was advertising the “Charm House” in the Times-Union. Built in a newly developed section off New Scotland Avenue, these homes featured six rooms (!), copper piping, insulation, a basement lavatory and air conditioning. What did they mean by “restricted community”? Not sure if that was racial or religious,…

Around the turn of the century (no, the other century), there was some discussion of the City of Albany setting up a municipal insurance scheme. Similar to other public utilities, fire and hazard insurance for businesses and residences would be provided  by the city government. This came at a time when private insurance was…

Wow, has it really been two years since I wrote about Albany’s claim to being the Piano City? I guess it has. This ad is from 1858, when Boardman and Gray had been making pianofortes for more than 20 years. The company is long gone, but the factory still stands at the corner of…